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Tony Bennett: Lady Gaga Is A Tramp; Danny Aiello Wants “Gotti”

Roger Friedman
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Legendary singer Tony Bennett may be appearing on TV in September, but before that he appears on September 18th at the Metropolitan Opera House to celebrate his 85th birthday. There’s talk now of Aretha Franklin joining him there, along with special guests. One of them may indeed by Lady Gaga. The egg encased high heeled entertainment spectacle recorded a duet with Tony this past weekend– of “The Lady Is a Tramp.” Clever! Bennett is said to be heartbroken about his other duet-ess, Amy Winehouse, with whom he recorded “Body and Soul.” Amy is a big part of the documentary that accompanies the “Duets II” album. Bennett, who’d had drug problems in the 1970s, sat and talked with Winehouse at length, counseled her and was confident he’d made a good connection with her, I am told. The pair made plans for some appearances together as well….

…Danny Aiello, another good guy, is around a lot lately. He’s starring off Broadway in “The Shoemaker,” set in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen as an Italian Jewish shoemaker. One of his co-stars is Lucy DeVito, daughter of Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman.

Leah Sydney caught up Danny at the premiere. Danny said, “I love  theater. The first acting job  I ever did was a play called Lampost Reunion at the age of 36. When I was 40 I did my first movie, “Bang The Drum Slowly,” with Robert De Niro  .  My feet as an actor began on stage and that I’m most proud of.  This play allows me the opportunity to use emotions that I haven’t used in years,which you can’t use on screen because they are too big and wild.”

What’s the status of ‘Capone’?

“Capone is the next one coming.  It’s a one man show-it’s a musical-written by Robert Mitchell.  We haven’t set it yet as if where it’s going to go. We’re thinking first Chicago then New York.”

What about the upcoming Gotti film?
“i have no idea.  Gangster pictures are a dime a dozen. I’ve played in lot of them and I’m not too enamoured by them. I know Barry Levinson is directing it now. John Travolta had suggested to them that I play Paul Castellano.  But so far I haven’t heard anything or seen any script.”

 

Rockers Kings of Leon Follow(ill) Kinks, Oasis Into Fraternal Rock History

Roger Friedman
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Jared Followill, one of the many Followill brothers in hot rock group Kings of Leon, found out that the tour he’s on was cancelled today in the gym. That’s right–he Tweeted that “They told me the news about the tour in the gym today. This is how I felt. http://t.co/0rc8zjr.” Kings of Leon now join The Kinks (the Davies brothers) and Oasis (warring Gallaghers), and even Creedence Clearwater Revival (the fun Fogertys), in the pantheon of rock groups composed of brothers who can’t along with each other.The Partridge Family never fought like this!

A few nights ago, Jared’s brother Caleb Followill walked off the stage in Dallas during a set and stopped the show. He blamed the heat and never returned. Brother Nathan tweeted: “Not so good morning 4 me today. Ashamed & embarrassed by last nights fiasco. Can’t apologize enough, utterly gutted. A million I’m sorry’s.” Nathan had been tweeting about the Dallas heat for a bit leading up to the show, too. As for Caleb, he hasn’t Tweeted since May. His Twitter self-description reads: “Family band frontman with with four albums down, an inconsistent hair-do and a bad attitude.” Kings of Leon’s big hit is called “Use Somebody,” and they could: a shrink.

“The band is not breaking up,” reassures at least one brother.

Movie and Recording Legend Doris Day Releasing New Album at Age 89

Roger Friedman
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Doris Day-isn’t just saying “que sera sera”–whatever will be, will be. She is releasing a new album at age 89. Like Betty White, she’s as vital as ever.

I bring this up right now because next week the Motion Picture Academy is going to meet and choose its next lifetime achievement award honorees. Doris is the most notorious hold out in movie history. In the past, anyone who’s tried to honor her or interview her has been rebuffed.

But it turns out that Day has been giving some interviews to the BBC for this album of unreleased material. The reason is that the recordings were made by her late son, Terry Melcher. There are four unreleased tracks co-written by Melcher with Beach Boy Bruce Johnston, as well as a cover of Billy Preston‘s “You Are So Beautiful.” (Whoever wrote the copy lists this as a Joe Cocker song, but he just recorded it. Billy wrote it.) The album, called “My Heart,” hits stores from Sony Music in September.

I do think the Academy should just go for it and give Miss Day a special Oscar. She doesn’t like to travel too far from her Carmel, California home. But my guess is, once it’s announced, she could be persuaded to spend a few days at the Beverly Hills Hotel. For the record, she has one Oscar nomination– for “Pillow Talk” in 1960. But for so many other films, from Alfred Hitchcock‘s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” to “Love Me Or Leave Me,” Doris deserves her own gold statue.

