May 2, 2007, 1:31 GMT
Los Angeles - Sharp-witted comedian Billy Crystal is to be awarded the coveted Mark Twain Prize for American Humour, it was announced Tuesday.
The star of When Harry Met Sally will be presented with the award on October 11, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said in a statement.
'The work he has created for stage, film and television has made an indelible impression,' Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen Schwarzman said. 'It is the work of not just a humourist but also a humanist.'
Crystal, 59, got his break in the 1970s, playing one of the first gay characters on a network TV series as a regular on Soap. He later won acclaim on Saturday Night Live, and hosted the Oscars eight times.
Past recipients of the Mark Twain prize include Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Simon, Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin. The first recipient was the late Richard Pryor in 1998.
R. Kelly in campus shooting tribute
Los Angeles - Soul singer R. Kelly is releasing a charity single for victims of last month's Virginia Tech shooting, he announced Tuesday.
Kelly said he would donate 100 per cent of the proceeds from 'Rise Up' to families of the massacre's 32 victims.
The single will be made available for digital download on May 15, with proceeds earmarked for the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.
Ellen DeGeneres hosts show from bed
Los Angeles - Talk show hostess Ellen DeGeneres is not letting a bad back stop her from working - she just has her guests at her bedside.
DeGeneres, who hosted the recent Academy Awards, damaged her back over the weekend and is forbidden to sit or walk. But instead of cancelling the show Tuesday, she appeared on set in her adjustable bed to interview American Idol host Ryan Seacrest with a doctor and nurse by her side. On Wednesday she will appear in the same way to interview Lindsey Lohan.
DeGeneres denies that the move is a stump to improve ratings during the sweeps week when audience levels are measured to fix advertising rates for the season.
Danny DeVito launches liquor line
Los Angeles - Comedian Danny DeVito is launching a line of limoncello, a lemon flavoured drink which he blamed for his eccentric appearance last November on a daytime talk show.
'I knew it was the last seven limoncellos that was going to get me,' DeVito said on the show, referring to a rowdy night out the night before with George Clooney.
DeVito announced Danny DeVito's Premium Limoncello Monday at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America annual convention in Orlando, Florida and said it would hit shelves later this year.
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