Tori Spelling fled her home with just her photo albums and pets amid the Los Angeles wildfires.
The 'Beverly Hills, 90210' actress – who has Liam, 17, Stella, 16, Hattie, 13, Finn, 12, and seven-year-old Beau with estranged husband Dean McDermott – expressed her regret that she had ignored friends' pleas for her to make a proper evacuation plan amid the shocking situation but eventually accepted she and her family needed to leave their home and they made a swift getaway, leaving most of their possessions behind.
She wote on Instagram on Saturday (11.01.25): "the post I didn’t want to have to do… days of watching destruction and monitoring and living in fear. I haven’t posted or shared bc social media was saturated. amazing kindness , sorrowful loss, helpful shares, and pleas. I didn’t want to be redundant. But, last night we were evacuated. I tried my best to hang in there and not just flee to flee but we had too finally.
"My hearts are w/everyone who have lost and suffered so much. But, as a mama bear w/5 kiddos + fur babies your gut tells you when it’s time to take action. And, all the amazing apps and LIVES that have been keeping us updated.
"In a SUV me and 5 kids, 3 large dogs, 1 cat, and a ferret left unplanned. Friends who care, told me for days to pack and have a plan. I should have listened. I fit us all in barely. No clothes. But grabbed photo albums. And fled. (sic)"
Tori praised Airbnb and one of her friends for helping her and her "terrified" children find somewhere to stay amid the "scary" situation.
She continued: "In a non planned panic I reached out to my friend I made recently Jami Schwartz . She had mentioned at Iheart jingle ball in December she works with @airbnb .i knew it was a long shot but as I just drove my kids onto the 101 N with no plan she responded! @airbnb saved us! Literally! They stepped in and found something to house our massive family and pets and same night.
"Jami and Taylor I will forever be grateful! With terrified kids and one w/terrible asthma…I drove. My kids said “ Mom. You sure we should go this way? Freeway is standstill other direction. We are headed right into the fires”. Indeed we were.
"Mother instinct took over and I pressed on north on 101. As we drove literally thru it and smoke coming thru car vents… I told my children to take a deep breath and hold and put Tshirts over their noses and mouths.
"I said then “This is scary but hopeful. We will drive thru it and past. It will be ok. I promise you all “ We pressed on. Leaving behind a burning LA.(sic)"
The 51-year-old star feels lucky she and her family are "safe".
She added: "Indeed we were ok. We are some of the lucky ones. It looked and felt like a movie I’d seen too many times. But, while on the road @taylorgandy w/ @airbnb stayed with us. My daughter Stella texting him as I drove. 1 place popped up. Taylor and amazing owners of our current #airbnb connected. We are safe. Woke up to koi pond + a monarch butterfly sanctuary. Thanks Dad! #synchronicity(sic)"
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Sam Moore, the surviving half and higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave that was known for such definitive hits of the era as “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I'm Comin,’” has died. He was 89.
Publicist Jeremy Westby said Moore died Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery. No additional details were immediately available.
Moore, who influenced musicians including Michael Jackson, Al Green and Bruce Springsteen, was inducted with Dave Prater into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
At the Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records, Moore and Prater were second only to Otis Redding. They transformed the “call and response” of gospel music into a frenzied stage show and recorded some of soul music’s most enduring hits, which also included “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “When Something is Wrong With My Baby” and “I Thank You.”
Most of their hits were written and produced by the team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter and featured the Stax house band Booker T. & the MGs, whose guitarist Steve Cropper received one of music’s most famous shoutouts when Sam & Dave called “Play it, Steve” midway through “Soul Man.”
Like many ’60s soul acts, Sam & Dave faded after the 1960s. But “Soul Man” hit the charts again in the late 1970s when the Blues Brothers, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd recorded it with many of the same musicians. Moore had mixed feelings about the hit becoming associated with the “Saturday Night Live” stars, remembering how young people believed it originated with the Blues Brothers.
In 2008, the movie “Soul Men” depicted a pair of aging, estranged singers who bore more than a little resemblance to Sam & Dave. Moore lost a lawsuit claiming the resemblance was too close.
He also spent years suing Prater after Prater hired a substitute and toured as the New Sam & Dave. Prater died in a 1988 car crash in Georgia.
Moore also pressed legal claims that the record industry had cheated him out of retirement benefits. Moore and other artists sued multiple record companies and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 1993.
Moore told The Associated Press in 1994 that he joined the legal effort after learning, despite his million-selling records, his pension amounted to just $2,285, which he could take as a lump sum or in payments of $73 monthly.
