Personal wheels Toyota Corona station wagon BMW 500 Series sedan
Pasco County population 217,300 429,000
Music to his ears Jimi Hendrix, some country and western music He's got that same music on his iPod, plus some "modern hip-hop, I don't even know what it is. Is there a singer by the name of Bounce? Be-ounce?" Beyonce?
As it continues to trade paper cuts in a crowded magazine market here, Atlanta Peach is hoping to trump the competition with an ambitious one-year anniversary party. Literally.
The planned April 13 soiree at the Foundry at Puritan Mill downtown will feature Atlanta Peach April/May issue cover gal Ivanka Trump. And the 25-year-old “Apprentice” reality star/model-turned-developer, magazine reps say, is bringing her father Donald along.
The Trumps will be flying into the ATL on a private jet to get updates on the new Trump Towers Atlanta, the family’s two-tower high-rise luxury condo project at 15th and West Peachtree Streets in Midtown. Australian supermodel/DJ Sky Nellor has been booked to provide the tunes for the invitation-only event.
NEW YORK -- MTV's "Total Request Live" is no longer totally live.
It's another sign of how both the audience and cultural juice have faded for "TRL," once the most influential program on television for music superstars from the Backstreet Boys to Beyonce -- even if they just dropped by to push an ice cream cart.Two weeks ago, MTV began taping "Total Request Live" two days a week to save money. After live shows air Monday and Wednesday afternoons, shows are then taped for the following day."Total Request Taped"? No, the show's title won't be adjusted for the ...
NEW YORK — MTV's Total Request Live is no longer totally live.
It's another sign of how both the audience and cultural juice have faded for TRL, once the most influential program on television for music superstars from the Backstreet Boys to Beyonce — even if they just dropped by to push an ice cream cart.
Two weeks ago, MTV began taping Total Request Live two days a week in an effort to save money. After live shows air Monday and Wednesday afternoons, shows are then taped for the following day.
MTV's "Total Request Live" is no longer totally live.
It's another sign of how both the audience and cultural juice have faded
for "TRL," once the most influential program on TV for music superstars from
Whether your seasonal wardrobe will be made up mostly of cool neutral clothes or pop-art brights, makeup artists advise not to go overboard with rainbow colors.
They'll create too much of a contrast with the understated pieces, and you risk appearing cartoonish with the whole mod look.
Robin Tamura, director of strategy and creative development for Clinque's global education program, says if white is the base of your outfit, the first beauty step to take is to smooth out the skin's texture and color. Then brighten the eye with concealer -- which will draw attention to the eyes -- and work on defining the lashline, eyelashes and brows.
While there's still some water cooler disagreement over who will emerge as the winner of this season's American Idol, there's little doubt that an early winner is gospel music, which delights folks at the Gospel Music Association here in Nashville.Brentwood's Melinda Doolittle is a backup singer for several gospel acts, while Chris Sligh participated twice in the GMA's Music in the Rockies, a national talent competition. Jordin Sparks, 17, who sang on two Michael W. Smith Christmas tours, came i...
The GMA includes an Idol update of artists with gospel ties in its weekly newsletter to members."Everybody knows a lot of great pop talent has come out of the church," says John W. Styll, the GMA's president/CEO, "but this crop of contestants, specifically with their gospel backgrounds, really speaks to the incredible talent that exists in this community. It's a great thing to see them on Idol and being so successful."Mandisa Hundley, who is recording a Christian album, was an Idol contestant, a...
'Entertainment Weekly' picks Doolittle
Starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls" is a big hit.
Loosely based on the 50s pop stars The Supremes, "Dreamgirls," rated PG-13, recently won two Oscars and three Golden Globe Awards.
"Dreamgirls" was a musical in 1981, based on the story of the Supremes.
Sixties British Invasion Week on American Idol. Was going to be Paul McCartney week, but he bowed out. Which was smart because his soon-to-be-ex-wife Heather Mills totally killed on the fourth-edition debut of "Dancing With the Stars" the night before.
Everything is '60s on "Idol" this week -- the songs, Paula Abdul's wig, the strobe lights, the coaches -- Lulu for the chicks, Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits for the guys. An adorable prepubescent pigtailed girl starts weeping uncontrollably, just like that time McCartney and fellow Beatles sang on "The Ed Sullivan Show" -- except this time it's Sanjaya Malakar (dressed in a Sgt. Pepper kinda jacket and Twiggy kinda sweater) singing the Kinks' "You Really Got Me."
