Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September
September 2007
Top chef’s haute cuisine goes sky high for Delta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Delta Air Lines took off in a search to add some flavor to its mid-air culinary offerings (or as Buzz has cheerfully referred to it: “Peanuts, Sun Chips or pretzels, sir?”), they looked to a hometown guy.
Celebrity chef Todd English, who grew up in Sandy Springs, has finalized his new in-flight menu for Delta customers that the AJC first told you about last month. Next week, Delta will officially unveil samples of the recipes during a media preview at its high-tech (if temporary) SKY360 lounge in New York City.
And no, you won’t have to be sitting in those pricey seats up front to experience English’s menu either. Delta spokesman Andy McDill told us Friday that starting next month, the for-sale items will be available on flights from JFK in New York to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and other left coast destinations. In the coming months, the program will expand to other flights of 2,000 miles or more.
Among the offerings English has whipped up for Delta: a roast beef Cobb sandwich, a Mediterranean salad with grilled shrimp and a chilled black olive spaghetti salad. The menu items will range around $10.
“This is an opportunity for us to showcase the new Delta and to provide our customers with a Todd English experience in the air,” explains McDill. “It was a challenge for Todd to create a menu that would stand up to 30,000 feet. But airline food doesn’t have to taste like airline food.”
Delta customers and the general public can preview the reborn Atlanta-based airline’s new menu selections starting Wednesday and running through Nov. 10 via the SKY360 multidimensional lounge in New York at 101 W. 57th St. Visitors will get to try out the new “fully-flat” international business elite seats (set to debut in the air in February) complete with Delta On Demand in-flight entertainment, signature drinks created by nightclub guru Rande Gerber and free charging stations for mobile devices such as BlackBerrys, iPods and cellphones.
Captain Planet welcomes Pike site
Today’s grand opening of the new Pike Family Nurseries location at Lindbergh City Center at 2410 Camellia Lane on the cusp of Buckhead promises to be the chain’s “greenest location yet.” And if it’s not, they’ve invited the right Atlantan to ensure they get up to speed —EcoManor homeowner and Captain Planet Foundation chairperson Laura Turner Seydel will be on hand for the nursery’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. The ecologically minded superhero himself will also make an appearance and kids will have a chance to get their hands dirty in an “eco-friendly” potting station. Pike is donating 10 percent of today’s sales at the location to the Captain Planet Foundation. We may pop in, meanwhile, just to quiz Turner Seydel on why our favorite potted palm is currently turning odd shades of, well, gray …
Karatassos deemed ‘national neighbor’
Buckhead Life Restaurant Group founder Pano Karatassos was in Washington this week to collect the Restaurant Neighbor humanitarian award from the National Restaurant Association. The prestigious award “celebrates the philanthropic spirit of the restaurant industry and serves to inspire others to actively get involved in their communities.”
Said NRA interim president Peter Kilgore of the Atlanta Fish Market/Chops/Buckhead Diner restaurateur: “Pano Karatassos has a true passion for our great industry and an equal passion for serving his community. His commitment to hunger relief and other causes is unparalleled.”
As Atlantans know, Karatassos has an ongoing commitment to the Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation charity and is a sizable fund-raiser for the March of Dimes. And that $5,000 prize check didn’t visit long in Karatassos’ pocket either. He promptly donated the money to SOS Atlanta.
HIGH FIVE
Television
Top OnDemand programs for the week of Sept. 19-26 as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. “Kiss, Kiss” Chris Brown music video, Music Choice
2. “Crank Dat Souja Boy” Souja Boy music video, Music Choice
3. “Backyardigans,” “Whodunit?” episode, Nickelodeon
4. “Love Like Honey,” Pretty Ricky music video, Music Choice
5. “Dora the Explorer,” “The Big Storm” episode, Nickelodeon
Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Oh, I heard about Mariah!”
— Punctual “Why Did I Get Married?” director-writer-star Tyler Perry on Q100 Friday morning. The Atlantan and Q100 listener was recalling how “The Bert Show” notably hung up on the “Glitter” actress when she was more than an hour late for an interview with the show.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Singer Jerry Lee Lewis is 72. Actor Ian McShane is 65. TV personality Bryant Gumbel is 59. Actor Drake Hogestyn (“Days of Our Lives”) is 54. Singer Suzzy Roche of the Roches is 51. Actress Jill Whelan (“Love Boat”) is 41.
Sunday: Actress Deborah Kerr is 86. Singer Cissy Houston is 74. Singer Johnny Mathis is 72. Actor Barry Williams (“The Brady Bunch”) is 53. Singer Trey Anastasio (Phish) is 43. Actress Lacey Chabert (“Mean Girls,” “Party of Five”) is 25. Actor Kieran Culkin is 25. Rapper T-Pain is 23.
Contributing: 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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Little Usher V on the way?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta’s favorite R&B king and his bride are expecting a boy, the celeb show “Extra” reports. Usher (full name, Usher Raymond IV) and wife Tameka Foster were interviewed about Usher’s new fragrance line and revealed, “It’s a boy!” “I’m really looking forward to that moment in my life where I meet that little man, that little boy,” Usher said.
Driven to bid on fancy cars? Try Jackie O’s
The folks at Red Baron expect a glitzy crowd at next month’s auction. The “diamond-studded celebration” marks the 75th time bidders have swarmed there to eye high-end furniture, art, jewelry and other necessities.
Among the treasures going on the block during the Oct. 13-14 event: a 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith once belonging to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her second husband, Aristotle Onassis. Special features include a cigar box and rack-and-pinion windows. Owing to Jackie’s understandable fears after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, the car is bullet-proof.
“I think there’s only 8,000 miles on it,” says Red Baron owner Bob Brown. “I went out to dinner in it twice. It handles really nice.”
(He had someone else drive the elegant machine, expected to fetch between a half-mil and $750,000.)
Other items include a fabulous collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass taken from a church in Connecticut, a Confederate flag that has been in the same South Carolina family for several generations, and plenty of bling, including a diamond dog collar.
Brown won’t name names, but dropped a few tantalizing hints.
“There’s been several of them already come in and look,” he said. “Entertainers, sports figures, several team owners, both from the world of football and the world of hockey. We’ve had an incredible response.”
Red Baron is at 6450 Roswell Road. The auction preview will be Oct. 8-12, with a preview party Oct. 12 for registered bidders. All the details are at www.rbantiques.com.
Partying for parks
Patrice Dickey’s book “Back to the Garden: Getting From Shadow to Joy,” has been released in audiobook form. To celebrate, she threw a CD release party at Silk Monday night benefiting Park Pride.
Attendees included Charles H. Green, Jim Withers and Lisa Haverty, Dr. Robert and Carol Dallas, Dr. Rick Thode, Novia Lytle, Norma Poindexter, Susan Howick, Sarah Thackston, Cecie Ingraham, Brad and Pamela Campbell, Ted Rubenstein, Billy Quinn, John Kale and Cortne Pappa and wife Monica Walsh.
The group munched on Shanghai spring rolls in mango vinaigrette, beef dumplings, California sushi rolls and knocked back pomegranate and green apple martinis and cosmos. Park Pride advocates action for parks and green space throughout metro Atlanta. Amid the revelry, director of development Abigail Paine reminded everyone about the “Get Connected to the BeltLine Great Green Mile Clean-up” coming up on Oct. 20. (All the info: www.parkpride.org). Dickey’s book and CD advocate the healing power of parks and nature. Details: www.patricedickey.com.
Classic brings back days of disco
Atlanta’s party scene just keeps getting hotter. And when you’re able to nab one of the ATL’s hottest DJs, you can pretty much count on a good time.
Tonight marks the debut of Classic at the new Ice Private Bar at 840 Marietta St. in Atlanta. DJ Kemit brings old-school R&B and disco to the water-filled dance floor in the space connected to Utopia Martini Tapas Lounge.
