Entertainment category, Page 287
Cardinal Pell to publish prison diary musing on sex abuse case, church, sports
Cardinal George Pell, the former Vatican finance minister who was convicted and then acquitted of sexual abuse in his native Australia, is set to publish his prison diary musing on life in solitary confinement, the Catholic Church, politics and sports. Catholic publisher Ignatius Press told The Associated Press the first...
Tom Petty’s family tells Trump to stop using ‘I Won’t Back Down’ on campaign
The family of late singer Tom Petty has told President Donald Trump to not use the song “I Won’t Back Down” on his campaign. After Trump used the song Saturday night at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the members of Petty’s family posted a statement to Twitter. “Trump was...
Playwright August Wilson to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star
August Wilson is going Hollywood, after a fashion. The famed playwright from Pittsburgh will be honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Los Angeles. Wilson was among the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s 2021 honorees announced last week. Also announced...
Kurt Cobain ‘MTV Unplugged’ guitar sells for sky-high $6 million
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Grunge became gold Saturday as the guitar Kurt Cobain played on Nirvana’s 1993 “MTV Unplugged” performance months before his death sold for an eye-popping $6 million at auction. The 1959 Martin D-18E that Cobain played in the band’s rare acoustic performance and subsequent live album was...
Comedian DL Hughley tests positive for covid-19 after fainting onstage
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Comedian D.L. Hughley announced he tested positive for covid-19 after collapsing onstage during a performance in Nashville, Tennessee. The stand-up comedian, 57, lost consciousness while performing at the Zanies comedy nightclub on Friday night and was hospitalized, news outlets reported. On Saturday, Hughley posted a video on...
Comedian Billy Gardell, WDVE’s Bill Crawford take crack at ‘dad jokes’Video
A wise man once said, “There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator.” That man was probably a dad, because that’s a classic example of the humor we love to hate — the dreaded dad joke. When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent....
Beyoncé drops surprise single ‘Black Parade’ on JuneteenthVideo
LOS ANGELES — Beyoncé did not let Juneteenth pass without dropping one of her signature surprises — a new single called “Black Parade.” “I’m going back to the South, I’m going back where my roots ain’t watered down,” Beyoncé sings, opening the track. At several points on Friday’s release, the...
Hollywood evolves during pandemic with drive-in premiere
LOS ANGELES — Dave Franco says the drive-in premiere for his directorial debut was “perfect” but admittedly “a little weird.” The 35-year-old actor found himself at the center of Hollywood’s evolving response to the coronavirus pandemic Thursday as he premiered his directorial debut “The Rental” to more than 1,300 people...
Pittsburgh’s Liberty Magic to host Black Lives Matter episode
Magicians can make things disappear. If only they could eliminate racism. Some performers are going to work toward that goal during Liberty Magic @ Home at 7:30 p.m. Friday for a special Black Lives Matter episode. Philadelphia’s Eric Jones will host a live, virtual close-up event on the Pittsburgh Cultural...
‘Chariots of Fire,’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ actor Ian Holm dies
LONDON — Ian Holm, an acclaimed British actor whose long career included roles in “Chariots of Fire” and “The Lord of the Rings” has died. He was 88. Holm died peacefully Friday morning in a hospital, surrounded by his family and carer, his agent, Alex Irwin, said in a statement....
Review: Munhall native Gabby Barrett shines on debut album ‘Goldmine’Video
As the big day drew closer Thursday afternoon, Gabby Barrett felt a “roller coaster of emotion.” It’s understandable, those twists and turns of excitement and nervousness, along the tracks of happiness. The Munhall native and “American Idol” finalist was hours away from the June 19 release of “Goldmine,” her first...
Raven-Symoné posts wedding photos, ‘I love you’ to new wife
Raven-Symoné says she’s single no longer. “I got married to a woman who understands me from trigger to joy, from breakfast to midnight snack, from stage to home,” Raven-Symoné wrote in a post Thursday that included a photo of her embracing Miranda Maday. “I love you Mrs. Pearman-Maday!” wrote Raven-Symoné,...