“Two thousand dollars for my lifetime?” Moore said then. “If you’re making a profit off of me, give me some too. Don’t give me cornbread and tell me it’s biscuits.”
Moore wrote the song “Dole Man,” modeled on “Soul Man,” for Republican Bob Dole’s presidential campaign in 1996. In 2017, he was among the few entertainers who performed for Republican President Donald Trump’s inaugural festivities. Eight years earlier, Moore had objected when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign used the song “Hold On, I’m Comin’.”
Moore was born Oct. 12, 1935, in Miami and got his start singing in church.
He and Prater performed in soul and R&B clubs in the 1950s, but didn’t meet until 1961 in Miami. Moore helped coach Prater on the lyrics of a song and they quickly became a popular local duo. In 1965, after signing with Atlantic Records, producer Jerry Wexler sent them to the label’s Stax subsidiary in Memphis.
Moore and Prater argued often and Moore told the AP in 2006 that a drug habit, which he kicked in 1981, played a part in the band’s troubles and later made entertainment executives leery of giving him a fresh start. The duo broke up in 1970 and neither had another major hit.
He married his wife, Joyce, in 1982, and she helped him get treatment for his addiction that he credited with saving his life.
“I did a lot of cruise ships, I did a lot of oldies shows," during those struggles, he said, adding that he once opened for a group of Elvis impersonators.
“That’s funny to think back to it now. And I did a lot of shows where if I did a show with an oldie show, I had to actually audition," he said. "But you know what? You keep your mouth shut and you get up there and you sing as hard and perform as hard as you can, and get the little money and go on about your business and try and pay those bills. I’m laughing about it now, but at that time, man, it was really serious.”
Moore kept recording and singing. He was a frequent performer at the Kennedy Center Honors and performed for presidents, including Obama.
Moore is survive by his wife, Joyce, daughter, Michell, and two grandchildren.
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Megan Thee Stallion has been granted a restraining order from imprisoned rapper Tory Lanez until early 2030.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Bloom on Thursday granted Megan's request for a protective order after the hip-hop star alleged that Lanez is harassing her from prison through surrogates as he serves a 10-year sentence for shooting her in the feet.
The order was granted after a hearing. Michael Hayden, Lanez's attorney, wrote in an objection to the restraining order request that his client's incarceration means there “is no longer any form of current or future threat” to Megan and there has been no direct contact between the two recently.
A summary of Thursday's hearing said Bloom found that Megan's lawyers had met the burden of proof to extend a temporary restraining order until Jan. 9, 2030.
Hayden did not immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.
Megan obtained the temporary order in November after alleging Lanez, a Canadian rapper whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, is using third parties to continue to harass her online.
The petition says call logs at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi show that Lanez is coordinating attacks on Megan’s credibility, including making false claims that the gun and bullet fragments in the case are missing.
In December 2022, Lanez was convicted of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
A judge rejected a motion for a new trial from Lanez’s lawyers, who are appealing his conviction.
Megan testified during the trial that Lanez fired the gun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV they rode in leaving a party at Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood Hills home.
Megan, 29, was already a major rising star at the time of the shooting, and her music’s popularity has soared since. She won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and she had No. 1 singles with “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, and as a guest on Cardi B’s “WAP.”
Lanez, 32, began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major label albums. His last two reached the top 10 on Billboard’s charts.
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Tom Holland and Zendaya got matching tattoos before getting engaged.
The 28-year-old actor is believed to have popped the question to his 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' co-star over the Christmas period but before they agreed to get married, they made another commitment by getting one another's first initial inked onto their bodies on 27 November.
Lily Jarnryd told how the pair visited the Boston Tattoo Company and she inked a small 't' just underneath 28-year-old Zendaya's armpit, and a tiny 'z' at the top of Tom's ribcage.
She added to People magazine: "They were lovely to meet and it was a lot of fun!"
News of the couple's engagement emerged after fans spotted the 'Challengers' actress sporting a huge diamond ring at the Golden Globe awards over the weekend, and it was later claimed that, while she initially planned to keep the news secret, Zendaya was ultimately too "excited" to stay quiet.
A source told UsWeekly: "Tom figured the holidays were the best time to propose in a very low-key way.
"She didn’t want anything over the top."
"Zendaya tried to keep it a secret but was very excited to show off her ring. She didn’t think people would notice but didn’t care either way."
