Matisyahu

Sean Paul led Billboard’s reggae albums chart for a second consecutive year, while the top artist in the genre was newcomer Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jew who enjoyed mainstream popularity with his strident tune “King Without a Crown.”

Paul’s “The Trinity” may have been released in September 2005, but it sold well into 2006 thanks to the single “Temperature,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in April. He was No. 2 on the reggae artists recap for the year.

New Yorker Matisyahu’s album “Live at Stubb’s,” which spawned the rock-radio hit “King Without a Crown,” was No. 2 on the year-end tally; “Youth,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 pop albums chart in March, was No. 3 for the year.

The Marley family rounded out the top-five: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was No,. 4 with his Grammy-winning “Welcome to Jamrock,” while Bob Marley and the Wailers were No. 5 with “Africa Unite: The Singles Collection.” The elder Marley, who died 25 years ago, logged two other albums in the top-15: “Gold” (with the Wailers) at No. 6 and “20 Best of Bob Marley” at No. 15.

Willie Nelson and
Sinead O’Connor also had an impact on reggae in 2005, as their respective albums “Countryman” and “Throw Down Your Arms” finished at No. 10 and No. 11.

I`ll be back

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be on crutches for his Jan. 5 inauguration after undergoing surgery to repair a broken leg on Tuesday at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif.

The former actor and bodybuilder needed screws and cables to secure his thigh bone after fracturing his femur in a skiing accident, according to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Ehrhart.

“Following the surgery, the governor was awake, alert and talking in the recovery room,” said Ehrhart, who also repaired former president Ronald Reagan’s broken hip in 2001.

The 59-year-old faces about eight weeks of recovery and will be getting around on crutches, the doctor said.

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, was elected as governor for a second time in the U.S. mid-term election on Nov. 7. Schwarzenegger does not expect to postpone his second inauguration as governor, scheduled for Jan. 5, according to spokeswoman Julie Soderlund.

He broke the leg while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho, on the weekend.

The Sun Valley resort has a black diamond trail called “Arnold’s Run” in honour of Schwarzenegger.

It is Schwarzenegger’s third trip to hospital in the past year. In January 2006, the governor needed 15 stitches to repair a cut lip after colliding with a car while riding his motorcycle in Los Angeles.

He also spent several hours in hospital last December with a rapid heartbeat while he had stomach flu.

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is expected to have to tackle the issue of health care in his coming term, as millions of Californians are without basic health coverage.