Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > March
March 2006
Houston, drug claims back in tabs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whitney Houston is once again the subject of speculation after stories in UK tabloid The Sun and the stateside scandal tab National Enquirer reported the Alpharetta-dwelling diva is back on drugs. Both published a photo they say is of Houston’s bathroom filled with drug paraphernalia. The papers say the photo was provided by Tina Brown, sister of Houston’s husband, Bobby Brown.
On Thursday afternoon, CNN reporter Denise Quan rang our newsroom looking for leads.
Buzz dutifully rang Houston’s Atlanta attorney Mark Trigg and Brown’s Atlanta attorney Phaedra Parks, seeking comment. Promptly returning our voice mail message, Trigg told us he was in a meeting with Houston when we called. “The official position is no comment at this juncture,” Trigg said. Parks didn’t get back to us before press time.
Overscene
Dreamworks studio honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg, “Over the Hedge” director Tim Johnson and actress/comic Wanda Sykes taking in a behind-the-scenes, private tour of the Georgia Aquarium downtown Wednesday, prior to unveiling a “work-in-progress” print of the animated feature for the press at Atlantic Station. The film is due out May 19. In the flick, Sykes voices a skunk named Stella. We’re told that Sykes graciously declined donning a wetsuit to take a swim with the whale sharks during the tour. Katzenberg had requested the field trip after seeing the aquarium review in last week’s New York Times. While the trio was on a tight schedule (they arrived in town at 2:30 p.m. and jetted out around 8 p.m.), the aquarium stop was a priority for the film mogul. … Singer Lalah Hathaway at downtown’s new soul food spot, the Harlem Bar, after her performance at the Atlanta Civic Center with Mint Condition … Rapper Bubba Sparxxx polishing off steak and eggs at Thumbs Up on Edgewood Avenue the morning after Antwan “Big Boi” Patton threw him a CD release party … Our old pal Shannon Gray reports that the Royal International Social Club on Trinity Avenue downtown was the gathering place for attendees after the “ATL” premiere at Atlantic Station on Tuesday night. A-listers included film and record producer Dallas Austin, comic and actor Chris Tucker, tennis pro Serena Williams and performers Young Jeezy, Joi and Too Short.
Britney’s bodyguards: Pay me one more time
Let’s hope these aren’t the same high-beam happy, flashlight-armed bruisers that were on duty early Sunday morning in the VIP section at Vision nightclub in Midtown. Three men hired to guard Britney Spears are suing her, claiming they worked long hours and were not paid overtime.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, names three companies — Britney Brands Inc., Britney Touring Inc. and Team Tours Inc. — as responsible for not properly compensating former bodyguards Lonnie Jones, Randy Jones and Silas Dukes.
Together, the three men are seeking damages exceeding $25,000 for unpaid wages and benefits, says their lawyer, Daniel Emilio.
Messages left at the office of the 24-year-old pop singer’s publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnik, weren’t immediately returned.
Randy Jones and Dukes worked 12- to 16-hour shifts and were required to be on call 24 hours a day during trips with Spears, according to the lawsuit. Lonnie Jones worked 12-hour shifts, the lawsuit said.
The trio claimed they were only paid a “straight salary,” missed meals and didn’t receive overtime pay.
There was no immediate word on whether the guards were reimbursed for their expensed flashlight batteries.
Celebrity docket
Anger management flunkee Naomi Campbell was charged with second-degree assault Thursday after allegedly clocking her housekeeper in the head with a phone during an argument in Campbell’s Park Avenue apartment Thursday, according to New York police.
The 35-year-old British-born supermodel was taken into custody shortly after police went to Lenox Hill Hospital to investigate the reported assault, police said.
Campbell was charged after questioning at the Midtown North Precinct.
According to police, Campbell’s 41-year-old housekeeper received four stitches to the head. When investigating officers arrived at the hospital, the alleged victim, who wasn’t identified, said Campbell had attacked her.
The incident allegedly happened around 8 a.m. in Campbell’s tony Park Avenue apartment.
In a statement, a Campbell spokesman said the supermodel wasn’t responsible for any assault.
“We believe this is a case of retaliation, because Naomi had fired her housekeeper earlier this morning,” said the statement from J.R. Johnson. “We are confident the courts will see it the same way.”
In 2003, Campbell was sued by a former administrative assistant who alleged that Campbell had thrown a phone at her during a tantrum two years earlier.
Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to an assault charge for beating another assistant while making a film in Canada in 1998.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor William Daniels (“St. Elsewhere”) is 79. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 72. Musician Herb Alpert is 71. Actor Christopher Walken is 63. Actress Rhea Perlman (“Cheers”) is 58. Guitarist Angus Young of AC/DC is 51. Actor Ewan McGregor is 35.
Contributing: Sonia Murray, news services. If you have a tip, 404-526-2749. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Keeping track of the Matts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With “We Are … Marshall” set to begin filming here, Buzz readers can prepare for lots of celebrity sightings in coming weeks of the film’s stars, “Failure to Launch” actor Matthew McConaughey and “Lost” actor Matthew Fox.
For example, McConaughey and a guest were spotted lunching at a packed Buckhead Diner Wednesday. We’re told that chef Joey Riley, after hearing that the Texan had a “hankering’” for tuna, delivered a special appetizer to the VIP.
McConaughey and pal also noshed on a burger and shrimp salad before ducking out to their car. A report into Buzz Central indicated that “other guests in the restaurant were respectful, if a little starstruck. In fact, some ladies sitting near peeked around the actor’s booth and said a shy ‘hello.’ ”
Upon his exit, McConaughey shook the hand of general manager Shannon Dye, thanked him for his hospitality and promised he’d return.
Belle on Broadway
The first lines spoken by ex-Smyrna gal Julia Roberts in her Broadway debut were drowned out by applause at an eagerly awaited preview of “Three Days of Rain.”
The play, which started previews Tuesday and opens April 19 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, is Roberts’ first major project since the birth of her 16-month-old twins, Phinnaeus and Hazel.
A prop tomato fell onto the floor during the preview, making a noise that prompted laughter from the actress, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
Appearing in Richard Greenberg’s 1997 Pulitzer Prize nominee, Roberts plays a woman unraveling the truth behind her father’s death and in the second act plays the woman’s mother. Roberts co-stars with Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper.
Music heavyweights light up Atlantic Station
The searchlights and the drama swirled on the red carpet Tuesday night at Atlantic Station as the stars of the new Chris Robinson-directed “ATL” gathered at the Regal Cinema for the film’s Atlanta premiere.
The comedy-drama, set and shot here, is loosely based on the childhoods of record producer Dallas Austin and TLC member Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. The film’s star is Atlanta rapper and actor Tip “T.I.” Harris. And it was obvious from the start that the rapper, whose latest album, “King,” also made its debut Tuesday, was the reason most of the thousands of fans were screaming and pressing against the police barricades.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that this night is finally here,” Watkins told Buzz. She serves as an executive producer on the film with her old skating pal Austin. Looking luminous in a shimmering gown as photographers snapped away, Watkins could have been mistaken for one of the film’s actresses. “It’s been a long 12 years. But it was worth it.”
OutKast member Antwan “Big Boi” Patton also had trouble getting down the carpet as fans and reporters screamed “Big Boi!” to him. Patton, who also stars with rap partner André Benjamin in the upcoming “Idlewild,” is enjoying his new career as an actor. In “ATL,” he plays a gun-toting drug dealer. “It was fun getting to play the villain,” he said.
The Buzz faux pas of the evening occurred when actor Mykelti Williamson, who plays the role of Uncle George in the flick, arrived. We flat out didn’t recognize the actor from the film that we caught at a press screening last week. So we stuck out our hand, introduced ourselves and told him: “Sorry, sir, didn’t catch your name.” Pulling his hand away, Williamson replied: “Well, if you don’t know who I am there’s no reason to do an interview” and walked off. Mind you, Williamson’s last major role was playing Bubba in “Forrest Gump,” which was released in 1994. Since then, Williamson has kept busy filming guest shots on “Third Watch,” “Touched By an Angel” and “Monk.”
