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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Martha Stewart (lifestyle guru) is 66
Gordon Stoker (singer) is 83
Tony Bennett (singer) is 81
Martin Sheen (actor) is 67
Beverly Lee (singer) is 66
John Landis (director) is 57
JoMarie Payton (actress) is 57
Jay North (actor) is 56
John C. McGinley (actor) is 48
Leon Drucker a-k-a Lee Rocker (singer-bassist) is 46
James Hetfield (singer) is 44
Ed Roland (singer) is 44
Isaiah Washington (actor) is 44
Dean Sams (country keyboardist) is 41
Deidra Muriel Roper a-k-a Spinderella (musician) is 36
Tom Brady (football player) is 30
Evangeline Lilly (actress) is 28
Holly Arnstein (singer) is 22
Saturday, August 4th
Frankie Ford (singer) is 68
Richard Belzer (actor-comedian) is 63
Billy Bob Thornton (actor) is 52
Kym Karath (actress) is 47
Michael Gelman (producer) is 46
Barack Obama (U-S Senator from Illinois) is 46
Roger Clemens (baseball player) is 45
Rob Cieka (drummer) is 39
Daniel Dae Kim (actor) is 39
Jeff Gordon (racecar driver) is 36
Andy Hallett (actor) is 32
Marques Houston (singer-actor) is 26
Sunday, August 5th
Neil Armstrong (astronaut) is 77
Vern Gosdin (country singer) is 73
Cammie King (actress) is 73
Loni Anderson (actress) is 61
Rick Derringer (singer) is 60
Cheryl Gray a-k-a Samantha Sang (singer) is 54
Maureen McCormick (actress) is 51
Georg Ruthenberg a-k-a Pat Smear (guitarist) is 48
Tawny Kitaen (actress) is 46
Mark O'Connor (country fiddler) is 46
Patrick Ewing (basketball player) is 45
Adam "MCA" Yauch (rapper) is 43
Jonathan Silverman (actor) is 41
Terri Clark (country singer) is 39
ON AUGUST 3rd...
In 1966...The South African government banned the broadcast of Beatles songs after John Lennon's remark that his group was more popular than Jesus.
In 1967...To promote Ravi Shankar's Hollywood Bowl concert, George Harrison joined the sitar player at his news conference.
In 1968...The Newport Pop Festival kicked off. It featured performers like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Steppenwolf.
In 1968..."Hello, I Love You" became The Doors' second and final number-one single.
In 1969...The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson agreed to serve civilian duty instead of being drafted into the army, but when he arrived at Los Angeles County Hospital to do his bit, he taught music classes instead of acting as an institutional helper.
In 1971...Paul McCartney announced he was forming a new band called Wings.
In 1974...Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band opened for Canadian songbird Anne Murray in New York. It's the last gig Bruce played with drummer Ernie "Boom Boom" Carter and keyboardist David Sancious.
In 1987...Def Leppard released their Hysteria album. Their third album spent six weeks at number one.
In 1991...In Houston, Ted Nugent faced off against animal rights groups at a hunting show.
In 1997...Garth Brooks performed a concert in New York's Central Park.
In 1997...Bob Dylan played his first concert since his heart scare in Lincoln, Nebraska, but he seemed tired and even performed some songs sitting down.
In 2002...Bob Dylan played The Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. It was the first time he played the event since 1965 when he was booed offstage for going electric.
In 2002...In East Troy, Wisconsin, the surviving members of The Grateful Dead played together as The Other Ones.
In 2004...Backstreet Boy Nick Carter denied reports that he physically abused his ex-girlfriend, heiress Paris Hilton.
In 2004...Laci Van Zant, the father of the Van Zant Southern rock dynasty, died. He was 89. His son Ronnie founded Lynyrd Skynyrd, which Johnny Van Zant joined following his brother's death in a plane crash. A third son, Donnie, played with 38 Special, and now Johnny and Donnie are playing together as Van Zant, a country duo.
In 2004...Traffic cancelled their reunion tour after drummer Jim Capaldi was diagnosed with a severe gastric ulcer.