Even the ads are '60s. Someone sings the Petula Clark song "Downtown" for Visa. In one a guy smokes pot and tries to get his dog to inhale.
The top-selling CD last year wasn't Justin Timberlake, Hinder or Beyonce. Not even close.
Believe it or not, it was a TV-movie soundtrack called "High School Musical." The album sold a whopping 3.7 million copies in 2006, according to Nielsen SoundScan. And it's still going strong.
The runaway hit followed the equally popular Disney Channel movie, which spawned a sequel coming out this August.
J.D. Daniel created a successful career as a professional keyboardist and vocalist in Los Angeles.He performed with such superstars as Destiny's Child, Tracy Chapman, Rickie Lee Jones, Beyonce Knowles, Sergio Mendes, Janet Jackson, Engelbert Humperdinck and Diane Schurr.
But after 30 years in the big city Daniel had had enough of endless traffic, concrete and the high cost of living.
"I was sick of it," Daniel said.
MTV's "Total Request Live" is no longer totally live. It's another sign of how both the audience and cultural juice have faded for "TRL," once the most influential program on television for music superstars from the Backstreet Boys to Beyonce even if they just dropped by to push an ice cream cart.
Two weeks ago, MTV began taping "Total Request Live" two days a week in an effort to save money. After live shows air Monday and Wednesday afternoons, shows are then taped for the following day.
"Total Request Taped"? No, the show's title won't be adjusted for the less-than-live days, spokeswoman Marnie Black said Tuesday.
The girls then posed nude, scoops of ice cream in hand. Whitney was supposed to be a "Chocolate Kiss," but they just covered her chest with a leaf and smeared whipped cream (or something similar) on her forehead.
Was she convincing? The judges were harsh, saying things like: "Whitney is really a pretty girl, but she's not model material." Or, "I see her singing in a church choir."
Does she have a prayer? Find out at 8 p.m. on The CW.
His wife Paula Patton will play a female pimp in the gritty drama 'This Wednesday.' Monday, March 19, 2007
Click here to watch Robin Thicke's video "Lost Without U"
R&B star Robin Thicke is in talks to write his first film score for his wife Paula Patton's new movie 'This Wednesday.'
Jamie Foxx is flying high and that’s no lie. Actually, as the Oscar winner reminded us several times Sunday night at The Township, he is straight-up ballin’.
“We Fly High,” Jim Jones’ ubiquitous summer jam, is what Foxx calls the black ghetto anthem. “You can be in church and that come on, you got to give it up,” he said.
He repeatedly played the chorus, which ends lines with the chant “ballin’,” to pump up the audience. He even coached an older white gentleman on how to do the ballin’ pose, which looks like Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals.
A few weeks ago, Doolittle dialed up an overcooked song no one ever wanted to hear again, "My Funny Valentine." But she sang a sublime arrangement. It was the best performance of the sixth season.
» Click to enlarge image
American Idol's top 12 finalists in West Hollywood, Calif.
LEE COUNTY: Just how important are swimsuits at the library? They are so important that when the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue did not show up in the mail, Lee County librarians were sent out to get a few copies.
We investigated whether that move is a waste of taxpayers' money.
So far, officials with the library system say it was not a waste of money because in order to offer patrons what they expect, it was a necessary purchase.
MIAMI, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- rakontur, the independent production company headed by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben and responsible for the critically acclaimed feature documentaries Cocaine Cowboys and Raw Deal, announced it has wrapped production on its nightclub documentary series CLUBLAND.
The series will be distributed exclusively on the web in fifty 5-minute webisodes and marks the first time the company has produced original content for the internet, rakontur is currently considering online distribution and advertising/sponsorship offers.
"Creating original content for the internet is an exciting new frontier for us," says producer Alfred Spellman. All the smart money in original content is headed to the internet, as it allows you to reach your audience directly and interact with them, without the interference of layers of executives and market research. That freedom allows us to produce a no-holds- barred look into the seedy underbelly of the nightclub business that would not be possible to air on traditional television."
— LOS ANGELES (AP) To get himself in the proper mood to write for women, Sean Garrett goes into dreamy mode.
He imagines how he would like to ahem interact with artists like the Pussycat Dolls and Fergie, and out of his head pop songs like Buttons and London Bridge.
