August 22, 2008

STAR Artist Avril Lavigne's Malaysian show will go on. She tells me, "I have been approved by the government to play, I've already sold up to 10,000 tickets. I respect the country and their decisions but I've been approved by the government so I'm gonna go put on a show there and have a good time."

STAR Artist OneRepublic will join-up with fellow STAR Artist John Mayer on tour tonight. Lead singer Ryan Tedder says he's excited about touring with John because, "He's funny as hell. I'm excited to just sit and chat it up with him, and laugh." OneRepublic is also planning to launch a North American tour on their own, starting at the end of October.

What does it take to put on a tour with STAR Artist Madonna? Take a look:

-3,500 individual wardrobe elements
-250 tour personnel total
-200 makeup sponges
-120 powder puffs
-100 pairs of fishnet pantyhose
-100 pairs of kneepads
-69 guitars
-18 racks of clothing
-16 caterers
-10 flight cases of medical suppplies
-9 wardrobe people
-4 freezers full of icepacks for Madonna and her dancers
-2 stages
-1 chiropractor, personal trainer and masseuse

Is STAR Artist Coldplay planning to surprise the world by releasing the follow-up to "Viva La Vida" next year? Evidently the band's sessions on the last album were so productive they already have most of its follow-up in the can.

Now that they've married, will Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi start a family? Even the newlyweds aren't sure. Portia tells me they've gone back and forth on the issue, "I don't know if it's our immediate future. It's something we talk about every few months."

The official cast list for the nest season of Dancing With the Stars gets announced Monday morning, but here it is (updated from my previous post)

* Socialite and reality TV star Kim Kardashian
* Former 'NSYNC member Lance Bass
* "Un-Break My Heart" singer Toni Braxton
* TV personality Brooke Burke
* Former sprinter Maurice Green
* Hannah Montana actor Cody Linley
* All My Children actress Susan Lucci
* Retired NFL star Warren Sapp
* Olympic beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor
* Actor Ted McGinley
* TV personality and Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath
* 82-year-old actress Cloris Leachman
* Comedian Jeff Ross

August 21, 2008

Today STAR Artists Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale welcomed their second child into the world. They named their son Zuma Nesta Rock ROssdale. Actor Matt Damon’s got a new baby girl. Matt’s wife gave birth to Gia Zavala Damon yesterday. And speaking of babies, I think Jennifer Garner finally copped to being pregnant. In an interview she said this, “We’re so excited, obviously” but we don’t know what she was talking about!

Rumor has it Jennifer Aniston got some much needed sympathy for her recent John Mayer break-up from a very close personal friend – ex-husband Brad Pitt! Evidently Jen called Brad’s mom, who she talks to all the time, but then Brad walked into the room and was handed the phone. As you can imagine he didn’t know what to say initially but then relaxed and listened very intently. But then I’m sure Brad needed comfort and advice on how to deal with Angelina after she found out Brad talked to Jen. Awkard!

Olympic swimming champ Michael Phelps can’t win. Well I mean he can in the pool but not in the world of PR. Michael is taking some serious heat from health experts because of his choice to appear on Kellogg's Frosted Flakes boxes instead of the traditional athlete's choice of Wheaties. Frosted Flakes has three times the amount of sugar as Wheaties and 1/3rd the fiber. Nutritionists are worried about the message he'll be sending to children across America.

STAR Artist Sheryl Crow is joining Daughtry in a campaign to get you registered to vote. She’s offering free digital copies of her latest album Detours to the first 50,000 people who register 3 friends to vote. Head to rockthevote.com to learn more!

STAR Artist Janet Jackson is putting out her own line of lingerie called Pleasure Principle. The nice thing about the lingerie? It’s supposed to have wardrobe malfunctions...nightly.

Look for a Melorse Place reunion at next month’s Emmy Awards. It’s the awards show’s 60th anniversary so they’re putting together a whole bunch of these reunions. Producers might also be trying to pull off a Happy Days reunion. Who else would you want to see? I’m thinking Dynasty, Dallas, Knots Landing, and the original Beverly Hills 90210.

The Rocker already hit theaters yesterday but a few more flicks hit the big screen this weekend. Coming out tomorrow:

*Death Race about a prisoner in a deadly road race for his freedom.

*The House Bunny about a Playboy Playmate who starts a new life as a sorority house mom.

*The Longshots about the true story of a female quarterback who takes a high school team to the championship.

Briefly:
The owner of the car that plowed into actor Shia LaBeouf’s car last month has been cited for failure to stop at a red light but it’s still unclear if the guy was actually driving.

Rumor has it Oprah doesn’t want to be the cover girl of her own O magazine anymore. She’s reportedly given editors 6 months to figure out what to do.

STAR Artist Nickelback’s album "All the Right Reasons" is celebrating its 150th week on the charts. That’s just shy of 3 years! In fact, this week it moved up 11 places to #87!

STAR Artist Pink’s new CD has a name: "Funhouse". It hits stores October 28th.

August 20, 2008

I’ve talked about this joint network telethon called Stand Up To Cancer. It’s coming up on September 5th and every day more and more celebrities sign up to be on the show and beg for your donations. Today I’m finding out a charity single will be put out, kind of like “We Are the World." STAR Artists Mariah Carey, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield Sheryl Crow, Leona Lewis and more will record vocals for the song called “Just Stand Up.” You’ll be able to download the song September 2nd from iTunes (all proceeds go to the charity fund) and you’ll see it performed live on the telethon. As you may remember, Sheryl Crow is a breast cancer survivor and often hears from fellow survivors, “I’m humbled by the fact that I actually am in a position where I can inspire people and create some kind of comfort.” We'll have the song for you first on STAR 98.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi tied the knot on Saturday, thanks to the California State Supreme Court, and even though the wedding photos gave us all the proof we need of who wears the pants in the relationship, now Ellen is settling that mystery once and for all, “Now she’ll cook and clean for me.” Portia chimed in “The love we felt from the people surrounding us, and the love we have for each other, made this the most beautiful and emotional day.” Check out their wedding picture:

STAR Artist Avril Lavigne is just too darn sexy…well for Malaysia…for the time being. Yesterday I was told the Malaysian Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry deemed her show unsuitable for Malaysian culture but today they deny they ever said that, “We did not reject the concert. We asked them to find another date as the original date is so close to the independence day.” So the show will go on…eventually.

