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Exclusive Preview of Clive Davis Dinner: Pharrell, Meghan Trainor, Carole King, More

Leah Sydney
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Exclusive Preview of Clive Davis Dinner: Pharrell, Meghan Trainor, Carole King, More
Notes from rehearsals at the Bev Hilton for Clive Davis’s dinner– tonight:
Clive: “It never gets anything less than most vibrant and the pride in the music that is being created. We have an incredible lineup mixing new and establish artists.  All qualitative, It will be a night of incredible music.
It’s putting on a 3 hour show that brings you to the height of musical talent.  Taylor Swift called and told me how excited she is to come, Puffy, VP Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Tim Cook.  The Billboard story, the six pages, just floored me.”
Clive is getting the NAACP award tonight.  He said: “Aretha, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, have gotten it before, it’s is very special.  I’ve been talking to them and really moved that the artists over the years, and the music that I’ve helped give birth to has had the affect on culture that it has. And I”m keeping at it.”
Pharrell Williams came in. He was quick and  sang ‘Get Lucky.’  He told me “I’m blessed  that Clive asked me here.” I’m excited about it all.”
Carole King was next, she was supposed to rehearse a number with Pharrell but she was stuck in traffic. She  was very apologetic to Clive and recounted the last time she saw him was ‘that very sad night’ referring to Whitney Houston’s untimely death in February 2012. Carole rehearsed “You Got A Friend” and “Beautiful.”
Funny moment. Joyce Moore , wife and manager of Sam Moore greeted Carole: “If my husband were here I know you would be feeling his tuchas.” Carole looked a bit incredulous, that’s when Joyce explained who she was, to which Carole then let out a huge laugh at the inside joke. Joyce later told me that “Sam and Carole were label mates at Atlantic and have been friend for 50 years. Sam has a great ass so when they see each other Carole likes to touch it.”
Band leader Rickey Minor told me , “This is an opportunity to celebrate music and music makers and the singers that sing the songs. Clive has a way of bringing everyone together so that everyone leaves their egos outside the door.  Everyone comes to celebrate him and each other in a non competitive way.  Pure celebration.”
Surviving Bee Gee Barry Gibb told me that, “I’m thrilled to be here and honestly a bit shocked that Clive asked me.” When I asked him how was he’s faring, he answered “You know I’m the eldest, it doesn’t make sense. I always thought we would go grow old together and talk about the old days. I still have the memories though and my brothers will always be with me.”
John Legend and Meghan Trainor rehearsed  “Like I’m Going to Lose You.” After they sang she said, “that sounds so freaking good.” Mary J Blige, Sam Smith and Smokey Robinson followed.
More to come — tonight–can’t wait–
photo of John Legend and Meghan Trainor, c 2015 Showbiz411

“Jupiter” Descending: Wachowski Film $16Mil Weekend Box Office Disaster

Roger Friedman
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“Jupiter” Descending: Wachowski Film $16Mil Weekend Box Office Disaster

The numbers are coming in for last night. “Jupiter Ascending” did around $6.2 million for the night, with a projected $16 mil weekend. That’s a bigger box office disaster than most famous flops including “The Lone Ranger” and “After Earth.” They did around $25-$29 mil opening weekends, at least. The Wachowskis are headed to Netflix, kids. If they’re lucky. Hold on, for more…

“Seventh Son” did much worse with only $2.3 million on Friday for a $5 – $6 mil weekend. Universal takes bath, and holds its breath for “Fifty Shades of Grey” opening next Friday. That should whip the studio in shape.

Good news: “Sponge Bob” could rake in $40 million for Paramount. And “The Imitation Game” will hit $75 million by Monday.

Bob Dylan’s Big Night: Didn’t Play at MusiCares, Thanked the Byrds, Others for Making “Commercials” of His Songs

Roger Friedman
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Bob Dylan’s Big Night: Didn’t Play at MusiCares, Thanked the Byrds, Others for Making “Commercials” of His Songs

Bob Dylan looked like the most miserable bar mitzvah boy in history last night as he received the MusiCares Person of the Year Award. A dozen or more famous musicians performed his songs for a tony crowd of movie and TV stars and music execs, but Dylan refused to join in at the end. Most MusiCares honorees– like last year’s Carole King, Paul McCartney, or Neil Young, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Bono– generally come out and give the audience a few numbers. Not Dylan. My spies say he barely sat in the ballroom at the LA Convention Center through a night that included performances by Springsteen, Crosby Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and others.

