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Paul McCartney Remembers George Martin: “A true gentleman and a second father to me”

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Paul McCartney has posted this to his website:

I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin. I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever. He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George. From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.

It’s hard to choose favourite memories of my time with George, there are so many but one that comes to mind was the time I brought the song ‘Yesterday’ to a recording session and the guys in the band suggested that I sang it solo and accompany myself on guitar. After I had done this George Martin said to me, “Paul I have an idea of putting a string quartet on the record”. I said, “Oh no George, we are a rock and roll band and I don’t think it’s a good idea”.  With the gentle bedside manner of a great producer he said to me, “Let us try it and if it doesn’t work we won’t use it and we’ll go with your solo version”.  I agreed to this and went round to his house the next day to work on the arrangement.

He took my chords that I showed him and spread the notes out across the piano, putting the cello in the low octave and the first violin in a high octave and gave me my first lesson in how strings were voiced for a quartet. When we recorded the string quartet at Abbey Road, it was so thrilling to know his idea was so correct that I went round telling people about it for weeks. His idea obviously worked because the song subsequently became one of the most recorded songs ever with versions by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and thousands more.

This is just one of the many memories I have of George who went on to help me with arrangements on ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Live and Let Die’ and many other songs of mine.

I am proud to have known such a fine gentleman with such a keen sense of humour, who had the ability to poke fun at himself. Even when he was Knighted by the Queen there was never the slightest trace of snobbery about him.

My family and I, to whom he was a dear friend, will miss him greatly and send our love to his wife Judy and their kids Giles and Lucy, and the grandkids.

The world has lost a truly great man who left an indelible mark on my soul and the history of British music.

God bless you George and all who sail in you!

Paul

Broadway: “Disaster!” Is Anything But One– a Juke Box Hit for Kids from the ’70s

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Wanna feel old? The curly haired thirteen year old boy who comes off as a solid professional, funny and with a great voice, is the son of Brian Littrell, of the Backstreet Boys. Wait? Is that possible?
But is “Disaster!” being a success possible? Jukebox musicals are always derided and few are hits– think “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” or “Motown.”

But Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick’s parody (with Drew Geraci) of ’70s disaster movies (The Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno) — set to carefully selected Top 40 pop and disco hits– turns out to be too much fun not to love.

Plus, the all star cast of Broadway vets– Roger Bart, Kerry Butler, Kevin Chamberlain, Adam Pascal, Faith Prince, and Rachel York– is like a dream come true.

And then there are the newcomers– Baylee Littrell (the literal Backstreet Boy), Jennifer Simard (who pretty much steals the show as a gambling addicted nun), and the stunning Lacretta Nicole (she could sing the whole show and I wouldn’t have minded).

The 30 plus songs are not throwaways. The key to the show is that they’ve been woven into the script very smartly. They include hits by Carly Simon, Harry Nilsson, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Helen Reddy, Gloria Gaynor, Free, and so on. There’s no list in the Playbill, but basically it’s like listening to oldies on WCBS FM if they were organized around a central story.

The story is that Bart’s Tony is a low life producer who’s parked a tacky, leaking casino boat with no safety systems off a pier on the Hudson River. He’s using a nitwit chorus girl with long legs (York) who’s got her twins on board (Littrell, playing a boy and girl– hilarious). There’s a nun (Simard) who’s come aboard to save souls, an inquiring Times reporter (Butler) and her ex boyfriend who’s working on the boat (Pascal). There’s also a suburban couple with a lot of secrets (Chamberlain and Faith Prince, who’s going to make a strong case for a Tony nomination).

At first, “Disaster!” seems a little on the nose, and somewhat like a show that might actually be on a cruise ship. The choreography in the early scenes feels like it’s lifted from a bad ’70s variety show– it’s a little frantic. But once things settle down, the fun kicks in. And the second act just gets better, better, better.

Opening night brought out Gloria Gaynor herself, as well as Rosie O’Donnell, Ana Gasteyer, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Neil Patrick Harris, and Matthew Broderick, among others.

