Paul McCartney is 72 today. Happy Birthday Paul! The forever Beatle is recovering in New York after a nasty viral infection cut short his tour in Japan. But really, what 72 year old continues to carry his own rock show solo? Crazy. But Paul loves it, and has endless energy on stage, as if he were 42! Paul picks up his tour in Albany, New York on July 5th. With or without John Lennon, Paul is the most successful songwriter in history. Let’s hope he has a nice vegetarian meal today, capped off with some good Champagne. He deserves it!
Ken Roberts, the Other “Jersey Boy,” Remembered at the Friars Club
“Jersey Boys” the musical is still running. The movie is about to open. But one of the men behind the scenes in the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is gone. Ken Roberts, a larger than life operator who made and lost several fortunes in his lifetime, was remembered at the Friars Club on Monday by his pals. The former manager of Frankie Valli, among others, was 72 when he died last month after a series of illnesses.
Ken “was the whitest man I ever met,” recalled comedian Stewie Stone, who helped organize the small memorial service in the upstairs parlor of the East 55th St. clubhouse. Indeed, Ken, who was Irish, had white white hair and the palest complexion, bright blue eyes that flashed when he was thinking up a great new idea. One of those ideas was to buy a little Southern California radio station called KROQ in the mid 1970s. After many legal battles, he turned the station into a powerhouse, and sold it for $88 million in the mid 1980s.
By the end of the stock market crash in 1987, Roberts was completely broke again. He went on to make and lose a lot more money. He bought the most expensive piece of real estate in Southern California and lost that too. For a long time, he managed Frankie Valli, and he was there on opening night of “Jersey Boys” on Broadway. He also worked with Sly Stone, trying to rescue him from greedy managers. Lawsuits are still raging.
At Monday’s service: old friends, newer friends, fans. Everyone had a good story. Joey Reynolds, former WOR Radio star, who played the Four Seasons record “Sherry” over and over on the same day in the early 60s and “broke” the record, was there. Frankie Valli was not. That’s the way it goes. Walk like a man.
In January 2011, Ken lost his big house to creditors and moved for a time into the Beverly Hilton. He was quite ill, and had surgery. It was at the same that Frank DiLeo, Michael Jackson’s manager, was staying there. Frank went to visit Ken in the hospital, and remarked that he wasn’t feeling well.
A few months later, Frank was dead. Ken lived on, and moved home to his deluxe apartment in the sky at Trump Tower. But during that short episode he was a great friend to Frank. These two guys, who were not that old really, had lived hard and fast and had done everything they wanted to. There was a buzz in the air at the Beverly Hilton. Everyone liked them. They were real.
Only at the Friars does a memorial service turn into a roast. Only at the Friars does your lawyer recall your many crazy lawsuits as a eulogy. Everyone got a good sweet laugh and a little choked up about their friend who never failed to pick up a check at dinner, “even when he didn’t know where his next meal was coming from.”
The Jersey boy part? He came from Hoboken, and idolized Frank Sinatra. And to a certain extent, Frankie Valli.
Ken Roberts was a dreamer, a tummler, a larger than life guy who made show biz glow with mystery. I’m really glad I knew him.
Rock Hall of Fame: Rufus Thomas’s Daughter Wants to Know Why Her Father Isn’t In There
Vaneese Thomas, the most sought after live back up singer in New York, wants to know why her father isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rufus Thomas is considered the king of Memphis soul, a legendary performer with many hits. He also introduced Elvis Presley to the black radio audience on Memphis’ WDIA. He also had hits on Stax Records with Vaneese’s sister, Carla. She’s also not in the Rock Hall. It’s a scandal.
Last night, Vaneese introduced her new album. “Blues for My Father” with a sizzling one hour show Chris Noth’s Cutting Room on East 32nd St. This was after two nights of singing backup for Aretha Franklin at Radio City Music Hall. The pair have a long family connection: Aretha’s father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, married Vaneese’s parents in Memphis way back more than 70 years ago.
On Vaneese’s new album (www.vaneesethomas.com) she shares a duet with big sister Carla. She also went back and, with producer husband Wayne Warnecke, created an “Unforgettable” type duet with Rufus. If you like authentic, genuine blues, and R&B, “Blues for My Father” is a treat. Most of the songs are original, with the exception of a rocking version of John Forgerty’s “Old Man Down the Road.”
As for Rufus, and Carla, the whole story at the Rock Hall is so screwed up at this point, they will probably be passed over for who knows what? Cutting Crew, Bananarama? It’s a sad state of affairs. But you can sign a petition on Vaneese Thomas’s website.
