New url for Peach Buzz
Bookmark this new url for Peach Buzz.. We have moved to Wordpress!
Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > January
January 2008
Fans should feel at home in new Fado
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As workers sawed, painted and hammered around him, Fado Irish Pub CEO Kieran McGill greeted us with a handshake and a hard hat Wednesday as he introduced us to his new location.
As regulars will no doubt recall, the 12-year-old Buckhead business had to close last year as the ambitious Streets of Buckhead project pushed the pub out of its old Peachtree Road address in Buckhead Village. The old location is currently a 50-foot hole as developer Ben Carter’s high-end shopping, dining, boutique hotel and nightspot vision slowly rises into reality.
But around the corner, thanks to a structure built in Ireland and installed here by the Irish Pub Company (the builders of the original site), Fado has a new home on Buckhead Avenue, adjacent to the Atlanta Fulton County Library.
“We’re very gratified to reincarnate Fado in a location very near to the original pub,” McGill told Buzz. “Last year, Ben Carter told me, ‘We want you to stay. You’re going to serve as an anchor in this neighborhood.’ “
And judging from what we toured Wednesday, Fado’s faithful should feel amazingly at home in the new space. McGill and crew brought over the old Slattery & Sons store front, the barrel racks, the windows, wooden cabinets and even the Guinness signage from the original Fado to incorporate into the new 2 1/2-level pub. The main differences: the new Fado is a bit roomier and there’s a bit more head room, thanks to elevated ceilings.
But perhaps the best added feature at the new location?
A rooftop patio for 75 patrons, complete with a polished granite bar, decorative planter boxes and one killer view of the massive Buckhead retail renovation currently under way.
McGill says the pub’s menu faves like corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips and famous boxtys are staying put as are those popular early AM televised soccer and rugby matches that are heavily attended by British ex pats and their American friends.
Alas, the inconvenient hour of the game telecasts here (the matches are played in the PM across the pond) is something McGill says won’t change either,
Quipped McGill: “The vagaries of time travel forces us to show them at that hour here.”
If city permits are issued in a timely fashion, the new Fado should be open in time for St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
A note of caution to the sometimes glacially-paced permits folks at Atlanta City Hall: We personally wouldn’t do anything to tick off Guinness-guzzling, devout Irish “football” and rugby fans …
TUCKER DROPS BY
Decatur native and “Rush Hour” star Chris Tucker made a surprise appearance Tuesday night at Morehouse College to help promote an upcoming PBS special “African American Lives 2,” a sequel to the surprisingly successful original (both co-funded by Coca-Cola).
In each special, mostly prominent blacks find out through DNA what percentage of themselves is African. Tucker, who is buds with show creator and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., took part in the first one, along with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg. Gates, who also dug up family history stories for each person, offered a sneak preview of the special before an audience of 500-plus with Kiss 104.1 syndicated talk-show host Tom Joyner. Others who took part in the second special included Chris Rock, Morgan Freeman, Tina Turner and Don Cheadle. The special airs in two parts on Georgia Public Broadcasting Feb. 6 and 13.
ON MY IPOD & TIVO
Amanda Diva, rapper, poet, TV and radio personality: “On the iPod, there’s Lupe Fiasco’s ‘The Cool.’ I love jazz, and I saw a great Wynton Marsalis program that made me want to download this album he and his father did of all of the ‘Peanuts’ songs, ‘Joe Cool’s Blues’. Freeway, [Beanie Sigel] and [DJ] Drama’s ‘Gangsta Grillz.’ And [her own EP] ‘Life Experience.’ … You know what’s funny? Before you make your own music you can’t imagine listening to your own music — until you have it. Then it’s like, ‘This is exactly what I wanted to hear today.’ You need to be able to listen to your music like it’s not even yours, you know?
“I went on a Nina Simone kick recently too. But I think the very last song I downloaded was Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘In the Stone.’
“And what do I TiVo? ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ ‘The Office.’ ‘30 Rock.’ ‘Project Runway.’ And ‘Best Week Ever,’ of course [which she contributes to]. “
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Carol Channing is 87. Actress Jessica Walter (“Arrested Development”) is 67. Singer Harry Wayne Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band is 57. Singer Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols is 52. Actor Anthony LaPaglia (“Without a Trace”) is 49. Actress Minnie Driver is 38. Actress Portia de Rossi (“Arrested Development,” “Ally McBeal”) is 35. Actress Kerry Washington (“Ray”) is 31. Singer Justin Timberlake is 27.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I don’t ever want to serve another drink. That’s why this was so important to me.”
Inaugural “American Idol” winner and retired cocktail waitress Kelly Clarkson on Q100’s “Bert Show” Wednesday, discussing why she’s worked with a business adviser to ensure her lifelong financial security. Clarkson added that she chides cheapskate friends who don’t tip servers adequately.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Controversy over cutting of ‘Boondocks’ episodes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sooner or later, any satirist who wins a Peabody Award for re-animating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and having him denounce “Soul Plane” runs the risk of upsetting corporate America.
That’s one theory being floated this week as “The Boondocks” creator Aaron McGruder informs faithful viewers of his edgy, irreverent Adult Swim series that Cartoon Network has unexpectedly shortened the ‘toon’s second season from a planned 15-episode run to 13.
Fifteen episodes were in fact produced but two, titled “The Huey Freeman Hunger Strike” and “The Ruckus Reality Show” aren’t currently scheduled to air, allegedly due to controversial material targeting Black Entertainment Television executives.
On his Myspace.com page, McGruder has posted the following message to fans: “Okay, so … maybe it’s a 13-episode season.” More cryptically, links to YouTube clips said to contain content from the episodes posted on McGruder’s Myspace page have been mysteriously taken down (when users click on the links to the clips to view them, a “We’re sorry, this video is no longer available” message pops up instead).
Cartoon Network public relations senior vice president James Anderson confirmed to us Tuesday that the two episodes in question “will not be airing on Adult Swim.” Anderson graciously declined further comment on the issue.
Since it’s practically impossible for a YouTube video clip to suddenly vaporize on the Internet (Buzz has been trying unsuccessfully to get footage of our third-grade spelling bee yanked for weeks …), we’re surmising that lawyers may have been introduced into the dust-up.
Conspiracy-minded, blogging “Boondocks” fans online are now busy posting endless theories and wondering whether the two episodes will be included in the show’s second season DVD set, tentatively due out later this year.
At deadline Tuesday, it remained unclear whether or not the content would eventually become available at retail or online.
One thing’s certain: controversy has never exactly been bad for business regarding McGruder’s work or for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim brand.
And this time, a large chunk of Boston didn’t have to be shut down …
TOUCHING DOWN ON ‘RACHAEL RAY’
Sure, this season has been the stuff of nightmares (not to mention hangovers) for the Atlanta Falcons and their fans.
But hey, at least Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington got to meet Rachael Ray.
Harrington, along with New York Giants legend Ottis Anderson and New York Jets offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, turns up on Friday’s episode of the Food Network fixture’s syndicated daily talk show, “Rachael Ray” (seen locally on WXIA at 3 p.m.). The trio and Ray demonstrate Super Bowl party recipes. The cookoff judge: Mario Batali.
We’re told that Harrington dazzled Ray by whipping up his recipes for homemade baby back ribs and a corn potato mash-up. Viewers will have to tune in to see if Harrington wins the competition.
OVERSCENE
“Bones” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” actor David Boreanaz hanging at Thrive nightclub and restaurant downtown. … Country singers Billy Ray Cyrus and Joe Nichols performing separate lunchtime concerts sponsored by Kicks 101.5 FM at Trilogy restaurant in east Cobb County. On Tuesday, Nichols, the singer behind “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” downed a few gallons of java and performed an hourlong set for fans. Later, he treated himself to a BLT salad, a sloppy jose (jalapeno cornbread topped with braised, shredded skirt steak), skillet beans and some chili lime tilapia.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Gene Hackman is 78. Actress Vanessa Redgrave is 71. Singer Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship is 66. Musician Phil Collins is 57. Actor Charles S. Dutton (“Roc”) is 57. Comedian Brett Butler (“Grace Under Fire”) is 50. Actor Christian Bale is 34. Singer Josh Kelley is 28. Actor Wilmer Valderrama (“That ’70s Show”) is 28.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I probably would have gone back to college and taught acting or taught dramatic literature in some way. I could have lived in Atlanta and worked in the great theaters there. That would have made me feel really happy. That’s what my goal was: to find a city that had good regional theater, move there and be part of a company and have a family.”
“Juno” actress and Georgia Shakespeare Festival alum
Jennifer Garner (above) in the U.K.’s Independent newspaper.
SICK BAY
Wallace recovering from surgery
Mike Wallace is recovering from triple heart bypass surgery he had last week, reports CBS News. Wallace, who will turn 90 this spring, already is walking. Doctors are calling the operation “a great success,” the network said. The veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent recently interviewed Roger Clemens about allegations of steroid use.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
R.E.M.’s next album back to rock roots
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to advance reports, longtime R.E.M. fans should be pleased when the Athens-birthed band’s new album “Accelerate” drops on April 1.
According to Billboard writer Jonathan Cohen, who’s heard an advance copy of the disc (Surely, Buzz’s copy is in the mail …), listeners can anticipate a return to the band’s rockier roots on the upcoming 11-track, approximately 35-minute set.
Reports Cohen on billboard.com: “Opener ‘Living Well’s the Best Revenge’ sets the tone, with a prominent lead guitar figure from Peter Buck, thumping, melodic bass lines and backing vocals from Mike Mills and a rapid stream of lyrics from frontman Michael Stipe. The track almost seems like a musical cousin to ‘Just a Touch’ from 1986’s ‘Life’s Rich Pageant.’ “
The album’s uptempo first single, “Supernatural Superserious,” is due to hit radio next month, and the band was in New York last week to shoot a video for the track (we’re assuming this is for posting on youtube.com and remhq.com, the band’s official Web site, since the act, like most bands, would get more exposure on the virtually video-free MTV these days by doing a guest shot on “The Hills”…).
The band also has posted a snippet of the single for fans to check out on its Web site.
On remhq.com, band manager Bertis Downs posted this message to fans from New York City: “While here we made a video in the Lower East Side, filmed by Vincent Moon of Arcade Fire (among many other artists) fame. Vincent’s working style is spontaneous and fun-loving, so going from storefront to storefront on Rivington Street was certainly a unique and memorable experience. And of course, in the age of YouTube, we already have ‘rushes’ on the Web.”
The band also has announced a tour in support of “Accelerate” that’s set to commence in Vancouver on May 23 and end locally at HiFi Buys Amphitheatre on June 21. On sale dates weren’t immediately known at deadline Monday.
EX-BRAVE RAMIREZ NOW AN EX-BACHELOR
Before reporting for spring training as a Seattle Mariner next month, former Atlanta Braves pitcher Horacio Ramirez tied the knot with Veronica Palacios in Atlanta over the weekend. The Mableton couple were married at Morningside Baptist Church in Atlanta, exiting the nuptials to a mariachi band. The couple, family and friends then headed to the Twelve hotel to celebrate. EventScapes rep Sharon Kraun told Buzz on Monday that the entire soiree was assembled in less than a month. The Atlanta-based special events firm handled the flowers and decorations. EventScapes owner J Wilbur Smith said via e-mail: “The couple wanted to include a nod to their cultural heritage with an elegant, but effervescent feel, to the nuptial decorations.”
The wedding guests partied at Atlantic Station’s Twelve hotel’s ballroom, complete with a salsa band and buffet stations offering everything from steak to sushi. A portion of the ballroom also was transformed into a cozy lounge with sofas, throws and coffee tables.
Following dinner, a DJ spun dance music and guests later enjoyed another full spread of ballpark food and s’mores served up on the back patio fire pits. We’re told the couple is now in the Caribbean on their honeymoon.
ON MY TIVO AND IPOD
Patti LaBelle, veteran R&B singer whose new Good Life line of foods includes hot sauces and relishes:
“I like ‘Forensic Files’ and the Discovery Channel, watching the animals and mobster movies and gangster movies,” said LaBelle who headlines the Hands On Atlanta benefit concert Thursday at Philips Arena downtown. “There’s a dark side to Miss Patti. I like dark days and rain and snow. I don’t like sun, and I don’t like water. I don’t even listen to music in my free time. I’m a very strange person. When I’m home with free time, like today, I just flip channels and think about what I’m going to cook.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor John Forsythe is 90. Actress Katharine Ross is 68. Actor Tom Selleck is 63. Singer Bettye LaVette is 62. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey (above) is 54. Director-actor Ed Burns is 40. Actress Heather Graham is 38. Actor Sharif Atkins (“ER”) is 33. Actress Sara Gilbert (“ER,” “Roseanne”) is 33. Actor Andrew Keegan (“Party of Five”) is 29. Guitarist Jonny Lang is 27.
OVERSCENE
NHL strike force
Players assembled here for the NHL All-Star game, including: Atlanta Thrashers Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk (right), along with Brian Campbell, Jarome Iginla, Dion Phaneuf, Rick Nash, Joe Thornton, Alex Ovechkin, Zdeno Chara, Thomas Kaberle, Scott Gomez, Mike Richards, Erik Johnson and Rick DiPietro bowling at Ten Pin Alley at Atlantic Station. CNNers T.J. Holmes and Betty Nguyen also were spotted. We’re told that Kovalchuk even treated family and friends to three lanes of VIP bowling.
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Celebrities come out for All-Star event
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s not always easy to spot a celebrity, even if you know one is in your midst. For example, Buzz swears we saw that dude from “Weeds” (Andy Milder) walking around Philips on Saturday night during the 2008 NHL All-Star weekend.
But it’s like anything else, when you stop looking, that’s when you walk within two feet of Matthew Modine (“Vision Quest,” “Full Metal Jacket,” and also — hmmm, “Weeds”) in the club lounge. Modine, looking all slick and Zamboni’d in dark suit and a goatee, had center-ice seats about 10 rows up. He was on a guest list that included The Hives, actress Alyssa Milano and Taylor Kitsch, the “Friday Night Lights” star who was a judge in Saturday night’s SuperSkills event. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the events.
THIRD PERIOD: A HUGE HIT
There’s nothing like the screech of adolescents at 10 a.m. Hockey was supposed to be the focus this weekend, but the loudest screams were for the Jonas Brothers at the Verizon Wireless/NHL Rockin Skate Saturday at Philips. And when the pop-rock trio actually got on stage for its closing eight-song set — wow!
Fans were beyond psyched. Peachtree City 14-year-olds Taylor Kemp, Katie Ginther and Jessica McCloskey displayed a homemade sign that read: “Hello Beautiful Hold On To Your S.O.S. When You Look Me In The Eyes” — a greeting made up of songs from the Disney stars’ latest self-titled CD.
