Death List Members in the News
May 2007
Charles Nelson Reilly
January 2007
Bobby Hamilton
December 2006
Gerald Ford
November 2006
Jack Palance
August 2006
Fidel Castro, Kirk Douglas, John Madden
July 2006
Keith Richards, Ozzy Osbourne, Gerald Ford, Tony Stewart, Phyllis Diller,
B.B. King, Dale Jarrett, Arnold Palmer
May 2006
Keith Richards, David Blaine
April 2006
Tony Stewart, Gerald Ford, B.B. King, Queen Elizabeth, Mickey Rooney, Bob
Barker, Harry Morgan, Charlton Heston, David Blaine, Vin Scully, Muhammad
Ali, Hugh Hefner, Arnold Palmer, Jerry Lewis
March 2006
Courtney Love, Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Jerry Lewis, Osama Bin Laden,
Queen Elizabeth, Ozzy Osbourne, Gerald Ford
February 2006
Walter Cronkite, Brian Dennehy, Don Knotts, Willie Mays, Vin Scully, Tony
Bennett, Courtney Love, Bob Barker
January 2006
Gerald Ford, Tony Stewart, B.B. King, Walter Cronkite, William Shatner, Courtney
Love, Nick Nolte
December 2005
Richard Pryor, Ozzy Osbourne & Queen Elizabeth, Nick Nolte, Hugh Hefner,
Tony Bennett, Tony Stewart, David Blaine
November 2005
George Michael, Courtney Love, William Shatner, Muhammad Ali
October 2005
Rosa Parks, William Shatner, Joe Namath, B.B. King, Jerry Lewis, Tony Stewart,
Arnold Palmer, Richard Pryor, Jack Klugman, Michael Waltrip, Hugh Hefner,
Dale Jarrett
September 2005
Courtney Love, Ozzy Osbourne, B.B. King, Michael Waltrip, Willie Nelson, Courtney
Love, Jerry Lewis, Arnold Palmer
August 2005
William Shatner, Vin Scully, Ron Popeil, Hugh Hefner, Dale Jarrett, Keith
Richards, Ozzy Osbourne, John Madden, Courtney Love, Richard Pryor, Sterling
Marlin, Tony Stewart, Tony Bennett, Don Knotts, Jerry Lewis
July 2005
July 30 - Arnold Palmer
July 29 - Richard Pryor
July 26 - Courtney Love
July 26 - Jerry Lewis
July 23 - Muhammad Ali
July 23 - Courtney Love
July 21 - Kirk Douglas
July 20 - Bob Barker
July 20 - Ozzy Osbourne
July 19 - Ozzy Osbourne
July 19 - Tony Stewart
July 19 - Kirk Douglas
July 18 - Courtney Love
July 18 - Ozzy Osbourne
July 17 - Kirk Douglas
July 17 - Dale Jarrett
July 16 - Phyllis Diller
July 15 - Michael Waltrip
July 14 - Gerald Ford
July 13 - Mickey Rooney
July 8 - Jack Klugman
July 8 - Keith Richards
July 4 - Nick Nolte
July 2 - Michael Waltrip
July 1 - Rosa Parks
July 1- Luther Vandross, Dead at age 54
June 2005
Jim Otto, Vin Scully, Tony Bennett, Gerald Ford, Tony Stewart, Queen Elizabeth,
Muhammad Ali, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Klugman, John Madden
May 2005
Michael Waltrip, Queen Elizabeth, Fidel Castro, Tony Stewart, Walter Cronkite,
Arnold Palmer, B.B. King, George Michael, Vin Scully, Keith Richards, Don
Knotts, Brian Dennehy, Michael Waltrip, Wilford Brimley, Ozzy Osbourne, Willie
Mays, Bob Barker, Nick Nolte, Jim Otto
April 2005
Larry Hagman, Richard Pryor, Willie Mays, Phyllis Diller, David Blaine, Tony
Stewart, Queen Elizabeth, Muhammad Ali, Nick Nolte and William Shatner, B.B.
King, Ozzy Osbourne, Rosa Parks, Luther Vandross, Pope John Paul II
March 2005
Ozzy Osbourne, Pope John Paul II, Courtney Love, Phyllis Diller, Vin Scully,
Fidel Castro, Ed Asner, Bob Barker, B.B. King, Arnold Palmer, Keith Richards,
Muhammad Ali, Jack Palance, Jack Klugman, Sterling Marlin, Joe Namath, Charlton
Heston, Jerry Lewis, Horatio Sanz
February 2005
Pope John Paul II, Wilford Brimley, Tony Stewart, Queen Elizabeth, Willie
Nelson, B.B. King, Ozzy Osbourne, Dale Jarrett, Fidel Castro, Phyllis Diller,
Courtney Love, Gerald Ford, Larry Hagman, Rosa Parks, Mickey Rooney, Hugh
Hefner
January 2005
Willie Mays, Ozzy Osbourne, Arnold Palmer, B.B. King, Vin Scully, John Madden,
Johnny Carson, Brian Dennehy, Kirk Douglas, William Shatner, Rosa Parks, Jerry
Lewis, Courtney Love, Pope John Paul II, Willie Nelson, Mickey Rooney, Gerald
Ford, Bob Barker
December 2004
Richard Pryor, Queen Elizabeth, Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, Rosa Parks,
Nick Nolte, Don Knotts
November 2004
Kirk Douglas, Ozzy Osbourne, Arnold Palmer, Jerry Lewis, Larry Hagman, Johnny
Carson, Queen Elizabeth, B.B. King, Muhammad Ali
October 2004
Courtney Love, Keith Richards, Tony Bennett, Fidel Castro, Ernest Borgnine,
Mickey Rooney, Willie Nelson, Jack Klugman, Jack Palance, Pope John Paul II,
Hugh Hefner, Rodney Dangerfield
September 2004
Courtney Love, Arnold Palmer, Rosa Parks, Rodney Dangerfield, Bob Barker,
Nick Nolte, Tony Bennett
August 2004
Arnold Palmer, Rodney Dangerfield, Bob Barker, Brian Dennehy, Ernest Borgnine,
Rosa Parks, Walter Cronkite, Willie Mays, Pope John Paul II, Fidel Castro,
Julia Child, Jerry Lewis, Mickey Rooney, Joe Namath, B.B. King
July 2004
Rosa Parks, Courtney Love, Fidel Castro, Nick Nolte, Don Knotts, Larry Hagman,
Kirk Douglas, William Shatner
July 30, 2005: The King abdicates
Arnold Palmer takes final bows in a major after missing cut at U.S. Senior
Open
KETTERING,
Ohio — Arnold Palmer, the king of seven Grand Slam events and five more
as a senior, bid an emotional farewell Friday to his 50-year major championship
career.
"It's not fun when you play as poorly as I played," the 75-year-old Palmer said after shooting an 81 to miss the cut by a wide margin at the U.S. Senior Open. "My tournaments are getting down to a very few. As far as trying to compete in major championships such as the Open and other tournaments, this is it. I'm through doing it. I'm not going to do it anymore."
