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Duran Duran’s Bittersweet Rock Hall Induction Reveals Original Member Andy Taylor Has Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer

Roger Friedman
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Duran Duran’s Bittersweet Rock Hall Induction Reveals Original Member Andy Taylor Has Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer

Duran Duran was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame Tonight in Los Angeles. But it was a bittersweet night at Simon LeBon revealed that original member Andy Taylor has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Taylor, 61, is a writer, producer and singer for Duran Duran and their spin off band, Power Station. His heartbreaking letter to fans appears below. He was part of the band for all its big hits like “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rio.”

In the letter Taylor mentions have the “Rodgers and Edwards” of doctors. He’s referring to producer Nile Rodgers and late music partner Bernard Edwards of Chic. Back in the 80s, Rodgers and Edwards produced some of Duran Duran’s biggest hits.

Dear Simon, John, Roger, Nick, my fellow inductees and countrymen

I wanted to send a personal note to pass along my sincerest respect to you all for what’s been an amazing career, and to also share what has happened to me.

Firstly, can I say what an absolute honour it was to be nominated let alone be inducted into the RRHOF. There’s nothing that comes close to such recognition. I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved together and of the way you have continued. As a guitar player in a progressive band from the synth days of the early eighties, literally from the day I met Nick, John, Simon and Roger they truly valued the contribution of a rather noisy, versatile Northern brat. We all grew up on the same vinyl records and live gigs, from David Bowie to Roxy Music, The Sex Pistols and of course CHIC. I could go to all those places as a player and developed a hybrid guitar style that fitted this amazing concept OF A BAND…

I loved going into the studio and recording our material; nobody else sounded like us. We were ripe to absorb what was the art of analogue recording, but with some different kit, Nick’s artful obsession with synth technology was something I’d never seen before and I was introduced to layers. Because we were instinctively the right fit, we evolved very quickly, writing RIO as our second album with the confidence our very early success with ‘Girls On Film’ and ‘Planet Earth’ inspired.

You can dream about what happened to us but to experience it, on one’s own terms, as mates, was beyond incredible.

I would like to thank each of my brothers in this great band.

My family: my incredibly sane wife of 40 years – Tracey – my amazing children, Andy, Georgie, Bethy and Izzy, not forgetting my grandson Albie, who’s probably online listening or on Fortnite!!!

The original believers: Paul and Michael Berrow, Dave Ambrose, Terry Slater, Rob Hallett.

The Producers: Colin Thurston, Alex Sadkin, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers – I’ve also really dug the work with Mark Ronson – I particularly admire ‘All You Need Is Now’, that’s a DD melody if ever I heard one.

Thanks also to Merck, Andrew and Wendy.

Now for the bad blood, well the good news is that there is none, just pure love and respect for everything we wrote, recorded and achieved together. What’s the point? There’s no stopping this 44-year thing called “Duran Duran”.

Now to the reason I’m not here:

Just over 4-years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course we are no different; so I speak from the perspective of a family-man but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have and this exceptional accolade.

I have the Rodgers and Edwards of doctors and medical treatment that until very recently allowed me to just rock on. Although my current condition is not immediately life threatening there is no cure. Recently I was doing okay after some very sophisticated life extending treatment, that was until a week or so ago when I suffered a setback, and despite the exceptional efforts of my team, I had to be honest in that both physically and mentally, I would be pushing my boundaries.

However, none of this needs to or should detract from what this band (with or without me) has achieved and sustained for 44 years. We’ve had a privileged life, we were a bit naughty but really nice, a bit shirty but very well dressed, a bit full of ourselves, because we had a lot to give, but as I’ve said many times, when you feel that collective, instinctive, kindred spirit of creativity mixed with ambition, armed with an über cool bunch of fans, well what could possibly go wrong?

I’m truly sorry and massively disappointed I couldn’t make it. Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing, even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy!

I’m so very proud of these four brothers; I’m amazed at their durability, and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award. I often doubted the day would come. I’m sure as hell glad I’m around to see the day.

All My Love

AT

Harry Styles Cancels Rest of L.A. Shows This Weekend, Plus Last Night Because He’s Sick (He’s Human)

Roger Friedman
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Harry Styles Cancels Rest of L.A. Shows This Weekend, Plus Last Night Because He’s Sick (He’s Human)

Harry Styles has cancelled the rest of his shows at the Kia Forum in LA this weekend. He’d already cancelled last night due to illness. He’s sick, he can’t sing, he’s human. He had 15 shows to do in L.A. But you know, he can’t. Ok??? Shows are rescheduled to late January.

Everyone go home and listen to Beethoven’s 9th symphony or watch is on the PBS Great Performances app. It will change your life.