To pitch his songs to executives, he creates a demo that features near-final production, then sings in a high-pitched voice to mimic the sound of the female singers. It takes all that, he says, to get his tunes in the right hands to eventually be heard by radio listeners nationwide.
L et's get one thing perfectly straight: If you want one of the hottest looks this season you have to get perfectly straight. Hair, that is.
Led by Reese Witherspoon (who also sported tamed tresses for the Golden Globes), the recent Oscar-night red carpet proved to be a showcase for the hair trend for shimmering straight locks. Witherspoon was hardly alone in the straight race. Nicole Kidman, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett-Smith all looked great in straight hair.
It's a trend that clearly has legs after the red-carpet season, well into summer and even fall. Fashion runway looks from the spring/summer collections announced straight hair months ago, but there were also plenty of examples of straight hair in the recent collections in New York for this fall and winter. Major design houses such as Valentino and Fendi are on board with print campaigns featuring straight hair.
It's not just what you've got, it's how you move it that gets the other sex's heart racing, according to a study by a New York University psychology professor.
For women, that means shaking your booty like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez or Shakira; for men, put some swagger in your walk.
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Is there anything more cathartic than a good kick-him-to-the-curb song?
Aside from actually stuffing an errant lover's clothes into his car and setting it ablaze, a la Angela Bassett in the movie version of "Waiting to Exhale," the "farewell, scum" song is the next best revenge.
When Whitney Houston finally hits upon the right musical farewell to the odious Bobby Brown, we'll know the great diva of our age is back.
Let's get one thing perfectly straight: If you want one of the hottest looks this season, you have to get perfectly straight. Hair, that is.
Led by Reese Witherspoon (who also sported tamed tresses for the Golden Globes), the recent Oscar-night red carpet proved to be a showcase for the trend toward shimmering straight locks. Witherspoon was hardly alone in the straight race: Nicole Kidman, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett-Smith all looked great in straight hair.
It's a trend that clearly has legs after the red-carpet season, well into summer and even fall. Fashion runway looks from the spring/summer collections announced straight hair months ago, but there were also plenty of examples of straight hair in the recent collections in New York for this fall and winter. Major design houses are on board with print campaigns featuring straight hair, including advertisements for Valentino, Fendi, Hermes, Burberry, Prada, Versace, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Chanel and Gucci.
The publicist for Beyonce Knowles says the singer isn't at risk of catching hepatitis A because she didn't eat the food at a party where guests may have been exposed.
The Valentine's Day bash in West Hollywood was to celebrate Sports Illustrated's latest swimsuit issue. Knowles, who is on the cover, and many other models in the magazine were at the party.
Authorities say the party was one of 13 catered events where people may have been exposed to hepatitis A by an infected cook working for Wolfgang Puck Catering.
We need a reality show about people's hair. By today's standards for hairstyles among celebrities, whose hair is real and whose hair is faux?
You can't tell, except for the fact so many wear the same style -- long and flowing and usually "extended" by extensions or weaves, and in any shade. I find myself wondering what they really look like, these stars with tresses not their own.
When they get a hair product commercial, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Heather Locklear and Andie McDowell, even Queen Latifah, what is real and what is enhanced? Winners by their hair, Tyra, Beyonce and yes, even Oprah, we barely know thee.
Beyonce has positioned herself as the woman to beat in the 21st Anniversary Soul Train Music Awards, gathering a leading three nominations today, including one for best female album for "B'Day."
She also is up for honors for best female single, for the hit song "Irreplaceable," and for the Michael Jackson Award for best music video.
Mary J. Blige garnered two nominations, for best female R&B soul-single for "Take Me As I Am," and for best female R&B soul album for "The Breakthrough."
Just about everyone at some point in their life has said, "Before I die, I want to ..." Fill in the blank with anything from learning Hebrew or seeing the River Nile to strapping on rollerblades for the first time. Put all those things you've always wanted to do onto one piece of paper, and you've got a life list.
Quirky actress and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres made life lists a trendy must-have by sharing her personal list with viewers in September, promising to tackle it with gusto during the current season of her show. Her modest list included taking tennis lessons, learning another language, learning to use a computer, visiting Amsterdam, traveling to Africa and being more patient. Since sharing her list, she's encouraged audience members and famous guests on her show to share their lists and make their goals happen.
