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August 2008
Scent-centric dinner aids library group
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A critic from The New York Times was busy nosing around Decatur’s Sage on Sycamore restaurant Thursday night but executive chef Wayne Hamilton wasn’t breaking a sweat.
Hamilton was even a collaborator in arranging the evening.
The six-course, $200-per person scent-centric dinner, a benefit for the DeKalb Library Foundation, was hosted by New York Times perfume critic Chandler Burr. The journalist is in town to conduct primers on gourmand perfumes.
“When we think about perfumes, most of us, for some reason, just think about it in terms of florals and woods,” Burr told Buzz Thursday. “But real food that we consume is a huge source of raw materials for perfume.”
Elements of pink peppercorns, for example, are utilized in Pleasures by Estee Lauder.
On his job as Scent Notes columnist for the Times, Burr allows: “It’s an extremely strange job.”
As far as Burr knows, he and biophysicist Luca Turin hold the world’s only two jobs as professional perfume critics.
But he says the fundamentals of perfume criticism are similar to any other arts critic’s job description.
“Perfume is a work of art just like a composition by Bach or a dish by Mario Batali,” explains Burr.
And NYT readers are no less ruthless when they disagree with a less-than-aromatic perfume review.
Take Burr’s recent assessment of Un Jardin Apres la Mousson by Hermes. Burr called it “a failure on every level … the olfactory equivalent of corn syrup.”
One online reader sniffed in response: “Perfume-making is not to be dissected like this. If you don’t like it, leave it at that. This reads like someone with his knickers in a twist.”
“You do have to endure some of the most stupid comments you’ve ever heard in your life,” Burr says laughing. “Essentially, I was just doing my job.”
Friday night and Saturday night at Sage, curious diners who missed Thursday’s Scent & Savor dinner can order a four-course version of it for $30 per person.
Burr will lecture and sign copies of his new book, “The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York” Saturday at 1:45 p.m. at the AJC Decatur Book Festival.
For more info: decaturbookfestival.com. To donate to the DeKalb Library Foundation: www.dekalblibrary.org/support/.
‘RAISING THE BAR’ ON TOLLS
The fictional lawyers of Steven Bochco’s new TNT drama, “Raising the Bar,” are offering you a little, well, financial incentive to tune into the new series Labor Day night at 10.
And let’s just say, if an actual attorney tried this, he or she might be staring at disbarment.
Commuters who hit Ga. 400 today, in either the north- or south-bound lanes between 4 and 6 p.m., will have their tolls paid for them, courtesy of the Atlanta-based cable network.
“With so many people on the roads Labor Day weekend, it’s a perfect time to get our message out about the premiere of this outstanding new drama series,” says Tricia Melton, senior vice president of marketing for TNT. “We are literally raising the bar by paying tolls on Labor Day weekend.”
We’re told that drivers will be greeted at the toll plaza with TNT signs informing them about who paid their toll. And yes, the toll bars will be automatically raised for the two-hour stunt …
SUNDAY NIGHT ‘TAKEOVER’
NBA fans will want to be in the house Sunday night at Opera nightclub in Midtown for the NBA Takeover. The Labor Day Eve bash will be hosted by Seattle Supersonics Damien Wilkins, Kevin Durant, Chris Wilcox and Earl Watson, Boston Celtic Ray Allen, Atlanta Hawk Acie Law, Orlando Magic man Rashard Lewis, 76er Royal Ivey and Indiana Pacer Jarret Jack. Oh, and organizers are promising a surprise appearance by “The Greatest Basketball Player of All Time,” which, the last time we checked, was one Michael Jordan. But again, no exact names are being bandied about. Buyer beware. Tickets: $40 and $15. Info: www.nbatakeover.com.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor-director Richard Attenborough is 85. Movie director William Friedkin is 73. Actor Elliott Gould is 70. Singer Michael Jackson is 50. Actress Rebecca De Mornay is 46. Bassist-singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 39. Guitarist Kyle Cook of Matchbox Twenty is 33. Actor John Hensley (“Nip/Tuck”) is 31. Bassist David Desrosiers of Simple Plan is 28.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Flags were waving and people shouting. It looked as if we had the whole city rocking. I hadn’t planned to start a revival meeting. They said later my singing seemed to bounce off the dome of the Capitol far down the Mall. I’ve always hoped it reached inside to where some of those congressmen were sitting!”
Late gospel great Mahalia Jackson reflecting in her 1966 autobiography on singing “I Been Buked” prior to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington 45 years ago Thursday.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Dragons finally get props at DragonCon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years, Cartoon Network’s late-night Adult Swim animators have pleaded in vain with the organizers of the DragonCon convention to host one particular panel at the annual Labor Day weekend sci-fi/comics convention downtown.
A discussion about dragons.
“There has never been a shortage of superheroes or Star Trek characters at DragonCon,” Adult Swim senior vice-president Mike Lazzo (right) explained Wednesday as he busied himself SuperGlueing his tongue to the side of his face. “But we were always disappointed about the lack of attention being paid to actual dragons. We really wanted to help re-establish the purity of their brand.”
Hence, Friday at 5:30 p.m., Lazzo and Adult Swimmers, including Kim Manning, Jennifer Stephens, Dana Swanson, Vanessa Palacios, Eddie Ray, Drew Dominey, Merrill Hagan and Dana Snyder will conduct the first-ever DragonCon session on dragons at the convention.
They’ll also bring along clips from Adult Swim favorites like “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Squidbillies” and dragon-related clips from the company’s vault of classic Hanna-Barbera animation.
And on the off-chance, the session doesn’t exactly catch fire?
“We’re also prepared to discuss Adult Swim content and golf,” Lazzo says.
The Cartoon Network crazies also have created dragon costumes to wear to the session.
“But I have to say, the men have made a pretty pathetic attempt at it so far,” relates Lazzo. “But the women are really hooked up with their dragon wardrobes.”
Over the weekend, Cartoon Network reps also will have a strong presence at the convention as they introduce their new hotly anticipated CGI weekly series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”
So how iconic has the Williams Street Adult Swim production headquarters become over the years since the Williams Street logo flashes at the end of each late-night offering either on the air or via various boxed-set collections?
Explains Lazzo: “Every DragonCon weekend, we show up to work and invariably there will be convention attendees hanging outside. It’s actually pretty flattering that they seek us out.”
Oh, and as a public service to the Adult Swim staff, Buzz has graciously agreed to alternately describe their workplace as either a “fortress” or a “compound.”
For info: www.dragoncon.org.
COOKING UP ‘DINNER’
While Kenny Leon polishes August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” at the Alliance Theatre, Todd Kreidler, his True Colors associate artistic director, is cooking up Leon’s “Dinner.”
We’re talking, of course, about “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” Kreidler’s adaptation of the classic 1967 film that starred Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Kreidler has spent the past year toiling over his and Leon’s next Broadway project.
No “Dinner” date has been set for Broadway. “But we’re still aiming to go in the fall,” Kreidler says. “Right now, we’re planning to gather for a reading in New York after Labor Day, then hopefully begin rehearsals in October.”
Meanwhile, “Gem” starts previews Aug. 30 at the Alliance, and “Radio Golf,” the final installment of Wilson’s epic 10-play cycle, begins previews at the Woodruff Arts Center playhouse on Aug. 29. Alliance associate artistic director Kent Gash directs “Radio Golf.” The two-play repertory’s official opening is Sept. 6.
Kreidler, a close personal associate of Wilson, was dramaturg for both “Gem of the Ocean” and “Radio Golf,” which played regional theaters before eventually moving to Broadway under Leon’s direction. The Chicago-based artist will arrive in Atlanta in mid-September, presumably to check out the bookended dramas.