But Dylan did speak. He gave a 20 minute acceptance speech in which he thanked a bunch of different acts for covering his music and making him rich. They included the Byrds, Sonny & Cher, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, the Turtles, Peter Paul & Mary, Johnny Cash, Sonny & Cher, and the Staples Singers. Of a few he said: “They made some of my songs top-10 hits. But I wasn’t a pop songwriter. I never even wanted to be that. But it was good that it happened. Their versions of songs were like commercials. I didn’t really mind that. Because 50 years later my songs would be used for commercials. So that was good, too. I was glad it happened.”

Dylan took pot shots at lots of other artists, and even got a jab in at late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun:

“Ahmet Ertegun didn’t think much of my songs, but Sam Phillips did. Ahmet founded Atlantic Records. He produced great records: Ray Charles, Ray Brown, LaVern Baker, just to name a few. There were some great records there. No question about it. But Sam Phillips, he recorded Elvis and Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, radical artists that shook the very essence of humanity. Revolution and style and scope, every shape and color. Radical to the bone. Songs that cut you to the bone. Renegades in all degrees. Doing songs that would never decay and still resound to this day. Oh, yeah. I would rather have Sam Phillips’ blessing any day.”

Dylan grimaced through every photograph, most of them taken with NARAS president Neil Portnow and real US former president Jimmy Carter.

Some people, like Ringo Starr, who didn’t perform, enjoyed the night more than Dylan.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”><p>Had a great nightat music cares everyone was great and Bob Dylan is a star peace and love R

Brian Williams Mocked on Social Networks as Scandal Erodes Trust, Anchor Takes Leave

Roger Friedman
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Brian Williams Mocked on Social Networks as Scandal Erodes Trust, Anchor Takes Leave

UPDATE Brian Williams will be replaced by Lester Holt this week. And, I predict, permanently.

EARLIER The Brian Williams scandal is turning into a big social media problem for NBC. Williams, since he admitted to lying about being shot at in helicopter in Iraq in 2003, is being mocked viciously on Twitter and Facebook.

But Joe Klein, writing on Time.com, posted an essay defending Williams tonight: “Accept Brian Williams Apology.” Klein writes: “The judgments about whether the NBC anchor should be fired, from pundits who never saw the inside of a chinook helicopter, are self-righteous and gagging.”


Recounting his own faulty memory as a war correspondent, Klein writes: “I understand Brian Williams’ predicament. Our memories are not very reliable, especially in life-and-death situations. Part of it is, yes, our need to aggrandize the risks we take; part of it is our minds’ reaction to fear. Part of it is that journalism involves story-telling and sometimes the story gets carried away with itself. Mistakes are made.”

Still, NBC is in trouble. The nightly news anchor must be trusted so that in an emergency viewers will turn to him or to her. Williams is now under more fire than he was in that helicopter. Dan Rather was undermined in this way long before the scandal that caused his ouster. Beginning with his “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” episode, Rather became a punchline. The rock group REM had a hit using that phrase– Rather said he heard it from two muggers–and that was the beginning of the end.

Every pundit is now wondering who NBC could send to pitch in for Williams, by the way. Katie Couric ain’t happening. Jake Tapper is under contract to CNN. NBC does have a great second liner ready to fill in– Harry Smith. This is a real newsman, no fooling around. If Williams needs a break, I’d send in Harry Smith in a minute.

Rosie O’Donnell Leaving “The View,” Splits from Wife; Joy Behar May Return

Roger Friedman
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Rosie O’Donnell Leaving “The View,” Splits from Wife; Joy Behar May Return

Rosie O’Donnell is leaving “The View” and has split from wife Michelle Rounds. Page Six got the scoop tonight. This may explain Rosie’s behavior on “The View” since it started again last fall. Almost immediately after the show she and Rounds, who nearly died last year from a rare condition, split up.

Rosie has five children– four with former partner/wife Kelly Carpenter, and a baby with Rounds. That she’s leaving the show is not a shock since she and Whoopi Goldberg have not gotten along since Day 1. But it’s clear that O’Donnell was dealing with too much stress at home to participate in a daily live show.

More to come. But for Rosie, this is just a chapter in a long career. I fully expect to see her doing her comedy act, touring, and writing, appearing on ABC Family’s “The Fosters,” and so on.

Now comes the question: is “The View” doomed? Rosie Perez is now doing her Broadway show. This leaves Whoopi and Nicolle Wallace. Last week Joy Behar returned for a test; I can tell you it’s very possible she’ll come back as a full time maybe or something.

