Dan Gross | VIP Party Boys to visit Tyra

FORMER PHILLY rappers

VIP Party Boys

are on "The

Tyra Banks

Show" today (Fox 29, 10 a.m) on an episode dealing with celebrity drug rehab. The gay rap trio, whose songs include "Mad Coke" and "Chubby Chaser," were known as

VIP

before they moved to New York, where they were forced to change their name because another rap act was already using the name. Group members

Jonny Makeup

and

Peter Party

have a surprise intervention on the show for their bandmate,

Bear

, who allegedly partied a bit too hard on their recent European tour. Bear, who was once caught trying to steal the cell phone of No Quarter Records mogul

Mike Quinn

, is in an Arizona treatment facility, says Jonny, a former errand boy for local PR firm Cashman & Associates.

Meanwhile, Jonny reports that VIP Party Boys may be splitting up. "I'm the Beyonce of the group and I want to be a big star," Jonny told us yesterday. He recently met with Hilary Duff to discuss recording a tune together.

As Philebrity.com reported, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Brigitte Nielsen and "American Idol" hopeful Jessica Sierra are also on Tyra's show promoting their upcoming VH1 reality show, "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."

We reported about VIP a few years back when Van Halen's lawyers sent them a cease-and-desist on their logo, which ripped off the classic Van Halen logo.

Bonaduce ready to weigh-in

Broomall-born Danny Bonaduce will be part of a public weigh-in the night before he's scheduled to box Justice from the Wired 96.5 "Chio in the Morning" show at the Marple Sports Arena. The weigh-in takes place at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Anthony Foster's Italian restaurant in the Drexeline Shopping Center, in Drexel Hill. Also on the card are NBC-10 sports director Vai Sikahema and Dave Cruise from 95.7 BEN FM, who will duke it out in the Damon Feldman-promoted event Jan. 19. Tickets will be available at the door at 7 p.m. Portion of proceeds will benefit the Don Guanella School for developmentally disabled boys. Anthony's will also host an afterparty from the night of boxing, which Bonaduce and the other competitors are all expected to attend.

Where's Wendy?

"The Wendy Williams Experience" hasn't been heard on Power 99 for a couple of weeks now. Williams was on vacation last week but was heard Monday and yesterday on her New York homebase at 107.5 WBLS. Power 99, however, continued to play music. Last week, Power 99 spokeswoman Loraine Ballard Morrill told us that Williams' show was on vacation and that there was nothing to any rumors of a problem with Power 99. Morrill did not return e-mails or phone calls yesterday about Williams' absence. Williams vaguely hinted at some type of problem with Power 99 on her Monday show, but her spokeswoman did not return our request for comment.

A woman who answered the phone at Williams' New York studio yesterday said she was working while on vacation, would still be taking off a few more days and should be back on Power 99 next week. Blamed vacation on the absence.

Asked of Williams' remarks regarding a problem, the employee said Williams probably wouldn't want to say any more about it.

Kimmel is ready

to celebrate 80th

It's a hard invite to score, but one worth keeping as a souvenir.

The invitations to West Philly-born fashion mogul Sidney Kimmel's 80th birthday party at New York's Rainbow Room next week looks like a passport, but a giant one, bound in blue felt. It has a pastel from a photograph of Kimmel, also a movie producer and philanthropist, in Atlantic City in 1933. The stamps on the passport feature photos of Kimmel's wife, Caroline, as a teenager, and one of Kimmel today. One person who saw the invite called it "ostentatious and tasteful at the same time, if it can be so." *

Visit PhillyGossip.com for Dan's latest stories. Have a tip? Call 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com. For recent columns, visit go.philly.com/dangross.