In 2004...The experimental Scottish quartet The Beta Band announced they were breaking up. As well as releasing the critically acclaimed The Three EPs, their song "Dry the Rain" was featured in the movie High Fidelity.
In 2005...Melissa Etheridge announced she was cancer free, nine months after she was diagnosed with the disease.
In 2005...Memphis rapper Project Pat was released from prison after serving three years for felony possession of a firearm.
Saturday, August 4th
In 1958...Billboard magazine introduced their Hot 100 singles chart.
In 1964...Rock 'n' roll was banned in Medford, Massachusetts after a riot broke out during a sock hop.
In 1965...Bob Dylan completed recording Highway 61 Revisited after laying down "Desolation Row" and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues."
In 1966...Several American radio stations pulled Beatles records from their playlists following John Lennon's "bigger than Jesus" comment.
In 1969...Bill Graham announced he planned to close the Fillmore West in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 1969.
In 1970...After falling asleep on a woman's porch in L-A, Jim Morrison was arrested for public drunkenness.
In 1971...At their New Year's Eve concert at the New York Academy of Music, The Band was joined on stage by their old boss Bob Dylan.
In 1975...Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and his family were hospitalized after a car crash on the Greek island of Rhodes.
In 1979...Led Zeppelin played to 120-thousand people at Knebworth Park in England. It was their first concert in the U-K in four years.
In 1980...John Lennon began recording his Double Fantasy album with Yoko Ono in New York.
In 1980...Pink Floyd kicked off a five-night stand at London's Earls Court on the Wall tour. During the show, a giant wall was built across the stage between the band and the audience.
In 1984...Genesis drummer and solo artist Phil Collins married Jill Tavelman. At the reception, Collins jammed with Eric Clapton and Robert Plant.
In 1986...In Clark County, Washington, ten-thousand people packed the fair grounds to see Merle Haggard perform, but he never showed up. A spokesman blamed the flu, but others said that Merle had a fight with his wife.
In 1987...The Dirty Dancing soundtrack was released.
In 1990...Someone stole 250-thousand dollars worth of New Kids on the Block merchandise in Montreal.
In 1995...The H.O.R.D.E. Tour, boasting a line-up of Blues Traveler, The Black Crowes and Ziggy Marley, kicked off in Noblesville, Indiana.
In 2003...Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic announced on the Eyes Adrift Web site that he was quitting the music business, although he planned to continue to play music with his band.
In 2003...Jack White posted graphic video footage of his hand operation on The White Stripes' Web site. The guitarist had three screws implanted to set the bones in his hand after a July car accident.
In 2005...Little Milton Campbell died after suffering a stroke. The blues singer was 71. Campbell was a popular performer during the 1960's, scoring number one hits like "We're Gonna Make It."
Sunday, August 5th
In 1966...The Beatles released Revolver in the U-K.
In 1972...Clive Davis signed a young band called Aerosmith to CBS Records after seeing them play Max's Kansas City in New York. They received 125-thousand dollars at the signing.
In 1974...Kim Fowley brought together the four girls who would go on to form The Runaways, which included Joan Jett and Lita Ford.
In 1983...David Crosby was sentenced to eight years in jail for drug and gun possession.
In 1985...The establishment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was announced.
In 1986...Lionel Richie released his album Dancing on the Ceiling.
In 1990...Madonna wrapped up her Blonde Ambition tour in Nice, France. The show was screened on HBO via a tape delay.
In 1992...Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro died of a heart attack in Hidden Hills, California. He was 38.
In 1994...Michael Jackson performed a concert in Wales during which he collapsed three times.
In 1994...Billy Idol was admitted to a hospital after suffering a drug overdose.
In 1996...Bruce Springsteen sued two London bootleggers who were distributing an album attributed to him titled Unearthed.
In 1998...George Strait was nominated five times at the Country Music Association Awards, bringing his career total to a record-setting 47 nominations.
In 2000...The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Moby performed at the Rolling Rock Town Fair in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. During his performance, Moby complained, "I'm a little disturbed when you have sleazy guys onstage encouraging women to get their breasts out." He also described the Republican Party as "uptight, crypto-fascist Nazis."