The insider noted that Tom – who met Zendaya in 2018 and the pair went public with their relationship in 2021 – feels as if it is "right time" for marriage even though she never put any "pressure" on him to pop the question.
The source said: "Tom wanted to propose because he feels he is at the right time in his life and feels ready to settle down.
"They had many conversations over the years, but there was never any pressure. Zendaya is giddy and excited. She knew it might have been coming but never put pressure on it."
The celebrity duo – who have so far starred in three 'Spider-Man' films together -tend to keep their relationship out of the public eye and don't often appear on red carpets together but Tom recently admitted that Zendaya is the "best thing" that has ever happened to him.
During an appearance on the 'Dish' podcast, he explained: "Studios love it, one hotel room. Separate drivers. We're not crazy now. Listen it's work, alright?!
"Oh God, yeah. It's a saving grace. Yeah, best thing that's ever happened to me.
"But it's just that perfect thing when you're on set and a director will give you a note that maybe you don't agree with, or I know that she doesn't particularly like, and it's just that like familiar glance at each other of like, can't wait to talk about that later."
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Drake is back in the studio.
The hip-hop star has taken to Instagram to share a series of photographs in a recording space and of his dollar sign neck chains and matching nails, which have been used to tease an upcoming album with fellow rapper PartyNextDoor.
He simply captioned the post: "I thought this through."
At the end of 2024, Drake dropped the fiery 'Fighting Irish Freestyle', which appeared to lay into NBA star LeBron James after he attended his rival Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out concert in the summer.
He spits: "The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets, seemed like they loved every minute/ Just know the s*** is personal to us and wasn't just business/ Analysing behavioural patterns is somewhat suspicious."
Drake has been at loggerheads with Kendrick for a while now and last year he took legal action.
The 'Passionfruit' rapper filed a legal petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick's diss song ‘Not Like Us’.
He accused the major label and publisher of “artificially inflated” streams for the record-breaking tune.
Released in May, the track marked Kendrick's fifth diss track aimed at his rap rival and came out less than 24 hours after his previous single, 'Meet the Grahams'.
Drake submitted a pre-filing in Texas after his previous filing in New York and accused UMG of defamation and “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harbouring sex offenders, and committing other criminal sexual acts.”
This was in reference to the lyrics: “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile” and “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor”.
Drake swiftly fired back on his retaliation track ‘The Heart Part 6’, denying Kendrick’s accusations he is a paedophile.
He rapped: “Speakin’ of anything with a child, let’s get to that now / This Epstein angle was the s/I expected TikTok videos you collected and dissected / Instead of being on some diss-direct s / You rather f****** grab your pen and misdirect s***.”
He requested "pre-suit" depositions from UMG and iHeartMedia.
Drake claims UMG “funnelled payments to" iHeart and "its radio stations as part of a pay-to-play scheme.”
He didn't want any damages but requested that UMG confirmed the “identities and practices of any direct participants in a pay-to-play scheme, including any intermediaries who may have been involved.”
Kendrick is signed to pgLang, which licenses his releases to UMG’s Interscope, while Drake’s OVO label has a deal with UMG’s Republic for marketing and distribution.
Meanwhile, PartyNextDoor teased in November that the pair's collaborative album was "getting finished".
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Chrissy Teigen is feeling "very scared" amid the California wildfires.
The 39-year-old model – who is married to 'All of Me' singer John Legend, 46, and has Luna, eight, Miles, six, Esti, 19-month-old Wren with him – took to social media as the atrocities unfolded across Pacific Palisades in LA to reveal that she was packing up their home in case they needed to evacuate.
She wrote on Instagram: "This is surreal I’m very scared now. Packing.
"4 dogs, 4 kids and a bearded dragon walk into a hotel."
In an update that came shortly afterwards, John and Chrissy revealed both of them as well as their children and pets had made it safely to a hotel.
Speaking in a video posted to Instagram, he said: "Hi everyone…
Chrissy added: "Don’t worry, Sebastian made it. We would never forget Sebastian, how dare you guys? He is with us."
Just hours before making their escape, the former 'Lip Sync Battle' host admitted she had struggled to find the worlds to sum up what's happening around her.
She said: "I haven't had the word, it is a hellscape.
"We are ok as of right now, and I felt weird saying that with so many people we know and don’t know who are not .
"Thank you for reaching out. Looking for any and all ways to help our community right now, please send anything you see. And god bless the firefighters and all first responders."
It emerged on Wednesday (08.01.25) that hundreds – now thousands – of homes had been destroyed including those belonging to former 'The Hills' stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, acting partners Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, as well as a mansion belonging to 'Scary Movie' actress Anna Faris.
