Heart problems sideline Kiss’ Paul Stanley

San Jacinto, Calif. – Kiss lead singer and guitarist Paul Stanley had to bow out of a Southern California concert because of heart problems before the show, according to his Web site.

Bandmates Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer played the Friday night gig at Soboba Casino, about 90 miles east of Los Angeles, as Stanley was taken to the hospital.

“During sound check yesterday, my heart spontaneously jumped to 190 plus beats per minute where it stayed for over an hour necessitating paramedics to start an IV and give me a shot to momentarily stop my heart and get it into a normal pattern,” Stanley said in the Saturday Web site posting.

“Not knowing if this episode was life-threatening made it even more exhausting,” the statement continued.

It was Kiss’ first appearance as a trio, according to the band’s Web site.

As famous for its makeup, stage mayhem and wagging tongues as its music, Kiss recorded the 1970s hits “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City.”

The 55-year-old Stanley, born Stanley Eisen, released a solo album, “Live to Win,” in 2006.

‘Simpsons Movie’ takes box office top spot

Los Angeles – Woo Hoo!

“The Simpsons Movie” turned doughnuts into dollars over the weekend, raking in $71.9 million to debut as the top movie this week.

The big-screen tale of the lovable, if dysfunctional, family rolled over the competition, sending last week’s top movie, Universal Studio’s “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,” into second place with $19 million, a 44 percent drop.

The “Simpsons” film, which featured the antics of yellow-hued Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and a host of motley characters, grossed an average of $18,320 on 3,922 screens across the country.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC.

1. “The Simpsons Movie,” $71.9 million.
2. “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry,” $19.1 million.
3. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” $17.1 million.
4. “Hairspray,” $15.6 million.
5. “No Reservations,” $11.8 million.
6. “Transformers,” $11.5 million.
7. “Ratatouille,” $7.2 million.
8. “Live Free or Die Hard,” $5.4 million.
9. “I Know Who Killed Me,” $3.4 million.
10. “Who’s Your Caddy,” $2.9 million.

Steve Martin wedding a surprise for guests

Los Angeles – Steve Martin married girlfriend Anne Stringfield during a ceremony at his Los Angeles home, his publicist said.

Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey, a friend of Martin’s, presided over Saturday’s ceremony, Alan Nierob said. “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels was Martin’s best man, he said.

Most of the roughly 75 guests – who included Tom Hanks, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Carl Reiner and Ricky Jay – were not told that Martin and Stringfield would wed when they were invited to his home for a “party,” Nierob said. The ensuing nuptials were a surprise to them, he said.

Martin, 61, was previously married to actress Victoria Tennant, whom he divorced in 1994, Nierob said.

It was the first marriage for Stringfield, 35, a writer and former staffer for The New Yorker magazine.

The two had dated for about three years, Nierob said.

Martin delivered his vows sporting an Inspector Clouseau mustache he let grow in for his appearance in the upcoming sequel to 2006’s “Pink Panther” remake.

Winnie of ‘Wonder Years’ says smart is beautiful

New York – Danica McKellar has a message for girls: Cute and smart is better than cute and dumb.

McKellar, who played Winnie on the 1990s television show “The Wonder Years,” is coming out with a book, “Math Doesn’t Suck,” to encourage girls to get into math.

“When girls see the antics of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, they think that being fun and glamorous also means being dumb and irresponsible,” the 32-year-old McKellar told Newsweek for editions to hit newsstands Monday.

“But I want to show them that being smart is cool,” she said. “Being good at math is cool. And not only that, it can help them get what they want out of life.”

McKellar should know. The actress once struggled with the subject around the seventh grade, but a teacher helped her through. McKellar eventually majored in math in college.

The book includes tips to avoid mistakes on homework, ways to overcome test-day anxiety and profiles of three beautiful mathematicians.

“I want to tell girls that cute and dumb isn’t as good as cute and smart,” she said.