Buzz felt a bit better when media reps from the far-cooler hip-hop mag Grip also had no clue who the star-tripping thespian was.
Dallas Austin could have given Williamson a few etiquette lessons. The always gracious Atlanta music mogul told us he’s grateful to finally have this piece of his childhood captured on celluloid. “I honestly never thought this night would come,” he said. “There were a lot of hills to climb, but it’s finally done, and it was important to me to have it done here in Atlanta, where it belongs.”
When T.I. finally appeared, the Atlanta rapper nearly missed the red carpet throng when his limo overshot it. After satisfying screaming fans who were waving “King” posters and posing for pictures, Harris dove into the media frenzy.
“Today’s been completely great,” he told us, smiling. “Between the album and this film, it feels like years of a lot of hard work is finally paying off.”
Other celebs spotted strolling on the red carpet: Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick, Jazzy Pha, V103 morning man Frank Ski and hip-hop stars Trey Songz and Young Jeezy.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Warren Beatty is 69. Musician Eric Clapton is 61. Actor Robbie Coltrane (“Harry Potter”) is 56. Actor Paul Reiser is 49. Singer Tracy Chapman is 42. Singer Celine Dion is 38. Singer Norah Jones is 27.
Contributing: News services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Francine Reed gushes over Al Green gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Without a doubt, Atlanta vocalist Francine Reed is one of the most confident, self-assured singers we’ve ever encountered on this beat.
After all, Reed once opened for jazz legend Miles Davis, and afterward the notorious perfectionist poked his head into her dressing room to tell her, “You were great.” The woman sang “The Lord’s Prayer” solo and a cappella at Lyle Lovett and Julia Roberts’ 1993 wedding.
Only once have we seen the beloved performer completely and utterly star-struck to the point of shrieking. But in 2000, when the Rev. Al Green stepped into Chapter 11 Books at Ansley Mall in Midtown to sign copies of his autobiography “Take Me to the River,” Reed lost it to the point of us speculating that she might not remain vertical.
Atlanta, prepare the smelling salts.
Last week, Reed received a phone call from Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs director Camille Love. Might she be interested in opening for the Rev. Al on April 29 at his Chastain Park Amphitheatre gig as part of the city’s Soulful Sounds of Summer concert series?
“Baby, you could have scraped me off the ceiling!” Reed, laughing, told Buzz Tuesday. For the first time in a week, the ever-busy performer finally found a moment to “take off my wig and put my [posterior] on the couch.” And, well, talk to us.
“I cannot wait,” she said of the gig. “I’m just secretly hoping that he remembers that a million years ago, sometime in the late ’80s, he gave me a big old kiss at the Grammys.” Reed performed on the telecast as the featured vocalist in Lovett’s Large Band.
Last year, for the first time in at least 15 years — because of a prior European solo tour booking — Reed was unable to perform with her bandmates when Lovett and company made their annual summer stop at Chastain.
“That just about killed me, not to sing for y’all,” she recalled. “But this year, I’m gonna come back to Chastain in a big way. And I’m gonna be all over that man’s dressing room door until they make me move, too!”
Tickets, priced at $48.50, $38.50 and $33.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at all Ticketmaster locations. For more info, visit www.atlantafestival.com.
Overscene
Finally, we can quit inspecting those weekend pictures of Britney Spears at Vision nightclub, analyzing them for baby “bumps.” Well, unless she’s contemplating adding fetal alcohol syndrome to her baby’s DNA coding, that is. Buzz Central on Tuesday was e-mailed the cocktail menu of the artist formerly known as a “toxic” pop tart. When she and hubby Kevin Federline checked out B.E.D. downtown prior to K-Fed’s long-awaited debut as a professional nightclub attendee Saturday night, she ordered up a Red Head in Bed. The concoction of muddled strawberries, fresh lemon juice and Absolut citron, topped with Robert Mondavi muscato, came with a request by K-Fed — keep it on the weak side. Federline ordered a cocktail with an even more suggestive name and snacks, including a phyllo-wrapped baked brie, smoked shrimp, cheddar grits and jumbo lump crab ravioli.
FYI to our fellow AJC toilers who recently have had difficulty gaining entry to our new neighborhood hot spot on Marietta Street: B.E.D.’s persnickety dress code has now apparently been amended to include sideways ball caps and white tank top undershirts. See you after work!
Sick bay update
“The View” co-host Star Jones Reynolds says reports of her plastic surgery perils were greatly exaggerated.
Jones Reynolds called in to her daytime talk show workplace Monday to discuss her breast-lift surgery and to dispute what another host, Meredith Vieira, described as “rumors circulating that she almost died.”
“How are you, Star?” Vieira asked her in the on-air conversation.
“Well, can we first start with … I did not almost die,” Jones Reynolds replied. “I mean there is nothing worse than sitting in a bed watching a scroll across the TV that says ‘Star Jones faces death.’ … [The doctors] all knew that I was anemic and just in case I ended up needing some blood, which I did, they were prepared. They gave me the blood and literally I was fine right afterwards.”
Jones Reynolds added that she was conscious during the transfusion. Jones Reynolds said the surgery included receiving implants.
Oh yeah, and before she hung up, the author of “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love” called co-worker Joy Behar the name of a female dog.
Celebrity birthdays
Host John McLaughlin (“The McLaughlin Group”) is 79. Comedian Eric Idle is 63. Composer Vangelis (“Chariots of Fire”) is 63. Singer Perry Farrell of Porno for Pyros and Jane’s Addiction is 47. Model Elle Macpherson is 43. Singer-harmonica player John Popper of Blues Traveler is 39. Actress Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”) is 38. Country singer Brady Seals is 37.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Football heroes needed for inspirational movie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you have “extensive football experience” and don’t mind being bossed around by the likes of “Failure to Launch” actor Matthew McConaughey and “Lost” actor Matthew Fox later this spring on a local gridiron, you’ll want to head out to the Hilton near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport today.
The feel-good football flick “We Are … Marshall” will be shooting here with the stars beginning April 24. Producers are looking for convincing footballers between the ages of 18 and 30 for paid roles in the big-screen sports movie.
The film chronicles the 1970 plane crash that took the lives of Marshall University’s Thundering Herd football team and coaching staff and “the school’s valiant attempts to rebuild its gridiron program.” Fox plays the West Virginia school’s new coach, and McConaughey will portray the program’s only surviving coach, who fatefully didn’t board the plane. “Good Night, and Good Luck” best-actor nominee David Strathairn also has been cast in the film. “Charlie’s Angels” director McG will helm the project, which begins shooting in Huntington, W.Va., in early April before heading here.
Mark Ellis, a veteran casting director for sports movies (“The Longest Yard,” “The Rookie”), will be surveying the talent from 2 to 7 p.m. today at the Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel, 1031 Virginia Ave.
Buzz has been informed that interested players should not be seeking NCAA eligibility, as filming will no doubt get in the way of your plans.
For more info: www.reelsports.net or 770-323-0083.
The so-called VIP view
Moments after Britney Spears turned up as a ringleted platinum blonde in a slinky red dress on hubby Kevin Federline’s arm inside the VIP section early Sunday morning at Vision nightclub in Midtown, the space was no longer, well … Very Important. Rubberneckers (Buzz included) were wedged so tightly in the area that using one’s arms became a chore.
Dressed in a strategically angled white Braves cap, trademark white tank top undergarment and with a two-day scruff on his face, Federline, who now makes a living as a rentable nightclub guest, and wife arrived at the packed club around 12:45 a.m.
