andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

A chauffeur for British singer Robbie Williams, formerly of the band Take That, ran over a teenage paparazzi, reports Perez Hilton. Both the photographer’s legs were run over as he was trapped beneath the vehicle.

Witnesses report Williams was visibly upset, but did not get out of the car to see if the boy was alright. The singer was transferred to another car and the paparazzi was rushed to the hospital. His injuries are reported to be minor.

Madonna, Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Robbie Williams are just a few of the superstars planning to record numbers for an upcoming Michael Jackson tribute album, reports the Daily Star. Whitney Houston, Usher and 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi of Britain’s Got Talent will also reportedly be featured alongside legends like Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie.

“The idea came from the memorial concert,” said a source. “Many fans asked if cover versions would be released and it seemed a wonderful idea. Some of the biggest stars in the world have indicated they’d like to take part to pay their own respects and tribute to the King of Pop. This cover album is sure to be a massive worldwide hit with fans and could raise a fortune for Michael’s favourite charities.”

Jafargholi, who performed “Who’s Loving You” at the memorial held for Jackson in Los Angeles, will record that track, as well as the song “Ben.” Carey will be singing “I’ll Be There,” while Williams will perform “Man in the Mirror.”

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Singer Robbie Williams will co-present a BBC Radio 4 documentary about aliens.

The pop musician teamed up with documentary maker Jon Ronson earlier this year to record the 30-minute show in Los Angeles, where Williams now lives, and at a three-day UFO conference in Laughlin, Nevada.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, Radio 4 listeners will hear how the pair met a doctor who claims to have 15 extra-terrestrial metallic objects and a British woman who believes her son was abducted by aliens while in the womb and then sent back to save the planet.

Williams reportedly approached the radio station with the idea due to his interest in the subject of extra-terrestrial life.

Readers can get a preview of the documentary when Ronson writes about his adventures with Williams in next week’s Guardian Weekend magazine.

“Robbie Williams And Jon Ronson Journey To The Other Side” will air on BBC Radio 4 on May 6 at 6:30 p.m. (BST).

British pop star ROBBIE WILLIAMS will reunite with his former group TAKE THAT, according to his mother JAN.

Williams has not performed or recorded with the BACK FOR GOOD stars since his explosive exit in 1995.

Take That reformed last year after a 10 year hiatus and regularly invited Williams to join their European reunion tour.

Last month, band member JASON ORANGE said, “I think if we do future albums it’s inevitable Rob will sing with us.”

Williams’ mum Jan responds, “He’s thrilled at how Take That have come back.

“On the question of him doing something with them, I feel that will happen.

“It would be something he wanted to do. I’m thrilled out of all the negative stuff that happened in the past there’s now something great happening.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

British pop hunk ROBBIE WILLIAMS celebrated his release from rehab by shopping and partying in Los Angeles.

The former TAKE THAT singer, 33, checked out of the The Meadows rehabilitation centre in Arizona on Tuesday following a 21-day treatment for addiction to prescription pills.

Williams will continue to seek day treatment in Los Angeles, where he is staying with his mother JAN.

Following his release, Williams went shopping at department store Barneys in Beverly Hills, California before meeting some pals at Winston’s nightclub.

His sister SALLY says, “He felt uncomfortable staying in there (rehab) so he had to come out and is going to use another facility. There is a process that they go through and he hasn’t completed all of the steps that they like you to do, so he is going to finish the work elsewhere.

“I think he is a lot better than he was but obviously he has not completed his course so he needs to continue. He is very serious about it.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

Pop superstar ROBBIE WILLIAMS is “relieved” media coverage of his admission to a US rehabilitation clinic to overcome his addiction to prescription pills has been positive.

The FEEL star was admitted to The Meadows rehabilitation clinic in Arizona last month, and his sister SALLY is pleased with his progress.

She tells their Stoke-On-Trent, England hometown newspaper The Sentinel, “Robbie is doing OK. He told mum he was concerned how it would be portrayed in the media. He was relieved it was all positive.

“So he’s feeling pretty good at the moment.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

The father of troubled pop star ROBBIE WILLIAMS says his son is “doing well” in rehab.

The FEEL hitmaker was admitted to The Meadows rehabilitation clinic in Arizona earlier this month in a bid to overcome his addiction to prescription pills, and father PETE is pleased with his progress so far.

He says, “I am looking forward to flying over to the States to see Rob. We are hoping to have him out of rehab very soon. Rob has plenty of friends and family around to support him.

“Robbie is in good humour, cracking jokes and on good form. I’m extremely positive about him – he is doing well. I speak to him every day and he is in fine fettle.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

British pop star ROBBIE WILLIAMS has entered a rehabilitation centre to be treated for a dependency on prescription drugs – on his 33rd birthday.

The FEEL singer has been admitted to a rehab clinic in the US, according to his spokeswoman BRYONY WATTS.

In September, an exhausted and stressed Williams cancelled the Asian leg of his world tour.

Williams has previously been in rehab in the mid-1990s after he left boy band TAKE THAT, when he was treated for addictions to cocaine, ecstasy and alcohol. He has also been treated for depression in the past.

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

Reformed British boy band TAKE THAT haven’t given up hope on ex-member ROBBIE WILLIAMS joining them on a forthcoming tour.

The PATIENCE hitmakers, who have enjoyed phenomenal success in their native country since reforming early last year, haven’t performed with Williams since he quit the band in 1995 – and was nowhere to be seen at their concerts last year.

But the band haven’t given up on the ANGELS singer just yet.

Singer MARK OWEN says, “We hoped he’d come and do one night with us.

“Rob said he’d have done it if he wasn’t touring and making a record himself (RUDEBOX). The timing just never worked out. We all still think that maybe one day it’ll happen.

“For us anyway, that’d be the icing of the cake.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

Robbie Williams has called off dates on the Asian leg of his current Close Encounters tour because the shows would seriously impact his health, said the singer’s spokesman in a statement.

The announcement, reported Shanghai Daily, said “that the stress and exhaustion of the Asian tour, coming so shortly after the end of the European and South American dates, would seriously impact his health.”

Shows set for Nov. 4-26 in Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore; and Mumbai and Bangalore, India have been cancelled.

Willliams’ European tour kicked off in Dublin, Ireland, in June. It is set to continue in South America next month and close out in Australia in December.