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Briefly: James Brown, Scott Weiland, Paula Abdul, Mindy McCready

Funk/soul-legend James Brown 's hometown of August, GA, will mark the singer's recent 72nd birthday by unveiling a bronze statue of the singer on Friday (5/6).

Designed by Augusta physician and sculptor Dr. John Savage, the statue--which is approximately seven feet tall and weighs about 600 pounds--depicts the singer "wearing his trademark cape and holding a microphone," according to a press release.

The statue will stand on Broad Street, opposite of Augusta Common.

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Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland is scheduled to tape a solo performance for the May 19 episode of NBC's "Last Call with Carson Daly."

Weiland plans to sing a song that he recently wrote and produced, according to a press release; joining him during the performance will be Daniel Lanois on pedal steel guitar.

Slated for May 9 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, the taping takes place during a day off from Velvet Revolver's current "Electric Wonderland Show" tour.

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Singer and current "American Idol" co-host Paula Abdul on Friday (5/6) issued a statement in response to ABC's Thursday (5/4) airing of a "Primetime" expose in which former "Idol" contestant Corey Clark claimed he had a sexual affair with Abdul.

"All my life, I have been taught to take the high road, and never to dignify salacious or false accusations," Abdul said in the statement. "And I have been taught never, never to lie. Not only do I never lie, I never respond to lies, no matter how vicious, no matter how hurtful.

"I do trust my fans who can see through attempts at character assassination, and I do trust the essential fairness of the American public."

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Country singer Mindy McCready was arrested in the Nashville area early Friday (5/6) and charged with drunk driving, according to published reports.

McCready--who also was charged with driving on a suspended license and failure to take a breathalyzer test--is already on three years supervised probation stemming from a 2004 guilty plea on charges of fraudulently obtaining the prescription painkiller OxyContin.