Though he absolutely should be, Michael Phelps won’t be appearing on your box of Wheaties! Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes outbid the cereal of champions. Look for Michael’s mug as part of your breakfast around mid-September. Here's a sneak peak of the box of Corn Flakes:

STAR Artist Madonna turned 50 last weekend. The big question is what did she drink to celebrate. The answer? "Crack Baby" shots. That’s vodka and champagne. She probably wanted to adopt that “baby” too.

STAR Artist Lifehouse frontman Jason Wade says their current hit “Whatever It Takes” is really about him. It tells the story off a man who's been married for seven years and who spends a lot of time on the road, you know? Anyone who's been in a long-term relationship, I think, can relate."

Note to STAR Artists: Don’t play your unreleased songs too loud. U2’s Bono found this out the hard way. One of his neighbors recorded the sounds of 4 new U2 songs when Bono played them way too loud at his home in France. First of all: Oops. Second: How loud were those songs that they could be recorded sorta clearly from another person’s house?! Sure Bono wears sunglasses, but his house guests need to wear ear plugs.

Briefly:
STAR Artists Jesse McCartney and Cyndi Lauper will team up with Olympians Mary Lou Retton, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin for Frosted Pink With a Twist, a TV special raising awareness about cancer affecting women. Look for that on ABC, October 12th.

STAR Artist Natasha Bedingfield has been added to the lineup of the NFL Kickoff Concert, a free show in New York City on September 4th. The show also features Usher and Keith Urban. Something for everyone, huh?

Remember Ricky Martin? He had twins today delivered via surrogate mother.

Dave Matthews Band member dies

One of my favorite bands is the Dave Matthews Band. They make music that makes me happy. The wonderful thing about them? They're a true ensemble. Every member is important and contributes in spectacular fashion. Tonight the Dave Matthews Band lost one of its founding members, LeRoi Moore, the band's saxophonist. On June 30th he was in an ATV accident that punctured his lung and broke several ribs. He had just returned home to LA when sudden complications from the accident resulted in his death. It's never fun to lose a true musician and artist. LeRoi was only 46.

August 19, 2008

Here ya go ladies:

There is one reality show I absolutely love: The Amazing Race. That’s the show where pairs travel the world and complete tasks, all for a $1 million grand prize. So cool. Here's the cast list for the upcoming season:

•Terence Gerchberg, running coach, 35; Sarah Leshner, investment analyst, 31 (newly dating)
•Marisa Axelrod, student, 22; Brooke Jackson, graphic designer, 24 (Southern belle best friends)
•Andrew Lappitt, student, 22; Dan Honig, hotel manager trainee, 23 (fraternity brothers nicknamed "Team Superbad")
•Aja Benton, aspiring actress, 25; Ty White, banker, 25 (dating long distance)
•Mark Yturralde, Comic-Con treasurer, 41; Bill Hahler, student aid administrator, 42 (best friends)
•Toni Imbimbo, accounting consultant, 51; Dallas Imbimbo, student, 22 (mother and son)
•Nick Spangler, actor, 22; Starr Spangler, former NFL cheerleader, 21 (brother and sister)
•Anita Jones, retired paralegal, 63; Arthur Jones, playground maintenance, 61 (married beekeepers)
•Kelly Crabb, sales representative, 26; Christy Cook, business developer, 26 (divorcees)
•Ken Greene, home builder and ex-NFL player, 51; Tina Greene, executive search firm president, 48 (separated)
•Anthony Marotta, mortgage broker, 32; Stephanie Kacandes, financial saleswoman, 32 (dating)

STAR Artist Sara Bareilles is raving about the tour she’s on with the Counting Crows and Maroon 5. “I can’t say enough good things about how inspired I feel, and how grateful I am for having been able to be a part of this tour.” Actually she says traveling the country with the bands is more like summer camp, “Instead of cool activities like archery to take up our time, we throw Frisbees and sit in dressing rooms and eat way too much and laugh and actually get to know each other. Best. Camp. Ever." Sara, Maroon 5 and the Counting Crows play Milwaukee on Saturday.

You thought Paul McCartney paid a big divorce settlement? STAR Artist Phil Collins has him beat! The balding drummer shelled out $46.6 million to his third wife. Then again, Phil is used to opening up the checkbook, his second wife got $34 million. Heather Mills got $45 million from Paul McCartney.

The Rocker, starring The Office’s Rainn Wilson opens tomorrow nationally. It’s all about a drummer who gets booted out of an 80s hair band right before they become a huge success. The movie details his second shot at fame. In the movie, though you don’t see it completely, Rainn bares all telling me, “I always enjoy taking my clothes off to comedic effect. I have been making women laugh with my naked body for the last 20 years. Hopefully, audiences across America will find it just as amusing. Comedy is about commitment. You can't be afraid to make a fool out of yourself."

