Rock guitarist Leslie West's lower leg amputated (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rock guitarist Leslie West, who rose to fame in the '70s power trio Mountain, has had his lower right leg amputated in a life-saving operation related to his diabetes, his wife said on Monday.

West, 65, underwent the emergency surgery after being admitted to a hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Saturday when his leg started to swell and his foot went septic.

"The doctors tried for two days to save it to no avail. The decision to amputate was one that was necessary to save his life as the infection was spreading throughout his body," his wife, Jenni West, said in an email.

"The nursing staff and doctors have taken excellent care of him and should be called angels for their efforts and tenderness they showed us in this time of crisis."

West is expected to recover but faces extensive rehabilitation, a spokesman said.

Mountain is probably best known for its debut 1970 single "Mississippi Queen," a staple of classic rock radio. West has long struggled with his weight and type 2 diabetes. He named one of his solo albums "The Great Fatsby."

His next album, "The Unusual Suspects," featuring such guitarists as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Slash of Guns N' Roses and Joe Bonamassa, does not yet have a release date.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman)

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50 Cent writes anti-bullying book for teens (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rapper 50 Cent, who rose to fame with songs that told of drug use and violence, is aiming to steer teenagers away from schoolyard bullying with a book called "Playground" that will reach stores in January, his publisher said on Monday.

The story 50 Cent will pen is about a 13 year-old bully who learns to mend his ways after witnessing the harm he caused, according to Penguin Young Readers Group.

It is partly based on 50 Cent's own life. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, grew up in the New York City neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens, in an area that had heavy crime during his youth.

"I had a strong desire to write 'Playground' because I wanted to explore how a kid becomes a bully," 50 Cent, who has a teenage son, said in a statement.

"I drew on events from my own childhood and adolescence, but was excited to see the story take on its own life," the rapper said.

50 Cent began winning fans in the late 1990s with songs like "Thug Love" and "How to Rob," but after an attempt on his life, his record company dropped him. He staged a comeback in the early 2000s with his album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," and since then he has recorded albums and performed in movies.

He published a 2005 autobiography called "From Pieces to Weight" and followed that in 2009 with a life strategy book "The 50th Law," co-written with Robert Greene.

Even though the rapper, who has sold over 22 million albums worldwide, hopes to discourage teens from bullying, he has engaged in his share of public feuds over the years.

In 2009, he traded barbs with rapper Rick Ross, taunting him in lyrics and on video for formerly working as a corrections officer. Before that, 50 Cent traded insults with rappers The Game and Cam'ron, among others.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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