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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > January
January 2006
Newnan teen wins trip to Galápagos
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Keegan Flanigan, 13, of Newnan is one of 15 kids across the country selected to be part of the first-ever National Geographic Kids Expedition Team, slated to explore the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador in May.
The kids — selected from thousands of entries — will embark on what promises to be the ultimate field trip; English naturalist Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835. The group will board a small ship accompanied by ecologists, naturalists and underwater experts to get a close look at Galápagos’ natural wonders — sea lions, penguins, geckos and more than 1,600 species of insects.
In Keegan’s submission, the seventh-grader wrote about his frequent visits to a nearby nature center where he climbs huge limestone rock formations and looks under rocks, discovering toads and snakes.
“He is out of his mind, he is so excited,” Keegan’s mom, Janet Flanigan, told Buzz.
“He is very outdoorsy, and we have gone to national parks for vacations,” she said. “Keegan loves to explore the wilderness, and he is really looking forward to this opportunity. He’s talked about maybe having the opportunity to swim with sea lions and penguins.”
And Mom also gets to go on the trip as a chaperon.
Talent search heats up
Two and a half years into it, Hot-107.9’s Akini “The Black Mack” Jeffrey’s weekly talent showcase seems to be at full steam. Last month, his “ATL’s Most Wanted” drew rappers Bone Crusher and the Ying Yang Twins, plus former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, to Auburn Avenue’s legendary Royal Peacock. The president of Bad Boy South, Russell “Block” Spencer, was there that same evening and signed one of the performers to his label. And that artist, Yung Joc, is already getting his single “It’s Goin’ Down” played on Hot. “Block told me he wants to sign five more acts,” Akini told Buzz on Tuesday. And guess what, aspiring rappers and singers? There are opening spots for the “Best of the Best” showcase tonight. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. at the Royal Peacock. You can register at the venue, call 404-636-4035 or go online to atlstalent.com.
Stork report
It’s a boy and a girl for acting duo Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. The couple are new parents of twins, a publicist for the pair announced Monday.
The babies were born Jan. 27 to a surrogate mother, Alex Dubee said.
Bassett and Vance have been married for eight years.
Bassett, 47, won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Vance, 45, plays District Attorney Ron Carver on the NBC show “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Chappelle will talk on ‘Oprah’
Dave Chappelle, who walked away from Comedy Central and a $50 million deal last year, will explain it all to you-know-who.
In his first TV interview, Chappelle, who’s been doing stand-up gigs around the country, will appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Friday. According to the show’s Web site, “he was the hottest comedian in the country [and] then he mysteriously disappeared.”
So Chappelle can expect to address and maybe even answer a million little questions: Why did he go, and where, and what happened, and … will he return?
Chappelle also has a date with Bravo’s “Inside the Actors Studio”; a taped interview with James Lipton will air Feb. 12, according to the program’s Web site.
Oscar-bound bejeweled shoes
Forget ogling the most beautiful gowns at this year’s Oscars. Some lucky actress will hit the red carpet wearing shoes adorned with Rita Hayworth’s jewelry.
“This is true Hollywood glamour!” shoe designer Stuart Weitzman said in a statement Monday. “I am taking personal jewels from a screen legend and creating a one-of-a-kind pair of shoes, which will be worn by a movie star of today.”
Weitzman said Hayworth’s daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, had given him permission to use the jewels.
The Oscar shoes and the actress who will wear them will be unveiled by Weitzman on March 2.
Weitzman has selected two pairs of earrings, one ruby and one diamond, and will choose one pair to coordinate with the color of the actress’s gown, Roger Neal of Neal Public Relations, which represents Weitzman, told The Associated Press.
Neal estimated the value of the bejeweled shoes at more than $3 million.
Celebrity birthdays
Jazz pianist Joe Sample is 67. Bluegrass singer Del McCoury is 67. Actor-writer-director Terry Jones (Monty Python) is 64. Guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is 52. Singer Lisa Marie Presley is 38. Comedian Pauly Shore is 38. Drummer Patrick Wilson of Weezer is 37. Rapper Big Boi of OutKast is 31.
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.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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‘Idol’ phenom shows it’s all in the family
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Buzz has some additional details today on Paris Bennett, the 17-year-old Fayetteville singing dynamo who successfully blew through her audition last week on “American Idol.” For starters, Bennett might be proof positive that talent is genetic.
What most viewers didn’t realize as Bennett blasted through the Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away” and a vocal rendition of the Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond jazz standard “Take Five” was that her grandma waiting outside is a Grammy winner.
Former Sounds of Blackness powerhouse Ann Nesby and her manager and husband Tim Lee, also from Fayetteville, accompanied Bennett to the audition in Greensboro, N.C. At the audition, “A.I.” judge and music biz veteran Randy Jackson recognized Nesby immediately, calling her “one of the greatest singers in the known world.” Of Bennett, Jackson praised: “She’s got the lineage, though, man. She gets it honest.”
Given Lee’s uncharacteristic reaction when Buzz rang him, local viewers can expect to see Paris in the coming competition. Lee, along with Nesby, rank as two of the warmest, humblest folks we’ve ever met on this beat, but are being understandably close-mouthed about “Idol.”
“We can’t talk about anything pertaining to the show, unfortunately,” Lee told Buzz. “All I can say is that going to Greensboro was an awesome experience.”
For Nesby’s legion of fans, meanwhile, a new disc of gospel standards and a live DVD is on the way from the singer this spring.
The New York Post, meanwhile, has already published a story by reporter Adam Buckman all but proclaiming Paris the competition’s winner. Of Bennett’s televised audition, Buckman gushed: “Sorry, ‘Idol’ fans, the show’s over. … ‘American Idol’ began its fifth season only a week ago and already a probable winner has emerged.”
But if her grandparents have any say, the budding singer won’t be seeing her positive press any time soon.
Explained Lee: “We wouldn’t want her to get complacent.”
Sweet Devil Moon rising
The snakebitten restaurant space at 980 Piedmont Ave. near 10th Street is getting a capable new tenant. The location that has been home to Big Red Tomato Bistro, Balance and, most recently, Fishmonger Seafood Grill, is set to become the new home for Sweet Devil Moon, the 5-year-old neighborhood eatery in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Decatur.
Owner Paul Vinces tells Buzz he’ll relocate his Peruvian tapas wine bar concept to the space in March. Ticking off the address’s many previous incarnations, Vinces realizes he’s in for a challenge. “I’m confident that it will work for us, though,” he said. “I serve very good food, and hopefully people in Midtown will respond to that.”
Of course, Sweet Devil Moon’s current space represented some headaches as well. Said Vinces: “We’ve had a great five years here, but I won’t miss those 20 phone calls a day asking, ‘How do I get there?’ ” Vinces plans to open an as-yet-unnamed Mexican concept in the Decatur space.
LaVette’s birthday surprise
Veteran R&B vocalist Bettye LaVette celebrated her 60th birthday Sunday. To mark the occasion, the soul singer presented a jaw-droppingly intense set in front of a sold-out crowd over the weekend at the Five Spot in Little Five Points.
In 1962, LaVette was booked at Atlanta’s now-historic Royal Peacock nightclub — on a bill with Otis Redding.
“The very first time I was on a stage in a nightclub, it was right here [in Atlanta],” LaVette told the crowd. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my 60th birthday.”
LaVette roared through selections from her new, critically acclaimed album, “I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise” and plucked out a few older tunes from her vast catalog as well.
She finished the set with an a cappella version of Sinead O’Connor’s “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.” Her manager and some family members then surprised the singer onstage with flowers and a birthday cake. The capacity crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to her. Surprised by the gesture, she burst into tears. But LaVette didn’t keep the party private for long. She re-emerged in the club to sign stacks of her CDs for fans and to chat with old friends.