While fans shouted out to him, Palmer's eyes glistened.
Palmer has not won a tournament since 1988 and has not been competitive in events for many years. His good friend and rival, Jack Nicklaus, ended his competitive career two weeks ago at the British Open at St. Andrew's.
Palmer elected to play in the Senior Open because the sponsoring USGA and the tournament's local organizers asked him to. He also wanted to be on hand when Nicklaus was honored on Wednesday night. Nicklaus then left for a fishing trip to Iceland, while Palmer remained behind to play in high heat and humidity.
"He went fishing and I went out and sweated," Palmer said as a large crowd behind the 18th green roared with laughter.
Palmer's first major tournament as a pro was the 1955 Masters. He tied for 10th then, and would go on to win at Augusta National in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. He also won the U.S. Open in 1960, and British Opens in 1961 and 1962.
It was Palmer who helped lift a gentleman's sport by embracing his fans with his dramatic charges. His battles with Nicklaus in the early 1960s helped lift the game to a new level.
Palmer said he was overwhelmed by saying goodbye.
"Am I emotional? Certainly," he said. "How can I not be? I was on the Champions Tour or seniors tour for 25 years and I feel very fortunate to have lived long enough to do that. That has a lot of sentiment to it. It is very emotional."
Palmer was carried by a wave of emotion on his final hole. He had to punch out into the fairway, but then hit a knocked-down 6-iron that ended up 7 feet from the pin on the par-4 closing hole. He received a standing ovation that lasted two minutes from the thousands of people around the 18th green at NCR Country Club, up until he marked his ball.
Looking tired and drawn from playing in 80-degree temperatures, he missed the par putt but made the bogey putt. The crowd roared again and he responded by waving, smiling and bowing.
One of his playing partners, Greg Reynolds, shook hands with Palmer and then began joining in the applause.
"It doesn't get any better than that," said Reynolds, an amateur from Grand Blanc, Mich. "This will go down as one of my greatest highlights in golf — not just making the cut, but getting the opportunity to play with him."
Palmer said the fans had spurred him on throughout the past two days.
He added with a laugh, "My golf is so lousy I expected them all to go home at noon."
Hundreds of fans stood near the clubhouse hoping to get a glimpse of him after he signed his scorecard.
Palmer said he intends to play in a few events this year and next.
"Something like The First Tee program and some charities that I feel like I can help make successful," Palmer said.
Reynolds, 58, said the crowds had grown over the two days he had played with Palmer.
"Anybody my age that has grown up has seen what Arnold has done for golf," Reynolds said. "You know, the fans all love him. I think we'll all feel like we owe him a debt of gratitude just for what he has brought to the game of golf."
From the Associated Press, Rusty Miller
July 29, 2005: Richard Pryor Sues Director Over Lost Film
Ailing
comedian Richard Pryor is suing director Penelope Spheeris in a bid to get
a lost film back.
The 64-year-old actor, who has been crippled by multiple sclerosis, claims his daughter Rain and Spheeris conspired to take the master copy of his first film, which the 'Wayne's World' director shot when she was a film student in 1968 and they haven't returned it.
In a suit filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Pryor, who raised the money for the film and hired Spheeris, claims he's the only person entitled to decide what's to become of the mystery movie and he wants it back.
He claims the negatives and prints went missing from his house 20 years ago and is sure his daughter and Spheeris have the footage.
Pryor believed the film, 'Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales', was lost until scenes appeared earlier this year, when the comedian was honored by the Directors Guild of America.
According to his suit, he contacted Spheeris after the tribute and she revealed she had given the footage to the Academy Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
From the World Entertainment News Network
July 26, 2005: No love lost between Courtney and Dave
NEW YORK -- Though some have labeled Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters the ''nicest guy in rock,'' Courtney Love would beg to differ.
''Dave gets to walk away unscathed and be the happy guy in rock, when he's one of the biggest jerks,'' Love says in the August issue of Spin, on newsstands Friday. ''He's been taking money from my child for years.''
Love, the widow of Kurt Cobain, and Grohl, who played drums in Nirvana, have feuded before. Grohl and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic became mired in three years of litigation in a dispute over the timing of the grunge band's box set ''With the Lights Out.''
They settled their legal issues in September 2002, and the CDs were released last year.
Grohl wonders where the "nicest guy" title came from.
''I don't know. Because I don't do coke?'' Grohl asks Spin. ''I supposed it's not taking anything for granted and feeling lucky to be here."
Love, 41, was praised Friday by a Los Angeles judge for making progress in a court-ordered drug treatment program.
Her daughter Frances Bean Cobain is 12.
From the Associated Press
July 26, 2005: Jerry Lewis to receive TV academy award
LOS
ANGELES — Comic legend Jerry Lewis is getting the television academy's
prestigious Governors Award in recognition for his more than half-century
of work on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy.
Lewis, national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, was chosen for the prestigious award by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Board of Governors in recognition of his work for the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.
The award will be presented to the 79-year-old entertainer and humanitarian during the 2005 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 10. The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be televised Sept. 18 on CBS.
"Television has few traditions as impactful on the lives of viewers as the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon. This year, he hopes to reach the $2 billion mark for research programs of the Muscular Dystrophy Association," Gary Goldberger, chairman of the Governors Award nominating committee, said in a statement Tuesday.
"Jerry's dedication and humanitarian efforts combined with the magnitude and longevity of the public service work he has performed exemplifies everything the Governors Award represents," Goldberger said.
The Governors Award salutes an individual, company or organization. Past recipients include Walter Cronkite, Johnny Carson, Masterpiece Theatre, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope and Alistair Cooke.
Lewis has hosted the Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon for nearly 40 years. It is scheduled to be held in Beverly Hills this year on Sept. 4 and 5.
Each year he vows to make "one dollar more" than the last telethon, and he has achieved that goal every year, Emmy officials said.
In 1966, the telethon was shown on one TV station and raised about $1 million in pledges. In September, the show will be aired on 200 stations, will be shown on the Internet, and could generate over $60 million for the first time. Last year, $59.4 million was pledged.
From the Associated Press
July 23, 2005: 'The Greatest' kicks off
tourney
Boxing icon Muhammad Ali greets fans in Shores
Ted
Gatzaros met one of his idols Friday night.
The 60-year-old restaurateur was one of several people able to meet boxing great Muhammad Ali at Kyte Monroe Park in St. Clair Shores.
Ali was joined by former Detroit Tigers stars Willie Horton and Gates Brown in the opening ceremonies of the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series.
A small group of fans was able to get close to the former heavyweight champ during a VIP gathering prior to the start of the ceremony.
Gatzaros was among them.
The St. Clair Shores resident shook Ali's hand, then posed for a photo. The moment left Gatzaros holding back tears as he tried to describe his feelings.
"For my generation, he was an icon," Gatzaros said. "He's a hero of achievement and a hero of good behavior. Just the fact that he's here shows he's not selfish. It's very emotional."