"It's very important for adults to have dreams and goals," said clinical psychologist Dr. Carol Johnson-Schroetlin, who has offices in both Morgan Hill and Hollister. "Life means so much more when you have something to work toward. What would life be like without dreams and the desire to follow them? Probably very dull."
The CDC estimates that some 5,000 people die each year from foodborne diseases.
Last month a hepatitis scare appeared in the media when a Wolfgang Puck prep cook exposed Beyonce Knowles and others to the virus at a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition party.
There have been no reports of illness.
Gillette's "Young Guns" -- that's Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman -- are coaching a field of celebrities through a NASCAR reality series.
Six 30-minute episodes and a one-hour final are being shot at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., and will run before NBA Finals games on ABC in June.
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Rapper/mogul Shawn Jay-Z Carter has entered into a deal to sell clothing company Rocawear for $204 million in cash to the Iconix Brand Group, a company that licenses and markets such popular brands as Candies, Joe Boxer, Mudd, London Fog, Ocean Pacific and others.
The deal, which was announced Mar. 6, could also net Jay-Z $35 million in Iconix stock, if the Rocawear brand meets certain performance requirements over the next three-five years.
Iconix is pioneering a new brand management model and by combining Rocawear with their platform, my team and I can focus on our strengths in design and lifestylemarketing. Jay-Z said. Im also looking forward to working with Neil Cole and the Iconix organization on other brand development opportunities.
About 45 minutes east of Atlanta, just off Interstate 20, Highway 11 takes you four miles north and way, way back in time.
To the only stoplight in town. To the Claude T. Wiley Co., an 87-year-old family-owned institution, the quintessential Southern small town general store where most penny candies now cost 5 cents and size-66 bib overalls go for $33.95.
And where, if not the present, at least the memories are as sweet as the nickel's worth of sugar that folks once bought by the scoopful.
Goddess gowns in body-hugging fabrics, deliriously layered trains and dreamy pastel tones.
The single-most-important night for Hollywood is also the biggest fashion show in the world. And the stars did not disappoint Sunday as they made their way down the red carpet under a cloudy sky outside Hollywood's Kodak Theatre for the 79th annual Academy Awards.
As usual, the most anticipated gown of the evening was the one on best supporting actress nominee Cate Blanchett ("Notes on a Scandal").
MSU sophomore forward Aisha Jefferson, from Dayton, Ohio, is averaging 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Did you fill out a bracket for the men's tournament? I didn't have a time. I used to when I was little, but I haven't done it this year. It's illegal for us to try to win anything off it.
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The Soweto Gospel Choir has gained worldwide acclaim, won a Grammy and counts Nelson Mandela among its fans.
But what does one vocalist in the 26-member choir remember about sharing the stage with Bono and Beyonce?
"I was quite nervous," said Joshua Mcineka as he recalled the group's participation in the 2003 AIDS-awareness concert in South Africa. "I never shared the stage before with such big stars. It was a wonderful experience."
Nashville has a new star. R&B diva Mariah Carey, who is in the Volunteer State filming a new movie called "Tennessee," spent last week performing onstage at the downtown honky-tonk Second Fiddle. She co-wrote "Right To Dream" with Willie Nelson and performed it with Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. "People were weeping on the crew when she sang it," director Aaron Woodley told The Tennessean. "It's very moving, especially in the context of the film and her character."
Mel Gibson, fresh off his Mexico-based epic "Apocalypto," is thinking of heading south to film a movie in Panama, tourism officials there announced. Gibson dined Sunday night with Ruben Blades, a tourism spokesman, actor and singer, who suggested Gibson's next project should be a remake of the 1950 film noir "Panic in the Streets," set in Panama, the Panama Tourism Bureau said in a news release. Panamanian filmmaker Jose Severino was quoted in Monday editions of the daily newspaper La Prensa as ...
Jerry's newest kids:
If any word were to sum up this year's mostly bland and sometimes unwatchable batch of "Idol" contestants, that'd be it.
Sure, there are some standouts - sweet-natured former backup singer Melinda Doolittle, big-voiced belter LaKisha Jones and cocksure beatboxer Blake Lewis are shoo-ins to face off in the weeks before the Fox talent show's big May finale. Each are confident, worthy performers - yet they don't leave you wanting more.
