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Grammy Exclusive: Ukraine President Zelenskyy Will Deliver Taped Message Said to Be “Very Powerful”

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Exclusive: Ukraine President Zelenskyy Will Deliver Taped Message Said to Be “Very Powerful”

The Grammy Awards are coming at 8pm on CBS. And unlike the Oscars, the music awards will address the Ukraine war with Russia head on.

I’m told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taped a “very powerful” and “moving” message that will be shown during a segment devoted to the barbaric violence being waged by Russia. Zelenskyy should stop the show. Nothing now is more important than ending this war and bringing Putin to some kind of justice.

The Zelenskyy address is just a part of what looks like an actually incredibly good Grammy show. Lady Gaga will give a tribute to Tony Bennett and sing a couple of the songs from the “Love for Sale” album. Other artists featured will be Billie Eilish, Nas, John Legend, Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber with Giveon.

I am told the show opens with Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak and Silk Sonic.

Pre-Grammy Premiere Awards: Louis CK Wins Best Comedy Album, Kanye Wins 2, Gaga-Bennett, Jack Antonoff Producer

Roger Friedman
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Pre-Grammy Premiere Awards: Louis CK Wins Best Comedy Album, Kanye Wins 2, Gaga-Bennett, Jack Antonoff Producer

The pre-Grammy livestream has all the best winners. Los Lobos, Chris Stapleton, and Jon Batiste have already picked up a bunch!

Also, the performances on this show before the Grammys are always sensational! They were tonight. Kudos to LeVar Burton for doing a great job as host.

Some winners: Joni Mitchell won Box Set for Archives, Vol. 1 and she showed up!

Louis CK won Best Comedy Album, there was NO applause in the room at the MGM Grand.

Producer of the Year, non classical: Jack Antonoff

Best Pop Solo Performance: Olivia Rodrigo

Best Traditional Pop Album: Love for Sale, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

Best Engineered Album: “Love for Sale” — Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Engineered by Dae Bennett, Tony’s very talented son.

Best Music Video: Jon Batiste, “Freedom” (Batiste now has three Grammys tonight)

Best Music Film: “Summer of Soul” Questlove finally thanked the performers

Best Rock Performance: Foo Fighters

Best Rock Song Foo Fighters, “Waiting on a War”

Best Rock Album: Foo Fighters “Medicine at Midnight”

Best Alternative Music Album: St. Vincent

Best R&B Performance: tie– between — Silk Sonic “Leave the Door Open.” and Jazmine Sullivan

Best Traditional R&B Performance: HER “Fight for You”

Best R&B Song: Silk Sonic, “Leave the Door Open”

Best Melodic Rap Performance: Kanye et al “Hurricane”

Best Rap Song: “Jail,” Kanye et al — big group of writers

Best Rap Album: Tyler the Creator

Best Jazz Vocal Album:: Esperanza Spaulding

Best Comedy Album: Louis CK

Former Fired “General Hospital” Actor Doubles Down, Invites Reviled Anti-Vax Mandate LA Sheriff to Dinner

Roger Friedman
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Former Fired “General Hospital” Actor Doubles Down, Invites Reviled Anti-Vax Mandate LA Sheriff to Dinner

Some people don’t know how to dig themselves out of a hole. Or want to.

Ingo Rademacher was fired this winter from ABC’s “General Hospital” for several things including not getting vaccinated. He refused and went on the warpath attacking those who reminded him he was endangering his cast and crewmates, and going against ABC Disney policy.

Now Rademacher, who is Australian, has doubled down on the negative. He’s posted a photo of reviled Los Angeles Sheriff Villanueva, himself the subject of daily attacks by the LA Times. The sheriff was stripped of his responsibility for the vaccine mandate back in February when he refused to enforce it.

Villanueva has plenty of other scandals going on, all chronicled in the LA Times. Last week, CBS News even picked up a story about the sheriff allegedly hiding the fact that in March 2021 a deputy pressed his knee on an inmate’s neck for three minutes despite the inmate being handcuffed.