Despite showing the ravaging effects of Parkinson's disease, Ali obliged a countless number of people hoping to shake the hand of a person who many feel has transcended the sporting world through his humanitarian efforts.
After a caretaker informed a few of the VIP members that Ali would not be signing autographs, the champ beckoned for items to inscribe.
Sitting under a tent with his wife, Lonnie, by his side, Ali began signing.
One man had a book full of pictures chronicling Ali's career.
Ali flipped through nearly the entire thing, searching for a photo to sign.
Showing off some of his trademark wit, the champ picked a shot of himself standing over one of his many vanquished opponents.
Clinton Township resident Byrdie DiLaura brought two Everlast boxing gloves, which Ali signed.
DiLaura, who was meeting the champ for the second time, said she would give the gloves to her son John, 14, and daughter Cassie, who is 12. She was also awestruck by her surroundings.
"They say he's the greatest for a reason," DiLaura said with a wide smile. "Muhammad Ali is the nicest, most personable human being. The love he has for children is phenomenal. He's just awesome."
After the meet-and-greet session ended, Ali was welcomed to a ball field where each of the teams -- with members ranging in age from 10-16 -- got to walk in a procession. Ali did his best to wave at each of the teams from his chair near the mound. Many of the youth baseball coaches tipped their hats as they walked past.
When the team introductions ended, several hundred people swarmed around Ali and posed for pictures.
The tournament is set to start today at 8 a.m. Of the 80 teams participating, 13 are from Macomb County.
The Shelby Storm, a 14-and-under Shelby Township team, is one of the local squads who will face some very strong competition in the event.
Storm coach Rick Lemanski believes the tournament will provide his young players with a unique chance to stay near home, yet play top-tier teams from across the country.
"This is great for the kids," Lemanski said. "Having Muhammad Ali here and this big reception -- it's good for them to see."
Ali's son is a member of the Niles Vikings, who play in the 14-and-under group. Though Muhammad did not speak at the event, his wife made a brief statement about the importance of sportsmanship and respect.
St. Clair Shores is the first Michigan city to host the CABA World Series, and Horton wanted to be there and show his support.
Horton said he was glad to be able to give back to the game which he excelled at for many years. He was a Tiger from 1963 until 1977, finishing his career with 325 home runs.
"I look out there at those kids and I remember being where they are," Horton explained. "I'm glad I have the opportunity to come back here."
From the Macomb Daily
July 23, 2005: Courtney Love's Turbulent Life Takes Another Baffling Turn
The
rocker's trip to the hospital this week was either for an overdose or a fainting
spell. The only certainty is she'll remain gossip-column fodder.
Courtney Love's personal turmoil continued Friday as her latest trip to the hospital was alternately described as a drug-related incident and a fainting spell. Whatever it was will be pivotal for the troubled rock star, who is still on probation from past offenses and has only recently regained custody of her daughter, which she lost after her drug-use convictions.
Love was not present for a Friday court proceeding stemming from one of her earlier brushes with the law and there were conflicting characterizations of the event that led to her being taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center early Thursday. Her closest advisors were hesitant to describe the incident, which began during a party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, beyond saying that the 41-year-old is in good shape and should not be judged until the facts are clear.
"Right now, all I can tell you is that she is fine," one of the singer's managers, Adam Schneider, said. Love's publicist earlier said: "A friend called an ambulance for precaution, they took her to the hospital and she was released immediately." A close confidant of Love's who was with her Friday said that she was in no medical danger and that the entire matter was being blown out of proportion because of Love's status as a gossip target.
Love acknowledges she has made herself a target. "I have given everyone in the world an excuse to take a shot at me," she said in an interview with The Times last year.
At the time, Love was candid about a series of criminal cases and public mishaps, including assaulting a fan with a microphone stand. She also said that the threat of losing custody of her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, weighed on her more heavily than any judicial threat.
Her Friday court hearing was for a progress report on her drug rehabilitation in a case in which she was charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance. Her lawyer, Michael Rosenstein, said that after reviewing the case, a judge concluded that Love was "progressing well."
Rosenstein said that the misdemeanor would be stricken from her record if she completes a one-year drug treatment program. She began a program six months ago and has another progress report hearing scheduled for Jan. 27.
Authorities first described Thursday's incident as a report of a drug overdose. Melissa Kelley, an L.A. Fire Department spokeswoman, said paramedics responded about midnight to a call from the Roosevelt of a drug overdose. Kelley said records didn't show who made the call or whom was taken to the hospital.
An LAPD spokeswoman initially told a Times reporter early Thursday that "Courtney Love overdosed at the Roosevelt and was transported to Cedars-Sinai Hospital around midnight." Later in the day, however, police declined to elaborate on the matter and identified the victim only as "Courtney L," citing confidentiality issues and victim identity protections.
On Monday, Love was awarded complete custody of her daughter and all court-ordered supervision of the relationship was ended, said Howard Weitzman, the singer's attorney in the matter. Love's daughter with the late rocker Kurt Cobain was taken from her in 2003 after Love was hospitalized following overdose. It was not clear Friday if that matter would come back before the court.
The incident early Thursday came on the eve of the release of "Last Days," a movie by Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Zant that tells the story of a fictitious rock martyr based on the life of Cobain. Cobain, an iconic figure in rock as leader of the band Nirvana, killed himself in 1994 after a pitched fight with heroin addiction.
Addiction has also haunted Love, whose public life has slid from strong critical and commercial acclaim for her music and glowing notices for some of her film work in the 1990s to a parade of appearances in tabloid columns and court dockets. Her most recent album, last year's "America's Sweetheart," has sold only 99,000 copies, a shadow of her earlier days when her music sold millions of copies and demanded center-stage attention. Love's recent tours have been a disappointment after her early 1990s career when she topped critic's lists.
Schneider, the singer's manager, said she has been working with rock notables Billy Corgan and Linda Perry in studio.
From the Los Angeles Times, Randy Lewis and Richard Winton
Times staff writer Geoff Boucher and Associated Press contributed to this
report
July 21, 2005: Kirk Douglas Has Knee Surgery
Movie
veteran Kirk Douglas has undergone risky knee surgery against the advice of
doctors and family members - because he's desperate to dance again.
The 88-year-old star was told he was too old for the complicated surgery and it could leave him in more pain than he already suffers, but the stubborn actor refused to listen, and now he's making a stunning recovery.
He says, "I have a new knee because, as you get older, you should change your direction in life. And next season I want to audition for Dancing With the Stars.
"When I was in college, I was a good dancer. Of course, that was 75 years ago!
"I want to dance with my daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones. Think of it, Kirk Douglas dances with Catherine Zeta-Jones. And we will recreate the tango from 'Zorro'."
His actor son Michael begged his dad not to have the surgery: "We have all told him that he should not get his knees done. Every statistic shows, at his age, that he should not be having his knee replaced.
"He did it, and he's recovering faster than anybody ever anticipated. I just think it's an inherent quality of what makes him kind of special."
