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June 2008
Jill Scott engaged to Atlanta drummer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eagle-eyed BET Awards viewers may have noticed a certain significant ring on R&B singer Jill Scott’s left hand when she performed her tribute to soul pioneer Al Green this week. Well, her drummer Lil John Roberts — a staple on the Atlanta music scene from the Yin Yang and FunkJazz Kafe days to the Tuesday Jam happening weekly at Sugar Hill — gave it to her.
As Buzz reported last month, they were walking hand-in-hand at the Fox Theatre when Scott made a surprise appearance during the Roots and Erykah Badu show. Her reps confirmed to us that he has popped the question, and the fairly recently divorced Scott is engaged again.
CELEBRITY DOCKET
Country singer Mindy McCready has been arrested in Tennessee and charged with violating her probation.
Authorities are accusing the 32-year-old of falsifying her community service records. Williamson County Sheriff’s Department officer Charlotte Spencer says McCready turned herself in this week, posted the $5,000 bond and was released two hours later.
She is on probation for a 2004 drug charge.
Her attorney, Lee Ofman, declined to comment on the new charge.
A corrections official says McCready will go before the judge who sentenced her, and he will decide what, if any, action to take. McCready’s court date wasn’t immediately available.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Comedian-director Mel Brooks is 82. Actress Kathy Bates is 60. Actress Mary Stuart Masterson is 42. Actor John Cusack is 42. Actress Tichina Arnold (“Everybody Hates Chris”) is 37. Country singer Kellie Pickler is 22.
Sunday: Actor Gary Busey is 64. Comedian Richard Lewis is 61. Actor-turned-congressman-turned-radio host Fred Grandy is 60. Singer Colin Hay of Men At Work is 55. Actress Melora Hardin (“The Office”) is 41. Rapper DJ Shadow is 36. Singer Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls is 30.
HIGH FIVE
Television
The Top OnDemand programs for the week of June 16-22, as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. Take a Bow,” Rihanna, music video, Music Choice
2. “SpongeBob,” “Whale of a Birthday / Karate Island,” Nickelodeon
3. “Family Guy,” “Patriot Games,” TBS
4. “2 Pistols — She Got It,” T-Pain & Cuto, music video, Music Choice
5. “Bust It Baby Girl,” Plies, music video, Music Choice
— Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
UNCOUPLING
Actor Bill Murray and his wife of nearly 11 years are divorced. A judge in Charleston County in South Carolina has signed off on the divorce agreement barely a month after Jennifer Butler Murray asked for the separation. The couple were married in July 1997.
The couple’s four children will live with their mother, while the 57-year-old actor-comedian will have visitation rights and pay child support, according to court papers. Jennifer Murray also will get their home on Sullivans Island, S.C., and a second house in Hemet, Calif. Other documents detailing the divorce were sealed at the couple’s request. The court papers were first obtained by the Web site TMZ.com.
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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‘Millionaire’ in town for auditions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Buzz has learned that producers for the television show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” will have auditions for contestants from 7 to 11 a.m. Friday at Medieval Times in Gwinnett County.
The game show’s seventh season will be taped in New York from July to November. Selected contestants pay their own expenses.
Candidates are being sought for the program’s regular trivia format and its specialty-themed episodes.
“Netflix Million Dollar Movie Week,” is based on movie trivia. “Wedding Week” features engaged couples.
“Famous Names Week” showcases contestants with famous names.
“Three Generations Week” consists of three-member family teams, such as a grandparent, parent and child.
And during “Halloween Week,” contestants will dress in costume. (If you’re interested, come to the audition in costume or bring a photograph.)
The audition process is painless, says Trisha Miller, who handles public relations for the show.
Potential contestants will take a general trivia test and a movie-oriented trivia test.
A movie question might be something like, “In ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ Julia Roberts tried to derail Dermot Mulroney’s marriage to what actress?”
If you pass the test, producers will call you back for an afternoon interview.
“That’s to gauge your personality to see if you would be entertaining on TV,” Miller says. “Then they will send you a postcard in a week or two to let you know if you’ve been chosen.
Medieval Times is at Discover Mills, 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville. For more information, call 1-888-935-6878, or visit www.medievaltimes.com.
OVERSCENE
Jane Fonda enjoying a leisurely dinner with a friend at Trois in Midtown. We’re told the two-time Oscar winner enjoyed the halibut and the Trois signature cocktail made out of mint-infused Tanqueray gin, green tea and hints of rose water and fresh lemon.
Olympic gold medalist and Morehouse grad Edwin Moses at Vita in Buckhead having martinis and dinner in the bar area.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys is 66. Actress Julia Duffy (“Newhart”) is 57. Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 49. Writer-director J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”) is 42. Actor Tobey Maguire (above) (“Spider-Man”) is 33. Actor Drake Bell (“Drake and Josh”) is 22. Actor Ed Westwick (“Gossip Girl”) is 21. Actress Madylin Sweeten (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 17.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Well, the main difference, of course, is that he’s larger than life and better looking.”
Former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young on the new downtown statue of himself during an interview with the AJC Thursday after Buzz informed him that we wave at his likeness daily on the trek to work
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Adrianne M. Murchison 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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‘Millionaire’ in town for auditions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Buzz has learned that producers for the television show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” will have auditions for contestants from 7 to 11 a.m. Friday at Medieval Times in Gwinnett County.
The game show’s seventh season will be taped in New York from July to November. Selected contestants pay their own expenses.
Candidates are being sought for the program’s regular trivia format and its specialty-themed episodes.
“Netflix Million Dollar Movie Week,” is based on movie trivia. “Wedding Week” features engaged couples.
“Famous Names Week” showcases contestants with famous names.
“Three Generations Week” consists of three-member family teams, such as a grandparent, parent and child.
And during “Halloween Week,” contestants will dress in costume. (If you’re interested, come to the audition in costume or bring a photograph.)
The audition process is painless, says Trisha Miller, who handles public relations for the show.
Potential contestants will take a general trivia test and a movie-oriented trivia test.
A movie question might be something like, “In ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ Julia Roberts tried to derail Dermot Mulroney’s marriage to what actress?”
If you pass the test, producers will call you back for an afternoon interview.
“That’s to gauge your personality to see if you would be entertaining on TV,” Miller says. “Then they will send you a postcard in a week or two to let you know if you’ve been chosen.
Medieval Times is at Discover Mills, 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville. For more information, call 1-888-935-6878, or visit www.medievaltimes.com.
OVERSCENE
Jane Fonda enjoying a leisurely dinner with a friend at Trois in Midtown. We’re told the two-time Oscar winner enjoyed the halibut and the Trois signature cocktail made out of mint-infused Tanqueray gin, green tea and hints of rose water and fresh lemon.
Olympic gold medalist and Morehouse grad Edwin Moses at Vita in Buckhead having martinis and dinner in the bar area.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys is 66. Actress Julia Duffy (“Newhart”) is 57. Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 49. Writer-director J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”) is 42. Actor Tobey Maguire (above) (“Spider-Man”) is 33. Actor Drake Bell (“Drake and Josh”) is 22. Actor Ed Westwick (“Gossip Girl”) is 21. Actress Madylin Sweeten (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 17.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Well, the main difference, of course, is that he’s larger than life and better looking.”
Former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young on the new downtown statue of himself during an interview with the AJC Thursday after Buzz informed him that we wave at his likeness daily on the trek to work
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Adrianne M. Murchison 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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Author Jackie Collins parks in ATL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many big-name novelists tend to interact with the public only reluctantly or quietly.
