Motorhead's Wurzel dead at 61
LONDON, July 11 (UPI) -- Former Motorhead guitarist Michael Burston, who performed under the name Wurzel, has died of heart disease, his representatives said. He was 61.
The Guardian said Burston worked as a builder, then played guitar at small clubs and bars before joining the British heavy metal band in 1984. He performed on nine studio and live albums before his departure from the group in 1995.
"I knew deep down that the only thing I would really be happy doing was playing rock 'n' roll," the newspaper quoted Burston as saying, "but I did think: 'I'm 30 years old -- am I going to do anything? How am I going to carry on playing these pubs forever?'"
The Guardian said Burston first contacted Motorhead lead singer Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister after reading about how guitarist Brian Robertson had recently left the band.
"I wrote [Lemmy] a letter and sent a tape, and he phoned me up for an audition. He also said, 'We'll probably end up with an unknown guitarist' and there was no one in the country who was more unknown than I was," the newspaper quoted Burston as saying.
Burston was a frequent guest performer at Motorhead shows and also contributed to albums by metal bands such as Warhead and Splodgenessabounds.
Coheed bassist arrested for armed robbery
ATTLEBORO, Mass., July 11 (UPI) -- The bassist for the band Coheed and Cambria was arrested for armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics, Massachusetts police said.
Michael Todd was being held on $10,000 bail while awaiting arraignment following his weekend arrest in Attleboro, Mass., TMZ reported Sunday.
The rock band member allegedly showed the pharmacist at a Walgreens drug store a cellphone text message claiming he had a bomb, then demanded the painkiller Oxycontin, TMZ said.
He allegedly grabbed six bottles of the drug and fled in a cab. He was arrested without incident a short time later by police alerted by staffers at the drug store, the celebrity news Web site said.
Girl, 10: Will, Kate 'like regular people'
LOS ANGELES, July 11 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate wrapped up their Los Angeles visit, which ended their 11-day North American tour.
UsMagazine.com said the royal couple and their entourage took up 14 first-class seats on a flight home Sunday on a British Airways jumbo jet.
The newlyweds spent the earlier part of the day watching inner-city youths paint and dance and talking with veterans.
The young royal couple's appearance at Inner-City Arts thrilled some of the young artists and made others a bit nervous, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"I didn't think there was still kings and queens," 19-year-old dancer Lorenzo Perez said. "It's like a Disney movie."
The royals were greeted at the arts center by half a dozen elementary school students hoisting a banner painted with ladybugs, butterflies and flowers.
"I was thinking, 'Oh my gosh, what if they don't like me?'" said 10-year-old Sneh Chachra. She said she then realized, "They are just like regular people; regular people in these really important positions."
William and Kate donned aprons and did a little painting themselves. Kate playfully chided her new husband, saying, "William, do you know what you're doing? Start from the center."
Moments later, he elicited a laugh from her when he entreated, "Catherine, what are you supposed to do?" She gave him another quick lesson, the Times said.
The couple left their handprints and signatures in slabs of clay that will be displayed on campus.
William also addressed a group of veterans at a job fair in Culver City.
During his 4-minute speech, William reflected on his time as a rescue helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force and talked about his charity foundation, of which armed forces members are a focal point, the Times reported.
Mission Serve "is about something more than men and women in uniform," he told the crowd. "It's about our other halves -- the half that makes their loved one's duty and sacrifices possible and worthwhile. It is about you: the families, partners and friends. The idea behind Service Nation and Mission Serve is simple but truly inspiration: to help those returning from active service to open a new chapter in their lives."
William and Kate, who married in April, visited Canada before heading for Los Angeles.
Chris Tucker announces stand-up tour
LOS ANGELES, July 11 (UPI) -- U.S. actor and comedian Chris Tucker has announced plans for an 18-date stand-up comedy tour.
Live Nation said the tour will kick off Aug. 19 in Long Beach, Calif. and will wrap up Nov. 26 in Oakland, Calif.
Tickets for the shows are to go on sale Friday at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.
Tucker's film credits include "Friday," "Dead Presidents," "Money Talks," "The Fifth Element," "Jackie Brown" and the "Rush Hour" trilogy.
