Sunday, November 10, 2024

Exclusive: Tom Hanks’ “Mister Rogers” Movie Gets Companion Album Featuring Rocker Wife Rita Wilson, Plus Micky Dolenz, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.

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It’s a beautiful day in Tom Hanks‘s neighborhood. Tom stars in the Mister Rogers movie, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” this fall– and will get an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor, no debate.

Now I can tell you the movie getting a companion album of Mister Rogers songs sung by a variety of pop people. It’s called “Thank You, Mister Rogers – Music & Memories,” releasing on October 18th.

And guess who’s one of them? Tom’s wife, actress-rocker Rita Wilson. (She has a great voice.) Rita will sing “Sometimes People Are Good,” a Rogers regular. Rita says of Fred Rogers, “His words of kindness, acceptance, and peace are a classic message.”

Other musical acts on the compendium are The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz, plus 60s favorites the Cowsills, Kellie Pickler, Vanessa Williams, Lee Greenwood,  Jaci Velasquez, Jim Brickman, Jon Secada,  Tom Bergeron, and Sandi Patty.

I’m very excited about the Fifth Dimension’s legendary Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. singing a duet. These two should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Fifth Dimension sang all their songs backed by the Wrecking Crew, Hal Blaine played drums for them, and their many hits (“Stoned Soul Picnic,” Aquarius,” “One Less Bell to Answer”) were written by Laura Nyro, Bacharach and David, among others. Marilyn McCoo should be up there with Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand, kids!

Micky Dolenz’s song from the album is called “It’s a Perfectly Beautiful Day.” Micky never sleeps! Next week he starts the “Fifty Years Ago” tour in Atlantic City with Todd Rundgren, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Jason Scheff of Chicago, and Christopher Cross.

Here’s a little Marilyn McCoo treat for the day:

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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