And then there’s Jackie Collins, who’ll hit town Thursday in an enormous touring bus once used by Mariah Carey and currently sponsored by Harrah’s Entertainment. The woman who made the phrase “Hollywood Wives” a part of everyday language will appear at Outwrite Books at 7:30 p.m.
It’s all part of the promotional push for her new book, “Married Lovers,” about a megawatt movie star, a randy late-night talk show host, a gorgeous young fitness guru — and the mysterious figure who may end up killing them all. Not that that will stop any of them from having lots of colorful sex, of course.
“They are raunchy, but moral,” Collins laughed by phone last week from her latest tour stop at Caesar’s Indiana, referring to her books. “The good guy gets what he wants at the end.”
Atlanta’s getting what it wants with this Collins appearance, said Outwrite owner Philip Rafshoon.
“She hasn’t been here in years,” said Rafshoon, who had 350 books on hand late last week and was expecting a big crowd. “She’s one of the first big writers to write popular books about modern relationships, all kinds of relationships.”
Nor does the fun end after Collins finishes schmoozing and signing at Outwrite. There’s an afterparty, featuring a Jackie Collins lookalike contest, at neighboring bar Blake’s on the Park.
SIR SALMAN RUSHDIE
Queen Elizabeth II conferred a knighthood on “The Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie on Wednesday, a year after the announcement of the knighthood provoked protests from the Muslim world.
“I really have no regrets about any of my work,” Rushdie told reporters after being asked about “The Satanic Verses.”
“This is, as I say, an honor not for any specific book but for a very long career in writing and I’m happy to see that recognized,” he said. Rushdie, 61, published his first novel, “Grimus,” in 1975. He is currently a Distinguished Writer in Residence at Emory University.
ATLANTA COUPLE WED AT ‘TODAY’ LIVE TV ALTAR
When Atlanta couple LaDonna Bradford and Darnell Suggs got hitched at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, they didn’t have to hire a videographer.
The nuclear reactor inspector and computer engineer just had to remember to set the TiVo.
The winners of the “Race to the Altar” contest on “Today” were married live on the venerable NBC morning show. The show’s outdoors Rockefeller Plaza studio in New York City was magically made into an “East meets West”-themed wedding chapel, complete with hanging white and pink paper lanterns. The decor, along with the bridal gown, bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen tuxedoes and a honeymoon to Bora Bora were all selected by “Today” viewers in recent weeks.
The bride walked down the aisle to Etta James’ “At Last.”
A 22-image online photo gallery of the wedding was exclusively shot by Atlanta-based celebrity wedding photographer Denis Reggie, who was flown up to capture the special occasion. The online photo album can be viewed at www.today.msnbc.com.
The one thing the couple did have control over? They wrote their own vows which they expertly remembered and recited on live television.
The pair made a big chunk of America reach for the tissue box as Suggs gazed into Bradford’s beaming face and told her: “I offer my heart and soul to you and I pledge my love to you for life. You’re my best friend and my confidante. I would go to the ends of the earth to see you smile.”
Bradford replied: “I love you dearly. I promise to be there through thick and thin. I will love you with every beat of my heart.”
Later during a toast with “Today” co-hosts Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer, Bradford said the couple had no regrets about allowing America to decide the details of their special day.
“Not at all,” she said. “I can only imagine dealing with everything you all dealt with for us.”
“American Idol” contestant (and the bride’s cousin!) Melinda Doolittle surprised the couple at their 65th floor Rainbow Room wedding reception by singing “Never Felt This Way” for the couple’s first dance.
“Today” then temporarily transformed into “Dancing With the Stars” as Suggs and Bradford cut loose with a carefully choreographed dance routine featuring dips and lifts.
As Vieira observed: “You now have the best wedding video out of all of your friends!”
COUPLING
Season 2 “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard has found love in the ATL and is set to marry an Atlanta flight attendant this Saturday in his hometown of Birmingham.
Studdard’s manager Cedric Evans told Buzz that Studdard, 29, met Surata Zuri McCants, 30, at a CD signing at the Howell Mill Road Wal-Mart in October 2006. “I think it was love at first sight,” Evans said. “He’s on cloud 12.”
Studdard’s next album will feature covers of R&B standards by the likes of Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye. He’ll be at the Fox Theatre in mid-November in a production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’ .”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Musician Mick Jones of The Clash is 53. Singer Chris Isaak is 52. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Magnolia,” “Boogie Nights”) is 38. Actor Sean Hayes (“Will and Grace”) is 38. Actor Chris O’Donnell (right) is 38. Country singer Gretchen Wilson is 34.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Jill Vejnoska 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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Veteran soap star finally wins Emmy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So exactly how boisterous did things get at Buzz Central Tuesday when “The Young and the Restless” legend Jeanne Cooper called to dish about her first-ever lead actress Emmy win?
Well, one colleague had to politely ask us to pipe down and an eavesdropping CBS publicist had to mute the conversation at points.
But it’s difficult not to be entertained by Cooper, who’s both a gifted storyteller and an f-bomb lobbing grandmother.
For 35 years, the Hollywood veteran has portrayed Genoa City grand dame Katherine Chancellor on the CBS soap. While Cooper has been nominated nine times for an Emmy in the role, she had never won.
Her luck finally changed last Friday at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre at the 35th annual Daytime Emmy Awards when her “Y&R” co-workers literally banged on a table and she received a standing ovation from her peers when her name was finally called.
“It was about damn time, wasn’t it?!” Cooper, 79, hooted. “My house looks like a flower shop. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing. It’s totally wild.”
Cooper only finally decided to attend the awards last week after she spotted a vacant parking space on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood.
“A friend found me a gorgeous gown,” she said. “I didn’t even want to go by the boutique to try it on. I was busy with other things. My grandson was graduating. I was literally double-parked in front of the store and people were bringing outfits out to me on the sidewalk! But then, miraculously, a parking space opened right nearby. So I put a couple of quarters in the meter and went in.”
So was Cooper as stunned as she appeared on television?
“Oh my God, yes!” she conceded. “You have to understand I’ve been through this many, many times. I’m perhaps the only person who truly knows how Susan Lucci felt all those years when she didn’t win. It’s 110-degrees outside. You’re melting. And you get all dressed up to go sit in a theatre in the middle of the afternoon only to smile and applaud while someone else’s name is called! And you end up asking yourself, ‘Do I [expletive] need this?!’ I’d rather go to a movie.”
But industry insiders were more optimistic about Cooper’s chances this year.
Over the past year, Cooper has consistently been front burner on the top-rated daytime drama.
After all, the writers literally dropped a shabbily constructed shopping center on Katherine and the town tart, Amber Moore (played by Adrienne Frantz).
Oh, and she had to emotionally admit to her sworn enemy/out-of-wedlock daughter Jill Foster Abbott (played by Jess Walton) that, during a bout of binge drinking in the 1970s, she accidentally gave away Jill’s child and secretly substituted another.
“Thank God the writers still supply this old broad with something to do!” Cooper cackles. “And that material was so much fun to play. Katherine’s relationship with Amber is especially a unique one. She’s young enough to be her granddaughter and they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum. But Katherine, I think, sees a little of herself in Amber. Katherine’s had her share of stable boys too! It’s one of those relationships that daytime explores so well.”
Ironically, Cooper’s first Emmy win as an actress comes 4 years after she received a lifetime achievement award Emmy.
