'Dreamgirls' soundtrack is No. 1
NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Even with a sales drop of 36 percent from the previous week, the soundtrack to "Dreamgirls" is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album.
The album set a record for the lowest sales total for a No. 1 album since the album sales tracking service began in 1991, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.
"Dreamgirls" is a perfect example of the overall album sales for this week dropping 35 percent from last week's total and 22 percent compared to the same last year at 8.34 million units.
Akon's "Konvicted" holds the No. 2 spot and Daughtry's self-title debut shoots to No. 3 climb while "FutureSex/LoveSounds" by Justin Timberlake also climbs a few slots to No. 4.
"NOW 23" took a sales hit of 46 percent but still climbed one spot to No. 5 with the soundtrack to Disney's "Hannah Montana" right behind at No. 6.
Young Jeezy's "The Inspiration" is at No. 7 on the chart, while Nas' "Hip Hop Is Dead" drops to No. 8 and The Beatles' "Love" climbs to No. 9.
After debuting at No. 1 last week, Omarion's "21" drops to No. 10 to round out the top tier on the Billboard 200.
Mr. Blackwell's worst dressed list
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Fashion critic Richard Blackwell has released the 47th installment of his Worst Dressed celebrity list, with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton at No. 1.
The list said of the two pop stars: "peas in an over-exposed pod! Style-free and fashion deprived...ladies and gentlemen, the 'SCREAMGIRLS' have arrived," the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
Mariah Carey made the list with the quote: "Mariah 'The Fashion Pariah' has finally found her stylistic niche...let's crown her the Queen of Catastrophic Kitsch!"
Also on Mr. Blackwell's list are singer Christina Aguilera, television star Paula Abdul, Camilla Parker Bowles and actresses Meryl Streep, Sandra Oh, Tori Spelling, Sharon Stone and Lindsay Lohan.
Of Aguilara the list said: "La Diva Christina is a dazzling singer...but she puts good taste through the wardrobe wringer! -- All crass, no class," and of Lohan it said: "Tragically trapped in fashion's fast lane...looks like Lindsay's ready to remake 'Baby Jane.' From adorable to deplorable."
Blackwell also had a list of this year's best dressed celebrities, including Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes and Beyonce, as well as Marcia Cross, Heidi Klum, Helen Mirren and Barbra Streisand, E! Online reported.
Depp, 'Pirates' win big at People's Choice
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Johnny Depp, Ellen Degeneres, Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts were the big winners at the 33rd Annual People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles.
Depp was the top winner at the ceremony, which aired Tuesday, receiving awards for favorite male movie star, favorite action star and favorite on-screen match-up with "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" co-star Keira Knightley.
The actor accepted his awards via satellite from London.
Degeneres took home the awards for favorite funny female star and favorite talk show host. Underwood was named favorite female singer and given the favorite country song prize for "Before He Cheats. Flatts won favorite remake and favorite song in a movie for "Life is a Highway."
"Pirates" was named favorite movie and favorite movie drama. ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" was named favorite TV drama and CBS' "Two and a Half Men" was labeled was favorite TV comedy. NBC's "Heroes" was given favorite new TV drama honors.
Producer Carlo Ponti dead at 94
GENEVA, Switzerland, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Carlo Ponti, an Italian film producer and husband of actress Sophia Loren, died after several days of hospitalization in Geneva, Switzerland at 94.
Ponti, producer of films including Federico Fellini's "La Strada," David Lean's "Dr. Zhivago" and Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blowup," died about 10 days after being admitted to a hospital for pulmonary complications, the BBC reported Wednesday. "Doctor Zhivago" earned the producer an Academy Award nomination in 1966.
"He died overnight," Loren's niece Alessandra Mussolini said. "It was a peaceful death, there was not a particular problem.
"His wife and children were with him. Sophia has always been with him throughout."
He married Loren, who he discovered at a beauty contest he judged when she was 15, in 1957, but the marriage was annulled shortly after and the couple remarried in 1966.
