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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 21 > Entry
Aretha lures Swiss bigwigs from Montreux to Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Camille Love, the executive director of Atlanta’s cultural affairs office, personally reached out to us Tuesday to spread some scoop about international dignitaries jetting into the city on Labor Day weekend to see the Queen of Soul.
Because Aretha Franklin travels exclusively by bus when on tour, it’s unlikely she’s been to Switzerland. So Claude Nobs, the founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and Pierre Salvi, the mayor of Montreux, have committed to come to her and will be in the audience to see Franklin’s Sept. 1 show at Chastain.
Unlike spoiled American audiences, the pair never has been treated to a live performance by Franklin.
“We’re thrilled that these two prestigious guests will have an opportunity to see a soul legend in our city,” Love told Buzz on Tuesday.
Love sees Franklin’s show here as the same kind of coup city leaders achieved when they booked James Brown at the venue on Labor Day weekend in 2003. Alas, the date turned out to be the Godfather of Soul’s last Atlanta show. The city also has brought legends like Nina Simone, Shirley Horn, Jimmy Scott and Nancy Wilson to town in recent years.
“Part of our mission is to provide the city with cultural experiences,” Love explained. “Presenting these legends is a part of that mission.”
Love, meanwhile, is downplaying the Queen’s recent concert cancellation in Detroit during a summer heat wave.
“We’re putting out positive vibes about the weather,” Love said. “Plus, we have an air-conditioned stage for Aretha at Chastain. We’re going to do everything we can to make the queen comfortable while she’s here.”
VIP tickets can be obtained by calling 404-817-7907 or at atlantafestivals.com. | • Map and details
Personally? We’ll be in attendance just to see Love groove to “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?”
Hoedowns shuts its doors
Hoedowns, arguably, the city’s sole gay and lesbian country-western nightclub that also featured weekly two-step dance lessons, Charlie Brown’s Drag Cabaret, the comedic stylings of Emmy-winning actor Leslie Jordan and a refrigerated Jagermeister shot machine under a single roof, has closed inside Midtown Promenade. We’re hearing there was plenty of backstage drama between the joint’s battling co-owners as the club was not-so-quietly shuttered last week. Employees were informed of the closing via a thoughtful note taped to the front door as they arrived for their shifts.
Upside? Those folks who use hand trucks to haul out cases of Trader Joe’s famed Two Buck Chuck wine will now have to circle the parking lot fewer times while looking for an open space in the busy shopping center.
ABC to show ‘Raisin’ on Feb. 25
Atlanta director Kenny Leon and Atlanta restaurateur Sean “Diddy” Combs are no doubt hatching one heck of a viewing party for Feb. 25. That night, the evening after the Oscars, is when ABC will broadcast the three-hour film adaptation of the pair’s Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The film is the first starring and executive produced by Combs’ Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group, among others. The February sweeps event also serves as Leon’s debut as film director. Said executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (who are enjoying big-screen success for the pair’s summer hit “Hairspray”) via a statement: “We are honored to have brought a new movie version of ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ to ABC. We are humbled by our formidable cast.” Co-stars Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald both won Tonys for their roles in the stage revival of the classic.
Overscene
Former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman and his posse of three on the patio noshing on sushi and smoking cigars at Goldfish at Perimeter before an outing at Fever nightclub. We’re told that Rodman arrived “complete with piercings and flair” as he strolled through the dining room of the posh eatery.
Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood, in an eye-catching red jacket and black skirt at the always bottle-necked intersection of Briarcliff Road and Ponce de Leon Avenue on Tuesday morning. “I needed something that would pop out here, through all this greenery, for TV,” Norwood whispered to us of her news conference wardrobe. Norwood was introducing constituents and media types to a “Late Show With David Letterman“-like list, detailing the city’s Top 10 worst intersections.
Celebrity birthdays
Newsman Morton Dean is 72. Correspondent Steve Kroft (“60 Minutes”) is 62. Actress Cindy Williams (“Laverne and Shirley”) is 60. Country singer Holly Dunn is 50. Actress Regina Taylor (“The Unit,” “I’ll Fly Away”) is 47. Singer Tori Amos is 44. Singer Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys is 34. Guitarist Jeff Stinco of Simple Plan is 29.
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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