Martha Stewart, Fashionistas Swan Around at “Yves Saint Laurent” Opening
Yves Saint Laurent: are you interested in him? If so, good news, there are two films coming out. One is called “Yves Saint Laurent” and the other is called “Saint Laurent.”
Who was he? A big French designer. Both movies are similar, even though only “YSL,” coming from the Weinstein Company, is authorized. The other is not.
But here’s the story: he was thin and quiet and French. He had a lot of sex with various young men, did a lot of drugs, moped around, then stumbled around, and then died. Is there an audience for this? Perhaps.
Last night, real designers Martha Stewart, Nicole Miller, and beloved Vogue editor Grace Coddington. as well as some otherwise pretty, vacant people turned up at the Museum of Modern Art to see the movie. Later, we went to a restaurant next to the Paris Theater called “Beaute.” I ran into Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas and his beautiful wife Marisol. Sarah Green, the pretty young Irish actress from “The Cripple of Inishmaan” on Broadway, came with Vogue’s Jill Demling. Gina Gershon waved to me. The rest of the guests were so thin that you could literally read between their lines. Models. Stick figures.
The “YSL” movie is well made. But like the other one, it has problems: they’re in French, and not much happens. They’re beautiful to look at. The people drape themselves this way and that. In “YSL,” Pierre Naney is very good at wearing chunky glasses and looking wan. It’s hard to imagine the real YSL becoming so famous and having so many designs because in the movie he does very little except pout. Guillaume Gallienne is a little more interesting as the enigmatic Pierre Berge, who was YSL’s lover, business partner, and heir. In this movie, he darts about like Inspector Clousseau.
In “Saint Laurent” not much else happens. Pretty people slouch around in well tailored outfits and drape themselves on divans. In this film, which Sony Pictures Classics picked up in Cannes, there’s full frontal male nudity and more vivid gay sex scenes. The actor who plays Saint Laurent looks, wearing glasses, like Andy Samberg. I kept thinking he was going to start making jokes. The actor (Jeremie Renier)Â playing Berge, resembles the late David Groh, the husband on “Rhoda.” He’s sharp and pointy, unlike Gallienne. Berge remains a mystery.
A French bulldog completely steals the movie and should be nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He turns in a superb death scene.
Leonardo DiCaprio Pledges $7 Million More to Ocean Conservation
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio just pledged $7 million more to ocean conservation projects, in addition to the $3million he already has donated to the Oceana Foundation. DiCaprio made the announcement this morning at the US State Department conference on the Oceans. The actor brought his mother and several family friends (unsure if supermodels were involved) to discuss the serious subject of how to protect the world’s oceans and their inhabitants. DiCaprio makes the donations from his private foundation. Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing more on that subject because the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is not free-standing. It’s part of a fund that doesn’t break down numbers. So we’ll just take everyone’s word for it. DiCaprio is undoubtedly serious about his commitment to ocean conservation and renewal. It’s not as fishy as it sounds.
Diva Disaster #2? JLO New Album Headed for Lower Sales Than Last Album
UPDATE TUESDAY AFTER MIDNIGHT: “AKA” finally appeared on the iTunes chart at number 29 around 2am. It’s an inauspicious start.
EARLIER: Do I know what’s going on? Not all the time. I do not know why Jennifer Lopez’s “AKA” album, set for release tomorrow, is not listed on iTunes. It doesn’t exist. That’s a bad sign. Where the heck is it? “AKA” isn’t even listed in the iTunes search engine. Is Capitol Records advertising it? Not there.
“AKA” is ranked at number 63 on amazon.com. That’s also not good. All the rest of tomorrow’s big releases are ranked in the top 10 thanks to advance orders. “AKA” is lacking in that area.
Lopez’s last album was a bust. This was supposed to be a comeback. But considering Mariah Carey’s problems with her new album, Lopez has reason to worry.
It does seem that even core fans are not turning up for the divas. It’s a little like Tom Cruise’s problem with “Edge of Tomorrow.” They’ve done the same thing over and over. It’s finally become a bore to the public. All talented people– but they’re not reinventing themselves.
Look for “AKA” to do even worse than Carey’s “Me I Am Mariah.” The gravy train stops here. For Lopez, it’s even harder than for Carey since she’s not really a, um, singer. She’s more of a performer.
Who’s going to land big tomorrow? Lana Del Rey. Who’d a thunk it? Her “Ultraviolence” album is already number 1 on iTunes.
(Listen) Maroon 5’s New “Maps” Sounds A Lot Like The Police
I really like Maroon 5’s new “Maps,” and here it is. But is it me or are a lot of new records sounding like they’re all derived from The Police catalog? Bruno Mars was a blatant rip off, One Direction had a song that sounded like it was traced from “Don’t Stand So Close to Me.” Now “Maps.” And you know, they’re all catchy, because The Police had a lot of hits. Funny stuff.