“It’s your old-school music, not necessarily hip-hop but every genre,” says spokewoman Charlene L. Sanders. “From Phil Collins along with Curtis Mayfield to Donnie Hathaway along with Earth, Wind & Fire and Parliament, this isn’t going to be a meat-market experience,” Sanders says. “People are coming out to have a good time.” The party kicks off from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. and promoters say come dressed to impress. Admission: $20. Call 404-898-8788 or go to www.myspace.com/marcospita for details.
OVERSCENE
Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, half of the Grammy Award-winning duo OutKast, was on hand Wednesday night at the Atlanta Ballet’s season launch party at King Plow Arts Center on West Marietta Street, as partygoers got a sneak preview of a new ballet set to his music. Dancers clad all in white, some holding red umbrellas, took the stage while others danced among the crowd — often within inches of surprised guests, who included Michael Taormina, managing director of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
The ballet’s artistic director, John McFall, said it has been a pleasure working with Big Boi, whom he called “a remarkable gentleman,” and said some of the music in the upcoming ballet is brand new, composed specifically for the dance. The ballet, choreographed by Lauri Stallings, will be performed April 10-13 at the Fox Theatre.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor William Windom (“Murder, She Wrote”) is 84. Actor Arnold Stang is 82. Blues singer Koko Taylor is 79. Actress Brigitte Bardot is 73. Singer Ben E. King is 69. Actor Joel Higgins (“Silver Spoons”) is 64. Actor Jeffrey Jones is 61. Writer-director-actor John Sayles is 57. Actress Sylvia Kristel (“Emmanuelle,” “Private Lessons”) is 55. Actress-comedian Janeane Garofalo is 43. Country singer Matt King is 41. Actress Mira Sorvino is 40. TV personality Moon Zappa is 40. Actress Naomi Watts is 39. Country singer Mandy Barnett is 32. Rapper Young Jeezy is 30. Actress Hilary Duff is 20.
Contributing: David Graves, 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.
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Ocean Drive, Trump to revive magazine
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Little did Buzz know when we were busy trying to squeeze scoop out of Atlanta Peach magazine publisher Jerry Powers and Trump Towers Atlanta developer Donald Trump during the glossy’s first anniversary party at Puritan Mills downtown back in April, that the duo was busy working a deal.
On Wednesday, Powers phoned Buzz from Miami to tell us that his Ocean Drive Media Group is partnering with The Donald to re-launch Trump Magazine, starting next month.
“We made the deal right there in that room at Puritan Mill,” Powers said. “I’ve known Donald for 20 years but we had never done business together. He told me, ‘I’ve got this [expletive] magazine and the deal is about to expire. Why don’t you take it over?’ “
Powers says that when the “completely reinvented” Trump glossy hits stands in Atlanta, New York, Miami, Palm Beach, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities next month, it will re-emerge as a “beautiful high-end coffee table book” devoted to the sort of folks who are going to reside at Trump’s new West Peachtree high-rise address.
Powers told us that both he and Trump had their eye on Atlanta at the same time a few years back as a market both were eager to expand into.
“I remember talking to him and saying that I was looking seriously at Chicago and Atlanta and he told me, ‘Coincidentally, so am I,’ ” Powers recalls. “Atlanta represents a place of great opportunity for us, I think. Plus, we both wanna have a place there! But since Donald’s the builder, I’ll let him handle that and I just buy where he does.”
While Powers acknowledges that Trump can sometimes be dismissed as a late-night TV punchline, he says the business tycoon’s stamp will be all over the new version of Trump Magazine.
“Absolutely,” Powers confirmed. “It’s going to be 100-percent Donald. We’re gonna get philosophical, business serious, and then throw in some fun, fashion and flair.”
Added Trump in a statement sent to Buzz: “I know that with Ocean Drive’s reputation as a leading luxury magazine and its strong editorial and advertising team that this partnership will be a success both in terms of quality and sales.”
And when the rejuvenated quarterly hits stands around Thanksgiving with a special holiday edition, can Atlantans expect another of Powers’ trademark top-notch social gatherings here?
“Are you kidding?” Powers said. “Of course, we’re gonna party there. That’s where the deal was made!”
Turner: ‘Humanity down by 2 runs’
A familiar face joined CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on camera Wednesday from the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. As the 10-year anniversary of his $1 billion gift to the United Nations draws near, CNN founder Ted Turner reflected on the philanthropic decision, saying that he has no regrets.
“In fact, it is the best thing I ever did other than having my children,” he explained.
Addressing pressing global issues, the former Braves owner provided this analogy: “I think it’s the seventh inning and humanity is down by two runs. Now, we’ve got to score three runs in the next two innings and we’ve got to hold them right where they are. So it’s real tricky. We’re in a dangerous spot but we can pull it out if we really work together … and stop doing the dumb things like bombing Third World countries.”
‘Offensive’ art?
Elton John confirmed that he owns a photo of two naked girls taken by award-winning photographer Nan Goldin that was seized by police at a British gallery over concerns it amounted to child pornography.
John disclosed ownership of “Klara and Edda Belly-Dancing” in a statement on his Web site. He said it is among 149 images comprising Goldin’s “Thanksgiving” installation.
Northumbria police said the photo was taken from the BALTIC Center for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, northeastern England. They confirmed that an image had been taken from an exhibit “to assess whether or not an offense had been committed.”
Both Goldin and the gallery have declined to comment.
“The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world,” said the 60-year-old Peachtree Road resident. John purchased the “Thanksgiving” installation in 1999, his statement said.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Let’s face it, we all have to make a living. What do they want us to do? Go gently into that good night? Hell, no!”
— Rolling Stones keyboardist and Georgia tree farmer Chuck Leavell on veteran rock acts bringing millions into the world’s concert halls this year even as the digital age continues to ding the music biz in the Oct. 1 issue of Fortune.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Producer Don Cornelius (“Soul Train”) is 71. Actress Liz Torres is 60. Singer Meat Loaf is 56. Singer-actor-director Shaun Cassidy is 49. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is 35. Rapper Lil Wayne is 25. Singer Avril Lavigne is 23.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Inspiring songstress shares ‘Love’ message
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fans did joyful double-takes outside the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Midtown when Grammy-winning singer Ann Nesby popped by for breakfast Tuesday morning. The former Sounds of Blackness powerhouse (who’s also known by younger folks as “American Idol” contestant Paris Bennett’s grandma) was in town to introduce her latest inspirational R&B album, “This is Love.”
The “relationship songs” co-written by the Fayetteville resident for “Love” were inspired by our cultural addictions to buzzing PDAs, incessant text-messaging and “Halo 3”-related trances in an age where we’re actually communicating less effectively with each other. The singer slyly suggests “turning off the cellphone and grabbing some candles” on “Special Occasion” from “Love.”
“We’ve gotten so caught up in technology that we’ve become kind of like computers ourselves,” she explains. “We need to step back and deal with each other more. We need to tell each other that we’re sorry when we’ve wronged someone. We need to tell each other that we love them.”
To that end, two of the singer’s fave new tracks on “Love” are “I Apologize” and “Never Forget You Remembered,” a song about the prized folks who remember your birthday.
Between delicate bites of a healthy turkey burger, Nesby told Buzz: “When you’re grown, life just goes on on your birthday. You tell yourself, ‘If nobody buys me a cake, I’m not going to trip about it.’ But when people take that time to remember, it’s a very tender thing. It’s really the little things in life that have the biggest effect on us.”
While the now-svelte singer is staunchly dedicated to maintaining her healthy lifestyle, we did manage to coax the experienced Southern cook to sample a bite of Flying Biscuit grits and the spicy collard-dotted Southern Scramble.
Nesby just shakes her head when it’s pointed out to her that it’s now been 20 years since she first helped to record soul classics like “I Believe,” “The Pressure” and “Optimistic” as a member of The Sounds of Blackness.
“[Producers] Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were a big reason those songs struck such a chord,” she recalls. “I’m so blessed and elated that those songs continue to inspire people and help folks in crisis. Every time I get a chance to record, I hope the music will reach and touch somebody.”
Thursday at 7 p.m., Nesby will appear in a rare live Atlanta show at the Blue Room in Buckhead on a bill with Peabo Bryson. For info: www.sidebarbuckhead.com.