The huge Broadway smash Wicked is coming to the Fox Cities PAC in February. If you don’t know what it’s all about, it’s such a cool concept. It tells the back-story of the witches of the Land of Oz. The story is engaging and the songs are absolutely incredible. I’m not the only one talking about Wicked. Kristin Chenoweth, who stars on ABC’s Pushing Daisies was the original Glinda says she can’t wait for Hollywood to get a Wicked movie in production. She says, “It would be hard for me not to want to do it. But they need to hurry up before I'm 45!” Season ticket holders and groups of 20 or more can get tickets to Wicked at the Fox Cities PAC. Normal ticket sales will start at a later date.

Today, STAR Artist the Goo Goo Dolls released the second half of their Greatest Hits Collection. It’s a CD/DVD combo including live tracks, all their videos, a live concert and a very cool demo version of their huge hit “Iris.” And yes, the band is working on a new CD they hope to put out by the end of the year. If you’re really craving some new Goo material, download the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack which features a Goo Goo song called “Real.”

STAR Artist Duffy is opening for STAR Artist Coldplay at their newly announced shows in Cleveland, New Jersey, Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Coldplay calls Duffy “brilliant.” Who are we to argue?

Briefly:
Henry "The Fonze" Winkler,was in Milwaukee today for the unveiling of a bronze statue of Arthur Fonzarelli. Happy Days was set in Milwaukee.

Today CBS confirmed what I told you a few weeks ago – Laurence Fishburne will officially replace William Petersen on CSI. CSI kicks off its 10th season October 9th.

Is STAR Artist Taylor Swift dating one of your kids favorite musicians? Rumor has it Taylor and Joe Jonas are seeing each other. Both are playing it cool so far…

August 18, 2008

Here's some great news: Christina Applegate is completely free of cancer! She tells me, "They got everything out, so I'm definitely not going to die from breast cancer." Earlier this month, Christina revealed she had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer, something her mother had also battled and survived a few years ago. Good news all around!

The Dark Knight's reign at the top of the box-office has ended. Here's the complete Top 10 recap from this weekend:

1.Tropic Thunder, $26 million
2. The Dark Knight, $16.8 million
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, $15.5 million
4. Mirrors, $11.1 million
5. Pineapple Express, $10 million
6. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, $8.6 million
7. Mamma Mia!, $6.5 million
8. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, $5.9 million
9. Step Brothers, $5 million
10. Vicky Cristina Barcelona, $3.7 million

Just like I told you they would, Ellen DeGeneres and girlfriend Portia de Rossi tied the knot over the weekend. Bride number one, Ellen, wore white pants, button-up shirt and a vest and wife number 2, Portia wore a backless light pink dress.
Bill Murray, probably trying to escape from the memories of a nasty divorce, hurled himself out of a plane over the weekend. Of course he did it strapped to the stomach of one of the Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team. It was all part of Chicago’s 50th Air & Water Show. Here's video proof he did it!

Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, has revealed he suffers from a mild form of dyspraxia, a neurological disorder that often impairs coordination, and which is sometimes mistaken for sheer clumsiness.

Speaking of Daniel…Fox News columnist Roger Friedman says the real reason Warner Brothers is delaying the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is because they don't want it to come out while star Daniel Radcliffe is getting naked on Broadway.

Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, all of whom filled in for Heath Ledger’s final role in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, have, in a stunning display of love and good will, donated their paychecks to Heath’s daughter Matilda because the will had not been updated to include her.

STAR Artist Daughtry is making sure STAR listeners get out and vote in the upcoming presidential election. But don’t worry, they’re not a bunch of celebrities who will tell you WHO to vote for. "As a band we're not saying vote for this person or vote for this person. We just want to get people out there and just do it, and vote for who they feel like."

STAR Artist Maroon 5 is offering STAR listeners the chance to buy a limited number of autographed copies of the deluxe version of It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. Each copy costs $100 but don’t let your jaw hit the floor just yet. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. Check out ShopMFredric.com to grab your copy.

STAR Artist Mariah Carey is currently enjoying a romantic getaway with new hubby Nick Cannon on the Italian isle of Capri. Capri is one of Mariah’s favorite places on earth. Why? "The food is amazing and the people are really, really nice. They're very cool...they treat me like I was born there."

Saturday, basically a week after their deaths, memorial services were held for Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. Bernie’s was open to public and over 10,000 people showed up to express their condolences. Isaac’s family held a private ceremony in Memphis. A few celebrities like Tom Cruise, Kelly Preston, and Wesley Snipes showed up. A public ceremony was held today in Cordova, Tennessee.

Call him New Kid on the chopping block. Donnie Wahlberg's wife of more than eight years has filed for divorce citing the ever popular "irreconcilable differences."

August 15, 2008

Rumor has it STAR Artist Leona Lewis will be at the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. At the end of each Olympics there’s a symbolic handoff to the next city the games happen, and in 2012, that place is London – Leona’s hometown. I also hear she’ll be joined by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page while superstar David Beckham kicks soccer balls with kids representing every country in the world.

As I told you yesterday, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi will be tying the knot soon – like, tomorrow. The two will exchange their vows in front of 20 close friends.

Christian Bale was accused of assaulting his mom and sister a month ago, but, due to lack of evidence and the mom and sister’s lack of desire to pursue the case, all charges have been dropped. Christian still won’t comment on it but he has always denied the allegations were true. Oh, and The Dark Knight is still kicking a** at the box-office.

Sure sex sells, but I didn’t get the memo that sex changes sell. A transgender model will appear on the next season of America’s Next Top Model. The model describes herself as “a woman born physically male.” Wait…Clay Aiken’s gonna be on the show?!

Briefly:
Matthew Fox, star of the hit show Lost got a raise today. He now makes $225,000 per episode. That’s a 50% raise! We should all be so lucky…

STAR Artist Madonna turns 50 tomorrow – and with a world tour ahead of her, she shows no signs of slowing down. Happy Birthday to the original Material Girl!