Tony Awards Give Biggest Box Office Leaps to Bryan Cranston as LBJ, “Jersey Boys,” Gentleman’s Guide
The Tony Awards gave the Broadway box offices something to talk about last week. Huge jumps came for Best Actor Bryan Cranston in “All the Way,” Best Musical “Gentleman’s Guide,” and the long running “Jersey Boys.”
Apparently the combo of Clint Eastwood making his first ever Tony Awards appearance plus the screening on Monday night of his film of “Jersey Boys” did the trick. The musical increased ticket sales by 12% over the previous week, up $105k. Not bad!
Cranston’s play, which closes soon, also went wild. They were up by $289K over the prior week, a 13.6% jump. If only Cranston would stick around. But “All the Way” will end its run on a high note.
Best Musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” went up $117K week to week. Everyone has to see this clever clever show.
Most of the new shows did well even if they didn’t win Tonys. “Rocky,” “Bullets Over Broadway,” and “Beautiful” all had nice improvements. But “Cabaret” and “If/Then” actually went downwards. The latter is starting to experience fall off. Idina Menzel’s Tony performance didn’t sell any tickets.
Of the older shows, it does seem like “Once” and “Rock of Ages”– the latter, especially– are struggling.
Beyonce-Jay Z Tour Selling Slowly: Tabloid Gossip May Be to Juice Sales
Beyonce is pregnant! Jay Z is cheating! Beyonce is cheating! Solange, Beyonce’s sister, is fighting with Jay! The headlines are all over the internet and splashed on the supermarket rag racks.
Is any of it true? No, none of it. Here’s what is true: tickets are selling slow as molasses for the Jay Z-Beyonce “On the Run” tour of stadiums that’s set to start in 10 days.
Right now, there are over 11,000 tickets in motion on StubHub for the couple’s July 11th show at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands. Several more thousand are available for the second show, on July 12th.
Even on Ticketmaster.com’s own system, a quick check shows a very bald stadium, with lots of tickets for sale and official resale. Right now, getting to see the first couple of modern R&B is pretty simple. And relatively inexpensive.
All told, Beyonce and Jay Z are going to play 17 stadium dates in the US and two in Canada beginning June 25 in Miami. But right now, tickets are available in every city and at every price.
What’s happening? Over saturation. Jay Z played a year long tour with Justin Timberlake, for an album– “Magna Carta Holy Grail”– that was given away for free by Samsung. Beyonce already toured. She just finished the worldwide “Mrs. Carter” tour in March 2014. It took in over $229 million.
Even with her “Visual” album scoring a big first month last December, Beyonce just hasn’t had a breakout single like “Single Ladies” or “Crazy in Love.” The album is off the top 200 for a while now. Jay Z’s is long gone.
Maybe this would have worked at smaller venues.
And the gossip? With no denials, but lots of “unnamed sources,” my guess it’s mostly made up to keep some interest in the couple while they’re on tour. Just wait for some “staged” episodes to lure in passive ticketholders.
Meantime, surprise, guess who’s doing well? Lady Gaga. Her tour has sold very well, and the number of available seats going into each show is fairly normal. Maybe that’s because her audience has been pining for her since illness took Gaga off the road a year ago.
Absence does make the heart grow fonder !
Casey Kasem Finally at Peace, Now the Fight for His $80 Million Estate Begins
Legendary deejay Casey Kasem has finally passed away at age 82. He’s at peace, after being tortured by his family in a tug of war that went public, became incredibly unseemly, and included meat being thrown down a Seattle driveway.
His daughter Kerri released a statement on Facebook this morning: “Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends. Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad.”
Now the fight begins for his money. This will pit his shall we say eccentric widow, Jean Kasem, who played a loon very well on “Cheers,” against his children. How long before they’re all in court? A day? Two?
Casey Kasem’s legacy is “American Top 40.” He took what everyone from Cousin Brucie to Wolfman Jack did and packaged it. He was the Ryan Seacrest of his day. In the 70s and 80s, you couldn’t get away from Casey’s upbeat delivery of the hits on every station around the country.
His signature line: “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”
But Casey became one of the stars, earning millions from “American Top 40” and many other business ventures. He was also the voice of Shaggy on the “Scooby Doo” TV series.
The result should be a good sized public dispute over his estimated $80 million estate. His theme park like mansion and grounds were put on the market for $42 million last year. So far there are no takers. Here’s a description of it:Â http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/04/casey_kasem_lists_ridiculous_holmby_hills_house_for_42mm.php