My favorite moment– during intermission, Rosie said to Brian Littrell: “It’s so great to see you! How’s your little boy?” Littrell replied: “He’s fine. He’s on stage. He’s the kid in the show!” Rosie nearly fell over. Time flies! So does “Disaster!”

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Next Movie May Be “The African American” About Kidnapped White Man Growing Up in Black Country

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EXCLUSIVE Sacha Baron Cohen’s next movie, after “The Brothers Grimsby” may be  “The African American,” which he is developing. He says: “It is about somebody who is white and gets kidnapped and grows up in an African country. And then gets taken back to America so he’s an African American.”

Cohen wore a cowboy shirt and hat at the screening of his new raunchy new film, “The Brothers Grimsby” Tuesday night at the Regal Union Square. The film is a spy spoof about Nobby Butcher (Baron Cohen), an idiot soccer fanatic with a dozen or so kids, and his younger M16 agent brother Sebastian (Mark Strong), who were separated as young boys.

Baron Cohen came out before the screening and started to get the audience sing along with him to a made up cowboy song with lyrics that went, “The Jew Down the Way,” and much of the crowd sang along.

“Any Jews here?” Baron Cohen asked? “Jesus Christ,” he replied when shouts of yes rang out. “Are there any non-Jews here tonight?” The shouting was just as loud.

“It’s pretty white,” Baron Cohen said, looking out at the audience. “Not as white as the Oscars but still.”

Baron Cohen then listed the cast of “The Brothers Grimsby”: “Mark Strong is great. We got Rebel Wilson and my wife Amy Adams.” Baron Cohen’s wife is Isla Fisher who does have a likeness to Adams. Baron Cohen rattled off Gabourey Sidibe’s name. “Black Oscar nominated actor. I’m not racist, officially,” he said. “Who else we got? And we got Penelope Cruz who I must say I tried very, very hard and eventually I persuaded her not to get her breasts out for this.”

After the screening Baron Cohen returned for a 35 minute Q&A. During the raucous session he explained that the story’s inspiration came about from wondering what would happen if James Bond had an idiot brother.

“Who would be the kind of opposite of James Bond,” he said. “James Bond is a complete loner while this guy is obsessed by family. James Bond is a womanizer. This guy is a one-woman man.” Noted Baron Cohen, “You looked at all those kind of spy movies, and the spies are these guys who always say nothing and who sleep with lots of women. Part of this movie is Nobby’s attempt to humanize his brother.”

Someone in the audience noted that Baron Cohen’s film all have social and political messages. How was he going to keep his work alive?

“Well, listen, I don’ know if it should be kept alive firstly. Secondly we’re in an interesting period in cinematic history that everything now is about box office and it’s about the opening weekend,” said Baron Cohen, who added, “I now make movies to sort of with the philosophy of if I see them in 20 years, will I think, ‘all right, I’m proud of that one or I’m embarrassed by that one rather than is it a hit at the box office.’”

The Borat actor then brought up ‘Bruno. “The film hits a nerve even if it takes a while to find its place.” Baron Cohen said, adding the day it came out, “I woke up the morning and thought, ‘What the fuck am I doing?’ It seemed so extreme. At that point no major studio movie about gay people actually had a plot where the gay people were not dead at the end of the movie. And in our movie they were totally living happily after. They couldn’t be officially married at that time. Weirdly enough the film needed time to settle in. It’s actually been received better now.”

“The Brothers Grimsby” – and there’s no telling how the world will see it in 20 years – has Daniel Radcliffe infected by the blood of a Palestinian/Jewish kid with HIV.

Did Baron Cohen get permission from Daniel Radcliffe?

“I haven’t heard from Daniel Radcliffe, but I have received a letter from his lawyer,” said Baron Cohen.

Also widely reported is the scene from “Brothers Grimsby” where presidential candidate Donald Trumps gets infected with the virus and develops full-blown AIDS. Baron Cohen said he decided to add it in the film. “Basically once Donald Trump made that comment about Muslims, we put that little bit in.”

