Editorials

Lay’s wife gets p.r. makeover 

HOUSTON — The wife of ex-Enron Corp. chairman Kenneth Lay spent a week under the tutelage of a public relations expert before her teary-eyed appearance this week on NBC’s “Today” show, her sister-in-law said. 

Linda Lay defended her husband as honest and ethical and said she and her family were selling their possessions to try to head off personal bankruptcy. 

Kenneth Lay’s sister, Sharon, told the Houston Chronicle for Wednesday’s editions that she received a call from her friend, M.A. Shute, who had worked for the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton and represented Enron. When she called, Shute was sailing in the Caribbean with her husband. 

’“Get back here right now,”’ Sharon Lay said she told her. ’“We need your help.”’ 

“We wanted M.A. to give us some suggestions and insight as to how to handle all of this,” Sharon Lay said, complaining that frequent use of the words “arrogance” and “greed” in describing top Enron executives “would never have come to mind in describing my family.” 

Baby Madonna comes out 

LONDON — Madonna took the rare step of bringing her daughter, Lourdes, to a public event when she joined other stars to celebrate the opening of an exhibition by fashion photographer Mario Testino. 

Five-year-old Lourdes features in at least one of Testino’s photos of Madonna. 

The mother and daughter mixed with a host of other stars, including models Helena Christensen and Kate Moss and singer Natalie Imbruglia, at Tuesday night’s launch at the National Portrait Gallery in London’s West End.  

The exhibit, which runs Feb. 1-4, brings together more than 120 color and black-and-white pictures by Testino, who was Princess Diana’s favorite fashion photographer. 

Images taken of Diana shortly before she died in August 1997 will be shown alongside portraits of icons from fashion, film and music. Other sections are devoted to images of Madonna, Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

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On the Net: 

National Portrait Gallery, http://www.npg.org.uk 

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DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — U2 is giving way in a battle to save its Dublin recording studios from being pulled to the ground. 

After submitting written objections Tuesday to the redevelopment of their Hanover Quay site, the band said it would join in talks with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. 

“Although they are very happy in their present studio, and would very much like to stay, they appreciate that change is inevitable and often for the best,” the band members said through a statement. 

The millionaire rock musicians initially argued that the musical heritage of their Hanover Quay site should be enough to save it from being demolished to transform the area into a major new leisure development. 

They cited the multimillion-dollar record sales and musical heritage that have resulted from their use of the Hanover Street premises, in the south of the city, since 1994. They’ve recorded in the docklands area since the early 1980s. 

In its written submission to the planning board, the band argued that the studio deserved preservation as an element in the “recognized music-recording heritage of the area.” 

“The recording studio of an internationally acclaimed Irish rock band fits this profile and would complement any objective of the Authority to convert the area to an amenity space with leisure and entertainment uses,” U2 added. 

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BOSTON (AP) — Keith Lockhart says he’s a lapsed football fan, but on Super Bowl Sunday, the Boston Pops conductor plans to root for the New England Patriots. 

Lockhart will lead the orchestra when it performs a selection of American classics at the Super Bowl pre-game show. 

“Who could have known that the Patriots would have ended up as AFC champions?” Lockhart said Tuesday. “We’re glad we’re not the only team from Boston there.” 

Lockhart spoke from Salt Lake City, where he’s scheduled to conduct the Pops during opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. 

The 15-minute program at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans will feature Mariah Carey singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” accompanied by the Pops. 

The orchestra also will perform “America the Beautiful,” and two selections by composer Aaron Copland, “Fanfare for the Common Man,” and the “Lincoln Portrait,” which will feature four former presidents narrating — Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. 

The Super Bowl is expected to draw 130 million viewers in the United States and 800 million worldwide. 

U2 will perform during halftime. 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Ocean’s Eleven” co-star Andy Garcia is a father for a fourth time. 

Andres Antonio Garcia-Lorido weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces when he was delivered Monday at a Los Angeles area hospital, publicist Stan Rosenfield said Tuesday. 

This is the first son for the Cuban-born actor and his wife, Marivi Lorido Garcia. The couple have three daughters, ages 18, 14 and 10. 

The baby and mother are reportedly healthy. 

Garcia, co-star of 1990’s “The Godfather: Part III,” portrayed the sinister casino owner in Steven Soderbergh’s remake of the heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven.” 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s No. 5 for Eddie Murphy and his wife, Nicole. 

Bella Zahra Murphy arrived Tuesday night at a Los Angeles area hospital weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces, publicist Arnold Robinson said. She joins three sisters Bria, 12; Shayne, 7; and Zola, 2; and brother Myles, 10. 

“We are overjoyed about this newest addition to our family,” the couple said in a statement that Robinson released. 

“Everybody’s doing great,” Robinson added, adding mother and child were healthy. 

Murphy is filming the comedy “I Spy,” and will next be seen with Robert De Niro in the cop comedy “Showtime.” 

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LONDON (AP) — Eighties pop star Boy George welcomed a new phase of his career with the launch of a musical based on his life. 

“Taboo” follows the former Culture Club lead singer’s journey from a wannabe pop star through his chart success, heroin addiction and discovery of Eastern spirituality. 

After the opening night Tuesday at London’s Leicester Square, Boy George admitted to being nervous but said he was delighted with the way “Taboo” had been received. 

“I was very quiet before the performance which is unlike me, but now it’s over I’m thrilled that everyone seems to have enjoyed it so much,” said the 40-year-old performer, who sang on hits including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” and “I’ll Tumble For Ya” with Culture Club, and later performed the theme to the film, “The Crying Game.” 

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LONDON (AP) — The British girl band Atomic Kitten has signed a deal to promote Avon cosmetics. 

The trio will receive an undisclosed sum to endorse products from the “Color Trend” range, said a spokeswoman on Wednesday for New York-based Avon Products Inc., the world’s leading direct seller of beauty products. News reports said the sum ran to six figures. 

The band members will appear on packaging and feature in Avon catalogues, the spokeswoman said. 

The $5.7 billion company, which has built its business on direct sales, recently moved into retail with BeComing, a new, pricier cosmetics range.