Yes, I'll admit it: I miss Taylor Hicks and his herky-jerky dancing. I miss watching the kittenish Katharine McPhee make goo-goo eyes at the camera. I miss making goo-goo eyes at the TV when bald rocker Chris Daughtry worked the stage like a pro.
It's not just what you've got, it's how you move it that gets the other sex's heart racing, according to a study by a New York University psychology professor.
For women, that means shaking your booty like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez or Shakira; for men, put some swagger in your walk.
NYU's Kerri Johnson and her colleague, Louis Tassinary of Texas A&M University, conducted studies among scores of subjects to try to identify "particular body cues" - beyond their looks - that make men and women attractive.
NEW YORK — At an age when many are leaving college and embarking on their first professional job, Omarion is firmly cemented in his third career.
He started off as a rapper and has dabbled in acting, including the movie "You Got Served." But his biggest success has been as a singer. He fronted the platinum-selling boy band B2K, and after they broke up in 2004, released a successful solo debut, "O."
His sophomore album, "21," could be even more successful. Like his previous effort, it debuted at the top of the charts when it was released in late December and he already has two hit singles from it — "Entourage" and "Ice Box."
The following movies are scheduled to open today in the Bay Area:
"AVENUE MONTAIGNE" (PG-13): A young woman from the provinces comes to Paris and gets a waitressing job at a bistro in the middle of a chic theater and gallery district, where she befriends directors, actresses, art collectors and musicians.
"BEYOND THE GATES" (NR): A feature film based on the true tale of an impromptu United Nations refugee camp for Tutsis in a Rwanda school, and what happened after the U.N. left.
Look Who's Talking: AP Interviews with Musical Artists
Legendary Music Venue CBGB Closes its Doors
Looking Back at Tupac Shakur
It doesn't take the most devout American Idol observer to notice that this year something is disastrously wrong.
Going into the show's finals this week at least four deserving semi-finalists were missing from the roster - replaced by weak singers and poor performers.
And it has set the stage for a possible upset of massive proportions - in which a truly awful singer could walk away as this year's "American Idol." That's why as the finals continue to unfold next week, the more interesting weekly drama will not be who gets eliminated, but who remains.
(3/16/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Hometown girl Beyonce rocked the house last night at Rodeo Houston.
Beyonce performed all of her big hits in front of a sold out crowd of more than 72,000 fans. Last night at Reliant Stadium was Beyonce's second rodeo appearance as a solo artist. She's performed twice at the rodeo as a member of Destiny's Child.
Tonight at the rodeo, country performer Dierks Bentley hits the stage. Bentley blends country tunes with bluegrass music. One of Bentley's biggest hits is the single 'What was I thinking?' which turned into a number one hit. He's also the recipient of a CMA Horizon award.
At an age when many are leaving college and embarking on their first professional job, Omarion is firmly cemented in his third career.
He started off as a rapper and has dabbled in acting, including the movie "You Got Served." But his biggest success has been as a singer. He fronted the platinum-selling boy band B2K, and after they broke up in 2004, released a successful solo debut, "O."
His sophomore album, "21," could be even more successful. Like his previous effort, it debuted at the top of the charts when it was released in late December and he already has two hit singles from it - "Entourage" and "Ice Box."
Who can't admit to being a little jealous of celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez?
Stardoll is helping out celebrity admirers who want to steal the style of the stars, with its virtual paper doll Web site, www.stardoll.com. Like most paper-related pastimes, paper dolls are moving online and the site gives users the chance to generate a virtual mini-me, as well as dress-up celebrity look-alikes.
With a lengthy list of celebrities, the site offers users the chance to customize everyone from Disney Channel superstars such as Ashley Tisdale and Drake Bell to pop stars Hilary Duff, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Hunky stars such as Tom Brady, Bow Wow and Jake Gyllenhaal are there as well.
HOUSTON – The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo began 75 years ago as a tribute to Western culture and heritage, but has morphed into a slick extravaganza aimed at luring urban cowboys and cowgirls with pop concerts and wine auctions.
For three weeks each year, about 1.7 million people and 37,000 cows, horses, goats and pigs converge on the city's Reliant Park for what is billed as the world's largest rodeo and livestock show. This year's rodeo began Feb. 27 and ends March 18.
But it is also a huge party that reflects the changes in a city where suburbanites have replaced ranchers and oil, not cattle, is king.