The couple was quickly hustled to a velvet-roped-off table and black couches, where a very large stern man in a suit loomed.
At the table, decanters filled with premium Belvedere vodka and Patron tequila, an ice bucket, plastic cups and a black plastic ashtray awaited the twosome.
Disputing the current screaming US Weekly “BRITNEY MOVES OUT!” headline, the couple gyrated together as Q100’s Jeff Dauler instructed the thousands of people on the dance floor to “Make some noise for K-Fed!” The DJ complied with an odd rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which he attempted to scratch over with rhythmically uneven results.
The cigarette-accessorized Federline told the crowd: “We want to stay all [expletive] night long!” The large diamonds in both of his ears threatened to blind the crowd. Sighted or not, K-Fed’s dedication to his new workplace elicited a huge cheer from club-goers.
A few feet away, legitimate pop star Usher danced with friends in the VIP section with a glass of champagne. Earlier, the Alpharetta resident shared his digits with Federline, who promptly inserted them into his cellphone.
Perhaps the most uncomfortable moment arrived when the DJ mixed in a few bars from Spears ex Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.”
Scantily clad female admirers who hovered a little too close, hoping to catch Federline’s eye, were greeted with a sudden halogen-penlight flash to the retinas by security who asked them to please step back.
Rapper Nelly was also spotted in the crowd.
A little over an hour after their arrival, Spears, Federline and all the paparazzi hoopla ducked out of Vision.
As the city recovers today from its embarrassing obsession with a D-lister who’ll be lucky if his contribution to the arts someday merits a trivia card question in Trivial Pursuit — The Millennial Infancy Edition, we can depend on one person for perspective. When Buzz asked Vision co-owner Michael Gidewon how he would rank the event compared with other celeb-studded events in the club’s history, Gidewon told us: “This is probably just in the top 10.”
Angels come to Buckhead
From birdbaths to desserts, angels hovered over the 21st annual Candlelight Ball on Saturday night at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. The Angel in the Garden black-tie gala raised $200,000 for the Childhood Autism Diagnostic and Educational Foundation. For the live auction, autistic children from the Model Classroom program — housed at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw — decorated a colorful birdbath with an angel mosaic. It sold for $1,250.
The hotel also got into the spirit by providing a white chocolate cherub that floated atop each serving of spiced pear chocolate cheesecake. Trish Chapman chaired this year’s ball and her mother, Georgia Broderick, was the co-chair. Of her mother, Chapman said, “Mom was wonderful. She just told me what to do!”
Celebrity birthdays
Country singer Reba McEntire is 51. Rapper Cheryl “Salt” James of Salt-N-Pepa is 37. Actor Vince Vaughn is 36. Actress Julia Stiles is 25.
Contributing: Marylin Johnson and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Britney, hubby inspire media frenzy at Vision
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yes, that platinum ringleted blonde in the slinky red dress on Kevin Federline’s arm inside the VIP section early Sunday morning at Vision nightclub in Midtown was none other than Britney Spears.
The couple appeared at the club to celebrate Federline’s birthday. Dressed in a strategically angled white Braves cap and trademark white tanktop undergarment and two-day scruff on his face, Federline, who apparently now makes a living as rentable nightclub guest, and Spears arrived at the packed club around 12:45.
On the red carpet outside the club, a unusual mix of legit press and tabloid shutterbugs, freshly imported for the evening, snapped away. The couple was quickly hustled inside to a velvet-roped-off table and black couches, where a very large stern man in a suit loomed.
At the table, decanters filed with premium Belvedere vodka and Patron tequila, an ice bucket, plastic cups and a black plastic ashtray awaited the celeb mag cover couple of the moment.
Disputing the current US Weekly “BRITNEY MOVES OUT!” screaming headline, the couple danced and gyrated together as Q100’s Jeff Dauler instructed the thousands of people on the dance floor to “Make some noise for K-Fed!” The DJ complied with an odd rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which he attempted to scratch over with rhythmically uneven results.
Grabbing the microphone, the cigarette-adorned Federline told the crowd: “We want to stay all [expletive] night long!” The large diamonds in both of his ears threatened to blind the crowd when the club’s lights hit them. Sighted or not, K-Fed’s dedication to his new work place elicited a huge cheer from club-goers.
A few feet away, pop star Usher danced with friends in the VIP section with a glass of champagne. Earlier, the Alpharetta resident shared his digits with Federline, who promptly inserted them into his cell phone.
In homage to the club’s celeb attendees, the DJ played Spears’ “Toxic” and Usher’s “Yeah!” Perhaps the most uncomfortable moment of the early morning arrived when the DJ mixed in a few bars from Spears-ex Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.”
Scantily clad female admirers who hovered a little too close to the couple’s velvet rope, hoping to catch Federline’s eye, were greeted with a sudden Halogen-penlight flash to the retinas by security who asked them to please step back.
Rapper Nelly, sans his always attractive facial Band-Aid accessory, was also spotted in the crowd.
A little over an hour after their arrival, Spears, Federline and all the paparazzi hoopla ducked out of Vision.
A bonding moment
Billy Ray Cyrus, still known as that mullet-wearing dude who sang “Achy Breaky Heart,” may soon become better known as 13-year-old Miley’s dad, thanks to Disney’s latest show “Hannah Montana,” which debuted Friday.
Miley is being groomed as the next generation’s Raven or Hilary Duff.
Billy Ray, in the meantime, plays his daughter’s fictional dad on the show, too, which features Miley as an “average” eighth-grader who happens to be a big pop star but hides her identity from her schoolmates.
“This show has brought us so much closer,” Cyrus told Buzz.
His daughter has been on the verge of stardom before. In fact, she lost out to former Conyers resident and super kid star Dakota Fanning for the film “Dreamer.”
“I wanted her to take a break from show business and chill out,” he said, but her ambition could not be denied.
He has given Miley some lessons on fame’s pitfalls: “There are consequences. Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.”
Cyrus said a future episode will feature his spoof song “I Want My Mullet Back.” And he still loves “Achy Breaky:” “I’m thinking of re-recording it, just hammering it,” he said.
‘Amazing’ run ends
Getting lost in Germany did in Wanda Lopez-Rochford, a corporate trainer from Smyrna, and her daughter, Desiree Cifre, a 24-year-old writer from New York, on the third leg of CBS’ “The Amazing Race” last week.
“It was tough wondering how they were going to edit it, whether we’d look like complete idiots,” Desiree told Buzz. “Fortunately, I don’t think we looked as horrible as we could have been.”
The editors made the ending look far closer than it really was, she said. They were actually a good hour behind the eighth-place team, but the show made it look like they were just minutes apart.
Desiree, calm and articulate, often had to keep her mom on track, especially when Wanda struggled to dive underwater to get a clue in a pool in Russia. “I freaked out,” Wanda admitted.
‘Idol’ musings
Last week, “American Idol” rocker Chris Daughtry did a sultry version of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” that drew praises from the judges for his originality. But how original was it?
Daughtry’s take is similar to a cover done by the band Live a few years ago. Buzz listened to both versions, and in reality, Daughtry’s builds to a much stronger, dramatic conclusion than Live lead singer Ed Kowalczyk’s. An “Idol” representative declined to comment, and Daughtry is not allowed to do media, so it may be awhile before we find out if his arrangement was really inspired by Live.
As for ousted “Idol” finalist Kevin Covais, he was cool with the nickname “Chicken Little” and credited Fayetteville’s Paris Bennett for bestowing the name upon him. “I’m sarcastic and witty, and I have a sense of humor, so I really appreciate it, and it’s nothing against me,” he told print media last Thursday.
Celeb birthdays
Director Quentin Tarantino is 43. Singer Mariah Carey is 36. Singer Fergie of Black Eyed Peas is 31.