LUDA LOVES LATTA
Ludacris graciously is supplying Jarvis, his latest Disturbing Tha Peace record label R&B artist for this Friday night’s half-time performance at the WNBA Atlanta Dream/Connecticut Sun basketball game at Philips Arena downtown. And the Atlantan himself also will be present. The rapper-restaurateur is an admirer of Atlanta Dream point guard Ivory Latta.
“I have been a longtime fan and supporter of Ivory since she was at [University of] North Carolina,” Luda told us via an e-mail from the Atlanta Dream. “She is a little sister and family to me. It’s even greater that she plays for an Atlanta team. I want to be there to show my love and support.”
Late reports Wednesday indicated that 9,000 tickets already have been sold for the game, making it a near-sellout. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. www.atlantadream.net.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Country singer Shania Twain is 43. Actor Billy Boyd (“Lord of the Rings”) is 40. Actor-singer Jack Black of Tenacious D is 39. Actor Jason Priestley (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) is 39. Singer-bassist Max Collins of Eve 6 is 30. Actress Carly Pope (“Popular”) is 28. Country singer LeAnn Rimes is 26.
UNCOUPLING
They famously trekked to Atlanta to pay tribute to Coretta Scott King at the civil rights matriarch’s 2006 memorial service. Now, “Desperate Housewives” actress Nicollette Sheridan and singer Michael Bolton quietly have ended their engagement.
The split was amicable, said Nicole Perna, a publicist for the pair.
The 44-year-old actress and 55-year-old singer have been engaged since March 2006. They first started dating in 1992 and spent five years together, Perna said, then rekindled their romance in 2005.
The couple’s split was first reported by People.com.
Contributing: Wendell Brock and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Eco activist models for green cause
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Captain Planet Foundation chairwoman Laura Turner Seydel is brushing up on her catwalk skills as she preps for next week’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The eco activist will be among the celebrity runway models participating in the “Be EcoChic” fashion show at the Milstein Hall of Oceans at the American Museum of Natural History.
The other strutting celebs include: Lauren Hutton, “Ugly Betty” actor Mark Indelicato, “Desperate Housewives” actress Joy Lauren and singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin.
Turner Seydel is set to wear a wood and sea shell embellished gown created by Carmen Marc Valvo. Other participating fashion icons include “Sex and the City” costumer Patricia Field, Perry Ellis and Calvin Klein.
“I’m very excited,” Turner Seydel told us Tuesday via cellphone from Denver, where she’s attending the Democratic National Convention. “I’ve seen a sketch of the dress. It looks gorgeous. I’m happy to do anything that helps to get the word out about alternative, sustainable and organic fashions and designs.”
Still, the nonprofit fund-raiser asked her old pal Atlanta runway model and Catwalk Productions owner Randi Layne to pass along a few runway tips.
“I’ve learned you have to put one leg in front of the other like you’re walking a balance beam,” Turner Seydel shared. “Also, your arms have to move and your fingers have to gently brush your legs when you move while standing very erect.”
Her husband, Atlanta attorney and Hawks and Thrashers co-owner Rutherford Seydel, has been helpful during his wife’s practice sessions.
“He’s very curious about what it is that I’m doing!” she said laughing. “I told him, ‘Rutherford, you need to know about this. You could be next!’ “
‘NAKED’ LUNCH
There may just be an uptick in noontime shoppers today at Lush, the health and beauty boutique at Lenox Square mall. As a way of promoting the shop’s new “naked” line of products, the clerks at Lush will be wearing nothing beneath specially designed “Ask Me Why I’m Naked” aprons sent in for the promotion.
“It’s a way for us to call attention to our efforts to reduce excess packaging and a way to produce less waste,” Lush assistant manager Aly Rabinowitz told us. “Many of our other stores have already held successful promotions with the theme.” As of Tuesday afternoon, Rabinowitz still was awaiting delivery of a crucial part of the promotion: The aprons.
‘AMERICA’S GOT’ KAZUAL QUARTET
Although NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” hosted auditions at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in March, not a single Atlanta act made it to the final 40 from those sessions.
One Atlanta singing quartet has made the cut, but the group actually applied through a special MySpace audition. Kazual, three brothers and a cousin, moved to Atlanta four years ago from Columbus but had yet to get a big break until now.
The group impressed the show’s producers with an a capella version of the Backstreet Boys’ “Inconsolable,” which also can be seen on YouTube.
Unlike many other acts, Kazual will have to compete for votes tonight with almost no airtime up to this point, a major disadvantage to get to the next round.
“It’s going to be pretty important to actually knock it out of the park because people haven’t seen us,” EJay (real name: Eugene Burt) said to Buzz.
SING-ALONG WITH ABBA AND STREEP
Finally, someone has devised a way to drown out Pierce Brosnan’s vocal performances in the hit musical “Mamma Mia!”
Starting Friday, fans of the Meryl Streep, Abba-infused flick can partake of “Mamma Mia!: The Sing Along Version.” Yes, a new lyrically enhanced edition of the film will screen this holiday weekend, enabling fans to belt out “Dancing Queen” en masse. Participating theaters? Regal Mall of Georgia in Buford, Regal Medlock Crossing in Duluth, AMC Parkway Pointe in Atlanta and AMC Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.
You’ve been warned.
HIGH FIVE
Television
The top OnDemand programs for the week of Aug. 18-24, as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. Lil Wayne, “A Milli,” music video, Music Choice
2. “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “Patty Hype” episode, Nickelodeon
3. “The Benchwarmers” movie, Disney Channel
4. Yung Berg, “The Business” music video, Music Choice
5. “South Park” Cartoon Wars (2)” episode, Comedy Central
— Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Musician Daryl Dragon of the Captain and Tennille is 66. Actress Tuesday Weld is 65. Actor Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) is 56. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 46. Actress Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 39. Actress Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) is 32. Rapper Mase (below) is 31. Singer Mario is 22. Actress Alexa Vega (“Spy Kids”) is 20.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Road crews, drivers get no holiday break
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The plays being run on the field this weekend at the inaugural Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game between Clemson and Alabama likely will lack the attention to detail being given the impressive downtown traffic plan devised for Saturday’s event. The Georgia Department of Transportation, you see, is continuing its interstate construction projects over Labor Day weekend.
“The last thing we wanted was that caravan coming down I-20 from Birmingham to encounter a mess,” Atlanta Sports Council communications vice president Eric Oberman told Buzz on Monday. “We’re hoping that this game becomes an annual event in Atlanta. We want people to have fun and enjoy themselves while they’re here.”
Translation: “Fun” does not equal spending the weekend idling in an interstate parking lot.
Fans are being urged to leave early for the 8 p.m. kickoff (game day activities will run all day downtown) or take MARTA into the downtown area. Locals who know alternative routes are being urged to use their vehicular inventiveness to get to the game as well.
Also, thanks to modern technology, each person who purchased a ticket for the sold-out legendary matchup should receive an e-mail advisory about the traffic conditions as well. Similar outreach is being performed in South Carolina and Alabama.
The DOT also has aided the effort by posting updates and advisories on its interstate message boards this week. Adding to the potential for gridlock: This weekend’s Atlanta Falcons game and the annual DragonCon comics convention booked for the very busy downtown area. Personally? Buzz tries to avoid ticking off those people who annually dress as Klingons and walk around downtown with large battle weapons.
TUESDAY NIGHT’S KICKOFF AT MANUEL’S DELAYED
Atlanta author Paul Hemphill is postponing Tuesday night’s much-anticipated Manuel’s Tavern launch party for his fascinating new history of the Auburn University football program, “A Tiger Walk Through History: The Complete Story of Auburn Football From 1892 to the Tuberville Era” ($39.95, Pebble Hill Books).
