Porter Wagoner Dies at Age Eighty, Keith Richards Joins Hospital Protest, Pete Wentz

October 29, 2007, 01:30 PM

• Country icon Porter Wagoner, who helped launch the career of Dolly Parton, died Sunday at the age of eighty. Wagoner was hospitalized earlier this month due to complications from lung cancer. In May, Wagoner celebrated his 50th year in the Grand Ole Opry and earlier this year he signed with ANTI- Records — home to the likes of Tom Waits and Neko Case — and released Wagonmaster to rave reviews. The legend known for his eye-catching Nudie suits had also opened for the White Stripes over the summer at Madison Square Garden.

• Over the weekend, Keith Richards (decked out in a skull scarf) joined a protest against potential cuts at St. Richard’s Hospital, located near the Rolling Stone’s West Sussex home in England.

• The Museum at Bethel Woods a.k.a. the Woodstock Museum will open next year despite the federal government withdrawing $1 million for the site, which will commemorate the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

• Heroes star Hayden Panettiere is rumored to portray the Plasmatics‘ Wendy O. Williams in an upcoming biopic that will reportedly begin filming next year and be released in 2009. Williams, famous for her no-holds barred stage antics involving chainsaws, sledgehammers and simulated sex acts, committed suicide in 1998.

• Pete Wentz says he doesn’t want to play a heartthrob, but he’ll portray himself in an upcoming episode of TBS’ Lovebites, a series of two-minute episodes that air during commercial breaks Mondays and Tuesdays at 11:15 PM. Fall Out Boy, currently on a nation-wide headlining tour, are set to release a deluxe edition of this year’s Infinity on High November 20th, featuring five bonus and live tracks.