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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 20 > Entry
10 years later, Tritts still happily married
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ten years ago this spring, we camped out — along with a gaggle of Florida-based tabloid scribblers — on a neighbor’s lawn outside Travis Tritt’s Paulding County home as he married Theresa Nelson. At one point during the ceremony, one tabloid reporter grumbled, “I don’t even know why we’re here. This marriage won’t last six months.”
On Monday, when we related the story to the Marietta native who just celebrated his 10-year anniversary with his wife and the couple’s three children, the 44-year-old roared and replied, “Well, I guess we showed them, didn’t we?” (The couple, with two of their three children, are pictured at right at the dedication in 2001 of a portion of Ga. 92 in Tritt’s name.)
Indeed, it took the likes of “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson to persuade Tritt to temporarily leave his quiet family life here for a Los Angeles studio earlier this year to create “The Storm,” the singer’s new disc in stores Tuesday.
“That was the only difficult part about making this album, the period apart from my wife and kids. [Theresa’s] what keeps me going.”
The singer says Jackson signed on as a producer after he heard Tritt’s duet with soul legend Sam Moore and wanted to bring out Tritt’s tendencies toward “blue-eyed soul” vocals. Tritt says the mix of musical styles on “The Storm” harkens back to what he grew up listening to in Georgia in the 1970s.
“Oh man, I remember listening to WSB radio as a kid,” Tritt recalled. “Dude, they would play Patsy Cline followed by Marvin Gaye followed by the Captain and Tennille. I realized that living here, we’re right in the center of a whole lot of musical influences.”
For old fans of the now-reformed Southern bad boy, Tritt still cranks up the naughty on “Rub Off on Me,” a sexy song about a guy helping his stressed-out working woman relax at the end of the day.
“That’s just one of those songs that’s right in my wheelhouse,” explained Tritt.
The song could also heat up the fanning crowds at Chastain on Wednesday when Tritt performs a homecoming show for fans here.
“I’m jazzed,” he said of the show. “The venue has such an intimate feel to it. Coming up, I saw [Jimmy] Buffett, Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg and Ray Charles there. It means a lot to me.”
For tickets: www.classicchastain.com.
CD Review: Travis Tritt: ‘The Storm’
Overtime for Seacrest
Dunwoody High School grad and Star 94 alum Ryan Seacrest is clearly allergic to free time. Last week, Fox gave the “Idol” man (who also hosts an L.A. morning radio show and E! News) “entertainment” hosting duties for the Super Bowl in January. Then Monday, Fox handed him the Emmy Award hosting gig Sept. 16, airing on the network. Buzz can’t confirm this, but Fox may have him join the casts of “House” and “24,” too, for good measure.
Hunting bounty in metro Atlanta?
Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman ironically ended up in jail himself last year for allegedly breaking Mexican law by hunting down a fugitive over the border. At the moment, he’s free and the case is on appeal.
“I thought [going over the border] was a misdemeanor, but they charged me with felony kidnapping and conspiracy,” said Chapman, who attended a book signing at the Borders at Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia over the weekend for his new autobiography, “You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.” He is also scoping out Atlanta for potential cases for Season 5 of his popular A&E reality show.
“There aren’t enough warrants in Hawaii now,” he said, referencing his home base. “So we’re checking out different parts of the country.”
Chapman said his book delves frankly into his multiple marriages, his days of drug addiction, his time in jail for an alleged murder he said he didn’t commit and his Christian faith.
“If you knew what I used to be, you might not love me,” he said.
Season 5, he said, will feature more of his family members, especially his 20-year-old daughter who goes by Baby Lyssa. “She wants to do what I do and that’s fine with me,” he said, despite the inherent dangers.
Hair-raising ‘Battle Royale’?
We hear that the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show got a little, well, wild downtown over the weekend. A colleague who was there says that during the “Hair Battle Royale,” hair artisan Jason Griggers styled the tresses of some scantily clad lovelies. But folks we talked to Monday apparently weren’t put off by the racy content.
“Very theatrical, very electric,” was how Gee-Gee Cain, doing marketing and public relations work during the show, put it. Nicole Martin, a coordinator and consultant for some of the stylists, had a similar take.
“The whole show is based on the creativity of the stylists,” she said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
Monday’s agenda featured a tamer exhibitors’ brunch that included gospel music and the unveiling of a portrait of family matriarch Robbie Bronner, who asked that her sons and daughters-in-law join her on stage to a rousing ovation.
“This is a special moment,” she said.
Photos: Bronner Bros. Hair Battle Royale | Barber battle
Overscene
Singer Macy Gray bowling in the posh VIP lanes at Atlantic Station’s Ten Pin Alley after her Chastain show Saturday night. We’re told the R&B songstress was in the mood to have fun with friends. Her cocktail of choice? A glass of pinot grigio — with a splash of Sprite.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor-filmmaker-writer Melvin Van Peebles is 75. Singer and Atlantan Kenny Rogers is 69. Actor Clarence Williams III (“The Mod Squad”) is 68. Singer Jackie DeShannon is 63. Actress Loretta Devine (“Boston Public”) is 58. Actress Kim Cattrall (“Sex and the City”) is 51. Singer Kelis is 28. Actor Cody Kasch (“Desperate Housewives”) is 20. Actress Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) is 18.
Contributing: Jennifer Brett, 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.
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