“I introduced the two statuettes to each other,” she said. “I held up my lifetime achievement award and said, ‘Now you make sense.’ “
Cooper is keeping her latest piece of Emmy hardware in a sitting room next to the kitchen “so I can look at it from pretty much anywhere in my house.”
And Cooper can relate to her character’s contentious on-screen relationship with her daughter as well. She jokes that her real-life daughter Caren didn’t talk to her for two days after her Emmy win because she forgot to thank her in her acceptance speech.
“I had to tell her, ‘Mom didn’t even know what I was saying up there.’ Afterwards, people told me that I kissed [talk show Emmy winner] Tyra Banks! It’s all a blur.” The Emmy also ensures that “Y&R” writers keep coming up with juicy storylines for Cooper.
Without revealing too much, the actress says fans can expect a surprising new layer of the Katherine/Jill dynamic to reveal itself slowly over the next year.
“We’ve already talked,” Cooper spills. “The juice is already being written. This just gives the writers a little more motivation. And if that doesn’t work, I can always start bringing my Emmy to work with me!”
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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It’s Jamia’s day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fans of CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” will get a good, long look this month at the daytime soap’s newest star — 11-year-old Jamia.
The Oscar show singer and “August Rush” co-star, who shortened her performance name from Jamia Simone Nash to Jamia, begins appearing on “Restless” today as Ana, the daughter of single mother Tyra Hamilton (played by “America’s Next Top Model” winner Eva Marcille).
Jamia, who lives in Buford, is in Los Angeles all this month taping 21 episodes. On today’s show she attends the 21st birthday party for the character Lily (Christel Khalil) and sings “It’s Your Day.”
“My whole family is out here with me,” Jamia said by phone Monday as the actress/singer and her father, James Nash, were en route to a meeting with record executives.
She says a soap is a lot different from some TV shows she watches, like “That’s So Raven.” “It’s fun because you can have a dramatic side.”
While in California,
she plans to visit Six Flags Magic Mountain (“I’m very excited about it”). And
when she returns to metro Atlanta in August, she’ll be getting ready for her 12th birthday.
“Turning 12 is going to be a big thing,” she says. “That’s the last number of being a preteen. Then after that, it’s all teenager.”
For viewers who can’t wait until the show airs at 12:30 p.m. on WGCL-TV, “Y&R” has posted a sneak peek of “It’s Your Day” on YouTube. Here’s the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQQgxNw01lg.
ABOUT A BOY
For about 10 minutes Tuesday, we rummaged through our Reagan-era wardrobe, looking for our weathered Culture Club concert T-shirt. After all, Boy George had just announced an Aug. 19 Atlanta stop at Center Stage on his U.S. summer tour. Alas, not even an hour later, word arrived that the tour has been scrapped because the Culture Club frontperson has been denied a visa by U.S. authorities.
The tour was to include a free concert at the New York City Department of Sanitation’s Family Day in August. Faithful Buzz readers will recall that the singer worked for the department in 2006 while performing court-ordered community service in a drug case.
His managers say the singer has been denied a visa because he’s awaiting trial in London.
The singer, whose hits include “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” has pleaded not guilty to imprisoning an alleged male escort in the basement of his London home (sigh, haven’t we all had that problem at one time or another?). The U.S. Department of State, meanwhile, tastefully declined comment, citing confidentiality of visa records.
OVERSCENE
R&B singer Mario, taking a break from the recording studio to party on the rooftop of the Glenn hotel downtown. Other celebs taking in the nightspot and the new Maxim Prime eatery in the hotel included Chris Redman of the Atlanta Falcons and Zaza Pachulia of the Hawks , MTV’s “Real World: Paris” castmates C.T. Tamburello and Ace Amerson and Emmy winner and author Leslie Jordan.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Movie director Sidney Lumet is 84. Actress June Lockhart is 83. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 61. Actor Ricky Gervais is 47. Singer George Michael is 45. Actress Angela Kinsey (“The Office”) is 37. Actress Linda Cardellini (“ER”) is 33.
Contributing: Bob Longino 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 Cares fund-raiser bags Mizrahi
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For weeks, Fashion Cares aficionados have been whispering about how the benefit’s founder, Jeffrey Kalinsky, is going to top himself this year after booking fashion legend Oscar de la Renta for the 2007 soiree.
On Monday, Buzz managed to pull this year’s bold-faced name out of 2008 Fashion Cares chairs Lila Hertz and Sacha Taylor. For this year’s fund-raiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund — set for Aug. 25 — Kalinsky and company will welcome clothing designer Isaac Mizrahi to Atlanta.
Says the “Unzipped” documentary star and designer of duds for Target of the New York and Atlanta retailer: “Jeffrey has always stood for style and good taste. I’m proud and excited to be a part of an event that gives back to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund.”
For the event’s 16th year, the 55 Allen Plaza building downtown has once again been secured as the venue for Fashion Cares. Says Taylor: “This beautiful post-modern high-rise, nestled among Barry Real Estate Co.’s downtown development is the perfect backdrop for what promises to be our best and perhaps most entertaining show ever.”
And according to what Buzz was able to confirm Monday, “best” may very well translate into a shorter show than the 2007 model, which saw more than a few attendees depart early, due to its, er, extravagant length.
Nibbles at this year’s affair shouldn’t be a problem either, given that Dennis Dean Catering already has stepped up and donated 100 percent of the evening’s snacks.
Hertz and Taylor, meanwhile, sound hell-bent on topping last year’s record-setting $700,000 in an ever-tightening economy as well. The pair already has $125,000 in donations for the 2008 event.
For info: www.jeffreyfashioncares.com/atlanta or phone 404-745-0293.
ENCOUNTER WITH A LEGEND — CARLIN
On Monday, Atlanta comic and Punchline regular Al Ernst was wistfully recalling his 20 minutes with a comic legend last year. Ernst was in the middle of his second set at the Loft in Columbus when a ball-capped patron slid in the back of the venue. “He looked vaguely familiar,” Ernst, 46, told us. “I couldn’t tell if it was someone from high school or the cops.”
After his set, Ernst was stunned to discover it was George Carlin at the back table. Carlin, who died Sunday at age 71, was gigging down the street at the Columbus Civic Center.
“Earlier in the evening, I remember cracking that the reason Carlin was a little light on attendance was because I was in town,” he recalled. “I got to spend 20 minutes talking about the business with him. He repeated four lines of my act back to me and told me, ‘That’s good stuff.’ That single moment completely validated my entire 20-year career. I remember thinking, ‘I can take a job as a janitor now!’ He told me he was on his way out of town after his show and saw the sign out front and told the driver to stop. It was an amazing night. So often in this business, you meet your heroes and you go away thinking ‘What a jerk.’ Carlin was the exact opposite. When I was just a kid, I memorized one of his first HBO specials and did the act for my friends on the bus. It killed and I thought, ‘This would be a nice way to make a living.’ I got to tell him that story. He smiled. Then I ran back through that night’s act in my head just to make sure I hadn’t stolen any of his stuff!”
OVERSCENE
Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks took her latest role as Atlanta Peach magazine summer issue cover girl seriously Friday night during a private dinner for 30 at Maxim Prime restaurant downtown. Midway through the evening, Ebanks scheduled a wardrobe change from a tiny gray minidress and Pierre Hardy booties into a Louis Vuitton blazer with knee-high gladiator sandals. Oh, and thanks to attendee and “Project Runway” fan fave Mychael Knight, who arrived with an original frock wrapped up for her return trip to New York, she had an outfit for the road as well. Among the notables in attendance: Atlanta Peach publisher Elizabeth Schulte Roth; 790 the Zone sports radio president Andrew Saltzman and wife, Amy; NBA stars Kevin Willis and Shandon Anderson; Dave FM morning man Zakk Tyler and Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall, who was busy thanking folks for helping to reinvigorate the downtown area as it continues to recover from the aftermath of last March’s tornado.