Five civilian deaths were also reported in one of the three largest wildfires ravaging
Paris Hilton – who is married to Carter Reum and has Phoenix, 23 months, and 14-month-old London with him – is also among the celebs to have lost a home.
She posted on Instagram: “Heartbroken beyond words. (Broken heart emoji.)
“Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience. (Crying face emoji.)
“This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.”
John Goodman – who is known for his roles in 'The Flintstones' and 'Roseanne' – has also seen his home destroyed in the wildfires as his Pacific Palisades property was in the path of the main blaze.
Sir Anthony Hopkins’ home is also gone, according to pictures, whilst ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh also saw their $7.5million mansion, which they bought in April 2023, wiped out.
Nothing remains of Billy Crystal’s sprawling home beyond his tennis courts – which were virtually unmarked despite his house lying in ruins beside the green grounds.
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Beyoncé’s mother’s “sacred happy place” bungalow has been lost to the raging wildfires that have laid waste to Los Angeles.
Tina Knowles, who turned 71 on 4 January, had a beloved home on the oceanfront in Malibu, but has now revealed it was destroyed in the infernos that erupted on Tuesday (07.01.25.)
She said on Instagram: “It was my favourite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place.
“Now it is gone!!”
Tina added a video of the ocean view from her bungalow to her post, including what seemed to be dolphins briefly surfacing over the waves.
She said about the clip: “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu!
“It was my favourite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place.
“Now it is gone!!”
Thanks the emergency services battling the wildfires, she went on: “God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions.
“We Thankyou for your dedication and bravery and for saving so many lives.
“This could have been so much worse with out the dedication of the disaster workers and first responders.”
Referring to the death toll of the fire, Tina also said: “I’m so sad for the people who lost the five family members.
“My deepest Prayers are with you!!!!!!”
And “to the people who lost their homes and belongings” she said she “can only imagine how it feels to lose properties and everything you own!”
Tina added: “My heart and deep prayers go out to all of you I cannot imagine the pain and suffering and fear that you are enduring.
“I am praying diligently for our beautiful City of Los Angeles!!
“We are resilient though and we will recover! ‘This too shall pass’.”
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Sarah Michelle Gellar is among the celebrities slamming Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over the handling of the devastating wildfires that have devastated the city.
The ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actress, 47, joined a host of famous faces to slam the civic leader over how she and other local elected officials have responded to the infernos that erupted in Southern California from Tuesday (07.01.25), leading to the evacuation of armies of citizens and the destruction of a string of A-listers’ homes.
Sarah said on Instagram: “City of LA you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping.”
She tagged Bass, 71, and the city of Los Angeles in her message.
Actress Sara Foster, 43, used X to slam the way LA was being run, ranting on the platform: “We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty.
“Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared.
“Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits.”
Foster, 43, also called for Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, 57, to resign, arguing their “far left policies have ruined our state” and “also our party’.
James Woods, 77, who lost his mansion in the Palisades Fire, had previously slammed Bass and Newsom by branding them “liberal idiots”.
He seethed on X in response to a fan who highlighted how he had expressed scepticism over climate change: “This fire is not from ‘climate change,’ you ignorant a******.
“It’s because liberal idiots like you elect liberal idiots like Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass.
“One doesn’t understand the first thing about fire management and the other can’t fill the water reservoirs.”
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Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust.”
The lawsuit was filed Thursday at state district court in Santa Fe, where a judge in July dismissed a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin also alleges defamation in the suit, saying that prosecutors and investigators intentionally mishandled evidence as they pursued the case.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, along with investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff's office.
“Defendants sought at every turn to scapegoat Baldwin for the acts and omissions of others, regardless of the evidence or the law,” the lawsuit states.
Morrissey and Carmack-Altwies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during a rehearsal for the movie “Rust” in October 2021 at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
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Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events.
Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens.
More than 1,900 structures have been destroyed and the number is expected to increase. More than 130,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt.
Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards. That fire had been largely contained without damage to Hollywood landmarks.
Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry:
Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost.
The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years.
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this,” the Crystals wrote in the statement.
Mandy Moore lost her home in the Altadena neighborhood roughly 30 miles east of the Palisades.
“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too,” Moore wrote on Instagram in a post that included video of devastated streets in the foothill suburb.
“Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control,” Moore wrote.
Hilton posted a news video clip on Instagram and said it included footage of her destroyed home in Malibu. “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London,” she said, referencing her young children."
