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Ticking Clock: Lesley Stahl Reportedly Brings in the Big Guns to Protect Her from New “60 Minutes” Regime, Age 84 and Not Retiring

Roger Friedman
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Ticking Clock: Lesley Stahl Reportedly Brings in the Big Guns to Protect Her from New “60 Minutes” Regime, Age 84 and Not Retiring

The “60 Minutes” clock is ticking like a time bomb.

Lesley Stahl, now the most senior and tenured of the show’s correspondents, isn’t fooling around.

Stahl is bringing out the big guns. She’s reportedly hired Bryan Lourd of Creative Artists Agency to represent her in the CBS debacle.

Matt Belloni reports this in his Puck newsletter over night.

In the last two weeks, Stahl — who’s 84 and has no plans to retire — has seen four of her colleagues leave the show. Anderson Cooper went on his own. But dislikes CBS News chief fired Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Then new Executive Producer Nick Bilton fired Scott Pelley.

Also gone are Executive Producer Tanya Simon and senior production staff.

Weiss and Bilton are no match for Lourd or CAA, believe me. Weiss may not care, but Bilton will want some kind of career after this blows up in his face. Lourd knows that.

Losing Lesley Stahl would be ‘game over’ for the new regime. She’s the last link to the classic “60 Minutes” of Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Harry Reasoner, and Ed Bradley. Her skills and connections drive the show’s authority and public trust. As it is, Pelley’s exit is devastating. His political pieces are incisive and on the money. That piece on the Vietnam caves will win awards.

As for Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim: they better take a page from Stahl’s book if they want to stick around.

And new correspondents? Now that CNN and CBS will be corporate cousins, watch for self-aggrandizing Jake Tapper to try to get a foot in the door.

PS The Joe Rogan rumor has been put to bed. Rogan’s appearance on “60 Minutes” would be the end of CBS News completely.

Listen: Taylor Swift Return to Country, “I Knew It, I Knew You” from “Toy Story 5,” First in Franchise for Music Other than Randy Newman

Roger Friedman
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Listen: Taylor Swift Return to Country, “I Knew It, I Knew You” from “Toy Story 5,” First in Franchise for Music Other than Randy Newman

So this is the Taylor Swift song that made everyone crazy a few days ago.

“I Knew It, I Knew You” is from “Toy Story 5.” It was written and produced with Jack Antonoff, of course. She returns to her country roots.

The title is similar to a Gracie Abrams song.

This is the first in the “Toy Story” franchise that someone other than Randy Newman contributed music.

Taylor will probably play this at the sketchy Songwriters Hall of Fame next week, too, where she’s getting a lifetime achievement award at age 36.

Is the song good? Yes. Off to the Oscars!



New JLo Romcom, “Scary Movie” 6 Open to Scary Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes: Warning — Enter at Your Own Risk Is Bottom Line

Roger Friedman
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New JLo Romcom, “Scary Movie” 6 Open to Scary Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes: Warning — Enter at Your Own Risk Is Bottom Line

The weekend looked bleak enough with steady rain coming.

But the two “light” releases that started previews tonight look pretty bad.

Jennifer Lopez stars in her umpteenth bad romcom in “Office Romance.”

Brett Goldstein is her co-star and the PR mill behind this one has been working overtime to make us think the two actors have been knocking boots.

They did, they are, they were, they will, who cares? The movie is terrible, with a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Why keep making these things? Lopez is capable of much more. We saw that in “Unstoppable,” a movie Amazon threw away. But she might as well stay home for a unless the goal is to remain queen of B movies.

Then there’s “Scary Movie.” Many decades ago, I sat in the premiere for “Scary Movie 1.” This was the one with all the Wayans. The parents came to the screening. Mrs. Wayans was in a wheelchair. At some point a gigantic pink penis that resembled an Oscar Meyer wiener came on screen and pushed its way across into Shawn’s ear. As this happened, someone bumped into the back of my seat. It was Mr. Wayans escaping with his wife. They were horrified.

So, too, are reviewers of this movie. It sits at 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. I like Anna Faris and wish her well, but this is not the path forward.

Trying Hard: Desperate Madonna Lip Syncs in Times Square Show at Rush Hour, Drops Another Disco Single Using Her Real Voice

Roger Friedman
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Trying Hard: Desperate Madonna Lip Syncs in Times Square Show at Rush Hour, Drops Another Disco Single Using Her Real Voice

Madonna is trying very hard to sell her new album.

She appeared in Times Square today and performed a few songs from her forthcoming “Confessions on a Dance Floor II.”

One of them was a new song which she dropped into the world this evening (see below). Her voice sounds nasal and more natural, not as processed as her many hits of the past. That’s her ‘real’ voice, for better or verse.

