MUSIC: THE STARS, THE GOSSIPS AND THE NEWS  

Ashlee Simpson redeems herself on 'SNL'

This photo supplied by NBC shows actor Jon Heder of 'Napoleon Dynamite' film fame, and Ashlee Simpson getting ready in New York for this week's 'Saturday Night Live' show.

NEW YORK- Ashlee Simpson sang -- really, she did -- without incident on "Saturday Night Live" in her return to the scene of last year's lip-synch fiasco. "I wrote this song after my last 'Saturday Night Live' appearance," she said, introducing the mournful "Catch Me When I Fall." She belted out the song with gusto, the only boost seeming to come with a brief echo effect on her vocal in the chorus. When she was done, Simpson smiled and hopped in relief. It was nearly a year after Simpson's embarrassing appearance on the same stage, where her voice was heard singing the wrong song when she held her microphone at her waist. She danced an awkward jig and then walked off the stage. The fakery made her a laughingstock and Simpson was booed lustily when she appeared at the Orange Bowl a few months later. Leading up to this week's appearance, "Saturday Night Live" executive producer Lorne Michaels promised it would be her singing -- not some tapes -- when she went on the air. "Who will be the one to save me from myself?" Simpson sang in the ballad. "Who's going to catch me when I fall?" Later in the show she came back for a peppier number, "Boyfriend," where her vocal was augmented by a backup singer. "Thank you so much!" she said at the end, blowing a kiss to the audience.

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Boy George nabbed on narcotics charge

Photo: George O'Dowd, a.k.a. Boy George attends a news conference in New York.

NEW YORK-  Boy George was arraigned on drug charges early Saturday, nearly 24 hours after calling the police emergency line to report what he said was a burglary in his Manhattan apartment, authorities said. The British singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, claimed his home had been burglarized around 3 a.m. Friday, said Detective Kevin Czartoryski, a police spokesman. Officers arrived at O'Dowd's apartment and discovered a small amount of cocaine next to a computer, police said. Police were continuing to investigate. The singer was released Saturday without bail after being charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, allegedly more than five grams of cocaine, said Barbara Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's office. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five to 15 years in prison. Calls to the office of O'Dowd's lawyer went unanswered early Saturday. It is not the first time that Boy George has had problems with drugs. In 1986, the singer was convicted for heroin possession in England. Two of his friends overdosed in the incident and O'Dowd was forced into a rehabilitation program. The conviction led to the disintegration of his group, Culture Club, one year later. Boy George, famous for his androgynous persona, and Culture Club had hits including "Karma Chamo LOGWSeleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me."

Jessica and Nick deny breakup rumours

Photo: Nick Lachey, left, and his wife, Jessica Simpson last July.

NEW YORK- Another day, another divorce story about Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. Magazine reports prompted representatives for the pop star couple to issue statements Wednesday denying they have split -- although semantically speaking, the statements left room for a future breakup. "Nick and Jessica have not separated," said a statement issued on behalf of Simpson and Lachey. "Rumours to the contrary are simply not true." In an e-mail to The Associated Press, Simpson representative Brad Cafarelli reiterated: "They have not separated." Us Weekly magazine, without naming sources, broke a story Wednesday that said Simpson and Lachey separated over the weekend. Alex Dudley, a spokesman for Us Weekly, said the magazine was standing by its story. The latest issue, on newsstands Friday, proclaims Split on the cover. For the past year, rumours have dogged Lachey and Simpson, who will celebrate their third anniversary Oct. 26. Magazines have run pictures of Simpson with or without her wedding ring. Lachey, 31, and Simpson, 25, had the trials and tribulations of their marriage chronicled on MTV's Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. As recently as August, Lachey denied any impending split, saying everything was "absolutely wonderful."

Eminem publisher chasing ring-tone loot

DETROIT-  Grammy-winning rapper Eminem's publishing companies have filed a lawsuit in an effort to stop his songs from being used as cellphone ring tones. In the suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, Mich.-based Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated are seeking a court order to prohibit five companies from selling Eminem song ring tones on the Internet. Lawyers for the rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, said they also plan to sue karaoke companies that sell Eminem songs without getting the proper licences. "This is a big business. We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars a year," said Howard Hertz, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. The companies named in the suit are Colorado-based Cellus USA, Georgia-based FanMobile, New York-based Nextones.com, New Jersey-based MyPhoneFiles and New Jersey-based MatrixM LLC.