People

WAKEMAN SAYS 'YES' TO FORMER COLLEAGUES

It's no secret that keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman was at odds with the super group YES because, as a born-again Christian, he became disenchanted with the content of some of the band's song lyrics. Now, according to Assist News Service, Wakeman is headed back to the group and will again perform with the other members. The YES office in Los Angeles told Assist News that Wakeman will be joining the group for rehearsals in just a few weeks and will participate in a YES concert tour, set for this summer. Because of the announcement, plans are being made to expand the tour from its original dates to possibly include some international touring in 2003. ANS's Dan Wooding says that Wakeman noted that he was moved to rejoin "the other guys" when they appeared via satellite as part of a "This is Your Life" shown on U.K. television in which Wakeman was the honored guest. Although there are no plans for a studio album, several of the concert dates may be taped for future release on DVD.

ALICE IN CHAINS SINGER MOURNED

Fans of singer Layne Staley -- of Alice in Chains fame -- are mourning his death. The guitarist and lead singer for the group was found dead in his Seattle apartment. Over the weekend, according to the Post-Intelligencer, hundreds of fans gathered in Seattle for a candlelight vigil and outdoor memorial to Staley. For years Staley's group was among the "Big Four" in Seattle's so-called Grunge Music scene. The other three were Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. The publication's Gene Stout says that it was Staley's one-of-a-kind "raspy, wailing vocals" that gave the band its unique signature sound. The band had been active on the national touring scene until about five years ago when Staley's worsening drug problem made keeping the band's commitments more and more difficult. One of his most publicized appearances after the band stopped touring was a surprise sing-along with the band Tool just days after the suicide death of Curt Cobain. Staley looked gaunt and kept his face covered by a ski mask. Staley was only 34.

GEORGE JONES BREAKS A FOOT

Although the injury is certainly not as severe as the one experienced by entertainer Lyle Lovett recently -- when Lovett had eight inches of leg bone shattered by a raging bull -- singer George Jones is going to be laid up for a while after breaking his leg. Doctors in Nashville confirm that the country icon slipped in a fast food restaurant, twisting his ankle and breaking his leg. This reporter understands that kind of injury. It's called a "rotational injury" in which your ankle twists so far to one side it breaks the lower end of one of the bones in your leg. Jones' injury is not so severe as to require putting his leg in a cast, but he'll be using a foot brace for an estimated six weeks. In the meanwhile, scheduled concert dates have been put off for a while. One major appearance he hopes to keep will likely be a pro-America rally at Fort Campbell, Ky., before thousands of GI on June 11.

TONYA HARDING PUT ON ICE BY COPS

Police in Battle Ground, Wash., confirm that they arrested former international skater Tonya Harding over the weekend after she crashed the pickup truck she was driving in a ditch. TV station KGW says that Harding then failed a sobriety test. The blood-alcohol level was registered at twice the legal limit. She was cited for driving under the influence. Both Harding and a 23-year-old male companion escaped injury. The accident happened in the wee small hours of Saturday. Harding told the officers that she was attempting to make a turn when the engine failed on the 1997 Ford truck and she lost power steering and went off the road. After her world class-level skating world collapsed -- following the much-publicized incident involving Nancy Kerrigan -- she has been going down hill. Recently she went into the ring with Paula Jones for a Fox special. Shortly afterwards she was evicted from her Portland, Ore., apartment for failure to pay rent.

RISING YOUNG CAGLE SCORES FOR GOLD

Singer Chris Cagle has been honored by Capitol Records in Nashville for reaching the "gold record sales level" for the first time in his career. His single, "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out" recently went "gold" as well as the album in which it appears, "Play It Loud." CMT says that Cagle has just joined Brooks & Dunn for a summer-long tour of the nation. Cagle, at the presentation ceremonies, wore his usual black cowboy hat and "worked the crowd like a veteran." The singer says that no date has been set for working on a second CD project. Capitol will soon be releasing another single from the album, "Country by the Grace of God." Cagle's rise through the ranks of country music has been extraordinary, propelled mainly by the strength of his award-winning personality. Additionally, Virgin Records originally released the "Play" album. Almost immediately after the release of the album, Virgin's country unit shut down. Then Capitol picked up the project, the CD was restructured, songs were added and it went gold.

HAVE YOU YODELED, ER, YAHOOED LATELY?

Remember the TV and radio commercials for the Internet company Yahoo in which the question is asked: "Have you Yahooed lately?" Then a singer belts out a yodeling version of the company name. Well, Wylie Gustafson, of Wylie & the Wild West fame, is the man behind the yodel. Now he tells country.com that he was paid $590 for the recording session, thinking that it would be used only once. But, as we know, that's not the case. The yodeling commercial seems to have a life of its own. And, by usual standards, Gustafson thinks he should have been paid for its continuing use. So the question remains, if you were paid $590 for what you thought was a one-shot deal, what would be your reward for having your yodel splayed through the airwaves for years? The singer wants $5 million. He's suing Yahoo for that amount, charging unlawful use of his yodel. Yahoo has yet to comment.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 316

It may seem odd for someone as gadget-ized as I am that it was only over the weekend that I saw High Definition Television for the first time. Wow! I was watching the replay of some of the Olympic speed skating in Salt Lake City at a large electronics store here in Las Vegas. It was as if I was looking through a window at the action. Incredible. So, today's question: "Have you seen HDTV yet? Own a set? Got any interesting stories relating to TVs?" Put HDTV in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 311 (HIGHWAY)

Last week we asked for horror stories about the worst traffic problems in your area. Here is a sampling of the replies: Krickel says that from her living room window she can see a killer intersection in her city. She reports that she has seen quite a few accidents in recent years and things never get better. RB reports that the worst problem in her area is Highway 340 in Virginia. It has become known as "Virginia's Deathtrap." Christy says she takes mass transit because she lives in an urban area and it's available. "There are too many crazy people behind the wheel out there," she says. Christy, for years -- when I lived in Washington, D.C. -- I didn't own a car, I used the city's wonderful subway system. I found it cheaper to occasionally rent a car than pay the full-time cost of ownership ... insurance, upkeep, and all the rest. Michael says there is an intersection in Dayton, Ohio, called "Malfunction Junction." He says it's been a miserable intersection for 40 years. Michael, that intersection is horrible. You may not know this, but it's one of the oldest in the Interstate highway system. That entire section of I-75 toward Lima has been re-paved a zillion times since the '50s. Additionally, have you ever driven the old U.S. 40 right of way toward Springfield and notice the changes it's had over the years, including that old abandoned overpass? TOMORROW: You're earliest childhood memories. GBA.