The long-haired pin-up Kitsch co-hosted, along with Milano and Atlanta’s five-time Grammy winner Usher (whose nonprofit organization New Look benefited from the ticket sales).
But even the one-time teen fave himself seemed to realize that those in the half-full arena wanted to hear the Jonas Brothers. The mostly up-tempo show (“Year 3000,” “That’s Just The Way We Roll”) slowed only twice. The girls raised their cellphones and free glo sticks to “Hello Beautiful” and “When You Look Me In The Eyes.” The trio closed with the charging “S.O.S.” For a touching yet hilarious snapshot of innocent youth, check out the reader comments at ajc.com’s Music Scene blog. Here are some of our “faves.”
“When they showed them walking into the arena on the big screen, I screamed so loud and so strong I almost fainted! I almost fainted when they came out on stage! I love the Jonas Brothers!”
“THAT WAS THE MOST AMAZING CONCERT EVER!!! The goodnight and goodbye dance. Not to mention that Joe was staring at me the whole concert. He waved and smiled at me too. Not even kidding.”
“We saw their limo leave and … you could see through so we waved and Kevin waved back and Joe rolled down the window and said thanx for coming, hope you guyz enjoyed it!! We said we did … but we were so embarrassed when they rolled the window down cause their CD was playing in our car.”
SECOND PERIOD:TOP LINE
So, what’s Milano been up to since making those guest appearances on “My Name is Earl?” Designing high-fashion hockey gear for the gals, of course.
Milano (“Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” “Poison Ivy II” and “Who’s the Boss”) used the event to launch Touch, a new line of clothing for female hockey fans. The line is very body-conscious and includes tops, denim, dresses and outerwear priced from about $50 to $100. The merchandise will be available for purchase in early spring at www.shopnhl.com and selected boutiques throughout the U.S. and Canada. From what we’ve seen so far, Touch might land overzealous male fans in the penalty box.
FIRST PERIOD: OPENING FACE-OFF
Though Usher walked the red carpet at the Wyclef Jean concert to kick off the weekend at the Tabernacle on Friday, he did not discuss his father’s death days earlier, his campaign appearance with Barack Obama on Tuesday or his New Look Foundation.
On stage, however, he warmly welcomed the near-capacity crowd and paused a few times for applause and adoration. “It’s all about the love in here tonight,” he remarked.
Actually, the Jean concert was about a lot of things. Before the talented musician wrapped up his set after midnight, he had addressed the country’s economic state (“I love America — we’re going in a recession right now”); poked fun at the president; flashed back to his days with the pioneering hip-hop trio the Fugees (playing “Fu-Gee-La” and “Ready Or Not”); and welcomed Atlanta rapper-producer Akon to the stage (with whom he performed Jean’s recent single “Sweetest Girl - Dollar Bill”). Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the NHL, Atlanta City Council member Kwanza Hall, Bert Weiss of Q100’s “The Bert Show”, Slim of 112, and Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone all attended.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Alan Alda is 72. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan is 40. Rap artist DJ Muggs with Cypress Hill is 40. Rapper Rakim is 40. Singer Joey Fatone of ‘N Sync is 31. Singer Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys is 28. Actor Elijah Wood (“The Lord of the Rings”) is 27.
OVERSCENE
An Eagle Fly-By
Reggie Brown at the Mellow Mushroom on Monroe Drive, where the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver (and former UGA star) was having a pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, roasted red pepper and pesto calzone with a shot of Crown Royal to wash it all down.
Contributing: Nedra Rhone, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Osmond call has Ga. Secty. of State screaming like a girl
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As other Republican candidates scoop up the survivors of the Fred Thompson campaign, it’s helpful to review the steps some presidential operations are willing to take in order to tap into a local figure’s network of political contacts.
Last May, Georgia’s Secretary of State Karen Handel had a leisurely, get-to-know-me session with a visiting Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
As the more weighty aspects of the conversation tailed off, the subject of Romney’s time in Salt Lake City as savior of the 2002 Winter Olympics arose.
Handel wondered out loud whether Romney knew Donny Osmond, who was rumored to live in Utah. He said, yes, he knew the family.
Politicians often wear their frailties on their sleeves.
For Handel, an otherwise intelligent and mature 45-year-old woman of serious accomplishment, it is a lifelong crush on a boy pop singer. She still suffers from puppy love.
She has “The Best of Donny Osmond” on her iPhone.
“It is a specific age group. It’s for those of us who are between 40 and 48,” Handel explained.
With Romney and Handel that particular day in May was Eric Tanenblatt, former chief of staff to Gov. Sonny Perdue and Romney’s man in Georgia. Tanenblatt can recognize an opportunity when he sees one.
The next month, Handel found a follow-up conference call with Romney on her calendar.
“The phone rings, and it was ‘Hi, Karen, this is Donny,’ ” Handel recounted.
“Donny who?”
“Donny Osmond.”
Handel confirmed widespread reports that teenage-style screaming echoed through the state Capitol. But she says the conversation itself was a blur.
And there were witnesses. After Handel and her idol hung up their phones, so did a half-dozen satisfied Romney operatives in Boston, who had been monitoring the call.
It is important to note that Handel, whose job it is to supervise state elections, hasn’t made an endorsement thus far in the 2008 presidential race.
“I’m really just not on fire about any one candidate at this point,” she said.
GOODBYE AND ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’
On Friday at 5:30 a.m., 99X ended its 15-plus years on Atlanta’s FM dial with Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” — a cliché for some, given the song’s regular use at high school graduations and in nostalgic TV farewell montages.
At 4:50 a.m., after playing the seminal alternative rock song of the ’90s, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” 99X’s overnight jock Doug Harding offered up a final nostalgic farewell, name-checking all the major players from the station over the years. That led into U2’s “One,” followed by a rather dark, cynical set of songs: R.E.M.’s “Radio Song,” Stone Temple Pilots’ “Dead and Bloated,” Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” Soundgarden’s “Fell on Black Days,” Pearl Jam’s “Black” and Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye.”
100.5 is expected to be Rock 100.5 starting Monday morning, though the exact rock music format is unclear. Buzz’s guess: a 96 Rock clone to complement a return of the Regular Guys.
An Internet-only version of 99X will live on with original 99X jock Axel Lowe and a gal named Jillian identified as the “air staff.”
Dave FM, in a shrewd marketing move, Friday offered up an on-air tribute to 99X, thanking its co-creator Leslie Fram for her work over the years, effectively telling exiled 99X fans that Dave is now the place for them to move.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Actor Paul Newman is 83. Actor David Strathairn is 59. Singer Lucinda Williams is 55. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is 53. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres is 50. Gospel singer Kirk Franklin is 38.
Sunday: Actor James Cromwell (“Babe”) is 68. Drummer Nick Mason of Pink Floyd is 63. Singer Nedra Talley of the Ronettes is 62. Dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov is 60. Actress Mimi Rogers is 52. Singer Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies is 47. Actress Bridget Fonda is 44. Actor Alan Cumming (“Spy Kids”) is 43. Country singer Tracy Lawrence is 40. Rapper Tricky is 40.
HIGH-FIVE
Music
The top albums purchased this week at Decatur CD:
1. Radiohead, “In Rainbows”
2. Drive-By Truckers, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”
3. Magnetic Fields, “Distortion”
4. Various Artists, “Juno” soundtrack
5. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, “100 Days, 100 Nights”
Courtesy: Decatur CD
SICK BAY
Film critic Roger Ebert, who has undergone a series of cancer surgeries, was recovering Friday after having yet another operation.
Ebert, 65, had successful surgery Thursday in Houston to address complications from previous operations, his lawyer said in a statement.
“Chaz and Roger Ebert are grateful to everyone for the continued prayers and concern,” lawyer Eliot Ephraim said Friday. “The surgery went well, and the Eberts look forward to giving you more good news about Roger’s recovery in the days to come.”
Ephraim did not give further details. Ebert has been a film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 40 years. He has undergone a series of operations, including the removal of a growth on his salivary gland and a tracheostomy.
Contributing: Jim Galloway, Rodney Ho and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Seacrest at Super Bowl not a stretch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ryan Seacrest being the red carpet host for the pre-Super Bowl show Feb. 3 is not surprising at all. What’s surprising is he was a starting football player at Dunwoody High School in the early 1990s.
“In junior high, I was short and stocky so I was an offensive guard,” he told the media during a news conference. “But by high school, I lost weight and gained speed, so I became a strong safety.” His team even played a team in Valdosta for a championship in 1992 — but lost.
We’d love to show you photos from Seacrest’s gridiron glory, but his mother, Connie, told Buzz she already had sent the incriminating shots to her son’s business office since Fox had requested them.
Connie said she always worried about her son getting hurt in high school and was relieved when he escaped unscathed. “I think he really gets a kick out of doing the Super Bowl,” she said. “He can talk the talk. He knows the lingo.”
Seacrest won’t say whether he’s favoring the Giants or the Patriots, but said his clearest childhood memory was rooting for the Chicago Bears wearing a William “Refrigerator” Perry jersey as an 11-year-old. Now that’s a photo we wish we had.
LOCALS ON BRAVO
The folks at Bravo are pretty tight-lipped about two new contestants appearing on Season 4 of the popular series “Top Chef,” but we know who they are: Atlanta chefs Richard Blais and Nimma Osman. The season, which doesn’t air until March 12, includes these two culinarians in a cook-off to the finish — though how both fare will have to remain a mystery since neither is able to comment until Bravo gives them the OK. Senior press manager for Bravo Communications, Victoria Brody, says the embargo for interviews will be lifted as the new season nears.
Blais, 35, became a force on the local dining scene back in 2004 when he created his infamous foie gras milkshake at his eponymous restaurant, Blais, which opened, then closed, in a half year’s span. It was long enough for devoted Atlanta foodies to take notice of his fresh take on molecular gastronomy, and stints at Bazarre, One Midtown Kitchen and most recently the lovely-but-short-lived Element in Midtown garnered Blais a devoted fan base. He’s described on the show’s Web site as a “culinary designer” — something he’s been doing at Elevation in Kennesaw by designing and consulting with the new restaurant’s menu, which includes his vanilla panna cotta with Coca-Cola rocks and Cracker Jacks.
Osman, 26, is less known — she worked as garde-manger for Repast in Midtown for “less than a year,” according to sous chef Mike Bacha (chef-owner Joe Truex was not available for comment). “She’s a young chef,” Bacha allowed. “We all wish her well.” According to Bravo’s Web site, Osman is from Peachtree City and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. But she is no longer working at Repast, though the information released by Bravo claims she does. Ian Winslade, the new chef at soon-to-open Spice Market in Midtown, confirmed Wednesday that Osman “has been extended an offer of employment,” though he would not confirm if it was in the kitchen, or working as part of the Jean-Georges Vongerichten concept’s front-of-the-house staff.
RESCHEDULED
The Barry Manilow concert at Philips Arena that was postponed because of our Southern Snowbia has a new date — March 29. When it could never snow. Tickets purchased for the original show last week will be honored on the new date. Visit www.livenation.com for more information.
Bon Jovi will be back for an encore performance at Philips Arena.
Already on the local concert schedule for April 30, the band announced late Tuesday it will return to the arena one night later for a second show.
It will be a busy stretch for New Jersey rockers at Philips, which on April 25 will host Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Tickets to Bon Jovi’s May 1 performance go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at all Ticketmaster outlets or online at ticketmaster.com.
WINEHOUSE IN REHAB
Amy Winehouse, beset by allegations of substance abuse, entered a rehabilitation facility Thursday to battle drug addiction.
The announcement came just days after the 24-year-old singer was pictured in a British tabloid inhaling fumes from a small pipe. “Amy decided to enter the facility today after talks with her record label, management, family and doctors,” Universal Music Group said in a statement.
Winehouse has been nominated for six Grammy Awards for her “Back to Black” album. The statement indicated she still planned to attend and perform at the Grammys on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Dean Jones is 77. Country singer Claude Gray is 76. Blues singer Etta James is 70. Actress Dinah Manoff (“Empty Nest”) is 50. Country drummer Mike Burch of River Road is 42. Actress Ana Ortiz (“Ugly Betty”) is 37. Singer Alicia Keys is 27.
Contributing: Meridith Ford, Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Atlanta actress ready for her close-up on ‘Y&R’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When fledgling Atlanta actress TaNeisha Bennett debuts Thursday on “The Young and the Restless” on WGCL at 12:30 p.m., her biggest fan will be tuned in.
Bennett’s grandmother, Ella Bennett, has been a faithful viewer of the CBS soap for more than three decades. Last fall, her granddaughter beat out hundreds of other local thespians during a soap screen test here and was flown to Hollywood this month to tape episodes airing today, Friday and Jan. 30.
“My grandmother is 84 and she doesn’t get excited about anything,” Bennett explained to Buzz, laughing. “I’ve graduated college and bought a house, but when I got cast on [‘Y&R’] she was over the moon!”
Natch, Grandma wanted a full report on her faves Jeanne Cooper and Jess Walton, who play Katherine Chancellor and Jill Foster Abbott, the soap’s legendary battling mother-and-daughter duo.
“Since I play Sally Rollins, a finalist in their Jabot ‘Star Faces’ competition, I got to work with both of them,” Bennett says. “I had to meet Jeanne Cooper. She’s got this wonderfully dry sense of humor and she’s very old-school Hollywood. She had everyone laughing right before shooting.”
Bennett says she was shocked when the soap’s casting reps asked her to extend her stay so she could shoot two additional days.
“I’m a flight attendant and so my schedule is always flexible,” Bennett told Buzz. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding? I think I can work something out!’ You work really fast but there’s a dialogue coach right there on set and everyone gets to keep their script with them until right before the scene shoots so you’re aware of your lines.”
Still, Bennett concedes that the on-screen drama takes some getting used to.
“I felt bad for Adrienne Frantz [who plays troublemaker Amber],” Bennett says. “She had to have this big emotional breakdown in one scene and then we all immediately went to lunch. You have to learn to switch gears quickly. But it was great to be a real actor for a week. It also reaffirmed for me that this is definitely what I want to do.”
ALL-STARS ADDED
The National Hockey League is taking even more advantage of having its All-Star weekend in Atlanta by adding yet another Atlanta act to its musical lineup.
Five-time Grammy nominee Ne-Yo will be a part of the halftime activities Sunday at the All-Star Game at Philips Arena. (Previously, the R&B singer-songwriter was just scheduled to perform at a private party the night before — which he will still do.)