The Academy should also not worry about being turned down by Miss Day. They didn’t worry about Jean Luc Godard, and he screwed ’em anyway. I doubt Doris Day will follow that route.

Michael Jackson Perfume Coming from His Estate; Father’s Schemes Shut Down

Roger Friedman
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There will be a Michael Jackson line of perfumes, but it won’t be coming from Michael’s father, Joseph. I can tell you exclusively that the Michael Jackson estate is in negotiations right now to market its own brands through a conventional big time cosmetics company. The perfume has been created, the bottles are being deisgned, and a name is being decided upon. It will not be called “Thriller,” says a source who’s working on the project.

But it’s not a bad idea. Neither are “Bad,” “Dangerous,” “Invincible” or “Off the Wall” (the latter could be body spray!). What’s NOT happening: a line of perfumes from Michael’s father, Joe Jackson.

Indeed, the estate is spending extra time shutting Jackson senior down as he makes pronouncements about new businesses he’s dreaming up to exploit his late son’s likeness. Recently, Jackson proclaimed on his website that he and a German firm–UD Group International–a firm with ties to Michael’s one time manager Dieter Wiesner–had somehow gotten the rights in that country to Michael’s name. However, the Jackson estate insists this isn’t true, and that they are contacting their German lawyers to set matters straight.

On the website, Joe Jackson can be seen hocking his own line of “champagne,” and carrying on about his new ventures. He tried to launch his own perfume line during the Cannes Film Festival, but that’s been scotched. He also told this reporter about his plans for Neverland style hotels. “That will not be happening,” said an estate source. “We think Joe knows all these things are pipe dreams. He just likes to do the traveling and get the attention,” said my source.

Meanwhile, the Estate is looking forward to opening night in Montreal on October 2nd, when Cirque du Soleil unveils its Michael Jackson show. Tickets are on sale in several cities. After Montreal, the show heads to Las Vegas. What’s happening here is really interesting: in death, Michael Jackson is now becoming a big, big business, bigger than he could have envisioned.

Bebe Buell’s Rocking New Album: Hit Singles and a Good Diet

Roger Friedman
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Bebe Buell--she’s Liv Tyler‘s mom, a best selling author (“Rebel Heart”), a rocker extraordinaire. former Ford model and Playboy Playmate star. Now Bebe is getting ready to release a smashing new album on Niji Entertainment next month, distributed by Red.

I got a chance to hear some tracks this weekend from “Hard Love” and I can tell you, they are sensational. Not only that. Bebe has dropped over 30 pounds sticking to Jenny Craig. (Hey Jenny Craig–isn’t it time for a rock and roll division? Where are the hip spokesmodels, JC?) All those Any Time bars have really worked!

Last year, Wendy Dio, widow of rocker Ronnie James Dio, heard Bebe perform live and decided she needed a career infusion. Now Wendy is managing Bebe, and “Hard Love” is a winner. Bebe’s rocker hubby Jim Walls wrote and produced the album with Bebe and Stevie DeAcutis. They’ve made a couple of very clever cover versions of old songs, like the Gang of Four‘s “I Love A Man in A Uniform” and the Vibrators’ “Baby Baby“–a Bebe concert favorite. In short order Wendy and her team will be sending tracks to rock radio with a lot of support.

Radio programmers at college stations: get ready. This is serious, cool, fun rock. And the production — from Bebe’s voice to insistent drums from Guns N Roses player Frank Ferrer to Walls’s jangling guitars–is outstanding.

Bebe photo courtesy of Bob Gruen all rights reserved.

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Shelled Out $5 Mil to Charity in 2009

Roger Friedman
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gave away just under $5 million to charities in 2009 according to tax filings. Their Jolie-Pitt Foundation gave less in 2009 than in 2008, but it’s still a lot of money: $4.9 million. You can’t quibble with that. Their Form 990 filing shows that the couple supports organizations in Brad’s hometown of Springfield, Missouri, his interest in New Orleans, and Angelina’s concerns internationally (she funds groups in Cambodia, home to adopted son Maddox). They also pay little in salaries to the people running the fund, keeping expenses down in general. Madonna and her Raising Malawi/Kabbalah funds could learn a lot from Brad and Angelina.

The couple also doesn’t invest in schemes or dubious cults/religions. Their biggest donee: Brad’s Make It Right Foundation in New Orleans, which got $2 million. The money went right into building homes in that city. The second biggest donation was $1 million to the Pakistan Emergency Fund at the United Nations. Almost $700,000 went to organizations in Springfield including $333,000 to the endowment of a pediatric cancer fund in Brad’s mom’s name. They have a tremendous interest in helping children, too. Jolie-Pitt gave $100,000 to Kind, Inc. in Washington DC. That’s a group that helps pay for lawyers to represent abandoned children in dire straits around the U.S.

