Tattle: Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball set for Jan. 19

R

USSELL SIMMONS

,

Valeisha Butterfield

,

Dr. Benjamin Chavis

and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) announced yesterday that

Barack Obama

will be celebrated Jan. 19 with a Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball (HIB) at D.C.'s Harman Center for the Arts.

The HIB will be a black-tie fundraiser supporting HSAN's education advocacy and empowerment programs.

Among those serving on the HIB Host Committee are T-Pain, Akon, Bryan-Michael Cox, Big Jon Platt, Fat Joe, MC Lyte, Terrence J, Devyne Stephens, Mario, Ginuwine, DJ Don Cannon, Jasmin Franjul and Zac McDaniel.

And because that's not enough people to plan a party, more names will be announced.

Where, we ask, are Busta Rhymes, DMX and Lil' Kim?

Before folks even get to the ball, however, the evening will kick off with a red-carpet walk followed by a presentation of awards to T.I., LL Cool J, Young Jeezy and the Hip-Hop Caucus Respect My Vote Campaign, all of whom helped get out the vote. Tickets can be purchased at www. hiphopinaugural.org or www.hsan. org.

* Tyler Perry and Mary J. Blige are among the luminaries whom BET plans to celebrate at its second annual BET Honors.

Perry and Blige are Johnson, danceset to join Magic pioneer Judith Jamison, style guru B. Smith and U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, of South Carolina, on Jan. 17.

The awards will air on BET Feb. 9. They are part of BET's festivities for the inauguration of Barack Obama. BET is putting on its first inaugural ball on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Give peace (and quiet) a chance

Paul McCartney just can't let it be. In an interview from Prospect magazine published in London's Sunday Times, Sir Paul claims he was the politicized figure in the Beatles, not John Lennon.

Paul says that it was he who first raised concerns over the Vietnam war within the group and advocated its anti-war stance.

Not John. Paul.

Paul. Paul. Paul.

Isn't writing "Yesterday" enough?

Paul claimed that his meeting with philosopher Bertrand Russell in the mid-1960s sparked his own - and eventually John's - curiosity about world affairs.

Following his talk with Russell, Paul said he told "the guys, particularly John, about this meeting and saying what a bad war this was."

According to the Times, Paul said that he believes that his stance has inspired the work against African poverty of Bob Geldof and U2's Bono.

Paul thinks he is also responsible for socks and sliced bread.

Madonna's official divorce deal

Spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg has told the Associated Press the details on the Madonna-Guy Ritchie divorce settlement.

Liz said that Guy will receive between $76 million and $92 million as part of the agreement, a figure that she said included the value of the couple's country home, Ashcombe House, in western England, which Guy will keep.

Liz said that the couple's west London pub - the Punchbowl - would also remain with Guy.

"I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement," Liz said.

But U.K. entertainment lawyer Ambi Sitham said that it made sense for Madonna to divest herself of her British property.

"She's got no interest in remaining here," Sitham said. "She's relocating and moving back to New York. It's money she's already paid out - what is she going to do, try to sell the houses in a flagging market?"

Liz said that while the financial component of the settlement had been worked out, custodial arrangements for the couple's children have yet to be finalized.

Tattbits

* The Kimmel Center Cultural Sti-

mulus Plan is offering half-price tickets until Dec. 31 for nine Kimmel Center Presents and Broadway Series shows.

As an added incentive, Kimmel Center and Academy of Music patrons will receive discounts from a group of tony Cultural Stimulus Plan eateries - which are all free to take ads in the Daily News if they so choose.

For more information, visit www.kimmelcenter.org/half, call 215-893-9999 or purchase tickets at the Kimmel Center box office (Broad and Spruce streets).

* Thousands of dollars have rolled in

for a deaf Michigan couple who feared that they were going to lose their "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" home.

Judy and Larry Vardon say that the money should help them to avoid foreclosure on their house, which was refurbished to help their blind, autistic son.

The Macomb Daily and the Daily Tribune reported Sunday that the couple hadn't requested money but that donations started coming after media outlets, including Tattle, reported on their plight.

* Kevin Cogill, who was accused of

leaking nine unreleased tracks from the Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy," has pleaded guilty to a federal copyright violation.

Cogill entered the plea yesterday morning in L.A.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend probation in exchange for the plea, but Cogill could also be sentenced to a year in federal prison and a hefty fine.

* A new music-therapy room at the

Sarasota Memorial Hospital is being named for Brian Johnson, lead singer of AC/DC.

Music equipment and enhancements to the room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital are being donated by the John Entwhistle Foundation, named for the late bassist for the Who. Johnson and other rockers have worked to raise money for the charity.

Shouldn't charity from the Who and AC/DC be used for hearing aids? *

Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

E-mail gensleh@phillynews.com