Hemphill has been recently undergoing chemotherapy treatments as he battles cancer. The former Atlanta Journal columnist was admitted to the hospital over the weekend after he experienced a strong reaction following his latest treatment.
But Hemphill assures us that once he’s up to it, the signing and launch party with his many admirers will be rescheduled.
We’re also pleased to report that Hemphill hasn’t lost his trademark sense of humor. When asked for comment, Hemphill had the Alabama school’s famous battle cry, “War Eagle,” e-mailed to Buzz Central.
‘GOLDEN GIRLS LIVE!’
This could be the kookiest fund-raiser of the year. Tonight, Atlanta playwright and actor Topher Payne and his thespian friends will present “The Golden Girls Live!” at Onstage Atlanta at 2597 North Decatur Road in Decatur. Did we mention that Payne, Greg Morris, DeWayne Morgan and Joey Ellington will all be in wigs, heels and painstakingly recreated frocks from the 1980s NBC sitcom, stitched by Atlanta costume designer Jane Kroessig? Payne has adapted two scripts for the stage originally penned by “Golden Girls” creator Susan Harris.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from tonight and Wednesday’s 8 p.m. performances will go to Atlanta Cotillion, an annual fund-raiser for AID Atlanta. Which means everyone involved is working for free.
“For years, I’ve been told that I’m the Bea Arthur in my group of friends,” Payne told us Monday. “I thought, ‘Let’s make some money off that!’ The frightening thing is that in drag as Bea Arthur I’m more mannish than I am dressed as myself.”
So how did Payne’s pal and Atlanta actor Morris land Rue McClannahan’s coveted signature role of Blanche Devereaux? Replied Payne: “How do you not cast Greg Morris as Blanche? The only major difference is now he’s acting trampy and wearing sling backs.”
Tickets: 404-289-2673.
BRAXTON ADDED TO ‘DANCING’
Part-time Alpharetta resident Toni Braxton will be among the gyrating celebs in the next edition of the inexplicably popular ABC reality show “Dancing With the Stars,” set to premiere Sept. 22. Other participants booked for the show include daytime diva Susan Lucci, former N’Sync member Lance Bass, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, retired NFL star Warren Sapp and 82-year-old former “Mary Tyler Moore Show” actress Cloris Leachman. Here’s hoping viewers aren’t inadvertently treated to a nationally televised hip fracture.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Singer Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson is 62. Jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis (right) is 48. Drummer Adrian Young of No Doubt is 39. Actress Melissa McCarthy (“Samantha Who?”) is 38. Actor Macaulay Culkin is 28.
OVERSCENE
One-time MTV “Laguna Beach” reality TV fixture Kristin Cavallari and an unidentified gentleman dining on sushi and snapper at Shout in Midtown. We’re told the pair did not imbibe during the visit. Sigh.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Country queen rules fans’ hearts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few songs into her set Saturday night at the Cobb Energy Centre, country legend Loretta Lynn confessed to the capacity crowd: “I don’t know if I did all of that song or not! It’s my age.”
In the back of the theater a fan yelled out to her: “It don’t matter, Loretta. We love you!”
In a shimmering pink-hued gown (“She looks like Glenda the Good Witch,” whispered one attendee), Lynn, 73, replied: “I love you too, sweetheart.”
For about 70 minutes, whether she was sitting or standing and whether she sang all the verses to her extensive country catalog or not, the decades-long love affair continued between the performer and her loyal fans.
In the parking garage, one supporter even painted their car windows with a “Hey Loretta!” salutation to the singer.
And while Lynn performed all of her biggest hits for the crowd, she also dug deep into her songbook and delighted fans with fresh renditions of “When the Tingle Becomes a Chill,” her classic duets with Conway Twitty, including “Feelin’s” and “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” and her gospel hit “If God is Dead (Who’s This Living in My Soul).”
When she belted out “How Great Thou Art” a cappella, the singer received her first standing ovation.
She even cleverly combined two of her biggest 1970s hits into a medley: “One’s on the Way,” her ode to exhausted mothers everywhere, and “The Pill,” her pro-birth control ditty that once got her banned from country radio.
Tugging on her dress and calling for a chair, Lynn instantly endeared herself to the audience when she told them: “I ate five big pieces of peanut butter fudge before I come out here tonight. I oughta have my head examined. … I’m too dang full to stand up.”
Reflecting on her life with her late husband and muse, Doo Lynn, country’s reigning queen said: “He’s been gone 12 years now. But he gave me a lot to write about. Where do you think I got all those songs from? That was the one way I had to tell ole Doo off!”
NO POST-‘IDOL’ FADE FOR BUSY FANTASIA
Fantasia has carved out a successful post-“Idol” career since she won in 2004. Sure, she doesn’t have an Oscar like Jennifer Hudson or the chart success of Carrie Underwood. But she’s had two hit albums, a Lifetime biopic, a best-selling book and an acclaimed stint on “The Color Purple” on Broadway.
On Saturday night co-headlining a show with comic Rickey Smiley at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, she proved what made her so appealing to a broad audience on TV. While she’d revert to “screech” mode on her vocals on occasion, the inspired, energetic Fantasia turned the center into her very own church, capped by a tour de force version of “Free Yourself.”
And showing how connected she was with the audience, she spent almost as much time in the crowd as she did on the stage. She danced and laughed it up with the folks in the first few rows, who got their $94 worth. She even evoked a bit of “Idol” by doing a medley of old classics including “Tell Me Something Good” and a rousing “Purple Rain” that would have impressed the Purple One himself.
PLANET MUTOMBO
If you ever need your faith restored in professional athletes, Buzz heartily recommends a Merlin’s Planet Living smoothie with former Atlanta Hawk Dikembe Mutombo. The 7-foot, 2-inch Atlantan greeted fans Saturday at the grand opening of his latest business venture, the Planet Smoothie at Ansley Mall in Midtown.
“I made mistakes earlier in business when my hands were far away,” Mutombo told us. “I’ve learned to keep my hands closer to the business now.”
The businessman also has Smoothie locations set for Vinings and Dunwoody.
Mutombo even has his kids drinking down his favorite Merlin’s beverage since it comes chock-full of two fruits and a protein packet.
The basketball player, clad in a dress shirt and pants and flanked by two bottles of Gatorade, happily posed for pictures with fans and graciously urged two visiting neighbors to “ring the doorbell the next time.”
Eyeing the line of kids waiting out on the sidewalk with their Atlanta Hawks jerseys for him to sign, the current Houston Rockets center smiled and told us: “I’m having flashbacks of Philips Arena. It is wonderful to see the people who have loved you and appreciated you. It is a gift I can give back.”
As for whether the 19-year pro has one more season in him or not, Mutombo, 42, said: “I’m going back and forth about it. I think about it every day when I go to the gym. It’s all about how my body is responding. We’ll have to see.”
HIGH FIVE
Project 9-6-1
Top five songs, week of Aug. 18
1. “Inside the Fire” Disturbed
2. “Psycho” Puddle of Mudd
3. “Addicted” Saving Abel
4. “It’s Not My Time” 3 Doors Down
5. “Life is Beautiful” Sixx: A.M.
— Yes.com
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Game show host Monty Hall is 87. Actor Sean Connery (right) is 78. Talk show host Regis Philbin is 77. Gene Simmons of Kiss is 59. Singer Rob Halford of Judas Priest is 57. Musician Elvis Costello is 54. Director Tim Burton is 50. Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus is 47. TV chef Rachael Ray is 40. Actress Rachel Bilson (“The O.C.”) is 27.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Putting Georgia (music) on state visitors’ minds
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, travelers pulling into nine of the state’s visitor information centers are getting an earful.
Of Georgia music.