A moment to ‘Shine’
While Buzz Central steadfastly awaits the confirmation of our requested in-person chat with ABC daytime phenom Star Jones Reynolds (in town for a book-signing Feb. 16), we present today’s fascinating excerpt from “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love.” Page 34: “Sit down at a table while eating; pay attention to your food, tasting every bite. It’s too easy to gorge mindlessly on French fries when you’re lying in bed watching a Lifetime Original Movie.” — the author on portion control.
Band’s emergency landing
Three members of the rock band Live were aboard a United Airlines Express plane that made an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport after reports of smoke in the plane’s cabin Sunday afternoon.
The flight from Chicago to Harrisburg, Pa., was carrying 37 passengers and three crew members. The plane returned to O’Hare about 40 minutes after its 1 p.m. takeoff, said United spokesman Jeff Green. It landed safely with no injuries, he said.
Passengers who arrived at Harrisburg International Airport said they were not told the nature of the problem that forced the landing.
“No one knew anything,” Chad Taylor, Live’s lead guitarist, told The Patriot-News of Harrisburg.
Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer, rhythm guitarist Adam Kowalczyk, assistant manager Matt Gracey and road crew member Shawn Williams were returning to Pennsylvania after a show Saturday night in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The band had just finished a nine-date tour of Canada, opening for Nickelback.
Celebrity birthdays
Actress Carol Channing is 85. Actress Suzanne Pleshette is 69. Singer Harry Wayne Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band is 55. Singer Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols is 50. Actor Anthony LaPaglia (“Without a Trace”) is 47. Actress Minnie Driver is 35. Actress Portia de Rossi (“Arrested Development,” “Ally McBeal”) is 33. Actress Kerry Washington (“Ray”) is 29. Singer Justin Timberlake of ‘N Sync is 25.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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WXIA sharpens focus with HDTV technology
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
High-definition TV can be rather unkind to folks with acne, crow’s-feet or dandruff. But newscasters at NBC affiliate WXIA, the first news division in Atlanta to air in HD later this week, are sanguine because of the way the studio has been set up.
“The lighting with HD is very forgiving,” said Ted Hall, the new nighttime anchor. “It’s like a romantic restaurant.”
“The colors just pop out,” said Brenda Wood, veteran anchor.
General manager Bob Walker said given the gentle lighting, the on-air personalities don’t need as much makeup.
Sportscaster Fred Kalil said he has a greater worry: stray hairs and lint. “During one of the tests, a hair on my jacket looked like a bush!” he said. He plans to use a lint brush frequently.
Only a fraction of TV owners can truly appreciate the clarity of HDTV, but even those with a regular set will notice a sharper image, Walker said. WXIA has spent seven figures to build a new studio and install the equipment and cameras. So far, a handful of news stations in other markets offer HD telecasts, including those in Denver and Washington.
WSB-TV general manager Greg Stone declined, for competitive reasons, to comment about the ABC station’s plans. WAGA GM Gene McHugh said HD wasn’t in his budget yet. General manager at WGCL, Andy Alford didn’t return calls.
Newscaster back on air
Fred Powers, known as the “human piñata” for his intrepid reporting on WGCL, faced his own mortality in November when doctors discovered cancer in the tear duct of his right eye, a rare condition which ballooned into a tumor on his face the size of a plum. He had surgery at Emory to remove it right before New Year’s.
“My surgery went much better than expected, as far as reconstructing my face,” he told Buzz last week. He has already recovered enough to return to the air, which he did last Thursday. The results of the surgery are barely noticeable on camera.
Powers said the weeks before surgery were stark: “There was talk about me losing my eye and major facial reconstruction.” The pain “was like having a stake driven in my eye.”
“I felt like a monster,” he added. “I didn’t turn the lights on in my house.”
He pondered why he got this cancer, recalling bad sunburns as a child and time in the tanning bed. “I didn’t wear goggles because I didn’t want the lines,” he admitted.
Powers, who says he now feels “great,” starts chemotherapy this week.
Watch out for …
Paris Bennett of Fayetteville blew away the “American Idol” judges during last week’s episode of the Greensboro, N.C., auditions. The 17-year-old relative of R&B singer Ann Nesby owns a squeaky talking voice, but her vocals were mesmerizing. She sampled the Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away” and Dave Brubeck’s jazz classic “Take Five,” two challenging songs from very different genres.
“Chills!” Paula Abdul exclaimed. “Where have you been hiding?” marveled Simon Cowell. “She’s got the lineage!” added Randy Jackson.
Bennett was easily the best audition “Idol” aired that night.
Also, the Brittenum twins, jailed recently for forgery and identity theft, told V-103’s Frank & Wanda show last week that they were disinvited from “Idol’s” final 36 but were offered a production deal by So So Def Records …
Sugarland’s Hall: Still hazy
Through the record label Mercury, singer-songwriter Kristen Hall released a statement Friday about her status with the Atlanta trio Sugarland, but it shed no new light. While she confirmed she is no longer going to perform with the band on the road, it’s unclear if she will still write and record with them.
Touring does “not allow time to focus on relationships with other writers and recording artists essential for me to do what I do best — songwriting,” Hall said. “That said, I am incredibly appreciative and indebted to Jennifer [Nettles] and Kristian [Bush] for all the hard work and talent they brought to this band, which has resulted in such great success for us all. We plan to support each other wholeheartedly into the future.”
Random bits
Dave Cohen, a veteran sports broadcaster who now lives in Dunwoody, played a fictional one in the popular basketball flick “Glory Road,” calling the climactic game and getting primo air time on the TV trailers. Cohen has called games for the Yankees and Braves and did P.A. announcing for the Hawks for three years. … Joe Weber, owner of WMLB-AM/1160, the quirky music station that plays a mix of opera, classical, jazz, rock and R&B, has purchased WWAA-AM/1690, the Air America affiliate, for $12 million. Will he kill off Al Franken & Co.? Weber won’s say. … ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” drew a season-high 19.4 million people last Thursday. Master P was finally ousted Friday.
Celebrity birthdays
Comedian Dick Martin is 84. Actor Gene Hackman is 76. Actress Vanessa Redgrave is 69. Musician Phil Collins is 55. Former Marietta resident and comedian Brett Butler is 48. Singer Jody Watley is 47. Actor Christian Bale is 32. Actor Wilmer Valderrama (“That ’70s Show”) is 26.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-5688 or e-mail buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Gaffe at dinner causes brief worry about King
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CNN/U.S. anchor Tony Harris almost rewrote history at the Atlanta History Center on Thursday night as he performed the master of ceremonies duties at the Business to Business magazine Annual Awards dinner.
Introducing former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, who was presenting the Atlanta Legend award to Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, Harris spoke glowingly of Young and the impact the civil rights leader has had on him personally. Then Harris, in front of about 400 attendees, went on to reference Young’s participation at Coretta Scott King’s funeral.
Some confused invitees gasped into their Key lime pie desserts.
According to those in attendance, ascending to the microphone, Young went on to explain that Harris probably meant to reference the 2005 funeral of civil rights icon Rosa Parks and that, according to Coretta King’s children, “she is alive and well.”
In recent weeks, the civil rights matriarch, who suffered a stroke and a heart attack last year, has been in the thoughts of many as the nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Coretta King made a surprise appearance but did not speak at this month’s Salute to Greatness dinner over the MLK holiday weekend.
A call placed to Young’s office Friday wasn’t immediately returned. Harris also did not a return a phone call to his voice mail at CNN.
Attendee and Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders downplayed the gaffe in a phone call to Buzz on Friday. “It was just a mistake,” Borders said. “[Harris is] human. Ambassador Young is one of the finest speakers I’ve ever had the pleasure to hear, and it was pleasure to hear him speak about Mr. Cathy. The focus should really remain on all the wonderful business and civic leaders who were the focus of the evening.”
Business to Business publisher Stephen B. Reynolds told Buzz: “I’m not going to comment on it. The evening was about honoring our city’s business leaders. You’re a joke. You guys are unbelievable.”
