March 11-19 – During the week culminating with the (official) arrival of spring, musicians were everywhere, in places both expected and surprising. Falling in the latter category, we ran into Latin superstar Thalia at, of all places, a vision care trade show in NYC. If you guessed that Thalia has launched a line of eyeglasses, you’d be correct. Desperate Housewives’ Nicolette Sheridan was also there promoting some brand of eyewear.

Musicians were the bill of fare at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and the Waldorf in New York was swimming with too many to list - that was the real Stevie Nicks, not one of the legions of female impersonators who love her. Joining the rock museum’s roster of officially noted greats were U2, Percy Sledge, The O’Jays, Buddy Guy and The Pretenders.

Fresh from Paris where he proposed to Penny Lancaster, Rod Stewart hit the Big Apple, where he mingled with the Hall of Famers, and the next evening sang at the 2005 Wall Street benefit. No, he wasn’t raising money for investment bankers; the concert series benefits Wall Street Rising, a non-profit community group.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs entertained a star-studded crowd at the Rock the Runway fashion show, a benefit kicking off Los Angeles Fashion Week.

More than music was celebrated at the 36th annual NAACP Image Awards – everyone from Barack Obama to Oprah Winfrey was in the house – but the melodically gifted were well represented with folks like Kanye West and Jamie Foxx. Is it getting serious between Usher and Eisha Brightwell, the beauty he’s been squiring everywhere lately? She’s definitely met his mother - mom and Eisha were the R&B heartthrob’s dates at the NAACP gala.