Oh, and the best Victoria’s Secret job perk, according to Ebanks? The complimentary, high-end panties, natch.
HIGH FIVE
Television
The Top Five On Demand programs for the week ending June 15, as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. “Family Guy,” “Bill and Peter’s Bogus Journey” episode, TBS
2. “Take a Bow,” Rihanna, music video, Music Choice
3. “SpongeBob,” “Krabby Land/The Camping” episode, Nickelodeon, Kids
4. “Take You Down,” Chris Brown, music video, Music Choice
5. “Bust It Baby Girl,” Plies, music video, Music Choice
— Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Al Molinaro (“Happy Days”) is 89. Actress Michele Lee is 66. Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown is 65. Drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac is 61. Actress Sherry Stringfield (“ER”) is 41. Actress Mindy Kaling (“The Office”) is 29. Singer Solange Knowles is 22.
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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Great night set stage for R.E.M. show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Buzz revisited the glory years Saturday night, taking in a little R.E.M. at Lakewood Amphitheatre, where the group finished up its North American tour. Only in 1989, we didn’t have the privilege or the right to purchase $11 beers. Not that we’re complaining (that loudly).
A beautiful night for an outdoor show, highlighted visually by “Electrolite” in the middle of the set, where the mostly packed house lit up the cellphones for a portion of the song.
R.E.M. played a few songs from its latest, “Accelerate,” but opened with “These Days” and pulled out “Driver 8,” “Pretty Persuasion” and “The One I Love.” Michael Stipe was energetic, and his wispy (Buzz thinks he actually “did the robot” for a moment) moves were very reminiscent of the “Losing My Religion” video back in the day.
The show lasted about two hours, and R.E.M. played a 22-song set with a six-song encore. Modest Mouse and The National opened the show.
HELPING WITH RELOCATION
Atlanta really is blessed with some creative real estate types. First we heard about bus trips to view recent foreclosures. Now comes an outfit called Exit Realty 1st Class, which aims to help folks heading from Fort McPherson to Fort Bragg in scenic Fayetteville, N.C., (the town and base both lovingly rendered in Tom Wolfe’s “Ambush at Fort Bragg”) as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
A relocation presentation begins with breakfast at 10 a.m. Friday at the Country Inn at 759 Pollard St. Info: 404-658-1961 or 910-864-3948.
NOT A GOOD THING
Martha Stewart has been banned from Britain — but she got a warm welcome Friday in Poland, her grandparents’ homeland, the Associated Press reports.
The lifestyle guru was planning to visit Britain in the coming days for business engagements, but the Daily Telegraph and other British newspapers reported Friday that she was denied permission to enter because of her 2004 conviction for obstructing justice.
Stewart’s assistants confirmed the visa denial, but they gave no other details beyond saying they hope the decision will be reversed.
“Martha loves England; the country and English culture are near and dear to her heart,” said Charles Koppelman, chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. “She has engagements with English companies and business leaders and hopes this can be resolved so that she will be able to visit soon.”
LOCAL TV EMMYS AWARDED
The Southeastern Emmys spread the wealth Saturday night among the Atlanta news stations. WSB-TV took home the “Station Excellence” award for best TV station. WGCL-TV, in a mild surprise, won best daily newscast for its 11 p.m. version.
Veteran anchor Russ Spencer of WAGA-TV took home his third Emmy for best anchor while Blair Meeks won best on-air reporter for the third year in a row. Unfortunately for his former employer, WXIA-TV, Meeks recently left to join the PR firm Jackson Spalding.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
“American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 52. Actress Frances McDormand is 51. Actress Selma Blair is 36. Singer KT Tunstall is 33. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 31. Singer Duffy is 24.
CELEBRITY DOCKET
Temperamental model Naomi Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours of community service Friday after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers after an “air rage” incident at Heathrow Airport.
She was also ordered to pay 200 pounds ($400) to each of the police officers she attacked and 150 pounds ($300) to Miles Sutherland, the captain of the British Airways plane she disrupted, in addition to a 2,300 pound ($4,600) fine.
(NOT) ON MY iPOD?
Kenny G, who performs Wednesday at the Chastain Park Amphitheater, says he doesn’t have an iPod. What? No iPod? And somewhere Steve Jobs begins shaking at this disturbance in the Force. “I listen to music to study it, period; not for the enjoyment of it,” Mr. G says. On those occasions the contemporary sax player says he turns to jazz masters, such as, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. Presumably on monster headphones hooked into ye olde reel to reel.
Contributing: Jennifer Brett, Adrianne Murchison, 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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New eater must step up to the hot dog plate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta’s bigger-than-life, trash-talkin’ Dale Boone won’t be scarfing hot dogs this Saturday at Lenox Square mall for the Nathan’s Famous regional contest.
Why not? George Shea, a spokesman for Major League Eating, a world governing body for competitive eating, said Boone left the federation after being punished one too many times for participating in “nonsanctioned” food-eating contests. Boone couldn’t be reached for comment, but in the past, he has told Buzz he felt constrained by the league’s rules.
Boone made it to the national televised eating contest in Coney Island at least three times, including last year, but has never come close to winning. (The regional winner is guaranteed a trip to New York on July 4.)
Three ranked competitive eaters from metro Atlanta are hoping to take Boone’s spot at 1 p.m. in the Lenox food court: Loren “Bubba” Yarbrough of Newnan (No. 33), “SuperPaul” Barlow of Kennesaw (No. 34) and Larry McNeil of Atlanta (No. 38).
The favored local is Yarbrough, a city of Atlanta sewer plant manager who came in second behind Boone last year in the regionals with 21 hot dogs consumed. The battle has been cut from 12 to 10 minutes, but he thinks he can still break 20. “I fill up quickly,” Yarbrough said. “Hopefully I can get a jump on whoever I’m up against.”
Yarbrough’s biggest competitor may be Pete Davekos (No. 25), who’s flying in from Cambridge, Mass. His 2007 hot-dog total? 17. “I lost last year,” Davekos said. “I feel I need a little retribution.”
A likely wild-card participant? SuperPhat Mikey, the morning co-host on Star 94, who’s known for prodigious eating binges. (UPDATED: Davekos won Saturday afternoon with 19.25 dogs eaten and will be going to Coney Island, just beating out Yarbrough, who was penalized for leaving too much bun detritus on his plate and credited with 18.5. SuperPhat Mikey finished with seven in his first try in this competition.)
‘IDOL’ FINALIST TO SING ALONGSIDE GREATS
Paris Bennett, season five “American Idol” finalist and (briefly) a Fayetteville resident, comes back to Atlanta as a duet partner with her grandmother Ann Nesby tonight at Philips Arena for a diva-licious concert sponsored by AARP.
Bennett — who last spoke with Buzz at Noodle in Midtown 16 months ago wearing sunglasses indoors and acting blasé — was more engaged via phone this week.
She’s psyched to be on stage with the likes of Dionne Warwick, CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar, many of whom are friends with Nesby.
