‘AMERICAN Idol” Taylor Hicks is suing a Tennessee music producer to halt the online sale of songs the gray-haired soul singer recorded five years ago.

Hicks’ suit charges that producer William Smith had begun selling three of his songs on Apple’s iTunes Web site – without permission.

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* Microsoft has launched an investigation into how a private -and extremely funny-tape Ricky Gervais (right) made three years ago for management trainees has popped up on the Internet. Gervais was paid “a six-figure sum” to make the tape, on the condition that it remain private.