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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 21 > Entry
Ne-yo’s soap opera gig gives mom major bragging rights
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The man is responsible for writing the current No. 1 single in the country: Rihanna’s “Take A Bow.”
He also has his first Grammy on the shelf for best contemporary R&B album, thanks to the 2007 disc “Because of You.”
But what is Atlanta singer-songwriter Ne-Yo’s mom “really, really, I mean really excited about?”
His two-day guest stint on the venerable ABC soap “All My Children” Wednesday and Thursday, he tells Buzz.
Ne-Yo performed his new ballad “Stop This World” in the midst of all of the soaplah that is sudsing up around the recently reunited “AMC” super couple Jesse and Angie Hubbard’s long-awaited wedding. Today, he’ll do “Closer,” the first single from his upcoming CD, “The Year of the Gentleman,” during the broadcast at 1 p.m. on ABC (WSB).
But between Ne-Yo numbers, we’re hearing there’s a surprise guest appearance by the Hubbards’ old friend Greg Nelson (portrayed by actor Laurence Lau). Oh, and the bride gets kidnapped by villainous jewel thief Robert Gardner. And don’t be surprised if the show ends today with the groom dangling from a helicopter, thanks to some thrilling CGI work inserted into the sweeps storyline climax.
“My mom is the ‘All My Children’ fan,” Ne-Yo explained during some down time from his tour with Alicia Keys, due in Atlanta May 28.
“She lost her mind when she found out about that one. But you know, I think it’s a great look for me too. People that frequently watch that show, I mean, may not really know me yet. And I’m trying to get a hold of everybody!”
Bloody good freebie
On Wednesday, blood donors at the Red Cross on Monroe Drive scored more than orange juice and a cookie for their efforts — two free tickets to and a CD sampler of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” The new Broadway Across America production of the blood-splattered hit by Stephen Sondheim is sharpening its razors for next week’s run at the Fox Theatre, May 27 to June 1.
“We had a great flow of traffic before people went to work and at lunchtime,” show rep. Ashley Cameron told us. Forty donors had pre-registered and more walk-in donors were due after work Wednesday.
And FYI: According to the Fox Theatre Web site, latecomers next week will have to cool their heels in the lobby for the first 30 minutes of Act One. That’s due to a request from producers who are hoping to keep the musical’s foreboding first act free of giggling idiots who come in late and crawl over you while spilling their plastic cup of white zinfandel.
Not that we have any working knowledge of such individuals. Still, it’s better than the alternative, given the show’s tendency toward throat slitting and sliding corpses into the nether regions of the Fox Theatre basement … To purchase tickets: foxtheatre.org.
‘Witchu’ in Atlanta?
Budget-minded lovers of 1980-era pop divas will likely have some hard choices to make this fall.
First, Madonna and Tina Turner announced plans to tour this autumn. Now, part-time Atlantan Janet Jackson is hitting the road with “Rock Witchu,” touted as her first major tour in seven years.
The tour is scheduled to kick off in Vancouver Sept 10. And while an Atlanta date has not yet been specified, Buzz is betting Ms. Jackson (if you’re nasty) is not about to disappoint her local fans. Tickets go on sale June 7 via livenation.com.
Coupling
“Fantastic Four” thespian Jessica Alba quietly wed producer Cash Warren on Monday, her publicist, Brad Cafarelli confirms.
The pair became engaged in late December following the 27-year-old Alba’s announcement that she’s expecting a baby with Warren, 31. They met on the set of the 2005 film “The Fantastic Four.”
Her wedding, first reported by People.com, was such a quiet affair that even her brother, Josh Alba, was apparently caught off-guard. When reached by Us Weekly magazine with the news, he responded: “My sister!? I’m going to have to call her!”
Besides a baby, Alba is also expecting two films this summer: “Meet Bill” and “The Love Guru” with Mike Myers as a self-help weirdo trying to patch things up between a hockey star and his wife.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor-director Richard Benjamin is 70. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 58. Singer Morrissey is 49. Singer Johnny Gill is 42. Model Naomi Campbell is 38. Actress Anna Belknap (“CSI: NY”) is 36. Singer Donell Jones is 35.
QUOTE OF THE DAY “Without Don, we’d be Air Supply.” —Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey on bandmate Don Henley in the cover story of the May 29th Rolling Stone, titled “The Eagles: Bitter Feud, Big Comeback.” The rockers ended a four-night sold-out stint Tuesday at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta.
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.
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