Ratings: HBO’s Season 2 “White Lotus” Opened Lower Than It Ended Last Time, But Hang On, It Improves

Roger Friedman
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Ratings: HBO’s Season 2 “White Lotus” Opened Lower Than It Ended Last Time, But Hang On, It Improves

The first season of “White Lotus” on HBO was a novelty hit. It began with about 400,000 viewers and by the end of the six episodes, they doubled their numbers.

The new season began last Sunday and continues tomorrow night. There are 7 episodes this time. The opener finished 10% up from the previous premiere, but down a total of 25% in the key age demo.

I’ve watched five episodes. Season 2 is not Season 1, so it takes a little to adjust. The only carry-overs are Jennifer Coolidge as eccentric, wealthy Tanya and her new husband. Greg, who she met at White Lotus Maui.

Now we’re in Taormina, Sicily. Where Maui was just pretty. Taormina is lavish, over the top, baroque, It reeks of money. And sex. Lots of both. Everyone — except for blessed Tanya — is anatomically correct. They’ve all been to the gym. The men wear abs like sheriff’s badges. The women are beauties.

Season 1 had a mix of incomes among the guests. Season 2 concentrates on being rich, rich, rich. It also take a long time to find a character to root for in Season 2. That would be Aubrey Plaza’s Harper, the serious and practical minded wife of Ethan. a young entrepreneur — like he’s the founder of Zappos, or Reddit, they don’t say — played by half-Asian actor Will Sharpe. They’ve come to the hotel with Ethan’s conscience-less player college roommate Cameron (Theo James) and his blonde trophy wife (Meghann Fahy). The former couple is unsympathetic, the latter is accessible, and Plaza’s Harper gets it right away.

There other people here. MIchael Imperioli’s wife has tossed him out for cheating and sex addiction, so he’s come to the White Lotus with his father (F. Murray Abraham) and college grad son (Adam DiMarco). Coolidge — wacky as ever– has brought her assistant, the show’s delightful ingenue (Haley Lu Richardson). Plus there’s an Italian hotel staff that so far is not nearly as interesting as their counterparts in Maui.

The real stars of the show? A pair of young women, very ingratiating escorts, aka hookers or prostitutes. They are maybe the nicest, cutest local girls who don’t mind taking money from visiting rich people. They are Simona Tabasco as Lucia, and Beatrice Grannò as Mia. It’s as if a younger Penelope Cruz and Amy Adams are working the hotel. You will love them. (I am all in for Tabasco and must restrain myself making a Tabasco sauce pun.) By episode 5, the girls have joyously worked their way through most of the male cast.

The sets and locales are magnificent. We all be booking trips to Taormina, although maybe not to the Four Season Hotel where this thing is shot. Rooms in real life cover over $1000. Maybe there’s an Airbnb. Anyway, the palazzos, the cliffs, the village are to die for. They make Maui look like Hartford.

But the story is not as focused as Season 1. The characters are not as original nor as sharply drawn. Maybe it’s a sophomore jinx, but show seems more impressed with itself than in peeling away layers of these people.

When the story begins a prologue tells us that at least one body — a woman — has been found floating in the sea. So we know there’s been a murder and there’s been a suggestion of more. In Season 1 we could see Murray Bartlett’s Armond, the hotel manager, unraveling before our eyes, becoming more and more desperate. Season 2 is a little more unclear about who’s going to snap, although my money is on Theo James’s Cameron. He’s too good looking not to be punished.

But hang in there. A lot of weird stuff happens, sometimes too slowly, and not always as glib as it could be. Coolidge, however, gets some great lines. And Tom Hollander, as a mysterious wealthy gay Brit, starts to steal the show in Episode 5.

Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey Apologizes for Musk Mess: “I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly”

Roger Friedman
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Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey Apologizes for Musk Mess: “I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly”

On Twitter, founder Jack Dorsey is apologized for the mess with Elon Musk.

He writes: “Folks at Twitter past and present are strong and resilient. They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment. I realize many are angry with me. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologize for that.

He adds: “I am grateful for, and love, everyone who has ever worked on Twitter. I don’t expect that to be mutual in this moment…or ever…and I understand.”

Dorsey is apologizing because in the last two days, over 3,700 Twitter staff have been laid off by Musk including most of the executives. Musk is also charging $8 for accounts to retain or have the verified blue check mark next to their names.

Musk bought the company for $44 billion after a long haggle over its actual worth. He immediately restored a lot of objectionable accounts including Kanye West, who responded by making objectionable and crazy posts.

Musk, who is active on Twitter, is likely to respond to Dorsey’s post shortly.