Elwes, the star of “The Princess Bride” and numerous other films, wrote on Instagram Wednesday that his family was safe but their home had burned in the coastal Palisades fire. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” Elwes wrote.
Jamie Lee Curtis, who was among the stars who evacuated due to the Palisades fire, says she and her family are pledging $1 million to start a “fund of support” for those affected by the blazes burning in and around Los Angeles.
The actor announced the pledge on Instagram Thursday. The previous night, she tearfully appeared on “The Tonight Show” and
“As you know, where I live is on fire right now,” Curtis said. “This is literally where I live – everything the market I shop in, the schools my kids go to, friends, many, many, many, many, many friends have lost their homes now.
The Oscar winner wrote that she had been in touch with state and city leaders about how the money might be distributed “for the most impact.”
The blazes have thrown Hollywood's carefully orchestrated awards season into disarray.
Awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed due to the fires. The AFI Awards, which were set to honor “Wicked,” “Anora” and other awards season contenders, had been scheduled for Friday.
The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which honor movies and television shows that resonate with older audiences, were set for Friday but have been postponed.
The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, have been postponed until Feb. 26.
Thursday, the Producers Guild Awards announced they would delay their nominations from Friday to Sunday.
Each of the shows feature projects that are looking for any advantage they can get in the Oscar race and were scheduled during the Academy Awards voting window.
The Oscar nominations are also being delayed two days to Jan. 19 and the film academy has extended the voting window to accommodate members affected by the fires.
Flames burned parts of the Palisades Charter High School, which has been featured in many Hollywood productions including the 1976 horror movie “Carrie,” the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday” and the TV series “Teen Wolf.”
The Palisades fire also destroyed the historic ranch house that belonged to Hollywood legend Will Rogers. It was among multiple structures destroyed at both Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park. The historic Topanga Ranch Motel, built by William Randolph Hearst in 1929, also burned down.
Rogers’ ranch, built on land he bought in the 1920s, occupied some 359 acres in what is now Pacific Palisades. It included a 31-room ranch house, a stable, golf course and riding trails. His wife donated it to California State Parks in 1944.
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Appearing on “Sesame Street”? That's the best idea.
The 55th season of the acclaimed family program features a star-studded lineup of musicians that would be the envy of any summer festival: SZA, Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Reneé Rapp and Samara Joy.
The upcoming season will focus on lessons in emotional well-being. It debuts Jan. 16 on MAX with new episodes releasing every Thursday. “Sesame Street” will also be available on PBS stations and to stream on PBS Kids in the fall.
No one is more excited than Elmo himself.
“There's a lot to learn from music — yeah, timing and harmonies and melody and different styles and different cultures,” the 3 1/2-year-old monster told The Associated Press. “It's really cool! We've got a lot of wonderful people come and do some music with us on ‘Sesame Street,' like Miss Reneé Rapp and SZA! Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Samara Joy — lots of great people!”
Songs double as life lessons on “Sesame Street,” from an alt-R&B-pop track about gratitude with SZA to an acoustic number about feelings with Rapp.
"SZA is really cool — really talented. And ‘gratitude’ was a new word for Elmo, too. So, Elmo learned all about gratitude with SZA,” he said.
"Elmo was feeling really, really happy after his playdate with Miss Reneé. It was a really beautiful song. She's got a great voice and Elmo hopes she comes back soon.”
As for the secret to a great “Sesame Street” song? According to Tony – and Grammy-winning composer, producer and “Sesame Street” music director Bill Sherman, its “earworms on earworms.”
“If the verse is an earworm, so is the chorus. Mostly in pop music, the chorus is the earworm, and the verses are just a bunch of jumble.” The difference, he explains, is that pop songs are about three and a half minutes long. Children's music is about a minute and a half. “You only have a very finite amount of time to do what you got to do.”
Usually, writers on the show provide Sherman and his team of songwriters with a script and lyrics detailing the lesson of each episode, as well as the name of the musical guest. Then they get to work, composing music true to the genre and spirit of each artist.
Those musical guests take different levels of involvement, but the result is always awe-inspiring.
Other highlights from this season include Kahan performing a foot-stomping folk song about music and feelings, Joy using jazz improvisation to teach a lesson in taking turns and a country ode to music and friends courtesy of Stapleton.
“Chris Stapleton really wanted to write his own song,” says Sherman, and so the pair hopped on a Zoom and wrote a song together, Stapleton with his guitar in tow, ideas flowing. “It was really one of the most surreal two-hour Zooms that I really ever had in my life.”
