People

SINGER'S INJURED MOUTH WORSE THAN FEARED

When Liam Gallagher, lead singer for the British rock band Oasis, got into a fight in a bar in Germany over the weekend, he may have ended up with more than charges in a Munich court. Published reports indicate that he may face some painful surgery on his mouth. At first, it was announced that Gallagher had lost two front teeth in the fight in the nightclub of a hotel. Now it seems that the entertainer will likely have to undergo surgery in the U.K. before he's able to sing again. The band has already canceled the next few scheduled appearances. Additionally, there are media reports floating around Germany saying that Gallagher may eventually have to face charges because of the fight. Three members of Oasis were arrested by German police after the brawl.

MAGICIAN TO TRY LEGIT STAGE ROLE

For years magician Penn Jillette has been the talking half of Penn & Teller. He's even used his unusual gravely voice to earn big bucks doing booth announcing for cable TV. Now, according to Variety, he's going to abandon his silent partner long enough to try his hand at legitimate acting. Jillette is preparing to co-star in a production of "The Exonerated," a Broadway play set in a prison. It is reportedly the real-life story of six men on death row. Others in the cast include Rob Morrow and Mary Steenburgen. Jillette will use a week, late next month, when he and partner Teller are on hiatus from their usual unusual magic act. They have appeared regularly in recent years to packed houses at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

KENNY CHESNEY DOES IT AGAIN

No, this column is not turning into the Kenny Chesney Fan Club. It's just that the suddenly-in-the-limelight country star has been getting a lot of ink lately for a variety of reasons. In the wake of his inclusion in People magazine's "sexiest men" list, Chesney is using his popularity to sell tickets to an upcoming live performance. Gaylord Entertainment in Nashville says that a New Year's Eve show in Music City, in which Chesney will be the headliner, is already sold out. Gaylord says that more than 12,600 tickets to the event went in just days. Also on the bill are Montgomery Gentry and Keith Urban, which doesn't hurt.

SIR ELTON AND MCGRAW TO TEAM FOR SHOW

Rock icon Sir Elton John will be appearing in a special duet with country star Tim McGraw in a major television setting. United Press International has learned that John and and McGraw will perform "Tiny Dancer" in the early segments of the 30th annual American Music Awards. The event will take place on Jan. 13 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The decision to team the two was a no-brainer. Even though McGraw is best known for his country numbers, he has led off many recent concerts with the Elton John classic. Additionally, McGraw put a new rendition of the song on his most-recent CD, "Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors." The song was first recorded by Elton John back in 1972. Oh, and Kenny Chesney will also perform on the internationally televised show. ABC will air the show, to be hosted by the Osbourne family ... Ozzie et al.

TRIBUTES CONTINUE FOR MCNALLY

Memories of the late baseball great Dave McNally are being shared this week in the wake of the award-winning pitcher's death this past weekend. During his decade-long career with the Baltimore Orioles, McNally was largely responsible for a resurgence in the team in the 1970s. According to the Baltimore Sun, the four-time, 20-game winner's greatest contribution to the game may have come off the field. McNally and Andy Messersmith "changed the financial face of Major League Baseball" when they played the 1975 season without a signed contract and filed legal actions against their own players association. Their efforts opened the floodgates for the modern exponential rise in players' salaries. When his pitching power started to decline, he spent his final season -- rather uneventfully -- with Montreal. He once quipped that his career had three stages: Stupid, smart and injured. McNally died in Montana after a long bout with cancer. Former teammate Boog Powell told the Chicago Tribune that McNally's death was a great personal loss for him. He was only 60.

NBC TO AIR TAPE OF HOLLYWOOD PARADE

One of the greatest and most talented entertainers of the past century, Mickey Rooney, will be seen as the grand marshal at this year's television version of the Christmas parade in Hollywood. The event, sponsored by Blockbuster Video stores, began in front of the Chinese Theater and proceeded down Hollywood Boulevard last Sunday, but coverage was not done live this year. This time around, NBC TV recorded the event and prepared an hour-long version. It will be aired this coming Sunday. The first Hollywood Christmas parade was held down the same route in 1929. Since then, it has remained a Tinseltown tradition, with hundreds of well-known stars taking part over the years. Tens of thousands lined the boulevard to watch the event in person. In addition to Rooney, others tapped to participate were: LeAnn Rimes, Carrot Top, David Copperfield, William Shatner, Joe Mantegna and Leeza Gibbons.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 473

Last night I returned to find that my allotted parking space at my apartment complex was being used by "an outsider." Rather than call security and ask that the car be towed, I wrote a polite note to the driver, reminding him or her that the spots were paid for by tenants. So today's question: "Are you likely to have someone towed in a case like that, or are you more likely to give them a second chance?" Put TOW in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 468 (DISH)

Last week we asked what Thanksgiving dish is either famous in your family or was once prepared and no longer is. From a random sampling of the inbox e-mail here are some of the replies: Several, including BGW, mentioned a special pie that is only prepared during the holidays. The most mentioned was a chocolate pie, often made from scratch, that had baked meringue on the top. MrPups noted that his grandmother used to make the most incredible egg noodles. "They even had some flour in the middle," he says. "When grandmother died she took the recipe with her." Many mentioned that a departed grandmother or other family member used to make something special but no one bothered to ask for the recipe ... until it was too late. Melba says she remembers a tomato aspic that was a family favorite. TOMORROW: The nicest guy in the movies.

REMEMBER ...

We're going to salute local heroes during the Twelve Days of Christmas. Send your nominations, and a contact number if you want the person's name mentioned, to [email protected] with HONOR in the subject line. GBA