Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September
September 2006
Designer Knight dodges another ‘Runway’ bullet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Call it one of the worst kept secrets on TV. Atlanta designer Michael Knight officially made the final four Wednesday night on Bravo’s reality show “Project Runway.”
The episode revealed what many already knew: That along with print-loving Uli Herzner, rocker Jeffrey Sebelia and classically chic Laura Bennett, Knight had earned a spot for his mini-collection Sept. 8-15 at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park. They gained major exposure by showing their work in the same week that top designers, such as Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, showed their spring 2007 collections to retailers and the fashion press.
Pictures of the contestants’ collections have been widely circulated on the Internet. Buzz spies in Manhattan also clued us in about Knight’s inclusion in the high-profile position.
Wednesday night’s episode showed that to earn the spot at Fashion Week, each designer had to create an outfit that conveyed a point of view and offer three words to describe it.
After admitting to “a major brain freeze,” Knight created a plum-colored silk evening gown with a criss-cross neckline. He chose “sexiness,” “sensuality” and “sultry” to describe his “smokin’ hot” dress.
But the judges — show host Heidi Klum, designer Michael Kors, Elle fashion editor Nina Garcia and Wall Street Journal fashion writer Teri Agins — were less than enthused. Kors said the dress was “not very flattering” and added that Knight should have focused on his strength, sportswear.
However, no one was eliminated. The “Project Runway” winner will be crowned Oct. 18.
Hullinger back on air in ATL
Jeff Hullinger, the longtime sportscaster let go by Fox affiliate WAGA-TV in 2002 after 18 years, will be returning to Atlanta on WSB-AM radio in about two weeks.
He’ll be anchoring and doing news reporting in various capacities, said the station’s program director, Pete Spriggs.
Hullinger had been doing sports at a Tampa TV station for two years but said it wasn’t a good fit for him and he’s just glad to find a job back in Atlanta.
“WSB is like playing for the Braves or Yankees,” Hullinger told Buzz, unable to resist a sports analogy. (WSB-AM is part of Cox Enterprises, which also owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)
Hullinger’s career has included anchoring at news/talk WGST-AM, being a fill-in host for CNN’s now defunct “TalkBack Live” show, calling games for ESPN and doing play-by-play for the Atlanta Falcons.
New ‘Morning X’ lineup set
Whimsically monikered 99X marketing rep Eric “Dutch” Van de Steeg slid us a note Thursday, informing us that the modern-rock radio station has made a decision regarding its new morning show. 99X plans to relaunch “The Morning X” on Monday. No names were given, but there’s ongoing speculation that former 99X music director Sean Demery has been lured back to Atlanta for the gig.
Longtime listeners may recall that as the station’s music director in the 1990s, Demery had an active hand in things back when the station was playing Nirvana ad nauseam the first time around.
We also are hearing that Leslie Fram will continue to be a presence on the show. Again, the station has confirmed nothing except to send out a press release stating that the new show will be “Making Atlanta history … again.” Well, technically, the station’s listeners will more likely be the judge of that. …
A blushing ‘best’
We honestly didn’t think our week could improve after scoring our very own personalized chair Wednesday in Woodruff Park. But before we even had an opportunity to get all Niles Crane on that award Thursday, we were floored when readers began e-mailing Buzz Central to congratulate us on winning the Best Ear to the Ground category in the just-out Best of Atlanta 2006 issue of Creative Loafing.
We blushed deeply as we read: “Best of all, Buzz is rendered in a readable style that’s snarky, amusing and authoritative, yet doesn’t take itself too seriously.” Well, Loafing got that right. (We have Star Jones Reynolds’ publicist on speed dial, after all.)
Congrats also to our colleagues Cynthia Tucker, Rodney Ho and Wendell Brock, who were also named as Loafing “best of” recipients. Ajc.com, meanwhile, was named best local Web site in the issue.
Sick bay?
All day Thursday, rumors swirled on the Internet as to whether “Boston Legal” actress Candice Bergen had suffered a stroke. Late in the news cycle, the Emmy-winning actress’ publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, attempted to clear things up by telling online gossip Website Tmz.com that her client, thankfully, did not have a stroke.
Schaeffer confirmed that Bergen suffered a bout with high blood pressure and was hospitalized “for a few days” for observation. She says the actress is on medication and is back to work on the set of the daffy David E. Kelley series.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Jerry Lee Lewis is 71. Actor Ian McShane is 64. TV personality Bryant Gumbel is 58. Actor Drake Hogestyn (“Days of Our Lives”) is 53. Singer-bassist Les Claypool of Primus is 43. Actress Jill Whelan (“Love Boat”) is 40. Actress Emily Lloyd is 36. Actress Natasha Gregson Wagner is 36. Actress Rachel Cronin (“Ed”) is 35.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Marylin Johnson 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.
Restaurant Week spreads to Midtown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Midtown eateries are cribbing a page from the playbook of downtown’s popular Restaurant Week promotions. Through Saturday, Midtown dining destinations are banding together to offer special $25 three-course meals for patrons.
Participating restaurants include Chow Baby, Eno, the Globe, the Grape at Atlantic Station and Midtown, Lobby at Twelve, Mitra, MidCity Cuisine, Piebar, the Oceanaire, One Midtown Kitchen, Park 75, Rosa Mexicano, Shout, Spice, Taurus, Toast, Two Urban Licks and Vinocity.
Woodruff Park song has a shining premiere | Photos
In kitchen with Ted, Martha
FYI to Jane Fonda: The next time your ex is in town, get him to whip up an iceberg lettuce salad with homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing. Yes, our fave bison baron Ted Turner got an on-air cooking lesson on “The Martha Stewart Show” this week when he appeared with the domestic diva to promote the NYC debut of Ted’s Montana Grill.
Turner flipped some bison burgers for Stewart, and she instructed Turner on how to glamorize the crisper drawer staple.
The ex-Time Warner board member boasted to Stewart that the Whole Foods in Manhattan’s Time Warner building now stocks Ted’s Montana brand chili. Said the CNN founder: “They can’t get rid of me completely!”
Celebrity docket
In retrospect, we’re now happy that we didn’t stand that close to David Gest after taking the record producer up on that invitation to join him in an Atlanta recording studio last year.
This week, New York Supreme Court Justice Jane Solomon dismissed Liza Minnelli’s ex’s $10 million lawsuit against the singer. Solomon tossed the case after Gest couldn’t prove that his ongoing headaches came as a result of alleged abuse by Minnelli. (Meanwhile, the couple’s divorce case continues to wind through court.)
The judge ruled that Gest’s “severe, unrelenting” headaches were actually caused by a case of herpes.
“I am totally shocked and stunned,” Gest said via a statement.
Him? At deadline Wednesday, we were filling a bathtub full of Purell Hand Sanitizer at Buzz Central …
Celebrity birthdays
Blues singer Koko Taylor is 78. Actress Brigitte Bardot is 72. Singer Ben E. King is 68. Writer-director-actor John Sayles is 56. Actress-comedian Janeane Garofalo is 42. Actress Naomi Watts is 38. Actress Hilary Duff is 19.
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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Knight’s ‘trash’ dress from ‘Runway’ up for auction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta fashion designer Michael Knight, who is one of four remaining contestants on Bravo’s reality show “Project Runway,” is getting plenty of face time at home.
On Saturday night, he and his mother, Pamela, will be guests at the “Starry Night Gala” at the National Museum of Patriotism downtown. The black-tie event will benefit Possible Woman Foundation International, which awards scholarships to older women in need.
A special item for the live auction is Knight’s winning dress that he made from a recyclable peanut sack, Mylar tubing and plastic in the episode “Waste Not, Want Not.” Waste Management Inc. operates the recycling site in New Jersey where the designers found their materials. The firm bought all the dresses, including Knight’s, which has been featured in Macy’s Herald Square windows.
When Kim Annunziata, who works for Waste Management in Atlanta — and serves on the board of PWFI, found out the dress was still in New York, she asked to have it for the auction. Bravo and Macy’s agreed to turn over the dress, and it arrived in Atlanta Monday. Waste Management paid $405 for Knight’s creation; the opening bid online is $1,000. The winner will receive the dress in January.
To bid online or to buy tickets to the $100 per person gala, go to: www.possiblewomanfoundation.org.
