ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

POP/ROCK

Jackson’s Son’s Ailment: Tenor Luciano Pavarotti told thousands of concert-goers at his Kosovo relief show in Italy on Tuesday to pray for the 2-year-old son of singer Michael Jackson because he “may be dying.” He was explaining the absence of Jackson, who was to have performed “We Are the World” as the concert’s finale. Meanwhile, John Morrish, a senior Sony records executive, said Tuesday that Jackson’s son, Prince, “suffered a serious seizure early Saturday due to a high temperature. . . . This is the third such seizure over the last year.” Prince was born in February 1997 to Debbie Rowe, whom Jackson married in 1996.

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Beatles and Bangles: The reunited ‘80s pop group the Bangles, in their first public performance together in 10 years, will join the Hollywood Bowl’s June 25 summer season opener--which features a program of Beatles music, with the Hollywood Bowl orchestra conducted by Beatles producer Sir George Martin. Also added to the program is British violinist Pip Clarke and an all-star rock group featuring vocalist-guitarist Trevor Rabin (Yes), bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco, vocalist-drummer Stewart Copeland (the Police) and guitarist Eric Johnson.

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Guitar Crazy: Bidders vying for some of Eric Clapton’s guitars at a Christie’s New York auction later this month may find themselves competing against . . . Eric Clapton. Noting that he hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to part with 100 of his instruments, Clapton said Tuesday that he will be “bidding in secret” for one unspecified guitar he’s realized he just can’t let go. Clapton hopes the June 24 auction will raise close to $1 million for a drug treatment center he founded in Antigua.

RADIO

Mystery Explained? The case of the (briefly) missing talk show host, Art Bell, may have finally been explained. In October, the popular overnight radio host--whose Nevada-based show delves into conspiracy theories and the paranormal--suddenly left the air, citing “a threatening, terrible event” endangering his family. He returned two weeks later with no explanation. Last week, part of the puzzle was solved when Bell sued two former guests for slander, charging them with spreading claims that he was a child molester and pornographer. His syndicator said the stress of dealing with the smear campaign had taxed Bell, but hinted that there was more still to be revealed. Then on Friday, Art Bell IV--the radio host’s 18-year-old son--filed a federal lawsuit against a Nevada school district and a former substitute teacher who is serving a life sentence on sex and drug counts, one of which involved a 1997 sexual assault on the younger Bell. The former teacher, Brian Lepley, was subsequently found to be carrying the AIDS virus. Though the senior Bell has declined to comment, his lawyer said that the combined effects of the smear campaign against Bell and his son’s ordeal have been “devastating” for the talk show host, who is heard nightly by more than 6 million listeners, including on KABC-AM (790) locally.

TV & MOVIES

Online Viewing: Warner Bros. Online is bringing short films to the Web, starting with a batch of award-winning student films from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, which can be viewed at https://www.warnerbros.com through the month of June. The films--including 1999 Sundance Film Festival and Student Academy Award winners--are also being screened in programs tonight and Thursday at the Directors Guild in Hollywood.

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‘Hercules’ Replacement: Syndicator Studios USA has announced its replacement for “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” which has eight new episodes scheduled for the fall, culminating with the series finale airing in mid-November. The replacement fare, termed “Back 2 Back Action,” will consist of two half-hour series, “Jack of All Trades” and “Cleopatra 2525.” A January 2000 debut is slated for the new shows. Though “Hercules” is one of TV’s top-rated syndicated series, star Kevin Sorbo opted to leave the program to star in a new series--slated for fall 2000--based on works by the late “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry.