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Garth Brooks Flies in to Salute Sam Moore for Grammy Legends Show in Hollywood, But Julio Iglesias, Ozzy Osbourne Are AWOL to Pick Up Their Awards

Roger Friedman
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Garth Brooks Flies in to Salute Sam Moore for Grammy Legends Show in Hollywood, But Julio Iglesias, Ozzy Osbourne Are AWOL to Pick Up Their Awards

It was a grand night for the Grammy Awards’ 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award winners. A slew of stars showed up at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, where the Oscars take place, to tape a PBS special for this fall featuring Garth Brooks and Soul Man Sam Moore (who lit the theater up), Dionne Warwick, George Clinton and Parliament- Funkadelic, famed songwriter Valerie Simpson, and 93 year old composer Johnny Mandel.

It was a colossal achievement that no one would miss, right? But Julio Iglesias was AWOL, sending just a video instead of showing up and collecting his prize. And the new head of the Grammys, Deborah Dugan, whom everyone was hoping to meet, couldn’t make it out from the East Coast.

The most egregious absence of the night was Ozzy Osbourne, whose group, Black Sabbath, was honored. Neither Ozzy–who’s been ill– or Sharon Osbourne were present. To make matters stranger, the members of Black Sabbath who did show up didn’t mention the Osbournes at all. They’re obviously angry that the Osbournes ended the band in 2017.

Regardless, the people who did show up were much more important. There are many highlights that you’ll see this fall starting with Sam Moore and Garth Brooks’ duet on “Soul Man” and “Hold On I’m Coming,” but even better, Sam’s solo outing on “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down.” Recovering from back surgery, Sam performed from a stool center stage and brought the audience to their feet. His voice soars still at age 83.

Garth, by the way, loves Sam so much he flew up from Nashville specially to be at the show. He had to get right back when he was done; Trisha Yearwood and the kids were waiting for him to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Other voices that impressed were honoree Dionne Warwick, performer Patti Austin, inductee Valerie Simpson and Kenny Latimore on Valerie and late husband Nik Ashford’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Broadway star Jessie Mueller, and of course George Clinton and Bootsy Collins bringing down da funk with stunning ornamental headdresses and a great sense of humor. Snoop Dogg introduced them.

Late star Donny Hathaway must be smiling in heaven as his daughters, Lala and Kenya, are sensational honoring their dad. Donny Hathaway’s political-tinged R&B was actually a forerunner of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” Everyone should spend the summer listening to his music, getting ready for this special.

The taping last night was Grammy chief Neil Portnow’s swan song after a long and illustrious career keeping the ship on course for the Recording Academy. He will be missed, but he goes out on a high note with this last project.

When “Grammy Salute to Music Legends” does air, don’t miss it. There was a wonderful vibe in the audience last night, a mixture of the inductees’ families and music lovers. It’s a very warm evening with a  lot of laughs and some tears.

PS I’ll have a full review this fall when the special is all put together.

Box Office Boffo: “Avengers Endgame” Surpasses “Black Panther” to Become 3rd Biggest Movie Ever, Eyes “Avatar” at Number 2

Roger Friedman
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Box Office Boffo: “Avengers Endgame” Surpasses “Black Panther” to Become 3rd Biggest Movie Ever, Eyes “Avatar” at Number 2

Stunning: “Avengers: Endgame” now in its 3rd week, made $63 million this weekend. WTH? Most movies are happy to earn that much period, for their entire run.

“Endgame” moved past “Black Panther” on the all time box office list, and took the number 3 spot in so doing. The Avengers now eye the number 2 spot, held by “Avatar.”

That’s only $27 million away from here, so it seems likely James Cameron will have to issue another congratulatory message soon. “Endgame” is at $723 million, with no evidence of slowing down. Could it hit number 1 and supplant “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $936 million? Anything is possible!

Look how times have changed. The former number 1 movie, “ET: The Extra Terrestrial,” which had characters and a story, is way down the list now at number 20. It’s the Empire State Building of movies: still the tallest and most majestic even though it’s been eclipsed by all kinds of tom-foolery.

The number 100 movie is now “Gravity,” one of the few ‘straight’ films on the all time list.

Beloved “Mod Squad” and “Twin Peaks” Actress Peggy Lipton Dies at 72, a New Yorker Who Conquered Hollywood

Roger Friedman
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Beloved “Mod Squad” and “Twin Peaks” Actress Peggy Lipton Dies at 72, a New Yorker Who Conquered Hollywood

Peggy Lipton was a nice Jewish girl who went to Hollywood and made good, as they say. Her death yesterday at age 72 is all the sadder because everyone who knew her loved “The Mod Squad” star immensely, starting with her ex husband Quincy Jones. They had two daughters, Rashida and Kidada Jones, who each went on to successes.

