Gladys Knight, Gavin DeGraw among 'Dancing' cast

[February 29, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Urkel, the Empress of Soul and one of the Green Bay Packers are waltzing onto "Dancing with the Stars."

             Jaleel "Urkel" White

"Family Matters" actor Jaleel White, singer Gladys Knight and National Football League player Donald Driver will be among the 12 celebrity contestants on the next season of the ABC dancing competition. Other famous faces participating in the 14th edition include "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd, singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw, "Little House on the Prairie" actress Melissa Gilbert and Disney Channel star Roshon Fegan.

The new cast, which also includes tennis player Martina Navratilova, "Melrose Place" actor Jack Wagner, telenovela star William Levy, operatic singer Katherine Jenkins and "Extra" co-host Maria Menounos, was announced Tuesday on "Good Morning America." The contestants will dance their first routines with their professional partners March 19 and March 26, and the first couple will be eliminated March 27.

Last season, actor J.R. Martinez and professional partner Karina Smirnoff took home the mirrorball trophy with reality TV star Rob Kardashian and partner Cheryl Burke coming in second place in front of former talk show host Ricki Lake and partner Derek Hough. Other previous champions include "Dirty Dancing" actress Jennifer Grey, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and gymnast Shawn Johnson.

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ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.

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Online:

http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars/

[Associated Press; By DERRIK J. LANG]

AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/derrikjlang.

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