From the World Entertainment News Network
July 20, 2005: 'Price' still right for game show host Barker 33 years
In
33 smooch-filled seasons of giving away everything from toasters to Toyotas,
Bob Barker has seen more than his share of priceless moments as host of The
Price Is Right.
A contestant once lost her tube top en route to the stage, eliciting thunderous applause. Another sprinted directly from the ladies' room to take her place on Contestant's Row. A model even walked a car straight into the wall - and that's happened more than once. In each case, taping continued and the show went on as scheduled.
And so the show goes on for the 81-year-old Barker, whose record television longevity continues to grow along with the awards on his mantel: He won his 17th Emmy in April, and last year he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Barker recently was interviewed from his home near Los Angeles.
Question: The Price Is Right is one of the few shows that's pretty evenly popular across all age groups, from students to seniors. (Why) do you think it gets younger people interested?
Answer: I can tell you this: It started about 10 years ago with just a group or two coming in from the colleges and universities around Los Angeles. . . . I started mentioning them on the air, and it seemed to give others the idea of making a trek to Los Angeles. Now, when I say "making a trek," I mean we had people come from the Southeast, the Midwest and now today we have groups coming from the far corners of the United States. . . . It gives the show such energy . . . and the older people in the audience enjoy them as much as the viewers do.
Q: Do you have a personal favorite pricing game, past or present?
A: I enjoy them all, but "Plinko" is probably the most popular. The ones that I personally enjoy the most are the games in which I can have fun with the contestants. . . . I like the golf games if I make the putt. But I've been in a slump - some miserable person absconded with my putter years ago.
Q: A fan site mentions an incident that happened years ago with a car getting damaged in "Lucky $even." . . .
A: On "Lucky $even," they push the car on, and the model comes on the air smiling, and she looked at the camera smiling and ran the car right into the wall. . . . We didn't stop tape; I simply asked, 'What do you bid on the car with the rumpled fender over there?'
Q: So did the contestant win that car?
A: If they won, they got a car with a proper fender.
Q: What's the strangest item you remember having gone up for bids?
A: Well, I once said, "Why do we give away so many jukeboxes? How many people want a jukebox?" I was the only one in the room that didn't want to have one; the contestants love them. . . We give away gazebos. I have a nice big lawn, but I don't particularly want a gazebo.
Q: Suppose someone has a ticket to be in the studio audience. Any insider tips on how to make it onto Contestant's Row?
A: We have our contestant coordinator go out and interview everyone in line. He isn't looking for any list of qualifications; he's looking primarily for someone with whom he thinks I can have fun. Beyond that, he wants someone who acts as if he or she would be able to play the game well.
Q: You've been a game show host for almost five full decades. How much longer do you think you'll stay at it?
A: For the last 10 or 12 years, every year I've thought, "Well, I better hang it up" . . . but then I think, "One more year." I've been doing it one more year for 12 years.
From the Washington Post, Brad Walters
July 20, 2005: Ozzy Osbourne says 'Super Size Me' changed his life
Rocker
Ozzy Osbourne credits fast food documentary Super Size Me with changing his
life - because he now refuses to put anything unhealthy into his body.
Morgan Spurlock directed and starred in the 2004 movie, which studied the effect of fast food on obesity in America.
Osbourne was so horrified by the documentary, he hired a personal trainer, consulted a herbalist and dramatically altered his eating habits.
He says, "If you haven't seen it, then I suggest you watch the Dvd Super Size Me. It changed the way I live completely by altering my whole perspective on junk food and exercise.
"Now, I work out five or six days a week with an elliptical trainer. I also have a personal trainer that I work with. I started seeing this herbalist recently too.
"I'm now trying to put good things into my body after all these years."
From World Entertainment News Network
July 19, 2005: Ozzie Kicks Off "Ozzfest"
Tour
Wil Smith's Wife Booed Incessantly
MANSFIELD,
Mass.— Ozzfest has kicked off in Massachusetts. M-T-V says Ozzy Osbourne
asked the crowd if they were ready to go crazy.
In addition to Osbourne's Black Sabbath, headliners include Iron Maiden, with original members performing for the first time in years.
Other performers were Zombie, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Mastodon, and Bury Your Dead.
Ozzfest fans were wicked to Jada Pinkett Smith.
The actress and her band Wicked Wisdom played at the rock event and were booed, cursed at and shown some not-so-nice hand gestures.
According to M-T-V, Pinkett Smith said to the crowd, "You think I don't know, don't you? But I do."
The music channel says Pinkett Smith laughed off "you suck" chants and other bad behavior throughout Wicked Wisdom's entire 20-minute set.
From the Associated Press
July 19, 2005: For Stewart, wins are great but cheers can be even better
Tony
Stewart says he’s too fat to climb catch-fences after NASCAR Nextel
Cup victories. Yet, cheers were able to lift what gravity tried to ground.
Stewart started the post-victory celebration at Daytona earlier this month. He continued it Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway. And then he talked about doing it next month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the home track that haunts him.
The cheers that envelop Stewart on his climbs mean as much to him, if not more, than the victory. They are cheers he once heard and longed to hear again.
Fans flocked to Stewart his rookie season in 1999, celebrating the fresh-faced Indiana kid who didn’t hold back when he drove or talked. The honeymoon ended the following season, as fans tired of Stewart’s comments, his actions and his success. Boos became common.
A series of incidents on the track and off turned Stewart into the sport’s bad boy. He ran into cars during races and after and yelled at series officials. He’s the only driver to win the Cup title while on probation.
Stewart knows some people may never like him. Within that gruff exterior, though, is a playful teenager who searches for attention and approval.
That’s what makes the recent flagstand climbs so special for Stewart. He sees — and hears — the crowd’s cheers.
“It was really neat to see fans that were wearing somebody else’s stuff but they were all cheering and screaming,’’ he said after his win at New Hampshire, his third victory in the last four races. “It’s kind of a bond, I guess. That’s something that I haven’t ever seen with race fans.
“You can do burnouts all day. They’re watching you do a burnout. I go up that flagstand, I’m standing with those fans and saluting those fans and they’re doing it right back at me no matter what they’ve got on. It’s just a cool deal.’’
The lovefest so energized Stewart that he talked about the upcoming Brickyard 400 with anticipation. He even said how excited he was to be testing there today.
He hasn’t always felt that way about the 2.5-mile speedway located about an hour north of his hometown.
He sulked instead of celebrating after he won the pole for the 2002 race there. He described the days leading up to the race as “hell week’’ with so many people to please and so little time.
During the race, Stewart’s radio went silent in the final five laps as he mysteriously lost eight spots, leading to whispers that he quit on his team. Before anyone could ask him what happened, he had an altercation with a photographer. NASCAR and his sponsor fined him for the incident. He began anger management training afterward.
When he finished 12th again the following year, Stewart didn’t cause a scene. He merely left without comment.