I wrote about a lunch I had with Peggy in September 2002 on one her rare trips to New York. She was looking for projects– this was after her famous run on TV in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks.” As usual, her sweet disposition shone through, but she was wanted to be edgier. Lorraine Bracco was going into “The Graduate” on Broadway as Mrs. Robinson. Peggy declared: “I want to do The Graduate!hen Lorraine Bracco’s finished, I’m up for it.”

She stayed in New York that fall, and had a five week run in a two-hander at the Flea Theater. She was so happy to be in New York, which was ironic because she’d always wanted to leave the East Coast when she was a teenager.

“I hated Long Island and I had to get out,” she told me. So she became a Ford model at 17, and between classes went on go-sees. She also studied acting. When she started getting work, her parents picked the family up and moved to the west coast. (Her brother, Robert, was a well-known soap actor on “As the World Turns” for years.)

She made a lot of movies and appeared in a lot of TV shows after that. But the former never really worked out. She told me: “I’ve been in some terrible movies. I ran into Neal Patrick Harris recently. We were in something called The Purple People Eater about twelve years ago. He was maybe ten, but he still remembered it as the worst experience of his life!”

She married Quincy Jones in her parents’ Los Angeles apartment and never looked back. They remained friends after their divorce (they were married for 15 years). When David Lynch and Mark Frost revived “Twin Peaks” a few years ago, it was Peggy’s character of Norma Jennings, who ran the diner, who the creators used to anchor the show. Fans were delighted to see her again.

But we’ll never forget Peggy as Julie Barnes, the cool chick from “The Mod Squad,” just 22 years old and holding her own with Michael Cole and Clarence Williams III, pretty much the only girl in the show and in action role, not a sitcom romcom. In 1968, she was very much a first crush for a lot of little boys and grown men.

Condolences to Peggy’s family and friends. She will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

Constance Wu Says “Whoa!” Backtracks on Her F-Word Laden Reaction to Sitcom Series’ Renewal

Roger Friedman
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Constance Wu Says “Whoa!” Backtracks on Her F-Word Laden Reaction to Sitcom Series’ Renewal

“Fresh off the Boat” actress Constance Wu must have been read the riot act yesterday by ABC and her agents. Wu was so upset that “Boat” was renewed for a sixth season, thus binding her to a sitcom while she is now a movie star (we’ll see), that she fired off Tweets dropping the F bomb twice.

Now, chastened by her employers, Wu has backtracked. First she Tweeted: “Todays tweets were on the heels of rough day&were ill timed w/the news of the show. Plz know, Im so grateful for FOTB renewal. I love the cast&crew. Im proud to be a part of it. For all the fans support, thank u & for all who support my casual use of the word fuck-thank u too”

Then she added: “That was not a rampage, it was just how I normally talk. I say fuck a lot. I love the word. Y’all are making a lot of assumptions about what I was saying. And no, it’s not what it’s about. No it’s not..what this is all about. Stop assuming.”

 But now she’s added a whole statement this morning to dig herself out of this PR mess. I don’t think it will work. Those Tweets are going to follow her to the TCAs and all interviews for the new season.

 

Friday Night Box Office: Ryan Reynolds’ Detective Pikachu Vanquishes “Avengers: Endgame” At Least For One Night

Roger Friedman
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Friday Night Box Office: Ryan Reynolds’ Detective Pikachu Vanquishes “Avengers: Endgame” At Least For One Night

Last night, for the first time since it opened, “Avengers: Endgame” was not number 1 at the box office.

That distinction fell to “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” which made $20,700,000 on its opening night, beating the Avengers by about $4 million.  It remains to be seen if Detective Pikachu, played by Ryan Reynolds, will take the weekend. It’s more than likely the Avengers will rally and win the three days.

But it is a sweet irony for Ryan Reynolds, who also famously plays Marvel’s Deadpool character and must be grateful he’s not an Avenger himself. Deadpool/Reynolds’ whole shtick is making fun of Marvel and its other characters. So technically, Deadpool has triumphed over the Avengers for once.

The box office otherwise isn’t so great, especially for films led by women. “The Hustle,” which is said to unwatchable, is struggling with a $4 million open. A $10 million weekend is likely. The filmmakers should be aware that audience is only coming to see Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson despite the film’s scathing reviews.

And then there’s “Poms,” which is really dead on arrival. Why Diane Keaton made it is another story. But the senior citizen cheerleader movie made $1.5 million on Friday, it won’t hit $5 million total for the weekend. And this is doing nothing for STX Studios which continues to send garbage into the world. The exception is “The Upside,” which they bought out of bankruptcy but was based on Harvey Weinstein having made the movie for his own former company.

