Alan Peppard

To paraphrase Evelyn Waugh, rock star Don Henley is attached to an invisible line long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world with the Eagles, but it brings him back to his East Texas hometown with a twitch upon the thread.

What's pulling him back to Linden now is the Cass County Courthouse Restoration Project.

On Oct. 25, Don will headline a unique and intimate concert to raise money for the courthouse.

Only 438 tickets will be sold to his show at Linden's Music City Texas venue. The price: $1,000 a ticket.

The funds are needed to supplement a $4.4 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission.

Ticket holders can attend a post-concert reception with Mr. Henley. Tickets are available at www.tix.com and www.cassconservancy.org.

Three days before George Michael was arrested (again) in a public toilet (again), things were a bit happier.

The pop star and his Dallas- based partner, Kenny Goss, are enthusiastic collectors of art by Damien Hirst. Kenny made a staggering purchase at last week's Hirst auction at Sotheby's in London.

Accompanied by his sister-in- law, Joyce Goss, executive director of Dallas' Goss Michael Foundation, Kenny paid 313,250 pounds (about $580,000) for the work The Immaculate Heart.

When the auctioneer said, "Sold," Kenny said quietly, "Very cool."

On Friday, Dallas think tank the National Center for Policy Analysis is bringing in Tommy Franks, the retired general who led the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Gen. Franks is the keynote speaker at the NCPA's 25th anniversary gala at the Fairmont Hotel.

National radio personality Mike Gallagher will emcee the evening. Guests will include NCPA founder and president John Goodman; former Delaware Gov. Pete du Pont with his wife, Elise; philanthropist Nancy Dedman; local GOP stalwart Fred Meyer and his wife, Barbara; and 7-Eleven founding family member Jere Thompson and his wife, Peggy.

There has been a Drew Bledsoe sighting. In the '90s, he led the New England Patriots out of the dumps and signed a $103 million deal with the Pats. Then he was replaced by up-and-comer Tom Brady.

Bill Parcells later brought him to the Cowboys, where he was replaced by up-and-comer Tony Romo.

Last year, he hung up his cleats and these days, Drew tends his Flying B Vineyard near Walla Walla, Wash., and owns a coffee-roasting company.

Last week, he turned up at Kirby's steakhouse in Southlake for dinner with three friends. The same night, Rangers first baseman Hank Blalock was also dining at Kirby's.