Knight has also agreed to design a table for Macy’s Elle Decor’s Dining by Design events at Mason Murer Fine Art on Oct. 25 and 26.
Star, hubby demand tabloid retraction
Oh no, they didn’t.
The Star Jones Reynolds and Al Reynolds camp had a swift response to this week’s National Enquirer screaming front-page headline: “Star Jones’ Husband Walks Out!” and its accompanying article written by Alexander Hitchen, claiming that Al Reynolds is a, well, er, a, um . . . homosexual.
And that response, thoughtfully forwarded by the gossip Web site TMZ.com, threatened to melt the Buzz Central e-mail in box Tuesday. Handling a copy of the ex-“View”-er’s Los Angeles attorney’s letter to the tabloid (utilizing a pair of Kevlar-enhanced ‘Ove Gloves), we recognized lots of ugly words like “false” and “defamatory.”
The letter from Greenberg Glusker attorney Robert Chapman goes on to say: “Your publication has accused my clients of perpetrating a fraud on the public and being dishonest concerning their personal lives and marriage. As you well know, the charges in your article are completely false. The true facts are that Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds are happily married. Mr. Reynolds has not moved out of the home he shares with his wife. Contrary to the statements in your article, he does not live with, share an apartment with, nor is he visiting a man. … You have also chosen to state that Mr. Reynolds is gay. … Nothing could be farther from the truth.”
The couple are demanding that the National Enquirer “print a full and complete front-page retraction, the substance of which has to be approved by them.” If the tabloid doesn’t comply, it would “increase the amount of punitive damages to which you will be subjected.”
When we rang Chapman’s office Tuesday afternoon, we were politely told that “he was out handling depositions.”
A call to Jones Reynolds’ New York publicist Brad Zeifman netted us the following e-mailed statement from Zeifman: “Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have tried to handle these vicious lies and attempts at character assassination with quiet dignity for far too long. … Now they will pursue immediate legal action against anyone who makes false statements about their family.”
The tabloid had no immediate response to the letter, but the story was not posted on its Web site when we checked Tuesday.
Sigh. If only the National Enquirer had asked to borrow our copy of Jones Reynolds’ tome “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love.” As Buzz readers will fondly recall, in “Shine,” the author writes: “The first time ever he held me in his arms sexually, it was so urgent and almost frightening for both of us because we knew our erotic interest in each other could take over every other single thing.”
Oops. We probably should have alerted you to finish chewing first.
Sick bay
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler says he was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago after having the illness for a long time without any symptoms.
In an interview with “Access Hollywood,” the 58-year-old singer said the infection was now “nonexistent” in his bloodstream after 11 months of treatment, including the drug interferon.
“I’ve been pretty quiet about this,” Tyler was quoted as saying. “I’ve had hepatitis C for a long time, asymptomatic.”
OK, we’ll say it: That’s all Tyler had floating around his bloodstream?? We’re severely disappointed.
Celebrity birthdays
Actress Jayne Meadows is 86. Actor Wilford Brimley is 72. Producer Don Cornelius (“Soul Train”) is 70. “Gilmore Girls” actress Liz Torres is 59. Singer Meat Loaf is 55. Singer-actor-director Shaun Cassidy is 48. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is 34. Singer Avril Lavigne is 22.
Contributing: Marylin Johnson 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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Letterman, Brokaw dine at new Ted’s in New York
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
George McKerrow Jr., the bison burger restaurant partner of Ted Turner, spilled to us that former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw and David Letterman were among the guests at a private dinner last week held at the new Ted’s Montana Grill at 110 W. 51st St. And how did they snare the notorious homebody host of “Late Show With David Letterman”?
Explained McKerrow: “David just bought a ranch next to Ted in Montana. He and Ted are close personal friends. It was a pretty cool night. David is really laid-back, and I grew up with Tom Brokaw, so it was a real treat to sit next to him.”
The Ted’s Manhattan branch opens to the public Wednesday.
ATL notables hang out at Diddy’s in Hamptons
Buzz Central logged some impressive overtime this weekend as we attempted to keep up with all things Diddy. As the hip-hop impresario/ restaurateur /clothing line entrepreneur/ reality TV taskmaster blew around town, hawking his upcoming disc, “Press Play,” he had some notable guests at his home in the Hamptons in New York.
On Friday, Q100 “Bert Show” producer/head imp Jeff Dauler was on his way out of the studio to catch a flight to New York just as Diddy turned up for an in-studio interview.
Several shots of tequila later, Diddy was offering up his helicopter and his summer home to Dauler, who was meeting his wife, Jessica, in Manhattan on Friday afternoon.
Turns out, it wasn’t a radio stunt.
On Saturday and Sunday, our cellphone was busy blowing up with photos of the Diddy estate and text message updates from the Daulers and friends George McKerrow Jr. and his wife, Ginair, who along with McKerrow’s business partner, Ted Turner, were in town to open New York City’s first Ted’s Montana Grill.
As for the obvious, McKerrow told us Monday via cellphone from NYC, “We got your message over the weekend and the answer is, no, we didn’t steal you anything from Diddy’s house. We were tempted, but we decided we’d rather have an invitation to return.”
The McKerrows and the Daulers spent the weekend relaxing in the rapper’s pool and hot tub and watching foxes and deer prance through his backyard.
So how did the houseguests let themselves into the estate? Like many of us, Diddy hides his key outside. Unfortunately, we were unable to wrest precisely where out of McKerrow on Monday.
Rain can’t dampen ‘Fashionada’
On Sunday night, for the second time this season, a torrential downpour threatened the safety of malnourished models on an Atlanta fashion runway. At points, “Fashionada ‘06,” held Sunday night at Atlantic Station, became eerily like last month’s tented Fashion Cares benefit outside Phipps Plaza, where early arrivals were required to don scuba gear.
“Fashionada ‘06” was a benefit for You Can Make a Difference, a nonprofit that battles melanoma and skin cancer. An impressive runway had been constructed in the courtyard outside Strip for the occasion. At one point, the deluge forced so many fashionably attired attendees to pack back inside Strip, the eatery’s managers temporarily contemplated allowing the $25 general admission ticket-holders into the upstairs, where the posh $200 VIPs were downing free hooch.
But after the runway was properly squeegeed, the fashion show’s hosts, Dave-FM’s Holly Firfer and CNN Headline News anchor Thomas Roberts, yielded the catwalk to models sporting fall fashion from Betsey Johnson, Y3 and others.
Alas, since we arrived with a rain bonnet and an umbrella that decidedly clashed with the rest of our outfit, Buzz humbly observed the festivities from the air-conditioned comfort inside Strip, where a large video screen had been set up for less hearty fashionistas.
Another piece of ‘Peace’
As promised, here’s another snippet from “A Patch of Peace,” the Buzz reader-driven Woodruff Park theme song singer Melanie Massell will publicly debut Wednesday during a free noontime concert in the recently rehabbed downtown park: “Lie in the grass and stare at the sky / Stay in touch with the world with free Wi-Fi / You can kick off your shoes, take a break, read the news / Find a vendor bargain / Have a chat with a friend.”
Celebrity birthdays
Fitness expert Jack LaLanne is 92. Singer Bryan Ferry is 61. Country singer Lynn Anderson is 59. Actress Mary Beth Hurt is 58. Singer Olivia Newton-John is 58. Country singer Carlene Carter is 51. Actress Linda Hamilton is 50. Actress Melissa Sue Anderson (“Little House on the Prairie”) is 44. Singer Tracey Thorn of Everything But the Girl is 44. Actor Jim Caviezel (“The Passion of the Christ”) is 38. Singer Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men is 34. Singer Christina Milian 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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Indigos for free
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Indigo Girls, like many other artists, have a soft spot for independent record stores, an endangered species in this day and age of downloading and cheap CDs at Wal-Mart.
So, as a thank you to the hardy Little Five Points store Criminal Records, the veteran Atlanta singer-songwriting duo did a free seven-song acoustic set and CD signing there Friday.
“We’ve never played this parking lot before,” cracked Emily Saliers before about 250 mostly female fans, who stood in the lot while they played under an Aurora Coffee sign. (The crowd was a bit smaller than what Criminal owner Eric Levin had hoped for.)
