● Banjo-playing, bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs died in Nashville yesterday at the age of 88. The influence his hard-driving, three-finger banjo pick had on his own Woodstock generation and those that followed (looking at you, Mumford and Sons) can not be overstated. [Billboard]

● In the heat of this boy band moment, 98-Degrees is rumored to be reuniting for the first time in ten years for a summer reunion tour. [RumorFix]

● Damien Hirst left this drawing of a shark -- "just a quick sketch" to later be auctioned off for $7,400 -- with one lucky chauffeur as a tip. Generous! [AnimalNY]

● Mad Men writers cribbed that "rambunctiously racist" opening water-bomb scene straight from an A1 New York Times story from May 28, 1966. [NYT]

● Charlie Kaufman, of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich fame, has signed his first book deal with Grand Central Publishing. [Deadline]

● Not hot to discuss her late night dalliances, Rihanna brushed off questions about about a certain Mr. Kutcher at a London press conference for Battleship, calling the inquiries "disappointing." "I am happy and single if that's what you are really asking," she allowed instead. [MissInfo]

● Carson Daly apologized yesterday after making a confusing and homophobic joke about how a theoretical flight full of gay men headed to a flower convention would not have been able to stop Clayton Osbon, the crazed JetBlue captain. "I’m saddened that my comments, however unintentional, offended anyone, specifically members of the LGBT community,” he said in a statement. [NYDN]