Grammy Trustees Award Goes to Richard Perry, Most Successful Pop Producer of 70s and 80s

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Trustees Award Goes to Richard Perry, Most Successful Pop Producer of 70s and 80s

Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”? Ringo Starr’s “Photograph”? Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You”? How about Rod Stewart’s resurgence over five volumes of American song classics? What do they all have in common? Richard Perry. The producer of most of Carly and Ringo’s hits, not to mention the Pointer Sisters’ huge run in the late 70s and early 80s. Add in Barbra Streisand’s one rock hit, “Stoney End,” as well as a classic Fats Domino album called “Fats Is Back.”

Perry has made a lot of hits– Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson’s “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night,” Art Garfunkel’s “All I Know,” Ray Charles’s top 10 version of “A Song for You”– but I like a lot of the album cuts he did for these famous artists. Check out Harry Nilsson’s “Lottery Song” from the album Son of Schmilsson– Richard had already had a monster hit with Nilsson Schmilsson and three big hits including “Without You,” “Coconut,” and “Jump into the Fire.”

The Lottery Song – by Harry Nilsson from Hip Quotient on Vimeo.

Perry is also the only producer who can say he staged a quasi Beatles reunion. It happened on the “Ringo” album in 1972 when John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney all wrote songs for what would become a landmark collection. Every Beatles fan has the “Ringo” album as a cherished landmark. It was also Perry who convinced Mick Jagger to put backing vocals on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” It was quite a coup in 1972, and the record has become one of Simon’s and Perry’s lasting classics for 42 years.

Perry will get his Trustees Award tomorrow in L.A. along with famed songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and richard-perryradio legend George Wein. He’s also hard at work on his memoirs, full of juicy anecdotes about all the artists he’s put on the charts, and his long history as top of the pops. I’ve read some of it and it’s both funny and intimate. Some smart publisher should be scooping it up soon!

Will he divulge his secret recipe for the rich cushiony sound of all his hits? I don’t think so. A couple of years ago I was listening to Richard record Carly Simon singing a cover of “So Into You” for an album that may come out one day. I sort of haphazardly asked, when I heard his trademark production, “How does he do that?” Simon replied: “Oh don’t you know? He–…” Perry cut her right off. “Don’t tell him!” I had to laugh. These are trademark secrets. (And we thought we had no secrets.)

Congratulations, Richard. Here’s a video of my favorite Perry production, one of the very best radio singles ever produced. The dynamics of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You” are so warm and dramatic, and musical, nothing stands up to them even to this day:

Cover photo of Richard with long time significant other, Jane Fonda.

SCANDAL! InStyle Magazine Alters Kerry Washington’s Color, Features For Cover

Roger Friedman
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SCANDAL! InStyle Magazine Alters Kerry Washington’s Color, Features For Cover

Call it Fifty Shades of Black! When Kerry Washington was on the cover of InStyle’s Weddings issue, she looked like her beautiful self. Gorgeous, as usual. And black. Now she’s on the cover of the magazine’s regular March issue. She’s white, with completely different features. It’s a scandal. Someone call Olivia Pope.

The InStyle editors are blaming it on “lighting.” And that’s a joke since the magazine prides itself on their photos. Didn’t they approve the cover? (Yes.) Couldn’t they have re-shot it once they saw the prints? (Yes.)
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Most magazines don’t put black actresses on their cover. It’s an unwritten rule in publishing. Believe it or not, Vogue is one of the few that goes against the grain all the time. Anna Wintour gets kudos for regularly featuring black models, as well as singers like Beyonce.

The rule against blacks on the cover is the unsaid reason that Oprah Winfrey has always appeared on the over of her O Magazine. Most months she’s the only African American face on a newsstand.

On InStyle’s cover, Washington’s features are completely altered. She’s unrecognizable. What would Olivia Pope, her super PR star character on “Scandal” do about this? Kick some ass I’d say. Fortunately, InStyle has no Olivia Pope. On Instagram, Washington’s fans are furious. There’s no way to spin out of that.

“The Dude” Gives Julianne Moore Oscar Advice: “Surf that big wave!”

Paula Schwartz
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“The Dude” Gives Julianne Moore Oscar Advice: “Surf that big wave!”

“Seventh Son” is on the brink of failure– its Rotten Tomatoes score is pretty much nil– but we still love Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges. PAULA SCHWARTZ interviewed them last week:

Black magic, witches and “The Dude” dominated the conversation at the press conference to promote “Seventh Son,” the supernatural fantasy adventure starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore, which opens Friday.

Helmed by Russian director Sergei Bodrov, the Universal Pictures’ epic is based on Joseph Delaney’s popular children’s book series, “The Last Apprentice.”

