TORONTO - The man Johnny Depp helped release from Arkansas' death row has become like a brother to him, right down to getting matching tattoos.
"This one Damien designed," Depp said Saturday, pointing to a tattoo on his chest before the premiere of the documentary, "West of Memphis," about Damien Echols and his two co-defendants. "It's one of my all-time favorites, and it means quite a lot to me."
Echols, Jessie Misskelley, and Jason Baldwin spent 18 years in prison for the 1993 murders of three 8-year old boys in West Memphis. All three were released after agreeing to an Alford plea that allowed them to maintain their innocence while pleading guilty.
The three were the subjects of the "Paradise Lost" documentaries, which captured Depp's interest in the case. Depp, along with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, musician Henry Rollins, and filmmaker Peter Jackson, who produced "West of Memphis," helped pay the legal fees to free the three men. Echols said Depp's support wasn't limited to his time in prison. "He's been with us every single step of the way. Since we've gotten out, he's become like a brother to me."
McGuire Sisters' Dorothy dies Dorothy McGuire Williamson, who teamed with sisters Christine and Phyllis for a string of hits in the 50s and 60s as the McGuire Sisters, died Friday in Paradise Valley, Ariz. She was 84. She had Parkinson's disease and age-related dementia. The McGuire Sisters earned six gold records for such hits as 1954's "Sincerely" and 1957's "Sugartime." The sisters were known for their harmonies and identical outfits and hairdos. They got their big break on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts show in 1952 where they continued to perform for seven years.
The group made numerous appearances on TV and toured into the late 1960s, making a last performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1968. The sisters last performed together in the mid-2000s, and are featured on a 2004 PBS show called "Magic Moments -- Best of 50s Pop." Christine and Phyllis, 86 and 81, live in Las Vegas.
