The first-ever Latin Grammys will go on without one of its biggest nominees and most anticipated performers. Marc Anthony had to pull out of the event due to complications with his wife's pregnancy. Anthony was nominated in six categories including, Record of the Year for Dimelo (I Need to Know) and Song of the Year for the title track, and would have performed a duet with one of the show's hosts and nominees, Jennifer Lopez. "At this time more than ever, I need to retreat and be with my family," Anthony said in a statement. "I hope that my fans and the Academy understand that I sincerely regret not being able to attend the ceremony and that they can find it in their hearts to include us in their prayers." The Anthony baby is expected in late February. The Latin Grammys will air on CBS Sept. 13 . . .

The Beastie Boys' new double-DVD is set for release on Oct. 10. The anthology of Beastie video material is, according to the band's Web site "the most complete collection of Beastie Boys videos ever assembled." If fans are too hungry for the videos and the myriad other DVD perks to wait until the release, the group has offered a sneak peek at the anthology at www.beastieboys.com . . .

Consider Tuesday Joan Osborne's big day. As her new album, Righteous Love, hits stores, her new Heroine Magazine for women launches on the Web at www.heroinemag.com. "That's 'Heroine' with an e," notes Osborne with a smirk, explaining that she hit on the idea after wearying of flipping through "200 pages of 'Thin Thighs in 30 Days' and the new lipstick colors'" in traditional women's magazines. "All this is not heinous, but I just felt like I would like a place to go where I didn't have to deal with that stuff if I didn't want to, and I could get more things that spoke to me." The first issue features an interview Osborne conducted with Mary J. Blige and a conversation between the Indigo Girls and Susan Sarandon. Managing editor Ingrid Ducmanis says Osborne has been the creative force behind the endeavor from the get-go. "This is totally her baby," says Ducmanis, "and she's a good, capable mama" . . .

It wasn't even close to the multi-millions that a businessman reportedly offered to get into Britney Spears ' pants, but a bidder did pony up $7,000 for a pair of the pop princess' jeans in the "Undress for MS -- Yahoo Celebrity Jeans Auction." Top sellers included jeans from Leonardo DiCaprio ($22,700) and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine costume from X-Men ($19,240). Britney's britches trounced fellow popster Faith Hills' 501s, which pulled in $1,510. All told, the auction pocked more than $114,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society . . .

ANDREW DANSBY, CHRISTINA SARACENO, DENISE SHEPPARD
(September 12, 2000)