On the airwaves
After three weeks of on-air auditions, Tom Sullivan, best known as the sidekick for the Star 94 Steve & Vikki show, has nabbed the full-time co-hosting gig on WXIA’s entertainment/infomercial show “Atlanta & Company.” Sullivan, who starts Monday, had been the primary substitute for Ryan Cameron, who now has his own Starz variety talk show, which debuts in November. He beat out former radio/TV personality Tom Clark, talk-show host Conn Jackson and former 99X host Jimmy Baron.
Meanwhile, 790/The Zone’s 2 Live Stews — who already contribute to a sports talk show on ESPN2 called “First Take” — will host eight episodes of “Black Men Revealed” early next year on cable network TV One. Doug and Ryan Stewart will discuss topics related to living as African-American males.
And CNN Headline News talk-show host Glenn Beck is returning to the Atlanta radio airwaves after a two-year break, rejoining 640/WGST-AM from 9 to noon. The syndicated talker was in that slot from 2001 to 2005.
Dupri at 35
Backstage at the taping of “Ryan Cameron Uncensored,” Buzz asked Jermaine Dupri how he celebrated his birthday this week and the Atlanta music mogul gave a typical 35-year-old’s reply: “I relaxed. I rested. Had to, because I went extremely hard Saturday night.” Dupri threw himself a party at his new Tucker nightclub, Studio 72. “And it was the most star-studded party in a long time in Atlanta. …” Dupri said before his appearance on the late night talk show, recorded at Center Stage, and scheduled to air on Starz in November. “It was crazy — Allen Iverson, Carmelo [Anthony], Usher, Josh Smith, Jazze Pha, Polow Da Don, [Yung] Joc, Jagged [Edge], Keyshia Cole, there were so many people there. It was going down.”
And when he got up on Sunday — his actual birthday — did he get what he wanted? “I haven’t really wanted anything for a long time,” Dupri said with a smile. “I get what I want.”
CELEBRITY DOCKET
“24” star Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday on misdemeanor drunken driving charges after failing a field sobriety test, police officials said.
The actor was pulled over about 1:10 a.m. in West Los Angeles after officers spotted him making an illegal U-turn.
Sutherland, 40, tested over the state’s legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent, and was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. He was released about 4 a.m. after posting $25,000 bail, according to Sheriff’s Department records. Sutherland is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 16.
ON MY TiVO and iPOD
Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Falcons running back:
“I have DirectTV, not TiVO, and I haven’t really gotten into that recording thing yet. I did just download Kanye [West’s CD ‘Graduation’]. Fire! That album is fire!”
Celebrity birthdays
Fitness expert Jack LaLanne is 93. Singer Bryan Ferry is 62. Country singer Lynn Anderson is 60.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Britney Spears drops by Juicy Couture at Phipps
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With long dark brown hair and eyeglasses, embattled pop star Britney Spears was able to glide into Phipps Plaza over the weekend and shop almost undetected.
“Unless you actually spoke to her for a minute, you wouldn’t have recognized her,” Juicy Couture assistant manager Jake Barnaby told Buzz on Monday. Spears told Barnaby that she was in Atlanta to escape stress and the paparazzi and to relax. Casually dressed in black leggings and a shawl, Spears shopped for a short-sleeved sweater, some clothes for her canine and some, er, intimate apparel.
Back in Los Angeles on Friday, prosecutors had filed hit-and-run and driving-without-a-license charges against the singer after she allegedly left the scene of an accident in a parking lot there in August.
Apparently, her visit here agreed with the singer.
“She was very well put together and she was really quiet,” Barnaby told us. “The people with her were actually causing more commotion. After a while, it was like, ‘Oh, please. You’re nobody. Stop.’ “
While she was shopping, Spears expressed an interest in going clubbing Saturday night at Opera in Midtown. The pop star spent about $1,000 during her visit to Juicy Couture.
Barnaby, a self-professed Spears fan, says the tabloid-tattered performer — who’s currently going through a bitter child custody battle with her ex Kevin Federline while trying to regain her professional footing after a less-than-stellar performance on MTV’s “Video Music Awards” this month — seemed centered on Saturday. Her sons were not with her at the time of the visit.
“She’s human and she’s trying,” he said.
Later, the singer was spotted at Intermix boutique in the Buckhead mall. However, when we rang the shop Monday, we were firmly referred to the retailer’s New York-based reps. After some intensely dedicated discernment regarding how much a Manhattan flack could actually tell us about a celebrity shopper here, we opted to go for coffee instead.
Celeb in synagogue
Congregation Beth Tefillah in Sandy Springs had a notable worshipper in the synagogue during Yom Kippur services on Saturday. Bob Dylan, in town for a show with Elvis Costello at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, was quietly seated in the rear of the temple. According to Rabbi Yossi New, the iconic singer’s people called in advance to ask if Dylan (who was born Robert Zimmerman) might join other attendees in observing the holiest holiday on the Jewish calendar.
The singer, donning a dark suit and head covering as is customary, took part in the service by doing a blessing over the Torah before quietly returning to his seat.
“He wanted to be treated just like any other congregant,” explained New on Monday. “I’m very proud of the [congregation]. No one bothered him at all. He was allowed to pray like anyone else. His presence really highlighted that, in the eyes of God, we’re all the same.”
Former 99X “Morning X” co-host Jimmy Baron, a member of the Beth Tefillah congregation, found the experience “a little surreal.” Said Baron: “A few people wished him ‘Happy New Year’ on the way out but otherwise he was just another guy there observing the holiday. I’m sure there were a few cases of neck strain.”
Africa is ‘Heart’ of new film
After the success of his documentary “Rwanda Rising,” former Atlanta Mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young is looking to an even bigger screen for his next project. Today at the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s conference in Vancouver, it will be formally announced that Young, along with executive producers Carlton Masters and C.B. Hackworth, are joining forces with MacGillivray Freeman Films to create a new IMAX film, “Heart of Africa.”
We’re told that the proposed film “will bring the real Africa to people in the U.S. and around the world in the only format that does the continent justice.” A projected shoot will involve half a dozen African countries and, yes, it’s likely that the production will be in 3D. As anyone who routinely partakes of the “Martinis and IMAX” events at Fernbank Museum here knows, MacGillivray Freeman previously has produced IMAX faves like “Everest,” “The Alps” and “The Living Sea.”
Trading ‘Company’ for ‘Uncensored’
V-103’s afternoon personality Ryan Cameron, who recently left WXIA’s “Atlanta & Company,” has nabbed another TV gig on the pay-cable network Starz, “Ryan Cameron Uncensored.” The show will feature comedy skits, on-the-street interviews and celebrity guests. Starz began taping the show Monday.
OVERSCENE
Los Angeles apparel gurus and “The Look For Less” Style Network hosts Chip and Pepper Foster dining at South City Kitchen in Midtown with a group of 11. We’re told that the blond twins ordered the pan-roasted Georgia trout with buttermilk mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and basil-crawfish meuniere.
Actress Ashley Judd and 250 of her fans at the Goody’s store in Kennesaw. Judd is on a five-city tour to introduce the Ashley Judd Collection, her new casual apparel line, including organic cottons, natch.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Newswoman Barbara Walters is 78. Actor Michael Douglas is 63. Actor Anson Williams (“Happy Days”) is 58. Actor Mark Hamill is 56. Actress Heather Locklear is 46. Actress Aida Turturro (“The Sopranos”) is 45. Actor Tate Donovan (“Damages”) is 44. Actor-singer Will Smith is 39. Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is 38. Atlanta rapper/actor T.I. is 27.
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.
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Not a night goes by without a party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mario Harris is one of the hardest-working guys in Atlanta nightlife. As head of Wassup N ATL, he runs several events at Django, Club 708 and Tower II catered to gay men and women.
He told Buzz, “Atlanta is probably the best and most exciting place in the country because it offers a variety of opportunities from upscale and high-fashion to the ultra urban experience.”
Buzz couldn’t agree more.
