Quick Takes: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch

Friends and admirers of Marvin Hamlisch, including former President Bill Clinton and Liza Minnelli, gathered in New York on Tuesday to bid farewell to the celebrated songwriter hailed as “the people’s composer.”

Clinton called Hamlisch, whose casket was covered in his favorite yellow freesias, a “great, giving genius.” Howard Stringer, chairman ofSony Corp., called him “the merriest of minstrels.”

Hamlisch died Aug. 6 in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 68.

Other guests included ex-Yankees Manager Joe Torre, Kelli O’Hara, Ann-Margret, Raul Esparza, Robert Klein, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Leslie Uggams, Richard Gere, Tony Danza, Kathie Lee Gifford and Diane Sawyer and her husband, Mike Nichols, the film and stage director. Idina Menzel sang “At the Ballet.”

His funeral was held at Congregation Emanu-El, a prominent Manhattan synagogue where legendary songwriter George Gershwin’s funeral was held in 1937.

Meanwhile, Pasadena Symphony and Pops has scheduled a free concert on the steps of Pasadena’s City Hall on Sept. 22 to celebrate the life and music of its former principal pops conductor.

—Associated Press

Woodward on economic crisis

The U.S. economy is about to get the Bob Woodward treatment.

The next book by the award-winning investigative reporter and bestselling author will document how President Obama and congressional leaders responded to the economic crisis and where we stand now.

Publisher Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday that the book will be called “The Price of Politics” and will come out Sept. 11.

—Associated Press

Preserving the Pickford legacy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Mary Pickford Foundation on Tuesday announced a multiyear partnership to promote the legacy of the silent screen superstar Mary Pickford and the silent era.

The partnership includes an annual film screening, preservation initiatives for silent films and the digitization of portions of the academy’s Pickford collection.

Pickford, who died in 1979 at the age of 87, was one of the legends of the silent era. Among her memorable films were 1917’s “The Poor Little Rich Girl” and 1926’s “Sparrows.” She won the lead actress Oscar for 1929’s “Coquette,” for which she cut off her trademark curly locks.

—Susan King

Evelyn Lozada files for divorce

Evelyn Lozada is ending her 41-day-old marriage to Chad Johnson after the football star was arrested for allegedly head-butting her over the weekend.

A rep for the VH1 reality star confirmed reports that Lozada filed for divorce on Tuesday.

The marriage imploded on Saturday after an argument between the two ended with Lozada being treated at a hospital for lacerations to her head.

Johnson’s July 4 wedding to Lozada — whom he courted publicly on the VH1 series “Basketball Wives” — was taped for a spinoff show called “Ev & Ocho.” It was due to debut Sept. 3, but VH1 shelved it after his arrest.

—Associated Press

George Jones tours a last time

Country singer George Jones says he’s calling it quits as far as touring goes after a 2013 string of farewell performances he’s dubbed “The Grand Tour.”

“It is tough to stop doing what I love,” the 80-year-old singer said in a statement issued Tuesday, “but the time has come.”

The farewell run of shows is slated to visit about 60 cities. The itinerary hasn’t been finalized.

Jones has been touring for close to 60 years since first appearing on the national sales charts with his hit “Why Baby Why” in 1955.

He is planning to record a new studio album and Dolly Parton is writing songs for the project.

—Randy Lewis

Goodreads is oft-bookmarked

Goodreads, a social networking website for book lovers, has reached a milestone: 10 million registered users.

When Goodreads launched in January 2007, it was the new kid on the block. Another social reading site, LibraryThing, was performing a similar service, allowing people to catalog their libraries online and share ideas around books. Good-

reads, however, expanded the social elements of its site to include book clubs and live chats, and has grown into the leader in the online social reading space.

It took the site 41/2 years to reach 5 million users; in the last 15 months, it doubled its membership — which is free.

—Carolyn Kellogg

‘Dog’ denied visa to U.K.

Duane “Dog” Chapman has his bags packed for London, but a murder conviction from the late 1970s is keeping him out of the United Kingdom.

The reality TV star from the show “Dog the Bounty Hunter” was to appear on another reality show, “Celebrity Big Brother,” but he has been denied a visa.

Chapman said he was 23 in Pampa, Texas, in 1976 when he was in a car outside a house where a friend had gone inside to buy marijuana. The friend got into an argument with the dealer and shot him.

“In Texas in the ‘70s, if you were present, you were just as guilty,” Chapman said. He and the others in the group were all found guilty of murder. Chapman was sentenced to five years in prison and was paroled after 18 months.

—Associated Press

Indicted after ‘Knight’ arrest

An Ohio man arrested with a loaded gun, ammunition and knives at a showing of the latest Batman movie has been indicted on three weapons counts.

A Cleveland grand jury returned the indictment this week against 37-year-old Scott A. Smith.

Smith’s attorney said his client had the weapons for protection in case someone tried to copy the Colorado theater shooting that left 12 dead.

Smith was arrested at an Aug. 4 showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

—Associated Press