The actor, posing with the Sheriff, wrote: “Absolute pleasure to meet and have dinner with Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and his wife last night. Thank you for your service sir. A good man and unafraid”

So you know, this guy will not be welcomed back probably to any of the four soaps. Next week he’s got Putin Zooming in for dinner. (Just kidding.)

 

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A post shared by Ingo Rademacher (@ingorademacher)

Now We Know Why Bruce Willis Spent the Lockdown with Demi and Daughters and Not with Wife, Little Girls

Roger Friedman
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Now We Know Why Bruce Willis Spent the Lockdown with Demi and Daughters and Not with Wife, Little Girls

When it’s all said and done, Demi Moore is getting her angel wings.

We may have forgotten this, but Demi welcomed ex husband Bruce Willis into her Idaho home for the pandemic lockdown beginning in March 2020.

Bruce was far from his wife, Emma, and two young daughters, who were quarantining in Los Angeles.  This went on for months.

No one could figure it out. But those on the inside knew that Bruce’s wife, Emma, had a lot on her hands with two little girls and no one allowed in the house. Bruce, who was already dealing with major cognitive issues, was too much for her to handle, I was told at the time.

So Demi and the three daughters she shares with Bruce — Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah — were more than happy to host him . They put a lot of pictures and videos on Instagram at the time, including one in which everyone wore matching pajamas.

At one point when COVID eased up briefly, Emma and her two little girls came to visit in Idaho. The press wrote about it as one big happy family, which was true, but it was also because Bruce’s entire family rallied around him. The occasion was Emma’s birthday, in June 2020. But when it was over, Willis stayed behind in Idaho.

It is true that beginning right before the pandemic, Bruce and Emma sold off about $65 million worth of real estate, consolidated their holdings and moved back to Los Angeles from Bedford Hills, New York. We couldn’t say it at the time but it was to get their ‘houses’ in order and make life simpler as Bruce’s condition progressed.

The photos of Bruce’s time in Idaho are all over the internet, and what they showed was a big, extended family taking care of someone who needed the love and attention. It couldn’t have been nicer. There was one picture of all of them sitting at a dining table. The next one was Bruce suddenly jumping on the table, knocking everything off, standing there triumphantly. He was happy, and that’s all that mattered.

Pre-Grammy Premiere Awards: Louis CK Wins Best Comedy Album, Kanye Wins 2, Gaga-Bennett, Jack Antonoff Producer

 

Grammys: We Don’t Talk About Adele or Kanye, Plus Album of the Year for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga?

Roger Friedman
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Grammys: We Don’t Talk About Adele or Kanye, Plus Album of the Year for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga?

The Grammys are upon us, tonight on CBS, 8pm.

By that time we will know whether Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s “Love for Sale” won five of its six nominations. Those are given out in a three hour ceremony that precedes the Grammys off camera. Lady Gaga told me a couple of weeks ago she was just thrilled that she and Tony were nominated for “Best Pop Dup Vocal,” never mind Album of the Year.

But my guess is “Love for Sale” will be the surprise winner of Best Album. It makes sense. “Love for Sale” is the classiest of all the albums nominated. It’s also Bennett’s final recording. What a fitting tribute to him and a nod to great music.

The only other choice, in my book, would be Jon Batiste’s “We Are.” Batiste is hot right now. He’s also part of the CBS family, which doesn’t hurt. Of the remaining nominees, “We Are” is the only one that’s truly original and clever.

Some will say the Grammys will go “Sour” and choose the debut album by Olivia Rodrigo. But I think she’ll get Best New Artist and maybe Best Female Pop vocal. Her album was well made, but it’s chic pop, derived in whole from mixing Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne. “Sour” is no “Blue” or “No Secrets” or “Tapestry.” It’s also not nearly as good as last year’s winner, “Folklore,” by Swift.