When visitors get out of their vehicles, freshly installed speakers outside rest stops serenade tourists with Ray Charles, Akon, Jason Aldean, Otis Redding, Trisha Yearwood, Sugarland, the Allman Brothers Band, R.E.M., Collective Soul, Ciara, Sleepy Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Sonia Leigh, James Brown, Bill Anderson, Johnny Mercer, the Tams, Raven Symone, Indigo Girls and Brenda Lee, among others.
The salute to the state’s varied and lengthy musical heritage is a partnership between the GDED and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon. The Hall of Fame folks are also planning a companion set of CDs titled “The Soundtrack of Your Life.”
Among the included visitor centers are locations in Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, Tallapoosa, Valdosta, Lavonia and Ringgold.
“We’ve gotten a ton of feedback since we launched last week,” GDED rep. Stefanie Paupeck told Buzz on Friday. “Visitors are loving it.”
Intros before the tunes tip listeners to who they’re hearing.
So has a Michael Stipe or a Fred Schneider shown up at a visitors center to stretch their legs as yet?
Said Paupeck: “Not so far, but that’s a photo op just waiting to occur, don’t you think? With 13 million annual visitors each year, it’s bound to happen.”
CHERNOFF JOINS SPORTS TALK THE FAN
Sports talk host Matt Chernoff, let go from 790/the Zone last December, has found a new home at rival 680/the Fan.
For the first time, Chernoff gets to work mornings, joining Christopher Rude and Perry Laurentino, starting Sept. 2.
“I’m happy they’ve given me this opportunity” Chernoff told Buzz. “They’re in a great position already. Hopefully, I can complement Perry and Chris.”
Chernoff, an Atlanta native, brings plenty of football expertise to the table and will continue to co-host “SportsNite” at 6 p.m. on CSS.
DEBATE THE DEBATES
Attention John McCain and Barack Obama: Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr is ready to rumble. A new Zogby International poll shows that 55 percent of voters surveyed want the former U.S. House representative from Georgia’s 7th District to be included in the upcoming presidential debates. The snag? The Commission on Presidential Debates requires candidates to be tracking at least 15 percent in the national polls.
In an e-mail to Buzz Central, Barr campaign manager Russell Verney, who served in the same capacity for former candidate Ross Perot, points out that in 1992, Perot was included in all the debates while tracking at 7 percent nationally, about where Barr is tracking.
“There are actually a lot of similarities,” Barr campaign spokesman Steve Sinton told Buzz on Friday. “The problem is that Perot did so well that the CPD went back, changed the rules and slammed the doors shut. But we’re fighting [for inclusion in the debates] because we feel there are a lot of disenfranchised Americans out there who want real change.”
So, like the rest of the nation, was Sinton eagerly anticipating Friday’s impending announcement regarding Obama’s veep pick? Cracked Sinton: “Who?”
EARLY SEASON FOR DEERHUNTER
For fans of Atlanta psych-pop act Deerhunter, Christmas came two months early this week. At least on iTunes, where the band’s new album, “Microcastle,” unexpectedly popped up. One ongoing issue that may have prompted the advance sale? Leaked files from the album had already surfaced.
Even the band’s frontman, Bradford Cox, isn’t immune to such technological boo-boos. He inadvertently gave visitors to the band’s blog access to a file of works in progress and tracks planned for a bonus disc to accompany “Microcastle.” The files started to spread in other forums before the mistake was corrected.
Cox initially posted an angry diatribe that he now seems to regret. It’s been removed and replaced by a new statement. “I accept my mistake,” he wrote. “I apologize for my reaction, especially since it was misinterpreted so widely to be directed at fans. I appreciate and am very grateful for the fact that people want to hear my music and the music we make with Deerhunter.”
He ends the post with this: “I am seriously ending all bad vibes here.”
“Microcastle” will be available in stores Oct. 28 or currently at iTunes.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Today: Actress Vera Miles is 78. Satirist Mark Russell is 76. Singer Linda Thompson is 61. Actor Jay Mohr is 38. Singer Julian Casablancas of the Strokes is 30.
Sunday: Actor Kenny Baker (R2-D2 in “Star Wars”) is 74. Actress Marlee Matlin is 43. Actor-comedian Dave Chappelle is 35. Actor Chad Michael Murray (“One Tree Hill”) is 27. Actor Rupert Grint (“Harry Potter”) is 20.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You’d best be careful. That mistake got me married!”
Country legend Loretta Lynn to Buzz after we told her when we bake her infamous chocolate pie, we always take care not to confuse the salt with the sugar. The singer’s disastrous pie-baking (humorously re-created in “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) landed her future husband, Doo Lynn. She performs tonight at the Cobb Energy Centre.
Contributing: Shane Harrison, Rodney Ho and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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A chill in air for hotel’s party preview possibilities
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The asphalt may have been radiating 90-degree heat after work on Wednesday, but on the Altitude penthouse level of the W Midtown hotel, the 27th floor had been transformed into a holiday wonderland.
Heavy drapes blocked out views of the humidity hanging over Piedmont Park. Icy blasts of air conditioning, flutes of Veuve Clicquot champagne and the scent of roasted turkey greeted the hotel’s elite business clients invited to the private event.
The W’s Winter Wonderlust cocktail party was designed to tempt attendees into booking the brand-new hotel’s lavish meeting spaces and its other amenities for holiday parties this season.
“We wanted to create a whimsical experience tonight in order to showcase a little of what we can do here at the W,” sales and marketing director George Fleck told us as executive chef Mauro Gomez plated a fall risotto with peas, acorn squash, mushrooms and asparagus for guests.
“Atlanta is a very competitive hotel town, but this city will be our second-largest market behind New York City with our four planned properties here,” Fleck explained. “Tonight, we wanted our corporate clients, tastemakers and friends from the neighborhood to have their sensories refreshed.”
We asked Gomez how easy it was to find acorn squash in the middle of August.
“Actually, that was one of the easiest ingredients to locate,” he said. “And it’s always fun to see people react to roasted turkey. It’s something that people just equate with the holidays.”
DJ Tim DeGroot provided some Latin-infused techno glam to the party as attractive Elite models coolly sipped champagne in holiday party frocks while perched beside crates of Veuve (yes, apparently, that is an occupation…).
As for our obvious follow-up question, Fleck laughed and replied, “Yes, they are allowed to drink on the job tonight. We wanted them to be relaxed and to have fun.”
Alas, we couldn’t pry loose the closely guarded details about the W Midtown’s big New Year’s Eve party. Fleck promises to spill all this fall.
HERZZONER’S COUGH
It’s been a few weeks since Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin met the press. On Thursday, at a news conference to talk about the city’s reading program, Franklin explained why.
Franklin said she’s had a severe case of bronchitis. After weeks of ignoring a pesky cough that was getting worse, the mayor’s staff took action last week.
“They kidnapped me and took me to the doctor,” Franklin said.
The mayor, whose voice was still hoarse Thursday, said she couldn’t remember the medicine prescribed to her. Franklin fielded questions about the program Atlanta Reads and the city’s shaky finances before ending the news conference.
Next week, Franklin will really need her voice. The mayor is off to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, where she is a convention co-chair.
TRIBUTE TO THEATER’S MOORE ON MONDAY
A memorial service for Gene-Gabriel Moore has been scheduled for Monday at the Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage. The program begins at 6:30, but folks are invited to begin gathering at 6 p.m.
Moore, founder of the Suzi Bass Awards and one of the most admired men in Atlanta theater, died peacefully at his Lutheran Towers apartment on July 26. He was 72.
Originally, a service was set for 7 Stages Theatre in Little Five Points (Moore had an office there for years, where he served as artistic director of Not Merely Players, the professional ensemble he founded for disabled artists).
