Daily Digest: 50 Cent Housebreakers Wanted to ‘Hang Out’; Abbey Road Declared Historic Site

Abbey Road Crossing Declared Historic Site
The Abbey Road street crossing featured on the cover of the Beatles album of the same name has been declared an official site of “cultural and historical importance.” John Penrose, minister for tourism and heritage, said the site is “no castle or cathedral but, thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photo-shoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage.” Many tourists posing at the site may not know that the original crossing, where the photograph was taken, was moved several meters for traffic-management reasons more than 30 years ago. [BBC via Spinner]
Men Broke Into 50 Cent’s Mansion for the ‘Thrill’
The two men who were arrested for breaking into 50 Cent’s Connecticut mansion did it for the “thrill” and because they wanted to “hang out” at the MC’s house, the sister of Alexander Hernandez, one of the arrested men, said. The pair were arrested early Tuesday morning and held on a $50,000 bond; both had pot in their possession at the time. [TMZ and MTV News]
Gwyneth Paltrow Got Addiction Advice From Robert Downey Jr.
In order to portray a fallen country singer ravaged by substance abuse in Country Strong, Gwyneth Paltrow reached out to a friend who’s been there, or close enough: Robert Downey Jr. “I understood addiction, I used to be very addicted to cigarettes,” Paltrow said. “But I couldn’t understand in terms of wrecking other people’s lives in your wake and just being so altered and so drunk or on pills that you embarrass yourself and you wreck people’s lives and you cheat on people. [Downey] wrote me this amazing e-mail. I was like, ‘OK, I get it now.’ ” [MTV News]
Thrill Jockey Offers Subscription for Matt Friedberger’s Eight 2011 Solo Albums
The Fiery Furnaces and leader Matt Friedberger plan to release a total of 10 albums next year, and Thrill Jockey Records will be making things easier for fans by offering a subscription: $70 will get you all six albums in Friedberger’s Solos series, along with two additional albums featuring him and special guests. The offer is limited to 700 sets. [Consequence of Sound]
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