A Legend Dies
Happy Wednesday Kiddies and away I go. And might I add, I have a new celebrity crush, Bikini Girl from Idol last night.
Some sad news to start off the day. Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban passed away Wednesday night. He was 88 years old. He his best known for his role on the popular TV series Fantasy Island, where he played Mr. Roarke. He won an Emmy for his performance in How the West Was Won and a Tony nomination in 1958 for Jamaica. In recent work, he lent his voice to Disney’s Kim Possible as well as an episode of Family Guy. Man I loved Fantasy Island growing up, except for that little kid who was always hanging around with Mr. Roarke.
Jennifer Hudson has agreed to sing the national anthem at next month’s Super Bowl game in Tampa, Fla., E! Online reported. The Feb. 1 performance will mark the first time Hudson will sing in public since her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were shot to death in Chicago in October, allegedly by her brother-in-law. “She certainly can nail it,’” a source told E! of Hudson’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” “She proved it at the Democratic National Convention.” Hudson won an Oscar for her work in the movie musical Dreamgirls. She also has appeared in the films The Secret Life of Bees and Sex and the City. No bigger audience to stage your big come back than The Super Bowl.
Speaking of performances, Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, and Katy Perry have signed on to perform at the 51st annual Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles. The artists, all of whom are current Grammy nominees, are scheduled to sing at the February 8 event, which will be broadcast live from the Staples Center on CBS, the network said. Lil Wayne leads the Grammy field with eight nominations: Album of the Year and Best Rap Album for Tha Carter III; Best Rap Solo Performance for “A Milli;” two nods in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group category for “Swagga Like Us” and “Mr. Carter;” Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Got Money” and two nods for Best Rap Song for “Lollipop” and “Swagga Like Us.” It looks really to be a whose – who from 2008 in the music year. Except for one exception. Where the hell is Rhianna?
BSB star Howie Dorough is to be a first-time father. The 35-year-old singer and his wife Leigh are expecting a child in June. The pair was enjoying its lives as a young married couple, traveling with the band after their December 2007 wedding, but were left considering their priorities after the death of Dorough’s father, Hoke, last June. And the star insists starting his own family became his main focus following the tragedy. He tells People.com, “That kind of put things into perspective – passing on and bringing new life into the world. “At that point we started focusing in on having a child. The baby is due the same month that my dad passed away last year, so it’s almost like realizing life is a circle.” And the star’s 34-year-old wife is adamant her pop star beau will make a great dad. Well that is a tax write-off that can help him save money. Given he has fallen out of the spotlight and everything.
Mr. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears avoided an awkward late-night meeting on Monday after they found themselves in the same Los Angeles restaurant. Timberlake was enjoying a romantic supper with girlfriend Jessica Biel at the tiny Yatai Asian Tapas Bar when his ex, Spears, turned up with her mother. A fellow diner tells UsWeekly.com, It was uncomfortable… Jessica and Justin looked to be slumping down in their seats to avoid her. She left 30 minutes later. Shortly afterward, Justin and Jessica got in their car and left.” The last time the former couple almost met came backstage at Madonna’s Los Angeles concert last year, when both stars performed onstage at Dodgers stadium with the Material Girl star. I bet the sexual tension between them was insane.
First Jennifer Aniston gave him a second shot, now John Mayer the television world is giving him another chance, too. Mayer will tape a pilot for a CBS variety show, network entertainment president Nina Tassler confirmed Wednesday at the Television Critics Association conference in L.A. “He came to us,” Tassler told PEOPLE of Mayer. “He has a very strong point of view. He knows his audience really well; he knows his brand of humor really well.” Tassler says the project is in the early stages of development, and that Mayer “is driving the creative development.” She added, “He has an objective of using music to communicate and engage.” Mayer, 31, hosted a short-lived VH1 show in 2004 called John Mayer Has a TV Show. Whether the CBS project will evolve into a series or will be a one-time broadcast remains to be seen. Well that is a show that I would not let infest my Tivo.
With a shortened audition portion this season, what are viewers who tune in to Idol expressly for the simple joy of watching non-serious wannabes parade in front of the judges to do? No worries, there’s plenty of fun to be had at the expense of, oh, the judges and host Ryan Seacrest. Case in point: last night’s open auditions in Phoenix. Scott Macintyre, the first blind singer on Idol, nails his audition and receives a golden ticket to Hollywood. He comes out to a roar of applause. The touching moment then veers off into oh-no-he-didn’t-just-do-that territory when Seacrest jumps in for a congratulatory high-five. Care to see the clip? Here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5EUv6AppCY
Oh that crazy Seacrest.
And finally, speaking of Idol, It’s official: David Cook and Kimberly Caldwell are no longer an item. Cook, the winner of Idol season seven, and Caldwell, a season two contestant, have broken up amicably, says Caldwell’s rep. “Kimberly and David ended their relationship just before the holidays. The couple remain good friends and being very private people, appreciate their privacy at this time.” Cook’s rep also confirmed the split. The duo, both 26, started their relationship shortly after Cook’s Idol win in May 2008, with the rocker publicly asking Caldwell on a date on the red carpet before the seventh season finale. Well see the problem is his star is on the rise, and she is on the strip club circuit.
You Know The Drill
Mango Out