QUICK TAKES

Ne-Yo awarded money

Rancho High School graduate Ne-Yo was awarded $700,000 from a concert promoter by a Superior Court judge as part of a lawsuit filed earlier this year. The R&B singer-songwriter was dropped from R. Kelly's tour last year after two shows. Kelly was not a party to the lawsuit, as Ne-Yo -- whose real name is Shaffer Smith -- instead sued the tour's promoter, Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment Inc. Rowe never answered the lawsuit, and last week Ne-Yo and his touring company were awarded $700,320.

Usher likes the ladies

Usher may be a family man, but he says he's still got it and he's ready to flaunt it. During a recent interview with The Associated Press, the singer said he would announce details of his "One Night Stand" tour, which will be for women only. Dates are still being worked out for 15 "intimate" venues.

Paul to be honored

They couldn't have done it without him. And now, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will pay tribute to the "father of the electric guitar" this fall, when Les Paul is honored by the annual American Music Masters series, Rock Hall officials said. A tribute concert is scheduled Nov. 15 at Cleveland's State Theater. Paul, 93, is hoping to attend. Frustrated that audiences were unable to hear him, Paul built a solid-body electric guitar in 1941, and in 1952, Gibson introduced the Les Paul model, which became the guitar of choice for musicians such as Duane Allman, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

Phillips charged

Mackenzie Phillips, who was fired from "One Day at a Time" in 1982 for drug-related reasons, has been charged with felony possession of drugs after she allegedly was found carrying narcotics at Los Angeles International Airport. According to District Attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison, Phillips has been charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, heroin and cocaine. She is out on $20,000 bail.

Feel the love

"I was kind of afraid of Obama the first time I saw him. I thought, I've been burned by guys like you before. I've been burned by politicians before that I wanted to believe in and just didn't live up to it. And I was afraid to trust him and I was afraid to have hope when I first kind of became aware of him. It was around the time that he gave his speech on race that I just said 'I can't deny how I feel about you, Barack Obama. I want you to be the president. I want you in the White House.' " -- Anne Hathaway, on the presidential candidate.

Compiled from wire reports by Melissa Sullivan