So we’ve rounded up a week’s worth of various nifty events. Clip out this calendar and save it to help plan your nighttime excursion.
Cheers!
Monday
How good is your groove? — Various DJs take turns on the open turntables. Get up and give it a shot. $3. 8 p.m. Apache Cafe, Atlanta. 404-876-5436, www.apachecafe.com.
Break it down — B-boys and B-girls strut their stuff. Also, free breakdance lessons till 10 p.m. $10; breakdancers free. 9 p.m. House nightclub, Atlanta. 678-528-7732, www.thehousenightclub.com.
Tuesday Get funky — Dance, funk party with DJ Romeo Cologne. $7. 9 p.m. Star Bar, Little Five Points. 404-681-9018, www.starbaratlanta.com.
Wednesday
Rock vs. rap — DJ Johnny Ether plays ’80s and ’90s rock and rap videos. No cover. 10 p.m. Eastside Lounge, Atlanta. 404-521-9666, www.eastsidelounge.net.
Thursday
Black tie — Garden of Eden “Flights of Fancy” Ball starts with cocktails in the Parterre Garden and moves to the butterfly-themed tent on the Great Lawn for dinner and music. 7 p.m.-midnight. To request an invitation, call Anne Fair Woodward at 404-591-1575, www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
Friday
Drive By Truckers — Athens band brings its Southern rock to the local masses. $25. 8:30 p.m. Variety Playhouse, Atlanta. 404-521-1786, www.variety-playhouse.com.
Thelma Houston — If you missed ’80s icon Lisa Lisa (“I Wonder If I Take You Home”) last week, check out this other disco diva who declared, “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” DJ Escape spins. WetBar, Atlanta. 404-745-9494, www.wetbaratlanta.com.
Bowling — Young Jeezy celebrates his birthday and wants you to join him. Come bowl, eat, drink, flirt and party. 18 and up after 10 p.m., 21 to drink. $7 per person per game, shoes $4.50. 300 Atlanta, 770-451-8605, www.300atlanta.com.
Saturday
REO Speedwagon — Sing along to “Can’t Fight This Feeling” under the stars. 8 p.m. Sept. 29. $33.50-$48.50. Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com.
Gerald Levert tribute — Features the O’Jays, Angie Stone and the Manhattans. $56-$76. 8 p.m. Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta. 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com.
That’s spooky — Netherworld Haunted House is No. 1 in the country. See why. $18-$25. 7-11 p.m. Norcross, 404-608-2484, www.fearworld.com.
Sunday
Classical music — The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra launches its new season “La Boheme,” a concert of Puccini’s opera. $16-$70. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Atlanta. 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org.
Party like a rock star — Wassup N ATL’s weekly party brings out mature hip-hop and old-school lovers. With DJs Truz, Danny Class and Chaoss. Django, Atlanta. $10. 7 p.m.-midnight. Atlanta. 404-246-9000, www.wassupnatl.com.
Radio history lives at Hall of Fame gala
For Atlanta radio aficionados, Saturday night’s first Georgia Radio Hall of Fame dinner at the Marietta Conference Center and Resort was a trip back in time, with a mini-reunion of alums from former top 40 powerhouse WQXI-AM aka “Quixie in Dixie.”
Among the attendees from QXI (now sports/talk station the Zone) were B98.5 jock Kelly McCoy, former morning host Ken Dowe, jock Tony “The Tiger” Taylor and emcee Joel Godard, Conan O’Brien’s mellifluous pony-tailed announcer who briefly worked as a sales guy at Quixie but soon realized his calling was voiceover work. The organizers also honored 22 radio inductees who have passed away such as “Skinny” Bobby Harper, “Price is Right” announcer Rod Roddy and TV weather forecaster Guy Sharpe.
Then the first dozen living inductees were announced, including WSB-AM stars Clark Howard and Neal Boortz, former WSB-AM talker Ludlow Porch, University of Georgia sports announcer and legend Larry Munson, former WQXI-AM star morning host Gary McKee, the radio man who brought the Beatles to Atlanta Paul Drew and the longest-running morning host in Atlanta, Eagle 106.7’s Rhubarb Jones.
Jones credited McKee for why he even got into radio, calling him the “platinum standard.” Then he joked about Howard’s absence: “He figured it was too expensive to drive here from his house.” And for Boortz: “He couldn’t be here because not all of you bought his ‘Fair Tax’ book!”
HIGH FIVE: MUSIC
1. Kanye West (“Stronger”)
2. Soulja Boy (“Crank That [Soulja Boy])
3. Timbaland (“The Way I Are”)
4. Fergie (“Big Girls Don’t Cry”)
5. 50 Cent (“Ayo Technology”)
— Billboard.com
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Gordon Clapp (“NYPD Blue”) is 59. Above, actress-writer Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) is 45. Guitarist Juan DeVevo of Casting Crowns is 32. Actor Kyle Sullivan (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 19.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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‘Frenchy and Friends’ get fill of Italian
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before batting practice Friday afternoon, Jeff Francoeur and his Braves teammates Joey Devine and Kelly Johnson carbo-loaded for a good cause at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Buckhead. The sold-out “Frenchy and Friends” luncheon benefited the nonprofit Aflac Cancer Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
And while the Baby Brave was busy posing for pictures with fans who paid $500 apiece to be present, Buzz had a chance to chat with Frenchy’s delightful fiancee, Catie McCoy.
The Parkview High grad told us the couple’s planned November wedding date is 100 percent playoff proof (here at Buzz Central, we’re preferring to think positive …).
“We arranged it so we would be safe either way,” McCoy explained. So, as the couple keeps busy arranging those inevitable 10 million details pertaining to the big day, has Francoeur found time between innings to make those crucial “chicken or fish” decisions?
“He’s been really great about things,” McCoy praised. “At one point, I called him down at the field when I was deciding whether or not to change our fine china. He got right on the computer, looked at the new set and agreed with me.”
The couple has selected Sara Evans’ “I Could Not Ask For More” as the song they’ll dance to at their wedding.
So, Francoeur, the die-hard country fan, didn’t lobby for George Strait?
“Oh, no, no, no,” McCoy replied, laughing. “Yeah, I listen to Sugarland and Tim McGraw, but Jeff likes country country like Hank Williams Jr.”
The couple’s parents also attended the fund-raiser.
When Francoeur finally joined McCoy at the table, we quizzed the ex-Parkview football player about his former team’s prospects this season.
“I can’t really make any predictions,” he said. “I hope they beat Berkmar but [fierce rival] Brookwood’s going to be tough.”
Francoeur is planning to attend Parkview’s homecoming game against Grayson on Oct. 12 in the Big Orange Jungle.
During the luncheon, Aflac Cancer Center reps announced that Francoeur and McCoy would like to make the fund-raiser an annual event.
One lucky lawyer
Atlanta legal eagle Jess Rosen received a slight departure from depositions Thursday night. It seems that having country star Brad Paisley as a client has a few fringe benefits. When Paisley emerged onstage at HiFi Buys Amphitheatre on Thursday night for encores, he asked his Greenberg Traurig attorney to join him on guitar. Luckily, Rosen moonlights on weekends in a jazz group.
Paisley and Rosen traded licks on “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Explained Rosen: “Backstage, Brad asked me if I’d ever played in front of 20,000 people before.”
At the song’s conclusion — and like any true guitar god — Rosen tossed his guitar pick into the crowd.
There was no immediate word if Rosen’s contribution would materialize as a billable hour.
Mile of fashions
Following fashion’s renewed interest in architectural structures this season, Atlanta Peach magazine and 1010 Midtown, a 35-story high-rise coming to 12th and Peachtree, marked the development’s sales launch on Thursday with a fashion show at Opera.
The high-rise is the first phase of a $2 billion plan for 12th & Midtown, which will eventually become home to office, retail, and hotel space in addition to residences. It is billed as the cornerstone of the highly anticipated Midtown Mile.
If the clothing on the runway - bubble hems, bell sleeves and hourglass-skimming dresses from designers such as Roberto Cavalli, John Galliano and Nicole Miller (all provided by Tootsies) - was an indication of what is to come, we can’t wait to see how 1010 Midtown shapes up.