Contributing: News services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-5688 or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Ludacris hits streets again for guest role
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Our very own Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, whose jaw-dropping first scene in the Oscar-winning “Crash” still stuns folks, will appear on the smaller box in your living room for his next dramatic role.
He’ll play rapper-actor Ice T’s nephew in a guest spot on NBC crime drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” on at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
“When I was approached to work on ‘SVU’ and read the script, there was no way that I could turn down this amazing opportunity,” Ludacris said via a statement. “The character was so rich and the story line so complex that I knew it was something I had to do.”
In the episode, Ice T’s character, squad detective Fin, is put in a bind when his son becomes a suspect in a double homicide.
The case, you see, opens a family secret involving Ludacris’ character. Alas, the only thing TV Guide is currently confirming about the episode is that Luda’s “troubled” character, “knows more about the crimes than he’s letting on.”
At press time, it could not be determined if Bridges’ “Hustle & Flow” and “Crash” nemesis actor Terrence Howard would turn up to kick his butt on “SVU.”
Overscene
Alpharetta pop star Usher and a new gal pal this week at Strip at Atlantic Station sipping sake and enjoying Strip’s trademark steaks. (We’re told that while none of the eatery’s staff could immediately identify the woman in question, she has been described as “older.”) A bodyguard stood nearby. The crowded eatery’s patrons were polite to the singer as he enjoyed a cozy dinner with his date and some pre-dinner cocktails upstairs in a stripper pole-accented area that Strip refers to as “the meat market.”…
Morton’s Steakhouse in Buckhead was so filled with Atlanta Thrashers on Wednesday evening, it could have hosted a team meeting, with three tables of players, friends and family. Players Ilya Kovalchuk and Vyacheslav Kozlov were perched at tables of six each, and Kari Lehtonen was at a more intimate table for two.
Celebrity docket: UK edition
Moments after pleading guilty to seven drug charges, former Libertines frontman Pete Doherty lashed out at reporters and kicked one in the arm.
The 26-year-old Babyshambles singer was more than an hour late Thursday for his appearance at Thames Magistrates’ Court in London. He had to battle through a crush of reporters and photographers to get inside.
He then pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana, which police said they found when he was stopped once in December and once in January.
Doherty, the former boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss, is already under court supervision for drug charges. In early February, a judge imposed a 12-month community service order and required Doherty to submit to regular drug tests.
Judge Jane McIvor ordered Doherty to return to court April 20, “which will mean we will know the results of his next review on April 12.” She warned that all options remained open for sentencing.
It was when Doherty left the court — wearing his now trademark trilby hat and a gray suit — that he allegedly kicked Trudi Barber, a reporter for the British Broadcasting Corp.’s Radio One station, in the elbow and knocked her microphone to the ground.
Celebrity docket: U.S. edition
A Los Angeles judge has ordered Marion “Suge” Knight to appear at a hearing next month to discuss his assets — or risk having the court take control of the rap-music mogul’s Death Row Records.
Knight has been in a legal battle since he lost a $107 million judgment last year to a woman who claimed she helped start the record empire.
Attorneys for Lydia Harris and her ex-husband, an imprisoned drug dealer who is seeking half of the award as part of their divorce, urged the judge Thursday to place Knight’s company in receivership.
Michael Harris’ attorneys accused Knight of trying to evade his legal obligations by failing to show up for debtor examinations three times. He was absent from Thursday’s hearing. “Enough is enough,” said attorney Steve Goldberg. “It is time for a receiver and an order for contempt.”
Knight’s lawyer, Dermot Givens, asked Judge Ronald Sohigian for a postponement because Knight was hiring a new team of lawyers, but the judge refused.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Movie critic Gene Shalit is 74. Singer Aretha Franklin is 64. Musician Elton John is 59. Singer Nick Lowe is 57. Actor James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue”) is 48. Actress Brenda Strong (“Desperate Housewives”) is 46. Actress Marcia Cross (“Desperate Housewives”) is 44. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is 41.
Sunday: Actor Leonard Nimoy is 75. Singer Diana Ross is 62. Singer Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is 58. Actor Martin Short is 56. Actress Jennifer Grey is 46. Actor Michael Imperioli is 40. Actor T.R. Knight (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 33. Actress Keira Knightley is 21.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Love help for giant pandas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Zoo Atlanta can’t accuse Dave FM midday personality Mara Davis of not doing her part to help with a giant panda pregnancy as Lun Lun and Yang Yang approach maximum opportunity this week. On Thursday’s Radio Free Lunch, hosted by Davis, she held her second annual “Music to Get the Pandas in the Mood” set.
Among the requests called in by listeners: “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick; “China Girl” by David Bowie; “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer; “Need You Tonight” by INXS; “Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band; “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye; “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood; “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road” by the Beatles; and for good measure, the 1970s cheese classic “Afternoon Delight” by the Starland Vocal Band.
Reported Davis to Buzz Central: “My favorite listener comment was from a guy who said ‘Mara, you did this last year and the only one who got pregnant was you.’ Yikes!”
Chef ends up skewered in ‘South Park’ cartoon
Oh my God, they killed Chef.
In a satirically inspired move that surprised few, “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker knocked off the Comedy Central ‘toon’s head cafeteria chef in Wednesday night’s 10th-season premiere. Veteran soul singer Isaac Hayes, a Scientologist, quit his gig as the voice of Chef last week in a dust-up over last fall’s episode that skewered the religion and Scientologist Tom Cruise. Using cobbled-together old voice work recorded by the former Atlantan for the series, Stone and Parker brought back Hayes’ character only to brainwash him and give him a particularly grisly going away.
Well, if you call being struck by lightning, falling down a ravine, being impaled, and being dismembered by a cougar and a bear grisly, that is.
At a funeral, Chef was mourned as a jolly guy whose brains were scrambled by the “Super Adventure Club.”
“We should be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains,” the potty-mouthed “South Park” kids said.
The thinly disguised satire continued the show’s feud with Scientologists.
The singer, best known for his work with Stax Records in Memphis and composing the Oscar-winning theme to the movie “Shaft,” had voiced Chef since 1997.
He left because of what he called the animated show’s religious “intolerance and bigotry.”
In what could also be interpreted as an intended message to Hayes from Stone and Parker, the “South Park” kids eulogized their former mentor, saying, “A lot of us don’t agree with the choices the Chef has made in the last few days. Some of us feel hurt and confused that he seemed to turn his back on us. But we can’t let the events of the past few weeks take away the memories of how Chef made us smile.”
The door for Hayes’ return wasn’t completely closed. In the show’s final scene, members of the Super Adventure Club managed to resuscitate Chef and, in a take-off on “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” turned him into a sort of Darth Chef villain complete with a spatula-shaped light saber weapon.
Grand opening
Elbow room was at a premium at Wednesday night’s opening of Sandee O. Photography in Buckhead. Owner Sandee Oliver Bartkowski, known for her Polaroid transfer method and large format photographs, was greeted by a bevy of friends. Husband and former Atlanta Falcon Steve Bartkowski, just released from the hospital Saturday after a second successful colon cancer surgery, helped welcome guests at the Roswell Road gallery, including: Buckhead Coalition president Sam Massell; Falcons owner Arthur Blank and his wife, Stephanie; former Falcons Jamal Anderson, Morten Andersen, Brian Kozlowski and Travis Hall; socialites Sandra Baldwin, Barbara Babbit Kaufman, Cathy Selig and Lisa Stein; and Star 94’s Vikki Locke. The gallery’s owner also received flowers and a personal note from longtime friend and “Pink Panther” star Steve Martin.
Also on hand was InterContinental Buckhead hotel manager Pascal Forotti, who catered the event. We’re told that the evening served as Forotti’s final night in the ATL. He’s accepted a new gig at the InterContinental in Chicago.