In 2003...Lynyrd Skynyrd cancelled the remainder of their Party of a Lifetime tour after lead guitarist Gary Rossington's doctor told him to take it easy. Rossington had undergone open-heart surgery six months earlier.
In 2003...The Rolling Stones were forced to postpone a gig in Benidorm, Spain after 60-year-old Mick Jagger contracted laryngitis.
In 2005...Mariah Carey topped the American singles chart for a tenth straight week with "We Belong Together."
MOVIE MINUTE: HOT ROD
Hot Rod is the new film starring Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg, who is probably best known from his Digital Shorts, like the hardcore gangsta rap about The Chronicles of Narnia called "Lazy Sunday." In the movie, Andy plays "Rod Kimble," a self-proclaimed stuntman preparing for the stunt of his life. He plans to jump 15 buses in an attempt to raise money for his abusive stepfather's heart operation, just so he can fight him. Samberg created a new phenomenon in the flick called punch dancing. He explains. (Actuality #4) "Punch dancing is the way we've described the sequence in the film that is not so loosely based on Kevin Bacon's warehouse dancing in Footloose, you know? I mean, I think we've all done it. When the world's got you down and you just get so fed up and filled with rage and you just go to let it out and punch dance." The comedy also stars Isla Fisher, who begs you not to try any of these stunts at home. (Actuality #5) "Please do not try this at home, particularly if you are under the age of ten. You will get hurt if you try to skate down a hill or jump over 15 buses because you can't jump over 15 buses." Hot Rod also stars Ian McShane, Sissy Spacek, Will Arnett and Bill Hader. It is in theaters now.
From their first days on the road together to this final curtain call at drama camp on The Simple Life Goes to Camp, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have done it all, seen it all and destroyed most of what was in their path. During this last season of The Simple Life,the girls served as camp counselors at Camp Shawnee and were responsible for positively impacting the lives of the campers who had signed up to attend the various camps such as wellness, drama and survival. Camp Shawnee is located in the wilderness settings of the Southern California Mountains and Richie wasn't too happy with the sleeping arrangements. (Actuality #6) "We were in these cots and we slept in... I guess they are what you call cabins but they're worse. I mean, it was basically like sleeping in the outdoors but with four walls around you. I don't know if that makes sense but it was freezing and it was horrible (laughs)." She wasn't too fond of the showers either. (Actuality #7) "The showers are gross but even the fact that I had to walk outside to even go to the showers you know? It was a thing (laughs)." The final episode of The Simple Life airs Sunday at 10 PM on E!
Jennifer Lopez stars and produces in El Cantante, a biopic about salsa legend Hector Lavoe, played by her husband, Marc Anthony. This is the first time Jennifer produces a movie under her company Nuyorican Productions, so the project was a labor of love from beginning to end. (Actuality #8) "I got the script five and a half years ago and we were not together at that time but I knew he was the guy to play the role so I called him a month later and I was like do you want to attach yourself to this? At that time I didn't even know I was going to play Puchi but I did know that I wanted it to be the first thing I wanted to produce. So I called him up as the producer of the film and asked 'do you want to play this?' and he said 'of course, this guys is my idol.'" El Cantante opens today in theatres nationwide.
The popular chic fashion dollscalled BRATZ have come alive in their first live action film. In the movie, four girls have been best friends forever, but now the foursome have entered high school. They discover that life as a teenager means dealing with a system of social cliques and they find themselves being pulled further and further apart. They band together and rise up as "the Bratz" in order to fight peer pressure. The movie stars Janel Parish, Nathalia Ramos, Skyler Shaye and Logan Browning, who are all very happy to be in the film. (Actuality #9) "(Janel Parish) We love the message in the movie. I mean, basically it's about being yourself, being with your friends, embracing diversity and... (Nathalia Ramos) It's a really fun movie. We all got so close, the whole cast, the crew and we just had a great time and I think it just shows a great message. (Skyler Shaye) Everybody can get something from it. (Logan Browning) The kids that have seen the movie so far all have been bouncing in their seat and clapping at the end, like moms have been loving it, boys have been loving it, probably everyone else loves it too." And like the girls in the movie, the young actresses have become very close. (Actuality #10) "(Janel Parish) We got along right away and we're all so different and we all have very different interests and different personalities but we all still really support each other and love each other, which is really cool so... (Skyler Shaye) We're very close. We all talk like everyday. (Janel Parish) We bonded instantly. (Skyler Shaye) We text each other on the phone. (Nathalia Ramos) When we're not working we're always talking and hanging out. We're really good friends, which is great. I can't imagine having to go to work everyday with people that I didn't like. (Janel Parish) We've learned something. We've learned something from each other." Bratz also stars Jon Voight and opens nationwide today.
