Alicia Keys to perform next Bond theme?

Alicia Keys: The next Bond chanteuse?American R&B singer Alicia Keys is "the top contender to sing the title song for the next James Bond flick, 'Quantum of Solace,'" according to E! Online's Marc Malkin.

Malkin credits an unnamed source as saying, "I believe Alicia is the winner." He said representatives for Keys and the Bond camp wouldn't confirm that comment.

A couple months ago, British soul singer Amy Winehouse appeared to be the front-runner for the job, but work on her proposed theme song ground to a halt after she had a falling out with her producer.

I'm not a huge fan of Keys, but she does have an awesome voice. I'm sure she'd do a great job. And, she doesn't seem to have all the baggage Winehouse does. To paraphrase political columnist Roger Simon's classic quip about Bill Clinton, Winehouse doesn't just have baggage. She's a walking Samsonite factory.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)