“Even though it was Gene-Gabriel’s theater home, 7 Stages is in production, so the good folks at the Alliance have offered the Hertz Stage for our gathering,” said Deadra Moore, a local stage manager who worked with Moore on the Suzi Bass Awards from the very beginning (the two were not related).
“We plan on a simple informal event, and anyone who would like to say a few words or share a memory will be welcome,” the Suzi Bass Awards chair said in an e-mail. Alicia Quirk, who looked after Moore in his final years and considered herself his “adopted granddaughter,” is planning the event with Moore.
The two have requested photos and memories to be shared at the celebration. Anyone who would like to share but can’t attend can send e-mail to Suziawards@comcast.net.
Meanwhile, the Suzi Bass Awards is seeking contributions in Moore’s honor and plans to use the funds to endow its playwriting award, already named for Moore. Anyone wanting to make a donation in his memory can contact the Suzis at the above e-mail address.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Author Ray Bradbury is 88. Correspondent Steve Kroft (“60 Minutes”) is 63. Actress Regina Taylor (“The Unit,” “I’ll Fly Away”) is 48. Singer Tori Amos is 45. Singer Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys is 35.
OVERSCENE
Country singer Taylor Swift dancing and singing along in the control booth in the 200 section of Lakewood Amphitheatre as the Jonas Brothers entertained a screaming, sold-out crowd Wednesday. When recognized, Swift, 18, wearing a dark blue tank dress and ballet flats, waved and blew kisses to fans. We’re told that during the concert, recent grad Joe Jonas donned a cap and gown to receive his high school diploma live onstage. It took patient parents upward of an hour to brave the brothers’ T-shirt merch tables.
Contributing: Eric Strigus, Wendell Brock and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Jeezy up for ‘hollering’ at Phelps, too
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First, there was a mention. Now, there just might be a meeting.
History-making Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has told a number of media outlets that Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy is in heavy rotation in his iPod.
In fact, in a New York Times article Monday, Jeezy is cited as one of the eight influences for his record-breaking eight gold medals Phelps won in Beijing. (The Jeezy single “Go Getta” — with R&B singer R. Kelly — in particular.)
“Phelps and his American rival Ryan Lochte, who is also a fan of Jeezy, greet each other by saying ‘Juh,’ in homage to the rapper, a.k.a. Jay Jenkins,” the Times’ Karen Crouse writes.
Now Jeezy tells us that Phelps’ “people” have been in touch with his “people” about the two being officially introduced.
“It would be great if I could holler at Phelps,” Jeezy said during a break from his nationwide promotional tour for his upcoming CD, “The Recession.” “And it’s a compliment that the man found inspiration in the music I do for the streets over here, over there in Beijing.”
Buzz can almost visualize it now: Phelps, pride of the red, white and blue, standing next to Jeezy, whose new “Recession” promotional materials include a black-and-white striped flag and T-shirts proclaiming “My President is Black.”
OPEN THE DOOR, IT’S … A SANDWICH?
Georgia Domino’s Pizza franchisee Mike Orcutt got his first feedback on his new, nontraditional product line Tuesday night when the phones at his 79 stores started blowing up. As odd as it sounds, the pizza chain is poised to become the biggest sandwich delivery company in the country this month. On Tuesday night, a soft rollout began for the menu items.
So what gives? Well, the economy for starters.
“High-end restaurants are currently down 74 percent in sales,” Orcutt told Buzz. “Your middle-priced restaurants are down as well. Our price point is being the least affected right now. People are still eating but as consumers, we’re putting different priorities on food now.”
Hence, the introduction of $4.99 Domino’s Oven-Baked Sandwiches in varieties like Philly Cheesesteak and Chicken Bacon Ranch. So how do Domino’s delivery folks keep said oven-baked sandwich warm on the way to your door?
According to Orcutt, there’s a contraption called the Heatwave Bag that keeps the meals at 170 degrees. The bags are plugged into chargers between runs.
And it’s no coincidence the sandwiches are being sampled in the third week of August.
Explains Orcutt, a 35-year vet of the industry: “We traditionally see a dip in business when school starts back up. Families usually try and get organized and assemble schedules.
“Then about two weeks in, the schedules start to crash. That’s when our phones really start ringing.”
LEGAL-LY OPEN
Legal Sea Foods, the Boston restaurant that will be one of the anchors of the new Luckie-Marietta district, has quietly opened.
The chain opened the location, in the Hilton Garden Inn hotel next to the Georgia Aquarium, on Friday and Saturday to family and friends.
But it couldn’t open fully until it received its liquor license Tuesday morning, said Richard Bogusz, the general manager.
The Luckie-Marietta District is the brainchild of builder David Marvin, who wants to create a destination of hotels, attractions and restaurants stretching from the aquarium to the Georgia World Congress Center.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor-filmmaker-writer Melvin Van Peebles is 76. Singer Kenny Rogers is 70. Singer Jackie DeShannon is 64. Actress Loretta Devine (“Eli Stone”) is 59. Newsman Harry Smith is 57. Actress Kim Cattrall (“Sex and the City”) is 52. Singer Kelis is 29. Actor Cody Kasch (“Desperate Housewives”) is 21. Actress Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) is 19.
HIGH FIVE
Television
The Top OnDemand programs for the week of Aug. 11-17, as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “The Fry Cook Games,” Nickelodeon,
2. “Transformers,” HBO
3. “House of Payne,” “Party Over Here!” episode, TBS,
4. “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Jellyfish Hunter” episode, Nickelodeon
5. “House of Payne,” “We’ve Come This Far by Faith, Pt 2,” episode, TBS
— Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
OVERSCENE
“Anchorman” actor Luke Wilson and a female friend sipping cocktails at Strip at Atlantic Station. “He was pretty incognito,” beverage manager Elvis Soto told us. “He kept his sunglasses on and people pretty much left him alone. The bartender told me, ‘I think that’s somebody.’ I said, ‘Yes, that is.’ “
Contributing: Sonia Murray, Leon Stafford and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Not-too-big arts fest set in Piedmont Park
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This news ought to set off a fresh round of teeth gnashing among the organizers of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival and Atlanta Pride Festival. The second annual Atlanta Arts Festival has been given the green light to set up shop in Piedmont Park on Sept. 12, 13 and 14.
As most Atlantans will recall, the city announced early this year that all Class A festivals (events that attract more than 50,000 attendees) had to be relocated away from Piedmont Park, due to the drought restrictions. As a result, both the Dogwood Festival and Pride celebration suffered significant financial losses when they moved to other locations this year. Last month, Pride’s executive director and festival director resigned as a result.
“We’re a high-end art show,” Atlanta Arts Festival founder Julie Tepp explained Tuesday. “We’re not out to be all things to all people.”
Another thing working in the festival’s favor? Like the annual AIDS Walk Atlanta, set to step off from the park Oct. 19, the festival’s scheduled 200 participating artists are setting up on the park’s hardscape areas. According to Tepp, last year’s arts festival drew “significantly less than 20,000 attendees.”
Still, Tepp is sympathetic to the ousted festivals jettisoned from the grounds this year.
“It’s tragic for them,” she says. “Hopefully, the city will be able to review the drought restrictions so that next year everyone can return to the space.”
Buckhead Coalition president Sam Massell was encouraged by the announcement. Longtime Atlantans will remember that Massell was so pro-public parks during his term as Atlanta mayor that he ordered all “Stay Off The Grass” signs removed from the public spaces in 1970.
“The current situation is unfortunate to be sure,” Massell told us. “Our parks should not be exclusive to any one group or limited in use in any way. If you’ve got to dig a well, do it. Find a way. Hopefully, the rain will return and we can move forward. But there’s a higher power who controls that!”