Tuesday, the music service Rhapsody will offer you 5 exclusive live tracks from STAR Artist Daughtry from a Las Vegas show.

In the words of Paula Cole...

..."I don't want to wait."

THIS. IS. LAME! Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was supposed to come out on November 21st. But is that going to happen? Nope. Today, studio execs announced they were pushing back the release date to next summer - July 17, 2009.

The reason? You guessed it: money. They'll make more money if they release it in the summer months than around Thanksgiving (I guess).

Like the trailer suggests, a lot of the action in the movie will take place in the past with flashbacks, all focusing on a younf Damien chanelling Tom Riddle who, as we all know, grows up to be the baddest wizard on the block. In case you missed it, here's the latest trailer:

August 14, 2008

The fat lady has sung for one cute celebrity couple. Just when I was getting excited about the adorableness of Jennifer Aniston and STAR Artist John Mayer, they break up. Multiple sources have confirmed the break-up though both John and Jen’s reps haven’t commented officially. Supposedly Jen broke up with John because of his roving eye.

STAR Artists Taylor Swift and Sheryl Crow both are contributing songs to the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack and recently they sat down to interview each other about the games, music and fitness. Want some highlights?

-Taylor says she's tried every sport but never found anything she was good at -- as she puts, "Music came in, and I didn't have time." Sheryl used to watch gymnastics as a kid but as an adult she watches swimming. And when a body like Michael Phelps' is in the water, who can blame her?

-Sheryl says she grew up as a competitive athlete, running track and swimming. These days, she runs, rides her bike, surfs and plays tennis.

-When Sheryl asks Taylor how she stays so fit, she says, "I don't really exercise much. I'm 18, so I've got the metabolism working for me." She admits to running on a treadmill, but says, "My shows are really energetic; there's this drum breakdown solo that I dance to, and it's cardio like no other."

-When Taylor asks Sheryl about being with her son Wyatt on the road, Sheryl says, "Everything revolves around his schedule, which is fine for me. We go on at around 9pm, so I get to put him to bed first."

STAR Artist Jordin Sparks has won a Teen Choice Award, MTV Video Music Award nomination and now she’s landed something with prestige – she’ll be named to the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

This weekend was supposed to be the weekend The Dark Knight loosened its grip on the box office. But yesterday the new Ben Stiller action comedy Tropic Thunder opened with a quiet $6.5 million. One analyst told me, “I think it’s not going to be as big as people thought.” The new fully animated Star Wars movie Clone Wars may be the only moving opening this weekend to make a big dent. Then again, I’m a huge Star Wars geek and I’m not wasting $9 on that flick.

The creator of Desperate Housewives tells me Eva Longoria is “desperately trying to get pregnant with her husband Tony Parker.” Wait, she’s trying to get pregnant with Tony Parker? Well there’s your problem. She should be trying to get pregnant with a baby.

STAR Artist O.A.R. frontman Marc Roberge says the band’s new song “Shattered” can mean many things to many people. But on it’s most obvious level he says it’s about, “a guy blaming everyone else in his life for his problems, but what the real story behind the song is that it's his fault.”

Briefly:
Regis Philbin will guest star on an episode of How I Met Your Mother on September 29th. Regis and Kelly will guest star on Ugly Betty next month.

Studio execs are considering making a sequel to Kung Fu Panda which has grossed $560 million worldwide. Look for a decision in a couple months.

Shia LaBeouf went back to work on the Transformers sequel today after recently having hand surgery thanks to a car accident that wasn’t his fault.

Expect Ellen DeGeneres and girlfriend Portia De Rossi to be married very, VERY soon.

August 13, 2008

Blender magazine recently asked Barack Obama and John McCain to list their top 10 favorite songs of all time.
Here's Obama's:
1. "Ready or Not," Fugees
2. "What's Going On," Marvin Gaye
3. "I'm On Fire," Bruce Springsteen
4. "Gimme Shelter," Rolling Stones
5. "Sinnerman," Nina Simone
6. "Touch the Sky," Kanye West
7. "You'd Be So Easy to Love," Frank Sinatra
8. "Think," Aretha Franklin
9. "City of Blinding Lights," U2
10. "Yes We Can," will.i.am

Here's McCain's:
1. "Dancing Queen," ABBA
2. "Blue Bayou," Roy Orbison
3. "Take a Chance On Me," ABBA
4. "If We Make It Through December," Merle Haggard
5. "As Time Goes By," Dooley Wilson
6. "Good Vibrations," The Beach Boys
7. "What A Wonderful World," Louis Armstrong
8. "I've Got You Under My Skin," Frank Sinatra
9. "Sweet Caroline," Neil Diamond
10. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," The Platters

STAR Artist David Cook is spending every free second on the American Idols Live tour recording his debut album. Now when I ask him about the CD he keeps saying, “It’s me.” Well what the heck does that mean? He says he wants to create a signature sound, much like Aerosmith and AC/DC have done. "There's a vibe associated with those bands, there's an energy that no one else has been able to replicate and that's my goal. I want to make a record that has my energy and my vibe." David Cook’s debut CD is due in stores in November.

Well we know who the athlete will be on this coming season’s Dancing With the Stars – Warren Sapp. But the network hasn’t confirmed the cast yet so how do I know? Because he told me. Dancing With the Stars starts September 22nd.

Speaking fo rumored Dancing With the Stars cast members...
Quick, to the Batm- er…dance floor! Apparently former Batman Adam West is a finalist to appear on Dancing With the Stars. A source tells me Adam is in great shape and works out every day. When I reached out to Adam’s rep I was told Adam’s “not definite yet, but is one of the people they are seriously looking at." You know, unless the show has everyone do the “Help I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up,” I don’t see how he can win.