Zoo Atlanta gorilla babies get meaningful names
Thanks to the more than 7,000 AJC readers who responded to our poll, the two western lowland gorilla twins, born Oct. 31 to Kuchi, have now been named. Pulling in more than 3,197 votes, Kali and Kazi were the winning names for the male and female, respectively. The names were officially unveiled at a Friday afternoon feeding photo op. The name Kali means “strong” in Swahili and Kazi means “treasure.”
Among the bold-faced names who have weighed in on the naming process in the past week: Atlanta City Councilwoman Carla Smith; Atlanta Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk, Peter Bondra, Slava Kozlov and Jaroslav Modry; Atlanta Hawks Marvin Williams and Josh Smith; Secretary of State Cathy Cox; Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor; V-103’s Ryan Cameron; Star 94’s Vikki Locke; Q100’s Tracy St. George; B98.5’s Kelly & Alpha; University of Georgia coach Mark Richt; Falcons mascot Freddie; and Georgia Tech mascot Buzz.
Globe winner in crash
“Walk the Line” star Joaquin Phoenix’s car overturned on a canyon road and collided with another vehicle after his brakes went out, but there were no reports of injury, police said.
Phoenix, the 31-year-old star of the Johnny Cash biopic, was driving eastbound above Sunset Strip about 2:50 p.m. Thursday when he realized his brakes were not working, said Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman.
Phoenix lost control of his car, which overturned and hit another vehicle also headed eastbound, Lee said.
His publicist, Susan Patricola, said in a statement that Phoenix was wearing his seat belt and walked away from the scene after being helped out of his vehicle by a passer-by.
This month, Phoenix won a Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy for portraying country legend Cash.
Phoenix is nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, which will be handed out Sunday. Patricola told Us Weekly magazine that he will be at the awards ceremony despite the car accident.
Celebrity docket
Former Libertines frontman Pete Doherty, the sometime boyfriend of model Kate Moss, was jailed Friday after pleading guilty to possessing drugs for the second time in a week.
The 26-year-old singer was arrested in east London on Thursday by officers who thought he looked “disheveled and suspicious,” prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to heroin possession at Thames Magistrates’ Court and was ordered jailed until a hearing on Feb. 8.
Doherty’s band, Babyshambles, had been due to perform in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday, Bristol, England, on Saturday and London on Sunday. Refusing bail, District Judge Stephen Dawson said he was “sorry if my order will affect your fans and people who go to your concerts.”
It is the latest in a string of drug busts for the troubled singer.
Doherty appeared at the same court a week ago and admitted possessing heroin, crack cocaine, morphine and marijuana. He was freed on bail.
He also is on bail after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and heroin following a Nov. 30 arrest.
The maximum sentence for possession of “class A” drugs such as heroin and cocaine is seven years in prison.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Actor Alan Alda is 70. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan is 38. Actress Kathryn Morris (“Cold Case”) is 37. Singer Joey Fatone of ‘N Sync is 29. Singer Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys is 26. Actor Elijah Wood (“The Lord of the Rings”) is 25.
Sunday: Actor John Forsythe is 88. Actress Katharine Ross is 66. Actor Tom Selleck is 61. Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey is 52. Actress Judy Norton Taylor (“The Waltons”) is 48. Actor Nicholas Turturro (“NYPD Blue”) is 44. Director-actor Ed Burns is 38. Actress Heather Graham is 36. Actor Sharif Atkins (“ER”) is 31. Actress Sara Gilbert (“Roseanne”) is 31. Guitarist Jonny Lang is 25.
Contributing: News services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
‘Hairspray’ film version will comb Atlanta for talent
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a unique approach to casting a major Hollywood studio musical, New Line Cinema has announced a national talent search for the role of Tracy Turnblad, the lead in the upcoming film version of the Broadway musical “Hairspray.”
New Line Cinema reps tell Buzz that casting directors will be in town Feb. 4 on the campus of Georgia State University downtown to begin the search for the full-figured, sassy “hair-hopper” heroine.
As fans of the John Waters comedy-turned Broadway hit know, Tracy needs to be female, Caucasian, between the ages of 16 and 21 to play 16 and “an overweight girl with a pretty face, infectious grin and indomitable spirit.” Producers say the lead role requires “a triple threat: singer/dancer/actress with a powerful Broadway-caliber singing voice.” Being able to dance a mean “mashed potato” may also increase your chances at nabbing the role.
During the Atlanta auditions, casting reps also will be searching for the pivotal character of Seaweed, an African-American male, age 16 to 21, to play 18, who is “charming, handsome and an excellent singer and dancer” who is “dynamic.” Lil Inez, Seaweed’s little sis, described as “an African-American female, age 10 to 13,” is also being sought.
Actress Ricki Lake memorably played Tracy in the non-musical 1988 film comedy after being discovered by Waters.
Auditions also will be held in New York and Chicago. The production is expected to go before the cameras this summer.
For complete info on the casting opportunities and audition application, go online to www.hairspraymovie.com.
Say goodbye to E.D.’s Records …
If you’re out in a nightclub this weekend and the DJ plays a dance-floor dirge or two, there’s a reason. Sunday marks the last day of business for E.D.’s Records, the longtime DJ disc emporium and playground at 1875 Piedmont Road. Co-owner Jason Jones tells us that the age of downloadable music, iPods and CD-burning have all affected bricks-and- mortar stores like E.D.’s. The store was originally known as E.D.’s Gourmet Records, and founders Eric Lopez and David Owens began it as a folding table and crates of records set up inside a Midtown bar in 1989. Over the years, the store physically moved several times, but the city’s DJ community always flocked to the new locations. This weekend, expect the city’s top spinners to pop in for one last vinyl fix.
… And hello to joerockhead.com
If E.D.’s represents old- school record retailing, the e-mail to Buzz Central announcing the upcoming launch of Atlanta online disc retailer Joerockhead.com may well represent the future. Joerockhead.com is the brainchild of longtime Atlanta music head Steve Pilon, who worked for historic local label DB Recs before starting his own boutique label, Longplay, late in the last millennium. When it bows this spring, joerockhead.com, described as “an independent online record shop built by and for adventurous music fans,” will specialize in indie rock, power pop, Americana, jangle, twang, folk, garage and punk. Pilon also has talked Stomp & Stammer music zine publisher Jeff Clark into serving as the venture’s editorial director. For an advance peek and to sign up for e-mail updates, go to www.joerockhead.com.
Wanted: Super Bowl dropouts
Are you one of the increasing number of folks who counter-program on Super Bowl Sunday? You know, the people who never turn on the game but plan other activities or non-football related, themed parties with friends or family? We want to hear about how you plan to spend Super Bowl Sunday for a potential Living story. E-mail us your detailed ingenious plans, along with your name, where you live and daytime phone number.
Signing for ‘Shine’ is on again
In case you missed the exclusive news phoned into Buzz Central from Star Jones Reynolds’ very own publicist Brad Zeifman this week, “The View” co-host has rescheduled her signing at the Barnes & Noble off Moreland Avenue for Feb. 16. In giddy anticipation of our planned sit-down with the author of “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love,” we present today’s excerpt from the how-to handbook.
Page 67: “Here’s my fashion philosophy: You become a new person every time you put on a new outfit. Last week when I went to the tennis match, I was definitely the black Audrey Hepburn.”
Stork report — sort of
Actress Meg Ryan has adopted a baby girl from China.
The 44-year-old actress recently traveled to China for the adoption. She and her daughter are home in California together, Ryan’s publicist, Stephen Huvane, confirmed Thursday. No further details were available.
The “Sleepless in Seattle” star also has a 13-year-old son with her ex-husband, actor Dennis Quaid. She and Quaid divorced in 2001.