JOHNS: FRIENDS AND FINGERS
Former Buckhead resident Michael Johns turned the Gwinnett Arena stop of the “Pop Tarts American Idols Live” tour into a big homecoming. After the concert Monday, he invited more than 100 of his Atlanta friends backstage to toast his success.
In his brief sojourn in metro Atlanta, he had a few hours to spare Monday morning to hang out with his old buddies from his CJ’s Landing days, taking in a lunch at Zaxby’s. “I love those chicken fingers!” he said.
Johns, who hopes to have an album out early next year, said he’s working with the likes of Diane Warren and Andrew Farriss of INXS. “I can’t believe producers of this caliber are returning my calls!” he told Buzz.
He hopes to migrate back to Atlanta from Los Angeles within two years. “I love the South!” he said. “I can’t wait to move back here.”
After the tour is over, he’ll be visiting, possibly twice in one month. He’s already committed to singing at the Pep Boys 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Oct. 25 and is hoping to get involved with Elton John’s tennis charity event at Kennesaw State Oct. 12.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
News anchor Connie Chung (right) is 62. Singer Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin is 60. Singer Doug Fieger of The Knack is 56. Singer-songwriter John Hiatt is 56. “Today” show weatherman Al Roker is 54. Guitarist Brad Avery of Third Day is 37.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Part of my life is kept to myself. I’m able to relax and be with my friends. Those pretty much are the only people who really know the answer to that question.”
Eight-time Beijing Olympics gold medalist Michael Phelps on whether he’s currently single during an interview with “Extra.”
Contributing: Meridith Ford, Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Generous Sir Elton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The winning bid for a collection of goodies donated by Sir Elton John hit $10,000 Monday on air during the Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke morning show on B98.5 FM.
The money goes toward this year’s Fashion Cares fund-raiser for the city’s breast cancer and AIDS charities set for Aug. 25.
The generous Sir Elton donated several items, including a pair of tickets to his “Red Piano” concert in Las Vegas and a two-night stay at Caesar’s Palace.
McCoy told Buzz they opened the phone lines to bidding at 8 a.m. and got the $10,000-bid just before 9 a.m. Pat Tylka of Alpharetta secured the winning bid, McCoy said.
McCoy said Tylka was going to surprise his wife who is “a huge Elton John fan.”
“It’s astounding in this economy, people were able to open their hearts and check-books. It’s for worthwhile charities and certainly for memorabilia collectors and Elton John fans, it was a great prize.”
GOLDEN BOY GETS HYPNOTIC WITH HIP-HOP
The ties between hip-hop music and competitive swimming at its highest level aren’t as tenuous as one might expect.
Thirty years ago, after all, the original smash rap single, “Rapper’s Delight,” referenced water sports in the lyric, “After school I take a dip in the pool.’ And eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has let it be known that he habitually listened to hip-hop while psyching himself up to race.
The explicitly hip-hop single ‘A Milli’ by New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne helped fuel the fire in Phelps, the Olympic swimming sensation.
When Phelps sought motivation en route to winning eight Olympic gold medals, he tuned his iPod to a variety of hip-hop artists who hail from the “Dirty South.”
According to a recent New York Times profile: “The music transforms him. His goofy grin dissolves into a glower, his eyes turn cold as ice. The hip-hop beats have a hypnotic effect on Phelps, who sometimes, after a race, is unable to recall the songs that locked him into his groove.”
Phelps has referenced the Miami-based rapper Rick Ross and New York’s preeminent hip-hop artist Jay-Z as two of the artists he prefers for motivation.
But, of course, no self-respecting rap fan could go without shouting out rappers with ties to the “Dirty South” in general and Atlanta in particular. OutKast, Young Jeezy and Lil’ Wayne are on heavy rotation on Phelps’ iPod as well.
The play list that Phelps provided to Yahoo.com during his historic Olympic turn reads as follows:
1. “Overnight Celebrity” — Twista
2. “Burn” — Usher
3. “Roses” — OutKast
4. “Till I Collapse” — Eminem
5. “Smile” — G Unit
6. “A Milli” — Lil’ Wayne
7. “Hustlin” — Rick Ross
8. “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” — Jay-Z (featuring Lil’ Wayne)
9. “I Got What It Takes” — Young Jeezy
SOAP SEEKS VETERAN
An open casting call for “All My Children” is far from business as usual: The soap opera is seeking an Iraq war veteran to play an injured veteran.
The ABC daytime show has created a romantic story line to combine entertainment and a window into the challenges faced after combat, said executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers.
“All My Children” has launched a broad search to fill the role, inviting veterans to contact the show’s New York casting director (You can e-mail Judy Wilson at judy.wilson@ABC.com). The series also is working with a veterans’ support group, USA Cares, as well as the military.
“It will make it such a heightened experience for the audience and for us … to cast a real-life soldier, a veteran, and bring him into our created drama,” Carruthers said.
The veteran-turned-actor will play the character of Brot, a key figure in a plot that’s already under way and involves a visitor to fictional Pine Valley, Army Lt. Taylor Thompson (Beth Ehlers).
Taylor, who was stationed in Iraq and is on medical leave, has come to town to deliver medals to fellow soldier Dr. Frankie Hubbard (Cornelius Smith Jr.). But it’s Brot, the soldier and lover she believes died in combat, who’s on her mind.
Brot, however, survived. Unwilling to involve Taylor in his suffering, he’s allowed her to think he’s dead.
Their story will begin unfolding when the right veteran is found for the part, Carruthers said. The casting call isn’t limited to those who were wounded in the war, an ABC spokesman said.
But the role will be shaped around a veteran’s experience, possibly including a war-caused disability, Carruthers said.
CSI: FISHBURNE
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” has solved the mystery of who will replace departing CBS series star William Petersen: It’s Laurence Fishburne.
Fishburne, an Emmy and Tony winner, will be introduced in the ninth episode of the upcoming 10th season, the network told The Associated Press Monday. He’ll play a forensics scientist with a secret.
“I am elated and delighted to be joining the cast of ‘CSI,’” Fishburne said in a statement, adding that he looked forward to a “wonderful collaboration” with those involved in the series.
Fishburne plays a college lecturer and former pathologist focused on why people commit acts of violence.
The air date for Petersen’s final episode has yet to be determined but will be early next year. Petersen has been with the series since it debuted in fall 2000 and will remain a “CSI” executive producer, the network said.
Fishburne’s character has a deep connection to his work: His genetic profile has been identified in serial killers, CBS programming chief Nina Tassler said before Fishburne’s casting was announced.
“This gentleman knows this about himself and is … in this journey to discover who his true character will ultimately become,” Tassler said last month — but he’s keeping the crucial information to himself.
The character meets members of the “CSI” team during a murder investigation and ends up joining them.
Fishburne, 47, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ike Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and a Tony in 1992 for “Two Trains Running.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor-turned-U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson is 66. Bassist John Deacon of Queen is 57. Actor Peter Gallagher is 53. Actor Adam Arkin is 52. Singer-songwriter Gary Chapman is 51. Singer Ivan Neville is 49. Actor John Stamos is 45. Actress Kyra Sedgwick is 43. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 42. Actor Matthew Perry (“Friends”) is 39. Rapper Romeo (formerly Lil’ Romeo) is 19.
Contributing: Scott Walton and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Zuffy’s resurrecting memory of Fuzzy’s
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Starting Monday night, a slightly dyslexic version of a 40-year-old Atlanta favorite re-opens. And the hugs are on the house.
Zuffy’s Place, the rebirth of the old Fuzzy’s Place on North Druid Hills Road, will debut around the corner from the old location at its new space at 1860 Corporate Blvd. The original joint closed last year after the untimely death of namesake and owner Fuzzy Cawthon.
Buzz was invited to pop in during a soft opening for old Fuzzy’s regulars last week. And the hugs were as plentiful as Cajun chef Joe Dale’s classic shrimp and grits.
