Sheryl Crow stands by cyclist

MontPellier, France – If Sheryl Crow wrote a song about Lance Armstrong, the title would be simple and to the point: “Make ’em suffer.”

“His little boy (Luke) always says, ‘Make ’em suffer daddy,’ so it definitely would incorporate that phrase,” Crow said in an interview.

The 43-year-old rocker is on her second Tour de France, and is relishing seeing boyfriend Armstrong power his way to what could be his seventh straight win.

“It’s one of the most inspiring events I’ve been involved in,” said Crow, who is putting the finishing touches on her new album, “Wildflower.” “When you see the spirit of these guys, it’s crazy the lengths these riders go to. You know it’s got to be painful, but their heart drives them to be great … I love that seeking of greatness.”

Crow feels privileged to be able to peel back the curtains of the 102-year-old race.

“I’m lucky, I’m one of the only women I know of in the history of the Tour that’s got to spend time with the team,” she said. “Breakfast with the team … then I speak to people or go to the bus and spend time with Lance. In the evening … we eat dinner with the team.”

Despite rising early, spending hours on empty highways, smiling sweetly for countless fans and posing patiently for endless photos, Crow has found time to work on “Wildflower,” which is due for release in September.

“I didn’t bring my guitar, because I already have more stuff than all the riders,” she joked. “I am working a lot during the day sequencing the record and picking mixes, videos. Now the busy work, it’s not the creative fun stuff.”

Crow said the title is intended as a reminder that “in chaos there is beauty everywhere and it’s important not to miss that.”

The Tour de France is a form of chaos she prefers.

However, there is one drawback to being on the road with a professional cyclist.

“He’s better about shaving his legs than I am,” Crow said. “The pressure’s on me to keep my legs smooth.”

Pop star sports cast, sling after slicing tendons in arm

Los Angeles – Singer Christina Aguilera accidentally cut her arm at home and has been forced to wear a cast and sling, her publicist said.

Aguilera, 24, sliced two tendons in her arm two weeks ago when she picked up a piece of glass from a vase her dog knocked over and broke in her Los Angeles-area house, publicist Jill Fritzo said Friday.

Aguilera, whose hits include “What a Girl Wants” and “Genie in a Bottle,” has been photographed lately sporting a cast and sling.

Aguilera became engaged to music executive Jordan Bratman in February, and nabbed a third Grammy last year for female pop vocal performance on the ballad “Beautiful.”

Village person charged with drug, gun possession

Daly City, Calif. – Victor Edward Willis, the original policeman in the 1970s music group the Village People, was arrested by real police who allegedly found a gun and drugs in his convertible.

Willis, who co-wrote disco hits such as “Macho Man” and “In the Navy” before leaving the Village People in the late 1970s, was taken into custody Monday after an officer stopped his Chevrolet Corvette.

Police said Willis didn’t have a valid license or identification and at first lied about his name and residence. Inside the car, the officer found a .45-caliber handgun as well as rock cocaine and drug paraphernalia, police said.

Traces of cocaine and other paraphernalia also were found his home at a mobile home park in Daly City, just south of San Francisco, police said. Willis also had an outstanding felony warrant for possession of narcotics.

Police arrested him on suspicion of six felony counts, including possession of a firearm, driving on a suspended license and transportation of cocaine. He posted $100,000 bail Tuesday and was to be arraigned Aug. 16.

Disneyland receives Hollywood honor

Los Angeles – In honor of its 50th anniversary, Disneyland was given a star near the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making it the first company to receive the entertainment industry’s most enduring symbol.

The star won’t be on the Walk of Fame but on private property inches away.

“These are not Walk of Fame stars,” said Johnny Grant, the 82-year-old honorary mayor of Hollywood whose committee oversees the selection of Walk of Fame recipients. “It’s an award of excellence. It will be a Walk of Fame-type star.”

Thursday’s unveiling was attended by Grant, Disney CEO Michael Eisner and a cast of characters including Mickey Mouse.

In order to receive a commercial star, a company must have a strong Hollywood presence and been around for at least 50 years, Grant said.

‘Las Vegas’ adds another recurring role

New York – Rachael Leigh Cook will have a recurring role on the new season of NBC’s “Las Vegas.”

Cook, who co-starred with Freddie Prinze Jr. in the 1999 film “She’s All That,” will play a real-estate agent who becomes a potential love interest for casino surveillance expert Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel).