Bill Cosby will be awarded the nation’s top comedy prize from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for his groundbreaking career.
The center said Wednesday that Cosby, 71, will be honored with the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Some of the biggest names in comedy will salute Cosby on Oct. 26.
Nine of Cosby’s comedy albums have been certified gold, and six went platinum on recording industry charts.
Last year, the Kennedy Center honored the late George Carlin. Past honorees include Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg.
Woes at Oprah’s school
Seven students have been punished for violating the code of conduct at Oprah Winfrey’s school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa, the second controversy to hit the fledgling institution since it opened in 2007.
Winfrey representative Don Halcombe said that four students were expelled and three were suspended last week from her Leadership Academy for Girls outside Johannesburg.
Halcombe declined to say what led to the violations because there are minors involved.
Lifetime gets ‘Runway’
After months in limbo, “Project Runway” has a new home at Lifetime. The design-competition series that aired on Bravo had been mired in a legal struggle involving NBC Universal, which owns Bravo, the Weinstein Co. and Lifetime.
The dispute began last April after NBC Universal sued Weinstein after the production company made a $150 million deal with Lifetime for the series that features supermodel Heidi Klum as host.
That lawsuit has been settled.
Simpsons keep a-peel
Woo hoo! The Simpsons – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie – will be honored on their own stamps, the Postal Service announced.
Artwork for the 44-cent stamps was done by the Fox cartoon’s creator, Matt Groening, and will be available for preview April 9 at www.usps.com. At that time, the post office will announce the date the stamps will go on sale.
Have summer listing?
We are seeking submissions for our Summer Events Guide listing activities from May 17 to Aug. 30, including fests in Indiana and Ohio, concerts, stage performances and art exhibits. Send listings by April 10 to Diana Parker at The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802; e-mail dparker@jg.net, or fax 461-8648. Include event name, date, time, location, cost and a contact number.
Happy birthday
Among celebrity birthdays today: Actress Linda Hunt is 64. Singer Emmylou Harris is 62. Actress Pamela Reed is 60. Singer Buddy Jewell is 48. Actor Christopher Meloni (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 48. Actor Adam Rodriguez (“CSI: Miami”) is 34.
