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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2009 > March > 05 > Entry
Country star, driver team to help kids
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dierks Bentley has had six No. 1 country hits over the past six years, along with plenty of respect and love from fans and critics, but isn’t terribly well known outside of country circles. And he doesn’t mind.
“I really enjoy being a regular dude,” he told Buzz, ringing us from Spokane, Wash., to promote a charity concert he’s holding with hot, up-and-coming NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne at Wild Bill’s tonight in Duluth (www.wildbillsatlanta.com).
The charity helps chronically ill children. In return, Kahne helps Bentley raise money for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville.
“You build up some celebrity currency,” Bentley said. “You then find ways to spend it as wisely as you can.”
Bentley has never been to Wild Bill’s but enjoys the idea of playing a smaller place after working mostly bigger venues recently. “I love playing rowdy clubs, getting some tequila on our boots!”
The curly-haired Arizona native isn’t like his brethren Keith Urban or Brad Paisley, who both married Hollywood types. He got hitched to a gal he’s known since age 13, who has no stomach for the limelight.
So he was bemused recently when a TMZ cameraman actually recognized him in New York.
“I told him, ‘Dude. You have the wrong guy,’ ” Bentley recalled. “‘I’m not famous enough to be on TMZ!’ He must have been having a slow news day!”
RESTAURANT CLOSING
The meat spigots have been permanently shut off at the Buckhead Chima Brazilian Steakhouse. The meat emporium quietly closed Wednesday. According to a statement sent to Buzz Central, the economic crisis just compounded the chain eatery’s modest growth here since debuting a year ago. “We are saddened to close our Atlanta location,” said owner-founder Bruno Silva via the statement. “Although Chima opened their Atlanta location with a 12-month track record of moderate sales, they anticipated and projected a much greater sales volume. Our decision to close comes from a combination of Atlanta’s declining fine dining industry and the overall significant downturn in the convention and visitors market. We made every effort to make Atlanta a great success, from working with various localized Atlanta-based marketing and sales experts to applying our winning business model used in our other locations.”
The chain still operates eateries in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Charlotte; Tysons Corner, Va.; and Philadelphia. Chima plans to resume its national expansion next year.
Oh, and thanks to the news release, we learned Wednesday that we’ve been mispronouncing the name of the restaurant for the past year. According to Chima reps, the name is pronounced “She-ma.”
MARTHA’S ATL EPISODE AIRS TODAY
For those of you (like us) who didn’t brave those long lines last month, set your machines to record today’s “Martha Stewart Show” (2 p.m. WXIA) if you’d like a peek at the domestic diva’s recent dive into the Georgia Aquarium and environs.
Also featured: Repast chef Joe Truex demonstrates his Asian-influence crabcakes, and Atlanta alum and “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson pops by for a visit.
Still, for Buzz, the most hilarious part of the heads- up from Martha’s New York City-based publicists was this ego-enlarging snippet of the e-mail: “Martha heads down South to the fast-growing city of Atlanta this Thursday.”
Little ole us? “Fast-growin’ “? Well, fiddle dee-dee.
Bless their hearts …
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor James B. Sikking (“Hill Street Blues,” “Doogie Howser, M.D.”) is 75. Actor Dean Stockwell is 73. Actor Fred Williamson is 71. Comedian-magician Penn Jillette (above) is 54. Guitarist John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is 39. Actor Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”) is 35. Actress Eva Mendes (below) is 34. Model Niki Taylor is 34. Actor Jake Lloyd (“Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace”) is 20.
OVERSCENE
R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo dining at Spice Market inside Midtown’s W hotel. The “Closer” performer ordered chicken samosas with cilantro yogurt, shrimp satay and Vietnamese spring rolls.
Contributing: Rodney Ho 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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