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Beyonce is the first music star to donate to the Los Angeles wildlife relief.
Through her Beygood Foundation, Beyonce says she’s sending $2.5 million to the LA Fire Relief Fund. That’s $1 million more than the total Beygood donated to causes in 2022.
The money is earmarked for the areas of Altadena and Pasadena. It is not for the much harder hit Pacific Palisades.
According to the organization’s Form 990 for 2022, Beygood had $43 million in assets after a single contribution, most likely from Beyonce herself and/or Jay Z. It gave away $1.5 million to a few groups, mostly in Houston.
Beyonce is up for several Grammy awards next month for her “Cowboy Carter” album.
I have never understood who Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are. Years ago I thought they’d disappear, and eventually they did.
Now, sadly, their house in Pacific Palisades has burned down. To generate income, I guess they’ve been encouraging their fans (they hae fans!) to download Montag’s 2009-10 pop records. (Who knew?)
And so, the fans have spoken They’ve sent Montag’s 2010 album, the aptly named “Superficial,” to the top of the iTunes chart. The title single and another track have zoomed up the singles chart. A release marked January 3, 2025 is also selling.
It’s not music, it’s garbage. It’s forgettable disco that sounds like it was frapped in a Cuisinart. This couple is obviously good at marketing. They lost their house — it’s very sad — but they can make money off of it. It’s better than just doing a GoFundMe page, but please don’t listen. There’s so much good music in the world.
PS Who are they? They’re from the 2000s “reality” show called “The Hills.” I never watched it. It was scripted, like most “reality” TV. It was made for people who’d just received lobotomies.
How much money can she make from Spotify? Probably not enough to rebuild a shed.
Leslie Charleson, star of “General Hospital” since 1977, has died at age 79. She would have turned 80 next month.
Three years ago Charleson was said to have fallen or to have had a series of falls that prevented her from returning to the show. She probably had a stroke, but it was kept secret.
She finally returned in 2023 for two short appearances in which she was seated and could barely speak. They would be her last shows.
Charleson played Dr. Monica Quartermaine, who was beautiful, smart, sarcastic and a little promiscuous. In the early 80s, Monica became a cult character after husband Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) tried to kill her and her lover. The Quartermaines reunited, but had many affairs, divorces, and reunions until Damon was written off the show.
Charleson was the longest running cast member of “General Hospital,” although she took over the role of Monica from another actress. She had a long list of TV credits by 1977. It’s always fun to see her turn up in reruns of “Medical Center” or “Mannix,” or “The Streets of San Francisco.” She even had a small role in the great film, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Before “General Hospital,” she was on CBS’s soap, “Love is a Many Splendored Thing.”
She left an indelible impression for soap fans of a certain age, anyone who was in college in the late 70s would know her on sight.
Rex Reed is probably the most famous movie or theater critic of any generation. At a curmudgeonly 86, he’s done it all, from live singing performances to hobnobbing with the rich and famous to appearing in actual movies. A few years ago, he was even profiled in The New York Times.
So it wasn’t unexpected this past Tuesday when he got a rousing ovation at the annual New York Film Critics Circle dinner at TAO Downtown. When current president David Sims announced Rex’s own astounding 50th anniversary with the group, the room exploded into applause. He’s outlasted every critic of his generation and the one preceding it. He’s so important that stars mention him as their adversary recalling his reviews of them in their acceptance speeches.
Rex is one of a kind. His most famous on-screen moments were in the first “Superman” movie – playing himself, and “Myra Breckinridge.” The reviews are still coming in.
The evening was a little muted as many spoke of the fires in LA. Adrien Brody, Best Actor winner for “The Brutalist,” reflected on Tao’s décor with its giant statue mistaken for Buddha. He pointed out, that’s Shiva the destroyer — before becoming emotional. And that was before the girls were swooning in the bathroom: Robert Pattison showed up for Brady Corbet’s Best Picture presentation for “The Brutalist.”
Best moment of the night was when Guy Pearce, who’s also in the Corbet film, toasted Brody for his award. Pearce’s intro for Brody as the NYFCC choice for Best Actor: He started with “You make it seem effortless” and countered with, “Sorry I raped you, but it was consensual.”