HIGH FIVE
Music
This week’s top sellers at Decatur CD
1. Kanye West, “Graduation”
2. Mark Knopfler, “Kill to Get Crimson”
3. Ben Harper, “Lifeline”
4. “Coathangers” Soundtrack
5. Pinback, “Autumn of the Seraphs”
— Courtesy: Decatur CD
OVERSCENE
“How Stella Got Her Groove Back” actress Suzzanne Douglas shopping in the Atlanta Botanical Garden gift shop in Midtown. “She was absolutely lovely, and she bought a lot of things that we are shipping to her home in N.J.,” dished shop associate Donna Holt.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Singer David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple) is 56. Singer Debby Boone is 51. Singer Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde is 50. Singer Joan Jett is 49. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli is 49. Actor Scott Baio is 46. Bassist-guitarist Dave Hernandez of The Shins is 37. Actor Tom Felton (“Harry Potter” films) is 20.
Sunday: Actor Mickey Rooney is 87. Singer Julio Iglesias is 64. Singer Bruce Springsteen is 58. Actor Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) is 48. Producer and Atlantan Jermaine Dupri is 35.
Contributing: Nedra Rhone 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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Braves, Elton talk lineups in online video
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Any Elton John fan who’s ever attended one of his concerts in the spring, summer or fall knows that if the Atlanta Braves are playing, you can count on score updates from the stage courtesy of the Peachtree Road resident.
Now, Major League Baseball Entertainment finally has put the consummate Braves fan in the same room with Braves general manager John Schuerholz, Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, and former second baseman Mark Lemke and filmed the free-wheeling discussion for an exclusive fan experience.
During the extensive chat recorded at Silent Sound Studios in Atlanta, Sir Elton, sporting a Braves jacket and tinted glasses, talks baseball and how he got interested in his new hometown team when he purchased a home here in 1991.
“I not only became a Braves fan, but I really fell in love with the game of baseball,” explains the pop star. During the chat, John also disclosed that the very first venue he played in Atlanta was the old Braves field, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, in the early 1970s. The singer recalls that legendary soul singer James Brown was also on the bill.
The singer also took time to praise Schuerholz’s many ingenious roster moves.
The Braves GM explains: “We wanted to build a grand franchise [and one] that has sustained itself.”
Lemke tells Sir Elton that growing up, the singer’s “Bennie and the Jets” was his favorite song and that he has performed “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” as a karaoke selection.
Niekro, meanwhile, could have a fine second career as a celebrity interviewer. He asks Elton his batting average at picking his songs as hit singles. “Artists are usually the worst at those decisions,” John responds. “I’ve been completely and utterly wrong.” The singer then discloses that he fought against having three of his biggest hits — “Bennie,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “Sacrifice” — from being released as singles.
After Niekro humbly suggests letting Braves manager Bobby Cox set the singer’s musical lineup, John replies: “He would probably do a better job!”
The exclusive video clips can be viewed at braves.com, mlb.com/entertainment or eltonjohn.com.
Lowe down on gallery move
Buzz got word on Thursday that after nearly 20 successful years on Bennett Street, the Bill Lowe Gallery is moving into Midtown next year. We’re told that the new gallery will be a “12,000-square-foot, two-story showplace in the soon-to-be-opened Two Peachtree Pointe building.” The redeveloping corner at Peachtree and West Peachtree is set “to be home to a number of arts and entertainment establishments.”
Explains Lowe: “Our gallery was at a crossroad. We could expand and grow in our current location or make a bold move and statement for Atlanta. Our crossroad led us to another famous intersection: Peachtree and West Peachtree and the end result will be part temple, part museum and part MTV.”
The new Bill Lowe Gallery is being designed by Gensler, a global architectural and interior design firm. The multilevel space “will feature architecturally provocative design elements, including: 18-foot high loft-style cement ceilings, and interior catwalks, mezzanines and bridges.”
Look for the gallery to bow in February.
Guests named for Vick town hall
Given the panelist lineup, next Tuesday’s “SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide — An ESPN Town Meeting,” focusing on Atlanta Falcons Michael Vick, should be extremely interesting. The special, hosted by Bob Ley from the Georgia World Congress Center’s Sydney J. Marcus Auditorium, will feature WSB radio’s Neal Boortz; Terrence Mathis, former Falcons wide receiver and a teammate who remains close to the embattled quarterback; New York Times columnist Selena Roberts; and the AJC’s own Terence Moore.
The free event open to the public will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and ESPN Radio will present an audio simulcast of the televised meeting while ESPN.com will produce a live Web cast of the debate.
Clear winner
With much credit going to a legion of online voting supporters, Georgia indie rock band Midnight Clear was declared the winner of a 12-week battle of the bands on CBS’ “Early Show” on Thursday. The band, with members hailing from Dahlonega, Savannah and Cleveland, will play live on the show Monday.
The band received 46 percent of the vote, a plurality over bands from Chicago and Richmond.
“It’s kind of surreal at the moment,” said guitarist Derrick Gaddis from the Gainesville dental lab where he works part time. “It’s definitely a relief.”
The band entered the competition on a lark, its video one of thousands received by CBS. The foursome’s video won two rounds to reach the final, including a semifinal win despite the show’s goof of showing a different band’s video on the air.
Dozens of supporters swamped the CBS News Web site to vote repeatedly for Midnight Clear. Gaddis’ grandmother, Millie Hardy of Dahlonega, said she was online for about 22 hours from Monday morning until the ballot box closed Wednesday at noon.
The band will have to practice before performing on TV. Because they’re spread across the state, Gaddis said the members haven’t jammed together in about a month and a half, when they made the video they sent to CBS.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You’ve heard of Spanx? Well, I love to get Spanx-ed!”
Singer Gloria Estefan, 50, discussing her beauty secrets while giving Atlanta businesswoman and Spanx hosiery founder Sara Blakely a plug on “The View.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Larry Hagman is 76. Poet-songwriter Leonard Cohen is 73. Author-comedian Fannie Flagg is 63. Author Stephen King is 60. Nicole Richie (“The Simple Life”) is 26. Actress Maggie Grace (“Lost”) is 24.
Contributing: Ken Sugiura and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Oscar winners premiere film at Atlantic Station
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Academy Award-winning filmmaking team of Ray McKinnon, Lisa Blount and Walton Goggins were thrilled to unveil their latest film, “Randy and the Mob” for a packed theater full of fellow Southerners Tuesday night.
Just before the quirky comedy’s Atlanta premiere at the Regal Atlantic Station theater, McKinnon, the film’s writer-director-star told Buzz while dipping into some popcorn: “This is the only place that would have us. No, honestly, this is the perfect fit for us and this film. We love telling uniquely Southern stories. And I finally wanted to do a comedy that I could invite my kinfolk to.”
Inside, family, friends, investors and fans of the trio’s work applauded during the opening credits and laughed throughout the premiere. McKinnon’s story, shot on location in Georgia, depicts a slumping Southern businessman, in debt to both the IRS and the mob, who’s dealing with a carpal tunnel afflicted, baton-twirling teacher wife (Blount) and a designer-suited mob enforcer/clogging enthusiast (Goggins). McKinnon also plays his own more successful, happily partnered gay twin brother in the flick.
Atlanta actress Jill Jane Clements, who memorably portrayed Celestine Sibley’s mother during two recent successful runs of “Turned Funny” at Theatre in the Square, also pops up in the film.
Clements generated laughs as one of McKinnon’s employees who has to inform the boss that her pay check just bounced, explaining with her trademark drawl: “I’ve got a super deep fryer on layaway. We was kinda hopin’ to do a turkey this weekend.”
Naturally, the film’s third act arrives with bullets a flying and McKinnon wearing a hilariously wrong teal pantsuit that Bea Arthur would have cut someone with a cheesecake knife over during her “Golden Girls” reign.
