
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 7, 1994                   TAG: 9405070043
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PEOPLE

Michael English, winner of four Dove awards last week at the Gospel Music Association gathering - including artist of the year and top male singer - has been dumped by his record label after a published report Thursday that he bedded another married gospel singer.

The Nashville paper, the Tennessean, didn't identify the woman. The label, Warner Alliance, gave no reason for dropping English but released a statement by him saying he would no longer perform Christian music "because of mistakes I have recently made. I ask for your forgiveness. I am a human being and I have failed."

English has been a spokesman for Mercy Ministries, which helps pregnant teens.

Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford, ravaged by split rumors, took out a full-page ad in Friday's London Times to deny that their three-year marriage is shaky.

"We are heterosexual and monogamous and take our commitment to each other very seriously," the $30,000 "personal statement" read.

"Reports of a divorce are totally false. Marriage is hard enough without all this negative speculation. Thoughts and words are very powerful so please be responsible, truthful and kind." They also asked for more privacy.

Springfield (Ore.) High School's most famous graduate isn't everyone's role model.

A campus talk Thursday by Ken Kesey, author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Sometimes a Great Notion" angered some because it was sprinkled with profanities and seemed to endorse marijuana use.

"We're not likely to invite him back," said Ron Schiessl, the principal.

A few students walked out, but others defended the 1953 graduate and the decision to have him speak.

"He told students to listen to their hearts, follow their dreams and not be dissuaded by the voices of conformity," said drama teacher Jonathan Siegle.

The novelist said his comments about marijuana came in response to a question about musician Kurt Cobain's recent suicide.

"I told them there are bad drugs and good drugs," he said. "I told them 430,000 people died of cigarette smoke [last year] and asked them how many people died of marijuana smoke. The answer was none."

Forget the bachelor's and master's degrees. Steven Spielberg went straight for the doctorate.

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker, who dropped out of California State University, Long Beach, to follow his muse, received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from the University of Southern California on Friday.

"I guess this means that after 25 years I'm finally out of college," said Spielberg, who donned a cap and gown for the ceremony.

by CNB