As celebrations go, this one was cerebral, not raucous which had some attendees concerned. And then there were the outliers: Claire Dane was wildly animated as she introduced Kieran Culkin for his Best Supporting Actor award, the real pain in “A Real Pain.” They had starred together in “Igby Goes Down” as naughty teens but now, she pointed out, they each have kids. “Only you can be you,” she said gesticulating madly. To wit: he got up to say, “You are so kind, I wish I had been listening.”
Jim Jarmusch presented Best Screenplay to Sean Baker for “Anora.” He liked the snow falling in the last scene so much he proclaimed, “Hats off to the falling snow.” But you cannot admire the deftly constructed screenplay without admiring the sex. Fawned Jarmusch, “I loved the sex in the film: transactional, silly, showing the variety of what that is.” He had heard that Baker demonstrated some scenes coupling with his wife. And Sean Baker fawned back, noting that when he finished film school at NYU he only wanted to be Jim Jarmusch. “I used screen grabs from Night on Earth. All that matters is heart, Coffee and Cigarettes.”
Baker said when he pitched the idea of the film to his mother, she said, “No one wants to see that. My mother hates my movies.” Then he read randomly from the script: p. 23: The characters have sex in a bed. The characters have sex in the sauna. “You guys awarded that? Now it’s an award-winning screenplay!” Then he read from The New Yorker critic Richard Brody’s pan. “My mother agrees with you.”
Carol Kane – winner of supporting actress for the very indie, “Between the Temples,” was the offbeat but welcome choice of the night. She responded to John Turturro’s introduction with a huge list of everyone she was grateful to including her parents, Mike Nichols, Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, etc.etc.etc. Her movie, “Between the Temples,” is just the latest in decades of extraordinary work that includes TV’s “Taxi” and “Kimmy Schmidt,” and such films as “Hester Street,” “The Princess Bride,” and “Annie Hall.” Coming here from Cleveland decades ago, she more than anyone put the ‘New York’ in the New York Film Critics.
There’s a flood of tributes to R&B legend Sam Moore, who died Friday at age 89. Sam had friends in every part of the music world who respected and loved him. They all cite him as an influence in their careers.
Bruce Springsteen wrote: “Over on E Street, we are heartbroken to hear of the death of Sam Moore, one of America’s greatest soul voices. There simply isn’t another sound like Sam’s soulful tenor in American music. Having had the honor to work with Sam on several occasions, he was a sweet and funny man. He was filled with stories of the halcyon days of soul music, and to the end had that edge of deep authenticity in his voice I could only wonder at. We offer our prayers to his wife Joyce and thanks for the immortal recordings Sam left us. God bless.”
Stevie van Zandt: “RIP Sam Moore. One of the last of the great Soul Men. Him and Dave Prater were the inspiration for me and Johnny to start Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. An important righteous wonderful man.”
Jon Bon Jovi: “Sam Moore, the Soulman, one of the pioneers and greatest singers ever has left us.. I’m not saddened as much as I felt incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to be in his presence. Having had the opportunity to perform and even record with Sam was humbling and an honor But knowing that I convinced Dorothea to come on what was our first date to see Sam and Dave In the spring of 1980 at the Fast Lane in Asbury park was one of my fondest memories.. Sending my luv to his wonderful wife Joyce And imagining that heaven sounds a little better with the voice of an Angel Much luv Soulman”
The Estate of Isaac Hayes: “The Estate of Isaac Hayes extends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave. Sam’s voice was a powerful force of nature and unforgettable. He brought Isaac’s songs like Hold On, I’m Comin’, Soul Man, and many others to life. Rest well Sam.”
Bootsy Collins:
“Danggit, I just found out my good friend & life long pioneer/Legend Mr. Sam Moore of Sam & Dave has changed frequencies.
Samuel David Moore (Oct. 12, 1935 – January 10, 2025) was an American singer who was best known as a member of the soul and R&B duo Sam & Dave from 1961 to 1981. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for “Soul Man”), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. (R.I.P. my Brother)”
In Memoriam: Sam Moore – As half of the Memphis soul powerhouse Sam & Dave, 1992 Inductee Sam Moore helped bring the sounds of the Black gospel church to pop music. A cornerstone act for Stax Records, Sam & Dave are the most successful soul duo in history, 1/2 pic.twitter.com/l9nnndeg7z
I know there's so much heartbreak and devastation going on in southern California right now, but I have to share the passing of Sam Moore. The original soul man has left us to join his many brothers and sisters in the afterlife. This once in a lifetime experience i had rehearsing… pic.twitter.com/UT20GwZNis
I don’t know if yall reading this even know how Sam Moore ( Sam and Dave) part of my life soundtrack. Rest In Beats Mr Sam . pic.twitter.com/2KpbMxSsPw
A couple of years ago, small studio A24 managed to hypnotize enough Academy voters to get the Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Most voters didn’t like it, but there was momentum. Also there were hot dog fingers.