Ne-Yo will join Atlanta’s Usher in the festivities, who, as previously announced, will host the Wyclef Jean concert Friday at the Tabernacle — benefiting the R&B superstar’s New Look foundation — as well as the Rockin’ Skate Saturday with the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Kitsch.
Ne-Yo’s performance of his single “Because of You” isn’t the only announcement the NHL made Wednesday. Swedish rockers The Hives will do “Tick Tick Boom.” And the act will be joined by the Atlanta Boy Choir — yes, that’s even more hometown appreciation — singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards and the Halftime Live marching band.
CELEBRITY DOCKET
The ever-unpredictable Britney Spears opted to bolt from a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday before ever setting foot in her child-custody hearing, which went on without her — and ended with a court commissioner upholding an order suspending her visitation rights.
The pop star came to the courthouse to seek visits with her two boys, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, entered the building and went through security screening. But she suddenly stated that she wanted to leave and was driven away, spokesman Allan Parachini said.
Upstairs, Commissioner Scott Gordon went ahead with a closed hearing, and “notice was taken of Miss Spears’ absence,” Parachini said. Spears’ lawyer argued that she be allowed to have visits, and ex-husband Kevin Federline — who showed up for the hearing — was asked a few questions that required yes or no answers, Parachini said.
In the end, Gordon made no change to the order suspending her visitation rights. The hearing was not scheduled and Spears was not ordered to be there, Parachini said.
The next hearing is set for Feb. 4, at which time Spears’ attorneys will inexplicably ask permission to withdraw from the case. A hearing on custody is set for Feb. 19.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Ernest Borgnine is 91. Singer Neil Diamond is 67. Actress Matthew Lillard (“Scooby Doo,” “She’s All That”) is 38. Actor Ed Helms (“The Office”) is 34. Actress Mischa Barton (above) (“The O.C.”) is 22.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A crisp, clear day begins with a walk or jog through Piedmont Park, the city’s century-old ‘common ground,’ which stretches north from 10th Street. Pathways wind through 189 acres of sweeping lawns, offering unparalleled views of the Midtown skyline.”
New York Times Escapes writer Kevin Sack making that drought-depleted, traffic-choked, lane-limited, steel plate-plagued, sewer pipe strewn section of our fair city sound downright appealing in Saturday’s edition.
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Jimmy Carter-crafted bench up for bid
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Between book tours, world peace initiatives, wine-making, Sunday school classes and “Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains” film junkets with Jonathan Demme, former President Jimmy Carter has somehow found time to create another original in his Plains woodworking shop for the annual Carter Center benefit.
Advance online bidding is now open for a gorgeous hard maple wood bench handcrafted by Carter.
That signature item, along with “an array of rare presidential memorabilia” will go up for bid Feb. 9, to help support the work of the not-for-profit Carter Center, advancing peace and health worldwide.
The live and silent auctions, both open to the public, are now posted online for advance bidders at www.cartercenter.org. The live auction will take place Feb. 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during the center’s annual Winter Weekend celebration and benefit.
As Buzz readers will recall, last year’s signature piece created by Carter — a baby cradle of unusual tiger wood — sold for a whopping $300,000. Carter Center reps tell Buzz that this year’s maple bench stands 32 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and 76 inches long.
“This annual auction provides critical support for the Carter Center’s work,” Carter said via a statement sent to Buzz. “Working together, we can continue to help people around the world create healthier and more peaceful lives for themselves, building hope for us all.”
Other one-of-a-kind auction items culled from the Carters include the following keepsakes: signed photos of Carter and others including one signed by: Rosalynn Carter, Carter, Al Gore, Tipper Gore, George H.W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Betty Ford, and Gerald Ford, a bottle of Carter’s homemade, private-label wine, a two-night fly fishing trip with President and Mrs. Carter, rare prints of Carter’s paintings and, oh, a spare copy of the Camp David Accords signed by Carter and late Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Dr. Jehan Sadat, widow of late Egypt President Anwar Sadat. While it does not appear on the document, a signature of Anwar Sadat is included with the auction item. For info: www.cartercenter.org.
LOCAL ‘JOE’ ON SPIKE
With dozens of reality TV shows out there, plenty of “average joes” are getting airtime. Spike TV’s “Pros vs. Joes” literally provides frustrated athletic “joes” a chance to square off in challenges vs. professionals. Matt Still, 27, of McDonough gets his chance tonight at 11 on the third-season debut, squaring off against the likes of pro wrestler Kurt Angle and former NBA player Kendall Gill. “I’m a pretty good junk talker,” he said. His nickname? The not-so-macho “Big Perm” because of his tight swath of curly hair. He noted his ultra-competitive nature: “I play in a church basketball league, and I get the most technical fouls out there. I like to make calls for the referees and point out their mistakes.”
STORK REPORT
It’s a girl!
Caroline Kiernan Roth, daughter of Atlanta Peach publisher Elizabeth Schulte Roth and husband Thomas, was born at 5:01 a.m. Jan 20. Caroline, named after Elizabeth Roth’s late sister, arrived at 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and everyone’s doing great. So well that mom still plans to make her presentation for the Niche Publishers conference at the end of the month.
FUNERAL SET FOR USHER’S DAD
A funeral and burial are planned today for the father of R&B star Usher, a funeral home employee reports to The Associated Press.
Jackie Taylor with Taylor Funeral Home in Chattanooga said 52-year-old Usher Raymond III died Friday at an Atlanta hospital. Taylor did not know the cause of death. The services are to be held in Chattanooga, where the elder Raymond lived. It couldn’t immediately be determined the nature of the relationship between father and son at the time of the elder Usher’s passing.
Most Usher fans know that Jonetta Patton, the singer’s mother, is widely credited for raising her boys as a single parent while helping to launch Usher’s career.
Usher’s publicist, Patti Webster, did not immediately return calls for comment.
The Grammy-winning Usher and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their son, Usher Raymond V.
OSCAR ‘RUSH’ FOR SIXTH-GRADER?
Jamia Nash, a Gwinnett County sixth-grader, could be singing before the world at the Academy Awards.
Jamia, who had a small part in the November-released movie “August Rush,” is the lead singer of “Raise It Up,” one of five nominees for the Oscar award for best song, announced Tuesday.
“She doesn’t know about it yet because she’s in school,” Jamia’s father James said. “I’m going to actually call her school and have them announce it.”
Jamia, 11, is not actually nominated for the award. The nominees are the song’s writers. But she and a theater group will sing “Raise It Up” at the Oscars if the Hollywood writers’ strike is resolved in time. The award show is set for Feb. 24.
“I am just praying that Jamia will get to sing at the Oscars,” said Anastasia Brown, the movie’s music supervisor.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Chita Rivera is 75. Singer Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 60. Keyboardist Danny Federici of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is 58. Singer-guitarist Robin Zander of Cheap Trick is 55. Singer Anita Baker is 50. Actress Mariska Hargitay (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 44. Actress Tiffani Thiessen (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) is 34.
Contributing: Jennifer Brett, Rodney Ho, Ken Sugiura and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Heath Ledger found dead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Brokeback Mountain” actor Heath Ledger has been found dead in Manhattan residence, according to reports.
Reports on TMZ.com and PageSix.com say that a New York Police Department spokesman confirmed the 28-year-old actor, who recently broke up with actress Michelle Williams, was found by his housekeeper Tuesday.
The Oscar-nominated actor’s most recent role was the upcoming Batman flick “The Dark Knight.”
Check back for more details.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Pride Fest out of park, into civic center
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta Pride Festival has signed a contract to have its event over the July 4 weekend at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, festival organizer Jennifer Sheffield said Friday. The Atlanta Pride Committee paid between $60,000 to $80,000 for the space. The annual event — which usually attracts about 300,000 people — was moved out of its usual home, Piedmont Park, because of the drought.
In related news, we’re told Dogwood Festival organizers also are seeking alternatives for their annual bash. Stay tuned.
Bert’s Big Heart
Bert’s Big Adventure, which arranges trips to Disney World for chronically or terminally ill children and their families, held a Jan. 10 meet and greet for the group going next month.
Thirteen children (including Brianna Hill, 6, of Cartersville,) and their families visited with Q100’s Bert Weiss and his wife, Stacey, who established Bert’s Big Adventure as a nonprofit organization in 2002. For information see www.Berts BigAdventure.org.
Calling all talented Braves fans
If your love for baseball is eclipsed only by your impregnable self confidence, listen up. The Atlanta Braves will host open auditions at Turner Field for members of their “game entertainment teams” in coming days.
Tryouts for the Tomahawk team will be 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23 and 24. These hardy souls are “high-energy, spirited individuals with the ability to engage fans, work within a family environment and perform in front of large crowds,” according to a release. Auditions for game entertainment hosts are 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 28 and 29. These crowd pleasers “must have the ability to interact with fans in the stands and in Fan Plaza. Hosts must be comfortable performing in the spotlight in front of thousands of Braves fans at Turner Field.” For these high-profile positions, the Bravos prefer “previous emcee experience.”
And finally, tryouts for the Heavy Hitters drum line are 5 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 and 31. These power players perform before, during and after Braves games at Turner Field and should be “musicians with confidence and charisma, a flexible schedule, and the ability to work games in their entirety.” Those interested in showcasing their talents should call 404-614-2441 or e-mail Braves .Entertainment@braves .com to set up an appointment. Walk ups will be auditioned first-come, first-served. More information: www.Braves.com/auditions.
Bald is beautiful
Speaking of those with robust self esteem, St. Baldrick’s, which raises money for childhood cancer research, is looking for folks to lose their locks for a great cause. The 2008 St. Baldrick’s Foundation event will be held at the new Fado Irish Pub in Buckhead, near the intersection of Buckhead Avenue and North Fulton Drive, at 2 p.m. March 15.
Volunteers round up their buddies to pay to see their pates, raising funds while razing scalps. Event organizers are Donal and Karen Fleming, Irish natives now living in Dunwoody. They became involved with St. Baldrick’s after their daughter, Ciara, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma just before turning 2. She endured 48 weeks of chemotherapy and is now a happy, healthy 8-year-old. She and her parents are ambassadors for children with cancer, volunteering their time to raise funds and promote research that will help other families like theirs.
Last year, St. Baldrick’s events in 46 states and 13 countries worldwide raised more than $12.9 million. For info, see www.stbaldricks.org, navigate to “find an event” and type in Georgia. Or call 1-888-899-2253.
Rowdy fan leaves singer in stitches
Four songs into Atlanta’s Attractive Eighties Women’s recent show at the EARL, “a mysterious female assailant” hurled her drink at front person Phoebe Cates, cutting his wrist and ending the gig, according to a post on the band’s Web site. Cates needed seven stitches but is on the mend and calls the episode “just an unfortunate drunken accident.” The band promises to schedule a makeup gig soon.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor John Hurt is 68. Singer Steve Perry (Journey) is 59. Actress Diane Lane (right) is 43. Rap DJ-actor Jazzy Jeff is 43. Singer Marc Gay of Shai is 39. Actor Balthazar Getty is 33. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 28. Singer Willa Ford is 27.
STORK REPORT
Chris Noth (above), known to “Sex in the City” fans as Mr. Big, is a father, reports E! Online. Longtime girlfriend Tara Wilson gave birth to a boy on Friday. Orion Christopher weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and everyone’s doing great.
Contributing: Chandler Brown, Jeff D’Alessio, Shane Harrison and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Snow doesn’t deter salute to King
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A resplendent crowd braved the elements Saturday night for the “Salute to Greatness” dinner, held downtown at the Hyatt Regency. During the cocktail hour, the crowd buzzed with anticipation at the social debut of Martin Luther King III and wife Arndrea. Here’s who we met:
First, Tiffany Moss, looking so cute in a tweed newsboy hat with rhinestone accents, and Deborah Williams, just exquisite in an animal print blouse.
“Dr. King braved a lot of elements for us,” said Williams, explaining her eagerness to attend despite the crummy weather.
“It’s an honor just to be in the presence of them,” Moss said of the King family.
Tunisia Hobbs was a striking vision in a scarlet dress with matching gloves. Decorative, not functional, gloves. Fashion first, y’all.
Oh, and let’s hear it for Morehouse men Henry Hicks and David Richardson. The guys were supposed to attend with their wives, but with the weather looking so iffy, the baby sitters canceled. The ladies gave their men the green light to head on without them.
“Neither of us would be here if it wasn’t for Dr. King,” Hicks said.
Speaking of Morehouse men, we were honored to meet President Robert M. Franklin. Saturday morning, he’d seen off a number of Morehouse students headed out into the cold to pitch in at various service projects. He likes to think King would be proud of “the number of students who are committed to serving others” at Morehouse.
As the crowd was heading into dinner, where civic leader Jesse Hill Jr. and Delta Air Lines were honored, we ran into V103’s Frank Ski and wife, Tanya.
“It’s so important for us to be here to support this event and the King family in general,” she said.
They were both thrilled at the just publicized news of Martin and Arndrea King’s nearly 2-year-old wedding. The couple expects a baby girl they will name Yolanda in memory of Martin King’s late sister. (Click for photos)
“I’m so happy about that,” Frank Ski said. “He was a little slick and kept it a secret.”
‘Jeopardy’ fan not singing the blues
Lilburn’s Nick Rolader, who started watching “Jeopardy” in elementary school, is into modern and classic rock. As luck would have it, when the University of Georgia junior made it onto the television quiz show, the hardest questions came from the blues music category.
“That tripped me up the most,” said Rolader, 21. The 2005 Brookwood graduate taped the show in October, and it aired last week.
“I had a bunch of friends over [to watch the show]. It was a blast,” said Rolader, who is studying history and sociology and does a little part-time catering on the side. He says he was just a question away from winning, but got $2,000 for his trouble.
“That’s not too bad,” said Rolader, who is considering law school or maybe politics. “It was just so much fun playing.”
Passing the torch at WSB
On Jan. 31, WSB newscaster Jovita Moore will take over the 5 p.m. anchor desk from Monica Pearson, who has had those duties since 1999. Moore already is handling the 5:30 p.m. duties. This is a clear indication that Moore is being positioned as Pearson’s heiress apparent. Pearson will continue at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
“It surprised me,” Moore told Buzz. “I didn’t think anything would be happening anytime soon. I thought it would be another good year or two.”
She’ll continue to do reporting dayside and be Pearson’s primary sub at night. She said Monica uttered, jokingly, “Finally!” when the news came out.