Joy took a different approach. “Samara Joy insisted on singing live," says Sherman. “It very rarely happens on ‘Sesame Street.’ I can only count, like, a few times. So, there was like Stevie Wonder back in the day, which is a classic. And there’s like Billy Joel, there’s John Legend, there’s a couple people that actually sing live. But Samara insisted on it.”
Her reasoning was simple. "She said, ‘Well, this whole episode is about improvisation and thinking on your toes. And so, if it’s prerecorded, that’s the opposite of what we’re trying to teach.’"
If there is a theme that connects all these performances to one another, it's a spirit of connection. At least, that's Elmo's theory: “Elmo thinks that music brings people together, you know? And some people who like some things and some people who like other things can kind of come together because they like the same kind of music. And that's kind of cool!”
“Sesame Street,” designed by education professionals and child psychologists, is shown in more than 150 countries, has won over 200 Emmys, 11 Grammys, two Peabody Awards and received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime artistic achievement, the first time a television program got the award.
There've been no shortage of great musical guests across the show's five decade run. So, who would they like to see pay a visit in the future? “Miss Taylor Swift! Maybe she could revisit her ‘Red’ era?” chimes in Elmo. That's his favorite of her albums.
“But also, Elmo would love to sing with Miss Beyoncé. Destiny's Child was on ‘Sesame Street,’ so Elmo would love to have her back.”
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Days after “Wicked” went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday.
The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn’t win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig, Kieran Culkin and Nicole Kidman.
Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller “Babygirl,” Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced “Good girl!" and left the stage.
It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. “Isn’t this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?“ quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani’s.
Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. “The bathroom attendant, that shouldn’t exist anymore,” Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in “A Real Pain.”
The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's “Wicked.” The musical was the board's pick for best film and best director for Chu, along with a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other.
“Also you’re welcome,” added Grande. “I truly think you would have murdered anyone else.”
“Probably true,” responded Erivo.
Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with “Wicked,” which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this November. So lengthy has his time in Oz been that the director noted he had three children during its making, including one born the day of the movie's premiere.
“No twins, same mom,” assured Chu. “I know what you guys are whispering.”
Ryan Reynolds, an avowed fan of the film, took up the topic in his introduction to the film's final award.
“The man missed the premiere of his own film so he could attend the birth of his fifth child,” Reynolds said. “I barely made it to the inception of my own children.”
The common theme of the night was community and togetherness. Coming a day after the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and less than two weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, many alluded to Hollywood's role in the coming years.
Marc Platt, producer of “Wicked,” spoke about the deeper meanings of the film and having “the courage to speak truth to power especially when that power is manifested by those who come to it by blame or divisiveness.”
Craig, the best actor winner for his performance in Luca Guadagnino’s William S. Burroughs’ adaptation, “Queer,” declared: “We are in good shape.”
“If we continue to make and produce movies like this, our industry is going to continue to thrive,” said Craig, who dedicated his award “to the dreamers in the room.” “We need you now more than ever.”
A key feature of the NBR Awards, which were founded in 1909 by film enthusiasts, is its style of award presentation. Each winner is introduced by a close friend, collaborator or admirer. Last year’s surprise guest was Daniel Day-Lewis, who presented for Martin Scorsese and the best-film winner “Killers of the Flower Moon."
This year, Robert Pattinson dropped in to introduce India Donaldson, winner of the breakthrough director award for her acclaimed debut “Good One.” Pattinson called Donaldson “one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.”
Sofia Coppola presented best supporting actress to Elle Fanning, who starred as a 12-year-old in 2010's “Somewhere,” for her performance in “A Complete Unknown.” “She’s really the same person that I met when she was 11,” Coppola said.
Other introductions were more surprising. John Lithgow, there as part of the “Conclave” group that won best ensemble, introduced breakthrough performance winner and “Anora” star Mikey Madison. Lithgow had only just met her but profusely praised her performance, listing a wide array of its traits, one of which drew giggles from the crowd, and the 25-year-old Madison.
“I never thought John Lithgow would call me ‘sexually athletic,’” said Madison, who plays a Brooklyn sex worker in the film.
Carol Kane presented best animated film to the wondrous Latvian film “Flow,” about a cat and other animals in a flooded world. She didn’t, at first, seem well-suited to the job.
“I don’t get animation. I like to watch people, you know,” Kane said. Then she relented, calling “Flow” a revelation. “Animals, for a long time now, have been some of my favorite people.”
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