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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > May > 01
Monday, May 1, 2006
Ex-champ Foreman knows ropes of success
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Boxer/entrepreneur George Foreman said the boxing industry is in the doldrums for one major reason.
“We need a hero,” he said, citing past sensations such as Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. Then again, we had anti-hero Mike Tyson, too.
Foreman, former heavyweight champ and a regular on the speech circuit, comes to the Learning Annex real estate wealth workshop at the Georgia World Congress Center this weekend.
“Sometimes people are looking for that little extra nudge, that little insight so they can become successful,” he told Buzz.
Foreman’s post-boxing career has been inspiration in itself, turning a little grill into a sensation. He said more than 80 million Foreman grills have been sold.
The boxer was also amazed by the dancing skills of fellow boxer and Atlantan Evander Holyfield on last summer’s surprise ABC hit “Dancing With the Stars.” “The only reason I knew there was a dancing show was him,” Foreman said. “Watching him dance — he was my hero!”
A hometown ‘Lullaby’
Clarkston High grad Shawn Mullins gave the sold-out hometown crowd at Variety Playhouse on Saturday night a beautiful ride through his greatest hits (“Shimmer,” “Lullaby”), fan favorites (“Joshua”) and tracks from his current CD “9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor” (notably, the wonderful “Beautiful Wreck”).
Getting sweaty partway through, Mullins, 37, took off his wool cap and cracked, “You’re going to have to deal with the bald spot!”
“Bald spots are sexy, baby!” someone in the crowd yelled.
After the concert, several Clarkston High alums gathered around Mullins and waxed nostalgic. “He’s a humble man. That’s why people like him. He’s genuine,” said Jon Papanicolaou, 36, of Loganville, who remembers Mullins sketching Van Halen band logos during homeroom.
Angie Aparo update
McDonough’s Angie Aparo has been going through Butch Walker syndrome. That is, he’s a singer/songwriter who happened to hit it even bigger as a songwriter thanks to his monstrous 2002 Faith Hill ballad “Cry.”
(Atlanta’s Walker, former lead singer of Marvelous 3, has become a go-to songwriter for acts such as Pink, Avril Lavigne and Bowling for Soup, but is still pursuing his own solo career.)
“If I really wanted to focus on writing, I could go to Nashville and L.A.,” Aparo told Buzz. “I’m sure it would be a lot better. But I’m just torn. I want to sing!”
Aparo — who had brief major label success in the late 1990s and a minor radio hit “Spaceship” — has been toiling as an indie singer in recent years. He stops by Smith’s Olde Bar on Saturday.
His new EP “El Primero Del Tres,” part of a trilogy he’s planning about war and peace, will be available online Tuesday. “I was writing a batch of songs and it got me thinking about human nature and war,” he said.
Aparo wrote three songs for Hill, but said at the last second they were dumped from her current album “Fireflies.”
“It was very disheartening,” he said. “I sang on all three songs. It was a beautiful thing. But she changed direction.”
Bye, bye Rick & Bubba
Last week, Birmingham radio duo Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey aired their final live morning shows on Turner South, which will soon be an all-sports Fox network.
By coincidence, the pair was in town Friday to promote the book “Rick & Bubba’s Expert Guide to God, Country, Family and Anything Else We Can Think Of.” Much to their surprise, the book has sold more than 40,000 copies, landing on The New York Times “how to” best-seller list and even hitting No. 1 for a time on the Amazon list.
As for the loss of Turner South after three-plus years, Burgess told Buzz he’s disappointed but not crying over the setback: “I can’t be upset by things we have no control over.”
They are miffed that they have yet to convince an Atlanta radio station to air their show, which is all talk and blends pop culture, family, sports and Southern culture in a lighthearted fashion. Rick & Bubba are heard on 25 stations, mostly in the Southeast.
The two buddies also said that of the three Birmingham-based “American Idol” contestants so far, current finalist Taylor Hicks is getting more love than even Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard and 2005 runner-up Bo Bice. “We’ve gotten e-mails from Ohio, Japan, even Bangladesh about Taylor,” Bussey said.
Tube talk
Goofy reality show “Blind Date,” seen on WATL-TV, visits Atlanta tonight at the wee hours of 2:30 and 4 a.m. The show provides first names only, but you might recognize Adam, a strip club manager who likes mascara, and his judgmental, personal trainer date Laura. The pair hangs out at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games and the Horseradish Grill. …
The two-week stunt of airing “Saved by the Bell” during Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim was a success, generating buzz and outrage, plus slightly better ratings among women and 18 to 24 year olds. But “Bell” haters, don’t worry — it was just a stunt… .
Random bits
Bon Jovi is the first rock act to hit No. 1 on the Billboard country charts with “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” which features local Sugarland lead singer Jennifer Nettles… .
Mark your calendars, “Idol” fans: The top 10 Season 5 “Idol” contestants will be at the Gwinnett Arena on Aug. 3. Ticket information is forthcoming… .
Jimmy Baron officially said goodbye to 99X last week after 12-plus years at the station. Baron told Buzz that Cumulus, set to officially take over 99X on Friday, offered him an insultingly low salary earlier this year. Cumulus execs said they chose to drop Baron because of declining ratings and listener research, although 99X kept Baron’s name on the morning show for weeks after he left.
Celebrity birthdays
Singer Judy Collins is 67. Singer Rita Coolidge is 61. Country singer Tim McGraw is 39.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-5688 or e-mail rho@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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