Someone asked Baron Cohen how he got co-star Mark Strong, a well regarded actor, to do some of the incredibly raunchy scenes. “It’s tricky but it’s a leap of faith,” he said. “He’s got incredible respect as an actor and suddenly I was putting him in an elephant’s vagina, and about three quarter’s of the way through the film he said, ‘Listen Sacha, I just realized, you’re putting me through the most embarrassing and humiliating situations ever.”

“And I go, ‘Yeah, that’s right, but there’s still elephant sperm,” to contend with, said Baron Cohen to Strong. “It was difficult for him because he’s classically trained.” Also the script was mainly improvised. “He was convinced that he could not know how to improvise. He’s actually a brilliant improviser and a great foil.” Added Baron Cohen, “The amazing thing about him is he grounds the movie. He makes the movie feel real,” he said. “The studio wanted to a get a number of bizarre sort of famous people to play my brother, but all of them – we tried a lot of them out – and they were winking at the camera” and “and he came in with this unique and real action hero persona we wanted.”

It turns out the theme of separated brothers is personal to the comic. “My dad has a brother who cut out on him so I’m really interested in how that affects families.”

Baron Cohen talked about South Africa and what a powerful place it is. “Racism is still there. It’s still evident” and that he had an “incredible love for the people.” He said it was the inspiration for his next film, “The African American,” which he is developing. “It is about somebody who is white and gets kidnapped and grows up in an African country. And then gets taken back to America so he’s an African American.”

At the end of the Q&A Baron Cohen hung around to pose for photos and talk to enthusiastic fans for at least another half hour.

When a young boy asked Baron Cohen to pose for a selfie the comic asked, “How old are you?”

The boy replied: thirteen. “Oh my god!” said Baron Cohen. “Did you get traumatized tonight? You okay yeah?”

As Baron Cohen was leaving I asked him about why he turned up in a cowboy hat and shirt. He said, “That’s how we dress in London.”

Ringo Starr Tweets: George Martin, the Real 5th Beatle, Has Passed Away at 90

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Ringo Starr has just tweeted his condolences to the family of George Martin. The greatest record producer of all time, the actual fifth Beatle, recently celebrated his 90th birthday. He had been ill for some time. Martin was a genius. He added to the Beatles, taught them, and helped them realize their full potential. I had the great honor of meeting him several years ago when he put together the Beatles “Love” show with Cirque du Soleil. He was extraordinary.

Here’s what I wrote recently on his 90th birthday.

I will update in time tonight and tomorrow morning.

George Martin’s non Beatle hits– from Wikipedia

“You’re Driving Me Crazy”, The Temperance Seven (25 May 1961, #1)
“My Kind of Girl,” Matt Monro (31 July 1961, #5)
“My Boomerang Won’t Come Back”, Charlie Drake (5 October 1961, #14)
“Sun Arise,” Rolf Harris (25 October 1962, #3)
“Little Children,” Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas (19 March 1964, #1)
“Bad to Me,” Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas (22 August 1963, #1)
“Hello Little Girl,” The Fourmost (30 August 1963, #9)
“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (4 July 1964, #4)
“You’re My World,” Cilla Black (1 August 1964, #1)
“How Do You Do It?,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (11 April 1963, #1)
“Can’t Buy Me Love”, Ella Fitzgerald (1 May 1964, #34)
“Walk Away,” Matt Monro (4 September 1964, #4)
“I Like It,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (7 November 1964, #1)
“I’ll Be There,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (30 January 1965, #14)
“Ferry Cross the Mersey,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (20 March 1965, #6)
“Goldfinger,” Shirley Bassey (27 March 1965, #8)
“You’ll Never Walk Alone,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (3 July 1965, #48)
“Trains and Boats and Planes,” Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas (31 July 1965, #47)
“Alfie,” Cilla Black (10 September 1966,#UK6 #95)
“Girl on a Swing,” Gerry & the Pacemakers (22 October 1966, #28)
“Live and Let Die,” Paul McCartney & Wings (1 June 1973, UK#9 US#2)
“Tin Man,” America (9 November 1974, #4)
“Lonely People,” America (8 March 1975, #5)
“Sister Golden Hair,” America (14 June 1975, #1)
“Oh! Darling,” Robin Gibb (7 October 1978, #15)
“The Night Owls”, Little River Band (1981, US #6)
“Ebony and Ivory” Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder (29 March 1982 US #1)
“Say, Say, Say” Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (10 December 1983, #1)
“No More Lonely Nights”, Paul McCartney (8 December 1984, #6)
“Morning Desire”, Kenny Rogers (10 July 1985, #1)
“The Man I Love”, Kate Bush & Larry Adler (18 July 1994, #27)
“Candle in the Wind 1997”, Elton John (11 October 1997, #1)
“Pure” 2003, Hayley Westenra (#1 UK classical charts, No. 8 UK pop charts)