Yup, co-owners and former Fuzzy’s staffers Keirsten Alexander and Montie Henderson have retained the use of Dale’s old Fuzzy’s favorites at the new location. Alas, something looked amiss.
The shrimp is now fresh, not frozen, and the grits are stone-ground, not instant.
“We wanted to raise the bar a bit with Joe’s classic recipes,” Alexander told us. “They’re such great dishes. They deserved ingredients that are top-notch. People always came to Fuzzy’s for the music, the drinks and to see their friends. We wanted to highlight Joe’s menu a bit more.”
The late chef’s son Paul Dale is on hand to oversee the cuisine as well. And while the family has graciously allowed Zuffy’s to continue spotlighting Dale’s dishes, Paul still comes in himself to create the Dale salad dressing and the secret ingredients in the seafood patsy appetizer.
Pointing to her temple, Alexander laughed and said: “They’re up here and Paul’s not telling.”
As for the fanciful take on the Fuzzy’s name (various legal hurdles were involved in using the old name for the new business), Alexander says she doesn’t quite recall who came up with it. For months, she’s been too busy squaring away permits and licenses with DeKalb County. Oh, and delivering her now 7-week-old daughter Lily.
Pointing to the infamous strip club across the street, Alexander cracked, “I didn’t care if we called it ‘The Place Across From The Pink Pony’ just as long as people come and bring their wallets!”
The owners were also able to lure back 11 former Fuzzy’s wait staffers, bartenders and kitchen employees.
On hand to celebrate the business’ rebirth tonight: two of Fuzzy’s main-stay musical acts, The Mike Veal Band and Java Monkey.
CLASSY EVENING OF CLASSIC FILM MUSIC
Movie film scores haven’t always gotten a lot of respect. But they still resonate decades later.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies stitched live music and the magic of film together on a mild Saturday evening at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, playing clips from classics such as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “North By Northwest” and (of course) “Gone With the Wind.”
The always impeccable TCM film guru Robert Osborne provided the commentary, and Hollywood music supervisor Richard Kaufman conducted.
Osborne noted that films provide separate tracks for dialogue and music so the dialogue can be dubbed in foreign countries. By happenstance, that enabled the symphony to play the soundtracks live while the audience could hear the dialogue while watching the film on a huge screen above the orchestra.
This platform also gave Osborne a chance to appreciate how integral music can be in capturing the mood of a scene, especially in a film such as Alfred Hitchcock’s spy thriller “North By Northwest.”
“You don’t recognize the music,” he told the audience, “but the music gets you caught up in the story.”
Osborne salted in amusing trivia before each song, noting for instance that MGM burned down the set of “King Kong” to portray the burning of the Atlanta Depot during “Gone With the Wind.” And dance genius Gene Kelly, self conscious of his relatively short height, made sure clever choreography with dancer Cyd Charisse during “Singing in the Rain” disguised the fact she was taller than he was in heels.
“I had a wonderful time,” Osborne told Buzz after the concert. “It’s definitely a change of pace from what I normally do.”
MAYER’S, ANISTON’S ‘CHEMISTRY’ ISSUES
Though former Atlanta resident John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston were decidedly mum about their romance, the singer is opening up about their breakup.
“There’s no lying, there’s no cheating, there’s no nothing,” Mayer told reporters Saturday about his split with Aniston after working out at an Equinox Gym in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.
If anything, Mayer had only praise for his ex, saying: “Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, most sophisticated person I think I have ever met.” So what went wrong?
“People are different, people have different chemistry,” said Mayer, who appeared emotional, nervous and sad.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Movie director Roman Polanski is 75. Actor Robert Redford is 71. Actor Patrick Swayze is 56. Comedian-actor Denis Leary is 51. ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff is 47. Actor Christian Slater is 39. Actor Edward Norton is 39. Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner is 38. Comedian Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”) is 30.
COUPLING
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi tied the knot Saturday in a small ceremony at their Los Angeles home, a spokeswoman confirmed to People.com on Saturday.
The couple have been dating since December 2004. DeGeneres announced her plans to wed de Rossi during a taping of her talk show in May after California’s Supreme Court ruled a previous ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Va-Hi’s Sala getting new name, Shaun help
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fifth Group Restaurants has penned a deal with chef Shaun Doty of Shaun’s in Inman Park to turn Sala, its hip space in Virginia-Highland, into the Original El Taco, to open in mid-October.
Doty is developing recipes for funky Mexican fare, including tacos and tortas. He will work with an as yet unnamed chef de cuisine.
So was the single-dad chef getting too much shut-eye these days?
“You know me, man,” Doty told Buzz Friday while taking a break from slicing fish. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead. I adore the people at Fifth Group. They’ve been friends and clients for years. When the opportunity happened to do a fresh, healthy, affordable-but -chef-driven Mexican concept with them, I took it. The creative part is just so much fun for me.”
But don’t fret, Shaun’s fanatics, Doty will remain the executive chef and owner at his namesake.
“I’ll be in my own kitchen every night,” he assured us. “I know what’s important.”
Interior designer William Peace of Peace Design has been hired, meanwhile, to change the look and feel of the restaurant.
“The Original El Taco will be lively, bright, open and — most of all — fun,” Fifth Group co-owner Robby Kukler said. “We have known Shaun for years, and when we found out he had been thinking about doing Mexican, too, we knew it was a great partnership.”
“I love Mexican food and have wanted to do a restaurant like this for a while,” Doty said. “To have this opportunity to work with the pros at Fifth Group Restaurants is great.”
“We are going to create an easy, approachable destination for great Mexican food,” Kukler added.
Doty will work with a chef de cuisine at El Taco when the restaurant opens, while remaining executive chef at Shaun’s.
The Original El Taco will be located at 1186 N. Highland Ave. N.E. and will be open for dinner nightly.
Jurrjens hits Jezebel
More than a few single ladies were no doubt disappointed Friday night when they learned that Jair Jurrjens was the starting pitcher as the Braves took on the Giants at Turner Field. The 22-year-old native of Curacao is one of the sexy singles saluted in the 2008 Most Eligible Bachelors and Bachelorettes issue of Jezebel magazine. This year’s inductees were feted at a party in their honor Friday night at Tongue & Groove in Buckhead. When he’s not pitching, Jurrjens tells Jez that he hits the PlayStation pretty hard. Oh, and ladies, he routinely calls his parents back home to catch up on family matters.
But don’t expect an express trip to the Shane Co.
Said Jurrjens: “I’m just trying to date right now. I’m 22. I’m not trying to settle down right now. My dad would kill me!”
Prize-winning periwinkle
A Legendary Event owner Tony Conway needed some extra space on his recent flight home from Philadelphia. Conway’s catering company scored two prestigious industry awards presented by the National Association of Catering Executives in Philly. The NACE has about 800 members worldwide, and Conway and company were up against the likes of high-end caterers from New York and Los Angeles. Legendary scored the award for “Best Catered Off-Premise Event of the Year” for the wine-inspired menu created for the High Museum Wine Auction Gala. It also won “Best Table Presentation of the Year,” which was awarded to Legendary creative director Steve Welsh, who dreamed up the winning “Periwinkle Fantasy” table top design. There was one minor hiccup: The NACE unintentionally put Legendary publicist Dawn Brewer’s name on the award since she sent in the paperwork during the nomination process. “Dawn was mortified,” Conway told us Friday. “But it’s been fun to give Steve a hard time about. Plus, the entire team did earn those awards, and Dawn’s a part of that effort. I was so happy that the entire Legendary team got recognized.”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Today: Actor Fess Parker is 84. Sportscaster Frank Gifford is 78. Singer Eydie Gorme is 77. Actress Julie Newmar is 75. Director James Cameron (“Titanic,” “The Terminator”) is 54. Actress Angela Bassett is 50. Singer Madonna is 50. Actor Steve Carell is 45. Country singer Emily Robison of The Dixie Chicks is 36. Actor Shawn Pyfrom (“Desperate Housewives”) is 22.