Stewart holds Indianapolis Motor Speedway so dear that he’s doomed to fail unless he wins there. Most Hoosiers are raised on corn, basketball and the Indy 500. Stewart never had much interest for basketball, so he devoted his passion to winning at one of the world’s most famous race tracks. He’s yet to do it in NASCAR or the Indy Racing League.
“There’s something in everybody’s life that they’re very passionate about,’’ Stewart said in 2003. “To me, it’s winning at the Brickyard. It’s just a situation that it only happens once a year. That’s the hard part. It’s not something that everyday you can accomplish that goal.’’
His attitude hasn’t changed. He looks forward to the challenge this time. Credit his hot streak and the fan fever with infusing him with excitement instead of despair.
“Knowing how good we’re running right now, maybe that’s going to be the deciding factor,’’ Stewart said. “I don’t care if I lead one lap, just as long as it’s the right one.’’
And if he does win at Indy, is he ready to scale another fence?
“Trust me,” said Stewart. “I think if we win Indy, I think I’ll climb up the flagstand … and climb 10 feet higher and not be climbing on top of anything but floating on air.’’
The Virginian-Pilot, Dustin Long
July 19, 2005: Douglas' wife knew Kirk couldn't be faithful
Kirk
Douglas' wife Anne learned to live with the movie legend's infidelities because
she grew up believing men are incapable of being faithful to their wives.
While many marriages would have crumbled, Anne Douglas merely insisted on her wayward husband telling her about his conquests, rather than trying to keep them from her.
She says: "I don't think that many men are faithful anyway. I said:
'If you tell me, 'It's because it's somebody in the movie, OK,' but if you
don't tell me (at all), I will consider that something more
serious."
From Ireland Online
July 18, 2005: A Love letter to Courtney's judges
Courtney Love has been drug- and alcohol-free for nearly a year now, and she credits the judiciary for her turnaround.
"I've always had trouble with authority," according to Love, who says her own mother gave up responsibility for taking care of her by the time the future rocker-actress was age 7. "But sometimes authority is a good thing. I had really good judges."
Love
went into court-ordered rehabilitation in a drug-possession case last July,
completing a full-time stint at Silver Hill in Connecticut in just one month.
The blond widow of Kurt Cobain also faced assault charges after finding ex-boyfriend
Jim Barber with another woman; she threw a bottle and went after the woman
with a flashlight and cell phone, which the authorities classified as "deadly
weapons." Was she supposed to read her a bedtime story?
In any case, supermarket tabloids have recently printed paparazzi shots of Love looking heavier - a common side effect of getting clean.
"I was really, really thin because of what I was doing," Love told us. "When all these little teenyboppers finally go into rehab, they're going to get fat, too."
But the "People vs. Larry Flynt" star and former lead singer of Hole is trying to get in shape.
"I'm working out," said Love, her voice clearer and stronger than we've heard in the past. "Pamela Anderson runs with me up the steps of Pepperdine University. She's like my personal trainer. I'm a size-30 jeans now."
The best news for Love is that daughter Frances Bean, now 12, has been home with her since December. And Martin Scorsese wants her to star in "Hello, Sucker," the story of New York speakeasy owner Texas Guinan.
From the New York Daily News
July 18, 2005: Ozzy approaches 10th Ozzfest with zest
It's
the 10th anniversary of Ozzfest - and founder Ozzy Osbourne is happy he's
still around to celebrate. He hasn't had a drink in 15 months and recovered
from a driving accident last year that broke his neck and multiple ribs.
No wonder the heavy-metal haven of Ozzfest has become such a lifeline.
"I was saying to my wife Sharon, 'How long is Ozzfest going to go on?'" Osbourne said this week, preparing for the tour kickoff at the Tweeter Center Friday night. "And Sharon said, 'Darling, believe me, we'll know.' But why end something that people still want to see? It's not like there's just three people in the audience."
Ozzfest has been phenomenally successful the past decade, helping expose new and old metal bands while grossing a reported $172 million. The latest tour is headlined by Ozzy's band Black Sabbath and also features Iron Maiden, Black Label Society, Mudvayne, and Bay State group Shadows Fall on the main stage. The second stage is headlined by Rob Zombie and includes Killswitch Engage, Mastodon, As I Lay Dying, and many others.
Ozzy, however, doesn't choose the bands.
"My son and wife do all that. I just go out and play," he said. "And as I'm getting older, my stage fright is getting worse. But I just have a cup of coffee before I go on stage. I have no choice but to get on with it and give my best."
He's lucky to be alive after the accident in his all-terrain vehicle at his English estate last year. "I was in a coma ... and also severed nerves in my left shoulder. They put me back together again, and it's a [expletive] miracle that I'm talking to you. I used to think I was invincible, but I don't think that anymore."
Ozzy, 56, stopped using alcohol the spring of last year. "It just didn't work for me anymore," he said. "I never liked the taste of booze. I just liked the effect. But I'm not a goody-two-shoes now. I'm still [expletive] crazy."
He's calmer, though, since his family's MTV reality show, The Osbournes, ended its four-year run in the spring. "So much happened good and bad with that," he said. "My kids ended up junkies, and my drug and alcohol intake was worse than ever for a while, and my wife got cancer. Yet it was still the highest rated show (on MTV). But it was hard."
Osbourne is now preparing an album of cover songs - taking the covers that appeared on a CD as part of his recent box set, The Prince of Darkness, which included tunes by John Lennon, Mountain, and the Rolling Stones, and adding a few more by Lennon, the Moody Blues, and Joe Walsh.
He's also writing songs for a musical based on the life of Rasputin. "He was sort of the original rock star," Ozzy said. "They tried to kill him by poisoning him and by shooting him. ... He was my kind of guy."
From the Boston Globe, Steve Morse
July 17, 2005: Kirk, Michael Douglas explore the personal
LOS
ANGELES — If the term "Hollywood royalty" applies to anyone,
it applies to Kirk and Michael Douglas.
At 88, Kirk reigns as one of the last of the golden era icons, and his son Michael, 60, remains one of America's most popular leading men. Separately, they each have Oscars for their film work and awards for their humanitarian efforts.
Together, they have the kind of bond, issues, conflicts and love common to many fathers and sons. And they explore that bond in the Lee Grant-directed documentary A Father... A Son ... Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which premieres on HBO Aug. 13
Though the men appeared together Friday at the meetings of television critics in Los Angeles, they were not physically in the same place. Kirk, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery, was beamed into the room by satellite from his backyard. Still, the parent/child connection between them was obvious, as was their apparent fondness for the film.
"I learned a lot about you through it, and I think you learned a little bit about me, no?" Kirk asked his son. "A little bit," Michael answered.
As happens in families, the two men's relationship was not always an easy one. And the problems were magnified, the film says, by Kirk's fame, image and womanizing and later by Michael's problems with alcohol.
Their relationship changed, Michael says, in 1991 when Kirk had a near-fatal helicopter crash. His injuries, and the natural slowing effect age had on his acting career, changed Kirk's outlook.
Indeed, Kirk lists reconnecting with his four sons (two from each of his marriages) as his "greatest personal accomplishment."