All in all, very impressive considering that already in 2011, Jolie-Pitt has awarded $500,000 to Joplin, Missouri for rebuilding their storm ravaged city.

Al Pacino’s Daughter is No Lindsay Lohan

Roger Friedman
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The New York tabloids were quick to report yesterday that Julie Pacino, Al Pacino‘s 21 year old daughter, was arrested for DUI on Friday night. According to my sources, Julie was driving a friend’s Mercedes from California with expired registration. She told the cops she’d had three beers and had smoked some pot earlier the evening. She was arraigned and released. But here’s just a thought: Julie Pacino is no Lindsay Lohan. This is a mistake to be sure, but not a lifestyle. Julie Pacino, though young, has been working hard to start a career as a filmmaker. Let’s give her some credit. She’s had short films in a couple of film festivals already. I ran into her in Cannes a couple of months ago, and she was not partying. She was working, with her business partner, getting out her product. She’s written and produced a short, called “Abracadabra.” And she’s just produced a feature film called “Billy Bates,” directed by Jennifer DeLia. Julie Pacino’s incident on Friday night sounds like a youthful error–and hopefully, a one time thing.

“Red Tails” Trailer from George Lucas Arrives At Last

Roger Friedman
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Check our video player below and see the first trailer from George Lucas’s “Red Tails.” Three years or more in the making, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen comes to theaters on January 20, 2012. It’s a strange date–unless Lucas gives the film a one week tryout in December for Oscar eligibility. Otherwise, January will be filled with Oscar contenders and B movies. Which category is he saying this falls in? “Red Tails” stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The former, at least from the trailer, has a lot of speeches. The aerial stuff looks great, though. And maybe this is what we’ll need on January 20th, after “One Life to Live” airs its last show and the State of the Union address is given. Most of Hollywood will be at Sundance anyway.

Mavis Staples Is Coming to NYC on Sunday!

Roger Friedman
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Who knew? Thanks to Tim Sampson of the Stax Museum and Academy in Memphis, I now know that the legendary Mavis Staples is performing in New York on Sunday at 7pm–for free, too! Mavis will be at Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors concert on Hearst Plaza at 7pm on Sunday night. Mavis and her family–the Staples Singers–are famous for their great hits “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself,” and “If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me)”– all from Stax’s early 70s second run. Recently Mavis performed at the Kennedy Center with Sam Moore and a bunch of stars for the four living presidents. The Staples Singers were early inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mavis’s show follows a great afternoon of soul and gospel music. At 3:30pm, Sampson is coming with the Stax Music Academy kids from Memphis. I like to think of Stax as the anti-Motown–the real, unvarnished soul.

When we filmed in Memphis in 1999 for “Only the Strong Survive,” the former Stax studios were reduced to a vacant lot filled with weeds. Now there’s a gorgeous, vital museum on the grounds. A music academy for kids has grown there, too. This fall, a new charter school is opening next door. The students from the academy will perform on the Plaza with Stax royalty: Vaneese Thomas, the famed singer, sister of Carla Thomas and daughter of Rufus Thomas. Vaneese is one of New York’s vocal treasures, performing with Aretha Franklin, Nile Rodgers, and producer Phil Ramone all the time. Following the kids, and before Mavis, Vy Higginsen is bringing her Gospel for Teens down from Harlem. What a day! And it’s free! http://www.lcoutofdoors.org/

“Entourage” Movie: We Told You in December 2009

Roger Friedman
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I told you on December 9, 2009 that Mark Wahlberg planned to make a movie out of “Entourage” when the series ended. Here’s the clip: http://www.showbiz411.com/2009/12/03/20091203wahlberg-entourage-lovely-bones. Okay, Hollywood Reporter? That trade mag has now taken an off-handed comment from Wahlberg that he would finance the film itself, and turned it into a headline. It’s hilarious. “Entourage” will be financed by HBO and Warner Bros., just like “Sex and the City.” Here’s the deal: they are simply waiting for a script to be finished. When the script is done, and everyone’s happy, the movie will be made. It’s not like Wahlberg will have to fight the studio to get “Entourage: The Movie” made. It’s already an event and it hasn’t even happened yet.

So get a grip, Hollywood Reporter, now famous for blowing up one line non sequitirs and turning them into headline exclamations. It’s the ultimate marriage of trade reporting and US Weekly. Hmmmm…Meantime, the Hollywood Reporter’s been doing a “screening series” at the Montauk Yacht Club. No one knows why, or what purpose it serves. The space is small, and this mention is the only publicity they’ve had so far. The only celebrity who’s turned up in their WireImage pictures was a real housewife of New York. But you can always stop at Cyril’s on the way up there for a good lobster roll!

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