“It feels good to be in Little Five Points,” added the other Indigo, Amy Ray. “We love Criminal Records, and we want to thank Eric for carrying on and being a trouper and having the muscle to get through these corporate-record-store times.”
The earnest pair played songs from their new release, “Despite Our Differences.” At the end of the set, Ray and Saliers skipped their biggest hit, “Closer to Fine,” in favor of “Galileo,” a classic from their 1992 album “Rites of Passage,” which the crowd lustily sang along to.
Quiz champ picks up pen
Ken Jennings became the most famous game show winner in decades with an incredible 74 “Jeopardy!” victories in a row in 2004, pocketing $2.5 million. He quit his computer programming job and wrote a book, dubbed “Brainiac.”
Jennings, a straight-laced Mormon who’ll sign copies of those books at the Buckhead Borders starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, writes with self-deprecating flair, interspersing stories about his journey through “Jeopardy!” with tidbits of trivia lore, including a man who wrote questions for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and overly serious pub trivia players in Boston.
Jennings said he’s enjoyed his fame, as grandmothers pinch his cheeks and teenage girls excitedly whisper behind his back. But he feels bad for another Ken Jennings, a Broadway actor whose name has been eclipsed by that of “Mr. Jeopardy.” “The guy is probably pretty ticked,” Jennings said. ” ‘Suddenly, this nerd from Utah has my name!’ “
Jennings already has been a clue in a New York Times crossword puzzle and may end up in “Trivial Pursuit” one day. “It’s become an apotheosis to be a trivia question,” he told Buzz.
And speaking of trivial, he said he ran into “American Idol” loser William Hung in the airport last week. “I wonder if anybody saw us together, they’d be thinking, ‘Look! Two 2004 has-beens hanging out together!’ “
Diddy never stops in whirlwind Atlanta visit to push his new CD
Your usual recording act promotes an upcoming album by visiting a few radio stations, maybe having a listening party for retailers and the press, and going on to the next locale by day’s end.
Then there’s Diddy.
At 4 a.m. Friday, entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs hit town in support of his Nov. 17 CD “Press Play,” and he was scheduled to party with V-103’s Greg Street as late as Sunday evening. On Friday alone, he visited three morning shows — breakfast at his Buckhead restaurant, Justin’s, with V-103’s “Frank and Wanda Morning Show,” tequila shots with Q100’s “Bert Show” and a liquor-free visit with Hot-107.9’s A Team. Then Diddy did TV, a video show and print interviews at the InterContinental Hotel, followed by a quick stop at Frederick Douglass High School and a talk with V-103’s Ryan Cameron, where he was joined by his pregnant longtime Atlanta girlfriend, Kim Porter. Diddy then partied at Compound and hit the studio for a late night/early morning stop. All of which happened in front of an MTV cameraman, trailing him for an upcoming “Diary.”
On Saturday, the entertainer hosted an afternoon listening session at Lotus. NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, Diddy’s recording group B5, Disturbing the Peace exec Chaka Zulu, songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox and choreographer and label president Devyne Stephens were in the crowd, but apparently that wasn’t enough to please the guest of honor. “I’m going to need y’all to have a little more energy!” Diddy declared as he arrived about 5:55 p.m. for what was scheduled to be a 4-to-6 p.m. event. “I know it’s early. But the drinks are free. Drinks on Diddy! Drinks on ‘Press Play’!”
Double-dutch education
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin doesn’t brag about her management abilities, but she did tout her double-dutch jump-roping skills last week at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ron Clark Academy in south Atlanta, an independent school that the educator hopes to turn into a laboratory for his teaching philosophy. (To learn more, see www.ronclarkacademy.com.)
Clark, who was portrayed by Matthew Perry in the TNT film “The Ron Clark Story,” said that he too can double-dutch, a skill he learned from his students in Harlem, a moment featured in the film. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Franklin jokingly challenged Clark to a double-dutch duel down the road, noting her days growing up in Philadelphia working the ropes on the sidewalks. “I haven’t done it in 45 years,” the mayor told Buzz afterward, chuckling, “but I can still do it in my head!”
Random radio bits
Popular ponytailed good ol’ boy “Southside Steve” Rickman, known for his catchphrase “Yeah c’mon!” is considering a return to the 96rock “Regular Guys” morning show. Rickman left the show in 2004 and had his own afternoon gig with Tim Rhodes until management canned them earlier this year. But those bosses are no longer around. Larry Wachs of the Regular Guys posted a poll on his blog last week seeking input. With 72 percent in favor of his return, Rickman will be on the air this morning to talk about it … .
99X’s Axel Lowe is back in the afternoons today after temporarily filling in mornings after Fred Toucher and Jimmy Baron left in late winter. A new 99X morning show is supposed to launch Oct. 2, but Cumulus VP John Dickey won’t reveal the morning show team except to say that Leslie Fram will remain in the picture. Rumors include the possible return of former 99X night jock Will Pendarvis or ex-afternoon host Sean Demery.
Peace in the park
And now, as promised, here’s another snippet of lyrics from the Buzz reader-driven theme song for Woodruff Park. Songwriter Melanie Massell will debut the song in the downtown park during a noontime concert Wednesday:
“The focus now is making it user-friendly, like a patch of peace in the city. / Woodruff Park, a patch of peace in the city, an urban oasis in the heart of downtown. / There’s something for everyone; the place is so pretty, it’s guaranteed to turn a frown upside down. / Woodruff Park, a patch of peace in the city, where downtown businesses are coming alive. / There are walls of water and fountains are plenty; / It’s a gathering place to relax and unwind.”
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Michael Douglas is 62. Model Cheryl Tiegs is 59. Actor Mark Hamill is 55. Actress Heather Locklear is 45. Actor-singer Will Smith is 38. Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is 37. Atlanta rapper T.I. is 26.
Contributing: Sonia Murray, Richard Eldredge and 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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Woodruff Park ditty ready — but are we?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dearest readers, the moment we waited for all summer is finally upon us: On Wednesday, Buzz’s reader-driven theme song for Woodruff Park will have its world premiere at last.
Folks at Central Atlanta Progress inform us that the season’s final Wednesdays in Woodruff concert, in the recently rehabbed downtown landmark, will feature singer-songwriter Melanie Massell. Unless you were on vacation, you’ll recall that we rang up the “It’s Buckhead!” songstress this summer to create a theme song for the green space that recently has undergone cosmetic improvements and now boasts free Wi-Fi. Earlier this year, we noted the new tables and chairs and dedicated checkers area but wondered aloud in print if the park didn’t also require a song dedicated to its natural (and occasionally, some unnatural) wonders.
A few years back, Massell performed a similar task when her father, former Atlanta Mayor and Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell, asked her to pen a testimonial song for the formerly bullet-riddled Buckhead Village nightclub district.
After weeks of Buzz readers sending in their lyrical contributions, Massell is ready to publicly debut the ditty. Readers who contributed ideas will no doubt want to join the toilers from Buzz Central on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the gazebo in the park for the free concert.
Melanie Massell has been kind enough to send us an advance look-see at the lyrics.
The sing’s title? “A Patch of Peace.”
Here’s a brief sample: “There was a space in downtown Atlanta, G-A that was designed as a place for all to play / Mr. Anonymous — we owe you from the start, when you originally gave us Central City Park / Now there’s a Phoenix rising in the corner there / It’s representing resurgence to people everywhere.”
Want more? We’ll be doling out more lyrical lines in Buzz each day as a preview to next week’s premiere.
Wells to get Legacy Award
In 1982, a couple of former journalists decided the time was right to start a professional theater in Atlanta’s suburbs. Thus, Marietta’s acclaimed Theatre in the Square was born. The surviving co-founder, Palmer Wells, will be celebrated this year as the second annual Georgia Arts & Entertainment Legacy Award winner. The award was announced Thursday by the service organization Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts. Wells will be feted at the Fox Theatre on Oct. 29.
Wells, a native of the Appalachian town of Cumberland, Ky., worked at a variety of Kentucky newspapers while also continuing his interest in acting and directing. He and the theater’s co-founder, the late Michael Horne, both were working for IBM when they decided to start Theatre in the Square. He currently is producing director of the theater and has overseen a renovation of the alternative Alley Stage, adding seats, regular children’s shows and experimental work.