Sick bay update
Stax Records icon Isaac Hayes is out of a Memphis hospital where he was being treated for exhaustion. Label rep Jo Crimmins told Buzz that the former Atlantan is now resting at home. Last week, some Memphis TV stations reported that the veteran soul man, who voices Chef on “South Park,” had suffered a slight stroke. His reps in Memphis now say he did not.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Bobby “Blue” Bland is 76. Actor James Cromwell (“Babe”) is 66. Singer Nedra Talley of the Ronettes is 60. Actress Mimi Rogers is 50. Actor Alan Cumming (“The L Word”) is 41. Country singer Tracy Lawrence is 38. Rapper Tricky is 38.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Oprah’s efforts noble enough to merit peace prize, fans say
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Approximately 50 Oprah Winfrey fans are set to gather outside the Carter Center at 11:30 a.m. Thursday for a world-peace prayer vigil. The group’s mission also includes assisting the talk show queen to snag the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. We’re told that the Oprah Winfrey Nobel Peace Prize Movement (OWNPPM for short), including 96-year-old Atlanta fan Judy Ferrell, has collected thousands of signatures from around the globe on its Web site www.oprah4peaceprize.org. The group was hoping the rally would capture the attention of former President Jimmy Carter, who was awarded the prize in 2002.
Carter Center reps confirmed the group’s outdoors plans to Buzz on Wednesday. The former president, however, has a busy day planned elsewhere today. He’s leading a team of 80 observers who monitored the Palestinian election Wednesday, the first parliamentary election there in a decade.
In an e-mail to Buzz Central, the OWNPPM claims that 15,000 folks have pledged their support for Winfrey on its Web site since July. They plan to unspool the group’s petition at 12:30 p.m.
So why Oprah? Well, according to OWNPPM founder Rocky Twyman, it’s not just for her annual “Favorite Things” broadcast.
Twyman credits “the power of Oprah to change lives and bring people together in harmony.”
In an e-mail statement, Twyman continued: ” ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ has truly been instrumental in standing up for equality for women and the downtrodden all over the world. Many of the issues that she addresses, such as homelessness, hunger, poverty, AIDS and literacy, are ills that divide our society.”
On the off-chance that a rogue prank made it past Buzz Central’s elaborate spam filter, it should be noted that the Carter Center, too, received the same series of missives. Plus, they’ve got one incredibly talented, dedicated Web page designer.
‘Boondocks’ to return
Fans of Cartoon Network’s edgy satirical series “The Boondocks” may want to treat themselves to a Luther burger today. The ‘toon net announced Wednesday that the Adult Swim animated series based on Aaron McGruder’s comic strip has been greenlighted for a second season. Cartoon Network Senior Vice President Mike Lazzo’s glee was evident even in the official press release. “Thank God for ‘The Boondocks’ and Aaron McGruder,” Lazzo said in the statement. The second season of 20 episodes will commence in late 2006, just in time for the holidays.
We expect that the Rev. Al Sharpton won’t be pleased.
On Wednesday, via a statement, Sharpton finally expressed his outrage over the series’ Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr.-themed episode. “Cartoon Network must apologize and also commit to pulling episodes that desecrate black historic figures,” Sharpton, a civil rights activist and former Democratic presidential candidate, said.
“We are totally offended by the continuous use of the n-word in McGruder’s show.”
At presstime Wednesday, it wasn’t immediately clear exactly how long Sharpton’s TiVo had been on the fritz… .
Star Jones Reynolds update!
The phone rang at Buzz Central on Wednesday just as we were taking a sip from our brand-new 2,000th show commemorative “The View” mug (air date Feb. 2). On the other end? Star Jones Reynolds’ publicist Brad Zeifman. Steve “The single rudest person ever!” McCoy and Vikki Locke’s favorite interview subject has locked in a fresh date for Atlanta book buyers. Jones Reynolds has rescheduled her local stop on her book tour for “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love.” It’s set for 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the new Barnes & Noble off Moreland Avenue.
Zeifman told Buzz that it was always Jones Reynolds’ intention to visit the ATL, one of her fave cities.
So when will Jones Reynolds be chatting personally with Buzz, you ask? We formally requested a sit-down at one of the daytime diva’s Atlanta haunts when she’s in town (we may even drink from our “View” mug featuring a dancing Star with a balloon).
Which, naturally, brings us to today’s …
Moment to ‘Shine’
Now that the author is confirmed once again for our fair city, Buzz feels compelled to continue to share bits of wisdom from “Shine.” Until, that is, we have that chance to chat with her in person on your behalf. Page 105: “I drink about 10 to 12 glasses of water each day. I’m not exaggerating about this — there is nothing like water for the skin.” — The author on part of her makeup regimen.
Wacko Jacko watch
Michael Jackson visited a mall in Bahrain’s capital Wednesday, covering himself in a black abaya robe and a veil hiding his face.
The 47-year-old pop star was accompanied by three children, apparently his, whose faces were covered with dark scarves. They wore yellow shirts and sweat pants or khakis, without robes.
The veil, abaya and gloves were of a style typically worn by conservative Bahraini women. A woman wearing an abaya, jeans and a scarf over her head that partially covered her face accompanied Jackson. She asked photographers to respect their privacy, saying they were scaring the children.
Yeah, because shutterbugs are the scariest things Michael Jackson’s kids have ever had to deal with. Exhibit A? Oh, we dunno. Maybe, Dad’s wearing a dress?
‘Survivor’ celebrity docket
Richard Hatch, the first champion of the hit reality television show “Survivor,” was convicted of tax evasion in Rhode Island on Wednesday and faces up to 13 years in prison.
The winner of the $1 million jackpot on “Survivor” on a South Pacific island in 2000 was handcuffed and taken into custody after U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres ruled that he was a potential flight risk.
Hatch, a motivational speaker, was convicted of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million winnings in 2000 and about $391,000 he earned from half a dozen other sources. The 44-year-old Newport, R.I., native faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison and a fine of $600,000. He will remain in custody until his April 28 sentencing.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Paul Newman is 81. Sports announcer-actor Bob Uecker is 71. Singer Jean Knight is 63. Actor David Strathairn is 57. Singer Lucinda Williams is 53. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is 51. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres is 48.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Ex-prez creates compelling case for auction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first time in three years, the 14th annual Carter Center Winter Weekend ski event in Crested Butte, Colo., will auction off a homemade creation from former President Jimmy Carter’s Plains woodshed. And judging from the size of the handcrafted piece of furniture, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner has more than made up for the popular auction item’s absence.
A 6-foot-tall antique persimmon wood cabinet crafted by Carter stands taller than its maker. Sales from the unique piece — the largest instant-heirloom ever created for the auction — benefit the work of the Carter Center. While the auction culminates during the ski weekend Feb. 4, advance bids are being accepted at www.cartercenter.org.
“Since leaving the White House, I have designed and built more than 100 pieces of furniture,” the former president explained in a statement issued to Buzz by the Carter Center. “This cabinet is one of the most interesting and challenging.”
Carter’s Plains woodworking shop will be featured this weekend on “Sunday Morning” on CBS at 9 a.m.
In addition, Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter are auctioning two bottles of his homemade, private label wine; books written by and personalized by the couple; Stephen Stills’ handwritten lyrics to his song “Feed the People”; and trips to Las Vegas, Hawaii, Palm Springs and Florence, Italy.
For attendees at this year’s ski trip, the Carters will be hosts for a media-free town hall meeting during the fund-raising weekend.
Voting for Kuchi’s kin
The voting ended Tuesday at Zoo Atlanta where officials have been holding a contest to name the western lowland gorilla twins born Oct. 31 to Kuchi. Among the bold-faced names who have weighed in on the naming process: Atlanta Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk, Peter Bondra, Slava Kozlov and Jaroslav Modry; Atlanta Hawks Marvin Williams and Josh Smith; Secretary of State Cathy Cox; Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor; V-103’s Ryan Cameron; Star 94’s Vikki Locke; Q100’s Tracy St. George; B98.5’s Kelly & Alpha; University of Georgia coach Mark Richt; Falcons mascot Freddie; and Georgia Tech mascot Buzz. We’re told that the winning names will be released later this week.
Alas, our faves — Trick and Treat — weren’t offered as options. …
Steve and Vikki hit NYC
Last week’s abbreviated Star 94 interview with “The View” co-host Star Jones Reynolds even made it into the New York Post’s Page Six column Tuesday.
