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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 14 > Entry
The alleged ‘Madam’ on ‘The Insider’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Duluth’s own alleged “Mansion Madam” will be back on the national airwaves tonight via a two-part series on “The Insider” (WXIA, 7:30 p.m.), courtesy of the syndicated newsmag’s special correspondent Art Harris.
The Atlanta-based gonzo journo told us Thursday that even local news hounds who have faithfully followed the salacious story of former Penthouse Pet Lisa Ann Taylor and Nicole “Naughty Nikki” Probert on outlets like our own ajc.com this year might be surprised by some of the material his cameras managed to capture during the past few months. The two women are accused of running a high-end house of prostitution. The women maintain their innocence. A trial is pending.
For example, Harris and crew were rolling backstage this summer when Taylor appeared at the Paradise Lounge in Columbus.
“The younger girls all treated her like a rock star,” Harris previewed for Buzz. “She gave them advice about the [adult entertainment] business and they told her how to get set up on Myspace.com. It was an intergenerational thing.”
Alas, when Gwinnett County cops swarmed in on Taylor’s Sugarloaf Country Club earlier this year, Taylor wasn’t exactly up to date on Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter’s bio.
“Initially, she didn’t know who he was,” Harris told us. “I think Lisa was a little surprised that he wasn’t in a suit.” For the record, Porter told Harris he was wearing cargo pants and not camouflage at the time of the raid, despite Taylor’s recollections of the latter.
“She was obviously a little nervous,” Harris explained. “She asked Danny Porter if she could make herself a drink and take a Valium before she was arrested. He told me he declined the request.”
Harris is hoping to extend his exclusive footage into a proposed reality series his Busystreet Productions is pitching to TV outlets. Additional clips can be viewed at www.artharris.com.
Said the former CNN newsman: “The South is all about repression and how it makes people act crazy. I’m intrigued by colorful characters in crisis.”
The working title? “The Bible Belt Unbuckled,” natch.
The Cure coming
The Cure fans may resume applying the goth eye makeup. The 1980s-era act has rescheduled its metro Atlanta performance for June 15 at Gwinnett Arena. The band originally was scheduled to play at the venue on Sept. 15 but had to postpone. So why the 10-month delay?
Explained the band in a statement to Buzz: “It’s all happening slightly later than we expected due to ‘the playoffs’ — a lot of the venues we needed wouldn’t let us confirm dates in the March/April period — but we understand they all have to live in hope.” Tickets from the original date will be honored at the June concert.
Marking one month
How does ESPN plan to mark the whopping one-month anniversary of benched Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s guilty plea? The sports channel is headed here for a nationally televised special, “SportsCenter Special: The Vick Divide — An ESPN Town Meeting” Tuesday night from 6 to 7:30. The meeting will be broadcast from the Sidney Marcus Auditorium at the Georgia World Congress Center downtown. Among the topics host Bob Ley will dig into? How Vick’s arrest on dogfighting charges has divided Atlanta, whether he was treated fairly and what his future might be in the NFL. The event is open to the public.
ON MY TIVO
What she’s watching
Rachael Ray, whose talk show’s second season started Monday on WXIA at 3 p.m.:
“Every fall, my DVR gets filled up with new stuff. I watch everything. All the crime shows. ‘Law & Order.’ ‘CSI.’ As a kid, I watched more cop shows than cartoons. I’m into all the HBO shows: ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ ‘Conchords,’ “Entourage.’ I love the game shows like ‘Power of Ten.’ Drew Carey was here today taping my show and he may be the funniest guest I’ve had — except for Denis Leary.”
Midnight Clear advances
Georgia band Midnight Clear has advanced to next week’s “ultimate finalists” round in a battle of the bands on CBS’ “Early Show.”
Midnight Clear garnered 57 percent of the votes in this week’s round, beating out bands from New York and Boston despite a technical glitch earlier in the week. Voting began after band videos were shown on Monday, but CBS mistakenly showed a band called Midnight Sun instead of Midnight Clear.
The correct video was shown on Tuesday’s show, and the results of this week’s round in the “Living Room … LIVE” contest were announced just before 9 a.m. Thursday. The winner of next week’s final round will be invited to perform live on the show Sept. 24.
Midnight Clear, made up of 57-year-old drummer Rory Knapton, along with Derrick Gaddis and brothers Brant and Jeremy French, all in their mid- to late 20s, formed about two years ago.
In next week’s finals, the band will go up against Big G and the Total Control Band, a Southern soul band from Richmond; and After Never, an indie rock band from Chicago.
The winner of last year’s contest was Eric Michael Hopper, a pop-country singer from Buford.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Walter Koenig (“Star Trek”) is 71. Actor Sam Neill is 60. Singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is 51. Country singer John Berry is 48. Actress Faith Ford (“Faith and Hope,” “Murphy Brown”) is 43. Singer Mark Hall of Casting Crowns is 38. Rapper Nas is 34. Singer Amy Winehouse is 24.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Mike Morris 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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