“It’s a very exciting time,” Moore said. “This newsroom has great momentum internally and externally.” CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS Actor Paul Scofield is 86. Actress Ann Wedgeworth (“Evening Shade”) is 73. Blues singer Snooks Eaglin is 72. Singer Richie Havens is 67. Singer Mac Davis is 66. Actress Jill Eikenberry is 61. Guitarist Jim Ibbotson of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 61. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 58. Actor Robby Benson (above) is 52. Actress Geena Davis is 52. Actress Charlotte Ross (“NYPD Blue”) is 40. Drummer Mark Trojanowski of Sister Hazel is 38. DJ Chris Kilmore of Incubus is 35. Singer Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) of the Spice Girls is 32. Singer Nokio of Dru Hill is 29.
OVERSCENE: Glass bottle earrings a hit
Local designer Kathleen Plate of Smart Glass Jewelry was invited to the recent Sundance Film Festival in Utah to display her jewelry in a celebrity gift suite. Actress Sienna Miller later was seen in a pair of Plate’s smart glass beer bottle earrings.
SICK BAY: No slowing down
Faith Hill, 40, has been keeping busy preparing for upcoming music engagements while she recuperates from knee surgery. “Who has time to slow down?” she said in a statement.
Contributing: Jeff D’Alessio, Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Steve Harvey refuses to go over that hill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Syndicated Atlanta DJ Steve Harvey wants men to know: “At 50, you are still fly.”
And to prove it, he shaved his head and began exercising.
In an interview in Jet magazine, the actor-comedian, whose show is broadcast locally weekdays on Grown Folks Radio 102.5 FM, says he began his transformation after talking to a listener on his radio program, “The Steve Harvey Morning Show.”
“The girl said to me, ‘Steve, you’re 50 and you are over the hill,’ ” Harvey recalls. “I started thinking, ‘Wow, I am over the hill?’ I said ‘OK, I got to do something to stop this line of thinking. Because at 50, I should not be thought of as over the hill. At 50, a man ought to feel that he is on top of the hill.’ “
He hired a personal trainer and now works out five days a week at his Atlanta home.
“I had a potbelly and love handles,” says Harvey, who’s lost 13 pounds. “I’ve been telling people you can be 50 and fly, but when I took my clothes off, I wasn’t looking fly.”
Harvey, who celebrated his 51st birthday Thursday, defines “fly” as looking great, but also being healthy and spiritually strong.
“Shaving my head was more of a spiritual thing for me. I wanted to be free,” he says.
Harvey starred with Bernie Mac and Cedric the Entertainer in 2000’s “The Original Kings of Comedy.”
He shows off his new look on the cover of Jet’s Jan. 28 issue, on newsstands Monday.
JOSH KELLEY ON HIS NEW CD, MARRIAGE
Augusta native Josh Kelley treated the syndicated TV celebrity magazine “Extra” to a private concert this week and discussed his recent nuptials with actress Katherine Heigl. Kelley is out promoting his new CD, “Special Company,” which is already No. 3 on iTunes. “I’ve never been in the Top 10, so it’s an amazing feeling. Hot diggity dog!” Kelley told “Extra” in an interview that airs Monday.
On learning the value of marital compromise, Kelley explains: “Now that I’m married and I know that she [Heigl] hates it when I’m gone for two months, we came up with a compromise. Two weeks on, two weeks off unless I’m touring with the Rolling Stones.”
As for his wife’s love scenes in “27 Dresses,” which bows in theaters this week, the singer-songwriter tells “Extra”: “I’m not a big fan. I’m OK with it now but it’s really weird. I don’t know how anybody can get used to it. I don’t think she would want me to get used to it.”
SINGER SUFFERS MISCARRIAGE
Singer Lily Allen, who announced her pregnancy just last month, has had a miscarriage.
“She and her partner, Ed Simons, will be making no further comment and we ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time,” Allen’s spokesman, Jon Bills, said Friday in a statement.
Simons, 37, is a member of The Chemical Brothers.
Allen’s cheeky debut album, “Alright, Still,” which includes the hit single “Smile,” was released in the United States last year. The 22-year-old British pop singer’s follow-up CD is expected to be released this year.
OVERSCENE
Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz at Stats downtown noshing on cheese fondue, french onion soup dumplings and a chicken cobb salad.
CELEBRITY DOCKET
Actor Gary Collins was released from jail in California on Friday after completing his four-day drunken driving sentence.
The 69-year-old TV personality and actor left the jail just after 6 a.m., Glendale police Officer John Balian said.
Kiefer Sutherland, who is serving a 48-day sentence for drunken driving, remained at the jail. Balian said the 41-year-old actor will be released Monday.
Balian said Collins was a good prisoner and “there were no problems” during his stay.
Collins pleaded no contest Dec. 6 to one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or more. He was cited after a traffic crash in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Actress Jean Stapleton is 85. Actress Tippi Hedren is 78. Movie director Richard Lester is 76. Singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers is 69. Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 66. Country singer Dolly Parton is 62. Actor Desi Arnaz Jr. is 55. Actor Shawn Wayans (“The Wayans Brothers”) is 37. Actress Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) is 36.
Sunday: Singer Slim Whitman is 84. Actress Patricia Neal is 82. Director David Lynch is 62. Guitarist Paul Stanley of Kiss is 56. Actor James Denton (“Desperate Housewives”) is 45. Country singer John Michael Montgomery is 43. Actor Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) is 42. Singer Edwin McCain is 38. Actor Skeet Ulrich (“Jericho”) is 38.
ON MY iPOD and TiVo
Michael Bivins, member of New Edition and current online correspondent for TNT “OverTime”:
“I really don’t even carry an iPod, I carry my computer. I’ve never really been a download cat. But I’m listening to Nas, ‘Illmatic.’ And on my DVR, I’ve got ‘Prison Break’. My DVR is always filled up.”
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
‘Unbelievable’ support for radio’s Fram
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Radio can be one weird racket.
That’s why we were appreciative Thursday when Leslie Fram called us to discuss her unexpected departure from the 99X airwaves. Cumulus Media, the owner of 99X, has announced upcoming changes in content and a frequency alteration.
On Thursday, Fram told us that Cumulus chose not to renew her contract “in its current state.” The veteran Atlanta program director and morning show co-host told Buzz she remains under contract to Cumulus through the end of March and is due to have a meeting with station execs to discuss a possible future role with the company.
Now off the air, Fram says she’s grateful to longtime listeners who have reached out to her about her 17 years on the air in Atlanta.
Fellow female broadcasters Vikki Locke and Mara Davis sent her flowers and well wishes, while concert promoter Peter Conlon phoned to thank her and to reminisce about the many concerts the two have helped bring to the city.
“The outpouring of support has been unbelievable,” Fram told Buzz in an exclusive chat. “Sometimes in radio, you don’t stop and have a chance to look back on what you’ve done. I realize, reading e-mails from 99X listeners, that we had a real impact on people’s lives, and that’s really nice to hear.”
While she sorts through her future in radio, Fram is staying plenty busy with her interests in the downtown boutiques Luxe and 1Five0 Atlanta and the monthly “Live at 1Five0” parties at the store that feature local musicians performing and creating apparel for fans (for details, go to 150atlanta.com).
And on Thursday night, she was busy primping Layla, her rescued cocker spaniel, for her debut as a fashion model at the “Doggies on the Catwalk” benefit at Grady High School.
Cracked Fram: “Being Layla’s stage mother may be my next job! I’m just hoping she doesn’t become a diva and start demanding [concert contract] riders.”
If you’d like to e-mail Fram, you can reach her at lesliefram@mac.com.
ATLANTAN’S GOOD IDEA ON TV
Look for Grant Park resident Leslie Smith Grant, the creator of Chickin Feed, on Friday’s episode of “Rachael Ray” (3 p.m. on WXIA). The Atlanta native has developed a fun chart for kids to keep track of their daily nutritional intake. She’s due to discuss the program with the “30 Minute Meals” maker on the talk show. The new company “helps parents and children make healthy eating choices.”
“There was little discussion about nutrition in my childhood home, and I’ve always realized that the negative effects of my nutrition ignorance would catch up,” explained Smith Grant in an e-mailed release. “Hopefully by educating early on, they will not have to deal with the threat of obesity or the body issues that have become so prevalent for both sexes in our society.”
In other words, while her company is called Chickin Feed, we’re betting that Smith Grant doesn’t spend her days frying up countless portions of that kiddie fave, chicken nuggets. … For info: www.chickinfeed.com.
CELEBRITY SHUTTERBUG DOCKET
Troubled pop star Britney Spears got an approximate 17-second reprieve from paparazzi Wednesday night. Four paparazzi were arrested for reckless driving while chasing Spears’ car in the San Fernando Valley.
Los Angeles police Lt. Mario Munoz said officers observed several cars following a white Mercedes-Benz around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mission Hills.
The cars were following Spears’ car too closely and traveling at unsafe speed. They also made several unsafe lane changes, authorities said.
Munoz said officers stopped the Mercedes, interviewed Spears and released the 26-year-old pop star after verifying her driver’s license.
But the four photographers in the cars chasing her were booked for investigation of reckless driving.
There was no immediate word on whether any of the four photogs included the one Spears has been seeing socially for the past few weeks, because that would be, well, awkward. …
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro is 67. Actor-director Kevin Costner is 53. Country singer Mark Collie is 52. Actress Jane Horrocks (“Absolutely Fabulous”) is 44. Comedian Dave Attell (“Insomniac”) is 43. Actor Jesse L. Martin (“Law and Order”) is 39. Rapper DJ Quik is 38. Singer Jonathan Davis of Korn is 37. Actor Derek Richardson (“Men in Trees”) is 32. Actor Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother”) is 28.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We are stoked and wowed by this miracle of creation and this gift from God. … Wish us the best, keep us in your prayers, and God bless evolution.”
“Dazed and Confused” actor Matthew McConaughey, announcing his girlfriend’s pregnancy on his Web site this week.
Contributing: news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Ludacris going Singapore at restaurant
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s official: Atlanta actor, rapper and budding restaurateur Chris Bridges, aka Ludacris, will unveil his new eatery at 793 Juniper St. in Midtown this April. In a release to Buzz on Wednesday, we were informed that Straits Restaurant, with a “modern Singaporean” menu, will debut at the site of the now-shuttered Spice. The concept is an extension of three successful California eateries with the same name run by chef/owner Chris Yeo. The former hairstylist turned chef is forming a partnership with Luda to bring the rapper’s favorite food to Atlantans.
“Chris Bridges’ commitment to his community and his family sealed the deal for me,” explains Yeo. “This market is ideal for Straits and likewise Straits is perfect for the city.”
Bridges first sampled Yeo’s menu on a trip to San Francisco.
Explains Bridges: “After experiencing Yeo’s modern spin on Singaporean cuisine combined with the sexy dining, I wanted to bring this restaurant home to Atlanta.”
The Johnson Studio has been hired to bring the sexy (along with some “subtle Eastern influences”) to the eatery’s interiors. The 215-seat restaurant will be open for dinner starting this spring.
For an advance peek at potential menu offerings here, including sake sampler flights, a lemongrass beef entree, whole lobster and shrimp pad Thai and inventive vegetarian offerings, go to www.straitsrestaurants.com.
A DALMATIAN FOR DAVIS ON CATWALK
When we saw Dave FM midday DJ Mara Davis’ name on the list of local notables participating at tonight’s “Doggies on the Catwalk” PALS benefit fashion show at Grady High School in Midtown, our left eyebrow arched. Sure enough, Davis will be strutting down the runway tonight with a loaner Dalmatian. After the birth of her son Charlie, Davis had to give away Daisy, her beloved terrier mix who was decidedly not as kid-friendly as her owner. “Daisy retired to Boca [Raton, Fla.,] with my mother Arlene,” Davis told us Wednesday. “They’re kinda like the ‘Golden Girls’ down there now!” Davis will be joined on the runway tonight by media folks Monica Pearson, Leslie Fram, Tom Sullivan and others.
The canine couture has been created by the wonderfully imaginative kids at Grady High’s UrbanCouture program. The show starts at 8 p.m. For tickets: www.palsatlanta.org.
Oh, and FYI: Davis tells us that Arlene (a rock star in her own right with the Dave audience) will be back in the studio during her daughter’s air shift Friday for a noontime “Radio Free Lunch” theme somehow tied to Barry Manilow’s (Arlene is a Fanilow, natch) appearance at Philips Arena this weekend.
OVERSCENE
Atlanta Braves teammates Mark Teixeira, Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann, er, catching up at the Atlanta Fish Market in Buckhead. We’re told the boys’ night out included generous orders of sushi, grouper, skate wing, sea bass and the eatery’s signature fried lobster tail, all from executive chef Robert Holley.
A PEACH-Y PROMOTION
Most working women well into their third trimester don’t dangle their water-retaining feet into unchartered career territory. Atlanta Peach’s Elizabeth Schulte Roth isn’t like most of her multitasking peers.
This week, Schulte Roth has been promoted from the Atlanta-based glossy’s editor in chief to its publisher.
“She’s a natural fit to lead our Atlanta sales team as we continue to grow,” Niche Media Holdings president Jerry Powers told Buzz via e-mail. Added Schulte Roth when we spoke to her Wednesday: “Jerry is probably one of the most persuasive men I’ve ever met, given how pregnant I am! But this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Schulte Roth is due at the end of this month just when she’s also due to deliver a speech at a conference of Niche Media publishers here in Atlanta.
Cracked Schulte Roth: “I’m just praying my water doesn’t break. My husband swears he’s confiscating my BlackBerry on the way to the delivery room.”
HIGH FIVE
Television
The Top Five On Demand programs for the week of Jan. 7-13, as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. “The Wire” Episode 52, HBO
2. “Family Guy: “Blind Ambition” episode, TBS
3. “I Remember” Keyshia Cole, music video, Music Choice
4. “I’m so Hood” DJ Khaled, music video, Music Choice
5. “With You” Chris Brown, music video, Music Choice
— Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Betty White is 86. Actress-singer Eartha Kitt is 81. Actor James Earl Jones is 77. Talk show host Maury Povich is 69. Singer Steve Earle is 53. Actor-comedian Steve Harvey is 51. Actor Jim Carrey is 46. Actor Naveen Andrews (“Lost”) is 39. Musician Kid Rock (right) is 37. Actor Freddy Rodriguez (“Ugly Betty”) is 33. Actress Zooey Deschanel (“Elf,” “The Good Girl”) is 28. Singer Ray J is 27.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Eddie and Tracey: Game over
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ve heard of dog years, right? Well, let’s just go ahead and say this item happened in celebrity years, as in, when you’re famous, life takes place at about 250 times faster than normal.
Which is why Eddie Murphy and brand new bride Tracey Edmonds have called it apparently quits after only a couple weeks.