Recounting the daytime diva’s on-air snit with Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke when they tried to ask her about her new book, “Shine,” the Post scribbled: “What does Star Jones expect? She writes a book about her stunning 150-pound weight loss, goes on the road to promote it, and then blows her stack when someone asks her how she did it.”
The Post reiterated Jones Reynolds’ inimitable response (an audio file of which has been posted at www.star94.com for your listening pleasure, by the way) and then quoted Jones Reynolds later referring to McCoy as “the single rudest person who ever interviewed me.” (Is it even necessary to mention that Buzz hasn’t yet had that glorious opportunity?)
Which, of course, brings us to today’s edition of …
A moment to ‘Shine’
In our continuing quest to gently persuade Jones Reynolds to re-book Atlanta on her book tour, we offer up today’s excerpt from her how-to tome.
Page 73: “No side pockets that stick out. Those big old stupid side pockets add ten pounds before you turn around — especially if you have a well-endowed booty. Pockets must be flush with your body.” — the author, offering fashion tips on choosing the right pair of slacks.
Cue the fireworks
Kanye West, with a crown of thorns atop his head, poses as Jesus Christ on the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone.
The outspoken rapper defends his brash attitude inside the magazine’s pages, on newsstands this Friday. He is also pictured posing as Muhammad Ali.
“In America, they want you to accomplish these great feats, to pull off these David Copperfield-type stunts,” he says. “You want me to be great, but you don’t ever want me to say I’m great?”
West also says his hit song “Gold Digger” was the best song last year and that it should have been nominated for the Grammy’s best rap song category: “That’s a gimme Grammy.”
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is nominated for eight awards, including album of the year for his sophomore album, “Late Registration.” The Grammys will be presented Feb. 8.
West has always excelled at articulating what he feels, most famously when he said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” during a telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims as “Austin Powers” actor Mike Myers stood alongside, looking increasingly ever more uncomfortable.
“If I was more complacent and I let things slide, my life would be easier, but you all wouldn’t be as entertained,” West says. “My misery is your pleasure.”
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Dean Jones is 75. Blues singer Etta James is 68. Guitarist Matt Odmark of Jars of Clay is 32. Singer Alicia Keys is 25.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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André 3000 takes antics to cartooon hub
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just when we figured that OutKast co-creator “André 3000” Benjamin couldn’t get any more animated, on Monday Cartoon Network proved us wrong. The pop star has inked a deal to create and executive-produce his own cartoon with Tom Lynch for the basic cable channel. Lynch, a veteran kiddie TV vet, is best known for “The Secret World of Alex Mack” on Nickelodeon and the Lil Romeo and Master P series “Romeo!”
We’re told that the planned primetime, as-yet-unnamed half-hour series will “feature a group of musically gifted kids and an unlikely visitor who brings sunshine to their lives.”
It remained unclear Monday whether the “unlikely visitor” would be named Big Boi.
The series, produced by Cartoon Network in conjunction with Tom Lynch Co. and Benjamin’s Moxie Turtle production company, will initially produce 12 half-hour episodes, which will debut this fall.
In addition to André 3000 lending his voice to the project, he’s also enlisted TLC vocalist Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins to provide a voice for the ‘toon.
Product placement for The Luther?
Speaking of Cartoon Network, we tried in vain to chat with Mulligan’s owner Chandler Goff Monday to discuss the Decatur watering hole’s infamous foodstuff being featured on Sunday’s night’s edition of “The Boondocks.” In the episode, Granddad Freeman helps to open the first soul food restaurant in the decidedly diversity-challenged suburb of Woodcrest. Grandad’s signature dish? The concoction Goff serves up daily at Mulligan’s —The Luther, a massive wad of ground beef smothered in cheese and bacon and served up between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts. While no one actually answered at Mulligan’s when we rang, an automated voice did cheerfully ask us for our “password.” In any case, Granddad’s venture was short-lived as cholesterol counts and obesity stats staggered Woodcrest. Or as grandson Riley notably remarked upon taking his first bite of The Luther: “This must be what crack feels like!”
A moment to ‘Shine’
In our ongoing campaign to gently arm-twist “The View” co-host and fledgling author Star Jones Reynolds to re-schedule Atlanta on her current book tour, we proudly present another riveting excerpt from “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love.”
Page 210: “Al is passionate about textures — he loves the feel of cashmere. First Christmas, my mother bought him a gray cashmere sweater… . He loves that sweater more than any other article of clothing… . Whenever something’s just not right, Al puts on that sweater and his pajama bottoms.” — Jones on one of her hubby’s fave fabrics
Neil-ing before Neal
At long last, we finally have something in common with the Washington Post. No, The Reliable Source isn’t yet spotlighting the peerless prose of Star Jones in its gossip space. In a news story printed in the newspaper’s Friday edition under the headline: “GOP Contest Prompts Yawns Outside Beltway,” Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) is portrayed as being a bit ticked off. Apparently, Wamp lamented “that more people are talking about conservative commentator [and WSB-AM syndicated yakker] Neil Boortz’s best-selling book on changing the tax code than about changing Washington.” As a baby Buzzer in the last millennium, we too once mangled Neal Boortz’s name in this space. We learned a valuable spelling lesson when the talk radio vet took us to task for the error — on air. Thankfully at the time of our glitch (and unlike the Post), Boortz wasn’t yet on the air nationally.
Overscene
Rockers Lenny Kravitz and members of Aerosmith partying on the rooftop patio last week at Shout in Midtown with pal Dallas Austin. They dined on sushi, pizza and cocktails. … Usher at Garrison’s Broiler & Tap at Perimeter Mall grabbing takeout of a house salad with chicken, lobster bisque soup and sauteed spinach. The R&B herartthrob asked for extras of his fave, Lavosh water crackers. … Former “Married … With Children” actress Amanda Bearse dining at Wahoo! A Decatur Grill.
Must-flee TV
If you’re like us, you’ve spent countless hours in the past week chortling over the D-listers pathetic enough to participate in Fox’s “Skating With Celebrities” reality series. Time to dig a fresh basement. More than a decade after 16-year-old Amy Fisher had a sexual relationship with a much-older car mechanic and shot his wife in the face, the one-time “Long Island Lolita” and Joey and Mary Jo Buttafuoco are apparently desperate enough in 2006 to appear together in a televised reunion.
All three have signed on for the appearance, which has yet to be sold to a network, television producer David Krieff tells the New York Post.
“It’s time to just put it behind us,” Fisher, now 31, tells the newspaper. “We played this all out in a public eye. It’d be interesting to let the public see the healing process at the end. They saw everything else — why not let them see the final product?”
Fisher spent seven years in prison.
“There’s going to be a lot of shocking revelations, and that’s why I’m excited to sit down to do this,” promised Joey Buttafuoco.
The Buttafuocos moved to California and divorced in 2003. Mary Jo, who remains partially paralyzed from the shooting, is engaged.
Joey Buttafuoco, who has remarried, was sentenced in March 2004 to a year in jail and five years’ probation after pleading guilty to felony insurance fraud. In August, he pleaded not guilty to charges that he violated probation by possessing ammunition.
Buttafuoco, who was originally jailed for statutory rape following the 1992 shooting, said he planned to ask Fisher to explain her actions.
“I’ve been asked about a million times by Mary Jo, ‘Why did Amy shoot me?’ I was never able to get that answer,” said Buttafuoco, now 49.
Here’s a random thought for pal Joey. Why not go back and peruse all that tabloid TV footage of you, your ex-wife and Fisher from the 1990s? We’re betting that before you know it, you too will be driven to visit the local gun shop.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Ernest Borgnine is 89. Singer Aaron Neville is 65. Singer Neil Diamond is 65. Actress Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) is 20.
Contributing: News services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Comic pitches redneck meat to a tough crowd
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Foxworthy scanned the crowd at the Tabernacle before his gig at 790/The Zone’s AFC/NFC Championship party Sunday afternoon and his heart sank. This crowd, as morning co-host Mike Bell noted, was here for “the football, the beer and the chicks.”
