- Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Johnny Depp is bringing a dash of cool to the book world. He will help run a publishing imprint with the same name as his production company, Infinitum Nihil, meaning “Nothing is forever.”

Already on the list of books is “The Unraveled Tales of Bob Dylan,” which aims to set the record straight on the songwriter’s enigmatic life and career and will be based in part on interviews with Mr. Dylan by best-selling historian Douglas Brinkley.

According to The Associated Press, the imprint will be part of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced Monday that Mr. Depp will seek “authentic, outspoken and visionary ideas and voices.”

“I pledge, on behalf of Infinitum Nihil, that we will do our best to deliver publications worthy of peoples’ time, of peoples’ concern, publications that might ordinarily never have breached the parapet,” Mr. Depp said in a statement released by HarperCollins. “For this dream realized, we would like to salute HarperCollins for their faith in us and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship together.”

Mr. Brinkley, who recently wrote a cover story on Mr. Dylan for Rolling Stone, said he and Mr. Depp thought the Dylan book was “the ideal way” to inaugurate the Infinitum Nihil series.

“Bob has been very warm and forthcoming with us,” Mr. Brinkley said in a statement. “His music has inspired us both deeply since we were teenagers.”

The Dylan book is scheduled for publication in 2015. Mr. Dylan and Mr. Brinkley also will collaborate on the editing and publication of a previously announced novel by one of Mr. Dylan’s heroes, folk musician Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967. The novel, “House of Earth,” was completed by Guthrie in 1947 but was only recently discovered. It’s scheduled for a January release.

Mr. Depp, whose movies include “Edward Scissorhands” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, already has ties to the book world. He was a close friend of Hunter S. Thompson and starred in film adaptations of Thompson’s “Rum Diary” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” He also narrated parts of the audio edition of Keith Richards’ memoir “Life.”

Other celebrities with their own imprints include Chelsea Handler and Rachael Ray.

Elton John: Teen’s death was a turning point

On the red carpet of his annual AIDS foundation benefit Monday night, Sir Elton John remembered AIDS sufferer Ryan White.

According to the Associated Press, the 65-year-old musician said dealing with the teenager’s death was a major turning point in his life, which at the time was “out of whack.”

“Six months after Ryan died, I decided that was it,” Mr. John said. And within a year of becoming sober, he begin thinking about starting a foundation and “giving something back and making up for lost time.”

White contracted AIDS in 1984 after a blood transfusion for his hemophilia. Once diagnosed, he was expelled from middle school and became a poster child for young people afflicted with the disease. Mr. John was with the boy and his family when he died in 1990.

While great strides are being made in research and behavior, Mr. John said we have a long way to go.

“The stigma involved in people coming out and saying they’re HIV-positive is still an underground thing, it’s still a shame-based thing until we can get everybody tested and people to come out and be role models to people who have HIV, then we’re still battling against this disease,” Mr. John said.

Established in 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation continues its global humanitarian efforts to help raise money for a variety of services, including prevention programs, campaigns to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding AIDS, and treatment, care and support services for people living with the disease.

Stevie Nicks performed at the benefit. Other celebrity guests included Brooke Shields, Lance Bass, Alan Cumming and Courtney Love.

The EJAF raised $2 million at Monday’s event.

Hulk Hogan files suits over release of sex tape

Former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan sued a disc jockey, the DJ’s ex-wife and a gossip website Monday after a sex tape involving Mr. Hogan and the woman was posted online.

Mr. Hogan said in two lawsuits that he had consensual sex with his best friend’s wife, Heather Clem, about six years ago in the Clemses’ home, but he did not know he was being recorded, The Associated Press reports.

“Mr. Hogan had a reasonable expectation of his privacy, just as all Americans have a reasonable expectation of their privacy in their bedrooms,” attorney Charles Harder said.

The video was posted on the online gossip site Gawker. Mr. Hogan is seeking $100 million in damages from the New York-based media company, which declined comment.

It’s unclear who gave the video to Gawker.

In the suit against the Clemses, Mr. Hogan claimed the video caused “severe and irreparable injury which cannot be adequately compensated by monetary damages.” Mr. Hogan is seeking the rights to the video in both lawsuits.

It’s not clear whether Mr. Hogan and Bubba “the Love Sponge” Clem are still friends. The Clemses have since divorced.

Mr. Hogan acknowledged on various TV talk shows recently that he had sex with Mrs. Clem while he was married to Linda Hogan. The Hogans also have divorced.

Justin Bieber named face of Adidas NEO label

Teen superstar Justin Bieber has teamed up with the Adidas NEO Label to be its new global style icon.

The two-year partnership with the German sportswear company was announced Tuesday, The Associated Press reports.

The American pop star, who cites James Dean as his fashion idol, said the collaboration is a “perfect fit” because “we both believe in living life to the fullest, being young, free and making our own style.”

The 18-year-old singer will front the company’s ad campaigns and fans will be able to shop for his personally selected favorite looks. He describes his offstage style as simple, saying he chooses “clothes that look good” while onstage it’s all about “comfort, great color and fit.”

Mr. Bieber is touring the United States on his “Believe” tour, which moves to Europe early next year.

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