All “The Dude” talk at the press event was natural since many journalist questions revolved around the stars reteaming for the first time since “The Big Lebowski,” the 1998 Coen brothers comedy that has a huge cult following.

“It’s been 17 years and I have a little Lebowski to prove it,” Moore laughed. She played avant-garde artist and feminist, Maude, in the cult film. “I was pregnant, and I actually got pregnant – it was not Jeff’s – on ‘The Big Lebowski.” My son is 17 years old, and so that’s how we noticed 17 years (had gone by). Isn’t it crazy?”

Bridges cracked, “Not many people know this, but I think we can let this out of the bag, that this film is actually a prequel to that.”

Moore added that it was great to be with Bridges on the screen together again and that they knew audiences brought that familiarity and resonance with them when they viewed “Seventh Son.”

“There’s that sense of, ‘Oh, I know those guys, they were in a movie together before,’” Moore mused, “so that kind of comes along with you and it was something I hadn’t really anticipated. And it’s a really cool thing.”

The supernatural story of “Seventh Son” revolves around Bridges as Master Gregory, the last warrior of a mystical order, who fights dark forces, primarily in the form of an evil witch Queen, Mother Malkin (Moore). Gregory and Mother have a history – they were once lovers – but he dumped her for another woman who he married. Malkin murdered Gregory’s wife, and the grizzly warrior vanquished the dark Queen and threw her down a dark hole, supposedly for eternity. Mother Malkin escaped and is hellbent on revenge. She kills Gregory’s apprentice (Kit Harrington, on screen for about five minutes), so Gregory travels the kingdom to find the prophesized hero born with mystical powers (Ben Barnes) who will help him battle the dark Queen and her army of supernatural henchmen, led by Radu, played by Djimon Hounsou. One of the more nifty special effects is how Moore’s character shape changes into a fire-breathing dragon with a spiny back and rapier-sharp talons.

Bridges said he didn’t blame Moore’s character for wanting revenge. “After all, she had every right to be pissed off. Her boyfriend, the one that she loved, locked her in a hole for many years.”

“Well, yeah!,” Moore echoed.

Bridges responded to wacky press questions with zen-like calm in Dude mode.
Asked about the role of fate and destiny in his life, Bridges replied, “As the Dude might say, this is just my opinion, man. You got the universe, right? You got all that black holes and the whole deal, and all that stuff we don’t know about. Yet here we are, right? And somehow the universe has, we’ve come out of the universe. I’m thinking of (philosopher) Alan Watts, that guy… He said apple trees make apples, right? And the universe people. We just come out of this, so it’s kind of destiny I guess, or fate that here we are. And this comes out of the Big Bang. It resulted in all this happening. And here we are. And all of our challenges and our dilemmas are fate. And all of those dilemmas can be wonderful or lessons for us, to teach us.”

Asked to compare The Dude of “The Big Lebowski” with his character of the mystical warrior in “Seventh Son,” Bridges riffed, “There are some weird parallels. I think of Maude flying at me like her dragon. The Dude liked to smoke it, drink it, and you know Gregory, I’m sure, has some kind of smoking mixture that he probably would light up on. There are probably some similarities. I haven’t really thought too much about it.”

Explaining his slurred speech as Master Gregory, which again sounds eerily like The Dude, Bridges explained that it was his idea to wear weird rotten-looking teeth, a good concept, but somewhat overshadowed by a straggly wig.

“I’m thinking, ‘We’re in the Dark Ages, you’re not going to have good teeth,” Bridges explained, “so I wore these teeth, which you couldn’t see at all cause of all of that hair,” he laughed. “But that probably made me slur a little bit, so that’s the truthful answer I guess.”
>Asked how she prepared for the red carpets, especially now she’s headed for the Oscars for “Still Alice,” and whether Bridges, who won a gold statuette for “Crazy Heart,” gave her any advice, Moore, who is a five-time Oscar nominee, playfully replied, “Well first I take a bath. And then I tie my tail up.” Everyone laughed.

Moore added that she was still amazed at her nomination for “Still Alice.” She mused, “Half the time you make little movies and no one ever sees them, so I feel very, very grateful.”

As for awards advice, Bridges said he and Moore talked about all the emotions involved. “That appreciation that comes at you like that is pretty wonderful,” Bridges said. Then he turned to Moore and enthused. “Hang on babe! It’s a little bit of a ride. Surf that big wave!”