STAR Artist Daughtry is getting political. Very political. SO political they want to vote Democrat and Republican. Okay not really but the band will appear at both party conventions to promote the ONE Campaign which raises awareness about global poverty, hunger and disease.

August 12, 2008

Can you believe this? The ladies of The View have finally been photographed together for the first time with Sherri Shepherd officially earning her spot as the fifth co-host.
Transformers and recent Indiana Jones star Shia LaBeouf's hand is healing well after the recent car accident he was involved in. The 911 call made to report the accident was released yesterday.
Here it is:

STAR Artist Coldplay singer Chris Martin introduced the “most beautiful woman in the world except for my wife” on stage last night as Alicia Keys strutted out on stage to play piano on “Clocks”. Speaking of Alicia, she liked touring with Jordin Sparks so much they’re going to do it again in December.

The girl who plays the super, indestructible cheerleader on NBC's Heroes, Hayden Panettiere, has a not-so-super father. Her dad was arrested yesterday after allegedly striking his wife. Hayden’s dad says the incident was blown out of proportion, Hayden herself had no comment – her publicist called the arrest a “private matter.”

Last month STAR Artist Madonna denied having an affair with Alex Rodriguez, the major league New York Yankee super-slugger. And after such a nasty rumor you would think the two would stay as far from each other’s lives as possible, right? No. A source close to Madonna has told me Alex donated a nice chunk of his hefty salary to Madonna’s Raising Malawi charity, about $500,000. I guess the charity gives Malawi orphans the money they need to buy Madonna’s next CD.

I say, the less screen time Denise Richards has, the better. That’s why when she told Access Hollywood over the weekend she is not joining Dancing With the Stars, I breathed a sigh of relief. She did say she’s in talks for a second season of her E! reality show Denise Richards Colon It’s Complicated. “In talks”? Translation: “Please let me back on your network!!!”

STAR Artists Jordin Sparks and Taylor Swift have been nominated in the Best New Artist Category of this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. The awards get handed out September 7th.

Tori Spelling bailed on reprising her role on the upcoming Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off for one reason: money. She was supposedly going to make $20,000 per episode which would have been less than her costars Jennie Garth and Shannon Doherty. Now she’s earning nothing. Yep, good movie Tori.

Briefly:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is coming to DVD and Blu-ray October 14th.

Britney Spears has managed to deliver her first coherent interview and do her first sober photoshoot in over two years. Look for all of that in this week’s Ok! magazine

David Hasselhoff's car is easily identified, what with his website emblazoned across the rear bumper. Lame, you say? Good marketing, I say.

Original King of Comedy Bernie Mac will have one more headlining gig on Saturday – his public memorial service at a 10,000 seat church. Attendees are encourage to make donations to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis which he suffered from and likely led to his death.

BREAKING: The Legendary Isaac Hayes Dead

It's another sad day in Hollywood. Legendary Emmy- and Oscar-winning musician Isaac Hayes is dead at the age of 65.

I had actual just seen Isaac and his partner David Porter at a radio conference a month ago. Though he had suffered a stroke a few years back, he was perfectly normal, just a little slow to move. At the conference, an attendee broke down into tears because of the way his music had touched her life. Later that day I actually held the elevator door for him and rode it to the lobby with just him and his wife. Later I would tell my friends there, "He smelled nice."

Hayes had an incredible life and career. He composed the soundtrack to 1971's Shaft, co-wrote the hit songs "Soul Man" & "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and provided the voice of Chef in the animated South Park. He also had a small role playing himself in the new movie Soul Man starring Bernie Mac, who died yesterday.

Isaac Hayes leaves behind a wife, 12 children and 14 grandchildren.

BREAKING: Comedian & Actor Bernie Mac Dead

First George Carlin now this. Wow. We are losing some immensely talented and funny people.

One week after being hospitalized with pneumonia, comedian and actor Bernie Mac has passed away, according to a spokesperson from the Cook County Medical Examiner in Chicago.

Maybe you didn't watch his stand-up specials but chances are you saw his comedic genius in action in movies like Guess Who, Ocean's 11, 12 & 13, and Transformers.

Costars from the Ocean's movies, Brad Pitt and George Clooney are already reacting to the news. Brad said, "I lament the loss of a ferociously funny and hardcore family man. My thoughts are with [his wife] Rhonda and their family. Bernie Mac, you are already missed." Clooney said, "The world just got a little less funny. He will be dearly missed."

Bernie Mac was 50.

2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony

The life of a night DJ means screwed up hours. I wake up around noon, go to work at 3 p.m., get off work at midnight then fall asleep around 3 a.m.

Tonight was different. You see, my girlfriend LOVES the Olympics so she watched the Opening Ceremonies as they aired tonight while I was on air. I talked to her on the phone after I got off work and she was RAVING about what she had seen. I thought to myself, "It can't be that good." So at 1:45 a.m. NBC started rerunning the broadcast of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies and I decided I'd give it a shot.

Never in my life have I said out loud, to no one, "Oh my GOD!" while watching a television program as much as I did during this viewing. Never has my jaw dropped as often as it did from 1:45 a.m. 'til 6:00 a.m. Yep, I watched the entire thing.

Sure there will be arguments over issues surrounding the games and China as a host - but no one can argue this was the most breath-taking Opening Ceremony ever seen. I mean did you see the "Printing Blocks"?! Unbelievable.

I want my own 500 foot LED screen.

