Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Aaron Carter reports he's had "so much great feedback" on his "Follow You to Heaven" song in honor of his late friend Michael Jackson — "and I haven't even finished the record yet."

The pop singer started work on "Follow You to Heaven" as his way of dealing with Jackson's death in June, and posted his early recording sessions online. Now, he wants to turn the song into a bigger memorial.

"I'm just waiting to hear back from some friends, and, you know, get some other people on the record with me," he tells us. "It's for Michael, most importantly. That's what the record was for, out of respect for him. I would love to get Beyonce on it, my brother and the Boys on it — anybody who'd be interested on this record," he adds, referring to elder sibling Nick and the Backstreet Boys.

The 21-year-old former phenom is currently spending around five hours a day training for his forthcoming stint on "Dancing With the Stars" with his partner, Karina Smirnoff. The hit ABC show, premiering Sept. 21, could give his career a needed jolt. He admits he ends each day exhausted, but when asked if it's all-consuming, he says, "You'd think it would be, but I've been able to work on my album, on my music. It's been really great. It's been so busy, but I love to be busy."

He has a jacket Michael Jackson gave to him "around for luck. He gave it to me, you know, just as a friend and someone who appreciated what I did in the music industry and vice versa. I'm very lucky to have it and it will remain in my family."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: "Glee" star Mark Salling plays the bad boy jock Puck in the frosh Fox hit series — but stay tuned. He tells us even though his character has been giving members of the glee club a hard time, he'll be busting out his singing chops this season, too.

"I eventually will have my opportunity to perform. My character has aspirations of stardom just like everyone else in the glee club. He will get his chance to shine, absolutely," reveals Salling, who is also a singer/songwriter outside of filming. "That's my first love, to be honest, but I've been enjoying acting. This show is a perfect blend of the two so I couldn't be luckier."

One thing he didn't expect was the amount of time it takes to perfect the song and dance numbers on the show. "We've kind of been in a bubble the last seven or eight months doing the work," says Salling. "We'll have to rehearse sometimes really early in the morning.

We'll have recording sessions and then memorizing the lines. It's definitely a heavier workload than the average TV show," he adds. "I feel like we're really paying our dues, but luckily, it's a lot of fun."

He adds, "I didn't expect it to get so popular so fast. We appreciate the hardcore fans who have been there even from just one episode. To tell you the truth, though, I think the episodes just get better and better."

RIDING HIGH: Australian country-pop star on the rise Shea Fisher knows how to take the bull by the horns — literally and professionally speaking. The daughter of eight-time Australian bull-riding champ Eddie Fisher and top barrel racer Joanne Fisher, Shea did her own rodeo riding before turning full attention to the singing career that's already won her four No. 1 hits Down Under. "I did barrel racing, breakaway racing, junior bull riding for a while. I didn't know girls could do it, and my dad said, 'Yeah, girls can do it.' He taught me everything. I'd have my hair and makeup done before an event and the boys would be like, 'Who does she think she is?'" recalls Fisher with a laugh. The answer soon became evident, as she became the first girl to ever make the national finals in professional junior bull riding in Australia when she was 16.

But now she's putting her all into performing. "I love what I do," says the down-to-earth 21-year-old beauty. "I get the same adrenaline rush onstage as bull riding." And it's much safer!

Already noticed hereabouts for her "Don't Chase Me" song that came out this summer via Nashville-based Stroudavarious Records, she has a second single on the way and will be doing the promo tour number in support of that record this fall. She's thrilled to be getting play on country radio and TV, but still hopes to widen her fan demographic. "I've definitely crossed over to mainstream" back home, says Fisher, who now divides her time between continents. "For me, when I'm creating music, I'm not thinking it's for a certain genre," she adds. "I just create what's natural for me. Music is about being relevant to people, not about what genre fits."

ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT: Tamala Jones may have found a home with ABC's "Castle," which is currently in its second season, but the actress tells us she doesn't allow herself to get too comfortable. "A lot of people get to a certain level and then they get lazy," says Jones, who plays medical examiner Lanie Parish. "People ask me when I go to auditions, 'Why are you here auditioning? You have so many credits.' I actually like auditioning. It keeps your skills sharp and it keeps you humble."

With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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