“Randy and the Mob” is dedicated to the memory of Phil Walden, the Capricorn Records co-founder, who executive-produced the film with Macon real estate magnate Benjy Griffith as the debut project for Capricorn Pictures. Walden, the music man who helped introduce the world to Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers, 311 and Widespread Panic died last year.
“We had the honor of getting to know Phil late in his life,” McKinnon told the crowd. “He had a dream to make Southern films as well as Southern music. After he saw what we could do, Phil told me, ‘This reminds me of when I was working with Otis and the Allmans. Except that you don’t have that kind of talent. But we’ll take you to the top anyway!’ “
Outside the theater, Walden’s son, Phillip told Buzz: “Phil would have loved all this. He and Ray just connected on many different levels as Southerners. As soon as Phil read the script, he was sold and they were out scouting locations.”
“Randy and the Mob” opens in Atlanta, Kennesaw, Alpharetta and Douglasville on Friday.
Goggins: Clogging came naturally
At the “Randy and the Mob” after party at Strip, “The Shield” actor Walton Goggins kept busy greeting friends as he took a break from the set of the FX drama in Los Angeles. Goggins conceded to us that he didn’t need any clogging lessons to portray Tino Armani.
“My mother and I actually were a clogging team here when I was a kid,” the Lithia Springs High School grad told us. “There I was at age 7, in my taps and Jordache jeans!”
Accompanying Goggins to his hometown premiere was his girlfriend, Nadia Conners, who is a co-director and co-writer of the 2007 critically acclaimed Leonardo DiCaprio-produced environmental documentary “The 11th Hour.”
So have Conners and Goggins considered working together on a film? Said Conners: “We’ve talked about it. That would be a dream if it happens.”
‘Anatomy’ of a win
Premiere attendee Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel was kind enough to introduce us to local businessman Paul Heigl, the proud papa of new Emmy winner and “Grey’s Anatomy” actress Katherine Heigl Tuesday night. “We’re so happy for her,” said Heigl, who attended an Emmys party in Alpharetta Sunday night. So, was Katherine on the level when she joked during her acceptance speech that even her mother, Nancy, didn’t think she had a shot at winning the trophy?
Quipped Paul: “My daughter doesn’t lie!”
While the actress has disclosed that she and Augusta native singer-songwriter Josh Kelley are planning a holiday wedding this winter, Paul Heigl told us Kelley will be at Smith’s Olde Bar Oct. 27.
‘Dream Concert’ in New York City
Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and an all-star musical lineup poured passion into performances Tuesday night at “The Dream Concert” to benefit a national memorial in Washington for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Nearly 6,000 people packed the sold-out event at Radio City Music Hall to hear artists ranging from Carlos Santana and Garth Brooks to Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Ludacris.
The King memorial, scheduled for completion in 2009, is to be built on the National Mall.
“We are part of history in the making as this monument becomes a witness to generations yet unborn of the transformational leadership of our father, Martin Luther King Jr.,” King’s youngest daughter, Bernice, said.
The memorial’s foundation is still $18 million away from reaching its $100 million goal, said Harry Johnson, the foundation president.
Before Wonder closed the show with “Happy Birthday,” the song that helped make King’s national holiday a reality, Quincy Jones presented Wonder with a humanitarian award, saying his numerous musical accomplishments pale in comparison to what he has done to advance civil rights.
Wonder said the King memorial is a wonderful thing, but an even better legacy would be unity around the world. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is “not a black holiday, for Dr. King stood for the principles of all human kind,” Wonder said.
OVERSCENE
Actor Bill Nunn, actress Carol Mitchell-Leon, musician Otis Redding III and “Sweet Potato Queen” author Jill Conner Browne at the “Randy and the Mob” premiere at Atlantic Station.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Sophia Loren is 73. Actor Gary Cole is 51. Singers Gunnar and Matthew Nelson of Nelson are 40. Drummer Rick Woolstenhulme of Lifehouse is 28. Rapper Yung Joc is 25.
Contributing: David 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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DeGarmo lends voice to special Redding tribute
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A slew of metro Atlantans made the trek south last weekend for the dazzling bash Macon threw to remember famous son Otis Redding.
The “Evening of Respect,” a black-tie-optional tribute to the late Redding, raised more than $100,000 for the “Big O” Youth Educational Dream Foundation, which advocates arts and music education to encourage youths to stay in school.
Snellville songstress Diana DeGarmo, along with R&B power couple Kenny Lattimore and Chanté Moore, served as hosts for the Sept. 14 event, held at the Macon City Auditorium. The three performed songs from Otis Redding’s repertoire, including “Respect,” “A Change is Going to Come” and, as a finale tribute, “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.” Organizers say more than 2,000 attended, including Redding’s widow, Zelma Redding, and children Dexter and Otis III, who performed with the Bar-Kays. Michael Mauldin, who is Jermaine Dupri’s father and a renowned entertainment power broker, produced the show. Georgia politicians showing up to pay their respect included U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, and Kenneth L. Stewart, commissioner for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Bad news for music fans
One of our fave pieces in the recent Annie Leibovitz exhibition at the High was the carnival-like photo of the White Stripes. She’s affixed to a giant bull’s eye while he prepares to fling a knife. Well, that’s about all we’ll be seeing of the White Stripes any time soon, apparently. Singer-guitarist Jack White and drummer Meg White have canceled all remaining tour dates through the end of the year, The Associated Press reports.
The Stripes had previously canceled their September shows, saying “Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety and is unable to travel at this time.”
Their spokeswoman isn’t saying much, and a statement on the duo’s Web site, www.whitestripes.com, says little beyond, “We hate to let people down and are very sorry.”
Ticket holders can get refunds at the point of purchase, the Web site said, except for the Austin City Limits Festival, which is nonrefundable because it is a festival.
Good news for music fans
Could there be anything more exciting than hearing a politician flap his trap? Just possibly. When U.S. Sen. and prez prospect Barack Obama visits Atlanta on Thursday, he’ll have special guests Usher and Dominique Wilkins at his side. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center. Admission is a $25 donation to Obama’s campaign coffers. See my.barackobama.com for info.
Play with the players
Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones and wife, Nicole, are the celeb “ambassadors” for an upcoming event benefiting Jaden’s Ladder, a non-profit organization that helps survivors of domestic violence. “The Fairway Affair: the Dream Takes Flight,” is a two-day affair including a gala and rounds of golf with various sports stars, along with a silent auction of signed professional sports and celebrity memorabilia. Braves players on tap for the event include Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, David Ortiz, Tim Hudson and John Smoltz. Other guests will include longtime NBA coach Larry Brown, Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, former major league outfielder Jacob Brumfield, former NBA power forward Charles Oakley and Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. The gala, at a private Buckhead estate, starts at 6 p.m. Nov. 10. Golf is the next day, with registration from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and shotgun start at 10 a.m. Gala tickets are $250. For $650, patrons get two tickets and can hit the links for an individual round of celeb-studded golf at Heritage Golf Course in Tucker. For tickets and info see www.jadensladder.org.
Big Boi and the Ballet
As you might have heard, the Atlanta Ballet plans the world premiere of “big,” an artistic collaboration between choreographer Lauri Stallings and the inimitable Antwan “Big Boi” Patton.
We hear Patton may make an appearance at the ballet’s upcoming season launch party, planned for the evening of Sept. 26 at the King Plow Arts Center Gallery. General admission tickets are $100, VIP tickets are $250. For information, call 404-873-5811, Ext. 221 or see www.atlantaballet.com.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I love it when we have a fall associates’ luncheon and it actually feels like fall. How many of these have we done when it’s 90 degrees?