This season A24 has a three prong attack for awards season. But that’s been reduced to two as Luca Guadgnino’s “Queer” — starring Daniel Craig — has disappeared from the theaters. The last time numbers were reported for “Queer” was before Christmas. The total so far is about @2.8 million, plus another $1 million internationally. “Queer” was no “Brokeback Mountain.”
The studio has had more luck with Nicole Kidman’s steamy “Babygirl.” The sex-fueled psychological character study is up to $21 million in three weeks, and shows no sign of flagging. Kidman is superb as a buttoned up CEO who takes a walk on the wild side. She’s won some awards already and may get an Oscar nomination (she should). “Babygirl” is pulling an audience to the theaters.
Then there’s “The Brutalist.” Brady Corbet’s epic three and a half hour original story won the Golden Globe last week for Best Motion Picture, Drama. Adrien Brody won Best Actor, and is headed into the Oscar race. Brody got a SAG nomination. The movie did not, which means hypnosis has not worked.
“The Brutalist” is brutal. It soars and then crashes. After four weeks of limited release, the total is $2.7 million. A couple of theaters in Manhattan have sold out. In other places, “The Brutalist” is being ignored. It’s not not going to win Best Picture because it does not have hot dog fingers. “Wicked,” “Conclave,” “Anora,” “A Complete Unknown” are all actual enjoyable, which is going to figure heavily in this tumultuous time.
As for “Queer,” there’s a rumor it’s coming to pay-for streaming this week. After that, it heads to HBO and Max. Whatever is cost — $20 million maybe with Craig taking a big paycut — it’s a write off. The only success of it was getting the former James Bond his first Oscar nomination (it’s coming) as well as accolades from the CCA, Globes and BAFTA. So, mission accomplished.
One question on everyone in Hollywood’s minds: what happens to awards season?
With the wildfires still not contained, and devastation just being calculated, it seems impossible that one day soon we’ll see gowns and tuxedos prancing down red carpets. Is that even possible?
Right now the Critics Choice Awards are set for January 26th, rescheduled already from the 12th. The event takes place in Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hanger. So far plans have not been changed. But the date swap was made before anyone knew how bad things would get.
Next comes the Grammy Awards, set for February 2nd at the Staples Center, far away from the fires in downtown LA. There’s word that the Grammys will be rescheduled or altered to acknowledge the tragedy that has occurred. The Grammys are more complicated to produce than the Critics Choice. They involve hundreds of musicians and technicians. So a decision is no doubt forthcoming quickly.
The meteorologists say the worst of the fires should be resolving by the end of this week. But then reality is going to set in for the thousands of people who’ve lost their homes and have nowhere to go. Hair and makeup will not be a consideration. That may spell trouble for the SAG Awards and the Oscars, which are right around the cotner.
Certainly there will lapel pins and clipped on ribbons. Hollywood loves a good pin. But there may also have to be charitable components to raise millions for people not far from the red carpet struggling to deal with the aftermath. There can’t just be pageants in the middle of misery.
Look for the Grammy announcement the soonest. At least the Grammys and Musicares have already pledged $1 million in assistance. But we’re waiting for the rock stars to kick in funds the way actors like Jamie Lee Curtis already have done.
The last time Ringo Starr had a number 1 album was in 1973, with the Richard Perry produced “Ringo” album.
Since then, Ringo has released a lot of records, some good, some okay. But no smashes.
Now Ringo, the beloved drummer of The Beatles, has a number 1 album on Amazon.com today. “Look Up” is also number 4 on iTunes.
Ringo is 84, and hasn’t released a whole new album since 2019. He has given us several EPs of four songs each. If you listen the Beatles channel on Sirius XM, they are very good at curating the best tracks from all his work– and there are always surprises.
