Art Alexakis is headed to Washington to testify before Congress on March 16. The Everclear frontman, who penned the deadbeat dad anthem "Father of Mine," will be speaking before the U.S. House of Representatives about the Hyde-Woolsey Child Support Bill, which in relevant child-support cases would establish paternity and institute an I.R.S.-managed system to deduct child-support payments from paychecks of absentee parents...

The Rainforest Foundation has announced a partial lineup and theme for its tenth annual New York benefit concert. STING, who co-founded the foundation with his wife Trudie Styler, will be performing along with ELTON JOHN, BILLY JOEL, JAMES TAYLOR, TOM JONES, the IMPRESSIONS, GLADYS KNIGHT, MARTHA REEVES and PERCY SLEDGE for the April 13 event at Carnegie Hall. Additional acts may be announced over the next few weeks. The Foundation has chosen "Respect" as its theme for this year's benefit...

In other Sting news, the former POLICE man is finally getting his proper respect as a bona fide, er, diva. Sting, the BACKSTREET BOYS, D'ANGELO, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS and TOM JONES will all be featured on the upcoming VH1 special Men Strike Back, the network's male answer to it's own Divas series. The special airs April 18 . . .

After losing Best New Artist honors to CHRISTINA AGUILERA, it looks like MACY GRAY is hoping to have some Grammy gold rub off on her. The singer has landed the plum opening slot for the Grammy-grabbing CARLOS SANTANA on his North American summer tour. The twenty-two city tour launches in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 20...

ANDREW DANSBY, RICHARD SKANSE, JAAN UHELSZKI
(March 14, 2000)