A private funeral service for Bee Gees star Robin Gibb will take place next week with a public memorial service planned for later in the year, his family said Wednesday.Fans are showing their grief over Whitney Houston’s death by buying her music. Since her death, her album sales have been boosted by almost 6,000 percent.
Her “Greatest Hits” album catapulted to the No. 6 position on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart, with about 64,000 copies sold. In the past week, it had sold only 607 copies.
N.J. mayor lauded
An Italian-American group is responding to Hoboken’s rejection of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” reality show – by giving the city’s mayor an award.
The Italian American One Voice Coalition is presenting Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer with its “Una Voce” award Wednesday for denying film permits to a show the group feels promotes negative stereotypes of Italian Americans.
The show has been issued permits to film in Jersey City. The spinoff of the reality series will feature Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Jenni “JWoww” Farley renting an apartment.
Brown criticized
Country singer Miranda Lambert doesn’t get why controversial R&B star Chris Brown was allowed to perform twice at the Grammys on Sunday.
She tweeted on Monday: “He beat on a girl...not cool that we act like that didn’t happen.”
Brown beat up then-girlfriend Rihanna the night before the Grammys in 2009. He pleaded guilty to an assault charge and was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community labor.
Lambert suggested Brown listen to her song “Gunpowder & Lead” about avenging domestic violence and “be put back in his place. Not at the Grammys.”
Sarandon donates
Susan Sarandon has donated $75,000 to support table tennis programs in New York City public schools.
The city Department of Education said Wednesday that the money will pay for equipment and coaching. There are 27 high schools and middle schools that have added table tennis this year.
Sarandon is the co-owner of a Manhattan table tennis club called SPIN.
Happy birthday
Among celebrity birthdays today: Actor Jeremy Bulloch is 67. Actor William Katt is 61. Singer James Ingram is 60. Actor LeVar Burton is 55. Rapper-actor Ice-T is 54. Actress Lisa Loring is 54. Guitarist Andy Taylor is 51. Drummer Dave Lombardo is 47. Drummer Taylor Hawkins is 40. Rapper Lupe Fiasco is 30.