Celebrity birthdays
Cartoonist Joseph Barbera of Hanna and Barbera is 95. “The View” co-host Star Jones Reynolds is 44. Singer-violinist Sharon Corr of the Corrs is 36. Actress Lara Flynn Boyle is 36. Actress and former Atlantan Alyson Hannigan (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”) is 32. Actress Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Whale Rider”) is 16.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
MetroFresh gets walk-on help for busy-actors’ weekend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MetroFresh owner Mitchell Anderson had to get creative with the schedule this Friday night at his popular Midtown Promenade eatery. Since opening last year, Anderson, an actor on “Party of Five” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” has hired a number of underemployed Atlanta actors at MetroFresh. However, due to many of them being featured on stages Friday night, everyone needed the same night off.
So Anderson has rounded up his partner and Atlanta hair guru Richie Arpino, his foodie mentor Jenny “Souper Jenny” Levison, Betsy “The Cupcake Lady” Robbins, and model and business owner Randi Layne as his celebrity servers. Their tips (and a matching fund of up to $300) will be donated to Pets Are Loving Support.
“Everybody always says, ‘If you ever need help, just ask,’ ” Anderson told Buzz, laughing. “So I’m asking!” MetroFresh will stay open until 10 p.m.
Further confirming his insanity, Anderson told us that starting April 2, he’ll sacrifice his sole day off by opening MetroFresh for Sunday brunch with frittatas, quiches, pancakes, stuffed french toast, soups and salads and Prosecco mimosas.
Carter cachet makes bed sale extra cushy
Lillian Carter slept here, and so can you. If, to paraphrase Bob Barker, the price is right, that is.
A bedroom suite from President Jimmy Carter’s late mother is coming up for auction at 11 a.m. Sunday at King Galleries in Roswell. In the early 1920s, Miss Lillian — as she was known — instructed her yardman to haul the suite to the dump. Instead, the man moved it to his barn, where the furniture stayed for years. After his death, his daughter sold it to a Columbus doctor, who restored the suite to its original condition. Recently, the doctor decided to scale back his antique furniture collection and put it up for auction.
The walnut and burled walnut suite — a full-size bed with headboard and a marble, mirror-back chest of drawers — is an example of Eastlake craftsmanship. “Eastlake, which was named after an English architect, was a popular American furniture style around the turn of the century,” said gallery owner Susan Brown. “It was simple, with clean lines, and affordable for the time, the very antithesis of Victorian furniture. Eastlake, today, is a very desirable style with collectors.” Brown estimates the bedroom suite, which is about 100 years old, will sell for between $3,000 and $5,000. And, with the Southern presidential connection, the set could bring even more at auction. For more information: 770-998-1618.
Panda passion
Panda breeding season officially has begun at Zoo Atlanta: Lun Lun is in heat.
Zoo officials announced Wednesday that recent behavioral changes and hormone levels in the 8-year-old giant panda indicate that ovulation will occur in a matter of days.
Once that happens, the zoo will put the male panda Yang Yang in the same enclosure with Lun Lun — they are kept apart much of the year, to simulate their solitary life in the wild — and officials will watch for natural mating.
Now in their third mating season, Zoo Atlanta’s pandas have never copulated. Lun Lun was artificially inseminated the past two years but did not become pregnant. The zoo is prepared to artificially inseminate Lun Lun again this year but will wait to see if natural mating occurs before making that decision.
Zoo spokeswoman Susan Elliott said panda caretakers are estimating that ovulation could begin Sunday. When it starts, the pandas have an agonizingly brief window of time in which to conceive, essentially 24 hours.
If successful, a panda cub birth at Zoo Atlanta would be the fifth U.S. birth since 1990. Only about 1,600 pandas remain in the wild, with about 185 in captivity. Only four U.S. zoos have pandas on loan from China. In addition to Atlanta, they are San Diego, National Zoo in Washington, and Memphis. The San Diego and Washington zoos produced panda cubs last year.
Sick bay
Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler will undergo surgery this week for an undisclosed medical condition, forcing the band to cancel the remaining dates on its North American tour.
The band’s publicist, Marcee Rondan, said that Tyler was “doing fine” but declined to elaborate on his condition.
“Despite Aerosmith’s desire to keep the tour going as long as possible, Tyler’s doctors advised him not to continue performing to give his voice time to recover,” Rondan said in a statement.
Tyler, who turns 58 on Sunday, can’t perform for an extended period of time, Rondan said, adding the band was on hiatus.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Ric Ocasek (the Cars) is 57. Singer Chaka Khan is 53. Actress Amanda Plummer is 49. Singer-keyboardist Damon Albarn of Blur is 38. Actress Keri Russell (“Felicity”) is 30. Actress Nicholle Tom (“The Nanny”) is 28.
Contributing: Marylin Johnson, Tom Sabulis and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
R. Kelly shows different facets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As Atlanta viewers watched R&B singer R. Kelly being honored as songwriter of the year on the pre-recorded Soul Train Awards last weekend, a group of students calling themselves Feminists of Color United were protesting his performance at the University of Texas because of the child pornography charges he faces.
Hence, the dichotomy that is R. Kelly. A dichotomy only Kelly seemed to be focused on during the first of his two sold-out shows at the Fox Theatre Monday. He opened his near two-hour concert with a medley of other artists’ songs he’d produced or contributed to, including “Gigolo,” by Nick Cannon, “Bump, Bump, Bump” by B2K and “I’m [Expletive] You Tonight,” by the late Notorious B.I.G. And when he left the stage for the first time, the audience could still hear him responding to someone: “What?” Kelly yelled. “Being too sexual?!” “You don’t hear my fans complaining!”
Then he walked back out and addressed the heavily female crowd: “Let me tell you what they just said: They said, ‘Robert, you’re only 15 minutes into your show, and you’re getting too freaky. … They said try to control yourself tonight … And no feeling myself around here,” he said, motioning to a portion of his anatomy. “Can I be myself?” he asked the 4,500-plus in attendance, who responded with a loud “Yes!”
Kelly egged them on: “Say, ‘Robert, do your show!’”
“Do your show!” screamed Tamera Brown, a cleaning service owner from Macon. And, ahem, what a show. It began with questions from Kelly like “Is there anyone over here that would like to go all the way with me tonight?” Midway through, he unveiled a new song he called “The Zoo” that included making a woman go “ooo-ooh-ooh-ah-ah” like a monkey. (Which the Fox crowd not only laughed at but loudly repeated.) And by the end he’d completed the full circle from carnal to wholesome and conscientious with a nod to Hurricane Katrina victims and many ticket holders dancing in the aisles to his closing, family-friendly tune, “Happy People.”
‘South Park’ returns with timely Chef show
Isaac Hayes might just want to go ahead and tune into “CSI: NY” tonight. Chances are excellent that the legendary soul man and former Atlantan won’t like what he sees on the 10th season premiere of “South Park” on Comedy Central at 10 p.m.
As Buzz readers will recall, last week Hayes resigned as the voice of Chef, the show’s legendary elementary school cafeteria toiler/advice dispenser/lover man. In a press statement e-mailed to Buzz Central and other news outlets, Hayes, a Scientologist, took issue with last fall’s “South Park” episode dedicated to lampooning Tom Cruise and his Scientology beliefs. Wrote Hayes: “There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins.”
It appears that “South Park” creators and chief imps Matt Stone and Trey Parker disagree with Hayes’ assessment.
Tonight’s episode, which has been whipped up by the pair since Hayes’ comments last week, will likely focus on the controversy.
The title? “The Return of Chef!”
In a release sent by Comedy Central to Buzz on Tuesday, the network describes the episode thusly: “The town is jolted out of a case of the doldrums when Chef suddenly reappears. While Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman are thrilled to have their old friend back, they notice that something about Chef seems different. When Chef’s strange behavior starts getting him in trouble, the boys pull out all the stops to save him.”