Also cooked like a goose is LionsGate’s “Long Shot” which has just $15 million banked and not much more coming. Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen’s romcom got nice reviews, but no marketing. I didn’t see this movie (no one asked me to) but maybe if it had been presented to the press as smart and sophisticated, it would have done better. Certainly Seth Rogen appearing stoned on “Colbert” and yakking about marijuana didn’t help. This wasn’t “Pineapple Express.”

Jazz Star Kenny Burrell’s GoFundMe Appeal for Money Raises More Questions Than It Answers

Roger Friedman
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Jazz Star Kenny Burrell’s GoFundMe Appeal for Money Raises More Questions Than It Answers

A GoFundMe page started by Katherine Burrell, wife of 87 year old legendary jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, has raised more questions than it answers.

The Burrells are asking for money for rent and health-related issues. But it doesn’t quite make sense. Last September, UCLA endowed a chair at its Herb Alpert music school for $1.2 million in Kenny’s name. (Burrell doesn’t get that money.) UCLA was caught off guard by the appeal when I asked. They responded with this statement:

“UCLA was unaware of Katherine Burrell’s crowdfunding activity on behalf of herself and husband, Kenny. UCLA is concerned and is looking into the circumstances of this matter. Kenny Burrell is a Distinguished Professor of Music and Global Jazz Studies at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music. Professor Burrell is currently on sabbatical, and is scheduled to return to UCLA for the Spring Quarter in March 2020. He remains a full-time faculty member with related compensation and health benefits.”

Katherine Burrell has already raised $71,979 toward a goal of $100,000. She writes on GoFundMe a tale of surprising woe: “We are facing possible foreclosure and homelessness if the HOA wins a judgment against us. If we are unable to pay the judgment, they have the right to foreclose on our property. I am fearful of homelessness for Kenny’s sake, and terrified of how I will care for him if left without a home. We will have to move out of our apartment in the next 1-2 weeks for demolition, which will include mold remediation, lead abatement, and major construction. None of this will be covered by insurance, and the HOA may be successful in passing all of the costs to us. I can’t maintain Kenny’s health and safety in that kind of environment.”

If Burrell is truly in need, there’s no question that his fans and friends should come to his rescue. But the appeal doesn’t completely make sense since he definitely has resources starting with UCLA as well as MusiCares and many devoted patrons. It remains to be seen what’s actually going on here. It could be that Mrs. Burrell, who says she’s the sole caregiver, is overwhelmed and needs help.

Stay tuned…

 

Sitcom Star Doesn’t Sound Happy About Renewal: Does Constance Wu Want off the “Boat” Now that “Crazy Rich Asians” is a Hit?

Roger Friedman
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Sitcom Star Doesn’t Sound Happy About Renewal: Does Constance Wu Want off the “Boat” Now that “Crazy Rich Asians” is a Hit?

Last year “Fresh off the Boat” sitcom star Constance Wu was thrilled to learn her show was renewed for a fifth season.

But since then, Wu starred in the mega hit movie comedy “Crazy Rich Asians.” There will be at least two sequels.

So when “Fresh off the Boat” was renewed today by ABC for a sixth season, Wu didn’t sound as thrilled as she did last year. She Tweeted: “So upset right now I’m literally crying. Ugh. Fuck.” She added on a second Tweet: “Fucking hell.”

Her response was quite different from last year, when she told an interviewer: “It’s kind of nice to have the stability and the family-like atmosphere of our show. Everyone there, we’ve known each other for over four years, most of the crew and all of the cast, so it’s very familiar,” she shared. “We’ve done four seasons, so there’s not that much pressure. And when you don’t have pressure, you can be free and experiment with the characters and play around.”

But a movie hit can change your life. Wu may get pushed off the Boat after these comments. Or they will make her stay and finish her contract. Unfortunately, “Boat” is made for ABC-Disney, “Crazy” is at Warner Brothers. ABC isn’t going t make it easy for her to leave the show. I do wonder, Can no one in this generation restrain themselves from social media suicide?

Madonna Strikes Out as 3rd New Single Flops on Arrival, Two More Coming Before New Album

Roger Friedman
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Madonna Strikes Out as 3rd New Single Flops on Arrival, Two More Coming Before New Album

Madonna released a new single today called “Crave.” It’s gone right to number 41 on iTunes, a flop out of the gate. “Crave” follows “I Rise,” which did nothing when it came out last Friday, and “Medellin,” which is lodged at number 91 in a remixed version.

Two more singles are scheduled for release, next Friday and on June 7th, before the June 14th release of the album “Madame X.” By then five of the twelve songs on the collection will have failed to launch, if the other two do as poorly as the first three.