And though her first album last year failed to generate much traction (about 20,000 sold), she’s planning a Christmas album and a jazz-flavored release. She’s also acting in two upcoming films: “Mama, I Want To Sing,” in which she plays Ciara’s younger sister, and “Baby O,” a musical.
“I like the movie thing,” Bennett said.
USHER’S CRIB PRICED TO SELL AT $2 MILLION
Psst … real estate bargain hunters, Usher’s got a deal for you!
According to the Wall Street Journal, the R&B star’s Alpharetta home at Country Club of the South (home to the likes of Jeff Foxworthy and John Smoltz) has been marked down to $2 million from $2.3 million last fall.
The five bedroom home, featured in an episode of MTV’s “Cribs,” includes a salon, guest house, pool and recording studio. Usher purchased it in 1998 for $1.2 million.”
“We’re trying to price it to sell,” listing agent Lisa Robinson of Robinson Realty Group told the Journal. “We’re competing with brand-new construction, and the market is relatively slow here.”
2ND DANIEL MAY ADDS IDENTIFIER
Daniel Thomas May — the actor playing Orlando in Georgia Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” — is the same guy who’s been performing around town for years as Daniel May.
“I was tossing and turning last night trying to think up a good story to try to make it more exciting than it actually is,” said the popular Atlanta actor, who recently decided to use his middle name in all references.
Why the change? Two years after May joined Actors’ Equity Association in 2003, the union informed him that there was another Daniel May on its roster and suggested he alter his name to avoid a mix-up. May began using his full name on contracts but only recently made the change publicly.
“I hadn’t expected it to be so controversial!” he joked in an e-mail.
HIGH FIVE
Hot 107.9
For the week of June 10
1. “Put On” Young Jeezy
2. “Lollipop” Lil Wayne
3. “A Milli” Lil Wayne
4. “Bust It Baby (Part 2)” Plies
5. “Donk” Soulja Boy
— Mediabase 24/7
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Jane Russell is 87. Actor Bernie Kopell (“The Love Boat”) is 75. Musician Ray Davies of The Kinks is 64. Actress Meredith Baxter (“Family Ties”) is 61. Actor Michael Gross (“Family Ties”) is 61. Guitarist Nils Lofgren is 57. Cartoonist Berke Breathed (“Opus,” “Bloom County,”) is 51. Actor Doug Savant (“Desperate Housewives,” “Melrose Place”) is 44. Actress Juliette Lewis is 35. Singer Brandon Flowers of The Killers is 27.
Contributing: Wendell Brock 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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‘Clarice’ not bitter about losing role on show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fayetteville native and actor Gary Anthony Williams has lost his gig as cross-dressing Clarence/Clarice on ABC’s “Boston Legal.”
But he’s not upset he won’t be on the fifth and final season next season of this quirky dramedy.
“It’s the single best experience I’ve ever had,” he told Buzz. “Without sounding too Hollywood, I have to say working with William Shatner and James Spader was absolutely amazing.”
Williams said he was only supposed to show up for one episode, but producer and writer David E. Kelley kept him for two years. “It was a gift that lasted far longer than I had anticipated,” he said.
He didn’t get an official scripted exit, and he doesn’t expect the show to even reference him again. That’s simply how Kelley handles character departures. They typically just disappear.
Williams also plays the cynical Uncle Ruckus on Aaron McGruder’s Adult Swim animated series “The Boondocks,” but he’s not sure if it will be back a third season. Otherwise, he’s working on a new Mike Judge (“Beavis and Butthead”) animated series where he plays a neighbor to a very granola family. And he has a role as a possible killer in an upcoming horror flick starring John Cusack called “The Factory.”
The former “Malcolm in the Middle” star returns to Atlanta at least once a year to visit family and stops by Agatha’s: A Taste of Mystery. He writes plays for the downtown theater once a year. His newest is a Western parody dubbed “Annie Gets Your Uzi” set to run later this summer.
A GOOD REASON TO MISS REUNION
Atlanta’s Richard Blais, who fell just short of winning Bravo’s “Top Chef,” missed the reunion show Wednesday night because he and his wife were having a child. But he showed up on satellite.
Blais admitted to the judges the night of the finale that he had “choked.”
“The fact he said it to us I was really shocked,” said judge Gail Simmons during the reunion show. “Richard is very honest. I don’t think he has much of a poker face,” added judge Ted Allen.
During the reunion show, Blais was dubbed “our little Willy Wonka.” His most memorable dish from the show? The banana scallops with guacamole.
As for his problems during the finale, Blais said, “I was my own worst enemy. I overthought it a little bit. I didn’t relax and do what I did throughout the competition.” But he did receive a baby-sized Top Chef shirt for his newborn daughter Riley.
JACKSON TRIES HAND AT REALITY SHOW
Part-time Atlantan Janet Jackson is getting into the reality-show business, but it’s not going to be cameras following her around á la Denise Richards or Keyshia Cole.
Rather, the singer is helming an MTV talent competition seeking singer/dancers along the lines of Justin Timberlake or Jackson herself.
According to Variety magazine, the show will take place in street locales, rather than a studio soundstage. She may play a mentor type. No name for the show just yet.
Jackson’s latest album “Discipline” has not done particularly well, and she has complained about a lack of support from Island Def Jam.
RANDOM BITS
Lil Wayne is the new king of hip-hop. His latest, “Tha Carter III,” sold more than
1 million copies last week, the first time an act has passed the six-figure threshold in a debut week since 50 Cent in 2005. And this is quadruple the opening week of his last release in 2005. Topping the singles chart with “Lollipop” certainly helped … ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show continues to do well in the ratings, ahead of Craig Ferguson and not far behind Conan O’Brien. Now he’s getting an early contract extension guaranteeing he’ll be around at least through 2010. … WGCL’s “Better Mornings” show has a new weather forecaster. Jennifer Valdez comes from sister TV station WYFF in Greenville, S.C. She replaces Dagmar Midcap, now doing weather at 4, 6 and 11 p.m. … Gov. Sonny Perdue and first lady Mary Perdue proudly announce the arrival of their 10th grandchild, Rabun Ophie Perdue. Rabun is the daughter of Dan, the Perdues’ youngest son, and Jessica Perdue, daughter of Johnny and Georgia Woods of Perry. Rabun Ophie was born Wednesday evening weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces. She is the first child for Dan and Jessica Perdue. The governor now has five grandsons and five granddaughters.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Olympia Dukakis is 77. Actor Martin Landau is 77. Actor Danny Aiello is 75. Actor John Mahoney (“Frasier”) is 68. Musician Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is 66. Singer Anne Murray is 63. Home repair show host Bob Vila is 62. Singer Lionel Richie is 59. Actor John Goodman is 56. Actress Nicole Kidman (above) is 41.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow. But I’ve got a lot of water.”
Atlanta’s T.I. to Rolling Stone magazine,
about his impending jail sentence in 2009
Contributing: Wendell Brock 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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Two charged with murder of T.I.’s friend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cincinnati police have arrested two men for the death of T.I.’s friend more than two years ago, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
The newspaper reported that Hosea Thomas, 34, and Padron Thomas, 40, were each charged with two counts of murder and seven counts felonious assault for the death of Atlanta resident Philant Johnson and the shooting of several others.
The 2006 altercation occurred after an after-hours party. When T.I. and his entourage left in two vans, two SUVs followed them, police said. Shots were exchanged near I-75, killing Johnson and wounding the others.