According to Reuters, the fourth Shrek film is the first movie to lay a claim to a 2010 release date. The tentatively titled The Next Shrek will come out on May 21st, 2010. Other films eyeing a 2010 release, but no specific date yet, include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow and the 23rd "James Bond" flick.
Futurama: Bender's Big Score is the first feature length film from the show and marks the first new Futurama programming since 2003. The film will debut onDVD in November. As X-mas 3007 approaches, the Futurama crew must fight to save Earth in an epic battle against nudist alien Internet scammers. The film features guest appearances from Al Gore, Coolio and Sarah Silverman. The Futurama universe will expand when three more films are released individually through 2008. Futurama: Benders Big Score will arrive on DVD on November 27th.
According to the Associated Press, Melanie Brown, a-k-a Scary Spice, announced at a press conference Wednesday that she has filed a paternity petition against Eddie Murphy to legally establish that he is the father of her son. She is also seeking sole custody of the child and asking the court "to decide what is reasonable" in regards to child support. A spokesperson for Murphy declined to comment.
Kevin Federline is shunning the spotlight? It's true: After Federline finalized his divorce with Britney Spears, his lawyer told the Associated Press that K-Fed wants to raise his kids so that they can "pretend they're like everyone else." Federline's lawyer also went on to say that, "When they are with him, he is going to shield his children from unwanted media attention. You will not find a picture of Kevin parading with the children out in a public place."
Despite her flop recording debut, Paris Hilton will sing again. The Associated Press reports that Hilton -who has been working on tracks for her second CD -has landed a role in Repo! The Genetic Opera. It is a horror rock opera based on a stage musical set in a future where people can buy new organs on an installment plan from the "Geneco" company. But if they can't pay up, the organs are repossessed. Hilton will play the fame-seeking daughter of the owner of the company, who will be played by Paul Sorvino. Shooting will begin in Canada in September.
According to PR Wire, it's just been announced that Reese Witherspoon has signed on to be the new global face of Avonand their Hello Tomorrow campaign. Reese is set to help spread awareness about what the company and their campaign is doing about breast cancer, domestic violence and emergency relief. Fans can see Reese next in the flick Rendition, which hits theaters October 12th.
According to the Associated Press, Jackie Chan won't be getting to impress his countrymen with his latest film, Rush Hour 3. The Chinese government carefully screens movies that run in the country, and only about 20 foreign films are shown a year. Variety's Asian Web site reports that officials believe the flick is "fundamentally anti-Chinese." New Line Cinema said it had no comment. Rush Hour 3, which also stars Chris Tucker, hits theaters in the States next Friday.
According to AETV.com, Mexico has dismissed all criminal charges against Duane "Dog" Chapman and his crew, of the A&E reality TV show Dog The Bounty Hunter. The courts threw out the charges against the group on the grounds that the statue of limitations has expired. Bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico and"Dog" and two of his team were arrested this year because of a 2003 apprehension they made in Puerto Vallarta. Back in '03, Dog and his crew captured Andrew Luster, the Max Factor cosmetics heir, who has since been convicted of rape charges and is serving a 124-year prison term.
