Alan Peppard

Why did Jessica Simpson just go up a few notches in every guy's fantasy book? In the new People magazine she says that some of the songs on her new country album, Do You Know, are about "guys that people don't even know that I've been in love with. I've had secret lovers. I can keep some things quiet."

As for Tony Romo, she tells the mag, "I just told him today, 'You're the love of my life.' I don't really ever say that to anybody."

As the chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Consolidated Restaurants, John Harkey recently got a report with two names that most of us would never expect to see in the same sentence: Paul McCartney and Branson, Mo. John gets daily reports from the far-flung locations of his El Chico, Cantina Laredo, Old Spaghetti Warehouse, Good Eats and other restaurant concepts.

"Paul McCartney came in for dinner at our Cantina Laredo in Branson," says John. "We've got the nicest restaurant in Branson."

Of course, who are you gonna brag to about that?

The word is that Sir Paul was in town to visit Louise Harrison, sister of the late George Harrison and founder of the Beatles tribute band Liverpool Legends who perform at Branson's Starlite Theater. There is talk of Louise starting a Beatles museum in the Missouri resort town.

Which brings us to today's rock trivia item. Louise Harrison immigrated to the United States with her husband, a mining engineer, before the Beatles became famous here. When the band made its first trip to America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, it was the second trip for the youngest member, George. He had come to the States five months earlier with his brother, Peter, to visit their sister, "Lou," in Benton, Ill.

A rock star in England but unknown in America, George sat in with a band at the VFW hall in Eldorado, Ill.

George's 18-day visit to Illinois mining country in 1963 is explored in a documentary called "A Beatle in Benton."

John Harkey took over his aforementioned restaurant empire last year when his Consolidated Restaurant Operations partners, John Cracken and Dallas restaurant fixture Gene Street, sold most of their shares to him.

He's been growing the company internationally.

A decade ago, CRO acquired El Chico and Cantina Laredo, both founded by Dallas' Cuellar family, for around $65 million.

Cantina Laredo now has a foothold in the Middle East.

"We just had member of the royal family come into our Cantina Laredo in Abu Dhabi with a party of 55," says John.

His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak and his guests munched on guacamole, chicken fajitas and chocolate cake.