Hosea Thomas is being held without bond. Padron Thomas is in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Wee-hours traffic stop reels in Young Jeezy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Young Jeezy, dubbed “the South’s gnarliest MC” in Rolling Stone’s June 26 “Hot List” edition, has an upcoming engagement in town — in court.
The rapper also known as Jay S. Jenkins was arrested early Wednesday and charged with speeding, no proof of insurance, open container, reckless driving and driving while impaired by alcohol/drugs, the Atlanta Police Department said. Jeezy was nabbed near I-85 and Buford Highway, the department said.
New York attorney Scott E. Leemon released a statement about the matter Wednesday evening:
“Last night, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Young Jeezy was pulled over by the Atlanta Police Department shortly after leaving the studio to work on his new album, ‘The Recession.’ After being charged with various automobile related offenses, Jeezy was quickly processed and released. A court date has been scheduled, and Jeezy looks forward to getting the matter resolved.”
Stay tuned.
IN OTHER LEGAL MATTERS
Hey, Atlanta filmmaker Marlon Campbell, quit trying to bum a ride on your famous cousin’s coattails. That’s the message in a letter from Tyler Perry’s attorney. In the April 9 missive, L.A. barrister Matthew Johnson says, “Mr. Campbell does not have the right to use Mr. Perry’s name in the furtherance of Mr. Campbell’s endeavors. The use of Mr. Perry’s name in connection with the promotion of any projects of Mr. Campbell [by] you or your agency is intentionally misleading, constitutes a substantial misrepresentation of the facts and wrongfully infringes upon the economic value of Mr. Perry and his products and productions.” The letter is posted on TMZ.com, which goes out of its way to poke fun at Perry, noting the Atlanta filmmaker’s next movie is “The Family That Preys.”
AND IN STILL MORE LEGAL NEWS
Documents unsealed this week from the R. Kelly child pornography trial include claims from the prosecution’s star witness that an employee of the R&B star threatened her, The Associated Press reports. Lisa Van Allen of Alpharetta says the employee told her last year she should’ve been killed for coming forward with information that could damage Kelly. No one was charged with threatening Van Allen, who testified she had three-way sex several times with Kelly and the female who prosecutors say was the victim in the sex tape at the center of the trial. Van Allen says in the pretrial statement she stole a separate videotape of one of those encounters from Kelly’s duffel bag. Jurors acquitted Kelly last week of child pornography.
THE DIVA DINES
Who was that enjoying Southern cuisine at Watershed in Decatur? None other than The Boss herself, Diana Ross, sharing butter bean hummus, salmon croquettes and a hot veggie plate with two lunch companions. First V-103’s Ryan Cameron rang us about this, as he and Atlanta Grammy winner Ciara were there. “The Boss shut it down!” he reported. But Buzz confirmed it with sous chef Robbie Kornacki, who gave the Motown legend’s table a complimentary pimento cheese and celery appetizer. “We do have a lot of celebrities here,” Kornacki said. “but I think people were kind of shocked to see her. I was. But yes, she was here — hair and all.”
FREE AT SIX FLAGS
R&B artist Mario performs Thursday night at Six Flags Over Georgia. Other acts coming this summer include Aly & AJ on June 26 and Drake Bell on June 29. All concerts are free with park admission. Buy your tix online and get the kids’ price, $29.99. (We think the headline here is kids’ tickets to Six Flags cost 30 bucks). The concerts start at 6 p.m. in the 8,000-seat Southern Star Amphitheatre. Info: www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Phylicia Rashad is 60. Singer Ann Wilson of Heart is 58. Actress Kathleen Turner is 54. Country singer Doug Stone is 52. Singer Mark DeBarge of DeBarge is 49. “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul is 46. Actor Andy Lauer (“Caroline in the City”) is 45. Actress Robin Tunney is 36. Actress Poppy Montgomery (“Without a Trace”) is 33. Actor Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine”) is 24.
ATLANTA’S OWN
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and his new restaurant, Straits, will be featured on Adam Murphy’s “Restaurant Report Card” at 4 p.m. today on CBS, then again on Friday at 6 a.m. and noon. And if you’re still hungry for more, watch it again at www.cbs46.com.
“Chicken lollipops are Luda’s favorite dish, and I agree they’re one of the best items on the menu,” Murphy tells us.
Contributing: Sonia Murray, Bob Longino 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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Soledad O’Brien at special CNN preview at Alliance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien was on hand for Monday night’s preview of “Black in America,” a CNN special report. After the invitation-only screening in the Alliance Theatre, guests filed onto the piazza outside the High Museum of Art, where a drum line entertained. O’Brien mingled with guests, who were eager to discuss issues raised by the special report.
Jennifer Brett / AJC
CNN’s Soledad O’Brien (left) visits with Ashlee Feemster after the preview of “Black in America,” a CNN special report. A preview was held Monday at the Alliance Theatre.
“Education isn’t part of the game, it’s the whole ballgame,” O’Brien said during an audience Q&A, noting black students’ graduation rates trail white students’. The gulf is particularly stunning, she said, when examining the graduation of black boys vs. whites.
“I haven’t quite figured out why people aren’t screaming in the streets about it,” she said. “No one’s marching about that.”
The guest list for the event included the Rev. Joseph Lowery, King Center President Isaac Ferris, Atlanta Voice publisher Alexis Scott, Spelman College history professor Jelani Cobb, Dr. Louis Sullivan, former president of Morehouse School of Medicine and Fulton County Magistrate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
CNN was well-represented by a contingent including Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide, and Abbie Boudreau, Elizabeth Cohen, Naamua Delaney, Tony Harris, TJ Holmes, Don Lemon, Betty Nguyen, Rick Sanchez and Fredricka Whitfield.
After a cocktail reception featuring Southern cuisine, guests toured the High’s current exhibit, Road to Freedom.
The collection of 200 photographs by 45 photographers depicts the ugliness and bravery on display side by side in the South during the civil rights movement.
Although the exhibit, and the CNN report, were full of disturbing images, O’Brien did leave the audience with a positive message. Asked what most surprised her during the reporting of “Black in America,” she said, “The number of people interested in changing the status quo.”
BIG APPLE GETS TASTE OF 99X PROGRAMMER
After 18 years in Atlanta, Leslie Fram is taking a bite out of the Big Apple.
The former 99X morning host and program director will become the program director at a new rock station in New York, WRXP-FM (101.9).
“I’m very excited,” she told Buzz Tuesday. “This is another opportunity to build a brand from scratch, like 99X.” Fram, one of the most respected female rock radio programmers in the country, helped form 99X in 1992 and shape it into a new rock powerhouse throughout the 1990s. The station’s influence waned this decade and she was pushed off the FM airwaves in January, along with the station itself, which lives on at 99x.com.
WRXP launched in February and sounds like a blend of Dave FM and Rock 100.5, with plenty of deep cuts and new music mixed in with Led Zeppelin and AC/DC classics. (Ratings have been anemic so far, but Fram said the station hasn’t really started marketing.) Fram won’t be on air in New York but will work her magic behind the scenes.
Fram’s husband, Lanny, will continue to run her two Atlanta area boutiques and she’ll travel back to Atlanta for charity commitments. “I’m going to get myself a cubby hole of an apartment in Manhattan and live at the radio station,” she said.
Will any of her expats at 99X end up at RXP? She’s not sure yet but a few might be available, if not already, soon. Her former 99X colleague Steve Craig, for instance, is doing 99X.com but his contract is up in a few weeks. And former night-time jock Dekker is already there doing weekends.