Maybe the biggest surprise about Beyoncé's spill last week is that it didn't happen sooner. In an interview published last week, she told the Associated Press that, "The easiest part is dancing in the heels. I don't even think about it anymore; it's just second nature." But, she added, "It is difficult to dance and sing at the same time. I have to make sure I'm in shape and I'm hydrated. I don't want to wear myself out and get exhausted." She also revealed to the outlet that -sorry, Jay-Z -she loves hanging with the ladies. She talked about her all-female touring band saying that, "Everyone is so supportive of each other. We do things together, like yesterday we went skating; I rented out a roller-skating rink for all of us and everybody's families to come. Also, I have eight female dancers and four males... they are the only men on the tour, I feel bad for them being around all us women!"
In response to the concerns of the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students, the Associated Press reports that Gwen Stefani will tone down the more salacious material at her concert in the country later this month. Maxis Communications Bhd released a statement, reading, "Gwen Stefani has confirmed that her concert will not feature any revealing costumes. She will abide by the Malaysian authorities' guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensitivities." Stefani hits up Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 21st.
Robin Thicke had been out on the road recently with John Legend hitting up small arenas before he launched his own headlining tour. Now, the R&B singer is out on the biggest tour of his career - opening for Beyonce. (Actuality #1) "You get a call and you hear Beyonce wants to go on tour with you and you go, 'For real? Oh this is really happening.' If I could make a list of the people that I would even consider or desire going on tour with, I think Beyonce would be at the very, very top of that list." Robin Thicke and Beyonce are playing in East Rutherford, New Jersey tonight.
Jared Leto's band, 30 Seconds To Mars, has scored a significant comeback with its second album, A Beautiful Lie - and his brother, drummer Shannon Leto, puts that down to childhood influences. (Actuality #2) "I think that's one thing we definitely tried to tap into this time around is, what excited us when we were kids. Like getting a new record, the artwork, just what we wanted to kind of channel that with this record and I think we did." Check it out for yourself. A Beautiful Lie is in stores now.
Prince played the first of his 21 shows at the O2 stadium in London on Tuesday and he had some words for Madonna. According to NME.com, the singer said, "I got so many hits y'all can't handle me. I got more hits than Madonna's got kids." The Material Girl was not the only singer Prince mentioned, though. He managed to fit in a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" into the set as well.
It's crazy enough that actress Scarlett Johansson has recorded an album worth of Tom Waits covers, but the star has worked with some pretty interesting characters on the project. Pitchfork reports that the record is being produced by TV on the Radio guitarist David Sitek and that members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Celebration turn up on the album. Johansson reportedly recently spent 33 days recording the album in Maurice, Louisiana at Dockside Studio.Studio owner Steve Nails describes her sound, saying, "Very avant garde. She sounds like Marilyn Monroe."
Moby tells Billboard.com that he's nearly finished with his next album and hopes to have it done next month for an early February release. The dance music man says the as-yet-untitled record is "dance-oriented... in a more late '70s, early '80s sense of dance music, that post-disco period. It doesn't sound like big, banging techno tracks; it's more Grace Jones and Donna Summer inspired." Moby also revealed that the record boasts mostly vocal tracks, and that he went for unknown singers, as opposed to his past with celebrity guest vocalists.
The legendary Guns N' Roses debut LP Appetite for Destruction came out just over 20 years ago, and RollingStone.com is marking the occasion by putting footage of six early GN'R shows online. Included in the clips are a March 1986 show at the Roxy in L-A where Axl Rose dedicates the performance to critical L-A Weekly writers, a September 1986 gig at the Music Machine that the band thought was their worst show but the crowd loved, an acoustic performance from May 1986 and shows at UCLA and Giants Stadium where the band opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Aerosmith, respectively. Along with the footage, Rolling Stone also recently covered the anniversary with pictures and stories. Everything can be found at RollingStone.com.
Kurt Cobain has shown up on lunchboxes, action figures and key chains, and now, the singer will be part of an upcoming video game. According to Tech Digest, Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind has been licensed to be used in the upcoming video game Rock Band. The game allows players to sing or play along to songs and will be available on the Xbox in late November. However, for Nirvana fans who have no video game console, fear not - "Heart Shaped Box," off of the band's 1993 record In Utero, will be available to play on Guitar Legend, the version of Guitar Hero that's being designed for cell phones. The increase in licensing of Nirvana's music comes from Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, selling a 25-percent stake in the group's song catalog last year. Her manager told Variety that none of Nirvana's songs would be used for anything that Cobain would have opposed.