Uncoupling
After a little more than three years of marriage, former “Friends” star Matt LeBlanc has finalized his divorce.
The 39-year-old actor has been granted joint custody of his 2-year-old daughter, Marina, with wife Melissa LeBlanc, according to court papers filed this week. Melissa LeBlanc has two children from a previous marriage.
The LeBlancs filed for divorce April 6, citing irreconcilable differences. They will be officially single again Oct. 6.
Under the terms of the divorce, LeBlanc will be financially responsible for his daughter’s education, nanny and other needs. He will also pay $15,000 a month in child support.
Calls to LeBlanc’s attorney and his publicist after business hours were not immediately returned.
The pair married in a celebrity-studded wedding in Hawaii in 2003 with several of LeBlanc’s “Friends” co-stars in attendance.
Celebrity docket
Los Angeles prosecutors are charging actor Lou Diamond Phillips with domestic battery in connection with an incident last month involving his live-in girlfriend.
The 44-year-old actor, best known for his roles in “La Bamba” and “Stand and Deliver,” could face a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor charge. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 18.
According to police reports, Phillips got into an argument with his girlfriend, and it escalated into a physical fight in the early hours of Aug. 11. His girlfriend, who was not identified in court documents, “was pushed and dragged across the house, resulting in scrapes to both knees,” City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said in a statement.
The woman grabbed a phone, locked herself in a bathroom and dialed 911, Delgadillo said. Phillips was arrested and held for about 10 hours before being released.
A message left for Phillips’ publicist, Eddie Michaels, was not returned.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Actor Mickey Rooney is 86. Singer Julio Iglesias is 63. Singer Bruce Springsteen is 57. Actor Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) is 47. Atlanta rapper-producer-record head Jermaine Dupri is 34. Singer Erik-Michael Estrada of O-Town is 27.
Sunday: Sportscaster Jim McKay is 85. Actor Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules: Legendary Journeys”) is 48. Actress-writer Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) is 44. Actor Kyle Sullivan (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 18.
Contributing: Kirsten Tagami 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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Star 94 hosts put heat on Horatio Sanz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Over at Star 94 Thursday morning, Steve McCoy, Vikki Locke and Tom Sullivan were busy grilling ex-“Saturday Night Live” cast member Horatio Sanz. The comic was originally booked to discuss his role in the upcoming flick “School for Scoundrels” with Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder.
Sanz started out describing his sacking (along with fired “SNL” members Chris Parnell and Atlanta native Finesse Mitchell) as “amicable.” As the show applied its new-found talent for sauteing celebrities (remember this is the morning show that was hung up on by ex-“View”-er Star Jones Reynolds this year and got pop singer Jesse McCartney to spill that J. Lo was preggers), Sanz eventually became surlier.
“He told us that he tried out for [ex-“SNL”-er Tina Fey’s “Weekend Update” gig] but he didn’t get it,” Locke told Buzz. “He told us that [surviving cast member] Seth Meyers got the job. And then we talked for a minute about his movie!”
Rathbun empire
Atlanta chef Kevin Rathbun’s Inman Park restaurant empire continues to expand. In addition to Rathbun’s and Krog Bar at 112 Krog St. inside the Stove Works complex, in spring 2007 Rathbun and his business partners will add Kevin Rathbun Steak, located a block away at 154 Krog St. We’re told the 180-seat space will be designed by the Johnson Studio and will have an open kitchen, a full bar and two private dining rooms.
Charitable Usher
While he was a guest on “The View” Thursday to promote his extended run in “Chicago” through Oct. 14, Alpharetta pop star Usher managed to break some news as well. He disclosed that 20 percent of his Broadway paycheck for the additional performances will be earmarked for his New Look hurricane relief charity.
“The run is being extended to my birthday,” Usher said. He also gave one of the most candid answers of any celebrity this year when he was quizzed about why a guy who can sell out sports arenas chose the more grueling schedule of a Broadway actor. Replied Usher: “I wanted to expand my demographics.”
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ radio talk slips into gray area
Radio listeners were treated to liberal doses of watercooler chat about the season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy” on Q100 and V-103 Thursday morning. What most listeners didn’t know, however, was that the chat was being paid for by ABC, the drama’s TV network.
Yes, when Q100’s Melissa Carter and Jenn Hobby enthusiastically dished about their advance peek at the show’s season premiere, it was an ad. Further muddying the waters, “Bert Show” members Bert Weiss, Jeff Dauler, Carter and Hobby also interviewed “Grey’s” actress Kate Walsh on-air.
Weiss told Walsh he considered her show to be the best on television. He added: “And I’m not being paid to say that.” (We’re assuming he was cracking an inside joke.) Hobby serves as the show’s “Entertainment Buzz” reporter while Carter is Q100’s news director.
Over at V-103, entertainment empress Miss Sophia, the Frank Ski and Wanda Smith morning show entertainment reporter, handled the on-air plugs for the show.
“Since Miss Sophia brings that kind of lively conversation to our show, anyway, it was a good fit,” Ski told us. Would Ski have personally done the ads? “I probably wouldn’t have,” he conceded.
While it’s normal to hear morning show personalities shill for cellphones, diamonds, laser hair removal and weight loss products on- air, most listeners assume the talk is an advertisement.
There was a bigger gray area with the “Grey’s” chatter, however.
“I’ll take the heat on this,” Q100 general manager Mike Fowler told us. “It was a last-minute ad buy and normally it would have had a disclaimer attached and this didn’t. We’re very protective of what our audience thinks of ‘The Bert Show.’ This has made us a little smarter.” Fowler said he didn’t know if the station’s Q&A with Walsh was part of the ad buy.
To that end, Fowler says next week’s planned spots for “Desperate Housewives” will be aired complete with disclaimers alerting listeners to the forthcoming ad copy.
Stork report
Country singer Brad Paisley, 33, and actress wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley, 35, are expecting their first child in February, their spokeswoman confirmed.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer David Coverdale (Whitesnake) is 55. Actress Shari Belafonte is 52. Singer Nick Cave is 49. Singer Joan Jett is 48. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli is 48. Actor Scott Baio is 45.
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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Shaping Whitney’s comeback
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The carefully crafted reintroduction of Whitney Houston to mainstream America after her extended visit to Craaazytown continues. Clive Davis, the man credited with discovering the singer and charting her early career in the 1980s, tells the New York Post that he and Houston continue to work on her comeback in Los Angeles, with an eye on releasing a new studio project next year. “We are reviewing material right now,” Davis told the Post’s Page Six column.
Davis conceded that the singer is not, as initially rumored, ready to go solo at next month’s Carousel Ball of Hope in Beverly Hills, but she “would accompany me.” Davis is hoping to relaunch the singer’s comeback at his prestigious Grammy party next year. “It is too early to say if Whitney is going to perform, but I would hope she would be in the running,” says Davis. “She looks radiant and is clearly together.”
And of those pesky rumors that Houston has suffered the loss of some of her magnificent vocal range, Davis said, “She is talking enthusiastically and is articulate. We are going to make a great album.”
This month, Houston filed for separation in Orange County, Calif., from Atlanta hubby Bobby Brown.
Marsalis at Morton’s
On Oct. 6 and 7, Morton’s Steakhouse in Buckhead will be adding an intriguing side dish to its menu. A live private concert by nine-time Grammy winner Wynton Marsalis will be beamed into selected Morton’s locations across the country. For jazz fans, the evening includes a private table, cocktails, a four-course signature dinner and a limited edition DVD signed by the trumpeter. Diners will also score a gift bag at the end of the evening. Price tag: $250 per person.
The steak emporium has partnered with Velocity Box Office, whose high-definition visuals and Dolby sound technology should ensure an intimate evening with Marsalis. Well, as intimate as it can get when the musician is physically in another city. The concert and dinner begins at 8 p.m. each night. Call for reservations: 1-800-891-2440.
Usher extends ‘Chicago’ run
Alpharetta’s very own Broadway star, Usher, is now set to continue his Great White Way debut for an additional two weeks.
The R&B singer, who made his Broadway bow in the revival of “Chicago,” will now stay in the show through Oct. 14. He originally was set to leave the musical Oct. 1.