Kanye and Kim Will Rock Clive Davis’s All Star Pre-Grammy Dinner

Roger Friedman
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Kanye and Kim Will Rock Clive Davis’s All Star Pre-Grammy Dinner

I can tell you exclusively that the Beverly Hilton is going to be agog on Saturday night: Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, are going to Clive Davis’s all star annual pre Grammy dinner. The couple– he’s a famous musician, she’s famous– will head up a list of stars that should have the paparazzi in shouting matches all night!

Who else is coming? Everyone from rockers to movie stars to politicians and society types (hello Barbara Davis). Sony ATV Music Publisher Marty Bandier is honored with the NARAS Legacy Award. Trustees Award winners Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees and famed producer Richard Perry will be on hand, as well as Perry’s lady friend Jane Fonda and his music pal Joni Mitchell.

Politicians include former VP Al Gore, and minority leader Nancy Pelosi.

I can tell you exclusively that Jennifer Hudson and Iggy Azalea are singing together. So are Pharrell Williams and Carole King. The immortal legend Johnny Mathis will croon for the audience. (If he doesn’t sing “Chances Are,” there’s going to be trouble.) Today, Hudson and Azalea rehearsed at the Hilton. Rita Orr was a no show, but she still has tomorrow to check in.

What makes the Clive Davis party so special? It’s the total crossroads of all celebrity in Hollywood on Grammy weekend. It’s bookended by the MusiCares Person of the Year dinner on Friday (this year honoring Bob Dylan) and the actual Grammys. Clive’s party is to the Grammys what the Vanity Fair party is to the Oscars. It’s the most coveted ticket. People clamor for it, offer body parts. And it’s presided over by this 82 years young legend, and king of cool.

Some more guests expected: Irving Azoff, Tyra Banks, Jackie Collins, Joan Collins, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple and iTunes’ Eddie Cue, Brian Grazer, Magic Johnson, Napster and Facebook’s Sean Parker, Melissa Rivers, Jon Voight, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Puffy Combs, Chick Corea, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Earth, Wind & Fire, Missy Elliott, Herbie Hancock, Beck, Gladys Knight, John Legend, Barry Manilow, Ricky Martin, Matthew Morrison, Usher, Smokey Robinson, Russell Simmons, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, TI, Will.i.am, and Neil Young.

Grammy Week: Nile Rodgers Gets a Night Off, Jams with Flea (Who’s Asked to Keep it Down)

Leah Sydney
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Grammy Week: Nile Rodgers Gets a Night Off, Jams with Flea (Who’s Asked to Keep it Down)

Tuesday night, Village Studios, West L.A.: incomparable 3 time Grammy winner Nile Rodgers was honored by the Producers and Engineers Wing of NARAS. It’s a big deal. Nile created the group Chic, had a bunch of classic hits that reverberate to this day. His career stretches from the 70s to right now with Daft Punk.

I asked Nile right before he received the award how he felt being the object of such sincere adoration. He quipped, “Weird because I’m always nervous about awards, they make me uncomfortable. But at least I get a night off, I’m not in the studio for a change.” We asked him what was coming up for him. “The Chic album, the first in 25 years, is coming out soon, and the very first single, ‘I’ll Be There,’ which has everyone that sang on the first album should be coming out in March.”

Who does he like now?

“I work with Sam Smith, who is amazing, look at Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson are killing it now. Its not just cause I’m working with them, they are extraordinary. What’s great for me is that talent is staying in the game. It’s not people who don’t deserve it. It’s people that are good and getting better. Hopefully that will change to make the audience understand that we make art and not throwaway pop.”

While we were walking together, the crowd was coming up to him with such reverence. How does that feel?

“I don’t think about being so loved, I love the biz, I love making music, that’s why I do it. “

The crowd included esteemed producer Jimmy Jam Harris, Slash, The Cars’ Rick Ocasek, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Academy Award nominated songwriter Diane Warren– all of whom were among the elite hanging out in the greenroom. Funniest moment was Flea, still in greenroom, playing his guitar as the show started, and was asked to lower the volume. He laughed and happily did, but he still kept on playing. Ocasek was bopping along.

The one big no show of the night? Rick Rubin, of course. The Mountain Man of rock music rarely leaves his bed, and last night was no exception.

Grammy President Neil Portnow introduced Nile to the adoring crowd with one of his famouslyeloquent speeches. Rodgers then went on to hold a ‘salon’ of sorts, playing his guitar and recounting his storied career with warts and all. Flea came up and jammed to classic Chic hits. Kathy Sledge then joined for “We Are Family.” Nile will present at the Grammys and then he’s back to perform at Elton John’s annual Oscar bash for his AIDS Foundation on February 22nd. LA can’t ever get enough of this musical genius.

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