August 8, 2008

STAR Artist The Police played their final show ever last night at Madison Square Garden. Here was their set list:
"Sunshine Of Your Love"
"Message In A Bottle"
"Walking On The Moon"
"Demolition Man"
"Voices Inside My Head"/"When the World Is Running Down"
"Don't Stand So Close To Me"
"Driven To Tears"
"Hole In My Life
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
"Wrapped Around Your Finger"
"De Do Do Do De Da Da Da"
"Invisible Son"
"Can't Stand Losing You"

ENCORE
"Purple Haze"
"Roxanne"
"King of Pain"
"So Lonely"
"Every Breath You Take"
"Next To You"

You Matchbox Twenty fans have spoken and the band’s new live album, “Best of Exile in America,” is ready for you to buy. The band asked fans to pick their favorite live recordings from their recent tour and a whopping 26 tracks were chosen. The catch is, the album isn’t a CD, it’s a USB wristband you plug into your computer. Grab it now from matchboxtwenty.com for $35. Here’s the 26 songs chosen:
"Hang" (recorded live in San Jose, CA)
"Bright Lights/She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" (recorded live at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
"Hand Me Down" (recorded live in Hollywood, FL)
"Back To Good" (recorded live in Denver, CO)
"Downfall" (recorded live in Fairfax, VA)
"How Far We've Come" (recorded live at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
"Long Day" (recorded live in Las Vegas, NV)
"Soul" (recorded live in Hollywood, FL)
"Push" (recorded live at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
"Argue" (recorded live in Fairfax, VA)
"(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" (recorded live in Albany, NY)
"I'll Believe You When" (recorded live in Seattle, WA)
"Low" (recorded live in Las Vegas, NV)
"3 AM" (recorded live in Chicago, IL)
"So Sad" (recorded live in Las Vegas, NV)
"Unwell" (recorded live at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
"Could I Be You" (recorded live in San Jose, CA)
"These Hard Times" (recorded live in Los Angeles, CA)
"The Difference" (recorded live in Uncasville, CT)
"Bent" (recorded live at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
"All Your Reasons" (recorded live in Detroit, MI)
"If You're Gone" (recorded live at Madison Square Garden, NYC)
"Real World" (recorded live in Los Angeles, CA)
"Disease" (recorded live in Dallas, TX)
"If I Fall" (recorded live in Reno, NV)
"Can't Let You Go" (recorded live in Atlanta, GA)
"All I Need" (recorded live in Chicago, IL)

Look! It’s Bono without his sunglasses on!

I need to get something off my chest: George Lucas needs to stop making movies. The original Star Wars movies were awesome. But recently he’s been directing nothing good. At all. Okay, I feel better. That being said, George is leaving the door open for another Indiana Jones movie with Harrison Ford. George told me, "If Indiana Jones wasn't in it, you'd have to call it 'Mutt Williams and the search for Elvis.'" They’re currently doing research to find a new object Indy could chase. I got it. Indiana Jones and Magical Dialysis Machine!

STAR Artist Pink’s new song "So What" recently leaked online, but she's not too broken up about it. In her MySpace blog, she writes, "My song is exposed. I suppose it was inevitable. Here's my thing, your response has made this whole life-altering, intense and beautiful experience I call a 'new album' feel SUPER EXCITING!" In the song, Pink directly addresses her breakup with husband. Now, one would think that he would be none too happy about these lyrics. But, addressing her fans, Pink writes in her blog, "I'm glad you like the song. And don't worry, Carey likes it too. We are insane."

Just announced: STAR Artist Taylor Swift’s new album “Fearless” will hit stored November 11th.

August 7, 2008

Full details are out now about the new Olympic-themed album AT&T Team USA Soundtrack. You'll be able to download these songs tomorrow from iTunes or if you're an AT&T customer, you'll be able to download the songs right to your cell phone. Check out a full track list:
3 Doors Down - "The Champion in Me"
Army of Me - "Perfect" (acoustic)
Colbie Caillat - "Somethin' Special"
Clique Girlz - "Incredible" (acoustic)
Sheryl Crow - "So Glad We Made It"
Chris Brown - "Dreamer"
Flipsyde - "Champion"
Luis Fonsi - "No Me Doy Por Vencido" (exclusive track)
Goo Goo Dolls - "Real"
Josh Kelley - "To Remember"
Lady Antebellum - "I Was Here"
Queen Latifah - "Champion"
Mere - "Rise"
Nelly - "Warrior" (Team USA edition)
Taylor Swift - "Change"
Kate Voegele - "Lift Me Up"

Morgan Freeman can’t catch a break. On Sunday he was involved in a very serious single car accident, had to have four hours worth of surgery and now we find out he and his wife have split up. I hope that discussion wasn’t a part of his wife’s bed-side manner. I can just imagine...“Hey honey, did they put your nerve endings back together? Yeah? Good. Listen…let’s get a divorce.”

Here’s a little follow-up/back-story on that Paris Hilton campaign ad I told you about yesterday. It was shot at a house in the Hampton’s and Paris memorized ALL her lines. Now she can start memorizing the names of all 46 states. By the way, Paris wasn’t paid a dime to do the video.

Tara Reid…I guess she’s best known for her role in American Pie and Van Wilder, is looking for a roommate. Evidently she’s been looking for some random person to move in with her because she wants to have a new non-celebrity friend. One potential roommate recently backed out because she didn’t think the living situation would be…calm. Tara Reid is not looking for a roommate. She’s looking for a full-time assistant to hold her hair when she vomits her Red Bull and vodkas.

George Clooney is spending the summer vacationing with a supermodel…and her family. Cindy Crawford, her husband and two kids are cruisin’ around the French Riviera, and since Cindy’s been doing nothing but late-night infomercials for the past 7 years, I have a feeling George is picking up most of the tab.