The comedian and actor issued a statement to several online media outlets, including People.com and TMZ.com, which reported the breakup on their sites.
The couple wed in Bora Bora after a six-month engagement, but the ceremony was symbolic, and Murphy and Edmonds did not pursue a legal ceremony.
“After much consideration and discussion, we have jointly decided that we will forego [sic] having a legal ceremony as it is not necessary to define our relationship further,” the statement read. The couple (?) will remain friends, however. Thank goodness – we were all very worried.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Bivins picks these hoofing hoopsters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Hollywood studios canceling writers’ contracts as a result of the lingering strike, viewers are sure to see even more reality TV in the future. Basketball junkie Michael Bivins of New Edition and Bell Biv Devoe fame, now an online correspondent for TNT OverTime on NBA.com, suggested players from five teams with the moves to make it big on a show like “So You Think You Can Dance.”
1. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, Boston. (“The Celtics’ Big Three has been dancing all over the competition.”)
2. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks. (“We know he can get up on the court, so I’m sure he can get down on the dance floor.”)
3. Steve Nash, Phoenix. (“With his moves, I’m sure he can do the Soulja Boy without breaking a sweat.”)
4. Shaquille O’Neal, Miami. (“ShaqFu looks like he still has all of his pop ‘n lock moves.”)
5. Allen Iverson, Denver. (“He can break ankles on the dance floor just like he does on the court.”)
THE SCOOP ON THE FLOWER SHOW
All right, ready to dish some dirt? No, we mean the real kind.
The 2008 Southeastern Flower Show’s opening night party, planned for 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Georgia World Congress Center, raises money for the Legacy Garden program. Last year’s Legacy recipient was the Shepherd Center, and we stopped by Tuesday afternoon.
“It was a blessing for us,” Shepherd horticulture specialist Debi Cziok said. “We were honored to have been chosen.”
The garden, just a rock’s throw from busy Peachtree Street, is a cozy nook of raised beds planted with pansies, snapdragons, ornamental grasses, rosemary and camellias. The beds’ heights vary, allowing patients to access them from manual or motorized wheelchairs. Patients can help with tasks like weeding, or just enjoy the garden with their families. Some have created “yard art” — like stones decorated with college team colors or happy sayings. Charles Wayne, recovering from a motorcycle accident, has been at Shepherd since October. He used to garden with his mother growing up, and always cut his grass and his neighbor’s. In fact, his lawn manicuring skills became so good that it became a side business for him. Today, Wayne enjoys getting out in the sun and spending time in the garden at Shepherd.
“This is a getaway for people,” Cziok said.
This year’s Legacy Garden recipient will be Shepherd’s next-door neighbor, Piedmont Hospital. The program will enhance the Byrd Barrier-Free Garden, used for rehabilitative horticultural therapy, as well as a deck outside the Infusion Center. Patients and their families can enjoy the tranquil garden area during chemotherapy and other therapeutic drug infusions.
The Legacy Garden program was started in 1994, and other recipients have included the Wesley Woods Hospital, the Emory Winship Cancer Institute and Oakland Cemetery.
So, back to the gala.
The chairs are Mary Wayne Dixon and Ginger Dixon Molloy. WSB’s Jovita Moore will serve as gala host, along with colleagues Chuck Dowdle and David Chandley. Hirtle, Callaghan & Co. is sponsoring the gala. Tickets to the black-tie event are $200. Call 404-351-1074.
Beth and Tom Ventulett are the show’s honorary chairs, and Timothy Martin is the show artist. The 21st annual Southeastern Flower Show is Jan. 30 through Feb. 3. The show chair is Nan Henson. Info: www.flowershow.org.
STRIKE MAY AFFECT GRAMMYS TELECAST
The striking Hollywood writers guild likely will bar its members from working on next month’s Grammys telecast, a union spokesman said Tuesday.
Grammy organizers have yet to ask for a waiver allowing writers to work on the show — and if requested, “it is unlikely to be granted,” Writers Guild of America spokesman Gregg Mitchell said.
The Recording Academy said it did not have an immediate comment.
Meanwhile, the guild said it would allow its members to work on the NAACP Image Awards and would not picket the Feb. 14 show at the Shrine Auditorium.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Country singer Ronnie Milsap is 65. Talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is 61. Director John Carpenter is 60. Actress-dancer Debbie Allen is 58. Singer Sade is 49. Singer Maxine Jones of En Vogue is 42. Supermodel Kate Moss (above) is 34. Guitarist Nick Valensi of The Strokes is 27.
ON MY iPOD/TIVO
“I’ve got a whole lot of Musiq Soulchild, Earth, Wind and Fire, Brandy, this bad sister named Angie Stone, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield,” offered Stone, who is performing Sunday at Utopia, 840 Marietta St. “And I’ve got a TiVO but I have not hooked it up yet. … If I did, of course, ‘The Wire’ or whatever Idris [Elba] is on, would be on.” (Elba, an actor killed off on the HBO series “The Wire,” also produced a single on Stone’s latest CD, “The Art of Love & War.” “I’m the first artist he’s produced, publicly,” Stone said. “He’s one of my best friends. He’s incredible.”)
— Angie Stone (above), R&B singer and recent Atlanta transplant
Contributing: Jeff D’Alessio, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Lyrical gift from Indigo Girls in memory of slain hiker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In media interviews last week, Steve Segars, the boyfriend of slain North Georgia mountain hiker Meredith Emerson, discussed how the music of the Indigo Girls helped to form a special bond between the couple as they were getting to know each other.
Segars said that for Christmas, he and Emerson had even surprised each other with tickets to the Atlanta acoustic duo’s upcoming show Jan. 24 at the Classic Center in Athens.
The two had a particular fondness for the love song “Power of Two” from the Indigo Girls’ 1994 album “Swamp Ophelia.”
Now, band members Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are spearheading a campaign to raise money in Emerson’s name for PAWS Atlanta, a no-kill animal adoption center (Emerson’s beloved dog Ella was with her on her fateful final hike).
Saliers and Ray have autographed a set of lyrics from “Power of Two” handwritten by Saliers. The lyrics are now up for auction on eBay.
Thus far, the one-of-a-kind “Power of Two” keepsake has fetched 47 bids for the pet nonprofit, and at deadline Monday, the lyrics had a top bid of $2,075. The auction is set to end Jan. 21.
OVERSCENE
Dolce Group owner/ former “Big Brother” winner Mike “Boogie” Malin and his gal pal, tennis superstar Jennifer Capriati, dining at Geisha House and bowling at Ten Pin Alley at Atlantic Station. We’re told that “the two were very cuddly and appeared to be having a great time, laughing and bowling until late.”
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper dining on a BBQ sandwich and fried green tomatoes at South City Kitchen Midtown with an unidentified man.
Rich McKay, president of the Atlanta Falcons franchise and a large group of friends and colleagues, including director of football operations Nick Polk, enjoying dinner and drinks at the Atlanta Fish Market while watching the Giants take on the Cowboys during the playoff game Sunday.
BAM!-MING OUT OF BUCKHEAD?
Despite ongoing speculation to the contrary, spokesfolks for Emeril’s Atlanta insisted to Buzz Monday that their restaurant at 3500 Lenox Road in Buckhead is just fine. In the past week, we’ve heard from various sources that Emeril’s is considering pulling up stakes from its large pricey digs at the posh One Alliance Center address across from Phipps Plaza by summer. In a statement to Buzz Monday, however, reps at Emeril’s Homebase in Louisiana told us: “Emeril’s Atlanta is open for business. We have no plans at this time to make any changes to our location.”
When we sat down with him last year at his Buckhead restaurant, Emeril Lagasse conceded that his Atlanta property remained a work in progress (the eatery has endured various chef and management shifts and negative reviews since its opening here in 2003).
While we tried to gather some info from Tishman Speyer Properties rep Chris Ahrenkiel Monday for the particulars regarding the restaurant’s lease agreement with his company, we were informed via an automated e-mail that Ahrenkiel was currently out of town and had limited access to e-mail.
Stay tuned.
CELEBRITY DOCKET
She came, she saw, she bailed out.
So it was with Britney Spears’ first scheduled court appearance since she was taken from her Studio City home and temporarily hospitalized at the direction of Los Angeles police.
Spears traveled Monday to the civil courthouse downtown, where Commissioner Scott M. Gordon was hearing testimony in the child custody battle for her two sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
But after circling the courthouse, Spears stopped, got out of her black sport utility vehicle and surveyed the crowd of cameras and reporters, then got back in and apparently headed home.
Federline, wearing a pinstriped suit and a mohawk, sat through the morning testimony and returned for the afternoon session.
In the afternoon, court officials released a new order from Gordon that extended his ban on Spears’ visiting with her two young sons until at least Feb. 19, when the matter is due to be heard in court again.
Court officials said six witnesses, including two officers called to Spears’ home Jan. 3, testified Monday. They would not discuss specifics.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Margaret O’Brien (“Meet Me in St. Louis”) is 71. Singer Captain Beefheart is 67. Actress Andrea Martin is 61. Actor-director Mario Van Peebles is 51. Actor James Nesbitt (“Waking Ned Devine”) is 43. Singer Lisa Lisa of Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam is 41. Actor Chad Lowe is 40. Actress Regina King (right) is 37. Actor Eddie Cahill (“CSI: New York”) is 30.
STORK REPORT
It’s a boy!
Pop star Christina Aguilera has given birth to a boy, the pop singer announced on her Web site.
“Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman are proud to announce the birth of their son Max Liron Bratman,” the brief message said. “He is a beautiful, healthy baby boy.”
The baby was born Saturday night and weighs 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Aguilera, 27, was “resting and doing well,” according to the message on her Web site, www.christinaaguilera.com.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
It’s a small (sports) world
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A honeymoon should make a couple feel like they’re the only ones on Earth, away from everyone and everything. That was Jeff and Catie Francoeur’s first impression when they arrived in Punta Mita, Mexico, where they set up at the Four Seasons.
But they were walking down the street one day, turned a corner — and there’s Derrek Lee, the Chicago Cubs first baseman, his wife, Christina, and their daughter, Jada.
Lee, the National League’s batting champion in 2005, made headlines a year later by leaving the team to help care for Jada, who has lost sight in one eye from a rare genetic disease.
“They are super nice people,” Catie Francoeur said. The Francoeur honeymoon detoured into another sport after that, when Derrek and Jeff teed up together for a round of golf.
The Francoeurs flew to Nassau for the rest of their 11-day honeymoon, staying at The Cove Atlantis.
And how did Georgia businesses score with the nuptials? Their first night was spent at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, and the couple used Lee Patterson Photography and Lee Epting Catering, with flowers from Kim McKinney of Daffodil’s Design Studio in Monroe.
Canine couture
Doggies on the catwalk? You had us at “Doggies.” UrbanCouture, the fashion-forward folks at Grady High School led by 2007 Grady Teacher of the Year Vincent Martinez, are presenting a doggie fashion show at 8 p.m. Thursday at the school gymnasium. The school’s address is 929 Charles Allen Drive in Atlanta.
Martinez told Buzz the idea came to the class when they were watching Fashion Week last fall (fun class, huh?). “We thought it was hysterical,” Martinez said.
The Grady event, called “Doggies on the Catwalk,” will be a fund-raiser for Pets Are Loving Support, an organization that provides free food and basic veterinary care to companion pets of critically ill and disabled Atlantans. “I wanted to donate proceeds to charity,” Martinez said. “You’re never too young to do any kind of charity.”
There will be more than 20 dogs showing off fashion designed by 11 Grady seniors, who carry the show, according to Martinez. Another 25 or so students work on production and backstage. Most dogs are actual PALS pets and range from a Jack Russell to a Great Dane. Martinez said the show closes with a 175-pound English Mastiff named Duke wearing angel wings.
Walking the dogs on the catwalk will be Atlanta area celebrities, including Monica Pearson of WSB; Jennifer Mayerle of WGCL; Leslie Fram of 99X; Mara Davis of Dave FM; Tom Sullivan of Star 94; Cinda B from Movie and a Makeover; Miss Georgia USA 2008 Amanda Kozak; Dorothea Bozicolona-Volpe of Bond- girl Productions; and Baton Bob. Bubba D. Licious will host the event.
UrbanCouture is a 5-year-old student-led, self-sustaining fashion line created by Martinez. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased online at www.ticketalternative.com. “I really want to provide PALS with a big, fat check when this is all said and done,” said Martinez. Check ajc.com Friday for an online photo gallery.
Cookin’ with Martha
If you’re a student at Browns Mill Elementary School in Lithonia, Buzz suggests you not dawdle today at dismissal, lest you run into principal Yvonne Sanders-Butler, who may be booking it back inside to watch “The Martha Stewart Show” in the school’s media room.
Why? Because Sanders-Butler is featured on Martha Stewart’s talk show for starting the first sugar-free school in the United States. The show starts at 2 p.m. on WXIA, 10 minutes after the school’s dismissal, but Sanders-Butler said she doesn’t expect her segment to air until about 2:30. Sanders-Butler and Stewart cooked the principal’s “Chicken Salad Surprise” on the program. The recipe, featured in Sanders-Butler’s book “Healthy Kids, Smart Kids,” is posted at Stewart’s Web site.
“We made the entire product,” Sanders-Butler told Buzz. “We’re both cooks — we split up the duties.” Sanders-Butler said the interview, which was filmed in New York on Wednesday, lasted about 20 to 30 minutes, but she’s not sure how much will air.
Contributing: Michelle Hiskey and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
‘Real World: Sydney’ made Cohutta Lee party celeb
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks to “Real World: Sydney,” which aired its finale this past week, good ol’ country boy Cohutta Lee is now a mini-celebrity among the MTV set. And he no longer has to do contracting full time.
Rather, party promoters pay him to show up and, well, party. (See him at Buckhead’s Peachtree Tavern at 10 p.m. on Jan. 26!)
He still does some hard labor because all that late-night carousing “makes me feel like a pile of goo,” he told Buzz.
Cohutta’s most memorable moment was when he had sex with roommate Kelly Anne Judd and the condom broke. He told her if she got pregnant, she’d have to move to Georgia. Then he uttered, “I’m the most fertile man in the world!” She wasn’t preggers, and he says now he has no proof of his own fertility since he has never fathered a child: “Sometimes, I just say things off the top of my head.”
Cohutta actually dated Kelly Anne for a few months after the taping was over but said wacky schedules led to their breakup a month ago. For now, he has no plans to move from Blue Ridge: “They can’t run me out of the mountains!”