"I finally got in contact with all my sons from my first marriage and from my second marriage. That was very important to me, because it leads to contact with my grandchildren. I'm in the late stage of life. I have become interested in what is the world going to do with our grandchildren."
Connection, however, doesn't mean there aren't still points of contention. Kirk had tried to get One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest made into a movie for more than 10 years before he turned the rights over to Michael, and he's still angry that his son didn't give him the role that won Jack Nicholson his first Oscar. "It's nice and healthy to see that some issues 25 years later don't die," Michael says.
It's also nice to see that even famous fathers can find their famous sons exasperating, even when the son is trying to be complimentary. Michael praised Kirk for living his life for challenges, including going through with his knee operation even though "every statistic shows at his age that he should not be having his knees replaced. He did it, and he's recovering faster than anybody ever anticipated. I just think that's an inherent quality of what makes him kind of special."
Kirk's response? "I think you make me appear dumb."
For Kirk, whose speech is still affected by the stroke he had in 1996, acting is a thing of the past. He is, he says, "a man who has difficulty talking, difficulty walking, difficulty seeing, difficulty hearing. There are not many parts for me."
There is one part that he still wants: A spot on the next edition of Dancing with the Stars. But only if he gets to dance with his son's wife.
"Think of it. Kirk Douglas dances with Catherine Zeta-Jones. And we will re-create the dance from Zorro."
By Robert Bianco, USA Today
July 17, 2005: Jarrett's final lap is not imminent
Forget
about the brown truck. The big question: Will Dale Jarrett race the No. 88
UPS Ford in 2007? Or will he call it one heck of a career?
The 48-year-old already is the second-oldest, full-time driver in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series. He'll be 50 at the 2007 Daytona 500.
That's downright ancient in most sports. But racing is not most sports, with equipment a huge part, and Jarrett said Wednesday in a phone interview that he honestly believes he still has got the driving skills to find Victory Lane.
''If anything, I'm a better race car driver now than I've ever been. I'm more experienced. I'm smarter,'' said the three-time Daytona 500 winner and 1999 Winston Cup champion. ``The race car has no idea how old I am.''
Jarrett is under contract with Robert Yates Racing and UPS through the 2006 season. Jarrett said the offer is there by both for as long as he races.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
But he needs to give UPS a decision about the 2007 season in two weeks. He'll
either continue to battle the next generation of drivers, some of whom are
younger than his son Jason, or ride into the sunset and perhaps into a broadcast
booth.
Once he retires from Cup racing, he'll have no need for a fire suit. No racing Busch Series cars or Craftsman Trucks, a la Mark Martin next season. He said he doesn't even want to race a handful of Cup races, a la Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott and perhaps Rusty Wallace.
Jarrett plans to retire cold turkey. But it's a good bet not to prepare his farewell tour just yet.
''I don't know any reason why I wouldn't race in 2007, there's not anything else I do,'' he said. ``And I love to do it. I'll probably stick around, through '07 and '08 is even a possibility.''
Still, his mind is not 100 percent made up. He plans to consult some more with his wife, Kelley, and father, two-time NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett. And he wants to make sure he gets the right answers to the questions regarding the direction of the team.
Glorified field-filler? Forget it for DJ.
''I've been spoiled with too much success to just ride around,'' he said.
SEASON STORY
He started this season by winning the Daytona 500 pole. Although the year
has gone much better than his horrific 26th-place finish in 2003 and a tad
better than his 15th last year, he's still not a happy race car driver.
Seven races ago, before the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in his home state of North Carolina, Jarrett slipped to 14th in the points while teammate Elliott Sadler was soaring in fourth.
Again, it was crew chief roulette for the No. 88. Mike Ford resigned and Billy Wilburn, Wallace's former crew chief, took over on an interim basis, which, according to Jarrett, is still very much interim.
''Bill's a good worker and [has] been around the sport a long time,'' Jarrett said. ``He's working well with the two teams, but I can't say that's where we will stay at full time. We're still looking at what will make the race team better.''
Jarrett said then his team was headed toward the South Pole while Sadler's was heading toward the North Pole.
Jarrett has since made it back into the top 10 before falling one spot to 11th after last week's disappointing 18th at Chicagoland. He's only 33 points behind defending Cup champion Kurt Busch, who holds the all-important 10th place to make the Chase. Jarrett also is just nine points short of the 400-point window for a Chase spot.
Don't be fooled, Jarrett said.
''To be totally honest right now, I do not consider us a top 10 team,'' he said, citing his pit crew and chassis setups as areas that need work. ``We're gaining. Do we have enough time to make the turnaround? I can't say I'm confident we'll make it. But we can do it, if we put our noses to the grindstone the next eight races.''
MAKING A PUSH
It begins today with the New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Jarrett leads all active drivers with 14 top 10 finishes at the ''Magic Mile,''
but will start only 34th. He has one win at the fairly flat track, where pit
strategy is crucial. If he can make it two wins today, it would end his agonizing
victory drought that equals his number -- 88.
The last of his 31 wins came at Rockingham, N.C., which no longer is on
the circuit.
Jarrett said he had only one car last year that was good enough to win races
-- ''Chassis 28'' -- which he wrecked in the second-to-last race, in Darlington,
S.C.
This year, even with the car in which he won the pole at Daytona, Jarrett said he hasn't started a race this season with a car he thought was good enough to make it to Victory Lane -- ``We're still looking for that.''
From the Miami Herald
July 16, 2005: Phyllis Diller turning 88, 'doing great'
Comedian
Phyllis Diller turns 88 Sunday and she's still feeling funny.
"I'm doing great," Diller said Friday, from her home when I talked to her by telephone to extend early birthday greetings.
"The older you get, the more important a sense of humor really becomes."
This spring, Diller spent a week in the hospital after surgery to place pins in her neck to repair injuries from a fall April 18 at her home.
She said she had a second fall three weeks ago, which has required her to continue using a wheelchair.
"I fractured my leg in this recent fall," she said.
"But I should be out of this wheelchair and walking again in a couple weeks."
She said she's spending her birthday Sunday having dinner with Art Linkletter, who shares the same birthday, and turns 93.
"At my age, I've outlived my hair," Diller kidded, referring to her trademark fright wigs.
Luckily, one of the rooms in her 22-room mansion is called "the wig room," and it houses more than 300 crowns of hairdos and hair-don'ts.
"I don't call it hair," she joked.
"It's more like nerve endings."
She published her long-awaited autobiography "Like a Lampshade: My Life in Comedy" (Penguin, 2005, $24.95) in February.
From the Northwest Indiana News, Philip Potempa
July 15, 2005: Waltrip, DEI to part company after season
Mooresville,
NC (Sports Network) - Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) and popular driver
Michael Waltrip announced today that beginning in 2006 they will go their
separate ways.
Waltrip had piloted the No.15 NAPA Chevrolet for the past five seasons, winning four times including the 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500s. Through 18 events in 2005, he is 19th in the standings with zero wins and seven top-10s.
