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August 11th, 2009
05:11 PM ET
Mel's mystery woman speaksAfter seeing photos of Mel Gibson's sultry Russian-born girlfriend in magazines, and watching her gypsy-like music videos on YouTube, I guess I kind of expected Oksana Grigorieva to walk into our interview yesterday with a thick Eastern European acent - like Natasha from the "Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoons. To my surprise, the singer/songwriter/expectant mom was ethereal and soft-spoken, with a hint of a British accent - probably from her years of living in the U.K., where she gave birth to her 12-year-old son, Alexander (whose father is former "James Bond" Timothy Dalton). Just past the halfway mark of her pregancy, Oksana's baby bump was barely noticable under a flowing, black peasant blouse. "I'm not pregnant, I'm just fashionable," she quipped. With her dark features, pouty lips and long hair, she vaguely reminded me of Octomom (don't kill me), only prettier and with fewer children. Oksana's publicist is Maureen O'Connor - a highly-respected veteran in the entertainment industry. She spearheaded last week's press conference with journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee when they arrived at Burbank Airport after being detained in North Korea for five months. For Oksana, Maureen didn't indicate that any topics would be uncomfortable or off-limits during our interview (which we cannot agree to), but clearly Oksana had been prepped to steer the conversation toward her classical training, and to acknowledge Mel's artistic talents without divulging too many details about their romantic relationship. She did, however, have no problem talking about her current food cravings. "I actually do eat a lot of sugar right now. I wish I didn't. Ice cream, mostly. Vanilla and strawberry." Spoken by someone whose life has been anything BUT vanilla. Click here to watch video of Oksana and see more of what she said in our formal write-up.
August 10th, 2009
10:52 PM ET
Brooks & DoneAfter 20 years of making music together, Brooks and Dunn have called it a day. The superstar country duo posted a message on its website today saying "If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time." But that doesn't make the news less bittersweet. After winning Vocal Duo of the Year 14 times at the Country Music Association Awards, Brooks and Dunn were pushed out of the top spot by Sugarland in 2007, and again in 2008 - with a third year off the podium looking likely in November. It's not that B&D were making poorer music. Brooks and Dunn were consistently good - from their honky-tonk sing-alongs to their heartbreaking ballads. But sometimes things just run their course - and in this case, perhaps it's a miracle they lasted so long. Ronnie Dunn, the fair-haired singer with the equally golden voice, and Kix Brooks, the dark-haired guitarist and showman who rocked a Village People mustache, but somehow made it look sexy... two polar opposites whose on-stage chemistry superseded their off-stage tendency to travel separate paths. Brooks and Dunn say they'll release a compilation of their #1 hits on September 8th, followed by "The Last Rodeo Tour" in 2010 (dates to be announced). After that, they'll be Brooks and Done. I, for one, will be clamoring for tickets to their last hurrah, and savoring memories of the time they came to Hollywood for the dedication of their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and got a hankering for In-N-Out burgers. After convincing the limo driver to hit the drive-thru, they placed their order... then discovered they didn't have any cash. Kix and Ronnie, you still owe me 17 bucks.
August 3rd, 2009
06:35 PM ET
The Boss: retirement age, but not retiringIs that really Bruce Springsteen on the cover of "AARP: The Magazine?!" Clad in jeans, a black button-down and wielding his signature Telecaster guitar, The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer looks fit and fierce as he graces the September/October issue of the publication for the American Association of Retired Persons. To the left of his head reads the headline: "The Boss turns 60." Inside the magazine, friends like Bonnie Raitt, bandmate Nils Lofgren and Tim Russert's son, Luke, offer first-person insights about the man, the myth, the legend. There's even a bit written by Jon Landau, Springsteen's longtime manager - which means the cover story probably got The Boss' blessing. Was it a "senior moment" - or was it just smart marketing? AARP claims it's the "world"s largest circulation magazine," reaching a potential readership of 35 million people. Besides auto insurance ads and articles about surviving prostate cancer, the mag also name checks such over-40 celebs as Olivia Newton-John, Montel Williams and Faith Hill. Oh, by the way - if you're itching to see Springsteen's October 3rd concert at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, visit www.aarpmagazine.org/entertainment/springsteen_sweepstakes . The winner gets a free pair of tix, plus VIP passes to the E Street Lounge, where the band's friends and families gather before the show. If you're retired, you'll have plenty of time to sign up for the sweepstakes.