Meanwhile, check out Atlanta actress Liz McGeever, who plays a high school bad girl named Liz on Saturday night’s Lifetime flick “Queen Sized” starring “Hairspray” actress Nikki Blonsky. While Blonsky’s character is supposed to be the plucky underdog, the film makes her so sullen and unpleasant, you might just end up rooting for McGeever’s character. This is the first big movie role for McGeever, a graduate of Meadowcreek High in Norcross and UGA. And though her character fits the “Mean Girls”/”Heathers” mode in the flick, McGeever said she was voted “most friendly” in high school.
OVERSCENE
A wide range of local notables from music performers (Tweet, Joi, DJs Don Cannon and StereOtype, music industry (Lisa McCall, Marvin McIntyre, Jerrell Allen and Malcolm Lee), music video (Randy Marshall of Fat Cats, Mia Butler of TBS’ “Movie & a Makeover”), fashion and beauty (Cedric King of Dap Rugged, Jilene Coggins of Envy, twins Sabrina Rowe and Sharlinda Rowe-Parker of Tu La 2 Nails) and marketing and event planning circles (I’na Saulsberry, LaToya Dixson, Nicole Johnson) — even a particularly prominent homeless advocate (Elizabeth Omilami) — all at Opera in Midtown this week for the unveiling of “Project Runway” finalist Mychael Knight’s lingerie collection. Since the full name of the line might not be appropriate for a family newspaper, let’s just refer to the sexy, clinging clothes as the invitation did: “K & D.”
TRIBUTE PLANNED FOR EVEREST CLIMBER
Sadly, the more than 200 attendees expected for “Synergize!” an inspirational conference for pastors and their wives at Mount Paran Church scheduled for Jan. 29-31, won’t get to hear one of the event’s most anticipated speakers. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest, was booked for the conference. Hillary passed away this week at age 88. Instead, “Synergize!” will pay tribute to Hillary on Jan. 30 during its “Visionary Leadership” program with remarks by Hillary’s son Peter and others. Other speakers booked for the multiday conference include Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy and the Orlando Magic senior vice president Pat Williams. For info: www.synergize.tv.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Country singer Ray Price is 82. Actress Kirstie Alley is 57. Political commentator Rush Limbaugh is 57. Country singer Ricky Van Shelton is 56. Radio personality Howard Stern is 54. News correspondent Christiane Amanpour is 50. Singer-filmmaker Rob Zombie is 42.
Sunday: Actress Frances Sternhagen is 78. Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Seinfeld”) is 47. Country singer Trace Adkins is 46. Actor Patrick Dempsey is 42. Actor Orlando Bloom is 31.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Me and Jay-Z bet on basketball games all the time. One time, I lost $15,000 to him. The next week backstage, he asked me, ‘Where’s my money?’ I handed him over a fat wad of Benjamins. He ended up spraying most of the bills at the audience.”
Atlanta producer Jermaine Dupri (above) in his new book, “Young Rich and Dangerous.”
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Memories inspire Dallas Austin’s gala
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As a kid growing up in Columbus, Dallas Austin would star gaze at Gladys Knight and the Pips and George Clinton as their tour buses rolled into his mother’s restaurant, Ma Bell’s Diner, for a pre-gig bite.
Luckily for the music-obsessed Austin, the eatery was strategically located down the street from the concert venue.
“These people had such an influence on me, I can’t begin to even tell you,” Austin told Buzz Thursday night. The Atlanta music and film producer rang up to give us the exclusive info on the third annual “Don’t Stop the Music” gala benefiting the Dallas Austin Foundation.
The DAF supplies state-of-the-art recording equipment to musically minded kids in Georgia public schools. So far, the foundation has outfitted 10 schools with recording studios while 10 more have been earmarked for the program.
The $1,000-per-person black-tie event is scheduled for March 1 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The evening will feature a posh dinner followed by a concert by Knight and “American Idol” winner Fantasia. Clinton and Cedric the Entertainer also will appear at the event emceed by actor-comic Orlando Jones.
Clinton’s work in legendary 1970s funk acts Parliament and Funkadelic left an indelible impression on Austin, who first caught a glimpse of Clinton’s fave stage prop, The Mothership (an intergalactic pimp mobile) on TV.
“From the moment I saw that ship land, I had to see them when they came to Columbus,” Austin recalls laughing. “My mom told me, ‘Baby, I don’t think that the roof is really going to open up,’ but sure enough it did and everyone in the crowd had their hands in the air. It was crazy.”
For Austin, the evening is about raising money for music equipment for budding songwriters and rappers but it’s also about giving back to folks he musically admires.
“This is a way to honor and recognize these people like Gladys. I mean, she’s a soul classic and she’s from here. ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ was about us. But it’s not just about what she did here, but what she’s meant to music, period.”
Austin says that tricking out schools with the latest audio gear remains a huge professional perk for him and his old pals like producer Jermaine Dupri.
“One day I had Jermaine meet me at a school when we were delivering equipment and he starts looking at it and says, ‘Oh man, I wish we had stuff like this when we were coming up!’ We got by on old four-tracks and Casio drum machines. But now, we’re able to give these kids a real step up.”
For tickets: www.dallasaustinfoundation.org or 678-686-5676.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Monica settles on first name for new baby
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The newborn of Atlanta’s Grammy-winning R&B singer Monica now has a first name — Romelo. The parents gave him a middle name first — Montez — named after her brother. And when they came up with Romelo, there was a little back and forth early Thursday about whether her second son would have one “l” or two.
But her manager Melinda Dancil e-mailed Buzz to let us know that Monica finally had settled on one, and the 5-pound, 16-ounce, 19-incher born Tuesday afternoon is now officially Romelo Montez Hill.
Monica’s other son is Rodney Hill III, pictured at right with mom during a visit to the Georgia Aquarium in 2006.
OVERSCENE
Former United Nations ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, R&B singer Ciara, Atlanta Thrashers player Brad Larsen and former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis separately taking in the Atlanta Hawks/Cleveland Cavaliers game at Philips Arena downtown.
BROWN ESTATE PUTS EFFECTS ON THE BLOCK
Godfather of Soul devotees should begin setting aside cape money now. Trustees for his estate report that James Brown’s possessions will be appraised and auctioned, in part to pay taxes his estate owes, court-appointed trustees said Wednesday.
Attorney Adele Pope would not say exactly what items would be auctioned (but surely, selections from the singer’s collection of glittery capes could be included) or how much they were worth. She also refused to say after a hearing how much the estate owed.
Brown died in Atlanta in December 2006, throwing into turmoil the future of his trust, which might include music rights and his 60-acre Beech Island home in western South Carolina. The total value is still unclear.
His will called for the items to be divided among the singer’s six adult children. But Tomi Rae Hynie, who claims to be Brown’s fourth wife and the mother of another of his children, has contested the will.
Hynie argues she is entitled to half the estate. The children also are contesting the will, which was signed 10 months before Brown’s death. The trustees have asked Brown’s children and Hynie to provide a list of items they don’t want auctioned.
An attorney for Hynie, a former backup singer for Brown, said some automobiles were given to her and shouldn’t be auctioned.
“It’s easier to divide money, and we don’t know who will be getting what,” Hynie rep Robert Rosen said.
We’re hearing that a major auction house has been selected and that the sequinned-stuffed shopping spree could commence later this year. A location has not yet been finalized. Buzz could not immediately determine if Tasers would be used to keep the estate’s warring factions separated at the event …
COMMENTARY COURTESY KALINSKY?
Fashion bible Women’s Wear Daily is reporting some intriguing news regarding Atlanta and New York retailer Jeffrey Kalinsky. Nordstrom, the high-end department store that now owns a majority share in Kalinsky’s Jeffrey stores in New York and Buckhead may have a new role in mind for the retailer, who currently is a design consultant for the chain. WWD.com reports that Kalinsky “is said to be set to appear in a series of episodes for Nordstrom’s Web site, dispensing color commentary on selected fall [fashion] 2008 shows.” Apparently, this isn’t a done deal as reps for Nordstrom and Jeffrey are staying mum on the speculation.
CELEBRITY DOCKET UPDATE
Former “Lost” star Michelle Rodriguez has found her way out of jail.
Rodriguez was released from a Los Angeles County women’s jail in Lynwood on Wednesday after serving 18 days of a 180-day sentence for violating probation in a drunken driving case, authorities said.
She was released early under a program that deals with jail overcrowding by allowing nonviolent female inmates to serve as little as 10 percent of their sentence.
The same thing happened two years ago when Rodriguez served just one day of a 60-day jail sentence for a probation violation.
As many as 50 women a day are released early, sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
“She was treated the same way we do with all females because of the extent of overcrowding,” he said.
Rodriguez was sentenced in October for failing to prove she had done community service and for drinking while wearing an alcohol monitoring device.
The judge who sentenced Rodriguez ordered that she serve the entire sentence. The judge was consulted about the early release but the Sheriff’s Department had the final say when jail safety was involved, Whitmore said.
“The sheriff supports, obviously, the desire to have inmates serve their full sentence,” but the county has only one women’s jail and it is “bursting at the seams,” Whitmore said.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saxophonist Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is 66. Country singer Naomi Judd is 62. Guitarist Vicki Peterson of The Bangles is 50. Actress Kim Coles (“Living Single”) is 46. Guitarist Tom Dumont of No Doubt is 40. Singer Mary J. Blige is 37. Musician Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers is 37. Actress Amanda Peet is 36.
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Atlanta trivia buffs, meet the master
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Feb. 5, the cerebral literary nook known as the Margaret Mitchell House will be transformed into a trivia parlor to celebrate an appearance by “Jeopardy!” champ Ken Jennings.
For reasons inexplicable to Buzz, the brainiac who racked up the longest winning streak on the game show as well as about $3 million in cash, prizes and Turtle Wax has somehow resisted the call of a chaise lounge on a faraway beach for book tours.
His latest tome is “Ken Jennings’ Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days.”
In addition to signing the book at the MMH, Jennings will be hosting an evening of trivia featuring some Atlanta-centric questions for fans.
And since Atlantans have a seemingly inexhaustible interest in Trivia Nights (our BuzzBerry routinely hums at night when our more sordid associates try texting us to ask for assistance when stumped on certain celebrity factoids …), the MMH is anticipating quite the turnout.
Hard core trivia buffs who are interested in forming teams of six to eight people can sign up to participate while smaller groups can also RSVP to be a part of the fun. Admission is $5.
We’re told that “pre-payment is encouraged” to ensure a spot. Call: 770-578-3502 if you want to join a team. If you wish to bring a team, call 404-814-2063 or e-mail Melanie Eisenhart at melanie.eisenhart@gwtw.org.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the trivia with Jennings starts at 6:30 p.m. at 990 Peachtree St. in Midtown.
STORK REPORT
Congratulations to Grammy-winning Atlanta R&B singer Monica, who welcomed her second son Tuesday afternoon. Just don’t ask his first name yet. His middle name is Montez, however, according to Monica’s manager and cousin Melinda Dancil. (Montez is Monica’s brother’s name, by the way). The 19 1/2 inch baby boy arrived at 5 pounds, 6 ounces.
Mom and baby are fine, added Dancil. In fact, she says, Monica was recording right up until his birth and has about 13 songs done.
Meanwhile, we also heard from Atlanta music mogul Michael Crooms on Wednesday, and he said his latest hot find, Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy, is denying the rumors heard across the radio airwaves that he has impregnated another teen.
SICK BAY UPDATE
Former Star 94 morning gal Vikki Locke e-mailed Buzz Wednesday to share some positive news. Remember that scary lingering and traveling blood clot that hospitalized the radio personality in late 2006? Ongoing concerns about her health led Locke to depart Star earlier this year. “My blood clot is gone!” Locke reported Wednesday. “I just got word from the good doc [Tuesday] that things are looking good.”
On Wednesday, Locke was headed to North Carolina for a two-month beach vacation.
Which is probably a good thing.
After we sampled the brain-cell snuffing “Morning Mess” (Star 94’s successor to “Steve [McCoy] and Vikki in the Morning”) this week, we would hate for Locke to suffer a relapse if she accidentally tuned into her old station. In summary, Buzz is reluctant to report that there is still truth in advertising …
‘SUPERMODEL’ SET TO SPOTLIGHT LOCALS
Is society shallow? Natch, that’s why we need yet another reality show about models, in this case, Bravo’s “Make Me a Supermodel.” And two Atlantans are in the mix of 14 competitors starting tonight at 10. But unlike other Bravo shows like “Project Runway,” this one will be decided by the public, not by a group of judges.
Casey Skinner is a 19-year-old blond Atlanta musician/skateboarder who made his first modeling appearance a year ago at a hip-hop fashion show at Django. “People went nuts!” he told Buzz, noting that he gets friends telling him all the time he should get into the business. “I see this show as a stepping stone,” he added. “I plan to have fun.”
Male supermodel and coach Tyson Beckford told Buzz that Casey has a “great look, great body. He could do Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.”
Lanky Jay McGee, 22, from Roswell, works at a Firestone tire store and owns a pitbull named Gotti. “My personality is good,” he said. “People say I have a beautiful face, beautiful smile. I can see myself doing runway, catalog work.” Beckford agreed: “He has that Southern swagger.”
Though McGee loved the outrageously mouthy “Soviet” Andre on VH1’s recent model show “America’s Most Smartest Model,” he plans to keep it low-key. “I’m the laid-back cat,” he said.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer Frank Sinatra Jr. is 64. Singer Rod Stewart (right) is 63. Singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen of Steely Dan is 60. Singer Pat Benatar is 55. Singer Shawn Colvin is 52. Guitarist Matt Roberts of 3 Doors Down is 30. Rapper Chris Smith of Kris Kross is 29.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Whose fault is it this time?”
Actor Mark Consuelos, filling in for Regis Philbin Wednesday on “Live With Regis & Kelly” after his wife Kelly Ripa told him The National Enquirer was again reporting their marital demise. The couple was discussing how this week through Valentine’s Day is the busiest for the nation’s divorce lawyers.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Libby Whittemore on her ‘Queen Sized’ TV experience
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While shooting her three scenes in November for this Saturday’s Lifetime movie “Queen Sized” with Annie Potts, Atlanta actress Libby Whittemore formed an instant bond with the “Designing Women” star.
One reason: Potts’ other co-stars were primarily teenagers.
Based on a true story, “Queen Sized” follows a plus-sized high schooler (portrayed by “Hairspray” actress Nikki Blonsky) as she runs for homecoming queen after classmates sign her up just to humiliate the teen.
Potts plays Blonsky’s pushy mother who tries to get her daughter to drop the unwanted weight. Whittemore plays Potts’ co-worker who offers some sage advice.
