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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 08 > Entry
Girlfriends sit within eyelash of Oprah
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlantans Mara Davis and Amy Leavell Bransford literally have front-row seats for today’s “Oprah Winfrey Show,” recently taped at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and featuring Tina Turner and Cher.
And since Dave FM midday diva Davis has the BuzzBerry hotline number, we have all the scoop you won’t see on-air on WSB at 4 p.m. Last month, Davis, Leavell Bransford and friends were in Vegas for a girls weekend away when they bumped into “Oprah” audience coordinator Sally Lou Loveman who hooked them up with front-row seats, three chairs down from Oprah BFF Gayle King.
“Honestly, I don’t ever expect to be in a room with that many wigs or hair extensions again!” Davis told Buzz. In addition to the faux follicle-favoring icons on stage, the Caesar’s Colosseum also contained numerous Cher and Tina impersonators invited for the show.
Davis says the taping took several hours as Turner and Cher recorded various renditions of musical performances. When Cher’s headset mike got caught in her wig during “Take Me Home,” she retaped the tune with a handheld mike. And taping temporarily halted when Winfrey lost a false eyelash.
“Cher had to point it out to Oprah,” Davis dished. “Oprah told Cher, ‘Hey, you know who your real friends are when you lose an eyelash!’ Cher was very down to earth but Tina’s a little wacky. She’s very European now.”
On the way out, Leavell Bransford prompted Davis to say something to the departing King.
Explained Davis: “Amy comes from a show biz family [she’s the daughter of Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell], but even she was a little starstruck. I yelled to her, ‘Hey Gayle, nice shoes!’ She said, ‘Thank you,’ and kept walking.”
Footnote from Davis: “Gayle was wearing Lucite wedges but not the trampy type of Lucite wedges. These were very stylish.”
MOORE SWABBING FOR TV SWEEPS
Like the rest of the city endlessly intrigued by those radio and TV spots touting WSB anchor Jovita Moore’s sweeps-inspired purse swabbing, we raced home Tuesday night to catch the report on Action News. For the story, Moore swabbed the bottom and handles of her purse, along with 36 other purses at random and sent them to Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake City for testing. Like most of the women interviewed for the report, Moore conceded that she routinely places her bag on her desk and her kitchen counter. So what did the lab tests reveal?
Well, fecal contamination, for starters, due to placing purses on the floors of restrooms and public sidewalks. Explained Nelson’s Beau Rollins in the report: “It’s like wiping feces on your plate and then eating it.” That’s about when the city collectively put down its dinner fork.
Naturally, after the segment, we had lots of follow-up questions for Moore. And while the anchor was game to talk to the likes of us, her bosses at WSB politely nixed our request.
So we rang Rollins. He told us that the 37 test samples were placed in “general enrichment broths that are a perfect environment for organisms to grow if they’re present.”
In addition to fecal coliforms, staph also was detected in the results.
“It’s really about creating awareness,” Rollins told Buzz. “If you interviewed 100 women, 95 of them would tell you they’ve never washed their purse. It’s just not on people’s radar screens. But it’s really the same as washing your hands.”
A spokesperson for Moore’s purse, meanwhile, told us the embarrassed accessory was in seclusion and not available for comment Wednesday.
DEALS FOR REHAB, SOMMERVILLE
Another day, another major record label move on the Atlanta music scene.
On Tuesday, ajc.com reported that rap duo Rehab has been resurrected as a quintet by original member Danny Boone and has a deal with Universal Republic.
Now there’s news that much-buzzed-about local trumpeter Joey Sommerville has inked a deal with Three Keys Music — a label launched by BET founder Robert Johnson and pianist/businessman Marcus Johnson, and distributed by Koch.
“Joey is a great musician, and he understands the new music business model,” Marcus Johnson said in a news release. “His talent, tremendous work ethic and drive have allowed him to create a truly incredible album.”
Sommerville’s latest CD, “Like You Mean It,” will be released next week, with guest appearances from Wayman Tisdale, Mike Phillips, Marion Meadows and Phil Perry.
On May 15, there will be a CD release party/performance at Sambuca Jazz Cafe, from which Sommerville’s performances have been broadcast live each Thursday on Smooth Jazz 107.5.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Comedian Don Rickles is 82. Singer Toni Tennille is 68. Drummer Alex Van Halen of Van Halen is 55. Actress Melissa Gilbert is 44. Singer Darren Hayes (Savage Garden) is 36. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 33.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Randy, stop. ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is going to start!”
“American Idol” host and Dunwoody High grad Ryan Seacrest (left) to long-winded judge Randy Jackson during Tuesday night’s live show as the broadcast threatened to creep into the 9 p.m. time slot.
Contributing: Shane Harrison, 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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