NAMES & FACES

Boy George's Sentence

Former Culture Club frontman Boy George -- known legally as George O'Dowd -- was sentenced yesterday in London to 15 months in jail, Reuters reports.

O'Dowd was found guilty last month of falsely imprisoning a Norwegian male escort, Audun Carlsen, who had accused O'Dowd of handcuffing and beating him with a chain in April 2007 -- allegedly because O'Dowd was angry that Carlsen had refused to sleep with him when they first met.

After the incident in April, O'Dowd told police that he had suspected Carlsen of stealing pictures from his computer after a cocaine-fueled photo shoot in January 2007 and had invited the escort back to his home.

O'Dowd has struggled with drug problems, and in 2006 was sentenced to do community service in New York after admitting to falsely reporting a burglary. Police responding to his call found 13 bags of cocaine in his apartment.

O'Dowd's lawyers said the singer probably would have to spend no more than six or seven months behind bars but declined to say whether he was planning an appeal.

Inaugural Update

Three days out, and inaugural event organizers are still juggling talent, tickets and ever-changing agendas. The latest:

· Beyoncé will provide the soundtrack for Barack and Michelle Obama's official first dance on inauguration night. The singer told the Associated Press that the song will be "At Last," made popular first by Glenn Miller and then by Etta James.

· The official Commander-in-Chief Ball for the military at the National Building Museum will be broadcast live on the Pentagon Channel to military bases overseas, AP reports. Jon Bon Jovi will headline, comedian George Lopez will emcee and Jordin Sparks, Miss America Kirsten Haglund and the group Right On will perform. (But sorry -- tickets aren't on sale. They were free to invited guests only.)

· Tomorrow's "Route 44 to the White House" gospel brunch at the Four Seasons (Grammy-winning Chicago gospel singer Albertina Walker had been set to perform) has been canceled, organizers announced yesterday. Ticket sales fell short of the hotel's required minimum guest count, a rep said in an e-mail.