Dion signs for 3-year Vegas gig

Paris Celine Dion says she’s not afraid of moving to Las Vegas, where she will begin a three-year, 600-show engagement next year at Caesars Palace hotel. Dion, 33, told a news conference Wednesday that her 1-year-old son, Rene-Charles, “is not going to be raised between a craps table and a slot machine. He will not even be in school by the time we leave Las Vegas.”

Wonder wins copyright appeal

Cincinnati A federal appeals court rejected a claim that Stevie Wonder violated a copyright with his recordings of a song titled “For Your Love.”

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday that Derrick Coles, who claimed he had prior copyright ownership of the song, and Gwendolyn Daniles, who said Coles conveyed his interest in the song to her in 1991, failed to prove their allegations.

The appeals court upheld a Cleveland federal judge’s July 2000 ruling that Coles and Daniles must pay $173,871 in attorney fees and $23,884 in other costs to Wonder and co-defendants Motown Record Co. and Stevland Morris Publishing.

Keys, Isley Brothers clean up at annual Soul Train Awards

Los Angeles Newcomer Alicia Keys and veteran R&B rockers the Isley Brothers each took home three trophies from the 16th Annual Soul Train Music Awards.

Keys won the best R&B/soul or rap new artist for “Fallin,”‘ while her “Songs in A Minor” took the best R&B/soul female album honor. She also was named female Entertainer of the Year.

The Isley Brothers also won a trio of awards, including best R&B/soul single and album by a group. The group also was named male Entertainer of the Year.

The Soul Train awards will be broadcast in syndication March 30-April 7.

DiFranco does righteous deed

Buffalo, N.Y. Singer Ani DiFranco, a graduate of Buffalo’s performing arts high school, will give the proceeds from an April 8 concert to her alma mater and other financially troubled city schools.

The estimated $20,000 gift will be used for musical instruments and equipment and possibly some field trips, which the district eliminated this year because of budget problems, said Kevin Kazmierczak, principal of the Academy for Visual & Performing Arts.

About half of the concert proceeds will go to the arts school, where students use 40-year-old instruments and worn sheet music with missing pages.

DiFranco, whose recording company, Righteous Babe Records, is based in Buffalo, will perform at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.