Not that this is a surprise, but a rep for Jennifer Aniston told me the rumors STAR Artist John Mayer and her are getting hitched and having a baby are complete fabrications. It was a nice image while it lasted.

While Angelina stayed home with the rest of the family, Brad Pitt enjoyed some male bonding with his seven year-old son Maddox when the two went go-kart racing. I bet Brad made a lot of “Pitt” stops. Sorry.

Briefly:
STAR Artist Jojo turned down the role of Hannah Montana…you know, the most famous girl in the world. Ever. But she says, “No regrets, no regrets at all.”

Tonight, STAR Artist The Police will perform their last show…ever. Madison Square Garden in New York City is the scene tonight for the final performance.

August 6, 2008

Last week I told you about the new John McCain campaign ad that compared Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Then we found out the Hilton parents are big McCain contributors. Rude, right? Well now Paris herself has issued a video response and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a LONG time. This thing has been viewed almost 4 million times in 1 day. Even if you don’t like Paris, you’ll like this video.

This week’s movie releases didn’t wait ‘til Friday to challenge The Dark Knight. Pineapple Express and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 hit theaters today. Check out trailers for both movies:

Even though ABC tells me they never comment on casting rumors…I do! Rumor has it singer Toni Braxton, former *N Sync member Lance Bass, rodeo star Ty Murray, socialite Kim Kardashian, Brady Brunch-er Florence Henderson and former star quarterback Dan Marino have all been cast in the next season of Dancing with the Stars. The official cast gets announced later this month.

It’s been a little too long, like a week, since I gave you a John Mayer-Jennifer Aniston romance update, so here we go. A source tells me a few weeks ago they had a serious heart-to-heart where Jen told John she wanted him to move in with her after the tour ends. Apparently John said he wasn’t against the idea but they should give it more thought. I bet he agrees to move in but only if she lets the other three girls he’s dating move in with him.

Meanwhile…
OK agazine’s new cover claims that Jennifer and John are getting married in an intimate backyard ceremony. Other details include a strapless Vera Wang dress, Friends co-star Courtney Cox as Maid of Honor, and a honeymoon in Greece. Don’t you have to be engaged first?

If you remember, the reason American Idol winner David Cook went to the Idol auditions was to support his little brother Andrew. Andrew didn’t even make it to Hollywood so to payback his little bro, David and him will sing the National Anthem at the September 14th Kansas City Chiefs game, Kansas City being their hometown.

For the first time, the MTV Video Music Awards will look across the pond to honor the best British act. The nominees reportedly include STAR Artists Leona Lewis, Duffy and Coldplay.

Morpheus in Las Vegas? Yep. CBS is looking into bringing Matrix star Laurence Fishburne on as a replacement for William Petersen on CSI. Petersen is leaving the show as a regular cast member after the 10th episode of the new season.

Briefly:
STAR Artist Justin Timberlake saves a few bucks every month because he doesn’t need hair and nail appointments. He cuts his own hair. Hence why it’s the same length everywhere. Okay, not EVERYWHERE. Get your mind out of the gutter!

Comedian Artie Lange has checked himself into rehab. His rep wouldn’t confirm to me what for.

Bored economists figure that Oprah controls exactly 1,015,519 of America's votes. Yes. CONTROLS.

Put another celebrity in the “I’m having twins” category. Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis, and her fourth husband are pregnant with twins, due this fall.

August 5, 2008

Here's WomensHealth.com's list of the Top 10 things women should understand about men:
1. I don't want to talk about it. I want to figure it out.
2. When you ask me what's on my mind and I say "nothing," I really mean nothing.
3. Brazilian wax. Me like.
4. I know when you're faking it.
5. Would it kill you to wear something with pockets? I don't want to carry around your lipstick and license all night.
6. I thoroughly enjoy watching large men stand in a ring and beat the tattoos off each other. Fighting with you? Not so down with that.
7. I worry about our finances about 30 times a day - so no need to keep reminding me.
8. Don't expect me to sing along with you in the car. It's not, um, manly. (You won't find me abiding by this rule!)
9. It's totally refreshing when you can laugh at yourself. It also means that you're not laughing at me.
10. I like it when other guys check you out, but not the other way around. And, yes, this is a double standard.

The fastest film to $100 million, $200 million and $300 million is now the fastest film to $400 million. By a lot. 18 days - that’s all it took for The Dark Knight to break $400 million at the box-office. The former record holder – Shrek 2 – hit $400 million in 43 days.

Speaking of The Dark Knight...
One of its stars, Morgan Freeman spent over four hours in surgery last night to reconnect nerves and basically put him back together after a rollover car accident on Sunday. His rep tells me “He is in good spirits and is visiting with family members.”

Rumors have been circling that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt used in vitro fertilization to have their new twins, but as the rest of the family posed for pictures at their recent photo shoot, Angelina shot down those rumors, “We would have been happy to discuss it, but we have been fortunate never to have had fertility problems." By the way, Angelina says she and Brad had no problems getting the other kids ready for the new babies. They made them watch a Dora the Explorer episode about twins.

TV has been very, VERY good to Charlie Sheen and William Petersen – TV’s highest paid actors. Sheen brings home the bacon in the form of $20 million per year and $825,000 an episode for Two & a Half Men. Yes, that’s on TOP of the $20 mil a year. CSI star William Petersen makes $600,000 an episode. Oprah, obviously, makes the most of any TV celebrity with combined earnings of $385 million in the last year.