—Atlanta Botanical Garden Director Mary Pat Matheson at Monday’s elegant gathering of the Garden Associates, the ABG’s volunteer arm. The group enjoying a light lunch and glorious weather included current Garden Associates President Corrie Johnson, 2008 Garden Associates President Allison Cochran and Christy O’Neill, who will lead the group in 2009. Luncheon hostesses were Annie York-Trujillo and Christan Wojcik, and Diane Tanner created the topiary centerpieces.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Adam West (“Batman”) is 77. Actor David McCallum (“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”) is 74. Singer Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers is 67. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 67. Actor Randolph Mantooth (“Emergency”) is 62. Actor Jeremy Irons is 59. Actress-model Twiggy Lawson is 58. TV personality Joan Lunden is 57. Guitarist-producer Nile Rodgers of Chic is 55. Singer-actor Rex Smith is 52. Director Kevin Hooks is 49. Actress Carolyn McCormick (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 48. Country singer Jeff Bates is 44. Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 43. Comedian Cheri Oteri (“Saturday Night Live”) is 42. News anchor Soledad O’Brien is 41. Comedian Jimmy Fallon (“Saturday Night Live”) is 33. Rapper Eamon is 24.
Contributing: Mike Knobler 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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Green, not gold was Ron Clark’s goal at Emmys
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Educator Ron Clark, who just opened his Ron Clark Academy in south Atlanta, got a free trip to Hollywood to watch the Emmys live at the Shrine Auditorium Sunday night, courtesy of Atlanta’s TNT. Unfortunately, the TNT film based on Clark lost best made-for-TV movie to the epic HBO historical drama “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee.” Matthew Perry, who played Clark, lost best lead actor in a movie or miniseries to the esteemed Robert Duvall, who starred in AMC’s two-part Western “Broken Trail.”
The normally garrulous Clark didn’t hobnob with the big celebrities, including Perry himself, saying he felt “awkward.”
But he did people watch.
“At the Governor’s Ball after the Emmys, every major star was there,” he told Buzz Monday. “The entire cast of ‘Ugly Betty’ was to my left. Helen Mirren was walking around rubbing elbows.”
In reality, he didn’t really go to gawk at Mirren and other A listers. Rather, he went to network with potential donors for his school, including Johnson & Johnson, which helped finance the film.
After he left the ball, Clark hit a red-eye and made it back in time to teach school Monday morning wearing the tux he had on the night before because Listerine spilled on his suit.
Alas, even Dunwoody High grad Ryan Seacrest holding down the hosting duties this year didn’t do much for the Emmys’ ratings. Television’s annual overstuffed salute to itself drew fewer than 13 million viewers and was beaten by NBC’s football game between San Diego and New England. That’s down from 16.2 million a year ago and wasn’t even half as many who watch a typical episode of Seacrest-hosted “American Idol.” In metro Atlanta, football beat the Emmys by about 15,000 households and was easily the top telecast of the week, according to Nielsen Media.
Upside? Emmys “Outstanding Lead Actress” winner Sally Field finally gave us all a reason to forget her infamous Oscars acceptance speech …
Overscene
G-CAPP founder Jane Fonda hydrating with associates on the patio at Atlantic Station’s Lobby at Twelve. … 2007 Masters champ Zach Johnson, along with caddie Damon Green and trainer Chris Voss, dining on beefsteak tomato and onion salad, a signature filet, sweet potato casserole, creamed spinach and chocolate sin cake at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in Buckhead. … “All My Children” actor Aiden Turner and Train bass player Johnny Colt among the celebs in the house for the Thread House fashion show hosted by Carmen Electra at Fever nightclub. … Former Anna Nicole Smith attorney and confidant Howard K. Stern dining on barbecue at South City Kitchen in Midtown. We’re told that Stern’s female dining companion treated him to the meal.
‘Style, substance’ back in ATL
Many albums ago, Atlanta rapper-actor T.I. declared himself the King of the South, and now the BET Hip Hop Awards have given him yet another nod to back up that claim. Actually nine. That’s the leading number of nominations he’s up for at the second annual event, being held at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on Oct. 13. BET has also announced that comedian Katt Williams will return as host, and Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nelly and Common will be among the performers. Wayne is next in line with seven nods; West has six; Common snared five; and Jay-Z scored four. “We are so glad to be back in Atlanta once again for this year’s version of what, in its debut, became the single hottest show in hip-hop,” BET executive vice president Stephen Hill said in a statement. “Love it. Hate it. The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 will have style, substance and swagger.”
HIGH FIVE
Television
The Top 5 On Demand programs for the week of Sept. 5-12 as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. “Entourage,” Season 4, Episode 54, “The Cannes Kids,” HBO
2. J Holiday, “Bed” music video, Music Choice
3. “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “The Best Day Ever” episode, Nickelodeon
4. Tiffany Evans, “The Promise Ring” music video, Music Choice
5. “X-Men 3: The Last Stand” movie, HBO
Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“And finally, don’t forget to try the truffles that come in a variety of flavors like pumpkin, peppermint or cran-raspberry.”
— From a news release sent to Buzz Central, announcing the opening of Just Dogs! Gourmet shop that just debuted at Phipps Plaza. The high-end doggie treat emporium prides itself on its aromatic baked goods made with “human-grade ingredients.”
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Jimmie Rodgers is 74. Actor Robert Blake is 74. Singer-actor Frankie Avalon is 67. Actor James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”) is 46. Actress Holly Robinson Peete (“Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper”) is 43. Singer Ricky Bell (Bell Biv Devoe, New Edition) is 40. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is 36. Actor James Marsden (“The Notebook,” “Hairspray”) is 34. Rapper Xzibit is 33.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Fashion show great but Electra ran late
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saturday night at Fever nightclub Buzz took in an amazing fashion show sponsored by Thread House and hosted by “actress” Carmen Electra.
Why the “couture and culture” newcomer, who had to deal with recent burglaries at its West Peachtree store, waited for a tardy Electra so she could make a 1.5-minute intro we have no clue, but once those models hit the runway all hail broke loose.
Yes, “hail.” Buzz was smitten with the curves on the bubble jackets, the hip style of the mini-dresses and shirts, the stitching and fun pockets on the jeans.
The show screamed hip, funky, sassy, posh, glam — and we loved it. The clothes were the real star of the show.
Cure reschedules to June show date
Cure fans, mark your calendars nine months ahead. The dark alternative rock band is coming to Gwinnett Arena June 15, 2008, after canceling its fall tour, which had included a date this past Saturday at the arena. The Cure said it had to push back the tour because the group hadn’t finished its upcoming album. Ticketholders from the nixed Sept. 15 date can hold on to their tickets for now or get refunds at point of purchase until Nov. 1. Info to buy new tix is forthcoming.
Modern Society at Atlantis, but signed
Modern Society is going about thee music business thing backward. Usually unsigned acts play the Atlantis Music Conference in hopes of attracting some exec that can give them a record deal. The Atlanta-based rockers have an Atlantis date booked — this Friday at 9 p.m. at Star Bar — and they already have a freshly inked contract in their pockets. After 12 weeks of competing in Music Nation’s online contest, against some 3,000 unsigned acts, the Modern Society won a deal with Original Signal/Epic Records. “We just celebrated our two-year anniversary as a band in July,” singer/guitarist Woody Brown said. “So to have this happen, and relatively quickly in this business, it’s just kind of hard to describe in words.”
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Redding lives on in Hall of Fame exhibit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Macon — Forty years after a plane crash took his life in the turbulent 1960s, Otis Redding’s music continued to bring folks together at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Thursday night.
Hundreds of fans, friends, family members and dignitaries turned out for a private sneak peek of “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” the first-ever extensive exhibit of the legendary soul singer’s career, including concert posters, records, telegrams, scraps of hand-written lyrics, keepsake family photos and video of the performer in action.
As Redding’s voice caressed the room with “A Change is Gonna Come” overhead on speakers, attendees turned reflective as they recalled their memories of Macon’s famous son who died at the age of 26 just when his career was about to scale new heights via his latest recording, “(Sittin’ on) the of the Bay.”
“My brother and Otis were the same age, 18, and the best of friends,” Macon mayor Jack Ellis remembered. “I did a whole lot of looking up to both of them. I was 13. I remember one time going by the house and Otis was trying to put music to ‘These Arms of Mine.’ I didn’t realize I was watching musical history. I’m so glad that we’re finally celebrating Otis for his many contributions to the world.”