SEMIFINALIST WANTS TO BE IN PICTURES
Antonio Gilbert, a native of Trinidad now living in Atlanta, is in the hunt for a million-dollar grant in the First Cut Film Series competition. The American InterContinental University grad is a semifinalist in the contest to finance, produce and theatrically release feature films. Gilbert started out as one of more than 4,000 applicants before making it to the top 250, then top 15 with his sci-fi action film “Area 52.” Track his progress at www.firstcutfilmseries.com.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Musician Paul McCartney is 66. Movie critic Roger Ebert is 66. Actress Constance McCashin (“Knots Landing”) is 61. Actress Linda Thorson (“The Avengers”) is 61. Actress Isabella Rossellini is 56. Actress Carol Kane is 56. Singer Alison Moyet is 47.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I have always known [that marriage is] not something for me. Even when I was a little girl I never dreamed of the white dress and all of that.”
Charlize Theron, who presumably won’t be a June bride this year, in an interview in Glamour magazine
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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‘2 radio boys’ talk shop till closing time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WABE’s John Lemley, who hosts “All Things Considered,” likes to wind down for the weekend at Gilbert’s in Midtown. He was there with friends Sunday, considering calling it a night, when guess who showed up? Bravo-Lifetime dandy Carson Kressley and Fred Schneider of the B-52s. (The singer and the star of “How to Look Good Naked” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” were in town for the True Colors concert, held Monday night at Chastain.)
“They introduced themselves — I’m sure I was much more impressed at meeting them than they were meeting me — and we proceeded to spend the better part of the next two hours chatting,” said the always-gracious Lemley. Schneider hosts a radio show, “Party Out of Bounds,” on Sirius, so they had plenty of common ground.
“He was so generous when someone else came up to meet him,” Lemley said. “He introduced me and said that we were just two radio boys talkin’ shop. He’s a kind, funny man. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to say that we closed the bar. Of course, on Sunday nights, that doesn’t take too long.”
(And in the spirit of full Buzz disclosure, we must credit alert reader Velma Davies for tipping us off to this celeb triumvirate.)
“Holy smokes!” Lemley said when we contacted him to confirm. “Word travels faster in Atlanta than little ol’ Oneonta, Ala., my hometown!”
AN ORIGINAL DJ GIVES HIS SPIN
Jermaine Dupri, Grandmaster Flash may ring your iPhone today. The musical pioneer has gotten wind of the whole “The DJ Is Dead” argument you and fellow hip-hop giant Lil Wayne have been making online lately, and told us he may very well give you a call when he is in town promoting “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats.”
“It threw me a little bit, just being the creator of this whole DJ hip-hop thing,” said Flash, the first DJ to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Bill Gates Vanguard Award winner. “I mean Jermaine Dupri is a very good friend of mine and I have so much respect for him. And he knows, personally, a lot of his stuff wouldn’t have jumped off if it wasn’t for the DJ. From [the 1992 single from rap duo Kris Kross] ‘Jump, Jump’ to [million-selling female rapper] Da Brat to [the Dupri-produced remix of R&B group Dru Hill’s] ‘In My Bed.’ One of his signatures is doing records for the dance floor. And who controls the dance floor? The DJ! Jermaine knows better.”
(Not to mention Dupri is one of the many celebs giving Flash and David Ritz’s “My Life, My Beats” praise, writing “Hip-hop wouldn’t be hip-hop without the great Grandmaster Flash”). Flash is scheduled to sign what he calls “a story about a young black man who went through some pretty turbulent times — and survived,” at 7:30 tonight at Borders, 3637 Peachtree Road N.E.
GREEN AND BLUES
This Saturday’s Midsummer Music Fest, with headliner Blues Traveler and other bands including Drivin’ n’ Cryin,’ also features a $5,000 donation from 790 the Zone to the Candler Park Neighborhood Organization. The contribution will be used to green up the place with enhancements to area sidewalks and parks. Gates open at 2 p.m. and the music starts at 2:30 p.m. D&C takes the stage at 7 p.m. and Blues Traveler follows at 9 p.m. It’s $15 in advance, $20 there, and organizers encourage you to take MARTA to Candler Park for the event. www.ticketalternative.com.
THE LATEST FROM THE VICK FAMILY
Marcus Vick, brother of suspended and incarcerated Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, has had a court date rescheduled, The Associated Press reports.
The former Virginia Tech QB was to have appeared Monday to face a charge of driving under the influence. The appearance was rescheduled for Sept. 10. The younger Vick, 24, posted a $1,000 bond Friday. He has been charged with misdemeanor counts of eluding police, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer Barry Manilow (below) is 62. Comedian Joe Piscopo is 57. Director Bobby Farrelly (“There’s Something About Mary”) is 50. Actor Thomas Haden Church (“Sideways,” “Wings,” “Ned and Stacy”) is 47. Actor Greg Kinnear is 45.
OVERSCENE
Celebs on hand for the Atlanta Dream’s Friday game against the Indiana Fever included rapper Plies (right), John Abraham of the Atlanta Falcons and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Writer lays ‘Bare’ his past as a student
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ever wonder about the odd jobs your co-workers had prior to occupying the cubicle near you? Well, in our case, after his new book arrived at Buzz Central this week, we no longer have to wonder about former AJC pop music critic Craig Seymour.
Next week, Seymour, now an English professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, will be in Atlanta to sign copies of his new memoir, “All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C.” (Atria Books, $23).
As a graduate student at the University of Maryland in the 1990s, Seymour started frequenting the strip clubs in the nation’s capital while writing his master’s thesis: “Desire and Dollar Bills: An Ethnography of a Gay Male Striptease Club.” Later, while studying for his doctorate, Seymour opted to try a first-person perspective.
Of the racy memoir, Seymour told us Friday: “I was looking for a topic for my second book, and I remember saying to my editor, ‘Well, you know, I used to be a stripper.’ That’s all I really had to say! I knew how important my experiences were to who I became, but I also knew it was a great story.”
Before the publication of “Bare,” Seymour had to send out a few advance manuscripts. His parents weren’t exactly clued in to how he put himself through school.
“They knew I studied stripping in grad school, but I had to explain it in more detail to them last Thanksgiving. Especially since the kind of stripping I did was so kind of, well, hands on. They’ve actually both been really supportive. My mom actually thanked me for lying to her back then!”
As for the former classmates and co-workers who will no doubt raise an eyebrow or two when they stumble across “Bare” when it hits stores Tuesday, Seymour says he isn’t concerned.
“People don’t come a la carte,” he said. “Like anyone, I’ve got good qualities and I’ve got annoying qualities. You’re either going to like me or you don’t. All I can do is be honest and tell my truth.”
Seymour will sign copies of “All I Could Bare” at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Outwrite Books in Midtown.
H&M HYSTERIA
Surely there were other things Kris Aper could have been doing at 2 p.m. Thursday, but she couldn’t think of anything other than standing in line for almost 24 hours to wait for Hennes & Mauritz to open in Atlantic Station.
“I thought the line would be longer,” said Aper, 16, of Newnan. “It’s the first H&M I’ve been to.” Aper mistakenly thought being first in line would entitle her to the $500 gift card, one of 300 cards of varying value that the popular cheap, trendy clothing retailer was giving away at Friday’s noon opening.
Aper ended up with $75, which was much better than some of her fellow shoppers, who by morning had spread like chickenpox into a line that wrapped the entire perimeter of the building and then doubled back.
