$5,000 goody bags go to stars at music awards

LOS ANGELES -- There's a nifty post-holiday gift basket awaiting Garth, Reba, Britney, Cher and other participants in next month's American Music Awards.

The $5,000 worth of goodies include an electric scooter that goes up to 14 mph, a digital camera/camcorder, a CD player, a video game system containing 76,000 games, Reebok athletic shoes, Fossil watches, an environmental waterfall and an American flag blanket.

The American Music Awards duffel bags, as they are called, were assembled by Steve Stein of Hollywood Connection. The Jan. 9 show at the Shrine Auditorium will be broadcast by ABC-TV.

"Once again, I think Steve has put together the finest assemblage of gifts that we have ever been able to give to the hosts, performers and presenters of our annual show. I just hope there's one left over," executive producer Dick Clark said Friday.

Voight makes great Cosell in film, critics say

NEW YORK -- Critics have raved about Jon Voight's portrayal of Howard Cosell in the Muhammad Ali biopic "Ali," and the role has earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

But Voight won't say whether he thinks he nailed his impersonation of the oft-impersonated sportscaster.

"Everybody will have their own opinion," he told reporters. "I think I paid proper respects to the man and the relationship to Ali, and I've done a lot of research on this guy. I have lot of respect for Howard Cosell. He was a remarkable fellow. 'Tell it like it is' was not just a little slogan. It was what he lived."

Voight said his transformation took about seven hours of makeup and prosthetics.

Texas street closes for music video by Nelson

AUSTIN -- Willie Nelson, on horseback, stopped traffic in Texas' capital city on Friday.

One of the city's main roads, Congress Avenue, was closed partially for most of the day to allow the country singer to film a video for a song he recorded with Lee Ann Womack.

Dozens of people with cameras lined the sidewalks to watch the 68-year-old Texan shoot a scene in which he rides a horse through a traffic jam.

With his trademark long hair, unbraided, blowing in the wind, he waved to cheering fans between takes.

-- From wire reports