“I just had one day of filming with Annie in Shreveport,” Whittemore told Buzz Tuesday. “She was very nice. I think she was a little disappointed I was only scheduled for the day. She asked, ‘You’re not coming back tomorrow?!’ I think it was nice for her to have another adult around. I basically play the slightly overweight friend of the mother who tells her, ‘You know, you’re really not helping your daughter at all.’ I like the film’s message. Giving kids a dirty look every time they eat a potato chip is not the best way to get them to lose weight. It wasn’t so in your face when I was a kid. Now, with MTV, the message is that it’s all about how you look and not your talent.”
When the pair finished for the day, Potts invited Whittemore to have dinner with her at their Shreveport, La., hotel.
Over a meal, Potts dished about how voicing Little Bo Peep in the pair of ultra-successful “Toy Story” flicks became one of the most lucrative things she’s done professionally.
“She told me she almost didn’t do it,” Whittemore says. “It was this new company [Pixar] who kept calling her about voicing a character. They sent her some animation but she didn’t watch it until her nanny popped it in for her child to watch. She told me it was some of the most beautiful animation work she had ever seen.”
So exactly what occupation do the pair have in the new flick?
“I think we’re social workers,” Whittemore says.
So she didn’t create an elaborate back story for her character?
“Back story? Who do you think I am, Meryl Streep?,” Whittemore cracked. “I’m just an overweight social worker who gets to tell Annie Potts that she’s full of [expletive]. Back story? Please.”
“Queen Sized” debuts on Lifetime at 9 p.m. Saturday.
FOOTLESS TAN LINES?
Catching someone at the Atlanta headquarters of Spanx might prove difficult this week. We hear that Sara Blakely, the footless pantyhose founder and FOO (Fave of Oprah) ordered up some Marquis Jets to fly all her full-time staffers to the Grand Cayman Ritz-Carlton hotel this week for an extended holiday week of tropical rest and relaxation. Given that we’re currently resisting the temptation to don a floppy hat and a Mai Tai to spy on the group, let’s hope they’re thoughtful enough to send a postcard to Buzz Central.
STORK REPORT
Oscar winner Nicole Kidman and country superstar-husband Keith Urban are expecting their first child together. The news was announced by Kidman publicist Catherine Olim. It also was on Urban’s Web site.
“The couple are thrilled,” Olim said.
Kidman and Urban are in Sydney, Australia, where the 40-year-old actress has been working on Baz Luhrmann’s epic romance, “Australia.”
‘INTO THE WILD’ EARNS PENN A NOMINATION
Sean Penn earned a nomination Tuesday as best filmmaker from the Directors Guild of America for his tragic road tale “Into the Wild,” along with Joel and Ethan Coen for their bloody crime saga “No Country for Old Men.”
Also nominated: Paul Thomas Anderson for his historical epic “There Will Be Blood,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a baron of California’s oil boom in the early 20th century; Tony Gilroy for his legal drama “Michael Clayton,” featuring George Clooney as a conscience-torn attorney in a corporate lawsuit; and Julian Schnabel for his real-life memoir “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” with Mathieu Amalric as French Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who was paralyzed by a stroke.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Sports announcer Dick Enberg is 73. Singer Joan Baez is 67. Guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is 64. Singer Buster Poindexter is 58. Singer Crystal Gayle is 57. Actress Joely Richardson is 43. Singer Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band is 41. Singer A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys is 30. Singer Paolo Nutini is 21.
OVERSCENE
Danish for Harrington
Buzz readers spotted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington (right) ordering a cheese danish at Alon’s Bakery in Virginia-Highland.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Trumpets bring it back to Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a year in Las Vegas, the 2008 Trumpet Awards festivities will return to their hometown for the 16th annual salute to African-American achievement in law, business, medicine, politics, entertainment and public service.
The awards, slated for this Sunday at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, will honor Oscar winner Halle Berry with its Entertainment Pinnacle Award, actor Danny Glover will receive the Humanitarian Award, saxophonist Najee is slated for the Arts Award, while Ludacris and Shareef Abdur-Rahim will each receive the Usher Raymond Altruism Award. Drs. Vincent and Vance Moss will be awarded the Trumpet Award in Medicine and businesswoman Sheila C. Johnson will receive the Entrepreneur award. Former Atlanta Brave turned developer Brian Jordan also will be honored.
Among the awardees in the reactivated Tower of Power category: Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Congressmen Hank Johnson and Sanford Bishop Jr., and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore.
Before the awards, an International Civil Rights Walk of Fame induction ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at Ebenezer Baptist Church with an unveiling of the footsteps at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site at 450 Auburn Ave.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson and wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson have been scheduled to co-host the Trumpet Awards ceremony.
This year’s Trumpet Awards telecast will air on TV One at 8 p.m. on March 1.
OVERSCENE
Pop singer Janet Jackson and her boyfriend, record producer/memoirist Jermaine Dupri, hosting a dinner for 12 at Haven in Brookhaven. The dinner party, including Jackson’s siblings Tito, Jermaine and Marlon, enjoyed the veal chops and cocktails. We’re told that at the end of the meal, Janet surprised Jermaine with a set of luxe cuff links.
KID ROCK RUCKUS GETS PUSHED BACK
Self-described hick-hop artist/alleged Waffle House beatdown artist Kid Rock’s arraignment in DeKalb County has been postponed until Feb. 4. As you’ll no doubt recall, Mr. Rock was arrested here in October following a post-concert, pre-breakfast brawl at a smothered, covered and chunked center on Buford Highway in DeKalb. Rock, his entourage and the less-than-devout fan who is charged with a felony count of second-degree criminal damage to property resulting from a broken window, are all due to appear next month. And while celeb Web site Tmz.com was reporting there were rumblings from the DeKalb County solicitor’s office about whether the case will proceed at all, public information officer Artealia Gilliard told Buzz that the case is indeed still set to go forward, but chances are good that Rock (aka the less musically monikered Bob Ritchie) might be represented by counsel who would enter a plea on his behalf.
Dang it.
‘KING OF CORN PONE’ BOWS ON THE BULL
On his first day as morning host on 94.9/The Bull, country parody singer and Marietta native Cledus T. Judd wore his Southern roots not only on his sleeve but tattooed deep into his skin. At one point, while Judd gabbed with a listener who had an even deeper drawl, new sidekick (and former 99X/Q100 traffic gal) Jamie Massey complained she could barely understand them. “We’re a bunch of rednecks,” Judd said. “This is a country radio station. We’ll talk like a country radio station!”
He proudly crowned himself the king of corn pone. “We’ve only been on for 30 minutes and we’re already synchronizing,” he said at 5:30 a.m. “That’s the biggest word I’ve used since mayonnaise.”
And he’s not above namedropping some of his big celebrity buddies, including Rascal Flatts’ lead singer Gary LeVox. “Gary is my daughter’s godparent. The simple reason, he assures she will never have to go to diesel mechanic’s school.”
If you can’t get enough of Judd and his crew from 5 to 9 a.m., they also do a voicetracked version from 4 to 6 p.m. Judd’s boss Clay Hunnicutt told Buzz he wants to give Judd as much exposure as possible and plans billboards and cross-promotions with the Atlanta Braves when the team comes back in March.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor-comedian Larry Storch (“F Troop”) is 85. Comedian Soupy Sales is 82. Singer Shirley Bassey (right) is 71. Game show host Bob Eubanks (“The Newlywed Game”) is 70. Singer David Bowie is 61. Singer R. Kelly is 41. Reggae singer Sean Paul is 35.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“She might be busy.”
— Hillary Clinton campaign senior adviser Sidney Blumenthal to syndicated WSB-AM talk show host Neal Boortz Monday on whether his candidate might be available to chat today to the Clinton critic, who’s broadcasting live from the New Hampshire primary this week.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Hip-hop pair preparing for another baby
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta rapper T.I. is expecting a baby boy with girlfriend Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, who is more than four months pregnant.
This will be T.I.’s fifth child and his second with Cottle, a member of the ’90s group Xscape.
Their son King Harris is 3. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested Oct. 13, just hours before the BET Hip-Hop Awards ceremony in Atlanta, for allegedly trying to buy machine guns and silencers in a Midtown parking lot. Late last week, a suppression hearing was postponed until mid-February.
In November, Harris’ legal team filed court motions contending the search of Harris’ vehicle on the afternoon of his arrest was illegal because it was conducted without “a warrant, consent or probable cause.”
Harris, who has pleaded not guilty, was released pending trial on a $3 million bond, under strict conditions that include home confinement.
WEARING A LOT OF HATS LATELY?
College Park was awash in berets, cloche hats, and J. Lo style floppy brims on Saturday as the Atlanta Suburban Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. swarmed the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel for the Seventh Annual Mad Hatters Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show.
The annual fund-raiser has awarded more than $100,000 to young women seeking a higher education, said the chapter president, Alma Vinyard.
THAT’S WHY HE’S THE DOCTOR
Change in plans. Rubber-necking, train-wreck craving celebrity fans will not get a chance to throw back another shot of Britney juice Tuesday.
The television doctor known as Phil had originally planned to air out the details of his exclusive one-on-one Saturday visit with Britney Spears at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but decided today to cancel.
here’s why Phil’s the doctor: “My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention,” Dr. Phil told syndicated programs “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider.”
Dr. Phil said he visited with Spears for about an hour as she was packing after her release from the hospital, and then “walked with her to her car.”
Buzz puts that last statement in quotes because the celebrity Web site TMZ.com reported Sunday citing anonymous sources that Dr. Phil blindsided Spears, who the Web site reported was not happy with the visit and that the two did not walk out of the hospital together as the good doctor suggested.
Medical center officials have had no comment on Spears, and authorities have given no full explanation of why she was hospitalized.
Spears was taken to the hospital Thursday night after police and paparazzi were called to her home because of a dispute involving the two sons she had with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
The incident at Spears’ home lasted several hours.
A Los Angeles police spokeswoman said Friday that officers at the scene determined that paramedics “needed to be called,” but it was unclear why.
At an emergency hearing Friday, a court commissioner suspended Spears’ right to visit sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.
The commissioner also gave sole physical and legal custody to Federline.
Previously, Federline had temporary custody and Spears had court-monitored visitation. The court set another hearing for Jan. 14.
Spears and Federline married in October 2004. Her life has spiraled downward since their divorce in July.
She has been photographed without underwear and appeared to be drunk and out of control in public.
She shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and spent a month in rehab.
But again, it was Saturday that Dr. Phil made the call that Britney Spears is in dire need of psychological help.
Thanks, man.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Ex-Ga. Playmate too ‘nice’ for Trump
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thank goodness former Atlanta Falcons cheerleader and Miss Georgia Tiffany Fallon was ousted on the first episode of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” on Thursday night. Donald Trump deemed the 2005 Playboy Playmate of the Year too nice for a competition featuring the claws of Omarosa and the bite of Carol Alt. Now Buzz no longer has to watch this pointless TV show that has thrown out any pretense of being a “business” competition, focusing almost exclusively on the “power” of celebrity.
But with the writers’ strike, there is plenty of other reality crud to sift through. There’s the return of “American Gladiators,” for instance. It debuts Sunday at 8 p.m. on NBC before settling into its regular time slot at 8 on Mondays. Atlanta wellness trainer Shanay Norvell, 31, will be battling with 11 other women to be the female gladiator, some much bigger than she is. But she makes it up with intensity and a fierce attitude. “I’d rather be strong than weak and silent,” she told Buzz.
Norvell, who designs fitness programs for adolescents at Grady High School and the Boys & Girls Club, is a true fan of the original “Gladiators”: “I loved the energy of the show. You get to be a warriorlike spirit come to life.” She said participating in the competition was tougher than she had expected. “I’ve done obstacle course and fitness competitions and triathlons. You can prepare for those. But you can’t prepare for this.” The toughest? Something called the “hand crank.” It’s a bike where you use your hands to pedal.
PHOTOS: “You’re fired,” celebrity style
TV NEWS TO HAVE SOME NEW FACES
Just days after WXIA-TV announced some anchor changes, WSB-TV is making a few of its own. Starting Monday, veteran anchor Pam Martin is relinquishing her early-morning duties in favor of reporting later in the day. She will still be co-anchoring the noon news with Fred Blankenship. Weekend anchor Carol Sbarge will take over Martin’s dawn duties as anchor.
The station has hired male anchor/reporter Justin Farmer, the son of former WSB-TV anchor Don Farmer, who retired in 1997. Justin, 38, currently works as a morning anchor at an ABC TV station, WFAA-TV in Dallas, and will be there until the summer when his three-year contract is up.
“This sounds like canned BS, but I really care about Atlanta,” said Justin, who grew up in the metro Atlanta area and spent part of his early career at CNN/Sports Illustrated. “I love the weather. I love the people. I’m a Southerner. I watched this city go from being a big town to an international city.” He was a poli-sci major at Boston College and is looking forward to covering Georgia politics.
HERE WE GO AGAIN: POLITICS, PAPARAZZI
Four days into 2008 — four little days! — was all it took to set the pattern for what may very well be the perpetual news cycle for the entire year. We had the results of the presidential race coming in from Iowa, and we had the police being called to Britney Spears’ house. We had the candidates moving on to New Hampshire, trailed by a massive scrum of media, and we had Spears being wheeled out on a gurney and taken to the hospital, trailed by a massive scrum of media.
At press time, Spears remained hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she is being looked after by several hundred paparrazi, who reportedly banged on the ambulance doors when it pulled up to the hospital as a welcoming gesture. She was taken there after what was called a custody dispute in her mansion with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two children.
Oh 2008, will it be ever thus, through the primaries, and the child custody hearings, and the conventions, and the rehab, and the elections, and the comeback attempts? A year of presidential politics and breathless Britney bulletins?
HASSELBECK BACK TO ‘VIEW’ WITH SON
Elisabeth Hasselbeck will return to ABC’s “The View” on Monday, and she’ll bring along her infant son, Taylor Thomas. Hasselbeck, 30, has been on maternity leave from the talk show since Oct. 23. She gave birth to Taylor Thomas on Nov. 9. Her husband, Tim Hasselbeck, is a quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Actor Robert Duvall is 77. Talk-show host Charlie Rose is 66. Actress Diane Keaton is 62. Actor Ted Lange (“The Love Boat”) is 60. Actor Clancy Brown (voice of Mr. Krabs on “SpongeBob SquarePants”) is 49. Singer Marilyn Manson is 39.
Sunday: Country singer Earl Scruggs is 84. Actress Bonnie Franklin is 64. Guitarist Malcolm Young of AC/DC is 55. Actor-comedian Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean”) is 53. Singer Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge is 49. Director John Singleton is 40.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
Sonny Bono, half of Sonny and Cher and a Republican congressman from California, was killed in a skiing accident 10 years ago today, giving rise to several unfortunate sick jokes involving trees. Bono was a star in the music business in the ’60s, writing and recording hits such as “I Got You Babe,” and in the TV business in the ’70s with his and Cher’s hit variety show. He was elected mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., in the ’80s and to Congress in the ’90s.
