The lawyers for Britney Spears in her child custody battle have asked a court to relieve them from the case. Sorrel Trope of the law firm Trope and Trope has represented Britney since September 2007. A representative for the law firm told People.com, "There has been a breakdown in communications between (Spears) and Trope and Trope, making further representation of her interests impossible." The court will rule on the matter on February 4.
In related news, Britney showed up for a court-ordered deposition at ex-husband Kevin Federline's attorney's office on January 3. She reportedly arrived 90 minutes late to answer questions under oath about her relationship with sons Preston and Jayden. Spears failed to appear at a previous deposition. The drama continued the evening of January 3, when she refused to hand over the children to Federline's bodyguards after a supervised visitation. Police were called to intervene and allegedly found her "under the influence of an unknown substance." Britney finally relinquished the children before being taken by ambulance to Cedars- Sinai Medical Center, where she underwent a 72-hour mental evaluation.
The Foo Fighters will take part in the second annual "My Grammy Moment," which gives an unsigned artist the chance to perform with the band on the upcoming live Grammy Awards. A video contest on YouTube will narrow the field to 20 finalists. The winner will be determined by online votes by the public. Last year, "My Grammy Moment" winner Robyn Troupe performed with Justin Timberlake on the 49th annual Grammy Awards.
Legendary classic rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd will headline the "Simple Man" cruise, which departs Miami on January 10. Joining them are the Marshall Tucker Band, Cowboy Mouth, Grayson Hill, the Georgia Satellites, Blackberry Smoke and Kneckdown. After stops in Key West and Calica, the cruise will return to Miami on January 14.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
New albums scheduled for release on January 8 include: Holly Cole's self-titled collection, "Some People Have Real Problems" by Sia, the Broadway Cast Recording to "Xanadu," "Good Thing Going" by Rhonda Vincent, "Angels of Destruction" by Marah and "Ill Nino" by Enigma.
TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION
Country star George Strait will begin his 2008 concerts on January 10 in Austin, Texas. He'll be supporting his latest album It Just Comes Natural, which includes the current Top 10 Country hit, "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls." 21 shows are scheduled through March 29. Newcomer Sarah Johns and Little Big Town will open the concerts.