Uh-oh.
Reps at Comedy Central won’t confirm or deny whether Hayes’ voice will be used in the episode but do confirm that he is no longer associated with the satirical ‘toon.
Gala to target UNICEF efforts
UNICEF “Designs of Hope” gala chairwoman Sally Dorsey held a luncheon Tuesday at Strip to announce the details of the May 21 gala dinner and Saks Fifth Avenue and St. John fall collection fashion show to the assembled media and marketing types. The fund-raiser will be held at the InterContinental in Buckhead. Committee member Vicki Gordon told us they hope to raise $1.5 million this year, exceeding 2005’s $1.2 million record.
“People have asked me, ‘Why UNICEF? Why not something local?’ ” Dorsey recounted to the crowd. “Helping provide care and support for children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in other countries should also be a priority for us here in Atlanta. We’re a global community. We’re all interconnected.” (For gala ticket info and details: www.designsofhope.org or 404-881-2700, Ext. 1.)
As Dorsey outlined plans for the event, Strip waiters dutifully delivered luscious strip steaks, tandoori salmon and turkey cobb salads. Strip marketing rep. Sari Bernstein confided to us that the Atlantic Station eatery, the latest culinary creation by Tom Catherall, has experienced a unique problem of late. Customers have been pilfering Strip’s pricey, gorgeous “Crocodile Dundee”-inspired Walco stainless steel steak knives. “In a couple of instances, the manager has been asked by servers to help retrieve them,” Bernstein told us. “The managers just politely ask if the customer would like the knife added to the bill. That usually takes care of the issue.”
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Karl Malden is 94. Mime Marcel Marceau is 83. Composer Stephen Sondheim is 76. Actor William Shatner is 75. Singer-guitarist George Benson is 63. News anchor Wolf Blitzer is 58. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is 58. Sportscaster Bob Costas is 54. Actor Matthew Modine is 47. Actress Reese Witherspoon is 30. Drummer John Otto of Limp Bizkit is 29.
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.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Whitney Houston stops by Kirk Franklin concert
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whitney Houston showed up at the Kirk Franklin/Mary Mary concert Sunday evening at the Atlanta Civic Center. V-103’s Miss Sophia spotted the Alpharetta resident when she was escorted in by two bodyguards during the intermission of the show.
“She was just getting her praise on,” Sophia said, noting Houston was casually dressed in a black ensemble and fur vest. “I saw a listener ask to take a picture with her. She went out in the aisle and did it and returned to her seat. Nobody really bothered her.”
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, an even more star-studded event was happening. Atlanta music and movie producer Dallas Austin threw his first Don’t Stop the Music Gala. The annual event will be a fund-raiser for his foundation to raise money for music education. Mayor Shirley Franklin and music industry attorney Joel Katz served as co-chairs. Supermodel Naomi Campbell hosted. And R&B legend Natalie Cole and contemporary gospel singer Yolanda Adams performed. All of whom — and more — are captured in an online gallery at ajc.com.
Shop owner gives ATL option for trendy Ts
The Virginia-Highland shopping district now has an alternative apparel option called, appropriately enough, Alternative.
Veteran retailer Bill Hallman has added to his stable of intown boutiques by transforming the 776 N. Highland space that was formerly Bill Hallman Shoes into a T-shirt “bar” for men and women.
With the exception of Red Army style canvas caps, all the store stocks is tees in the $25-$85 range. Hallman and Alternative co-owner Anthony Harper opened the store in partnership with the Atlanta-based “blank” T-shirt manufacturer, Alternative Apparel.
“This is a test store for us,” said Hallman, who also operates an eponymous boutique in Little Five Points. “There are many more [Alternatives] to come, with L.A. being the next location.”
Alternative is the only brand the store carries. An estimated crowd of 200 trendsetters crowded into the shotgun space last week to hail its arrival at a cocktail-fueled reception. Hallman said the store’s scope may seem limited, but that should be its most appealing factor.
“You haven’t seen many stores where you can go in and buy from a big selection of just one thing,” he told Buzz. “My thinking is, someone will come in and love the fit and the color options and buy in multiples.”
Stork report
Donald Trump’s wife has given birth to a boy, the billionaire developer announced Monday on MSNBC’s “Imus in the Morning.”
“Everyone’s perfect,” Trump said in a telephone interview about 20 minutes after the arrival of his fifth child. “She’s very happy and it’s really great.”
Trump, who has four other children from two previous marriages, said the new baby was already making him feel younger. “I continue to stay young, right? I produce children, I stay young,” he said.
Melania Knauss, 35, was in labor for eight hours before the arrival of the baby, her first. Trump said they had yet to finalize their choice of name.
No Brangelina marriage
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ignited a media frenzy in Italy over the weekend when rumors spread that they would wed at Lake Como.
Speculation has been rife as to whether Brangelina would finally tie the knot at pal George Clooney’s lakeside pad, although Clooney has repeatedly denied this. Over the weekend, the Lake Como mayor claimed that she had been asked to remain on standby for a mystery official function.
Mayor Simona Saladini also suggested that local police were on alert and security had been increased around Clooney’s home — although she refused to say who had told her to be on standby. The world’s press and hundreds of local fans packed the shores hoping for a glimpse of the stars — but the closest they got was when two men dressed as the couple kissed by the lakeside.
Random bits
“The Simpsons” has been renewed for two more seasons, bringing the durable Fox show a guaranteed 19 years on the air. …
U2, not surprisingly, earned the most cash out of all musical acts in 2005, according to estimates compiled by Rolling Stone magazine. Most of the acts listed made a vast majority of their moola from touring. The Irish quartet earned $154.2 million, while the Rolling Stones came in with $92.5 million; the Eagles at $63.2 million; Paul McCartney at $56 million; and part-time Atlantan Elton John at $48.7 million. …
If you got the urge to pick up a copy of the Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 debut, “Ready to Die,” over the weekend, you were out of luck. A judge halted sales of the late rapper’s breakthrough album on Friday after a jury decided that the title track used a sample of the Ohio Players song “Singing in the Morning” without permission.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Timothy Dalton is 60. Singer Eddie Money is 57. Actor Gary Oldman is 48. Actor Matthew Broderick is 44. Actress-comedian Rosie O’Donnell is 44. Guitarist Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel is 38.
Contributing: A. Scott Walton, Sonia Murray and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-5688 or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
99X bids morning guy Toucher adieu in style
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Most radio folks, from Bandy & Bailey at Kicks to Southside and Rhodes on 96rock, just disappear with no on-air explanation.
But rock station 99X gave Fred Toucher a proper — and Guinness-packed — send-off at Fado Irish Pub in Buckhead on Friday.
After 500-plus people grooved to metal band Skid Row, a teary-eyed Toucher thanked 99X and its fans for seven great years at the station, including 2 1/2 years in mornings. “I love 99X,” he told Buzz after the show. “This is where I started, and they taught me everything I know about radio.”
He also did an amusing on-air “tribute” to his time at 99X, interspersing favorite moments into the Green Day song “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” On the surface, it sounded sentimental. The twist? The bits were fake, including a “bowl-athon” for cancer and Toucher engulfing 18 hot dogs.
Among the partygoers at Fado wishing Toucher off: former 99X’ers Christopher “Crash” Clark (traffic guy), Christopher Calandro (producer) and Jeremy “Fat Kid” Powell (stunt guy, now a car salesman).
Toucher, with Crash and former 99X’er Rich Shertenlieb, is shopping a morning show outside Atlanta. Boston’s rock station WBCN-FM is a possible destination.
King speculation rampant
Is CNN ready to dump Larry King?
Speculation began a week ago when an L.A. showbiz blog said “Hollywood insiders” were gossiping about King’s “increasingly frail” health.