Everything is coming up Elvis these next few weeks as we approach the 30th anniversary of his death. This week, a new album was released featuring music from The King's years in Vegas. On the record, which is called Elvis: Viva Las Vegas, there are 16 tracks, 15 of them live performances of hits like "See See Rider" and of course, "Viva Las Vegas." ABC is also readying a special on Elvis' Vegas years, which will air on September 18th. That show, also called Elvis: Viva Las Vegas, will examine how the singer re-invented Vegas and how Vegas re-invented him. In addition, popular musicians will perform Elvis classics and never-before-seen-film will air. If that isn't enough Elvis for you, you can always head down to his hometown of Memphis for "Elvis Week." The nine-day celebration of The King gets underway on the 11th. Check out ElvisWeek.com for info on that.
When Sergeant Jason Uselton first heard about Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp a few years ago, he wanted nothing more than to go to it. Unfortunately, the soldier was then called to Iraq, where he suffered severe injuries to his right leg, which is now being held together by plates and screws. Now that he is back at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, taking care of his wife and twins and paying doctors' bills, he can no longer afford the cost of the camp. However, when Uselton reached out to Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp to inquire about a payment plan, they could think of no better way to thank the member of the 101st Airborne Division for his service to our country than by allowing him to attend the five-day long star studded event for free. This year's camp will feature Ted Nugent, Kiss's Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Max Weinberg and more. It'll take place in New York City on Labor Day weekend. For more info, go to RockAndRollFantasyCamp.com.
Being a major artist in the South hip-hop underground scene is no easy task. Rapper/Producer Kia Shine plans to show the world that he's here to make a statement in today's music scene. The Memphis-based rapper filled us on what it took for him to make it to his debut album. (Actuality #1) "It's not been an overnight thing. It's been seven years in the making. A lot of grind, been a lot of ups and downs, high and lows and valleys and peaks, and now I'm finally here. My album's about to come out and now it's 'Due Season.' And if you know anything about seasons, it's not about a one day thing or one week thing or first week sales thing. It's a marathon." Kia Shine's debut album Due Season is in stores now.
As previously reported, Twista was recently dropped from the McDonald's Live Tour that kicked off last week due to his explicit lyrics. McDonald's grew concerned since their tour is in an attempt to connect with their younger audience. Since then Twista has released a press statement responding to McDonald's decision. "I am very disappointed by McDonald's decision to cancel my participation in the McDonald's Live Tour. Being that McDonald's and I have worked together in the past, it was unsettling that I would be removed from the tour after undergoing the planning process and receiving assurances from McDonald's on multiple occasions that I would appear on the tour." He went on to say how, "The recent trend of finger-pointing, and playing the blame game with certain media outlets and certain individuals needs to stop. We live in a society that advocates free speech." Twista current single "Give It Up", featuring Pharrell, is off his forthcoming album Adrenaline Rush 2007 out September 18th.
According to NME.com, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner will head to France this month to record an album with friend and fellow musician Miles Kane of The Rascals. Kane contributed some guitar parts on the Monkey's latest album Favourite Worst Nightmare. The two, who are throwing around the name Turner and Kane for their new project, plan on being in studio for two weeks and hope to record on live tape. Kane told NME that he hopes the album will be out in early 2008.
PageSix is reporting that Marilyn Manson is being sued by former keyboardist Stephen "Pogo" Bier for some money he feels is owed to him. Bier claims that Manson allegedly promised him "partnership proceeds" back in 1993but then spent all their money on "a multimillion-dollar home, had a lavish wedding in Ireland, gave an engagement ring to Dita Von Teese." According to an e-mail that was allegedly sent to PageSix from Bier, Manson "devised a campaign to drive him out of the band and rob him of his entitlement." Litigation is reportedly going to start immediately. Manson plays Worchester, Massachusetts tomorrow night.






