“They aren’t here to see me,” Foxworthy said. But being the trouper he is, he did riffs on gender differences, fashion faux pas and his family’s redneck roots. He got his best response when comparing rednecks and the ghetto, noting that often, the jokes could be used for both (for example, “If your working television set sits on top of your nonworking television set.” “If you work with your shirt off. And so does your husband.” “If you’ve been accused of lying through your tooth.”)
By the final 10 minutes of his 40-minute set, about half the crowd, waiting for the upcoming bikini contest and kickoff, appeared to not be paying attention.
“That was,” Foxworthy concluded afterward with a good-natured grin, “brutal.”
He told Buzz that he was disappointed the WB basically dumped his “Blue Collar TV” sketch show this past fall after it fumbled against “Desperate Housewives” on Sunday nights. He blamed network turnover, which resulted in WB execs in charge who were not big fans of the show.
“The frustration with TV is we have no control over what they do,” he said. To make matters worse, the WB hasn’t officially nixed the show, holding it hostage and keeping other networks (such as Comedy Central, which has aired repeats) from picking it up. And several episodes have yet to air.
Foxworthy is prepping new material for a third “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” movie, to be shot in March in Washington.
‘Idol’ love continues
“American Idol” has shown no sign of slowing down. In fact, it keeps growing. Last Tuesday’s debut drew 35.5 million viewers, the most ever for a first episode of “Idol,” and second most in its history. (The Ruben Studdard/Clay Aiken showdown in May 2003 is the only one that has drawn more.)
In Atlanta, an astonishing 46 percent of TVs that were on were tuned to “Idol,” tied for tops in the country with Greensboro, N.C., not far from the hometowns of Aiken and “Idol” winner Fantasia. That equates to about 600,000 households locally.
The show tends to lose viewers once the auditions are over: Folks who enjoy watching the bad singers tune out. But it should still draw about 25 million viewers once the competitive phase begins next month.
“Idol” bulldozed two shows on rival networks last week: Geena Davis’ steadily sinking “Commander in Chief,” an early success on ABC, dropped to a series low 10.9 million viewers for an original episode. And NBC’s “Fear Factor” drew just 4.4 million viewers, a pittance for that network.
Great year for Philips
When it came to concerts, Philips Arena was a ghost town the first six months of last year. It hosted just two, the slowest half-year that President Bob Williams has ever seen.
But then the floodgates opened with sold-out shows by U2, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Kenny Chesney (three times) in the second half of 2005. The arena ended up with 28 concerts and 13 sellouts, even better than 2004. “It truly illustrated the feast and famine in this business,” Williams told Buzz.
Philips already has hosted three sold-out concerts this year: Bow Wow, Omarion and Ciara on New Year’s Day, Aerosmith with Lenny Kravitz on Jan. 15 and Bon Jovi on Tuesday. Still, Williams projects a more normal year with fewer A-listers hitting arenas.
The arena, he added, just won Top Dog Award for best large venue in Tour Guide magazine’s survey of tour industry pros.
Keeping it short
In an attempt to keep people watching CBS through commercial breaks, the network has introduced a seven-episode drama series, “The Courier.” Each episode lasts one minute or less. Dubbed a “micro series,” it will run during an ad break of a regular show in the 9 p.m. hour every night for a week, starting Tuesday.. Sponsored by General Motors, the story focuses on a man attempting to rescue his kidnapped wife, with a new Pontiac Torrent commercial to air right afterward.
Random bits
Former 1970s teen idol Leif Garrett agreed Friday to enter a strict drug diversion program for violating probation in a cocaine case in Los Angeles even as he faces a new charge of heroin possession. The not-so-cute-anymore Garrett, 44, agreed to enter the program during an appearance before a Superior Court commissioner who ordered him released from jail and commended him for choosing the option, said Jane Robison, of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office… . .
Denzel Washington was seen partying at Club Vision in Midtown on Saturday night, though he politely declined a request to be photographed by Q100’s Jeff Dauler, who was working at the time.
Celebrity birthdays
Actress Chita Rivera is 73. Actor Richard Dean Anderson (“MacGyver”) is 56. Singer-guitarist Robin Zander of Cheap Trick is 53. Singer Anita Baker is 48. Actress Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 42. Actress Tiffani Thiessen (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) is 32.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Magazine editors get warm, stylish welcome
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More than 500 invitees wedged themselves into 103 West in Buckhead Thursday night for the first mandatory cocktail reception of 2006.
You know, those occasions that require a new outfit, a pricey haircut and color and perhaps a facial freshening?
Such was the soiree thrown for the city’s newest magazine editors: Cynthia Good, the founding editor of Pink; Betsy Riley, the new editor-in-chief of Atlanta Magazine Home; Elizabeth Schulte Roth, the editor of Atlanta Peach magazine; and Travis Neighbor Ward, the inaugural editor of The Atlantan.
More than 620 folks tried to RSVP for the bash that surely tested the sanity of the small squadron of valets posted out front.
The evening was hosted by Carter-Barnes Hair Artisans namesake Carey Carter, A Legendary Event caterer Tony Conway and Style Atlanta founder Kevin Knaus.
Atlanta celeb shutterbug Spark St. Jude happily snapped away as guests sipping vodka martinis, Manhattans and Barbie-sized bottles of bubbly attempted to navigate through the regally decored event space.
Notable guests nibbling tiny duck confit tacos included charity fund-raiser go-to gals: Sharon Umphenour, Aida Flamm, Sandra Baldwin, Mary Portman (whose daughter, Alissa, visiting from New York, also attended), Denise Cohen and Sally Dorsey; Drs. Jeffrey and Nancy Gallups; UNICEF Southeastern director Barron Segar; Project Open Hand director of development Christopher Nave;CNN Headline News anchors Thomas Roberts and Sophia Choi; Star 94’s Vikki Locke; Dave FM’s Mara Davis; WXIA-TV’s Evelyn Mims; jeweler Mark Edge and every single publicist in the city.
The only major RSVP-ed boldface name (who, incidentally, even courteously called in an advance request for a particular brand of sparkling water) we failed to put our peepers on? The ATL’s two-fisted Oscar winner Jane Fonda.
Among the pieces of dish we absorbed? Schulte Roth, the former editor-in-chief at PaperCity, has snatched up her beloved PaperCity associate editor Jonathan Lerner for a fresh editing gig with her at Atlanta Peach.
C’mon, baby girl
Is she in or is she out? More than a week after country trio Sugarland played “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” minus guitarist Kristen Hall, her status in the band is still murky.
Sugarland’s mandolin player, Kristian Bush, told Buzz shortly after that late-night appearance that Hall was just taking a little time off to do some writing. Then on Tuesday, Bush and lead singer Jennifer Nettles posted a statement on the band’s Web site that said, “Kristen has decided that she wants to stay home and write songs, and we support her in that decision.” Some interpret that to mean that Hall is no longer in the Grammy-nominated band; others that she’ll write music and record but not tour.
Earlier this week, Bush told Buzz that “she hasn’t been totally clear with us. We’re going to sit tight until she makes some decisions.” He added: “We’re hoping she comes to the Grammy’s. We’ll see.”
So far, Hall isn’t talking. Kristen, darlin’, if you’re reading, give Buzz a call! Your fans want to know what’s up.
Moment in ‘Shine’
In our ongoing campaign to gently persuade “The View” daytime diva Star Jones Reynolds to re-schedule our fair city on her national book tour for “Shine,” we proudly offer yet another example of why you should knock down at least three people to get to the bookstore.
From Page 117: “A great cut can make your month. It makes your hair easier to blow-dry and style.” — The author on hairstyles.
Celebrity docket
Rapper 50 Cent stole some of the lyrics for his 2003 hit “In Da Club” from a song by former 2 Live Crew frontman Luther Campbell, a lawsuit claims.
Richard C. Wolfe filed the copyright infringement lawsuit against Curtis James Jackson, aka 50 Cent, in Miami federal court last week on behalf of Lil’ Joe Wein Music.
