ROLLING STONES rocker RONNIE WOOD is feeling the effects of the global economic downturn – he’s been forced to slash the price of his London mansion by $2.3 million 

 The guitarist is selling the  home he shared with ex Jo, which he purchased for $11.6 millionless than two years ago.

The property is situated on a street dubbed ‘Rolling Stones Row’ in London’s prestigious Chelsea neighbourhood, where the band’s Mick Jagger and Keith Richards also used to own houses. Former Stones bassist Bill Wyman still lives on the street.

Wood, who divorced his wife of 23 years last year (09), originally wanted to sell it for $10.4 million, the same amount his divorce settlement came to – but he is being forced to put it on the market for $9.3 million.

Estate agents Strutt & Parker say, “We have had offers, but not close enough to the asking price.”

From the AP

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President Barak Obama is honoring director Clint Eastwood and singer Bob Dylan with arts and humanities awards.

The White House calls Dylan “an icon of youthful rebellion and poetic sensitivity” and says Eastwood’s films and performances are “essays in individuality, hard truths, and the essence of what it means to be American.”

Eastwood and Dylan didn’t go to the White House to receive their awards, but several others were expected at a ceremony Thursday evening in the East Room with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

Image courtesy WENN

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Look at this!  From Entertainment Daily…

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SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS has taken aim at PARIS HILTON and the current crop of celebrity socialites, comparing them to soulless “machines”.

The Silence of the Lambs actor is fed up with skinny models and stars on the red carpet who lack substance – and he’s singled out the heiress for appearing to have nothing “going on up there”.

He rants, “We’re living in a pretty strange time. I went into a shop to buy my wife some clothes and I wanted them gift-wrapped. And they had this big plasma screen on with these women on the catwalk. I thought, ‘God almighty, what have we become?’ These girls – anorexic, walking like machines, no soul.

“You look at fashion magazines and you think, ‘What are we living in?’ You look at the red carpet, Paris Hilton, you know, these people and you think, ‘Is there anything going on up there?’ It’s a mass enslavement and it’s kind of fascism. And it’s the androgyny of it; the androgyny of the human soul. I don’t think people think any more. But maybe I’m just old.”

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Come on!  Look at her eyes!  Does it look like anything is going on!???…

MADONNA’s on/off model gigilo boyfriend JESUS LUZ has signed a record deal with the singer’s former label Warner Bros., according to London’s The Sun.

The 23-year-old Brazilian, who has been dating the superstar since last year (09), recently began showing off his DJ skills, playing at a number of exclusive parties.

And now Luz is set to carve out a career as a pop star after negotiating a two-single deal with Warner Bros., the firm Madonna left last year (09).

Luz’s first track, We Came From Light, is reportedly due for release in May (10).

And the Material Girl is ensuring her toyboy lover makes a mark on the music industry – by encouraging her longtime collaborator Victor Calderone to remix Luz’s tracks, according to Britain’s The Sun.

Hey, if he looked like that and he was my boyfriend, I’d do whatever it took to keep him around, too…

Barbra Streisand has rejected a whopping $100 million, three year deal from Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.  The casino has become desperate to find someone to replace Celine Dion who can actually fill the seats.  Bette Midler’s final month at the venue this past January left over 17,000 unsold tickets. 

While there is no doubt Streisand could’ve packed them in for years  –  she simply has no interest.

However, she does intend to tour again this summer.   I guess she likes the road?

Amid increasing speculation that she’s back on drugs comes this report by the AFP in Australia…

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AFP, SYDNEY — Disappointed fans stormed out of Whitney Houston’s first Australian concert in 12 years, reports said Tuesday, as the ageing diva failed to hit her famous high notes and struggled for breath.

“She couldn’t entertain a dead rat, to be honest,” one fan told local media outside Monday night’s Brisbane concert.

Houston, 46, only managed two songs before taking an extended break and relied heavily on her backup singers, reviewers said, with some remarking she seemed disoriented and unable to remember the names of her band members.

The star was seen coughing frequently, and paused as she was about to hit the epic high note of her signature tune “I Will Always Love You” to towel herself down and take a sip of water.

But promoter Andrew McManus hit back at suggestions she was suffering poor health.

“It was not a train wreck,” McManus said. “She was hitting most of the notes, yes her throat was a little croaky.

“Her health is fine but she’s also not 22 years of age anymore.”

McManus agreed Houston was out of breath in a “couple of songs” and probably wasn’t “up to scratch of the Whitney of 20 years ago”.

“But I don’t apologise for that, she had a red-hot go.”

Houston, who has sold more than 170 million albums worldwide, suffered a major career setback after admitting drug use during an abusive relationship with ex-husband Bobby Brown.

The Australian concerts are part of her comeback “Nothing But Love” tour which kicked off at the end of last year.

Some fans said they would be demanding their money back.

“She was not fit to perform,” wrote one on the Courier Mail newspaper’s website. “She seemed to be on another planet and the concert was laughable.” US pop icon Britney Spears attracted the ire of Australian fans in November, with concert-goers reportedly walking out of her show because she was lip-synching.

“Shutter Island” opened very big this weekend.  It’s getting rave reviews and the public is absolutely shuttering for it (sorry, I couldn’t help myself…).

Our friend Nikke Finke is reporting the following:

Paramount’s delay of Shutter Island’s domestic release from 2009 to 2010, once widely questioned, now looks shrewdly strategic. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone), the psychological and supernatural thriller made $14.1 million Friday and $17M Saturday from 2,991 theaters and $40.2M for its debut on a weekend it has all to itself. That’s a big number for an R-rated film, that cost $100+M with large gross participations (but only $75 million net of the Massachusetts rebate). Explained one studio exec to me, “The delay only helped the movie with more time for the trailer to play and the ability to use the Super Bowl and Olympics to finish the campaign.” Indeed, a MovieTickets poll named the Shutter Island traileras the big football game’s 3rd most memorable.

Image courtesy AP

Actor Andrew Koenig has been missing in Vancouver for a week.  The AP is reporting the following…

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Police are asking for the public’s help in locating actor Andrew Koenig, who had a recurring role on the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains.”

Vancouver police say Koenig was visiting friends in West Vancouver when he went missing. He was last seen on Feb. 14.

A statement released by the police department says Koenig “has recently been despondent and his family and friends are concerned for his well-being.”

Koenig, 41, lives in Venice, Calif., but at one time lived in Vancouver. He is the son of Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on the “Star Trek” television series and movies.

On “Growing Pains” Koenig played Boner, a pal of star Kirk Cameron’s character Mike.

Image courtesy Splash News 

Singing sensation Susan Boyle was aided by her manager after fainting at Heathrow Airport. The 48-year-old singer was getting ready to board a flight to Nice, in the south of France, when she fainted in the British Airways Club Lounge.

Her friend and manager, Andy Stephens, comforted the star after the incident.