Kanye West could be in attendance, and if so, might be looking for trouble. At least the show producers are ready for that. He’s not allowed to perform. If he’s’ there, and his “Donda” album loses, chances are he’ll try to bounce on stage and denounce the winner. I hope they have a net and a fire extinguisher at hand.

We don’t talk about Kanye, and we don’t talk about Adele. She’s persona non grata in Las Vegas, where the Grammys are being held, after cancelling 16 shows and not reimbursing ticket holders.. Her album came out weeks after the eligibility deadline, so “30” is not in the mix. She’s holding out for next year– which will probably be January 2023. “30” was not the massive hit everyone thought it would be, so it’s no slam dunk for anything next year except Best Female Pop Vocal. Adele doesn’t care. She already has a boatload of Grammys, millions of dollars, and lots of houses. She’s only making music every six years, so it’s almost like a part time job!

 

Broadway: Daniel Craig Tests Positive for COVID, “Macbeth” Cancels Today’s Shows, Waits for Monday

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Daniel Craig Tests Positive for COVID, “Macbeth” Cancels Today’s Shows, Waits for Monday

Even James Bond can get COVID.

Daniel Craig has tested positive for the virus, thus shutting down “Macbeth” on Broadway today. The company says that those are the cancellations for now. There are no performances on Sunday, so they can take the day and see what happens.

COVID is still everywhere, friends. Don’t be fooled. Wear a mask. Get boosted as many times as you can!

Evn

Anthony Anderson: Before His Divorce Was Announced, We Talked to Him About Moving to New York for “Law & Order”

Roger Friedman
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Anthony Anderson: Before His Divorce Was Announced, We Talked to Him About Moving to New York for “Law & Order”

Additional reporting by Leah Sydney

Last week, Friday to be sure, we ran into the ever friendly Anthony Anderson at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He was one of many A-listers who’d dropped by the GBK Gift Lounge running on the 3rd floor outdoor terrace. The other celebs included our old friend, Jordin Sparks, plus Ariana DeBose, Ashley Greene, Viola Davis, Mary McCormick,  and Ally Brooke.

Anthony was in fine fettle, and we were happy to see him. Years ago he was on “Law & Order” for a season, then left to do “Blackish.” Since then, he’s become a TV superstar. His mother has joined him on game shows. Now “L&O” is back and so is he.

I asked him how he felt about uprooting from LA and moving to New York again. What he didn’t tell me is that very day his wife of 21 years had filed for divorce. So I guess he really is happy to move to New York! (My guess is his wife was not so keen.) So we welcome Anthony to our fair city. Maybe some of the things he picked up at GBK can be used in his bachelor apartment!

He had a lot to choose from including an Ebay-hosted private retail activation and personalized closet clean out program in support of the American Red Cross to benefit Ukraine. Goodies included Purple Raina Self Care, Pop Underwear, Tabs Chocolate, Soultox, House of M Beauty, Cabo Couture, Stephen Silver Jewelry, GoDonut, Racs Rattan Bowties, Kimpton LePeer Hotel and more.

We love stories about small entrepreneurs, and GBK always offers a bunch of them. The Tabs Chocolate, for example, is supposed to help your sex drive. It’s a project from two 20 year olds who go to the University of Michigan. Withings is a company that makes smart scales and watches, including one that monitors afib. There was one guy making different flavors of custom ice cream. Ross & Snow is a hot new footwear line from Las Vegas that could take on New York’s Koio brand.

GBK wasn’t the only gift lounge in town over Oscar weekend.

At the Beverly Hilton in the garden was where Debbie Durkin’s ECOLUXE lounge had their afternoon soiree.  Fun stuff included: Louise Jones LA Confidante, a Belfast born psychic, Healthy Paws Herbal Labs, Revealu Skin Care. A Place in The Sun Hotel Palm Springs, Prince Caviar, Better Than Sex Desserts Restaurant,  Raised in LA Artwork, Dr. Tyler, Hales Parker Dentistry, Dena Burton Collections and Wagmor Pets Dog Rescue whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs in need.  Gilles Marini was cuddling with the puppies.

