Simon Cowell, Stevie Wonder, George Clooney, Jimmy Bennett; news round-up

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Star maker Simon Cowell gets his place on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Simon Cowell, once known as the Mr. Nasty of talent show "American Idol,"all smiled on Wednesday when he got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Joined by Kelly Clarkson, the first "American Idol" winner, the British television and music mogul basked in the limelight as he recalled his time as a reality show judge, record producer and creator of long-running franchises "The X Factor," "America's Got Talent" and "Britain's Got Talent."

Stevie Wonder heads star line-up for Aretha Franklin funeral

Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, and country singer Faith Hill will sing at the funeral of Aretha Franklin in Detroit next week, her publicist said on Thursday. They will be joined by R&B singers Chaka Khan, Ron Isley, Fantasia and Yolanda Adams at the funeral for the late Queen of Soul, publicist Gwendolyn Quinn said in a statement.

Tequila sends George Clooney to top of best-paid actors list

George Clooney on Wednesday soared to the top of an annual list of the world's highest-paid actors, thanks largely to the sale of his tequila company. Clooney, 57, earned an estimated $239 million between June 2017-June 2018, marking the highest earnings of his 35-year career in film and television, Forbes said.

Former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King dies at 68

Ed King, a former lead guitarist for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd who co-wrote one of the group's best-known hits, "Sweet Home Alabama," has died at age 68, a founding member of the band said on Thursday. King joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1972 not long after the band formed, and with two other lead guitarists, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins helped create the group's powerful triple-guitar sound prominent on such rock classics as "Free Bird."

Actor who accused Asia Argento said he tried to keep story private

Actor Jimmy Bennett, who The New York Times reported has accused Italian actress, Asia Argento of sexual assault, said on Wednesday he tried to handle the matter privately and felt "ashamed and afraid" after the story was published. The Times reported on Sunday that Bennett had accused Argento, an outspoken advocate in the #MeToo social media movement against sexual misconduct, of sexually assaulting him in 2013 when he was 17 and she was 37.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)