‘Pirates’ goes rock ‘n’ roll

London – Keith Richards is not the first person one would think of as a father figure – but Johnny Depp says that’s all about to change.

The Rolling Stones guitarist is lined up to play the swashbuckling father of a pirate in the third installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, Depp said Tuesday.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said Richards would have a cameo role as the father of the flamboyant Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Depp. The third “Pirates” movie is to resume filming next month in California.

Depp, 43, has said he adopted Richards’ body language and mannerisms to create the Captain Jack character.

“We’re all looking forward to the idea of Keith coming in,” Depp told reporters at a news conference to promote “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” which opens Thursday in Britain.

A degree of caution

Glasgow, Scotland – Annie Lennox, who found fame as the voice of the Eurythmics and later as a solo act, accepted an honorary degree Tuesday but felt “like a complete fraud” doing so.

Lennox, 51, said it was exciting to receive an honorary degree from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

“What I have done with my life has all been about self-invention, and I didn’t have degrees or qualifications or anyone to guide me, and I still work very much in that way,” she said.

“But I do think it’s great that young people today can have people to help them out, because Scotland has turned out some tremendous artists and performer and writers, and if we can keep that tradition going, it would be a fantastic thing.

“I’m very happy to be here, even though I feel like a complete fraud,” she said.

The academy also bestowed honorary degrees on comedian Billy Connolly and actress Tilda Swinton.

Knightley denies anorexia

London – Oscar-nominated actress Keira Knightley says her family has a history of anorexia but insisted Tuesday that she does not have an eating disorder.

The slender 21-year-old, in London to promote “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” rejected suggestions that she was anorexic or had another eating disorder. Rumors swirled after she appeared in the film’s premiere in a revealing gold Gucci gown.

“I’ve got a lot of experience with anorexia – my grandmother and great-grandmother suffered from it, and I had a lot of friends at school who suffered from it,” Knightley said. “I know it’s not something to be taken lightly, and I don’t.”

She said she was surprised by any suggestion that she had an eating disorder.

“(The press) said to me yesterday, ‘How does it feel to be called anorexic?’ and I had no idea that I was,” Knightley said. “I’m not saying there aren’t people in the film industry that suffer from it, because I am sure that there are. But I’m quite sure I don’t have it.”

Knightley, who was nominated for best actress for her role in “Pride and Prejudice,” still welcomed discussion about the illness.

“In a way, it’s good that it’s out there and that people are talking about it,” she said.

Nelson buys boyhood church

Abbott, Texas – Hoping to save a piece of hometown history, Willie Nelson has bought the Methodist church where he honed his musical skills as a boy.

Nelson, 73, celebrated the church’s preservation at a Sunday service that brought together longtime parishioners, friends and family – including his sister – for prayers and gospel music.

“Sister Bobbie and I have been going to this church since we were born,” Nelson said. “Now, you’re all members of the Abbott Methodist Church, and you will be, forever and ever.”

In between blessings from guest ministers, Nelson performed with his sister and guests including Leon Russell. They sang hymns such as “Uncloudy Day,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “Will the Circle be Unbroken” and “Precious Memories.”

The congregation listed 600 members at its high point in 1886, according to the inscription on its historical marker. But the steepled building, which itself dates from 1899, closed in May after its last service as part of the United Methodist denomination. The dwindling congregation merged with a larger one in Hillsboro.

Abbott, along Interstate 35 about 65 miles south of Dallas, is home to some 300 people.