Meanwhile, thousands of people — maybe a million — including celebrities and influencers — have left Twitter. So have advertisers, some of whom have put their accounts on hold, others who have cancelled, completely.

Dorsey is now beta-testing a new Twitter called “Bluesky.” Other platforms to challenge Twitter have started popping up. One is called Mastadon, another is Tribel Social. They can be found in app stores for both Android and Apple.

HBO Cancels “Westworld” Because No One Was Watching it or Understood It Anymore

Roger Friedman
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HBO Cancels “Westworld” Because No One Was Watching it or Understood It Anymore

The era of “Westworld” on HBO is over.

The cabler has shut down the show — loosely based on the famous movie — after four seasons. Why? Because no one watched it. From Season 3 to Season 4 they lost about 65% of their audience. They were down to an average of 350,000 viewers per episode.

How did that happen? “Westworld” never really made sense, but it started with promise. In the fourth season, though, the whole show changed into something else no one could follow or cared about. Weird.

You wonder what was going on with the showrunners. The first two seasons they had around 2 million viewers. You have to really make mistakes to chase off most of your audience. Now “Westworld” will live on in reruns, streaming or maybe DVDs for anyone who misses it.

Now please, someone get a really great role for Evan Rachel Wood. She deserves it, and so do we!

Pop: Alicia Keys Leaves RCA Records After 22 Years, Puts Out Christmas Album on Her Own Label

Roger Friedman
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Pop: Alicia Keys Leaves RCA Records After 22 Years, Puts Out Christmas Album on Her Own Label

Alicia Keys has left the building.

Twenty two years after her hit debut album, Keys has exited RCA Records. Her new album, a Christmas collection called “Santa Baby,” was dropped without much warning today on Alicia Keys Records.

“Santa Baby” can be streamed only on Apple Music and iTunes, not on Spotify. CDs and LPs will be available next month.

In addition to Christmas favorites, Keys has also recorded John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over.” There are also four original songs.

The end of the Keys-RCA relationship was foreshadowed some time ago. It’s crazy to say because she’s still very young, but Alicia is considered a legacy artist. She doesn’t sell a lot of records anymore — who does? She’s in the same boat as everyone over 40. She almost had a hit with “Underdog,” a couple of years ago but narrow minded radio programmers didn’t do much with it.

Alicia started at Columbia Records in 1999, was dropped by them, then rescued by Clive Davis’s new J Records (distributed by RCA’s parent company at the time) in 2000. Eventually Davis sold J to RCA and Keys continued there all this time. She has a lot of hits under her belt including “If I Ain’t Got You” and “Fallin’,” and, of course, “Empire State of Mind.”

No word yet on how Alicia Keys Records will work but we’ll stay on top of any news.

Michael Douglas and Son Cameron Making Their Own “On Golden Pond” About Repairing Relationship

Roger Friedman
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Michael Douglas and Son Cameron Making Their Own “On Golden Pond” About Repairing Relationship

Oscar and Emmy winner Michael Douglas isn’t done yet. The famed actor producer writer is making a new film with his son, Cameron.

“Blood Knot” has been picked up for production by Screen Media. The movie is based on a book by Bob Rich called “Looking Through Water.”

he film follows a father who invites his estranged son to visit him in Puerto Rico to compete in a father-son fishing competition to try and mend their broken relationship. It sounds like their version of “On Golden Pond.”

Cameron Douglas seems to have finally turned his life around after years of drug addiction and serving time in prison. Michael Douglas has really bent over backwards trying to rescue his son in real life after losing a brother years ago to drug addiction. Now he’s trying to help Cameron launch an acting career. Their real life story is as moving as any film they could make.

Howard Deutch is direcring “Blood Knot,” which was written by Rowdy Herrington

Shock: RIP Douglas McGrath, Tony Nominee, Woody Allen Collaborator, Former “SNL” Writer, Dead at 64

Roger Friedman
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Shock: RIP Douglas McGrath, Tony Nominee, Woody Allen Collaborator, Former “SNL” Writer, Dead at 64

I am in shock and a lot of people are this afternoon. Just last week I told you about my friend Doug McGrath’s extraordinary one man show, “Everything’s Fine,” at the Daryl Roth Theater.

Last night Doug did not show up for his 7pm performance. Sometime in the hour before the show he passed away suddenly. He was 64 years old, in what seemed like great shape and great humor. Condolences to his wife, Jane Martin, who he met when he wrote for “Saturday Night Live” years ago.

Doug was a sweetheart, easygoing, hilarious, a great story teller, and a great friend. I will miss him so much as will so many others.