The show has done boffo business since Usher joined the cast Aug. 22, playing conniving lawyer Billy Flynn.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Larry Hagman is 75. Poet-songwriter Leonard Cohen is 72. Author-comedian Fannie Flagg is 62. Author Stephen King is 59. Actor Bill Murray is 56. Actor Rob Morrow (“Numbers” ) is 44. Country singer Faith Hill is 39. Actor Luke Wilson is 35. TV personality Nicole Richie (“The Simple Life”) is 25. Actress Maggie Grace (“Lost”) is 23.
Contributing: Elizabeth Cobb 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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Norville, back at UGA, gets an education in dorm life
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When “Inside Edition” anchor Deborah Norville visited her alma mater, the University of Georgia, last week, she was the one who ended up being surprised when she and a camera crew went knocking on the door of her old all-girls dorm.
“Two boys answered the door!” Norville told us Tuesday. “That’s when I discovered that things had changed a little bit at the Creswell dormitory.”
The reporter was in town to tape some segments for the show and to celebrate the venerable news mag’s more viewer-friendly local time slot of 7:30 weeknights on WGCL.
“We’re thrilled that we’re not just for insomniacs anymore in Atlanta,” she cracked. “People who have gainfully employed lives can now watch, too.”
The anchor also had a chance to pop into Delta Delta Delta, her former sorority house at UGA. Flipping through house photos, Norville allowed, “We were extremely blond back then. There was a lot of bleach in those photos.”
The Dalton gal didn’t score any downhome cooking during her whirlwind promotional tour through Atlanta. She loves the Varsity, the Silver Skillet and Mary Mac’s Tea Room, but WGCL suits took her to a swanky white tablecloth restaurant on Peachtree Street instead. “There was no fried okra or creamed corn, but I did ask about the green beans on the menu,” she said. “I asked how they came, and I was told ‘al dente!’ “
Norville had a good laugh when we informed her that one of our more notable errors in this space occurred years ago when we accidentally misidentified her Georgia hometown. Dozens of Dalton residents called to correct the error.
“Good for them,” Norville said. “Growing up in Dalton was a lot like that. Everybody knew everybody. If you acted up, you knew Daddy was going to hear about it before we ever got home. I grew up with that kind of pressure!”
Norville’s piece on UGA airs tonight on “Inside Edition.”
Independent ‘Differences’
If you want to keep up with what’s happening in the music world, Amy Ray has a suggestion. “You can’t just go to the big chains, you have to go to the [independent] stores, because those are the ones that are still catering to what’s happening locally,” she told us recently. Maybe that’s why she and her fellow Indigo Girl, Emily Saliers, will be celebrating the release of their new CD, “Despite Our Differences,” with an in-store appearance at Criminal Records, emporium of indie cool, in Little Five Points at 6 p.m. Friday.
The new album marks a new beginning for the duo, too. After spending their entire career with Epic Records, the new disc is Saliers and Ray’s first for Hollywood Records.
Remembering Richards
Monday’s coverage of Ann Richards’ memorial service jogged a memory loose here at Buzz Central about our 1997 encounter with the former Texas governor here. The liberal Democrat was booked as the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Human Rights Campaign’s Atlanta dinner.
We’ll never forget her news conference at the Georgia Dome. We scribbler types arrived promptly for her scheduled 6 p.m. conference. Post-conference, tardy news crews from WXIA and WSB tried to engage her for quick on-camera one-on-ones. “I’ll tell ya how these people do ya,” Richards announced loudly to dinner co-chairs. “See, they arrive late so they can get an exclusive. They don’t want what everybody else got.” Richards then promptly showed them her hindquarters, turned on her heel and exited the room.
Buzz distinctly recalls smirking for about 22 minutes, especially when the telegenic reporters tried to talk the rest of us into sharing our notes.
The evening also served as our first-ever introduction to then-“Party of Five” actor Mitchell Anderson, who was a speaker. Little did we suspect that a decade later, we’d be visiting the future Atlanta restaurateur almost hourly at his Midtown eatery to feed our increasingly embarrassing addiction to his Mitchili.
Celebrity docket
In what barely qualifies as news, Willie Nelson allegedly has been caught with some weed on his tour bus! Yes, the singer and four others were issued misdemeanor citations for possession of illegal mushrooms and marijuana after a traffic stop this week on a Louisiana highway, state police said.
“When the door was opened and the trooper began to speak to the driver, he smelled the strong odor of marijuana,” the news release said. A search of the bus produced 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana and slightly more than 3 ounces of illegal mushrooms.
There were enough drugs to merit a felony charge of distribution if they had been found in one person’s possession, state police spokesman Willie Williams said. However, in a brilliantly executed series of half-baked confessions, all five claimed the drugs as their own. The drugs were not packaged for resale, so each was charged with misdemeanors, he said. All were released after the citations were issued.
Nelson’s publicist, Elaine Schock, had no immediate comment.
Celebrity birthdays
Actress-comedian Anne Meara is 77. Actress Sophia Loren is 72. Actor Gary Cole is 50. Actress Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) is 39. Singers Gunnar and Matthew Nelson of Nelson are 39. Drummer Rick Woolstenhulme of Lifehouse is 27.
Contributing: 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.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Celestine Sibley’s Sweet Apple still filled with sweet memories
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a reader question that ranks right up there with “Is that your real hair?” AJC aficionados always want to know if our late colleague Celestine Sibley’s beloved Roswell log cabin Sweet Apple still exists, seven years after the legendary columnist’s passing.
To be honest, we couldn’t answer the question until last week, when we were delighted to accept a dinner invitation at Sweet Apple, courtesy of Celestine’s daughter, Susan Bazemore, and her husband, Edward.
We’re pleased to report that the restored log cabin, long the apple of many a real estate developer’s eye, is thriving. The writer’s retreat serves as the summer home for the Bazemores, who also maintain a home in Alford, Fla. Longtime readers will fondly recall Celestine’s constant battle against the encroaching McMansion developments that continue to spring up all around her fixer-upper cabin she first discovered in 1961.
“Oh, the developers still swarm around like vultures,” Susan jokes. “They’ll probably come and get us in our sleep one night!”
Since her mother’s 1999 death, the Bazemores have installed a new roof on the cabin, added a new heating and air system, and closed in some of the gaps between the logs, resulting in less drafty winters there.
This summer, the cabin played host to the Theatre in the Square cast of “Turned Funny,” the world premiere play based on Celestine Sibley’s 1988 memoir. The mammoth stone fireplace remains the living room’s focal point. Books line the shelves. And on the landing of the stairs leading to Celestine’s former bedroom, her much-cherished crepe paper and cardboard angel wings — bestowed by Big Bethel AME Church downtown — are framed on the wall.
The screened-in porch provided the backdrop for an evening of swapping Celestine stories. Among our favorites? Susan told us that shortly after the stretch of Ga. 140 was renamed Celestine Sibley Highway, the writer was pulled over on it — for speeding.
“And the officer ticketed Mother, too!” Susan added, laughing.
Alas, we noted that one of the two street signs marking Celestine’s stretch of road — the sign on Arnold Mill Road — is badly bent. We’re practically certain the repair work order will be placed today. After all, Celestine did pay that speeding ticket.
Changes for Runnicles
There’s trouble in Valhalla. The San Francisco Opera has announced that Donald Runnicles, its music director since 1992 — and current Atlanta Symphony Orchestra principal guest conductor — will end his opera job after the 2008-09 season, when his contract expires.
Runnicles, 51, couldn’t be reached for comment. A statement described the departure as a “mutual decision” between the Scottish-born maestro and the opera’s general director, David Gockley, who took over in January. The news is no surprise: It was widely rumored that Gockley would install his own in-house conductor.
But it is too bad for Runnicles. Although he has several part-time gigs — in Atlanta, as principal conductor of New York’s Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and as music director of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyo. — San Francisco was a high-profile international base. His conducting of Wagner’s “Ring” cycles and premieres of John Adams’ “Doctor Atomic” and Olivier Messiaen’s “St. Francis of Assisi” are seen as high points for the company.
Runnicles, his wife and two young daughters live just north of the bay. This season, he’ll conduct five of the opera’s 10 productions, and Gockley has indicated that Runnicles will continue to work in San Francisco, including a “Ring” in 2011. Runnicles’ ASO contract calls for six weeks a year and also runs through the 2008-09 season.