SICK BAY
Stephen Stills is recovering after surgery for prostate cancer. His wife, Kristen Stills, said in a statement the “procedure went remarkably well and he couldn’t be better.”
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Perry blasting off to new frontier
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Star Trekkers and Web sites went a tad bananas as yet another morsel of information seemed to be released about the upcoming “Star Trek” movie directed by J.J. Abrams. Hollywood Reporter confirmed Thursday that Atlanta’s own Tyler Perry will get a short ride with ye olde Paramount film as head of the Starfleet Academy.
The Web site UGO (movieblog.ugo.com) offered details when it apparently broke the story last weekend, but since even “Trek” fans celebrate New Year’s Eve and watch bowl games, the movie news didn’t float up to the mainstream until Thursday.
No bother, we have time to prepare. While the movie started filming in November 2007, it’s scheduled for a Christmas Day 2008 release. Perry — writer-director of “Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” and the 2007 hit “Why Did I Get Married?” — has already shot scenes with stars Chris Pine (“Just My Luck”) and Zachary Quinto (“Heroes”), according to the reports. They play younger versions of Captain Kirk and Spock.
Perry’s name isn’t yet listed on IMDB.com as a cast member, but when he’s added, he’ll join a group that includes Eric Bana, Winona Ryder and Leonard Nimoy, who’s perhaps best known for his turn opposite William Shatner in a 1983 “T.J. Hooker” episode. Nimoy also played Spock in a variety of shows and films related to “Star Trek.”
PERRY’S BIG DAY, PERRY’S BIG YEAR
Tyler Perry, former Atlanta resident Whitney Houston, Conyers filmmaker Will Packer, and, of course, presidential candidate Barack Obama were named among the 10 hottest people to watch in 2008 in the upcoming issue of Jet, which hits stands Monday. Perry’s looking at another big year with the March film “Meet the Browns,” which will also become a sitcom scheduled to debut this summer. Houston has a new album scheduled for April, and Packer is developing a black remake of the 1983 classic “The Big Chill.”
THE ART OF RESELLING
Now, for the portion of the Buzz program that does not report on things Tyler Perry. TEW Galleries is having its second annual collector’s sale, which starts with an opening reception Jan. 25. The basic idea is that, while you may purchase a piece of art in one year, you may decide you don’t like it in another. This is where you might sell such a piece. Be warned: This is a “curated collector’s sale,” which simply means you can’t just show up at 425 Peachtree Hills Ave. N.E. on Jan. 24 with a truckload of art, drop it on the doorstep and say, “Here.” There is a process. If you’d like to put some of your art up for sale, head to www.tewgalleries.com, where you’ll be directed to upload photos of the art and information about the pieces. About 300 pieces will be chosen for the sale, and owners will be notified by the gallery. The sale runs through Feb. 8.
T.I. HEARING POSTPONED
Atlanta rapper T.I. must wait another six weeks before trying to persuade a judge to throw out key evidence obtained against him in October when he was arrested on federal firearms charges.
U.S. Magistrate Alan Baverman postponed a suppression hearing, initially scheduled for Thursday, until Feb. 19.
T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., was arrested Oct. 13, hours before the BET Hip-Hop Awards ceremony in Atlanta, over accusations he tried to buy machine guns and silencers in a Midtown parking lot.
In November, Harris’ legal team filed court motions contending the search of Harris’ vehicle on the afternoon of his arrest was illegal because it was conducted without “a warrant, consent or probable cause.” As a result, “all evidence obtained in the searches and all statements as well as fruits thereof must be suppressed,” the motion said.
If Harris’ lawyers prevail in this motion, a large part of the government’s case will be gutted.
Harris, who has pleaded not guilty, was released pending trial on a $3 million bond, under strict conditions that include home confinement.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Barbara Rush is 81. Actress Ann Magnuson is 52. Country singer Patty Loveless is 51. Singer Michael Stipe of R.E.M. is 48. Actor Dave Foley (“NewsRadio”) is 45. Actress Julia Ormond is 43. Country singer Deana Carter is 42. Actor Jeremy Licht (“Valerie”) is 37. Actress Jill Marie Jones (“Girlfriends”) is 33.
OVERSCENE
Stopping to smell the roses
Former Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt came to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden on New Year’s Eve with his grandson, son and daughter-in-law, who live in Atlanta. His family said they love Story Book Time in the Garden.
Contributing: Bill Rankin and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Can Playmate help save ‘Apprentice’?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Donald Trump’s last-ditch effort to save the floundering “Apprentice” franchise launches tonight on NBC with a celebrity version boasting some decent-sized names (Gene Simmons, Stephen Baldwin) and relative unknowns (Nely Galan? Tito Ortiz?).
Former Atlanta Falcons cheerleader and Miss Georgia USA Tiffany Fallon falls into that “relative” unknown part — except for those who may have seen her two spreads in Playboy magazine. (She was December 2004 Playmate of the Month and 2005’s Playmate of the Year.)
Fallon now lives in Brentwood, Tenn., and is married to Joe Don Rooney, guitarist for Rascal Flatts. (She still comes into Atlanta regularly to get her hair done at Jamison Shaw.) She was actually pregnant while shooting “Celebrity Apprentice” in the fall but told no one because she was only in her first trimester.
“I had bad morning sickness, but had to conceal that during filming. It wasn’t easy!” she noted. She also did her third Playboy shoot for the March 2008 issue at about the same time, dressed as Wonder Woman.
Here are her takes on some of her fellow contestants:
Country singer Trace Adkins: “He’s a neighbor and friend of my husband’s. This was the first time I got to sit and talk with him. It was so pleasant, like being home again.”
Kiss frontman Simmons: “He’s incredibly smart. And he’ll let you know that, too.”
Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”): “He’s your typical New Yorker, loves pasta, loves his football.”
Gold medal gymnast Nadia Comaneci: “She’s hysterical! You never know what’s going to come out of her mouth.”
Baldwin: “He’s passionate about Christ, and he’s passionate about winning.”
PHOTOS: “You’re fired,” celebrity style
HEARING GOOD ‘FEEDBACK’
If the feedback on part-time Atlantan Janet Jackson’s new single “Feedback” is any indication, her New Year is starting on an up beat. Last week, Island Records quietly sneaked “Feedback,” from her upcoming “Discipline” album, onto iTunes.
For hours after it officially hit the site, the track, simply credited to “Janet” (and posted with a striking current headshot of the 1980s pop queen), failed to generate a single response from customers encouraged to post comments on music they purchase. Either fans were thrown by the one-word name or distracted opening presents.
When Buzz checked again Wednesday, Jackson’s fans had obviously found the Britney Spears-esque dance track. More than 1,324 comments had been posted, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“Infectious,” “A fierce beat,” “Everything about this song I love; you can’t deny this song” and “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for a good Janet song” were among the raves posted from iTunes customers.
While radio stations and MTV mull adding “Feedback,” the pop star gave syndicated magazine “Extra” an exclusive interview Wednesday. On the set of the “Feedback” video, Jackson says about her upcoming album: “I love the dance stuff. I love the mid-tempo stuff. I love the slow songs and the baby-making songs. … It makes me want to dance, and that’s the nice thing. I love listening to music that makes me want to get up and move.”
“Discipline” is due in stores Feb. 26.
‘GOOD EATS’ ON TAP FOR 3 MORE YEARS
Atlanta’s food maven Alton Brown has reupped for another three years with the Food Network, according to “Good Eats” line producer Dana Popoff.
This means his signature show “Good Eats” will surpass 200 episodes, with production starting again in February in Atlanta. He will also continue to co-host “Iron Chef America” and is in talks for more episodes of “Feasting on Asphalt,” his culinary series in which he checks out mom-and-pop eateries by motorcycle.
With the holidays, “he’s been laying low,” Popoff said. “He’s had a pretty hectic year. But he seems to be in good spirits.”
PLAYING MUSICAL CHAIRS AT WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV has shaken up its anchor lineup. Most notably, former weekend anchor Karyn Greer is now co-anchoring weekday mornings and the noon telecasts with Jill Becker.
Greer swaps places with Clarence Reynolds, who takes over weekend evening anchoring with Valerie Hoff and will report as well. Keith Whitney will take over weekend morning anchoring, replacing Hoff.
HIGH FIVE
V-103
Most played songs, Dec. 26-Jan. 1
1. “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” Alicia Keys
2. “I Remember” Keyshia Cole
3. “No One” Alicia Keys
4. “Sensual Seduction” Snoop Dogg
5. “Shoulda Let You Go” Keyshia Cole
Source: Mediabase 24/7
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Dabney Coleman is 76. Singer Stephen Stills is 63. Bassist John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin is 62. Actress Victoria Principal is 58. Actor Mel Gibson is 52. Singer and former “American Idol” contestant Kimberley Locke is 30.
Contributing: Richard Eldredge and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Jacksons (though no Michael) at Jermaine Dupri’s party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sandra Rose, local blogger extraordinaire, procured video from the New Year’s party at Jermaine Dupri’s Studio 72 in Tucker. Dupri had promised a Jackson reunion and he got at least some of them there. The video below shows Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie just minutes before midnight with DuPRi, a few looking rather bored. Jermaine’s squeeze Janet was around, but Rose wrote she didn’t mingle much. Michael, of course, was not there.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Deen edges Brown in mac & cheese duel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia-based Food Network personalities Paula Deen and Alton Brown’s macaroni-and-cheese recipes battled it out over the holidays on foodnetwork.com. After the final numbers were crunched, The Lady and Son restaurateur’s Creamy Macaroni and Cheese narrowly beat Brown’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe.
The shocker? The “Good Eats” host’s version actually calls for more butter than the priestess of “Paula’s Home Cooking.” Brown uses the stuff in both the mac and cheese itself and in the recipe’s panko bread crumb topping. Natch, Deen found a way to up the calories in her comfort staple as well. Her secret ingredient? A can of condensed cheddar cheese soup.
Overall, Deen’s recipes dominate Food Network’s top recipes of 2007. Deen’s ultrarich creations took six of the top 10 recipes. Last year’s top entry, Brown’s roast turkey, dropped to the third position. Deen’s baked French toast casserole (No. 4) and chicken-and-rice casserole (No. 6) make the list for a third straight year, and her Mexican chicken, a hit in 2006, is back on the list this year. Here are the top 10 recipes of 2007, determined in part by traffic at foodnetwork.com:
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (Deen)
Baked Macaroni and Cheese (Brown)
Good Eats Roast Turkey (Brown)
Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup (Deen)
Good Old Country Stuffing (Deen)
Chicken and Rice Casserole (Deen)
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf (Deen)
Mexican Chicken (Deen)
Chicken Tetrazzini (“Everyday Italian” host Giada De Laurentiis)
S’more Brownies (Food Network Kitchens)
Of course, with everyone hitting the gym and nibbling salad greens starting today as New Year’s resolutions kick in, we’re practically certain those stats will change this month. …
Celebrity docket
Five of late soul legend James Brown’s children now say their late father’s will should be invalidated because his former advisers used undue influence to get him to create charitable trusts that the advisers would profit from, according to court documents filed in Aiken, S.C.
The children were largely left out of the financial portion of the will, which leaves the bulk of the soul singer’s money to trusts set up to educate Brown’s grandchildren and needy kids.
Atlanta attorney Louis Levenson said the children discovered earlier wills drafted by their father that cast doubt on whether he truly wanted to leave his estate to charity.
“There was sporadic indication that Mr. Brown intended to benefit some charities, but the circumstances surrounding the making of these documents have always been clouded in mystery,” Levenson said.
Five Brown children are challenging the will in Aiken County Probate Court. They claim Brown’s longtime advisers Buddy Dallas, Alford Bradley and David Cannon persuaded the soul singer to create the trusts so the advisers would profit from managing the two charities after Brown died.
Dallas denied the allegations and called attempts to void the will “an act of desperation.”
“No one told James Brown what to do,” Dallas said, adding that if he were going to use his influence to benefit himself, “I would have just influenced him into giving me something.”
The Brown children challenging the will are Deanna Brown Thomas, Venisha Brown, Daryl Brown, Yamma Brown Lumar and Larry Brown. A sixth child named in Brown’s will, Terry Brown, has hired a different attorney.
One grandchild whose tuition would be paid for by the trusts has accused his relatives of trying to break the charities to get the money.
Most of Brown’s estate, including his Beech Island home and rights to his image, name and music, would go to the James Brown “I Feel Good” Trust for the education of needy children in South Carolina and Georgia, as well as to a family trust to educate his grandchildren younger than 35.
Brown died in Atlanta on Christmas Day 2006 of heart failure. He was 73.
Just how much money is involved in Brown’s estate is unclear. In October, Forbes reported Brown made an estimated $5 million in 2005 alone. But attorneys have said Brown’s accounts do not have the money they expected.
Spears, Federline: Round 241
Happy New Year, Britney! An attorney for Kevin Federline says he wants to depose K-Fed’s ex, Britney Spears, soon, the latest step in the former couple’s ongoing child-custody battle.
“Britney Spears will have her deposition early [this] year,” Mark Vincent Kaplan told People.com outside a Beverly Hills restaurant over the weekend. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Spears, 26, called in sick to a court-ordered deposition Dec. 12, although she was photographed that day driving with a friend.
“She was, in fact, out later that day and night,” Kaplan said. “It’s not fourth grade where you get a doctor’s note and it’s all OK.”
Spears and Federline have been wrangling for months over custody of their sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James.
Federline, 29, has temporary custody of the children because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders. Spears and Federline were married in October 2004 and finalized their divorce in July.
HIGH FIVE: Television
Top On Demand programs as determined by Comcast metro Atlanta digital cable customers for the week of Dec. 18-25: 2007:
“With U,” Chris Brown music video, Music Choice
“SpongeBob SquarePants,” “The Snowball Effect” episode, Nickelodeon
“Family Guy,” “Tan Aquatic with Steve” episode, TBS
“Soulja Girl” Soulja Boy music video, Music Choice
5.” Dreamgirls” movie, HBO
—Courtesy: Comcast
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Gabrielle Carteris (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) is 47. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is 40. Model Christy Turlington is 39. Actor Taye Diggs is 37. Drummer Scott Underwood of Train is 37. Singer Doug Robb of Hoobastank is 33. Actor Dax Shepard is 33. Actress Kate Bosworth is 25.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