Madonna is trying the throw everything-at-the-wall approach and see what sticks. So far nothing is sticking. Those songs are well made but dull. There is no excitement about them. Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber teamed up and went to number 1 today with the average “I Don’t Care.” It took the two of them to knock Lil Nas X off number 1 with “Old Town Road.”

Madonna could have used a duet partner from the contemporary world of pop. She had a hit a few years ago with Justin Timberlake. She needed that again. Maluma, with his Latin American following, didn’t even make “Medellin” do much. There are so many young singers out there who’d be thrilled to duet with Madonna. But the partners she’s chosen to collaborate with aren’t bringing fan bases with them.

As for Sheeran and Bieber: “I Don’t Care” isn’t very good. Let’s see how long before Lil Nas is back on top.

Steven Spielberg Quits as Executive Producer of “Bull” But CBS Renews the Show Despite $9 Mil Payout to Actress Who Claimed Sexual Harassment

Roger Friedman
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Steven Spielberg Quits as Executive Producer of “Bull” But CBS Renews the Show Despite $9 Mil Payout to Actress Who Claimed Sexual Harassment

Here’s how TV works in Hollywood. If the ratings are good, it doesn’t matter if there have  been legal problems and a scandal.

To wit: CBS has renewed “Bull,” despite having to pay a $9 million settlement to actress Eliza Dushku. She complained of sexual harassment from star Michael Weatherly. But that didn’t matter because CBS needs “Bull” on the schedule.

The settlement did mean something to Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, which executive produced the show. They dropped out yesterday, without comment. But Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw have been vocal in the #MeToo movement, so obviously Amblin was not going to continue producing the show, even though they lose a lot of money.

Dushku appeared in a story arc in Season 1 of “Bull,” and was being groomed to join the cast as a regular. She complained that Weatherly made  inappropriate remarks that  included comments on her appearance, references to a threesome, and a rape joke.  After she complained, she was dumped from the show completely.

Dushku went into arbitration and won $9.5 million, the amount she would have made had she become a regular. Lawyers for CBS tried to discredit her, but that didn’t work. Eventually, she met with Spielberg and told him what happened.

Amblin leaves now, but in all likelihood they will receive big fees going forward for work on the first 66 episodes of the series. When “Bull” is put out to stud for syndication next year– after 88 episodes– Amblin will still make a lot of money because they made the lion’s share. It will be interesting (and not unlikely) that Amblin will donate some of the money to #MeToo or other similar causes.

The bigger question here is why Weatherly, who cost the company a lot of money, hasn’t been exiled a la Roseanne or many other actors who faced scrutiny or criticism after their respective accusations. Weatherly seems to have gotten away scot-free compared to men like Dustin Hoffman, James Franco, and Geoffrey Rush.

CBS, meantime, knows how to cancel shows with nice people. They just axed the sitcom “Life in Pieces” with Dianne Wiest and James Brolin, and Colin Hanks. Great cast, but no one watched it for four seasons. It was like a stealth show.

 

Trump Supporter Owner of My Pillow Lays off 150 Workers, Sponsor Sleep Foundation $200K in the Red

Roger Friedman
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Trump Supporter Owner of My Pillow Lays off 150 Workers, Sponsor Sleep Foundation $200K in the Red

EXCLUSIVE: The National Sleep Foundation, touted in the ads for Mike Liddell’s My Pillow, is $200,000 in the red. That’s according to their most recent filed Form 990 for non profit organizations. The foundation, which no one had ever heard of until Lindell starting using it to endorse his lumpy pillows, is conveniently located in Minnesota near Lindell. For the year ending December 31, 2016, the Sleep Foundation paid $162,011 in salaries and finished the year MINUS $199,888. The foundation is alternately known, on its website, as the World Sleep Society. In February they were soliciting names of people who wanted to become board members.

This news comes as Lindell has announced he’s laying off 150 workers from his Minnesota plant. Lindell has been a fervent supporter of Donald Trump, endorsing him at every turn and praising Trump’s economy. According to reports, Lindell quietly laid off 140 workers two years ago. He says that the layoffs are because he’s starting something called MyStore.com, which will feature products from other entrepreneurs.

But those products would require more hands on deck for fulfillment.  So laying of 150 people doesn’t make sense. And if the lumpy pillow were selling as well as he advertises, Lindell would need workers. He recently added a line “Egyptian cotton” sheets to his endless advertising, but if those had taken off, Lindell would be three  sheets to the wind.

“I value each and every one of my employees so this is a difficult decision, however this is what is best right now for the future of MyPillow and to prepare for the launch of MyStore.com,” said Lindell in a statement. “Once MyStore is up and running, we anticipate we will be hiring.”

 

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