The film musical Dreamgirls will open in theaters nationwide on December 25. The movie stars Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy and is loosely based on the legendary Motown group the Supremes. Dreamgirls recently received five Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Picture. In addition, Beyonce Knowles is a contender for Best Actress, Jennifer Hudson picked up a Best Supporting Actress nod and Eddie Murphy is nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson's performance at the recent Kennedy Center Honors tribute concert has been pulled from the December 26 telecast. After flubbing the words to Dolly Parton's "9 To 5" during the original December 3 show, Jessica taped a repeat performance, but decided she doesn't like that effort either.

Dick Clark

Dick Clark, 76, will return as co-host of ABC-TV's New Year's Rockin' Eve special. He began hosting the show in 1972 and has missed only one year. Clark wasn't able to help ring in 2005 due to a stroke he suffered in December 2004 and was replaced by talk show host Regis Philbin. Clark returned last year as co-host with American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, who will join him again this year. This year's musical guest is Christina Aguilera. The network's New Year's Eve prime time special will feature performances by Rascal Flatts, Natasha Bedingfield, Fergie (of the Black Eyed Peas), Meat Loaf, and the cast of Broadway's Jersey Boys.

MTV will also be in Times Square ringing in the New Year. The cable music channel's lineup of performers includes Gwen Stefani, Ciara, the Pussycat Dolls, Chamillionaire and Nas, among others.

Tim McGraw

CMT's first video of 2007 will be the clip to Country superstar Tim McGraw's new single "Last Dollar." It will air January 1 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time. "The Last Dollar" is the first single from McGraw's next album, which is due out in early 2007.

The Recording Academy of Arts & Sciences has announced the recipients of its 2007 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards. They are Joan Baez, Booker T. & the MGs, Maria Callas, Ornette Coleman, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Bob Wills. Also being recognized at the 49th annual Grammy Awards on February 11 are Stax Records co-founder Estelle Axton, composer Stephen Sondheim and New Orleans recording studio owner Cosimo Matassa, who will all be given Trustees Awards.

Speaking of the Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy has teamed with CBS and Yahoo! to find an unsigned artist. Contestants are being asked to post a one-minute video of performances from their choice of nine Grammy-winning songs on www.cbs.com. Twelve semifinalists will be chosen, then three finalists will be picked by online fan votes. The winner will perform with Justin Timberlake during the live CBS Grammy Awards telecast.

Carly Simon

Columbia Records will release Carly Simon's new album, Into White, on January 2. The collection features Simon's new versions of pop standards and traditional lullabies, including "Over the Rainbow," "All I Have To Do Is Dream," and "Hush Little Baby." Her son and daughter, Sally and Ben Taylor, join her on a remake of ex-husband James Taylor's "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon." Carly also recorded two original songs for the album.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES

New albums scheduled for release on December 26 include: From Nothin' To Somethin'" by Fabolous, the original motion picture soundtrack to It's A Boy Girl Thing, Now and Then by Steven Curtis Chapman, The Best of N.W.A by N.W.A., Oh! Gravity by Switchfoot and 21 by Omarion.

New albums scheduled for release on January 2 include: Into White by Carly Simon.