And let’s not forget the Secret Room Events Pre-Academy Style Lounge at the SLS Hotel.  Tons of A listers came by for exotic trips and popular products.

Check out the gift bag the lucky celebs got, below. There’s always a lot of crabbing about gift suites. But unlike the Motion Picture Home’s Swagfests for Celebrities, these lounges offers small companies a chance to get publicity for their products. (The MPTF’s “Night Before Parties” discourages press because they don’t want stories about mega stars touting around bags full of things like iPhones and so on.)

 

 

Alec Baldwin’s “Match Game” Canceled by ABC Even Though the Ratings Were Fine

Roger Friedman
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Alec Baldwin’s “Match Game” Canceled by ABC Even Though the Ratings Were Fine

ABC has canceled all of its Sunday night game shows including “The Match Game.”

“The Match Game” was hosted by Alec Baldwin, who’s of course under scrutiny right now because of the “Rust” shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. If the network had wanted to continue with “The Match Game,” they’d have to have gotten a new host.

The network canceled four other game shows including “Card Sharks” and “Celebrity Dating Game,” excruciatingly hosted by Michael Bolton and Zoe Deschanel.

The irony of “Match Game” is that when it was last seen in the summer of 2020 it pulled roughly the same numbers as ABC’s Wednesday night comedy line up, around 3.3 million. But the network is obviously off loading Baldwin, and tossing out the whole line up at the same time.

What will play on ABCs on Sunday night? Good question.

Much Derided Spider Verse Chapter “Morbius” Checks in with $11.4 Mil Friday, Total $17.1 Mil

Roger Friedman
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Much Derided Spider Verse Chapter “Morbius” Checks in with $11.4 Mil Friday, Total $17.1 Mil

“Morbius” lives, sort of.

The much derided Marvel-Sony movie starring (Oscar winner) Jared Leto came in last night with $11.4  million. That brings its total including Thursday previews to $17.1 million. It’s shooting for a $40 mil opening weekend.

“Morbius” has a lowly 17% on Rotten Tomatoes. Few critics or bloggers liked it. Many called it the worst Marvel film ever.

Ah, the highs and the lows. From “Spider Man: No Way Home” to this. From “Black Panther” to this. That’s life!

“Morbius” is an installment of the Spider-Verse but so far more chapters, at least told like this, won’t be happening.

Check in tomorrow.

 

Joni Mitchell Makes Triumphant Appearance at Musicares All Star Concert in Her Honor Featuring Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Brandi Carlile, More

Roger Friedman
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Joni Mitchell Makes Triumphant Appearance at Musicares All Star Concert in Her Honor Featuring Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Brandi Carlile, More

Joni Mitchell made a triumphant appearance last night in Las Vegas at the Grammys Musicares Person of the Year dinner.

Joni was honored by the music industry in a sold out ballroom with legions of fans and dozens of A listers.

Old pals like Stephen Stills and Graham Nash performed, as well as Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Jon Batiste, Pentatonix, and Billy Porter, whose bluesy rendition of “Both Sides Now” earned the singer a standing ovation.

Joni’s biggest chart hit, “Help Me,” was delivered by a surprise new star: Violet Grohl, the 16 year old daughter of Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl. She came to the dinner with her mom and sister. Her dad is mourning the loss of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Violet was a knockout, she has a disarmingly beautiful voice.

Nash sent a video, as he is on tour. So did James Taylor, Meryl Streep, and Clive Davis.

The night capped an incredible year for Joni, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of her landmark album, “Blue,” and had accolades every month. She has enormous fortitude considering the singer-songwriter suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her temporarily unable to walk or talk. But last night she walked proudly with the help of a cane and spoke and sang as if no time had passed. Bravo! She led the crowd in a big, final jubilant sing-a-long of “Big Yellow Taxi.”

 Big Yellow Taxi:

 

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