Friends aid chef’s family
On Monday, Buzz Central received the final tallies from the recent benefit for Andrea and Daniel Porubiansky and their family. Andrea, the wife of Seeger’s chef Daniel Porubiansky, has been undergoing treatment for cancer. The “Little Help From Friends” benefit this month at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead attracted 185 guests and raised more than $150,000 to help offset medical expenses.
Bacchanalia, Floataway Café, Star Provisions and Quinones owners/chefs Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano organized the event. Some of the city’s most acclaimed chefs clustered in the kitchen included Joël chef Joël Antunes; the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead Dining Room chef Arnaud Berthelier; Shaun’s chef Shaun Doty; Aria pastry chef Kathryn King; Aria owner/chef Gerry Klaskala; Taurus owner/chef Gary Mennie; Sam & Dave’s BBQ chef Dave Roberts; Table 1280 chef Todd Immel; ChikaLicious owner/chef Chika Tillman; and the Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey chef Dakota Weiss.
Folks interested in making donations to the Porubiansky family can contact Frances Quatrano at 404-365-0410, Ext. 22.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Adam West (“Batman”) is 76. Actor David McCallum (“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”) is 73. Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 42.
Contributing: Pierre Ruhe 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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President Bush interrupts Boortz vacation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta-based syndicated radio gabber Neal Boortz was on vacation last Wednesday in Tuscon, Ariz., with his wife when he got a call on his cellphone from his White House contact. President Bush wanted to meet with Boortz on Friday. Could he make it?
“I value my vacation time,” Boortz told Buzz on Saturday, “but how could you say no to that?”
Since he had no business attire with him, he bought a gray suit that afternoon and drove 120 miles to Phoenix on Thursday to catch a flight to D.C. On Friday afternoon, Boortz arrived at the White House to meet Bush. He joined four other radio talkers — Sean Hannity, heard (like Boortz) on 750/WSB-AM, and Michael Medved, Laura Ingraham and Mike Gallagher, all heard on 920/WGKA-AM. (Where was Al Franken?)
The off-the-record talk, set for 30 minutes, ended up lasting 90. Among the subjects reportedly discussed were interrogation rules for suspected terrorists, immigration and Bush’s thoughts on various foreign leaders. Boortz said that Bush gave them a short tour of his private dining room and showed them the pistol Saddam Hussein had when he was captured.
Boortz then flew back to Tucson. Having lost two days of vacation, he delayed his return to the airwaves until Wednesday, instead of this morning, but he plans to call WSB-AM morning host Scott Slade at 8:45 this morning to offer details of his trip. And he’ll post comments on his Web site, www.boortz.com.
Could anybody else have persuaded Boortz to interrupt his vacation? “Amanda Peet!” he cracked.
Wedding bells
Holly Firfer, morning host for Dave FM radio and co-host of WXIA-TV’s “Atlanta & Company,” got married Saturday night, at Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, to Shawn Arnold. Her guests included her former co-host Steve Barnes, former “Apprentice” contestant Wes Moss and former CNN colleagues Sanjay Gupta and Thomas Roberts.
Some new designs
Atlanta interior designer Vern Yip for years has been recognized for his stint with TLC’s “Trading Spaces,” a show he left two years ago. Now people are stopping him to talk about HGTV’s “Design Star,” which became the network’s biggest hit in its 12-year history when the show drew 3 million viewers for its Sept. 10 finale, triple the number for its debut in July.
Yip, as a judge, has been a major contributor to “Star’s” success, providing some of the more colorful commentary — basically an interior designer version of “Project Runway.”
“Design is my life,” Yip told Buzz last week. “When you ask me my opinion, I’m going to give it honestly.”
Yip, who’s also working on his own show for HGTV, said the winner, David Bromstad of Miami Beach, was a worthy one: “He’s able to visualize the end product before it’s completed.”
Old dog, new tricks
Many folks start in stand-up comedy, then move to TV or movies. “Saturday Night Live” vet Jon Lovitz has gone in reverse, launching his stand-up career just two years ago at age 47. His first appearance at the Funny Farm in Roswell showed that he’s comfortable onstage, his quirky mannerisms and self-deprecating comments transferring well in a more intimate setting.
Lovitz’s material, though, occasionally veered on the stale side. He actually did a “Clinton didn’t inhale” joke, sifted through the dusty “Bush says dopey things” file cabinet and attempted to mine yet another laugh out of the Dick Cheney hunting accident in February. Lovitz ended his late set with a seemingly endless array of “Bob Saget is gay” jokes and song parodies.
Celeb birthdays
Actor Robert Blake is 73. Singer-actor Frankie Avalon is 66. Actor James Gandolfini is 45. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is 35.
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services. 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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Info flows faster than drinks at charity event
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Occasionally, we’ll pop into just the right nightspot, and an entire column’s worth of boldfaced names are waiting, cocktails in hand, with juicy scoop.
Our visit to MidCity Cuisine on Thursday night yielded such nuggets.
The occasion: Hair salon owner Richie Arpino and Retromodern.com retailer Scott Reilly teamed up as celebrity bartenders to raise tip money for the nonprofit organization Breast Friends. Arpino, a budding photographer, also offered his third charitable calendar, “Dance,” for sale. The year’s worth of tastefully shot male nudes were signed for delighted female attendees by the models themselves as Arpino struggled to ascertain the ingredients in a vodka on the rocks.
“I was stumped about the brand of vodka, not what went in it!” Arpino clarified to Buzz during a short break from his cocktail-slinging stint. He says he was inspired to stage a benefit for Breast Friends after a family member was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Atlanta actor Daniel May, meanwhile, helped to provide inspiration for the 2007 calendar’s theme (a graceful, winged May even turns up midyear).
Arpino’s partner, actor-turned-restaurateur Mitchell Anderson, took the evening off from MetroFresh — his popular Midtown eatery — to help out at the event. E! recently sent a “TV Star Confidential” camera crew to the restaurant to interview Anderson about his roles on “Doogie Howser, M.D.” and “Party of Five.”
“They wanted me to talk about going from the heartthrob role on ‘Doogie’ to the ‘out’ character that I played on ‘Party of Five’ and how that intersected with me coming out in my personal life,” Anderson told us. “It was fun to do, but it also made me realize that my life is so different now.” The segment will air on E! on Sept. 23.
The dish on Doty
Outside on the MidCity patio, Reilly was pouring champagne for pals as we bumped into Atlanta chef Shaun Doty, whose eponymous Inman Park eatery will bow this fall. Local restaurant and nightclub owners can attest that Doty is currently waist-deep in permits and license-related red tape, courtesy of the ever-efficient city of Atlanta (at least he’s not battling one of those computer-generated parking tickets…). His neighborhood bistro now has a dining room focal point, thanks to a large communal farmhouse table that Doty recently found at his Inman Park neighbor Mark Sage’s Love Train Antiques shop.
“I was looking for a large table that neighbors could use as a casual thing, if they just wanted to drop in without a reservation,” Doty explained. “It’s really perfect.” Shaun’s will hopefully debut in November.
P.R. and Pecan pieces
Former Campbell-era mayoral mouthpiece and ex-Atlanta Gas Light Co. spokesman Nick Gold and friends also were on hand at MidCity, after taking in the Tipper Gore photo exhibition at Mitchell-Gold in Buckhead. Gold whispered that he’s finally ready to take the plunge and open his own public relations “shop” in the city. He promises details soon. Our take? If he could brilliantly guide Bill Campbell through the tragedy of that 1999 Buckhead daytrader massacre during wall-to-wall live coverage on CNN, starting his own PR company ought to be a cinch.
A few feet from Gold and company sat Clint Zeagler, the creative braintrust behind the city’s budding Pecan Pie Couture fashion line. Zeagler told us that his signature Southern-inspired T-shirts will be included at the upcoming “To a T” exhibition at the Museum of Design Atlanta, which opens Oct. 19. Also, Pecan Pie fashions will be on the runway at “Fashionada ‘06,” the charity skin cancer benefit for You Can Make a Difference, which will be held Sept. 24 at Atlantic Station’s Strip (tickets range from $25 to $200, info: www.youcanmakeadifference.info).
