Wednesday, September 26, 2001

Entertainment Briefs

Dixie Chick changes surname to Maguire

Martie Seidel of the Dixie Chicks is changing her name to Martie Maguire after getting married last month in Hawaii.The 31-year-old fiddler of the country trio married Irishman Gareth Maguire on Aug. 10 in Kailua, Dixie Chicks spokeswoman Kathy Allmand confirmed Monday. The ceremony took place at a house being rented by Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines and her husband, Adrian Pasdar.“We are planning a formal ceremony in Ireland next summer with our families,” Martie Maguire said. “(The wedding) was so last minute that so many special people were not there to share it with us. But we just couldn’t wait.”The Maguires met at the wedding of Maines’ sister. Gareth Maguire is Maines’ brother-in-law.It was the second time a Chick found her intended at a wedding. Maines and Pasdar became acquainted at the 1999 wedding of the third Chick, Emily Robison, to singer Charlie Robison.The Dixie Chicks received Entertainer of the Year honors from the Country Music Association in 2000. Their hits include “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Ready to Run.”

Seinfeld to raise money for victims of attack

Jerry Seinfeld hopes to raise spirits — and money — for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.Seinfeld announced plans on Tuesday for a charity event for the Twin Towers Fund and the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, with comedians as the headliners.Bill Cosby, Colin Quinn, Will Ferrell and George Wallace also are expected to take part in the Oct. 8 event at Carnegie Hall.“In the Jewish religion, the basic mourning period is the seven days of Shiva,” Seinfeld said. At the end of that, “you’re required to attempt to re-engage with the world and your life as it was — and that’s where we come in.”

Telethon generates pledges for victims

Appeals by Hollywood actors and musicians during an unprecedented telethon last week generated more than $150 million in pledges to benefit families of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attack victims.The money will be distributed through the United Way with no administrative costs deducted, organizers said on Monday.The pledges were made through 7 a.m. Monday to a Web site or to telephone numbers staffed by more than 38,000 volunteers and automated operators in the United States and Canada.“America: A Tribute to Heroes” was shown on 35 separate broadcast and cable networks simultaneously on Friday and was seen by just under 60 million viewers. It featured actors like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts making pitches, and musical performances from Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Stevie Wonder and many others.By contrast, the Live Aid concerts and Band Aid all-star Christmas recording during the 1980s raised a reported $110 million in relief for African famine victims.Organizers are also considering releasing a compact disc with some of the telethon’s musical performances.Such an all-star album would probably generate much more income. Performances included an unrecorded song by Springsteen, “My City in Ruins,” Neil Young singing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Wyclef Jean doing Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and Tom Petty singing “I Won’t Back Down.”The night ended with two patriotic numbers: Canadian Celine Dion singing “God Bless America” and Willie Nelson leading an all-star version of “America the Beautiful.”ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are paying production costs for the event, staged for security reasons without an audience in New York, Los Angeles and London.