Billie Eilish gets 3-year restraining order against trespasser
A judge has extended to three years a restraining order taken out by Billie Eilish against a man who repeatedly appeared at her Los Angeles home. In a hearing, Superior Court Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman agreed to the extension of the May 11 order preventing 24-year-old Prenell Rousseau of Farmingville, N.Y.,...
New solo version of Aretha song about race, faith released on JuneteenthVideo
A never-before-heard solo version of the late Aretha Franklin’s riveting and powerful collaboration with Mary J. Blige about faith and race, 2006’s “Never Gonna Break My Faith,” has arrived on Juneteenth. Sony’s RCA Records, RCA Inspiration and Legacy Recordings released the song Friday, aligning with the holiday celebrating the day...
Padma Lakshmi gets political with series cheering immigrantsVideo
Padma Lakshmi has watched in anger as some politicians denigrate immigrants. She’s been left seething as newcomers are discriminated against or targeted. So she has responded with something she knows quite a lot about: food. Specifically, immigrant food: burritos, dosas, crab boil, pad Thai and poke. Lakshmi, a longtime judge...
Former KDKA meteorologist Jeff Verszyla returns to Pittsburgh TV with freelance gig at WTAE
Former KDKA-TV chief meteorologist Jeff Verszyla returns to Pittsburgh television with a new freelance weather gig. He announced Thursday on social media that he will begin working with WTAE-TV starting Sunday. He said he expects to be on mostly weekend nights into early August. He asked fans not to “call...
Delmont Recreation Board adds live music to ‘Movies in the Park’Video
The Delmont Recreation Board will augment its annual summer “Movies in the Park” series with free live music before the film begins. The first event will be at 6 p.m. June 27 at Newhouse Park, featuring music from The Phisbins. Food will be available to purchase at the concession stand...
Proof of life: Photos emerge of stolen Van Gogh painting
A Dutch art sleuth has received “proof-of-life” photos of a Vincent van Gogh painting stolen in late March from a Dutch museum that was closed at the time because of the coronavirus. Arthur Brand, an art detective with a long track record of recovering stolen works, said Thursday that he...
New date set for Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett tour
If you were disappointed that you weren’t going to hear “Home Sweet Home,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” live this summer, good news: a new date for the Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts show in Pittsburgh has been...
Hollywood says Black Lives Matter, but more diversity needed
As protests erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd, every major entertainment company in Hollywood issued statements of support for the black community. But as unanimous as that show of solidarity was, it was also clear that this wasn’t a fight Hollywood could watch from the sidelines....
Review: Very hip, very haunted house in ‘You Should Have Left’Video
C’mon. Everyone knows that when you rent a vacation house online, you read the reviews first. So maybe if Theo and Susanna, the upscale couple in “You Should Have Left,” had read the reviews before renting their lovely getaway house in Wales, just maybe they’d have come across that creepy...
World War II forces sweetheart singer Vera Lynn dies at 103
LONDON — Dame Vera Lynn, the endearingly popular “Forces’ Sweetheart” who serenaded British troops abroad during World War II, has died at 103. During the war and long after, Lynn got crowds singing, smiling and crying with sentimental favorites such as “We’ll Meet Again,” and “The White Cliffs of Dover.”...
2 Garrison Keillor books set for release this fall
Garrison Keillor will have two books out this fall — a novel and a memoir — marking his first releases since sexual harassment allegations were made against the author and humorist three years ago. Arcade Publishing announced Thursday that Keillor’s “The Lake Wobegon Virus,” which continues his popular “Lake Wobegon”...
Review: ‘Babyteeth’ is a sick teen in love flick with a biteVideo
“Babyteeth” is guaranteed to get under your skin. This refreshingly original Australian indie about a terminally ill teen who falls in love with the wrong guy is designed to push all the buttons: It’ll frustrate, delight, annoy and devastate. In other words, it’s quite the journey. But it’s one that...
‘That 70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson charged in 3 rapes
LOS ANGELES — “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson has been charged with the rapes of three women in the early 2000s, Los Angeles prosecutors said Wednesday. The three counts of rape by force or fear come after a three-year investigation of the 44-year-old Masterson. The charges were filed and...
