People talk 1/10/02

Canadian singer calls bare torso in photo fake

LONDON -- Nelly Furtado is miffed about a midriff.

The Canadian singer has complained that a photo of her on the cover of British men's magazine FHM was digitally altered to show a bare torso -- and it's not hers.

"There I am with a shirt that has actually been digitally altered to go to just below my chest, with a stomach that I don't recognize, saying 'Nelly Furtado -- her sexiest shoot yet,"' the singer told British Broadcasting Corp. radio on Monday.

"I don't like being misrepresented to my fans. You work hard to represent a certain thing and have a certain image and somebody can take it all away with the cover of a magazine."

The photo is on one of three covers produced for the magazine's February issue. The others feature Mariah Carey and Jenny Frost of British group Atomic Kitten.

Magazine spokespeople had no comment Wednesday.

British Columbia-born Furtado's debut album, "Whoa, Nelly" has become a worldwide best seller. Last week the 23-year-old singer was nominated for four Grammy awards, including song of the year for her hit, "I'm Like a Bird.

Ted Turner boosts new bison burger restaurants

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ted Turner, in town to promote his new restaurant venture, had a reminder for those who might wonder whether bison burgers will be a hit.

"Remember, cable TV was small one time, too," said Turner, the founder of CNN and vice chairman of AOL Time Warner.

Bison is the featured menu item of Ted's Montana Grill, which will open next week in Columbus.

"Look out, McDonald's," Turner said Tuesday, shortly before cutting the ribbon at the restaurant.

The downtown restaurant is the first of what Turner and his partner, George McKerrow Jr., hope will become a national chain. They plan to open three more in Columbus, four in Atlanta and three in Denver this year before taking the chain nationwide.

McKerrow, founder of Atlanta-based LongHorn Steakhouse restaurant chain and an Ohio State University graduate, approached Turner last spring with the idea for the restaurant.

"I started with three bison 27 years ago," said Turner, who is considered the nation's largest bison rancher and owns 1.7 million acres of ranch land across several states. "Now I have 30,000 and there are 300,000 head in the country. Supply exceeds demand. Hopefully this will help get demand up to supply."

Turner and McKerrow praise buffalo as a lean alternative to beef, though all 23 of the restaurant's burgers will be available in beef or bison.

Ali gets millennium honor from L.A. mayor

LOS ANGELES -- Muhammad Ali is "The Greatest," so when he told the mayor a single day in his honor wasn't enough, he got a millennium.

In honor of the boxer's 60th birthday and his achievements in and out of the ring, Jan. 17 will be "Muhammad Ali Day" in the city, Mayor James K. Hahn told the City Council on Tuesday.

"All I get is the day?" Ali quipped after Hahn made his announcement.

"I can give you the whole century. I can give you the whole millennium -- the Ali Millennium," Hahn said as applause filled the hall.

The former heavyweight champion, whom Will Smith portrays in the new movie "Ali," is getting more than a day from the city and county. On Friday, he'll get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In a break with tradition, the star will be installed on the wall instead of the sidewalk at the Kodak Theatre entertainment complex.

Ali, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, said he doesn't want his name to be walked on by people who "don't have no respect for me."

Fabian gets star, screams on sidewalk

LOS ANGELES -- Fabian had fans squealing again during the unveiling of his Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

More than 300 people crowded curbside on Hollywood Boulevard Tuesday to witness the dedication of the star, the 2,188th along the famous walkway.

"As a little boy in Southern Philadelphia, I loved the movies and rock 'n' roll. I'm the lucky fan who got to do it all," Fabian told the crowd. "And I've never forgotten that's really all I am -- a big fan -- and proud of it.

"I would like to dedicate this star to all the fans out there."

Now 58, Fabian Forte was 15 when he first caught the eye of a record producer in his South Philadelphia neighborhood. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he hit the record charts with the singles "Turn Me Loose" and "Tiger."

He also appeared in dozens of films, including "High Time" with Bing Crosby and "North to Alaska" with John Wayne.

Fabian and his wife, Andrea Patrick, live in rural Pennsylvania.

--From wire reports