"All of us at DEI want to thank Michael for all his contributions to our organization and wish him well as he moves on in his career," said Richie Gilmore, DEI's Vice President of Motorsports.
Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have had their differences this season which came to a head when "Junior" ran into the back of Waltrip at the Coca Cola 600 and knocked him out of the race.
"Dale and Teresa gave me an opportunity with a winning organization that I have been proud to be an integral part of for the last five years," Waltrip said. "My professional relationship with DEI is ending, but my personal relationships have ties that are deep-rooted. Therefore, my decision to leave DEI is a difficult one. Our individual visions for the future are taking different courses, but our goals are the same - to be successful in the premier division of NASCAR."
DEI has two teams set for 2006 with drivers Earnhardt Jr. (No.8 Budweiser Chevrolet) and 2004 Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (No.1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet).
It is possible that Waltrip is headed for the No.0 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet currently driven by Mike Bliss.
From the Houston Chronicle
July 14, 2005: Gerald Ford turns 92
Former
president and Michigan native Gerald R. Ford is celebrating his 92nd birthday
today.
Ford has stayed out of the public eye to a great extent since his stroke in 2000. Last month, he presented his wife Betty with the Gerald Ford Humanitarian Award.
In honor of President Ford's birthday, the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids is opening its doors for free today and giving cake to the first 500 visitors.
From WWMT Channel 3
July 13, 2005: 'Pioneers' exchange quips at TV critics event
Icons
of the early days of television -- Mickey Rooney, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner,
Red Buttons and Rose Marie, among others -- took the stage Tuesday and promptly
proceeded to decimate it.
Ostensibly, these Hollywood legends were on hand in Beverly Hills for the PBS portion of the semiannual Television Critics Association press tour. Their job was to promote an upcoming documentary on the early days of television, "Pioneers of Primetime."
They instead offered up a rare show combining celebrity bravura with hilarious ego-puncturing. Whenever someone on the panel got into celebrated long-past triumphs, another comic was ready with a quip to disabuse the vainglorious idol of that misconception.
For example: Apropos of nothing, Rooney at one point ventured off into a soliloquy including the phrases "Entertainment has yet to reach a higher plain," "TV is the most wonderful thing in the world" and "the great Cecil B. De Mille -- it was a wonderful thing."
Before Rooney was able to articulate his point, Buttons uncorked a zinger: "By the way, Mickey, was Lincoln a nice guy?" And that only spurred Rooney into a riff on his ancestors who fought in the Civil War.
When Rooney threatened to spiral off into a celebration of Lucille Ball, Buttons abruptly interrupted: "I never liked her." When Rooney offered, "I was honored to be at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and worked with the greatest talents," Buttons cut him off with an off-color cross-pollination between Rooney's Andy Hardy films and the Lassie series.
Ironically, neither Rooney nor Buttons figures much into the documentary "Pioneers of Primetime." They were recruited to appear at the press conference as symbols emblematic of the era the film essays. Many of those featured in the film -- Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., Red Skelton -- are long dead.
Carl Reiner, who had the most connections with the panel, having worked with Caesar on the immortal variety series "Your Show of Shows" and with Rose Marie on his legendary sitcom "The Dick Van Dyke Show," offered up the afternoon's most provocative and cogent observation.
When Rooney began responding to a question directed to Caesar, Reiner interrupted: "You're not Sid Caesar." And when Rooney began singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy," Reiner cheerfully mock-enjoined all in attendance to accompany him.
Reiner took issue with the documentary's suggesting that Bob Hope was one of TV's pioneers.
"Bob Hope was a pioneer radio performer, and one of the greatest motion picture comedians and actors," Reiner allowed, before adding that Hope came to TV late -- three years after Reiner and Caesar had left "Your Show of Shows" -- and never committed to the medium fully.
"On TV, he was one of the people we objected to," Reiner noted. "He didn't take it seriously. He never learned his lines. It wasn't television -- it was radio with (cue) cards."
Rose Marie offered the perfect observation to the clash of sundry egos when, at one point, she declared, "I was a young girl when this panel started."
From the L.A. Daily News, David Kronke
July 8, 2005: Jack Klugman to Receive Cancer Society Award at July 17 Westport Event
Actor
Jack Klugman has been selected by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to be
the recipient of the first-ever Champions of Hope Award to be presented at
its 10th annual "Broadway on Beachside" event in Westport Sunday,
July 17, it was announced today.
Jim Calhoun, University of Connecticut head basketball coach and a cancer survivor, is scheduled to present the award to Klugman, 83, best known for his portrayal of the slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple" television series.
Karen Rouse, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the ACS's New England Division, said the award is “for giving voice to the fight against cancer through education and advocacy.
She said that Klugman, who lost a vocal cord to cancer in the early 1990s, has since continued his stage and on television acting while supporting health issues and doing an ACS public service announcement.
In addition to "The Odd Couple," which ran from 1970 to 1975 and for which he won two Emmy awards, Klugman starred in several classic films including "Twelve Angry Men" and "Days of Wine and Roses."
He also won an Emmy for his work on the television series "The Defenders" and appeared in four episodes of the "The Twilight Zone." He also starred in his TV hit "Quincy, M.E.," which ran from 1976-1983. He was married to Westport actress Brett Somers, who co-starred with him in "The Odd Couple."
"Broadway on Beachside" highlights Broadway performances and celebrities, and culminates with a grant presentation to ACS researchers. The event has raised more than $3 million and funded 11 cancer researchers since its inception in 1995.
Co-chairs of the event include Cissy and Donald Hornung and Maggie and Bob Hornung. There is a minimum donation of $300 per person to attend. For further information contact Gayle Alswanger at (203) 563-1513 or e-mail gayle.alswanger@cancer.org.
From Westport Now
July 8, 2005: Pirate role for Keith Richards
JOHNNY
DEPP has finally convinced Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards to play
a cameo role in the sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean.
Richards will take the role of Depp's character's father in the sequels,
according to reports.
Depp also arranged for special filming sessions beginning in February to work
around the band's tour dates.
"It looks like it's going to happen," he said.
From the Herald Sun
July 4, 2005: Nolte admits to taking anti-aging therapy
New
York, July 4 : Oscar-nominated actor Nick Nolte has in an interview candidly
admitted to taking human growth hormone and testosterone as a form of anti-aging
therapy.
In the interview Nolte said he injects the hormone into his stomach and the testosterone into his butt.
When told that medical research had linked increased testosterone levels to prostate cancer in men in their 60s he replied: "That's a farce, That's fake. I've talked to Italy, I've talked to Sweden, I've talked to Germany, almost all the European countries and some Asian countries as well. Do you know there are places in the world where there is no prostate cancer? Here they just want to rip 'em out as fast as possible."
While talking about alcoholism Nolte said, "Even elephants gets drunk", reports Pagesix.com.
The actor said he had conquered his alcoholism at the age of 48 but still had a drink just a "couple of days ago".
Nolte also revealed that he was approached about doing a reality show about his life, but had turned down the offer.