“Downton Abbey” Bows Out with Biggest Finale Ratings Ever– Almost 10 Million People Watched

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So, dig this. Nearly 10 million people watched the “Downton Abbey” finale on Sunday night. That’s the biggest season ender for that show ever. It was the fourth largest audience for the whole six years.

The bigger headline is that “Downton Abbey” had more viewers on Sunday night than show on network television between 9 and 11 pm.

From 8 to 9, “Madam Secretary” had 10.13 million. Basically, when that show ended, everyone turned to PBS. A few people stayed for “The Good Wife.” But that was it. And no one was disappointed. “Downton Abbey” ended with an Emmy winning episode.

Now all Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame have to do is figure out how to do a movie that doesn’t seem like a TV show, and do it fast while the cast members still look more or less the same.

 

Dame Helen Mirren’s Philosophy About Work and Acting: “Turn up on time and don’t be an —“

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Dame Helen Mirren, Oscar and Tony winner, one of the greats, stars in “Eye in the Sky,” a movie that may turn out be a sleeper hit when it opens Friday.

At lunch today at the four star French bistro Le Grenouille, Dame Helen was asked by Ann Curry– moderating a panel with Mirren and director Gavin Hood– what her philosophy is about work and acting.

Mirren did not hesitate: “I guess I’d say Turn up on time, and don’t be an asshole.”

And really, if we all lived by that slogan, the world would be a better place!

It was great to see Ann Curry, freed from NBC News and making documentaries. Another former Today show veteran, Katie Couric, came to the lunch, as well as famed news correspondent Bob Jamieson, the great theater and movie director Julie Taymor, and Arianna Huffington. My own lunch table was filled with newshounds including Richard Cohen and Warren Hoge, as well as Sandy Brandt and Eleanor Kennedy.

“Eye in the Sky” premieres tomorrow night with a red carpet flourish and hits screens Friday. So far it has a 100 rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bleecker Street president Andrew Karpen, “I’ve never seen a movie where people both anti-war and pro-military thinks it speaks to them. That says a lot.”

I won’t ‘drone’ on here. but wait til Thursday for more about this extraordinary film.

MTV Movie Awards: Oscar Winner “Spotlight” Doesn’t Exist, Neither Does A Best Song from a Movie Category

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MTV barely exists at this point except as a dumping ground for really bad reality TV. The music is long gone. But they still give awards that can be understood by the remaining (and not very bright) audience that watches “Pregnant Teen Age Mom” or whatever.

In the world of the MTV Movie Awards, “Spotlight,” the new Oscar winning Best Picture, does not exist, not even in their True Story category. (“The Revenant” is considered a True Story, however.)

The MTV Movie Awards pretty much ignore “Room,” also, although Oscar winner Brie Larson gets a nomination for “Breakthrough Performance”– not ‘breakout’- which would have been so much better since she ‘breaks out’ of the shed.

Easily the hottest category is Best Fight, in which Leonardo DiCaprio and the CGI bear from “The Revenant” are nominated. Oh come on, they win. I do hope the bear has a tux.

Oddly, though MTV used to stand for “Music Television,” there doesn’t seem to be a category for Best Song from a Movie. So Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, The Weeknd, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth– either MTV couldn’t any of them to perform or they just don’t matter anymore to Music Television.