To drive home the point, it noted an interview in which he asked Jerry Seinfeld the same question twice. “You’re not listening to me, Larry,” Seinfeld scolded.
Another story, published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal, cited King’s decreasing audience, his older demographics (bad for advertisers) and his “interest” in celebrities and crime as being out of whack with CNN’s prime-time emphasis.
Then Fox News talkers Greta Van Susteren and Sean Hannity came to King’s defense Thursday. “I think the people over at CNN owe him a debt of gratitude, and the fact they don’t defend him is a disgrace,” Hannity said.
But CNN President Jon Klein did defend him in Friday’s New York Post.
“We’d have to be even crazier than people think TV executives are to even think about moving a legend like Larry out of his time slot — especially when he reliably attracts a very nice audience each night,” Klein said. “There’s absolutely no truth to this idle speculation.”
‘Geek’ gets the gal
Wes Wilson, the Georgia Tech-grad “Beauty & the Geek” geek who ended up getting the girl, got a shock watching the final reality-show episode earlier this month when finalist and Woody Allen-esque Josh Herman talked about the size of his package. It was a secret Josh and teammate Cher Tenbush knew that nobody else did. “I was really embarrassed by that, and I’m completely avoiding the topic,” Wes told Buzz.
Nonetheless, Wes, eliminated halfway through the WB show, was thrilled that Cher won the $250,000 (split with Josh) since the romance that blossomed during the show has continued. He left Atlanta for Los Angeles, and the pair are planning to move in together. Take that, “The Bachelor”!
Dialing for ‘Idol’ results
Jim Hellriegel Jr., an IT guy in Cleveland, created a speed-dial program last year to help “American Idol” fans vote. This year, he began posting percentages of calls that had a busy signal, indicating popularity. With this method, he predicted the ouster of 10 of 12 semifinalists. Last Wednesday, at www.dialidol.com, his results indicated weakness for both Ace Young and Lisa Tucker hours before the results show placed them in the bottom three.
But “Idol,” which is supersecretive about voting results, sent him a “cease and desist” letter that forced him to shut his site down that evening. “Waging litigation against ‘Idol’ could cost me up to $100,000 I don’t have,” he told Buzz on Friday. Dialidol.com “probably won’t come back in any real form.” It was a great idea while it lasted.
Butch brings in the bacon
Van Halen didn’t bite. Neither did Alice in Chains. So CBS, for the second season of “Rock Star,” cobbled together Atlanta’s favorite party hopper Tommy Lee (Motley Crue), Jason Newsted (Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) for a supposed “supergroup” Supernova. Contestants will vie to be lead singer.
The direct Atlanta connection: Rocker and producer Butch Walker will write and produce songs for the band.
But his manager, Jonathan Daniel ,said he didn’t want the usually gabby, quotable Walker to do any press. “I don’t want the impression Butch is an old metal dude,” Daniel rationalized. “It bums him out to be too associated with that stuff.”
Daniel said Walker still wants to be known in Atlanta more as a rock star, less as a producer, although producing really pays the bills. (Just ask Pink, Avril Lavigne and Bowling for Soup.) And this show will pad his checking account, too. Walker was also offered to be a judge onstage, but he chose to forgo the airtime, Daniel said.
When his next solo album comes out in July, about the time “Rock Star” returns on CBS, Daniel said Walker will be ready to talk.
Random bits
In a shocker, the Flavor Flav “Bachelor” takeoff called “Flavor of Love” drew VH1’s biggest audience in its history, with 5.9 million viewers, March 12. …
One of the oddest acts in recent history, the reggae Jew Matisyahu, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard sales charts last week, the highest-ranked reggae album since Nielsen SoundScan began measuring sales in 1991. …
Motley Crue’s Vince Neil, who cut short last fall’s Philips Arena concert after injuring a hamstring, came back with the band for a makeup concert last week and attempted to mine humor out of his injury. “The paramedics here were very cool,” he told the crowd. “They gave me some good drugs.” But attendee Lara Thompson left unamused: “Vince only sang about every other line to a song, and kept having earphone problems.”
Celebrity birthdays
Producer Carl Reiner is 84. Actor Hal Linden is 75. Actor William Hurt is 56. Drummer Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer is 56. Director Spike Lee is 49. Conyers native and actress Holly Hunter is 48. Model Kathy Ireland is 43. Actor Michael Rapaport (“War at Home”) is 36.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Mr. Britney Spears scores Atlanta gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This just in: Britney Spears’ househusband Kevin Federline has finally secured a j-o-b and it’s right here in Atlanta. Well, OK, for like three hours next Saturday anyway.
Unbelievably, the budding white boy rapper and former backup dancer can now be rented as nightclub “entertainment.”
Chris Kappy, who runs Elevation Media Group, secured the pseudo-celebrity booking for Vision nightclub in Midtown, where K-Fed will be placed on display in the “VIP circle” at 11 p.m. March 25. VIP tables for 10 are budget priced at $1,500 each for the evening.
So will people actually pay dough to go hang in a club with a guy most famous for dumping his pregnant girlfriend to shack up with the Southern-fried Spears?
“It’s unbelievable how high he ranked as a club draw,” Kappy told Buzz on Friday as we desperately tried to reclaim our jaw from the Buzz Central recycling bin on the floor. “Only Paris Hilton ranked higher in the survey we did. He’s just such an oddity. He’s a guy who bagged the hottest pop icon in the world. Not even Justin Timberlake closed that deal.”
And Kappy says that local club-hopping females can’t wait to get up close and personal to the scruffy, corn-row braided Mr. Spears.
Explains Kappy: “He’s just got some kind of sex appeal that other men don’t have.”
While Kappy wouldn’t disclose exactly how much Federline is bagging for the three-hour appearance (Buzz has heard whispers that it’s as much as $20,000), he did acknowledge: “For a guy who used to be a backup dancer, he’s pulling down some nice coin for this.”
Dunwoody dining
We don’t navigate the rush- hour “Escape From New York”-esque, twisted metal horrors of 285 for just any old restaurant opening. But when owner Duc Tran invited Buzz to a preview night of his Com Dunwoody Vietnamese Grill on the corner of Chamblee Dunwoody and Mount Vernon roads the other night, we felt compelled to check it out. After all, the original Com on Buford Highway received raves from every dining critic in the city last year and went on to be named one of the best new Asian restaurants in the United States by Food and Wine magazine last fall.
Tran’s second restaurant, Com Dunwoody, which officially opened to the public on Friday, offers the same warmth, from the soft mustard-hued walls to the comfy sofas near the window to the gracious female servers beautifully garbed in gowns from the Orient.
Atlanta architect Stephen Flanagan worked with Tran on the eatery’s interiors. “Since there isn’t a huge call for Vietnam-inspired decors in Dunwoody, I had a lot of fun doing research and looking at architecture,” Flanagan told us. He went with a lot of bold reds and bamboo in the design.
When asked about his inspiration for the second location, Tran smiled and conceded, “I had much influence from the wife. We live in Chamblee. This is much closer to where we are and where she will work. Also, Dunwoody and its growth is amazing. We’re very honored to be here.”
Phone: 770-512-7410 or www.comgrill.com.
Golden chance
Not that most Buzz readers need an excuse to party on a Saturday night, but here’s a good cause that includes good booze, good food and even good art. “Goldens in the Gallery” is a benefit for Adopt a Golden Atlanta, a group that rescues unwanted golden retrievers and finds homes for them.
The event takes place tonight from 7 to 9 at the Tula Art Center galleries at 75 Bennett St. A $25 cover charge will buy you Skyy Vodka martinis, cosmopolitans, Trinchero Family Estates wine, SweetWater ales and hors d’oeuvres from hot restaurants like Paul’s Restaurant Bar and Sushi, P’cheen and Anis Cafe & Bistro.