“Look Up” is a sensational idea. It’s mostly written and produced by T Bone Burnett. There’s a smattering of young country stars like Billy Springs and Molly Tuttle. Burnett has done what Perry did 50 years ago — he’s built a place for Ringo’s voice to rest comfortably in his arrangements. This is also what George Martin did for Ringo, and George Harrison on songs he wrote for Ringo like “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Photograph.”
The title track is the first single. It could easily find a home on country radio. “Look Up” is a typical Ringo solo song, a mid tempo rocker. But with Molly Tuttle on vocals, and steel guitars wailing away, Ringo seems energized (not like he’s not always enthusiastic). Burnett has given him a lot to chew on.
The song could land Ringo on country radio is “Time on My Hands.” It’s just the sort of plaintive cry that makes for great western music. I’m also really digging the tracks featuring Billy Strings. One of his three contributions, “Rosetta,” with Larkin Poe is a lovely bluesy bit that sticks in the ear.
The final track is Ringo’s own “Thankful,” with Allison Kraus. A perfect album ender, it’s a Ringo memoir in which he describes succinctly his career– from his huge run through the mid 70s, his recovery in the 80s, and triumph for the last 30 years. Again, the band assembled by T Bone Burnett just kills on all these songs, making Ringo’s foray into country totally authentic.
I am heartbroken to report that the Legendary Soul Man, Sam Moore, my friend for 25 years, passed away this morning in Coral Gables, Florida. He was 89. The cause of death was complications recovering from surgery.
Sam — with his trademark tenor that distinctively rose through every song he performed — was half of the Grammy winning duo Sam & Dave of the 1960s. Their sensational run of hits included “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming,” “I Thank You,” and many more. Sam & Dave were inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in 1992.
Sam was born in 1935 and grew up in Miami’s Overtown and Liberty City neighborhoods. Sam began singing in church. Sam Cooke heard him and thought Moore would be a perfect replacement for him as the lead in the gospel group The Soul Stirrers. The night before he was due to leave for Chicago and be fitted for his stage clothes and join the group, he went to the Nightbeat and saw Jackie Wilson perform. Sam realized he wanted to sing pop, not gospel professionally like Jackie and struck out on his own. He became the singing MC and talent show host at the King O’ Hearts Club. There he met Dave Prater, a local baker who tried out for the club’s talent show. Stage magic led the formation of the duo.
The legendary Steve Alamo was attending medical school at the University of Miami and playing gigs with his cover band as the opening act for Sam & Dave. He took them into the studio and recorded their first half a dozen songs which wound up in the hands of Henry Stone and TK Records. Sam & Dave’s manager, Johnny LoMelo, did not approve of Henry Stone’s involvement and insisted Henry hand over all master recordings to Morris Levy and his company Roulette Records.
Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler from Atlantic Records, saw Sam & Dave in late 1964 at the King O’ Hearts where they had become locally famous. In 1965 they were signed to Atlantic Records and the rest is music history. Jerry Wexler loaned the duo to Atlantic’s southern production arm, Stax Records. They were introduced to Isaac Hayes and David Porter. What followed was a string of hits and international stardom. Sam & Dave were so revered that they were among the few stars who were asked to perform at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memorial concert at Madison Square Garden in 1968. Sam was a long time supporter of Dr. King.
The duo broke up in 1970. Shortly after, Sam was re-signed to Atlantic and recorded his solo album, produced by King Curtis with Donnie Hathaway and even Aretha Franklin on piano as guest artists. King Curtis was murdered on August 13, 1971, the album was completed but Wexler chose to shelf the album, depriving Sam of his solo career launch. Sam reunited with Dave for a few years in the late 1970’s breaking up for good New Years Eve 1982 at Bill Graham’s Old Waldorf in San Francisco. Sam struggled with heroin addiction after being introduced to the drug by Little Willie John in the early 1960’s. Sam and his wife, Joyce, recounted his drug use later in an oral history written by Dave Marsh and in my documentary with DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus called “Only the Strong Survive.”
The 70’s, however, were not all bad news. Thanks to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s cover of “Soul Man,” performed as The Blues Brothers on “Saturday Night Live” there was renewed interest in the duo’s music, look, and athletic dancing.