Here are the nominees:

MOVIE OF THE YEAR

· Avengers: Age of Ultron (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Creed (Warner Bros.)

· Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Jurassic World (Universal Pictures)

· Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

TRUE STORY

· Concussion (Columbia Pictures)

· Joy (20th Century Fox)

· Steve Jobs (Universal Pictures)

· Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

· The Big Short (Paramount Pictures)

· The Revenant (20th Century Fox)

DOCUMENTARY

· Amy (A24)

· Cartel Land (The Orchard)

· He Named Me Malala (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

· The Hunting Ground (RADiUS-TWC)

· The Wolfpack (Magnolia Pictures)

· What Happened, Miss Simone? (Netflix)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE

· Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina (A24)

· Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect 2 (Universal Pictures)

· Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)

· Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Jennifer Lawrence – Joy (20th Century Fox)

· Morena Baccarin – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE

· Chris Pratt – Jurassic World (Universal Pictures)

· Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant (20th Century Fox)

· Matt Damon – The Martian (20th Century Fox)

· Michael B. Jordan – Creed (Warner Bros.)

· Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Will Smith – Concussion (Columbia Pictures)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

· Amy Schumer – Trainwreck (Universal Pictures)

· Brie Larson – Room (A24)

· Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Dakota Johnson – Fifty Shades of Grey (Universal Pictures)

· John Boyega – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· O’Shea Jackson Jr. – Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

· Amy Schumer – Trainwreck (Universal Pictures)

· Kevin Hart – Ride Along 2 (Universal Pictures)

· Melissa McCarthy – Spy (20th Century Fox)

· Rebel Wilson – Pitch Perfect 2 (Universal Pictures)

· Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Will Ferrell – Get Hard (Warner Bros.)

BEST ACTION PERFORMANCE

· Chris Pratt – Jurassic World (Universal Pictures)

· Dwayne Johnson – San Andreas (Warner Bros.)

· Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Lionsgate)

· John Boyega – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Vin Diesel – Furious 7 (Universal Pictures)

BEST HERO

· Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)

· Chris Evans – Avengers: Age of Ultron (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Dwayne Johnson – San Andreas (Warner Bros.)

· Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Lionsgate)

· Paul Rudd – Ant-Man (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

BEST VILLAIN

· Adam Driver – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Ed Skrein – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Hugh Keays-Byrne – Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)

· James Spader – Avengers: Age of Ultron (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Samuel L. Jackson – Kingsman: The Secret Service (20th Century Fox)

· Tom Hardy – The Revenant (20th Century Fox)

BEST VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE

· Amy Poehler – Inside Out (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Andy Serkis – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Jack Black – Kung Fu Panda 3 (20th Century Fox)

· James Spader – Avengers: Age of Ultron (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Lupita Nyong’o – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Seth MacFarlane – Ted 2 (Universal Pictures)

ENSEMBLE CAST

· Avengers: Age of Ultron (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Furious 7 (Universal Pictures)

· Pitch Perfect 2 (Universal Pictures)

· Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Lionsgate)

· Trainwreck (Universal Pictures)

BEST KISS

· Amy Schumer & Bill Hader – Trainwreck (Universal Pictures)

· Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan – Fifty Shades of Grey (Universal Pictures)

· Leslie Mann & Chris Hemsworth – Vacation (Warner Bros.)

· Margot Robbie & Will Smith – Focus (Warner Bros.)

· Morena Baccarin & Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Rebel Wilson & Adam DeVine – Pitch Perfect 2 (Universal Pictures)

BEST FIGHT

· Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) vs. Ajax (Ed Skrein) – Deadpool (20th Century Fox)

· Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) vs. The Bear – The Revenant (20th Century Fox)

· Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) vs. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) – Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)

· Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) vs. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – Avengers: Age of Ultron (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Rey (Daisy Ridley) vs. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

· Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) vs. Lia (Nargis Fakhri) – Spy (20th Century Fox)

 

 

Bob Dylan: New Album “Fallen Angels” Will Be Included in Ticket Price, Tour with Mavis Staples

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The poet laureate of rock and roll, Mr. Bob Dylan, is back. His new album, “Fallen Angels,” hits us on May 20th. No word yet on whether it’s original songs or covers, or what.

