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Rita Wilson: Breast cancer battle inspired music

Actor and recently minted songwriter Rita Wilson knew exactly what topic she would tackle if she could write her own songs.

Rita Wilson's self-titled LP, due Friday, features a tune called "Grateful."
Rita Wilson's self-titled LP, due Friday, features a tune called "Grateful."Read moreJordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Rita Wilson is grateful

Actor and recently minted songwriter Rita Wilson knew exactly what topic she would tackle if she could write her own songs.

"It has to do with being grateful," Wilson once told singer-songwriter (and former American Idol judge) Kara DioGuardi, whom she befriended after learning they had both played Roxie Hart in the Broadway revival of Chicago.

"I was in awe of her talent," Wilson, 59, tells USA Today. She says DioGuardi encouraged her to write. The result is Wilson's self-titled LP, due Friday, featuring a tune called "Grateful." Wilson says she's grateful she overcame a battle with breast cancer last year. And for the support she got from Tom Hanks, whom she wed in 1988: "We actually managed to laugh a lot."

Wilson will be at World Cafe Live on April 30.

Wachowskis in transition

Once known as the Wachowski Brothers, the visionary creators of the Matrix Trilogy and Sense8 stopped using that moniker in 2008 when elder sibling Larry completed gender reassignment to become Lana.

Her sibling, once known as Andy, says she has transitioned to Lilly.

"So, yeah, I'm transgender," Lilly, 48, writes on the website of the Chicago LGBT news outlet Windy City Times. "And, yeah, I've transitioned."

Lilly says she wanted to wait before going public but felt pressured when British tabloid the Daily Mail began preparing a salacious story outting her.

A Daily Mail rep tells USA Today the news outlet "categorically denies that it in any way tried to coerce Lilly Wachowski into revealing her gender transition."

Sony to drop Dr. Luke

Recording giant Sony has decided to cut ties with mega-producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) following Kesha's rape allegations, says news outlet the Wrap. Dr. Luke's contract doesn't expire for year.

Unnamed Sony Source tells the Wrap, "The fact that this hasn't already been taken care of is confusing, especially for people in the building."

Guess Sony was too busy with its own scandals.

Dr. Luke reps tell TMZ the reports are untrue. Sony has yet to comment.

Gossip petits fours

Actor and former Access Hollywood TV correspondent Maria Menounos, 37, became engaged to bf of 19 years Keven Undergaro Wednesday when he asked her to marry him on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show. . . . Embattled reality star Josh Duggar will check out of rehab any day now, Anonymous Source tells People. The former 19 Kids & Counting star has been in a faith-based facility in Illinois for seven months.

tirdad@phillynews.com

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