Sideshow: Neil Diamond's Hall of Fame wait is over

Well, isn't it just about time?

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday that it would add Neil Diamond to its Pantheon of Platter. Diamond, who made his first album way back when music was recorded on these big vinyl discs called records, is part of a veteran group of inductees that includes the Alice Cooper Band, New Orleans musician Dr. John, singer Darlene Love, and singer-songwriter Tom Waits.

The Cleveland-based Hall also announced it would honor piano man Leon Russell with a new Award for Musical Excellence, previously called the Sideman category.

Diamond, who had been eligible for the hall for a few years, was philosophical about the wait: "I thought about it occasionally, but I kind of figured they'd get around to me at some point," he told the Associated Press.

Among those eligible but, um, dissed were Bon Jovi, a first-time nom; LL Cool J; the J. Geils Band; the Beastie Boys; and Donna Summer.

The induction ceremony will be held in March in New York.

Country pop princess

Taylor Swift

, from nearby Wyomissing, is returning to the region in a big, big way. On Aug. 6, Swift will perform at Lincoln Financial Field, one of seven stadium shows in her 87-date "Speak Now" tour. Alas, tickets won't be issued in time for the holidays. (So much for a Swift-tix stocking stuffer.)

A spokesman for the Philadelphia Eagles, who operate the Linc, said the billets won't go on sale until Jan. 21, and will be available through PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Ticketmaster.com or at 1-800-745-3000.

- Sam Wood

Susan Boyle

's

The Gift

is again atop Billboard's Top 200 albums, with 243,000 sold and 1.43 million so far.

T.I.

's

No Mercy

debuted strong at No. 4, with 159K. And the soundtrack for

Tron: Legacy

by

Daft Punk

snuck in at 10 with 34K. The rest of the top 10: (2)

Speak Now

, by

Taylor Swift

, 201K; (3)

Glee, the Music: The Christmas Album

, 193K; (5)

O Holy Night

, by

Jackie Evancho

, 149K; (6)

Pink Friday

, by

Nicki Minaj

, 82K; (7)

Illuminations

, by

Josh Groban

, 75K; (8)

Glee, the Music: Season Two: Volume 4

, 74K; (9)

Loud

, by

Rihanna

, 71K. Top downloaded single:

Still

Katy Perry's "Firework," with 201K downloads last week.

Actress

Tyne Daly

returns to Broadway this spring, taking on the role of opera legend Maria Callas for a second time in a new production of the

Terrence McNally

play

Master Class

, the Associated Press reports.

Daly, 64, played Callas in a run at the Kennedy Center in Washington last spring. In the play, the tempestuous, talented soprano reminisces on the triumphs and tragedies of her life. Stephen Wadsworth will return to direct. Previews are to begin May 24 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on 47th Street. Opening night is set for June 21.

TV viewers remember her from the series Cagney & Lacey and Judging Amy.

- Michael Schaffer

George Clinton

, the cracked genius behind Parliament-Funkadelic, has left the Mother Ship long enough to sue the

Black Eyed Peas

, saying that

Fergie

,

will.i.am

, and

apl.de.ap

illegally sampled a tune of his when making remixes of their tune "Shut Up." The Clinton tune in question is "(Not Just) Knee Deep," a glorious, 15-minute, 21-second funkstravaganza on Funkadelic's 1979 album

Uncle Jam Wants You

. "Shut Up" first appeared on BEP's 2003 album

Elephunk

; remixes also appeared that year. Another remix surfaced on the deluxe edish of the 2009 smash BEP album

The E.N.D.

Clinton is suing the Peas for copyright infringement damages and is asking a judge to block further sales of the remixes.

Heidi Jones

, sometime weatherwoman for ABC's

Good Morning America

, and a full-time forecaster for New York affiliate WABC, was suspended Tuesday, after police arrested her Monday on charges she lied about being sexually assaulted. Jones, 37, was charged with two counts of filing a false police report. Conviction could bring a year in jail or a $1,000 fine. Last month, Jones told police she was assaulted by a Latino man while jogging in Central Park on Sept. 24. Her attorney,

Paul Callahan

, calls the charges against her "unproven."

There

is

reason to live, after all. The ever-ebullient, hyperpneumatic

Pamela Anderson

, a smokin' 43, appears on the cover of the January 2011 ish of Playboy. This is a record-setter, yo! The 13th time one single woman has posed for

Hugh Heffner

's mag! Pam first covered Playboy in, wow, 1989. She last did so in 2007. She's doing an undressy nine-page spread inside in which she channels

Anita Ekberg

's role in the classic

Federico Fellini

flick

La Dolce Vita

.

People says, correctly, that

Sandra Bullock

was 2010's Most Intriguing Person. . . .

Eva Longoria Parker

flew to Texas to meet wayward hubby

Tony Parker

, the second time she's done so. They were seen being all nicey at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q north of San Antone.

Unnamed Source

says the Parkers, currently peri-divorce, may patch it up. . . . Actor/director

Jon Favreau

tweets that he has, in effect, left Marvel and gone to Disney: "It's true, I'm directing Magic Kingdom, not Iron Man 3. I've had a great run with Marvel and wish them the best." Can

Iron Man

keep the mojo without Jon? . . . The divorce of

Liz Hurley

and textile heir

Arun Nayar

is said to be amicable and no-$$. This counters rumors he wanted to get paid. . . . Gossiphound

Perez Hilton

says

Unnamed Source

says

Kate Gosselin

's children

Alexis

and

Collin

were expelled from that local, special school because they assaulted an adult twice and needed massive help. . . . Tax-allergic

Survivor

winner

Richard Hatch

actually showed up in a Rhode Island court on charges of failing to file tax returns. The hearing resumes in January.