Truett Dietz, 20, tried to keep things in order by circulating an unofficial sign-up sheet, but when it was time to hand out the gift cards it seemed a few of the 292 people on Dietz’s list had forgotten to count their friends who showed up late and cut in line.
It’s never a good thing to mix hunger, 90-degree heat and B.O., which may explain the outbreak of altercations in the line. It may also be why H&M officials ejected at least one person from the ranks.
Saima Zuberi, 22, finally snapped when the gift cards ran out just before she got one. “That sucks,” said Zuberi, who had traveled from Norcross with her sister. Luckily, she had already scored $100 when the first Atlanta area H&M opened at North Point Mall in May. “I’m not gonna be greedy,” she said.
When the doors finally opened, the cravers of cheap chic were greeted with a Soul Train of dancing, clapping H&M employees.
It was a lot to take in, as Dietz quickly learned. “I can’t even concentrate on anything right now,” he said, looking dazed in the men’s department. “I may leave and come back later. This is too much.”
OVERSCENE
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC lunching with two friends at NEO at the Mansion on Peachtree in Buckhead. Chilli enjoyed executive chef Eric Chopin’s Atlantic salmon with lentils, gemolata and shallots, and the mushroom risotto with porcini oil.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Actor Gene Barry is 89. Actress Marla Gibbs is 77. Businessman-TV personality Donald Trump is 62.
Sunday: Actress Helen Hunt is 45. Actress Courteney Cox (“Dirt”) is 44. Actress Leah Remini (“King of Queens”) is 38. Actor Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) is 35. Guitarist Billy Martin of Good Charlotte is 27.
HIGH FIVE
Music
Top-selling albums this week at Decatur CD:
1. My Morning Jacket, “Evil Urges”
2. Emmylou Harris, “All I Intended to Be”
3. Fleet Foxes, “Fleet Foxes”
4. The Homemade Jamz Blues Band, “Pay Me No Mind”
5. Lil Wayne, “Tha Carter III”
Courtesy: Decatur CD
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A threesome.”
— Star 94 Morning Mess co-host Marco Orem on air Friday, discussing what he told his girlfriend, Melissa, what he’d like to receive Sunday for his first Father’s Day as a dad.
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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Ayo says ATL music scene a hit all across world
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re pleased to report that the Buzz over in Germany about the Atlanta music scene is, well, mostly flattering.
At least according to Germany’s folk-soul singer-songwriter Ayo.
Days before her appearance Sunday at Sugar Hill (with local singer Heston) at Underground Atlanta downtown, Ayo rang us from just outside Cologne to talk about why our fair city was an important stop as she promotes her debut (“Joyful”) in the U.S.
“So many important artists come from Atlanta now, it may be good just to drink the water there,” she joked. “Seriously, OutKast is from Atlanta, yes? I love OutKast. When it comes to hip-hop, they’re the best. And T.I. is there as well, correct? He’s very good. But when I came there with Babyface [for a show at the Cobb Energy Centre in December] all of the talk was that he had to stay in his house for some reason.”
Buzz then informed Ayo that she was correct. At the time, you may recall that rapper/actor T.I. was under house arrest on felony gun charges.
Before she hung up, Ayo (pronounced I-yo) added that when she was last in Atlanta “we went to a bar/restaurant that I believe was supposed to be Puff Daddy’s” [Justin’s] … and what a great place to shop. Was it Saks [Fifth Avenue], I believe? Loved it! I really hope Atlanta embraces me as I enjoyed it.”
Buzz is hopeful that no one will fill her in on our current water woes while she’s in town …
HEALTH-CONSCIOUS COOKOUT PLANNED
It certainly ranks among the most unconventional cookout invitations ever posted on MySpace.com. But if all goes according to the plan, Wednesday night’s dinner and discussion thrown by AID Atlanta organizers could also be one of the healthiest. Between the hamburgers and hot dogs, the city’s nonprofit devoted to battling and preventing HIV/AIDS is inviting young people to engage in a frank discussion about unprotected sex.
“It’s a criticism that we’ve heard for a while now,” program trainer Justin Ziegler said. “That as HIV/AIDS has spread to other demographics over the years, we’ve gotten away from educating young gay men about the disease. With events like this, we’re hoping to do some needed outreach in the community outside our doors.”
As drug cocktails prolong lives, Ziegler says the safe-sex message has been lost among young people. “Over 50 percent of the new infections are in people under 25. We wouldn’t have been talking about this 10 years ago. But things have changed. I’m 27, and I’ve never personally had a close friend who’s died of HIV. I’m not alone. That’s why this program is so important. We’re not judging whether anything is right or wrong. We’re hoping to educate and discuss in hopefully a fun atmosphere.”
So do casual cookouts centering on such a sensitive subject really work?
“In the past, our turnouts have been great,” Ziegler said. “There’s one thing I can tell you about the gay community: We all love to talk to each other about our business!”
The June 18 cookout starts at 6 p.m. above the meadow in Piedmont Park facing Monroe Drive.
For info: 404-870-7763 or MySpace.com/poolatlanta.
COOTER AND ‘THE PROMISED LAND’
We’re never going to accuse former U.S. Congressman Ben Jones of having a fragile liver. The former Georgia politician figures he drank 43,000 beers, 2,000 jugs of whiskey, wine, gin and vodka, and smoked pounds of pot in the 20 years he was out of control.
“I’d wake up in jails just wondering how I got there. Vomit on my shoes and blood on my shirt,” the 66-year-old “Dukes of Hazzard” actor told AP Radio in a recent interview.
Jones had to hit rock bottom before things could get better. That happened on Sept. 26, 1977. “I really was literally dying and I knew it,” he said. “I was in this free-fall, five-week drunk and I felt indescribable terror.”
With the help of a friend, he quit drinking cold turkey.
“A year later,” he said, “I walked into an audition and was cast in what was to become one of the greatest television shows in the history of entertainment.” That was “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Jones would play the wisecracking mechanic Cooter on the popular TV series from 1979 to 1985.
In 1988, Jones was elected to Congress as a Democrat. Considering what he’d gone through, it was an emotional moment being sworn in.
“That all seemed dreamlike to me,” he said. “That’s when it hit me, what a blessing I had been given and I just started crying.”
Jones lost his bid for a third term in 1992 after Georgia’s districts were redrawn.
He’s written about his ups and downs in his autobiography, “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land” (Harmony).
“My life is not a story about falling down,” he said, “it’s a story about getting up. I think people could relate to that and they could relate to alcoholism and all that behavior that goes with it because it’s a common disease.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Bob McGrath (“Sesame Street”) is 76. Magician Siegfried of Siegfried and Roy is 69. Actor Malcolm McDowell is 65. Actor Richard Thomas is 57. Comedian Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”) is 55. Actress Ally Sheedy is 46. Singer-guitarist Rivers Cuomo of Weezer is 38. Actor Steve-O (“Jackass”) is 34. Actresses Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen are 22.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s great for the sex life. It just makes you a lot more creative. So you have fun, and as a woman you’re just so round and full.”
— Actress Angelina Jolie in the new Entertainment Weekly. Jolie is expecting twins with partner Brad Pitt in August.
Contributing: Sonia Murray and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Blais comes close to serving up an upset
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It could be argued that Richard Blais has had his share of ups and downs. The iconoclastic chef has taken a beating on blog posts and from local restaurant goers for his infamous concoctions — foie gras milk shakes, liquid nitrogen margaritas, Dr. Pepper-braised short ribs, deep-fried Thousand Is