August 2nd, 2009
10:56 PM ET
Kevin Costner on the stage collapse in AlbertaKevin Costner has issued a statement regarding Saturday night's fatal stage collapse at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta, Canada. Before the actor/musician was able to perform with his band, Modern West, a wild storm kicked up, causing the stage to sway violently, then collapse. One person was killed; as many as 75 others were injured. In a statement released through his publicist, Costner said, "We are so saddened by the loss of life and injury that occurred on a day that carried so much promise, but turned so wicked so quickly. We hope to return to Alberta in the future to help with the healing."
While Costner was not on stage at the time of the incident, rising country star Billy Currington was in the midst of his set. Before his tour manager could drag him to safety, the stage gave way. Currington suffered a mild concussion, as well as scrapes and bruises. His bass guitarist, Alex Stevens, was trapped under the debris, which crushed his arm. Stevens underwent surgery Saturday night and was expected to be released from the hospital today. Currington was released this morning. Headliner Gary Allan was not yet at on-site. Promoters have cancelled the remainder of the Jamboree, which would have featured Tim McGraw closing out the final installment of the four-day country music celebration.
July 29th, 2009
01:20 AM ET
A juicy tidbit for 'Twilight' fansBryce Dallas Howard will be joining the cast of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” – the third installment of the “Twilight” movies. The 28-year-old daughter of director Ron Howard is replacing actress Rachelle Lefevre, who co-stars in the first two films.  Summit Entertainment says Lefevre has “scheduling conflicts with another commitment.” Bryce recently played the female lead in “Terminator Salvation,” and before that, was the damsel in distress in “Spider-Man 3” opposite Tobey Maguire.
July 28th, 2009
08:25 PM ET
The hot new ticketListening parties are the new hot ticket in town. Last week, tastemakers in New York and Los Angeles were treated to lavish events where they sat and listened to cuts from Whitney Houston's new album, after being plied with crabcakes and coconut shrimp. The Comeback Queen herself even popped in for a surprise hello at the end of each evening. The week before, several hundred scenesters piled into a theater across from Capitol Records in Hollywood for an Alice in Chains listening party. 
Alice in Chains at a listening event in Los Angeles, California.  Grunge fans and industry types noshed on Double Doubles with cheese from a mobile In-N-Out Burger truck while previewing the band's first album of new material in 14 years. Then just when you thought the event was over, the curtain rose and the resurrected quartet - with new singer/guitarist Williams DuVall - shocked the crowd by launching into a three song acoustic set. Last night, the Australian rock group Wolfmother unveiled its psychedelic new CD, "Cosmic Egg," with a listening party at the Laserium Cyber Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Green, blue and red laser beams pulsed to the beat. Spirograph-inspired flowers "bloomed" mid-air. Imaginary animals "ran" across the ceiling. No crabcakes here - just all the soda, candy and popcorn you could eat, until the popcorn machine took a dive. In this day and age of rampant piracy, record labels want to protect their new releases from hitting the internet before their scheduled street date - so for many top artists, journalists and others aren't given advance CDs. Often, they'll need to go to the label or to a publicist's office, where they'll be forced to listen to the disc by themselves in a conference room - while their cell phones, BlackBerries and other potential recording devices are confiscated and held in a different room. Listening parties turn the solitary sessions into communal events that create buzz. Sometimes it isn't so much how the album sounds. It's about whether you had a good time at the party. After all, isn't that what music's about - listening to a song and attaching a certain emotion or experience to it? |
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