According to Bob’s Facebook page (does he even know he has a Facebook page?), every pair of tickets to a summer tour featuring the great Mavis Staples will get you a free “compact disk” copy of “Fallen Angels.” There’s no word on whether you will also get Mavis’s latest “disk” as well.

Well, this is the new reality since CDs by legacy artists, even Bob Dylan, do not sell. They are also not played on the radio. The fans want to hear “Mr. Tambourine Man” or “Blowin’ in the Wind.” This is sad, sad, sad. All their “hero” artists are only regarded for work from 40 years ago.

But an album of new songs by Bob Dylan? Yes, please. I’d like to hear what he has to say.

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Take it to the Limit: Wife of Ex-Eagles Bassist Randy Meisner Dead from Gun Shot

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UPDATE: Reports are that LAPD have cleared Meisner in the accidental shooting. Lana Rae was moving the rifle in its case, and the gun went off.  How completely strange.

EARLIER: RadarOnline broke the story this morning: the Lana Rae Meisner, wife of the Eagles’ founding member and bassist Randy Meisner, died from a gunshot last night at home in Los Angeles.

Earlier in the evening, the police had been called to the Meisner for a domestic dispute. An hour later, Lana Rae was dead.

Meisner helped form the Eagles in 1971 after being kicked out of Poco, another Southern Los Angeles country rock group. He wrote the hit “Take it to the Limit,” which borrowed heavily from the Gamble and Huff hit “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” He left the group after “Hotel California” in 1977.

Meisner has a history of trouble, with suicide threats, alcohol, and erratic behavior. He told police that Lana Rae was rummaging around in a closet and a gun suddenly fell and blew her head off.

The Meisner scandal comes just a short time after the tragic death of the Eagles’ main founder, Glenn Frey, from a combination of illnesses.

#BroadwaySoBlack: “Eclipsed” Joins “Hamilton,” “The Color Purple,” “Shuffle Along” in a Historic Tony Awards Race

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You never know what’s going to pan out in a Broadway season. But now the Public Theater has sent us the likely Best Play and Best Musical of this Tony season, and they are each created and acted by non white, dare we say mostly black, artists.

On Sunday night, an amazing quintet of women opened on Broadway in “Eclipsed,” a play about female warriors of the Liberian Freedom movement circa 2003. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o stars in it, but all of the women in this remarkable play are superstars. Playwright Danai Gurira (you may know her as an actress from TV’s “The Walking Dead”) is the star of the spring season. Liesl Tommy directs with enormous imagination and sensitivity.

We know Lupita as the “overnight star” from “12 Years a Slave.” But the Yale Drama School grad was already a theater sensation when she won her Oscar. The four other actresses–Saycon Sengbloh, Akosua Busia, Zainab Jah, and (my personal favorite) Pascale Armand are absolutely sensational. These Liberian women are held hostage, raped, and treated like animals. Still their sense of humor is intact. And Gurira has woven in a witty bit about the Clintons and Monica Lewinsky to lighten the darkness.

So here we have “Eclipsed.” But the Public also gave us “Hamilton,” the presumptive winner of any award available and certainly the Tony for Best Musical. The soundtrack is a bestseller, the show was featured on the Grammy Awards, tickets are impossible. The Pulitzer Prize is looming for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work of genius.

And lest we forget– coming shortly is “Shuffle Along,” directed by George C. Wolfe, with an all star black cast starting with Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter. What a group!

Plus, the revival of “The Color Purple” is a knockout, with plenty of awards coming, including Best Actress in Musical for Cynthia Erivo and Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson– nominations if not the actual awards.

And Oscar winner Forest Whitaker may be closing in “Hughie.” But his performance will certainly be remembered in the awards mix.

#BroadwaySoBlack? or The Great Black Way. What a nice surprise that the theater can show movies the path to the future.