Parts of “In Da Club,” from the album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” copy “It’s Your Birthday,” released in 1994 on Campbell’s solo album, “Still a Freak for Life,” the lawsuit alleges.
Messages left Friday for Wolfe and for 50 Cent’s publicist, Dennis Dennehy, weren’t immediately returned.
Lil’ Joe Wein Music holds the copyright to “It’s Your Birthday” and other songs Campbell produced with 2 Live Crew and as a solo artist. Lil’ Joe Wein Music is owned by Joseph Weinberger, a lawyer who formerly represented Campbell.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in addition to lawyers’ fees and other legal costs.
Wolfe won a $2.3 million judgment against Campbell in 1994 for another rapper who claimed Campbell withheld royalties.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Richie Havens is 65. Singer Mac Davis is 64. Actress Jill Eikenberry is 59. Actress Geena Davis is 50. Actress Charlotte Ross (“NYPD Blue”) is 38. DJ Chris Kilmore of Incubus is 33.
Sunday: Actress Piper Laurie is 74. Actor John Hurt is 66. Actress Linda Blair is 47. Actress Diane Lane is 41. Rap DJ/actor Jazzy Jeff is 41. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 26. Actress Beverley Mitchell (“Seventh Heaven”) is 25. Guitarist Ben Moody (Evanescence) is 25.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749, fax 404-526-5509 or e-mail buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Weight loss obviously touchy subject for Star
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was the dial tone heard round the city on Thursday morning. “The View” co-host and fledgling self-help author Star Jones Reynolds exploded during a phone interview with a local radio morning show, dissed their disrespectful, inappropriate lines of questioning and hung up.
So was it V103’s Wanda Smith, 96rock’s Regular Guys or Q100’s Jeff Dauler on the other end?
None of the above.
The interviewers in question were Star 94’s Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke, who in the past have gleaned fun interviews from the prickly likes of Madonna, Cher and even Kevin Costner, when he was out plugging his ill-fated “Waterworld.”
The Q&A went into free-fall when McCoy asked the daytime diva about the ongoing rumor that she had her alleged gastric bypass surgery at a hospital in Atlanta. A clearly emotional Jones Reynolds questioned the duo’s ethics, told the pair, “I don’t discuss gossip!” and promptly left the airwaves.
Jones Reynolds is making the media rounds, promoting her new book, “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love” (HarperCollins, $24.95). The book frankly explores how Jones’ “obesity precluded her from crossing her legs” and how she met, romanced and married Al Reynolds.
However, Jones Reynolds’ handlers are making it clear that she does not want to address how she happened to lose 150 pounds in a little over a year.
“We offered her the opportunity to set the record straight, and she just hung up on us,” Locke told Buzz Thursday.
McCoy and Locke had a treat awaiting them in their e-mail in-boxes when they got off the air as well. Eileen Sullivan, the Launch Radio Networks rep who booked Jones Reynolds on Star 94, e-mailed McCoy the following loaded missive: “I don’t even want to discuss the Star Jones interview. … When I got her back on the line after your interview, she turned on me. … Apparently, I didn’t drop the [phone] line fast enough, and I put her in a terrible position by putting her on with a ‘hostile station’ (her words).”
Sullivan then requested an apology. At press time Thursday, she was still waiting.
“They just asked her something that upset her, and she decided to end the interview,” Sullivan told Buzz from her office in New York. “I don’t want to get much more specific than that.”
A note for any lingering Jones Reynolds admirers: The author had earlier postponed her planned Jan. 29 book signing in Atlanta. HarperCollins reps told Buzz Thursday that the date, the only appearance on the tour that has thus far been scotched, will be rescheduled. “It was just a scheduling issue,” we were told. “Star loves Atlanta.” Clearly.
‘American Idol’ docket
Here’s a novelty. We’re nanoseconds into the new season of “American Idol,” and we’ve already got contestants with a rap sheet. Tennessee twins Terrell and Derrell Brittenum, who wowed the judges on air this week, previously made an impression on the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Department. It seems that Terrell, 28, has been in jail since Jan. 10 on an outstanding warrant for charges related to the illegal purchase of a car in Rockdale. The brothers are accused of using another man’s identity to buy a 2005 Dodge Magnum in June. Rockdale sheriff’s rep Myra Pearrell told us Thursday that Terrell is not being held locally but in Memphis, where the two reside. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Derrell is expected to turn himself in on the same charges of forgery, theft by deception and financial identity fraud. “Idol” watchers will recall that in the previously recorded show that aired Tuesday, the brothers Brittenum got the green light from judges to advance in the competition. When asked by “Extra” Thursday if the twins should be allowed to continue in the competition, “A.I.” judge Simon Cowell said: “It depends on what they’ve done. If it’s serious, it’s a problem. It happens every year. Fox will take a view on it. Come clean guys, tell us what you’ve done.”
Taking a moment to ‘Shine’
So you perused Buzz’s first item and are likely suffering through Star Jones Reynolds withdrawal? No problem. Buzz Central has a copy of “Shine,” and until the über-author can fit us back into her book tour schedule, we’ll periodically share snippets with you. (We’re givers, you see.) From pages 187-188: “I looked up and was floored. This handsome man with skin the color of cooked butter, this man with the most beautiful lips I’d ever seen, a Clark Gable jawline and the deepest brown eyes on the planet [told me] ‘I saw you at a party five years ago and was too hesitant to approach you, but this time I’m braver.’ … Not to be corny … but I exhaled.” — On meeting future husband Al Reynolds at a party in 2003.
Brangelina update
Searching for that perfect baby gift for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt? You may want to consider some hyphens. A California judge has granted a request by Jolie to change the names of her two children to reflect that Pitt intends to become their adoptive father. “The court granted the name change,” lawyer Evan Spiegel, who represents Jolie, told reporters outside court Thursday. He did not take questions. Neither Jolie nor Pitt, who co-starred in the film “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” attended the hearing. The names of the children will become Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt. Zahara celebrated her first birthday on Jan. 8. Maddox, a boy, is 4. Superior Court Judge Linda Lefkowitz approved the motion during a closed hearing about a month after lawyers for the 30-year-old actress filed the paperwork. Pitt’s publicist, Cindy Guagenti, said on Jan. 11 that Jolie is pregnant with Pitt’s child.
Stork report
Conyers native Holly Hunter, who voiced the role of superhero mom Helen Parr in “The Incredibles,” will have maternal experience to draw on if there’s a sequel. The Oscar-winning actress has given birth to twins, People magazine reports, citing Hunter’s publicist. The magazine said the children are the first for Hunter and her partner, actor Gordon MacDonald.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Slim Whitman is 82. Actress Patricia Neal is 80. Director David Lynch is 60. Guitarist Paul Stanley of Kiss is 54. Actor James Denton (“Desperate Housewives”) is 43. Country singer John Michael Montgomery is 41. Singer Edwin McCain is 36. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 36. Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Bon Jovi works crowd at sold-out Philips
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jon Bon Jovi disappeared from the Philips Arena stage Tuesday night as the band started playing “Blaze of Glory.” A couple of minutes later, he popped up in Section 103 on a pedestal, a surprised, adoring crowd surrounding him. During “Bed of Roses,” he strolled down the aisle as fans took snapshots on their cellphones and a woman spontaneously danced with him. If Bono had done this, it might have felt pretentious. If David Lee Roth had done it, undeniably cheesy. But somehow, the remarkably well-preserved Bon Jovi did this without a pretentious or cheesy bone in his 43-year-old body. Over two hours to a sold-out crowd, the band throttled through its hits and kept the patter to a thankful minimum. (OK, Jon did say, “They didn’t call this Hotlanta for nothing!” at one point.) The stage was remarkably modest and unadorned, the concert relying mostly on the sturdiness of the tunes and Bon Jovi’s charismatic presence. One ode to modernity: a monstrous high-def screen that enabled even the nose-bleed fans to see guitarist Richie Sambora’s sweat globules. And in a reprise of their CMT “Crossroads” special a few months back, a buoyant Jennifer Nettles of Atlanta’s own Sugarland dropped in for two Bon Jovi songs, the catchy country hit “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and a defiant “It’s My Life.”