He was nominated in 2014 for a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for writing the Carole King show, “Beautiful.” He was also nominated with Woody Allen for their screenplay of “Bullets Over Broadway” (he also acted in several of Woody’s movies). In 1995, Doug had huge acclaim for writing and directing Gwyneth Paltrow’s first hit, “Emma,” adapted from Jane Austen. His other credits included his much applauded version of “Nicholas Nickelby” for the screen, and a wonderful film about Truman Capote called “Infamous.”

“Everything’s Fine” was an ironic title. Absolutely nothing was fine with Doug as a teenager. The play brilliantly revealed that at age 14, in 1971, he was groomed by a sociopathic female teacher who was 47 and obsessed with him. After the show last week I said to him, how can you do 7 performances of this a week? But Doug showed no signs of stress. He was enthusiastic about getting his story out.

I am in tears. Doug was in such a good most of the time, you could actually call him chirpy. He was a hail fellow well met, as they used to say. So very sorry.

Broadway: Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen Make Surprise Appearances at “Almost Famous” Opening Night

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen Make Surprise Appearances at “Almost Famous” Opening Night

The great 2000 movie, “Almost Famous,” is now a sensationally fun musical on Broadway. It’s wildly entertaining with a totally energetic cast, terrific 70s style songs by Tom Kitt, and an adaptation by Cameron Crowe. It’s not Sondheim, and it’s not complicated, but if you loved the movie you will adore the show that opened last night at the Bernard Jacobs Theater.

And what a crowd for opening. No less than the Queen, Joni Mitchell, arrived wearing black velvet and a beret. Mitchell flew in from Los Angeles to support Crowe. They’ve been friends for years. Also a surprise was the appearance of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen with wife Libby Titus. Clive Davis sat across the aisle, actor Paul Rudd was behind me, and a ton of other familiar faces including Brenda Vaccaro, Vanessa Williams and director Kenny Leon were seen throughout the orchestra.

The music biz was represented in a big way by Sony Music chief Rob Stringer, famed manager and creator of historic rock music deals Irving Azoff, as well as Davis and Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner. You can’t imagine all these people jumping over the seats and maneuvering around the aisles to greet each other at intermission. Quite a celebratory scene.

Joni’s presence was particularly poignant as the musical features several references to her famous Christmas song, “River,” as well as the album, “Blue” being held up a few times. The audience was certainly jazzed Joni’s presence. So was the cast. At the start of Act II actress Anika Larsen, a hoot as the main character’s mother, Elaine Miller (played by Frances McDormand in the movie) passed Joni on her way up the stairs to the stage, She broke character for a minute and said, “Joni Mitchell your patchouli is perfect.” The audience roared with approval.

Making popular movies into Broadway shows is no easy task. but the team here has pulled it off with aplomb. Doing this means weaving in existing music from the original film, like Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” or Cat Stevens’ “The Wind.” The audience is waiting for these cues, as well as famous scenes like Russell Hammond, the rock star, jumping off a roof high on acid, or the whole band, Stillwater, thinking they’re going to die in a plane crash. And yet Crowe, who adapted his own screenplay, manages to pull this jigsaw puzzle together very economically.

None of the actors are well known and all of them are terrific. Twenty year old Casey Likes is an overnight star as William, the 15 year old Crowe stand in who goes off to interview rock stars for Rolling Stone in 1973. Again, Anika Larsen is hilarious delivering her show stopper song, “Rock Stars Have Kidnapped My Son.” The rock band at the center of all this, the fictional Stillwater, is sensational fronted by Chris Wood and Drew Gehling. Solea Pfeiffer is a compelling, seductive and frisky Penny Lane, the groupie — says “muse” — who inspires the band. Kudos also to the Band-Aids, especially Katie Ladner.

The New York Times’s Jesse Green trashed the show in his review. I’ll say he’s wrong, David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter loved it, and that’s all you need to know. Me? I could see it again in a minute. Go, enjoy. As Penny Lane says, “It’s all happening.”

Kanye West is Back on Twitter, Supporting NBA Player Kyrie Irving in His Own Antisemitism Scandal

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West is Back on Twitter, Supporting NBA Player Kyrie Irving in His Own Antisemitism Scandal

Elon Musk must be so proud. Kanye West is back on Twitter as of early this morning. He Tweeted out a picture of the Nets’ Kyrie Irving, the NBA player who had his own antisemitism scandal in the last two weeks.

Irving had Tweeted out a link to antisemitic documentary. Even with outrage directed at him he stood by it until it was pointed out to him that he was on the verge of losing everything. Since then Irving has backtracked. He said:

“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day. I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility. I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light.”

West has not. Tweeting out this photo of Irving it’s clear he’s not budging or apologizing for anything. West is done, finished, kaput. And this comes on the heels of NBC News reporting that West had to settle a case with a former employee who accused him of invoking Hitler.

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