A Lotus blooms in Buckhead
As Thursday night threatened to become Friday morning, we arrived at the grand opening of the ultra-swanky Lotus Lounge — the first nightspot located at the new Lindbergh City Center on the cusp of Buckhead. The Asian-vibed 7,800-square-foot, two-tiered space was conceived by Amy Miller, who kept busy greeting her high-profile guests. Upstairs will normally be reserved for private club members, willing to part with up to $2,500 for use of personalized lockers for vino and cigars. Late Thursday, one of the ornate upstairs couches was occupied by a petite blond woman holding an icy glass to her face as concerned friends clustered around her. Details weren’t immediately forthcoming (of course, we asked). Downstairs, a DJ curiously spun INXS’ “Need You Tonight” and Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” as we peered around the dim club. We’re fairly certain that we saw Dallas Austin chatting with a female companion in one of the private areas. But extremely large men in nicely tailored black suits, and sporting earpieces, prevented us from nosing too close. Oddly, we didn’t see Jimmy or Rosalynn Carter anywhere on the premises…
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Actress Lauren Bacall is 82. Blues singer B.B. King is 81. Atlanta jazz guitarist Earl Klugh is 53. Illusionist David Copperfield is 50. Actress Jennifer Tilly is 48. Singer Marc Anthony is 37. Actress Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) is 25. Singer Teddy Geiger is 18.
Sunday: Singer BeBe Winans is 44. Actor Kyle Chandler (“Friday Night Lights”) is 41. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 40. Singer Anastacia is 33. Singer-actress Nona Gaye is 32.
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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In Macon: The Gospel According to Buffy the Vampire Killer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So what if the show’s been off the air a couple of years?
St. Francis Church in Macon is offering “The Gospel According to Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” an adult class designed to explore the Christian virtues portrayed in the show.
“It’s the most artistic and literate program that’s been on TV in 10 years, maybe ever,” series co-teacher and self-proclaimed “Buffy junkie” Buzz Tanner told the Macon Telegraph. “Spiritually, Buffy’s virtues are Christian, though it would be hard to say Buffy is a Christian. The show deals with good and evil, right and wrong.”
The group will watch an episode each week and then discuss the episode’s spiritual lessons over soft drinks, popcorn and beer. Garlic necklaces and wooden stakes are apparently optional.
For just such religious educational experiences, Jossey-Bass in 2004 published “What Would Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide” by Jana Riess, one of several books in recent years linking gospel and the lessons of popular culture.
Banjo group sets record without a breakdown
Q: How do you get a professional banjo player off your porch?
A: You pay him for the pizza.
Sorry. We needed a little banjo humor to lighten the mood. Buzz is still recovering from the pain and anguish inflicted Wednesday night on an unsuspecting Braves crowd, when an unprecedented 250 banjo players attempted to earn a place in the Guinness World Records by playing “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” en masse.
Adding insult to injury, Earl Scruggs, the 82-year-old writer of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and the creator of the dominant modern banjo sound (a driving, three-finger technique called simply “Scruggs-style”), was in the stands, his smiling face appearing on the JumboTron. Whether Scruggs was appalled or impressed was not recorded.
Fred MacIsaac, bass player with the Atlanta bluegrass band Cedar Hill, who performed on an oversized four-string contra-bass banjo, claims, “It didn’t sound all that bad.”
Players were recruited through www.banjo.com and were instructed to adhere to the requirements set down by Guinness: They had to be “proficient” at their instrument, had to keep together, follow a conductor, stick to the written music and play for five minutes. Apparently all the criteria were met to establish a world record as the largest number of banjo players performing the same song at the same time.
What was the previous record? “I hate to admit this, but it was zero,” said MacIsaac.
Jay-Z to come back
Call him the Michael Jordan of rap. Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, who declared that 2003’s “The Black Album” would be his last, is coming out of retirement and releasing a new CD.
“Kingdom Come” will hit stores this fall, Entertainment Weekly reports in its new issue, due on newsstands Monday.
“It was the worst retirement in history,” Jay told the magazine.
Anna Nicole grief-stricken
Anna Nicole Smith frantically tried to revive her stricken son and had to be sedated after he died, her attorney said this week. Authorities termed the death “suspicious” and said criminal charges could be filed.
Daniel Smith died Sunday while visiting his mother, a reality TV star and former Playboy playmate, in her hospital room three days after she gave birth to a baby girl.
“The devastation and grief over Daniel’s sudden death coupled with the sedation has been so extreme that Anna Nicole experienced memory loss of the event,” attorney Michael Scott said.
When Supernovas collide
Members of the band Supernova, including Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, picked glam dude Lukas Rossi as the band’s lead singer on Wednesday night’s season finale of “Rock Star” on CBS.
But it’s unclear whether the band, whose first CD will be produced by Atlanta’s own Butch Walker, will be able to call itself Supernova.
On Tuesday, a judge in California ordered the band to come up with a different name and granted an injunction to a California punk bank already named Supernova. That band sued CBS and producer Mark Burnett in June, citing copyright infringement.
Overscene
Al Gore’s wife Tipper noshing on a cheeseburger at Nava Thursday.
Random bits
Starting today, digital Comcast Cable customers will be able to pick up eight CBS shows as a free “On Demand” feature: the three “CSI” shows, “Numbers,” “Survivor,” “NCIS,” “Jericho” and “Big Brother.” (“Big Brother” won’t be available until next summer.) These shows will be available for four weeks starting the morning after the original telecast. …
Who woulda thunk it that goofy “American Idol” contestant Kellie Pickler would be so quick out the gate with a single? “Red High Heels” debuted Tuesday on Kicks 101.5. Pickler told the sold-out “Idols Live!” crowd Tuesday night at Gwinnett Arena how excited she was hearing it on the radio. Her album “Small Town Girl” is due out on Halloween.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 60. Movie director Oliver Stone is 60.
Contributing: Bo Emerson 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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New Monopoly has Centennial Olympic Park
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While on the subject of America voting on things that don’t necessarily improve our culture, the latest edition of venerable board game Monopoly thudded into Buzz Central on Wednesday. The “Here and Now” edition jettisons the old metal Scottie dog, top hat and race car playing pieces in favor of a Labradoodle, a cellphone and a laptop.
As Ryan Seacrest would no doubt intone, Atlanta, America voted and Centennial Olympic Park beat out Stone Mountain and Peachtree Street to be included as a property in the new edition. According to the deed card in the game, rent at the downtown park will run you $100,000. Additionally, you now score $2 million for passing “Go” and you can go to jail for identity theft.
There was no word whether that guy in the top hat and bushy mustache planned to file charges against Parker Brothers. The revamped board game arrives in stores today.
‘Brother’ bucks for ATL?
Mercifully, “Big Brother All Stars” finally concluded Tuesday night, and Atlanta may just reap part of the $500,000 cash prize. The reality show’s winner, restaurateur Mike “Boogie” Malin, is an investor with “That ’70s Show” actors/business partners Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama, Danny Masterson and Laura Prepon, who are bringing their Geisha House Japanese restaurant, Dolce classic Italian eatery, and Kingpin (a high-end bowling club and cocktail lounge) concepts to Atlantic Station. Malin told “The View”: “We have three restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia, so we’re going to re-invest the money in that.”
Fonda: Lohan needs a little love, discipline
Oh, fine. Just when we were beginning to believe that Jane Fonda had taken us off her Poncey-Highland dartboard, she forsakes our little column in favor of the nationally syndicated “Access Hollywood” to dish about life on the set with Lindsay Lohan.
The two-time Oscar winner sat down with malnourished “AH” correspondent Maria Menounos to discuss her tardy, partying “Georgia Rule” co-star in a segment that aired Tuesday night.
“I just want to take her in my arms and hold her until she becomes grown-up,” Fonda said. “She’s so young and she’s so alone out there in the world in terms of structure and, you know, people to nurture her. And she’s so talented. She can access emotion like nothing. She just made me cry a lot. When she was on the set, she was really good.”
Lohan plays Fonda’s troubled granddaughter and Felicity Huffman’s offspring in the upcoming Garry Marshall-directed dramedy currently in production on the Left Coast. This summer, after repeated problems with Lohan, Morgan Creek Productions sent Lohan a scathing letter warning her about future tardiness and then promptly leaked the missive to the press.
