Taking Names: Beyonce performs at U.N. for World Humanitarian Day

Albert Freeman Jr., star of ‘Malcolm X,’ dies at 78

Albert Freeman Jr., the veteran actor who played Elijah Muhammad in Spike Lee’s epic film, “Malcolm X,” has died. He was 78.

Howard University in the District confirmed his death Friday night but details weren’t immediately available. Mr. Freeman taught acting there for years and served as chairman and artistic director of its theater arts department.

“He was a brilliant professor, a renowned actor and a master director who made his mark in the classroom as well as on stage, screen and television. He has mentored and taught scores of outstanding actors. He was a resounding voice of Howard and will be missed,” university spokeswoman Kerry-Ann Hamilton said in a statement.

Mr. Freeman earned an NAACP Image Award for playing Malcolm X’s mentor in Mr. Lee’s 1992 biography.

He also received an Emmy nomination for his role as Malcolm X in the 1979 miniseries “Roots: The Next Generations.” He won a best-actor Daytime Emmy that year for his work as Capt. Ed Hall on the soap opera “One Life to Live.”

Guns N’ Roses to play series of Las Vegas shows

What does Guns N’ Roses have in common with Celine Dion, Garth Brooks and Elton John? Not much, other than stratospheric record sales — and soon a Las Vegas residency.

Axl Rose and company will perform 12 shows from Halloween to Nov. 24 at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

The band’s first Vegas run, announced Monday, is billed as Appetite for Democracy — a riff on its classic 1987 debut album “Appetite for Destruction” and 2008’s long-delayed “Chinese Democracy.”

Guns N’ Roses has sold more than 100 million albums around the world. In April, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with three original Guns members — Slash, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler — hitting the stage to perform some of their biggest hits. Myles Kennedy, lead vocalist for Slash’s solo project and the Creed-spinoff band Alter Bridge, filled in for Mr. Rose, who boycotted the ceremony. Mr. Rose and Slash haven’t performed together in nearly two decades.

Mr. Rose is the only original member in the current Guns lineup, which also includes keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who’s been in the band since 1990; guitarists Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Richard Fortus and DJ Ashba; longtime Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson; Chris Pitman on keyboards; and drummer Frank Ferrer.

Tickets for the band’s Vegas run range from $45 to $111 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

• Complied from Web and wire reports