Of course, there was a lot of lipsyncing. But there had to be, considering the production.

Did she spend more than she’ll make? Sure, but who cares? It’s not about that. Madonna wants to be relevant.

She’s leaning hard on her gay fans, picking Pride Month and appearing at gay clubs. That seems like a small sales yield, but who knows? Anyway, this keeps her busy and gives us some stories.

Harmless fun at this point!

PS I’ll say this for Madonna: at least she didn’t try to get her kids free rides at colleges. JLo did, click here.


Exclusive: Yet Another Toronto Police Scandal Involves Admission That Missing Emails Were Not Produced During a Criminal Trial for Music Manager

Trump Plans Self-Serving America 250 Rally in Washington for June 24th Featuring Hackneyed Sycophants Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio

Roger Friedman
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Trump Plans Self-Serving America 250 Rally in Washington for June 24th Featuring Hackneyed Sycophants Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio

Donald Trump is planning his own America 250 rally.

Set for June 24th in Washington, the musical acts will feature his hackneyed sycophants Lee Greenwood and Christoper Macchio.

The former will sing his one hit, about being American. The latter is a singer of opera, but not an actual opera singer. He’s known in conservative circles as “America’s Tenor.” Trump compares him to Luciano Pavarotti. The thud you just heard was the famed tenor spinning in his grave.

Trump can’t seem to get anyone else, not even his other sycophants like Kid Rock or Nikki Minaj.

He writes: “We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home. All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!”

He’s referring, of course, to the acts who backed out of his Great American fair, like Morris Day, Young MC, Martina McBride, and so on.

No word on whether Vanilla Ice, his one loyal artist, will be part of the new rally.

Of course, it’s hilarious but sad, that he continues to celebrate himself when no one else will. All his cronies will be in the grandstands, like RFK Jr, Little Marco, Pistol Pete, and of course JD. It’s like having a “Saturday Nigh Live” sketch off season!

On the plus side, his name has to come off the Kennedy Center by Friday, June 12th. That will be his birthday present from us!

Music Mogul Clive Davis, 94, Home from the Hospital After Fighting Infection: “In Good Spirits and Happy to Be Recuperating” (Exclusive)

Roger Friedman
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Music Mogul Clive Davis, 94, Home from the Hospital After Fighting Infection: “In Good Spirits and Happy to Be Recuperating” (Exclusive)

Clive Davis, I am happy to report, has been sprung from the hospital.

The 94 year old music mogul went to the ER last Friday with an upper respiratory infection.

But good antibiotics and lots of love from around the world got him in shape.

“He’s happy to be home and recuperating,” says his spokesman Sean Cassidy

Viva Clive! I told you he overdid it on Memorial Day weekend with over 100 guests coming and going for various activities.

Like all of us, Clive still thinks he’s 30!

Now he can relax a little and listen to the insane amount of music he helped to create.

Last night, there was a cool shout out to him in the new HBO documentary about Earth Wind & Fire. Clive signed them to Columbia Records in 1970 but he did not go with Maurice White on his UFO spaceship adventure. We needed him here on Earth!

Sunday’s Tony Awards Set for Huge Ratings with Dozens of Stars from Host Pink to Opening Number by “Evan Hansen” Writers with 170 Performances

Roger Friedman
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Sunday’s Tony Awards Set for Huge Ratings with Dozens of Stars from Host Pink to Opening Number by “Evan Hansen” Writers with 170 Performances

Sunday’s Tony Awards on CBS are set for huge ratings.

The show has no sports competition or anything else of note running against it. Luckily, the NBA finals are off that night.

Singer Pink is the off beat choice as host, and she’s going to surprise everyone with a knockout night.

The opening number at 8pm is written by Pasek and Paul — of “Evan Hansen” and “La La Land” fame — along with Mark Sonnenblick. The number should be spectacular with 170 performers on the stage at Radio City Music Hall.

The show will also feature performances from current musicals The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titaníque, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), CATS: The Jellicle Ball, Ragtime and Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show.

There will be a special 15th anniversary reunion of the cast of “The Book of Mormon.” No less than Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. will honor those we’ve lost this year with a moving performance of “Without You” from Rent, in honor of the show’s 30th anniversary.

Also, Queen Latifah and Pink will lead a 30th anniversary tribute to “Chicago,” still playing like crazy thanks to the canny producers Fran and Barry Weissler.

The presenters list is off the charts, too. Look at this:

Adrien Brody, Annette Bening, Ariana DeBose, Ben Platt, Bernadette Peters, Billy Crystal, Bowen Yang, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Carrie Coon, Cole Escola, Darren Criss, Jack O’Brien, Jeremy Pope, John Leguizamo, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kara Young, Kelli O’Hara, Kristin Chenoweth, Law Roach, Lena Waithe, Lily Rabe, Maya Rudolph, Megan Thee Stallion, Neil Patrick Harris, Nicole Scherzinger, Patrick Wilson, Paul Rudd, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Sarah Paulson.

