Elton John to join songwriters pantheon

NEW YORK – Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, will be honored at this year's Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. John and Taupin, who teamed on most of the singer's best-known hits, will receive the Johnny Mercer Award during the June 13 ceremony in New York.

The award goes to previous inductees — John and Taupin were inducted in 1992 — whose body of work upholds the standards set by Mercer, a co-founder of Capitol Records.

John and Taupin have teamed on some of rock 'n' roll's most well-known songs, including "Rocket Man," "Crocodile Rock," "Daniel" and "Candle in the Wind."

Goldie Hawn's large shadow

Actress-producer Kate Hudson says the pressure of stepping out of the shadow of her movie star mom, Goldie Hawn, was discouraging and daunting. She advised girls to believe in their own talent and take risks as they choose a career path. "Take a chance on your own talent and your ambition because if you don't do that, there's no one else who will," she said. Hudson spoke at the ANNpower Leadership Forum, a weeklong program that unites teens from across the country with women leaders in business, entertainment and nonprofit groups. The "Almost Famous" star and Ann Taylor spokeswoman is a member of the advisory council that mentors the teen girls and recommends grants for community projects they create in their neighborhoods, from a healthy eating program to a clothing collection drive.

Jury selection in Jackson lawsuit: Jury selection began Tuesday in Los Angeles in a lawsuit that Michael Jackson's mother has filed against the promoter of his planned comeback concerts. The case centers on Katherine Jackson's allegations that concert giant AEG Live did not properly investigate the physician who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after the singer's death in 2009. AEG has denied wrongdoing. Jackson's family is seeking $40 billion.

Sea change chef on 'best' list: Jamie Malone, chef of Sea Change at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, has been named one of the nation's "Best New Chefs" by Food & Wine magazine. Every year, the magazine selects 10 chefs who have been in charge of a kitchen for less than five years. Malone is the fifth Minnesota chef to make the cut since the magazine began the 25-year-old feature, including Stewart Woodman of Heidi's (2006), Seth Bixby Daugherty of Cosmos (2005), Tim McKee of La Belle Vie (1997) and Tim Anderson of Iven's on the Bay in Brainerd (1991).