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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > August > 19 > Entry
Generous Sir Elton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The winning bid for a collection of goodies donated by Sir Elton John hit $10,000 Monday on air during the Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke morning show on B98.5 FM.
The money goes toward this year’s Fashion Cares fund-raiser for the city’s breast cancer and AIDS charities set for Aug. 25.
The generous Sir Elton donated several items, including a pair of tickets to his “Red Piano” concert in Las Vegas and a two-night stay at Caesar’s Palace.
McCoy told Buzz they opened the phone lines to bidding at 8 a.m. and got the $10,000-bid just before 9 a.m. Pat Tylka of Alpharetta secured the winning bid, McCoy said.
McCoy said Tylka was going to surprise his wife who is “a huge Elton John fan.”
“It’s astounding in this economy, people were able to open their hearts and check-books. It’s for worthwhile charities and certainly for memorabilia collectors and Elton John fans, it was a great prize.”
GOLDEN BOY GETS HYPNOTIC WITH HIP-HOP
The ties between hip-hop music and competitive swimming at its highest level aren’t as tenuous as one might expect.
Thirty years ago, after all, the original smash rap single, “Rapper’s Delight,” referenced water sports in the lyric, “After school I take a dip in the pool.’ And eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has let it be known that he habitually listened to hip-hop while psyching himself up to race.
The explicitly hip-hop single ‘A Milli’ by New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne helped fuel the fire in Phelps, the Olympic swimming sensation.
When Phelps sought motivation en route to winning eight Olympic gold medals, he tuned his iPod to a variety of hip-hop artists who hail from the “Dirty South.”
According to a recent New York Times profile: “The music transforms him. His goofy grin dissolves into a glower, his eyes turn cold as ice. The hip-hop beats have a hypnotic effect on Phelps, who sometimes, after a race, is unable to recall the songs that locked him into his groove.”
Phelps has referenced the Miami-based rapper Rick Ross and New York’s preeminent hip-hop artist Jay-Z as two of the artists he prefers for motivation.
But, of course, no self-respecting rap fan could go without shouting out rappers with ties to the “Dirty South” in general and Atlanta in particular. OutKast, Young Jeezy and Lil’ Wayne are on heavy rotation on Phelps’ iPod as well.
The play list that Phelps provided to Yahoo.com during his historic Olympic turn reads as follows:
1. “Overnight Celebrity” — Twista
2. “Burn” — Usher
3. “Roses” — OutKast
4. “Till I Collapse” — Eminem
5. “Smile” — G Unit
6. “A Milli” — Lil’ Wayne
7. “Hustlin” — Rick Ross
8. “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” — Jay-Z (featuring Lil’ Wayne)
9. “I Got What It Takes” — Young Jeezy
SOAP SEEKS VETERAN
An open casting call for “All My Children” is far from business as usual: The soap opera is seeking an Iraq war veteran to play an injured veteran.
The ABC daytime show has created a romantic story line to combine entertainment and a window into the challenges faced after combat, said executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers.
“All My Children” has launched a broad search to fill the role, inviting veterans to contact the show’s New York casting director (You can e-mail Judy Wilson at judy.wilson@ABC.com). The series also is working with a veterans’ support group, USA Cares, as well as the military.
“It will make it such a heightened experience for the audience and for us … to cast a real-life soldier, a veteran, and bring him into our created drama,” Carruthers said.
The veteran-turned-actor will play the character of Brot, a key figure in a plot that’s already under way and involves a visitor to fictional Pine Valley, Army Lt. Taylor Thompson (Beth Ehlers).
Taylor, who was stationed in Iraq and is on medical leave, has come to town to deliver medals to fellow soldier Dr. Frankie Hubbard (Cornelius Smith Jr.). But it’s Brot, the soldier and lover she believes died in combat, who’s on her mind.
Brot, however, survived. Unwilling to involve Taylor in his suffering, he’s allowed her to think he’s dead.
Their story will begin unfolding when the right veteran is found for the part, Carruthers said. The casting call isn’t limited to those who were wounded in the war, an ABC spokesman said.
But the role will be shaped around a veteran’s experience, possibly including a war-caused disability, Carruthers said.
CSI: FISHBURNE
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” has solved the mystery of who will replace departing CBS series star William Petersen: It’s Laurence Fishburne.
Fishburne, an Emmy and Tony winner, will be introduced in the ninth episode of the upcoming 10th season, the network told The Associated Press Monday. He’ll play a forensics scientist with a secret.
“I am elated and delighted to be joining the cast of ‘CSI,’” Fishburne said in a statement, adding that he looked forward to a “wonderful collaboration” with those involved in the series.
Fishburne plays a college lecturer and former pathologist focused on why people commit acts of violence.
The air date for Petersen’s final episode has yet to be determined but will be early next year. Petersen has been with the series since it debuted in fall 2000 and will remain a “CSI” executive producer, the network said.
Fishburne’s character has a deep connection to his work: His genetic profile has been identified in serial killers, CBS programming chief Nina Tassler said before Fishburne’s casting was announced.
“This gentleman knows this about himself and is … in this journey to discover who his true character will ultimately become,” Tassler said last month — but he’s keeping the crucial information to himself.
The character meets members of the “CSI” team during a murder investigation and ends up joining them.
Fishburne, 47, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ike Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and a Tony in 1992 for “Two Trains Running.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor-turned-U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson is 66. Bassist John Deacon of Queen is 57. Actor Peter Gallagher is 53. Actor Adam Arkin is 52. Singer-songwriter Gary Chapman is 51. Singer Ivan Neville is 49. Actor John Stamos is 45. Actress Kyra Sedgwick is 43. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 42. Actor Matthew Perry (“Friends”) is 39. Rapper Romeo (formerly Lil’ Romeo) is 19.
Contributing: Scott Walton 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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