Streisand plans national tour, her first in over a decade

New York – Barbra Streisand plans to embark on a national concert tour this fall, her first in over a decade.

The 64-year-old singer-actress will perform in 20 concerts in U.S. cities during October and November, her manager, Martin Erlichman, said in a statement Thursday. Streisand’s last U.S. tour was in 1994.

“Designated proceeds” from her performances will be distributed through the Streisand Foundation to support several causes, including the environment, education and women’s health.

The tour follows the release of her latest album, “Guilty Pleasures,” last September. In 2004, Streisand marked her return to the big screen, co-starring in the Ben Stiller comedy, “Meet the Fockers.”

Dates and locations will be announced at a later date.

McCready sues ex-boyfriend, says he beat her last year

Nashville, Tenn. – Mindy McCready has sued her former boyfriend for $3 million, claiming he beat her last year and that the incident hurt her music career.

McCready, who had a No. 1 hit in 1996, “Guys Do It All the Time,” sued last month in Davidson County Circuit Court, The Tennessean newspaper reported Thursday. The lawsuit claims the alleged assault hindered the 30-year-old country singer’s ability to book performances and other work.

William McKnight is facing charges of attempted murder and breaking into McCready’s home and beating her severely in May 2005.

McKnight is employed, his attorney, John Norris, said Thursday, but doesn’t have the amount of money that McCready is asking for. The lawsuit says McKnight is living in Brandon, Fla.

For offstage duds, Madonna chooses Hennes & Mauritz

Stockholm, Sweden – Onstage, Madonna wears designs by Jean Paul Gaultier; offstage, the 47-year-old pop star and her “Confessions” world tour entourage will choose clothing from H&M’s 2006 collection.

Hennes & Mauritz AB, a fashion retailer with over 1,200 stores in 22 countries, says it will supply a complete offstage wardrobe for the Material Girl and her tour band, dancers and crew members. “Partnering up with H&M feels like a perfect fit. We’ll all get to express ourselves in our own individual ways,” Madonna said Thursday in a statement. “The dancers and I are excited to go shopping together.”

The collaboration also will include a specially designed Madonna tracksuit that will be in stores in mid-August and an ad campaign featuring the singer and her dancers, the company said.

Madonna’s “Confessions Tour,” which opened May 21 in Los Angeles, is scheduled through Sept. 3, with stops including Chicago, Montreal, New York, Boston, London, Rome and Paris.

Cybill Shepherd joins cast of Showtime’s ‘The L Word’

New York – Cybill Shepherd is joining the cast of “The L Word,” Showtime’s drama about a circle of gay friends and lovers who move in the trendiest of Los Angeles circles.

Shepherd will play a married woman with two grown children who begins questioning her sexuality, the cable network announced this week.

She is slated to appear in 11 episodes of the show’s fourth season, which premieres in January.

The 56-year-old actress starred in the TV series “Moonlighting” and “Cybill.” Her screen credits include 1971’s “The Last Picture Show,” directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

J.K. Rowling greatest living British writer, survey reveals

London – It’s another magical result for J.K. Rowling.

The creator of boy wizard Harry Potter was voted Britain’s greatest living writer in a survey released Thursday.

Readers of The Book Magazine ranked Rowling ahead of literary heavyweights including Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Harold Pinter and A.S. Byatt.

Rowling, who is writing the seventh and final Potter book, received almost three times as many votes as fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, who is No. 2 on the list.

The magazine’s online poll allowed readers to choose from a list of 50 authors, or to add their own suggestion.