Plus Sting, who opens next Tuesday in his musical, “The Last Ship,” at the Metropolitan Opera House, will give an award. (There are very few tickets left!)

Got other plans? Cancel ’em!

PS There’s a pre-show free on Pluto TV (streaming) with Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess giving out a slew of other Tonys. It runs from 6:35 to 8pm. And no, Radio City offers no food to the black tie guests. We’ll be calling Door Dash for a pizza at some point!

Exclusive: Late Singer Peabo Bryson Recorded a Final Album with Star Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis That Could Be Released This Year

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Late Singer Peabo Bryson Recorded a Final Album with Star Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis That Could Be Released This Year

Peabo Bryson was such a spectacular singer.

Losing him this week at age 75 was a real blow.

Peabo still had his remarkable voice, and wasn’t done with his career.

It turns out the singer “If I Ever I Have You in My Arms Again” recorded what turns out to be a final album.

The collection is written and produced by two pretty big deals: Jimmy Jam Harris and Terry Lewis.

You may know them from all of Janet Jackson’s hits. Jam and Lewis have about two dozen other superstars under their belt from Mariah to Patti Labelle and the great Alexander O’Neal.

No word yet on a title or when the album will be released, but I am told we could hear by the end of the year. It would be a fitting tribute to Peabo, who was revered and adored by his fans.

Meantime, I see that Jimmy Jam is doing a Q&A tonight at Sony Hall in New York, under the Paramount Hotel. The event starts at 8. I’m sure all of this will be part of the conversation.

As for Jam and Lewis, and Jackson, here’s my favorite of their many hits:

Final “Euphoria” Episode Grew to 460K Viewers, HBO Says Another 8 Million Watched Rue (Zendaya) Die on Other Platforms Like HBO Max

Roger Friedman
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Final “Euphoria” Episode Grew to 460K Viewers, HBO Says Another 8 Million Watched Rue (Zendaya) Die on Other Platforms Like HBO Max

As you have heard, “Euphoria” is done after three seasons on HBO.

The final season — completely detached from the first two — was not pretty.

Creator Sam Levinson — knowing no one was coming back — killed off two of the three main characters. They were Nate, played by Jacob Elordi, and Rue, played by Zendaya. He died from a snake bite while buried alive in a coffin. She OD’d on Fentanyl. Nice!

The second half of the final episode was devoted to a bloody, Tarantino style shoot out in a nightclub. Then Colman Domingo went to visit some people in the dust bowl.

Only Sydney Sweeney’s adult porn star Cassie survived, although it’s unclear if Sweeney’s career made it to the end. That’s the naked truth.

Linear ratings on HBO were 460,000 — a big increase from the average 300,000 of the season.

But HBO says another 8 million watched either streaming on HBO Max or via the wires in their mouth appliances. I suppose that’s possible since few young people I’ve met recently say they have cable subscriptions. It’s way too expensive.

“Euphoria” was visually expressive. But it’s not a story anyone wants to hear again.

How? JLo — Worth $400 Million — Says Her Kids with Marc Anthony — $80 Million Banked — Applied for and Accepted College Scholarships

Roger Friedman
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How? JLo — Worth $400 Million — Says Her Kids with Marc Anthony — $80 Million Banked — Applied for and Accepted College Scholarships

Our system really is broken if Jennifer Lopez is telling the truth.

She says her twins — Max and Oskar (formerly Emme and referred to by Lopez as Lulu) — each got into the five colleges to which they applied.

Congrats, they’re smart kids, especially since they deal with ADHD, according to Lopez in People magazine.

But the kids also applied for accepted scholarships. As in, financial aid.

She tells People: “I am so proud that they set goals for themselves,” she began. “They all got into all five colleges that they applied to. They both got a scholarship to each, you know, one scholarship to each. Each one got a scholarship to a school. And I just felt like they work so hard.”

How could this have happened? Lopez is worth by estimates $400 million. The father, singer Marc Anthony, is listed at $80 million.

All we read about Lopez is her buying a $64 million mansion with Ben Affleck, flipping it, and moving into an $18 mil empty nester.

The Lopez-Anthony kids do not need to money so they can attend college. If anything, they should be giving scholarships to other kids.

And under what circumstances would these colleges be offering them scholarships? Especially when so many kids have to decline education because of the high costs. Or work three jobs as they matriculate.

Congrats to Max and Oskar, but whatever schools they attend, I hope the parents of incoming students question that financial aid office. Two other deserving students need that money!

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