Feb 10, 2006 5:35 PM

From Clarkson to D.M.C.

KELLY CLARKSON, DURAN DURAN and WHITNEY HOUSTON join AVRIL LAVIGNE, LOU REED and RICKY MARTIN as medals ceremony performers for the 20th Winter Olympics currently underway in Turin, Italy. Between February 11th and 25th, each will perform during the awards ceremonies, during which the day's winning athletes are given their medals, at the Olympic's Medal Plaza. Additional performers include JAMIROQUAI, ANASTACIA and opera tenor ANDREA BOCELLI. The opening ceremony, which kicked off the Olympics Friday, featured a performance by PETER GABRIEL, who sang John Lennon's "Imagine."

Legend Sings for All-Stars

JOHN LEGEND will perform "So High," off his Grammy-winning debut, Get Lifted, at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game halftime show. Legend, who took home Grammys for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance this Wednesday, joins a lineup that already includes soon-to-disband divas DESTINY'S CHILD. The game will air live from Houston's Toyota Center on the TNT network Sunday, February 19th.

Bon Jovi, Fergie Start Engines

BON JOVI are slated to play a pre-race show at NASCAR's Daytona 500, airing live on NBC. BLACK EYED PEAS' FERGIE will sing the national anthem at the premier race, the 48th Annual Daytona 500, on February 19th, while piano troubadour GAVIN DeGRAW will sing the anthem before the Busch Series Hershey's Kissables 300 on February 18th.

Waters Opera Sees World Premiere

ROGER WATERS' French Revolution-inspired opera, Ca Ira (There Is Hope), will make another world premiere on July 7th in Poznan, Poland. The opera, first performed last fall in Rome, is reportedly being reworked for its official world premiere at Poznan's international trade fair site, which can hold up to 10,000 spectators. Another performance, at the Polish city's Grand Theatre, is also in the works for November.

Frampton Comes Alive . . . With Symphony

PETER FRAMPTON will play with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra on June 24th at the city's Riverbend Music Center. The performance, which kicks off the classical pop ensemble's summer season, will feature symphonic versions of the guitar legend's hit singles, in addition to an original composition. Frampton has been at work on a new instrumental album that hits stores in September.

Ludacris Goes Primetime

LUDACRIS will portray ICE-T's nephew on the March 28th episode of NBC's Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, dubbed "Venom." The crossover multiplatinum rapper played supporting roles in two of this year's Oscar-nominated films, Crash and Hustle and Flow.

Joy Division Gets Cast

Actor SAM RILEY will portray JOY DIVISION singer IAN CURTIS in the biopic Control, set to be acclaimed photographer ANTON CORBIJN's feature film directorial debut. Also starring in the film is SAMANTHA MORTON (In America, The Libertine), who plays the late singer's wife.

Phoenix Directs More Videos

JOAQUIN PHOENIX, who starred in this year's Oscar-nominated JOHNNY CASH biopic Walk the Line, is directing the music video for Los Angeles indie rockers SHE WANTS REVENGE's "Tear You Apart," off the band's eponymous debut. This makes for Phoenix's third video: Past clips include PEOPLE IN PLANES's "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)" and RINGSIDE's "Tired of Being Sorry."

Emo Rockers Hit the Road

The DROPKICK MURPHYS head out on a nineteen-date tour, beginning March 1st in New York. The run ends with a five-night sold-out stint at Boston's Avalon Ballroom . . . Fellow emo boys THURSDAY, who release A City by the Light Divided on May 2nd, are heading out on the Shirts for a Cure Tour, beginning March 14th in Dallas.

Special Guests Join Particle

The DOORS' ROBBIE KRIEGER, BLACKALICIOUS and guitarist JOE SATRIANI will join electro-jammers PARTICLE at their February 24th show in their hometown of Los Angeles. DJ LOGIC will open the show, dubbed Particle: Transformations, which will also be taped for the jam band's first DVD, to be released this summer.

DMC Finds His Roots

DMC: My Adoption Journey is set to debut on VH1 on February 25th. The documentary follows RUN-D.M.C. member DARRYL "D.M.C." McDANIELS on his quest to find his birth parents. The rapper drops his first solo record, Checks, Thugs and Rock 'n Roll, on March 14th.

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