‘Reason’ enough — low ratings
Broadcast TV’s search for another “Sex and the City” continues. After tons of promotion, ABC appears to have dumped Heather Graham’s tepid sitcom “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” after airing just one episode. It drew just 6.2 million viewers Jan. 9 and has been subbed out for “Bachelor: Paris” repeats last Monday and next Monday. ABC spokeswoman Lauren Tobin on Wednesday confirmed to Buzz a Variety report that production has been halted, which is a pretty good sign that it’s over.
Super salute to Big Easy
Aretha Franklin will join New Orleans singer Aaron Neville in performing the national anthem at next month’s Super Bowl. They will be accompanied by another veteran New Orleans musician, pianist Dr. John. “The combination of all three should present a very memorable performance,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Detroit Free Press. Franklin, Neville and a 150-person backing choir will sing to a taped vocal track to be recorded in Detroit several days before the Feb. 5 game at Detroit’s Ford Field, the Free Press reported on its Web site. In addition, John Legend and Joss Stone will join Motown star Stevie Wonder in performing Wonder’s hits as part of the Super Bowl pre-game show, which will be broadcast live on ABC. The NFL’s selection of the Rolling Stones for the halftime show prompted demands that the Detroit area’s musical legacy be recognized. That led to the booking of Wonder and then Franklin, who was 2 when her family moved from Memphis to Detroit in 1944. The NFL selected Neville, whose home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina, in part to honor the singer’s hometown of New Orleans. Neville also performed the national anthem at the 1990 Super Bowl in New Orleans.
Sick bay
Stax Records icon Isaac Hayes is being treated at a Memphis hospital for exhaustion, his longtime songwriting partner said. “He’s just overworked and had been in Atlantic City performing, the D.C. area performing and in Tunica [Miss.] a couple of nights ago. He was just overworked,” David Porter told The Commercial Appeal newspaper. “He’s doing much better,” Porter added. It wasn’t immediately known which hospital the soul singer had checked into. Calls to his agents weren’t returned. Hayes, 63, is best known for his 1971 No. 1 hit, “Theme From Shaft,” from the Richard Roundtree film. More recently, he voiced the character of Chef on television’s “South Park.” During his time as an artist at Stax Records in Memphis, he established a songwriting partnership with Porter, and in the 1960s they wrote hits for Sam & Dave such as “Hold on, I’m Coming” and “Soul Man.”
Celebrity birthdays
Actress Jean Stapleton is 83. Actress Tippi Hedren is 76. Movie director Richard Lester is 74. Singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers is 67. Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 64. Actress Shelley Fabares is 62. Country singer Dolly Parton is 60. Actor Desi Arnaz Jr. is 53. Actress Katey Sagal (“Married … With Children”) is 49. Actor Shawn Wayans is 35. Actress Drea de Matteo is 34. Actress Jodie Sweetin (“Full House”) is 24.
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.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
King episode of ‘Boondocks’ stirs things up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday night’s “The Return of the King” episode of “The Boondocks” on Cartoon Network proved so controversial, it landed the episode’s writer and the comic strip’s creator — Aaron McGruder — his own segment on “Nightline.”
The plot centered on a fantasy scenario created by McGruder that has the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. surviving his 1968 assassination and awakening from a three-decade coma. In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, King goes on “Politically Incorrect” and suggests: “As a Christian, we should turn the other cheek.” In the episode, which could be the most inflammatory piece of satire ever aired on Cartoon Network, King’s comments land him on the cover of Time with the headline: “Traitor?”
“Boondocks” family Robert “Granddad” Freeman and his grandsons, Huey and Riley, help the beleaguered civil rights leader as he attempts to comprehend a modern age of boneless fast-food rib sandwiches, BET, posterior-shaking hip-hop videos and iPods. The episode builds to a rally organized by Huey and King that disintegrates into a radio station nightclub “partay!” promoted by WFRK-FM, “The Freak.”
The toon version of King looks out at the disrespectful booty-shaking crowd and says: “Is this it!? Is this what I got all those [posterior]-whoopings for? I had a dream once. It was a dream that little black boys and little black girls would drink from the river of prosperity, freed from the threat of oppression. But … some four decades later, what have I found, but a bunch of trifling, shiftless, good-for-nothing [deleted]!”
On Monday night’s “Nightline,” ABC News co-anchor Cynthia McFadden attempted to grill McGruder on the use of the incendiary word. Asked McFadden, “You have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. using the n-word on your show. Isn’t this going to be highly offensive to many people?” McGruder replied: “Actually, we used the word … . We don’t use ‘the n-word’ on my show.” Of the potential for uproar, McGruder explained, “It comes with the territory of being a satirist. It’s our job to be out there on the edge.”
“The Return of the King” episode of “The Boondocks” will encore on Cartoon Network at 11 p.m. Saturday.
Trumpet Awards weekend
Atlanta will be the site of its own red carpet theatrics this Monday night when the 14th annual Trumpet Awards ceremony takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center downtown. The public won’t be allowed inside to witness the invitation-only event to honor exemplary African-Americans. But — weather permitting — it won’t be too difficult getting glimpses of the stars as they’re chauffeured to the main entrance of the GWCC around 5 p.m.
On Tuesday, the event’s publicist, Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, confirmed that R&B legend Stevie Wonder, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and singer-actor Usher Raymond will be in attendance to accept awards for their career achievements. Others designated as Trumpet honorees include actress Vivica A. Fox; Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears; gospel television pioneer Dr. Bobby Jones; and civil rights activist the Rev. C.T. Vivian.
Comic actor Chris Tucker will serve as the evening’s host, with actress LisaRaye McCoy as co-host. A host of celebrities — including Iman, Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis — will serve as award presenters. Kirk Franklin, Najee and comedian George Wallace will perform during the black-tie dinner.
In the buildup to the Trumpet Awards, there will be events open to the public. On Saturday, for literature buffs, there’s the free Meet the Authors event scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center’s International Ballroom. Dr. Bertice Berry, Iman, Jill Scott and K. Kofi Moyo headline a list of writers who’ll be discussing and autographing their books. Later that day at 8 p.m., at the GWCC’s Sidney Marcus Auditorium, Eric Benet will headline the “Black Cultural Explosion” featuring up-and-coming recording artists. Tickets are $20 and $25 and will be available in the Oak Room of the Omni beginning Thursday.
And on Monday morning at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site (450 Auburn Ave. N.E.), the public is invited to witness the 2006 inductions into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. Inductees will include former President Bill Clinton, Lena Horne, Archbishop Tutu and Wonder.
DeGarmo to join ‘Hairspray’
Snellville’s own “American Idol” contestant is heading for Broadway.
Following in the footsteps of Frenchie Davis, who appears in the rock musical “Rent,” Diana DeGarmo will join the cast of “Hairspray” on Feb. 7.
The 18-year-old DeGarmo, one of the Fox television series’ most popular runners-up, will portray the heroine’s best friend, Penny Pingleton, in the musical, which opened on Broadway in August 2002.
Coupling
“Uptown Girls” actress Brittany Murphy is engaged. The 28-year-old actress, who met Joe Macaluso while he was working as a production assistant on the 2004 romantic comedy “Little Black Book,” became engaged over the holidays. The couple haven’t set a wedding date, People and Us Weekly magazines report.
Celebrity birthdays
Movie director John Boorman is 73. Actor-director Kevin Costner is 51. Country singer Mark Collie is 50. Actress Jane Horrocks (“Absolutely Fabulous”) is 42. Comedian Dave Attell (“Insomniac”) is 41. Actor Jesse L. Martin (“Law and Order”) is 37. Singer Jonathan Davis of Korn is 35.
Contributing: A. Scott Walton and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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