Sam married Joyce McRae in 1982, who became his manager and advocate. While the FDA and NIDA were conducting clinical trials of the anti-opiate Naltrexane which blocks the opiate receptors in the brain, Joyce was able to get Sam into the program and saved him from a death due to heroin addiction. Joyce gives full credit to what she calls a God-wink, and Sam began a celebrated solo career.
Over the years, Sam became a mainstay performer at the Kennedy Center. He performed for six presidents — Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. At Dan Aykroyd’s 50th birthday, Sam performed with Clinton, who played the saxophone to accompany him. He also performed for Barack Obama at the White House.
More than once, Bruce Springsteen loudly and proudly introduced Sam as “The greatest living soul singer on the planet!” Springsteen invited him to sing on his “Human Touch” album, and again in 2023 on his collection of R&B covers (also called “Only the Strong Survive”). When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrated its 25th birthday at Madison Square Garden, Springsteen featured Sam to much fanfare.
Moore was also a vocal advocate for the rights of performers. With his wife, he testified often in Washington for a performer’s royalty on records played on AM & FM radio. This has still not been resolved by Congress. Sam has said it would be life-changing money for himself, his peers and every American phono recording artist whose music is played on AM/FM radio and worldwide. All other countries who collect on behalf of artists including Americans, do not pay any collected broadcast performance royalties due to lack of reciprocity. (Only songwriters and publishers get paid from airplay on the radio.) Sam was passionate about the subject.
Sam’s legacy as a solo artist was cemented when he was finally able to recover and release the King Curtis album, “Plenty Good Loving,” in 2002. It was met with four star reviews. Both Ertegun and Wexler publicly regretted not having initially released it. In 2006, Sam made a triumphant return with his first album in thirty years, “Overnight Sensational,” which featured Springsteen, Sting, Bon Jovi and a galaxy of other stars produced by American Idol’s Randy Jackson. He was nominated for a Grammy Award with Billy Preston on their duet of “You Are So Beautiful.” He was welcomed, as always, to the David Letterman show, the Tonight Show, and all the morning shows.
In recent years, Sam received a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. He also continued to perform on a steady basis until the pandemic. His voice was heard recently on a Starbucks commercial featuring the Sam & Dave version of “Hold On I’m Coming.” He was often asked to perform at high-profile prestigious occasions. For example: Aretha Franklin asked him to sing at the funeral for her sister, singer Erma Franklin. Eddie Murphy requested Sam to perform at his Kennedy Center Mark Twain award.
Sam and Joyce came into my life in 1999 when we were planning “Only the Strong Survive.” They immediately became extended family, and vice versa. They even came to my parents’ 50th anniversary dinner years ago. We celebrated Sam’s 80th birthday in style nine years ago in Washington, DC. I haven’t had a birthday in 25 years that wasn’t marked by the dulcet sound of Sam singing to me over the phone either from Scottsdale, where the Moores lived for a long time, or Miami.
Only a few people come into your life who absolutely change it for the better. In mine, Sam Moore is in that group. We laughed, and cried, and gossiped. I was lucky enough to accompany him and Joyce on dozens of shows over the years. Every outing was an adventure the memories of which I treasure. As a kid I had revered Sam & Dave, so to become friends was a joy that cannot be described.
Condolences to Joyce, their daughter Michelle, and grandchildren Tash, and Misha. To say Sam will be much missed is an understatement. Sam never stopped recording. He was working on a gospel album with Rudy Perez dedicated to his mother. Sam’s voice remained intact. It was an extraordinary instrument he knew was a gift from God and gifted to the finest human being.
The war between Timothee Chalamet and Adrien Brody was just knocked up a notch.
Timmy will host and be the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” January 25th. He’ll be bringing it all home that night performing his Bob Dylan songs from “A Complete Unknown.”
This may beat Adrien’s recent CBS Sunday Morning profile. Or his shirtless pose on New York Magazine.
I’ve heard Chalamet has a “60 Minutes” feature coming, too.
The Oscar competition between Chalamet and Brody is certainly making the race more interesting this year. On the actress side, Demi Moore has the lead unless one of her fellow nominees challenges her. Maybe Mikey Madison. And watch Best Supporting Actress: Jamie Lee Curtis is coming up hard on the outside for “The Last Showgirl.”
For the January 18th segment of “SNL,” Dave Chappelle will host, and Glorilla will be musical guest.
Lorne Michaels is kicking up the heat before the show’s 50th anniversary, that’s for sure!