“It’s hard after a while to party very hard and work very hard,” Fonda said. “She’ll learn that. I think every once in a while, a very, very young person who is burning both ends of the candle needs to have somebody say, ‘You know, you’re going to pay the piper, you better slow down.’ A whistle was blown. So I think it was good.”
When Menounos asked Fonda what advice she might offer Lohan, she replied: “This is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. If you blow it, you don’t get another chance.”
And we’ll admit that the cocktail shaker fell clean out of our hands when Menounos asked Fonda, “What were you doing at her age?” and Fonda cracked, “Not that!”
Hicks back for the Olde gang
A year ago, an unknown Taylor Hicks played Midtown’s Smith’s Olde Bar before a handful of his old college buddies.
On Tuesday night, “American Idol” winner Hicks returned to Smith’s, playing more than 90 minutes of blues and soul before 150-plus fans, mostly ga-ga middle-aged women snapping pictures galore.
About three hours after finishing the “Idols Live!” concert at the sold-out Arena at Gwinnett, Hicks hit the stage with his old band, the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, which has been shadowing the tour the past two months.
The gray-haired crooner, dressed in a tan jacket, blue button-down shirt, jeans and alligator shoes, gave fans who paid $15 a full-fledged concert of mostly bluesy originals. He brought on stage three of his college musician friends to jam with him and even whipped out his trademark harmonica.
At one point, he name-checked, of all cities, Doraville, and riffed a bit of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” He finished the gig at 2:30 a.m. sitting in a chair caressing one of his favorite songs of all time: “Georgia on My Mind.”
Coupling
The end of the Braves’ run of division titles isn’t the only thing that has young female fans disappointed.
Jeff Francoeur is no longer available.
The Braves’ 22-year-old outfielder is engaged to Catie McCoy, his girlfriend since their days at Parkview High School in Lilburn. Francoeur popped the question Sunday night and made sure it caught her off-guard.
The couple arrived early for “Beauty and the Beast” at the Fox Theatre and went to the balcony as part of a staged ticket mixup. Once there, Francoeur dropped to a knee and proposed. “Who says I can’t be romantic?” Francoeur said Wednesday.
The wedding won’t take place until after next season. McCoy graduated from the University of Georgia in May and teaches English and coaches cheerleaders at Mill Creek High School in Gwinnett County.
Uncoupling
Dave FM and Steve Barnes have agreed to split up after two years. Dave is dropping its “radio without rules” moniker and opting for “where the music matters.” Ratings have flagged the past year at Dave. “No hard feelings,” program director Michelle Engel said.
“I don’t agree with their philosophy,” said Barnes, who will continue his movie career and won’t rule out another radio job. His co-host, Holly Firfer, will stay.
Celebrity birthdays
Country singer John Berry is 47. Actress Faith Ford (“Hope and Faith”) is 42. Rapper Nas is 33.
Contributing: Guy Curtright, 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.
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Chicks reschedule Atlanta for December
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Dixie Chicks’ concert originally scheduled for Oct. 17 at Philips Arena has been moved to Dec. 2. According to Trey Feazell, the arena’s vice president of booking/events, tickets for the original show date will be honored in December. Feazell said the show was moved due to tour routing issues. The routing certainly has changed — if you check out the tour itinerary at www.dixiechicks.com, you’ll notice that the controversial country trio is now scheduled to perform Oct. 17 in Melbourne, Australia.
From now on, just call him Mr. Sunshine
Aaron Landau Schwarz, “eccentric” Internet millionaire and owner of T-Shirt Hell (sample T-shirt: “Bin Laden is a Big Fat Doodiehead”), has made his pick of the names offered as entries in the “Give Me a Name” contest. Drumroll, please. Henceforth Mr. Schwarz will be known as: Sunshine Megatron.
Schwarz sponsored the contest at www.givemeaname.com because he didn’t like his original moniker.
The winning name-suggesters are two guys, William Findlay from Scotland and Casimir Rodriguez from Illinois (whom Megatron’s people haven’t contacted yet). They will split the $25,000 prize money.
Personally, Buzz thinks Megatron should have gone with “Casimir Rodriguez.”
Don’t snicker at this contest
So it’s too late to make any money off Megatron’s contest. But you can still pull down 25, large, by singing about candy. Fans of the chocolaty, peanutty, caramel treat Snickers can give voice to their emotion by entering the Satisfaction Sing-Off and writing and performing an original paean to the love bar.
One-time celebrity husband Nick Lachey, who is described as a “lifetime Snickers fan,” and whose upcoming tour is being supported by a certain candy maker, will judge the finals event in Los Angeles, during which songsters will rhapsodize about how they are “satisfied” by that brick of goodness — taking care, by the way, to include the words “peanuts,” “chocolate,” “caramel” and “nougat” in their songs. (It’s required.) For details, go to www.snickerssatisfies.com. It’s funnier than we feel right now.
Cruiseball
When you pay for Tom Cruise, you get the whole family. The Cruises, including girlfriend Katie Holmes, daughter Isabella, 13, and son Connor, 11, took in a Redskins game Monday, sitting in owner Dan Snyder’s box, after arriving wrapped in a thick layer of security and schmoozing with the other invited dignitaries.
On Sunday, Cruise put in some face-time at the Six Flags park in suburban Washington that Snyder also owns. And The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the Cruises — including Vanity Fair cover baby Suri — are staying at Snyder’s Potomac, Md., home. New best friend Snyder stepped in to underwrite Cruise’s productions after the actor was dropped by Paramount Pictures last month.
Striking at childhood cancer
The second annual Quiet Heroes auction Saturday at the Westin Buckhead raised about $160,000 for childhood cancer research, about $60,000 more than in its inaugural year, due at least partly to the drawing power of glamorous speaker Chris Glavine and to the autographed jerseys, bats and balls contributed by her husband, former Brave Tom Glavine, and by his buddies — Braves pitcher John Smoltz and Dodgers pitcher Greg Maddux.
The blond Mrs. Glavine clutched a rosary, terrified of speaking in front of the crowd of 500, but made it through in style. Also speaking was Liz Scott, whose daughter started Alex’s Lemonade Stand and who has raised $7 million for cancer research since Alex died two years ago. Scott received a check from Macy’s for $45,000 from the proceeds of lemonade sales in Alex’s memory at several stores this summer.
Celebrity birthdays
Pop singer Fiona Apple (“Extraordinary Machine”) is 29; Ringo Starr’s drummer son Zak Starkey (he occupies Keith Moon’s drum throne with the Who) is 41; talk host and NPR commentator Tavis Smiley is 42; thrash metal guitarist Dave Mustaine (Megadeth, Metallica) is 45; animator Don Bluth (“Land Before Time”) is 68; and, oddly enough, two singers from two rival so-called jazz-rock bands of the 1970s celebrate birthdays today, David Clayton Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears) is 65 and Peter Cetera (Chicago) is 62.
Contributing: Lynne Anderson 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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Magician Blaine materializes at Buckhead birthday party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michele Slepian pulled off quite a trick over the weekend for her husband Eric’s surprise 40th-birthday party at Pricci. When the Peachtree City attorney turned up at the Buckhead restaurant, 35 of his closest friends — and New York magician David Blaine — were waiting. “He told me a long time ago that he wanted David Blaine at his 40th-birthday party,” Michele Slepian told us Monday. “He’s a big fan.” And since Blaine doesn’t normally do private parties, getting him to materialize in Atlanta was a challenge for Slepian. “Let’s just say I was persuasive!” she said. Eventually, a contract with Blaine was brokered.
Guests report that Blaine stayed all evening at the bash, performed card tricks and signed autographs. “Eric was completely shocked,” said Michele. Here’s hoping that an even bigger shock isn’t awaiting the birthday boy when the credit card statement arrives this month.
Thai-lovers take note: Tamarind will return
For the past week, hungry Thai food enthusiasts have arrived at Tamarind in Midtown for lunch or dinner only to find it dark.
In an effort to quell a citywide panic, we rang co-owner Charlie Niyomkul on Monday to find out what’s going on. It turns out that the much beloved 9-year-old eatery at 80 14th St. finally has become a victim of that long-dreaded expansion of the 14th Street bridge.
“There was really nothing left to do,&#