Tour the galleries to the tunes of a jazz trio, then place your bids in the silent auction of dog-related art. For directions, call the Matre Gallery at 404-350-8399. For more info on homeless goldens, check out www.adoptagoldenatlanta.com.
Celebrity docket
Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke in the TV series “The Dukes of Hazzard,” faces a drunken driving charge in northern New Jersey, authorities said Friday.
Wopat was arrested in Ringwood and charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, said Bill Maer, a spokesman for the Passaic County sheriff’s department.
Wopat was pulled from a Ford Bronco on Wednesday night after hitting orange traffic cones and nearly striking a Ringwood police car, Maer said.
Wopat, 54, of West Milford, was released into the custody of his girlfriend, Maer said.
In the series, which aired from 1979 to 1985, Luke Duke and his cousin Bo, played by John Schneider, were known for driving a speedy 1969 Dodge Charger, the General Lee.
A movie based on the series was released last year.
In recent years, Wopat has worked on Broadway.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Actor Peter Graves is 80. Country singer Charley Pride is 68. Actor Kevin Dobson (“Knots Landing”) is 63. Singer Vanessa Williams is 43. Singer-actress Queen Latifah is 36. Singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is 27.
Sunday: Actress Ursula Andress is 70. Singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 60. Actress Glenn Close is 59. Actor Bruce Willis is 51.
Contributing: Sandra Eckstein and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
A ‘Life’-time spent on venerable ABC sudser
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Friday’s episode of “One Life to Live” on ABC at 2 p.m., actress Erika Slezak celebrates what most actors just fantasize about — her 35th anniversary at a single job.
Since March 17, 1971, Slezak has portrayed Victoria Lord Davidson, the moneyed matriarch of Llanview, the fictional Pennsylvania town where the soap is set.
“People always ask me ‘Why did you stay so long?,’ ” the actress, 59, recalled with a laugh Thursday. “It’s because they write such great stuff for me. Where else would I ever have had the opportunity to work with the material I’ve been given here?”
Where, indeed.
Over her 3 1/2 decades, Slezak has scored a record six best actress Daytime Emmy Awards (her last in 2005, was for a heart disease story line endorsed by first lady Laura Bush) while delving into some incredibly gritty, taboo-busting plot lines. A victim of childhood sexual abuse by her father, Viki was eventually diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, a psychiatric condition where alter egos are created to “protect” the victim.
Luckily for viewers, one of Viki’s alters, Niki Smith, is a boozy floozy with incredibly questionable taste in clothes.
“Whenever I pick up a script and see Niki on the page, I smile,” Slezak concedes. “She’s just terribly fun to play.”
Things are about to take a serious turn for Slezak’s characters, however. In recent months, “OLTL” has been slowly delving into a story that focuses on Viki’s daughter, Jessica (Bree Williamson), who also has recently been diagnosed with DID.
The childhood-based reasons behind it promise to take the show into some dicey, uncharted territory.
“It’s something that hasn’t yet been dealt with on daytime,” Slezak teases. “And actually, it’s a very current topic. … One of the great advantages about this job is the impact you’re able to have just by putting these characters and their lives into peoples’ homes everyday.”
Truth in advertising
Well, Prince was at the Tabernacle for Wednesday’s midnight show.
And the superstar musician and songwriter did perform.
But make no mistake, it was a Tamar concert. Just like the $60 ticket said.
Whether the 2,500 or so in the sold-out downtown venue appreciated staying up until midnight, however, only to spend another 90 minutes hearing the relative unknown do a whole lot of covers, is still up for debate. (No matter how talented that man to her right in high heels was as featured guitarist and background singer.)
To her credit, Tamar had Prince-protégé attributes going for her at the Tabernacle. In varied flattering, short dresses, the singer powered through her versions of “Love Changes,” “When a Man Loves a Woman,” “Not Gon’ Cry,” “Rock Steady,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and others.
Still, the biggest responses of the night came when the nattily attired Prince simply threw out his red handkerchief, dropped to his knees during one of his many solos, and finally responded to the intermittent “We want Prince!” chants, and sang his own “Party Man” and “Anotherloverholenyohead” at the end of the set.
“It was not what I expected,” said dynamo R&B and gospel vocalist Ann Nesby — aka “American Idol” contestant Paris Bennett’s grandmother — who attended the first night of Prince’s, er, Tamar’s, two-night stand in Atlanta. “We got there about 30 minutes late so we thought we missed him singing more of his own music. … But what we heard was great. [Tamar] has the qualities of the old soul singers of the Stax era. And at the same time she kind of reminded me of a young Tina Turner, just her command of the stage.
“I’m a major Prince fan, though,” she added. “And I wanted to hear more Prince.”
Toucher skids off 99X
Whether you hate him or love him, you’ll have your chance to wish 99X’s Fred Toucher farewell this morning at Fado Irish Pub in Buckhead, with the incredibly Irish band Skid Row (sans, sadly, former lead singer Sebastian Bach,who is now a member of Hep Alien on “Gilmore Girls”) in tow. We’re figuring that U2 wasn’t available.
With 99X about to change ownership, pending newcomer Cumulus Media decided Toucher wasn’t the right fit, so he’s now shopping a show nationwide with former 99X stunt guy Rich Shertenlieb and ex-99X traffic guy Christopher “Crash” Clark. Toucher was with 99X for seven years, starting at night and moving to mornings in 2003.
“I know I’m polarizing,” said Toucher on air Thursday. “But I act the same on the air as I do off. I’ve been honest.”
(Buzz is praying that Toucher will slam us one last time for good measure on his Web site, www.fredtoucher.com).
Axel Lowe, the drivetime jock who subbed for Toucher earlier this month, is likely to take over Toucher’s slot.
Veteran 99Xer Jimmy Baron, whose contract is up April 5, is also checking the waters in other cities and did a test show last weekend on an FM talk station in San Francisco. But he’s still negotiating with 99X.
“I’d prefer to stay in Atlanta because nobody really likes moving,” Baron told Buzz. “I do feel like being on the radio for so many years, you become part of the fabric of the city. That said, I’d be remiss not to see what’s out there.”
Celebrity birthdays
Guitarist Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship is 65. Singer-songwriter John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful is 62. Actor Patrick Duffy is 57. Actor Kurt Russell is 55. Actor Gary Sinise is 51. Actor Rob Lowe is 42. Singer Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) is 39. Actor Mathew St. Patrick (“Six Feet Under”) is 38. Actor Yanic Truesdale (“Gilmore Girls”) is 37. Rapper Swifty of D12 is 29.
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.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Permalink | |
Motley Crue’s Lee finds hot action, icy drinks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Professional partyer Tommy Lee took full advantage of Bluepointe’s new later hours on Tuesday night. The Motley Crue drummer/author/sex tape star popped into the Buckhead eatery shortly after 11 with sushi and cocktails on his mind.
Buzz Central learned Wednesday that Lee and his entourage hung in the dining room, noshing on a large platter of raw fish. Alas, beleaguered Bluepointe manager A.D. Allushi was again working when Lee visited. (Buzz readers will recall that during a visit in 2005, the rocker, after admiring a piece of Allushi’s clothing, absconded with the manager’s pricey Dolce & Gabbana necktie.)
Upon recognizing his neckwear pimp early Wednesday morning, Lee immediately asked Allushi to whip him up “a fun drink.”
Perhaps inspired by the unblinking, Blackberrying females suddenly milling about the eatery, moments later Allushi returned with a gold digger martini. Lee marveled over his oversize martini glass, which was made entirely out of ice, specialty glassware Allushi orders up.
Naturally, Lee wanted to know where to get the frozen barware, and Allushi clued him in to the source (www.icecaters.com).
Wednesday night, after Motley Crue’s “Carnival of Sins” tour stop at Philips Arena, Lee was booked as the main attraction