The Beat became KISS on Wednesday. But a look at the new play list proves there's not a lot of difference. It's a retooling that sounds like it's trying to broaden its listenership.
KISS 95.1 rocks and pops more than The Beat wiggled and jiggled.
"The format is very similar to what The Beat was -- it just has more variety," said the station's operation manager Ken Holiday.
While we could get some competition from Miami and Las Vegas, a source very close to Donald Trump and his daughter and partner, Ivanka, says the Donald and his offspring/co-star most likely will bring the next new edition of "The Apprentice" to Chicago.
Vegas and Miami are in the mix, as the Trumps want to promote towns where they're developing major properties. One of the best, of course, is the Trump Tower at Wabash and the Chicago River, currently zooming skyward above our former longtime Sun-Times home.
ROLE REVERSAL ... OR PERHAPS NOT: Chicago Academy for the Arts alum Lara Flynn Boyle is following up her recent portrayal of Conrad Black's wife, Barbara Amiel (in a Canadian TV movie about the former Sun-Times owner), by portraying a cruel, greedy prostitute. This new role will be in the film based on Buddy Giovinazzo's 1993 collection of short stories, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, and will feature an ensemble cast, including Shannyn Sossamon and Vondie Curtis-Hall.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Downtown Buffalo makes downtown Blawnox look like Mardis Gras, and it was particularly depressing here Wednesday afternoon, what with the dark skies and steady rain.
Walking around town evoked the same sort of a blah feeling most people probably experience when they see "Pitt" on their NCAA Tournament bracket.
Nobody - and I mean nobody - is talking about this team, whether hyping it as a Final Four threat or ripping it as a possible upset victim against 14th-seeded Wright State tonight at HSBC Arena.
Is there anything more cathartic than a good kick-him-to-the-curb song?
Aside from actually stuffing an errant lover's clothes into his car and setting it ablaze, la Angela Bassett in the movie version of "Waiting to Exhale," the "farewell, scum" song is the next best revenge.
When Whitney Houston finally hits upon the right musical farewell to the odious Bobby Brown, we'll know the great diva of our age is back.
Sports Illustrateds bikini-filled swimsuit issue soon might show up on central Ohio library shelves after magazine executives reversed a decision to withhold it from such institutions. The annual issue of the magazine this year featuring "Yesica and 20 other exotic models" was not sent to 21,000 subscribers such as libraries and schools, prompting complaints and confusion among librarians nationwide. "Ive never heard of that happening before," said Jay Kegley, acting manager of the Columbus Me...
Funny how classic American soul and blues styles get more respect overseas, especially in Britain. Proof is in the two CDs heading today's new-releases parade.
SOUL TO SOUL: Listening to Amy Winehouse churn through "Back To Black" (Universal Republic, A-) is like flashing to the glory days of Motown and Philly International Records. The woman throws down the gauntlet with a brassy yet vulnerable delivery that harkens to Etta James and Billie Holiday. And her vintage-style productions are trimmed with sumptuous strings, saxes and cooing backup singers.
Some tracks are total homages. The title tune takes off on Diana Ross & the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go," while "Tears Dry On Their Own" pays obvious allegiance to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."
ABOUT 40 MINUTES into the Academy Awards telecast, this thought undoubtedly occurred to millions of viewers across America: Is it possible to have the orchestra play off an entire show?
Every year, we watch the Oscars hoping to be dazzled by the star power and blown away by a blast of Hollywood magic. But too often we get what we got Sunday night: A lot of tedious speeches and wince-inducing stretches, and not enough genuine shock and awe.
And unfortunately, host Ellen DeGeneres did very little to ease our pain. It's not that she was a total shipwreck in her maiden Oscar voyage. It's just that her good-natured, low-key humor failed to inject much oomph into a night that sorely needed it.
Bright colors, long hair and goddess gowns. Sounds like a hippie fest, but it was the Oscars. If that red carpet at last night's 79th Annual Academy Awards could talk, it would have had a few things to say about dress choice.
For better or worse, the trends were quite obvious. Single-shoulder and Grecian gowns, in Starburst tones -- pink, red, orange and celadon -- were center stage for hot nominees, including Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett.
What didn't work, and there was a lot of that, was hair so flat you'd think it was glued to the head. Sorry, Gwen. Even more disturbing: accouterments above the neck and below the waist that came close to ruining otherwise perfect ensembles.