Inside, soul revue emcee “Sad Sam” Franks and his wife Mildred were beaming, standing next to a Day-Glo poster of “The 7th Annual Shower of Stars” Apollo Theatre concert featuring soul greats Redding, Percy Sledge, Carla Thomas, Betty Swann and Betty Harris from Feb. 11, 1967. In lettering near the bottom, “Sad Sam” is listed as the event’s host.
The Franks had traveled by train from Long Island, NY to Macon for the opening of the exhibit.
“It was the greatest show in the world with all that talent and we were charging $3 to $7 to see it,” Franks remembered wistfully while staring at the poster. “At that time, you see, they weren’t robbing people!”
And Sad Sam’s favorite Redding song?
Sam smiled and immediately said: ” ’ I Just Can’t Turn You Loose!’ Oh, man, I’ll tell you. That song is so good, even now that we have eight grandchildren, we still can’t let it go, can we Mildred?”
The couple then shared a sly laugh together.
Across the room, near handwritten notes from his brother and Redding promoter Phil Walden, Alan Walden was thrilled to be present.
“I’m so glad I lived to see this happen,” Walden said. “Otis was the best friend I ever had. And in the ’60s, when white guys and black guys weren’t supposed to hang out together, that was a big deal. We didn’t care. We loved each other like family.”
So what would Phil Walden, Redding’s longtime promoter and legendary founder of Capricorn Records think of the tribute? The Atlantan died last year prior to the completion of the exhibit.
“He’d probably be walking around here tonight, telling us, ‘They forgot something,’ ” Alan Walden said laughing. “That was Phil. He had such an eye for detail.”
The singer’s brother, Macon entertainment manager Rodgers Redding was perhaps the evening’s single biggest reminder of the performer. His resemblance to his sibling is unmistakable.
“This is an emotional night for me,” Redding allowed. “I’m blessed and thankful for all of his fans around the world. Otis would be proud of all this. He would be proud and thankful but not shocked. He worked very hard for all this.”
The year-long exhibit officially opens to the public today. Tonight, a tribute concert to Redding will include performers Gregg Allman, Taj Mahal and others. For info: www.georgiamusic.org or phone (888)-GA-ROCKS.
OVERSCENE
Vanessa Briscoe Hay, lead singer of pioneering Athens rock act Pylon, taking in the Redding preview at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon. A few feet away stood Atlanta singer-songwriter Kodac Harrison, who also drove down for the festivities. Of seeing the singer live at the Macon Auditorium as a teenager in the summer of 1967, Harrison said: “It changed my life. Growing up in Jackson, Ga., you didn’t display emotion. Watching Otis express everything up there onstage taught me how to communicate my feelings through music and poetry.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Today: Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 61. Movie director Oliver Stone is 61. Sunday: Actress Lauren Bacall is 83. Blues singer B.B. King is 82. Jazz guitarist Earl Klugh is 54. Comedian Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live”) is 36. Actress Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) is 26. Singer Teddy Geiger 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.
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The alleged ‘Madam’ on ‘The Insider’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Duluth’s own alleged “Mansion Madam” will be back on the national airwaves tonight via a two-part series on “The Insider” (WXIA, 7:30 p.m.), courtesy of the syndicated newsmag’s special correspondent Art Harris.
The Atlanta-based gonzo journo told us Thursday that even local news hounds who have faithfully followed the salacious story of former Penthouse Pet Lisa Ann Taylor and Nicole “Naughty Nikki” Probert on outlets like our own ajc.com this year might be surprised by some of the material his cameras managed to capture during the past few months. The two women are accused of running a high-end house of prostitution. The women maintain their innocence. A trial is pending.
For example, Harris and crew were rolling backstage this summer when Taylor appeared at the Paradise Lounge in Columbus.
“The younger girls all treated her like a rock star,” Harris previewed for Buzz. “She gave them advice about the [adult entertainment] business and they told her how to get set up on Myspace.com. It was an intergenerational thing.”
Alas, when Gwinnett County cops swarmed in on Taylor’s Sugarloaf Country Club earlier this year, Taylor wasn’t exactly up to date on Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter’s bio.
“Initially, she didn’t know who he was,” Harris told us. “I think Lisa was a little surprised that he wasn’t in a suit.” For the record, Porter told Harris he was wearing cargo pants and not camouflage at the time of the raid, despite Taylor’s recollections of the latter.
“She was obviously a little nervous,” Harris explained. “She asked Danny Porter if she could make herself a drink and take a Valium before she was arrested. He told me he declined the request.”
Harris is hoping to extend his exclusive footage into a proposed reality series his Busystreet Productions is pitching to TV outlets. Additional clips can be viewed at www.artharris.com.
Said the former CNN newsman: “The South is all about repression and how it makes people act crazy. I’m intrigued by colorful characters in crisis.”
The working title? “The Bible Belt Unbuckled,” natch.
The Cure coming
The Cure fans may resume applying the goth eye makeup. The 1980s-era act has rescheduled its metro Atlanta performance for June 15 at Gwinnett Arena. The band originally was scheduled to play at the venue on Sept. 15 but had to postpone. So why the 10-month delay?
Explained the band in a statement to Buzz: “It’s all happening slightly later than we expected due to ‘the playoffs’ — a lot of the venues we needed wouldn’t let us confirm dates in the March/April period — but we understand they all have to live in hope.” Tickets from the original date will be honored at the June concert.
Marking one month
How does ESPN plan to mark the whopping one-month anniversary of benched Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s guilty plea? The sports channel is headed here for a nationally televised special, “SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide — An ESPN Town Meeting” Tuesday night from 6 to 7:30. The meeting will be broadcast from the Sidney Marcus Auditorium at the Georgia World Congress Center downtown. Among the topics host Bob Ley will dig into? How Vick’s arrest on dogfighting charges has divided Atlanta, whether he was treated fairly and what his future might be in the NFL. The event is open to the public.
ON MY TIVO
What she’s watching
Rachael Ray, whose talk show’s second season started Monday on WXIA at 3 p.m.:
“Every fall, my DVR gets filled up with new stuff. I watch everything. All the crime shows. ‘Law & Order.’ ‘CSI.’ As a kid, I watched more cop shows than cartoons. I’m into all the HBO shows: ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ ‘Conchords,’ “Entourage.’ I love the game shows like ‘Power of Ten.’ Drew Carey was here today taping my show and he may be the funniest guest I’ve had — except for Denis Leary.”
Midnight Clear advances
Georgia band Midnight Clear has advanced to next week’s “ultimate finalists” round in a battle of the bands on CBS’ “Early Show.”
Midnight Clear garnered 57 percent of the votes in this week’s round, beating out bands from New York and Boston despite a technical glitch earlier in the week. Voting began after band videos were shown on Monday, but CBS mistakenly showed a band called Midnight Sun instead of Midnight Clear.
The correct video was shown on Tuesday’s show, and the results of this week’s round in the “Living Room … LIVE” contest were announced just before 9 a.m. Thursday. The winner of next week’s final round will be invited to perform live on the show Sept. 24.
Midnight Clear, made up of 57-year-old drummer Rory Knapton, along with Derrick Gaddis and brothers Brant and Jeremy French, all in their mid- to late 20s, formed about two years ago.
In next week’s finals, the band will go up against Big G and the Total Control Band, a Southern soul band from Richmond; and After Never, an indie rock band from Chicago.
The winner of last year’s contest was Eric Michael Hopper, a pop-country singer from Buford.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Walter Koenig (“Star Trek”) is 71. Actor Sam Neill is 60. Singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is 51. Country singer John Berry is 48. Actress Faith Ford (“Faith and Hope,” “Murphy Brown”) is 43. Singer Mark Hall of Casting Crowns is 38. Rapper Nas is 34. Singer Amy Winehouse is 24.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Mike Morris and news services
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Guests had Cokes, smiles for Kelly Clarkson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After you shell out $4.1 billion for Glaceau, the makers of Vitaminwater, hiring one of the product’s spokespeople to perform at your celebration soiree is simply spare change under the sofa cushions. So on Tuesday night, Coca-Cola executives, who acquired the energy drink company earlier this year, surprised attendees at a private gathering at Opera nightclub