From WebIndia123
July 2, 2005: Gilmore says DEI working re-sign Waltrip, NAPA
DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. - With reigning NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr.
finally re-signed by Dale Earnhardt Inc. to run in Nextel Cup next season,
DEI has turned its attention to its No. 15 Chevrolet team.
Richie Gilmore, vice president of motorsports for DEI, said Saturday the organization is now working on re-signing sponsor NAPA and driver Michael Waltrip.
"Michael’s been a great driver for us and a great cheerleader for us this year and a great teammate. I think in the next couple of weeks, we’ll have it all worked out," he said.
"The Martin (Truex) deal just took up a lot more time than we thought, but everybody’s happy with how it worked out. Now we’ve just got to get the third deal done, because it’s really important to have three teams.
"We never want to be second best. We feel he have the resources to compete with Roush and Hendrick."
Gilmore said a lot was accomplished Saturday in regards to the No. 15 team.
"We feel like we can definitely get it done," he said.
Waltrip is currently 15th in points, but just 23 points out of the 400-point cutoff to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Since joining DEI for the 2001 season, Waltrip has four Cup wins, including two Daytona 500 victories.
From ThatsRacin.com, Jim Utter
July 1, 2005: Rosa Parks' lawyers seek more money from OutKast
DETROIT
— Lawyers for Rosa Parks went before a federal judge to seek legal fees
in the civil rights pioneer's settled lawsuit against the rap duo OutKast.
The April settlement ended a 1999 lawsuit in which Parks' attorneys accused OutKast of wrongly using her name in a song title. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
Under the terms of the settlement, Parks was to receive money to be used for her care and to pay bills. The 92-year-old has suffered from dementia since at least 2002.
Gregory Reed, a Detroit attorney who sued OutKast on Parks' behalf, asked U.S. District Judge George Steeh on Thursday to award his law firm $220,000 and divide another $70,000 among three other firms. He made public a 1999 letter from Parks authorizing him to file the lawsuit and promising him one-third of any settlement.
Court records cited by The Detroit News show the settlement fund has paid out $150,000 in fees and costs to date, including payments to law firms and to cover some of Parks' bills.
Steeh scheduled another hearing for July 14.
Besides the cash settlement, OutKast and co-defendants SONY BMG Music Entertainment, Arista Records LLC and LaFace Records will collaborate on educational programs and a television show about Parks' life and legacy. Atlanta-based OutKast and other contemporary artists also will perform on a tribute CD to be produced by SONY BMG.
Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Ala., bus in December 1955. Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a landmark event in the modern civil rights movement.
From the Associated Press
July 1, 2005: Luther Vandross Dies at 54
NEW
YORK — Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on
such hits as "Here and Now" and "Any Love" sold more than
25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples
worldwide, died Friday. He was 54.
Vandross died at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J., said hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh. He did not release the cause of death but said in a statement that Vandross "never really recovered from" a stroke two years ago.
Since the stroke in his Manhattan home on April 16, 2003, the R&B crooner stopped making public appearances — but amazingly managed to continue his recording career. In 2004, he captured four Grammys as a sentimental favorite, including best song for the bittersweet "Dance With My Father."
Vandross, who was still in a wheelchair at the time, delivered a videotaped thank you.
"Remember, when I say goodbye it's never for long," said a weak-looking Vandross. "Because" — he broke into his familiar hit — "I believe in the power of love."
Vandross also battled weight problems for years while suffering from diabetes and hypertension.
He was arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeer of his generation. He made women swoon with his silky yet forceful tenor, which he often revved up like a motor engine before reaching his beautiful crescendos.
Jeff O'Conner, Vandross' publicist, called his death "a huge loss in the R&B industry. He was a close friend of mine and right now it's shocking."
O'Conner said he received condolence calls Friday from music luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.
Singer Roberta Flack, on tour in Japan, said she was mourning the loss of her friend of more than 20 years.
"He was a musician who couldn't help but give you all he had," she said by telephone. "He was the kind of guy who was born to do what he did musically and let the world know about it. He was not born to keep it smothered in the chest."
Vandross was a four-time Grammy winner in the best male R&B performance category, taking home the trophy in 1990 for the single "Here and Now," in 1991 for his album "Power of Love," in 1996 for the track "Your Secret Love" and a last time for "Dance With My Father."
The album, with its single of the same name, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts while Vandross remained hospitalized from his stroke. It was the first time a Vandross album had topped the charts in its first week of release.
In 2005, he was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for a duet with Beyonce on "The Closer I Get To You."
Vandross' sound was so unusual few tried to copy it; even fewer could.
"I'm proud of that — it's one of the things that I'm most proud of," he told The Associated Press in a 2001 interview. "I was never compared to anyone in terms of sound."
Vandross' style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning. While many of his contemporaries and successors belted out tunes that were sexually charged and explicit, Vandross preferred soft pillow talk and songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions.
"I'm more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it," he said. "You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can't think of a a poetic way to say it."
A career in music seemed predestined for the New York native; both his parents were singers, and his sister, Patricia, was part of a 1950s group called the Crests.
But he happily toiled in the musical background for years before he would have his first hit. He wrote songs for projects as varied as a David Bowie album ("Fascination") and the Broadway musical "The Wiz" ("Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day)"), sang backup for acts such as Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand, and even became a leading commercial jingle singer.
Vandross credited Flack for prodding him to move into the spotlight after listening to one of his future hits, "Never Too Much."
"She started crying," he recalled. "She said, `No, you're getting too comfortable (in the background). ... I'm going to introduce you to some people and get your career started.'"
Vandross' first big hit came as the lead vocalist for the group Change, with their 1980 hit, "The Glow of Love." That led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the disc "Never Too Much." The album, which contained his aching rendition of "A House is Not a Home," became an instant classic.
Over the years, Vandross would emerge as the leading romantic singer of his generation, racking up one platinum album after another and charting several R&B hits, such as "Superstar," "Give Me The Reason" and "Love Won't Let Me Wait."
Yet, while Vandross was a household name in the black community, he was frustrated by his failure to become a mainstream pop star. Indeed, it took Vandross until 1990 to score his first top 10 hit — the wedding staple "Here & Now."
"I just wanted more success. I didn't want to suddenly start wearing blond wigs to appeal to anyone," he told the AP.
"This is the same voice that sang Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, NBC 'proud as a peacock,' ... America, the world, has heard the voice, so there's no reason that that music shouldn't have gone the complete distance, I mean, to number one."
Another frustration for Vandross was his lifelong battle with obesity. Health problems ran in his family, and Vandross struggled for years to control his waistline. When he first became a star, he was a hefty size; a few years later, he was almost skinny. His weight fluctuated so much that rumors swirled that he had more serious health problems than the hypertension and diabetes caused by his large frame.
Vandross' two sisters and a brother died before him. The lifelong bachelor never had any children, but doted on his nieces and nephews. The entertainer said his busy lifestyle made marriage difficult; besides, it wasn't what he wanted.
From the Associated Press
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