Speaking of Charlie Sheen (and how often does THAT happen?)...
Charlie Sheen won’t nickel and dime you – he’ll just nickel you. Recently a doctor in LA immunized Charlie’s kids even though Charlie didn’t want him to. The doctor said he’d treat the kids with whatever they need, whenever they need it. Charlie replied by not paying the $380 bill, until yesterday when he messengered $380 worth of nickels to the doctor’s office. I did the math for ya. That’s 7,600 nickels weighing just under 84 pounds.

Either American Idol isn't very popular in Puerto Rico, or the island just doesn't have much singing talent. Only about 300 hopefuls showed up to an Idol audition in San Juan over the weekend - a much smaller crowd than the thousands who usually attend the casting calls in the U.S. mainland.

Briefly:
STAR Artist Sheryl Crow will introduce an eco-friendly clothing line later this year. The threads, which will be sold under the name Bootheel Trading Company by Sheryl Crow, will range in price from $35 to $60.

The Jonas Brothers have officially confirmed they're headed to the Disney Channel for their very own show. Production starts in September.

August 4, 2008

The long wait is over – the first pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s twins are out. People magazine ended up winning the bidding war, paying $14 million for dibs on the first pics. If you pick up the issue on newsstands now, you'll be treated to 19 pages of photos. Angelina tells me raising that many little ones is “chaos, but we are managing and having a wonderful time.” Brad added, “It’s a cuckoo’s nest.” Without further adieu, here's the cover:
The sun ain’t setting on The Dark Knight which is on pace to become the second highest grossing movie of all-time. Here's the complete Top 10 from this past weekend at the box-office:
1. The Dark Knight, $43.8 million
2. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, $42.5 million
3. Step Brothers, $16.3 million
4. Mamma Mia!, $13.1 million
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth, $6.9 million
6. Swing Vote, $6.3 million
7. Hancock, $5.2 million
8. WALL-E, $4.7 million
9. The X-Files: I Want to Believe, $3.4 million
10. Space Chimps, $2.8 million

Speaking of The Dark Knight, one of its stars had a very bad weekend. Actor Morgan Freeman and a female passenger were involved in a serious one-car accident on Sunday in Mississippi. Police told me it’s a “typical accident” but anything that requires the jaws of life and a two-person airlift to the hospital is not typical, at least in my book. Morgan’s rep told me he broke his arm, elbow and has some minor shoulder damage but is in good spirits.

And some more bad news...
Actress Christina Applegate is being treated for breast cancer. Thankfully doctors caught it early and expect a full recovery after treatment. This news comes just months after her on-again, off-again boyfriend was found dead of an apparent heroin overdose. Christina actually became a spokesperson for breast cancer awareness after her mother was diagnosed a few years ago – she’ll also appear on the Stand Up To Cancer special airing in prime time September 5th on all major TV networks (except Fox). We wish Christina all the best.

Over the weekend, STAR Artist Matchbox Twenty wrapped up their first tour together in five years and guitarist Paul Doucette says, “It was, without a doubt, the best tour we’ve ever done.” Since they’re on a roll Paul also says the next Matchbox Twenty album isn’t too far behind. They’re not going to wait another 5 years, that’s for sure. Rob Thomas is also staying busy – his next solo album is almost done and should be out early next year, which he’ll follow with a solo tour.

Fox has just ordered another season of So You Think You Can Dance for next year. Win tickets into the So You Think You Can Dance Tour all this week with the Drive at 5 p.m. and 80s at 8 p.m. on STAR 98. It’s at the Resch Center October 18th.

Rumors have it that STAR Artist Justin Timberlake is being considered to host the next Academy Awards. Insiders tell me he impressed some decision-makers when he hosted the ESPYs a few weeks back, but according to another source the show hasn’t nailed down a producer yet and it’s the producer’s job to find a host.

Briefly:
Despite rumors to the contrary, Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are not engaged. They’ve been dating for over a year and all the gossip shows are willing the engagement to happen but reps for both of the actors tell me it hasn’t happened yet.

STAR Artist Taylor Swift just wrapped a photo shoot for her upcoming album, which is due out this fall.

STAR Artist Sarah McLachlan will release a greatest-hits compilation on October 7th.

August 1, 2008

It's AUGUST already?!

Is a crackdown on the paparazzi necessary in Hollywood? STAR Artist John Mayer believes so. He was one of three celebrities who participated in a City Hall meeting in Los Angeles yesterday. Mayer told officials that he's often followed late at night by cars without license plates that sometimes don't stop at red lights. He said, "Without knowing who is following you, you do not know why you are being followed, which brings about a very real possibility of suffering harm." John went so far as to propose that paparazzi be credentialed and display a, "big white P" on their license plates.

Transformers director Michael Bay went to bat for Shia LaBeouf. LaBeouf was arrested for DUI last Sunday after a truck he was driving collided with another car in Los Angeles but Michael Bay says Shia wasn’t drunk and was drinking hours and hours before. Bay also says he’s considering writing Shia’s hand injury into the new Transformers movie. A win-win for everyone...

I told you People magazine won the bidding war for the first pics of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins. Now we know when we’ll see them. The actual magazine itself with the pictures will hit newsstands on Monday morning, but chances are you’ll see the pics online Sunday night.

Plans are already in the works for the next Batman movie. Word has it Johnny Depp has been tapped to play the Riddler with Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin. And if that’s not enough, Angelina Jolie is rumored to be playing Catwoman.

Briefly:
The guitar that STAR Artist Colbie Caillat used to write “Bubbly” is finding its way into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

According to Star magazine, American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth has turned down the proposal of her boyfriend of just five months and Dancing with the Stars partner, Derek Hough.

Sony is developing a Spider-Man spin-off focused on Venom, the bad guy from Spider-Man 3 and Mike Myers is reportedly getting ready for a fourth Austin Powers flick.

The Top 10 Finalist from American Idol closed the NASDAQ today.