Sunday: Actress Maureen O’Hara is 88. Actor Robert DeNiro is 65. Actor Sean Penn is 48. Singer Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block is 39.
CELEBRITY DOCKET
Rapper DMX was arrested this week in Miami on a warrant for failing to attend a Phoenix court hearing. Lawyer Charles Kozelka says DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, checked into a Miami hospital the day he was to appear in Phoenix and was planning on entering a rehab facility afterward. Kozelka says the warrant stopped those plans, and that he had been trying to arrange for DMX to turn himself in at the airport. A Phoenix judge issued the warrant for DMX on Tuesday after he didn’t appear for a pretrial conference on four counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of possession of marijuana. The case is one of several Simmons is facing in Phoenix, including several animal cruelty and drug possession counts.
Contributing: News services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Anchor’s new gig back home significant one
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Brand new Action News reporter and anchor Justin Farmer had a doozy of a first assignment this week: covering legendary Braves announcer Skip Caray’s funeral. And while he had to hit the ground running during a live shot outside 103 West in Buckhead, Farmer had his research firmly committed to memory.
The late broadcaster was college roommates with his dad, former WSB anchor Don Farmer, when the pair studied journalism at the University of Missouri. And dad turned out to be Justin’s first on-air interview. The elder Farmer retired from WSB in 1997.
“He said, ‘Is it OK if I interview my father for the
story?’ ” WSB news director Marian Pittman told Buzz laughing. “I said, ‘Sure, since Don is able to provide such unique perspective on Skip for our viewers. Plus, it was just wonderful to see Don back on the airwaves here.”
“What are the odds, right?” Justin said. “It’s been a rough week for my dad and so I approached the interview with some sensitivity. He had just lost a good friend. But I also think it was kind of special for Dad to see me back in Atlanta and working at a station he loved.”
Pittman has tracked Justin Farmer’s on-air work for years and signed him last December while he was still working out a contract in Dallas.
“Justin is a Georgia native and knows the area and the people here well,” explains Pittman. “Whenever you can hire a reporter with that kind of intelligence and who knows Georgia’s history as well as he does, it does a lot to enhance WSB’s legacy.”
“In this business, you tend to bounce around a lot,” Justin says. “It’s very satisfying to be back home. I’ve even been getting e-mails this week from my old seventh-grade classmates in Alpharetta.”
Plus, the Atlanta Falcons have a returning fan at the Georgia Dome this season. Farmer graduated from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan’s alma mater, Boston College.
Said Farmer: “You can be sure I’ll be out there watching as Matt experiences his first bruises and bumps here in Atlanta this season.”
Texting tutorial
East Cobb County grandmother Betty Smith was among the first in line at Thursday’s “Cell Phones For Seniors” session at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta. She turned up to learn how to text message her 12-year-old grandson Tommy Woodyard of Cumming. “It’s really the most effective way to communicate with him,” Smith, 74, told us. “I wanted to increase my confidence.” Smith and her husband, Joe, were among 50 seniors who attended the free tutoring sessions set up by AT&T, OASIS and the Atlanta Regional Commission/Area Agency on Aging.
“Most people wanted to increase their comfort level,” AT&T trainer Cedric Washington explained. “A lot of folks wanted to know how to retrieve a text message, how to send one and how to set up their speed dials.” Washington said Smith caught on right away.
Said Cedric: “Miss Betty could end up in the national texting championship if she keeps this up.” Smith also selected a new ring tone during the session. “I don’t know the name of it, but it’s pretty,” she said. “But I have to keep it on the loud setting these days if I’m being honest with you.”
Bid on Sir Elton’s jacket, Vegas show
The auction is more than 72 hours away, but bids already are coming in from as far away as Arkansas and New York. A certain Peachtree Road resident once again is flinging open his closet door to benefit this year’s Fashion Cares fund-raiser for the city’s breast cancer and AIDS charities set for Aug. 25. Sir Elton John has donated a hound’s tooth jacket from his wardrobe to be auctioned off live on the air Monday on the Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke morning show on B98.5 FM. Helping the duo to start the bidding? This year’s Fashion Cares’ celeb designer attendee Isaac Mizrahi. As usual, Sir Elton is feeling generous: In addition to the jacket, the Elton John AIDS Foundation is throwing in a pair of tickets to his “Red Piano” concert in Las Vegas, first-class Delta airfare and a two-night stay at Caesar’s Palace.
The bidding starts at 8 a.m.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Rose-Marie (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”) is 85. Actress Pat Priest (“The Munsters”) is 72. Author-journalist Linda Ellerbee is 64. Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 62. Actress Debi Mazar (“Entourage”) is 44. Actress Debra Messing (“Will and Grace”) is 40. Actor Anthony Anderson (“Barbershop”) is 38. Actor Ben Affleck is 36. Singer Joe Jonas (below) of The Jonas Brothers is 19.
HARRY’S ON HOLD
Hold onto your wizard’s hat. The next Harry Potter movie just got bumped to 2009.
Warner Bros. officially has moved “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” from Nov. 11, 2008, to July 17, 2009.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio is blaming the move in part on the writers’ strike, which created a limited number of big releases, especially for summer 2009.
Contributing: Bob Longino and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Ty chooses Oprah over Decatur fest
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Oh, Tygert Burton Pennington, how could you? That’s the reaction at the Decatur Book Festival when news broke that one of their big draws, Ty Pennington — host of TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and hammer-swinger-made-good — is going back on his agreement to appear at the festival.
Pennington’s people have informed festival organizers via e-mail that Pennington has made another commitment for the same weekend — Aug. 29-31 — and is pulling out of the book bash. That other commitment is Oprah Winfrey, who wants Pennington to tape a segment for her TV show.
So just like that, Pennington dropped the Decatur Book Fest like a high school boy who scored a hotter prom date at the last moment. And this from an Atlanta native and Sprayberry High School grad in Cobb County, no less.
The last-minute snub is an unwelcome surprise for the festival, as organizers already had printed thousands of posters and programs with Pennington’s name on them. He had committed to promote his upcoming book “Good Design Can Change Your Life.”
“This is obviously very disappointing for us and for his fans here in Atlanta,” Daren Wang, the festival’s executive director wrote in an e-mail. “The publisher understands the hardship this places on a young festival, even one as successful as ours. We are working with them to bring somebody even bigger and better.”
Alexis Welby, Pennington’s publicist at Simon & Schuster told us in an e-mail: “Due to a change in a TV project Ty is involved in, he regrettably had to cancel his appearance at the Decatur Book Festival. But he hopes to be able to reschedule sometime in the future.”
‘Tropic’-al storm
On Wednesday afternoon, Betty Hasan-Amin arrived first at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema on a MARTA mobility bus for the disabled that she had reserved 24 hours in advance and ridden from her Stone Mountain home.
Hasan-Amin, 42, who has been disabled since a spinal cord injury when she was 17 and uses a wheelchair, immediately began speaking out against language used in the new Ben Stiller war comedy “Tropic Thunder.” The film contains frequent use of the word “retard” to describe Stiller’s character who made a movie called “Simple Jack.”
“It creates barriers,” Hasan-Amin says of the use of what she and others refer to as the R-word. Hasan-Amin was one of at least four protesters who showed up at the first of nine statewide protests planned for Wednesday in connection to the film. Other metro Atlanta protests were set at the Perimeter Pointe in Dunwoody, the North Point Market in Alpharetta and the Southlake Pavilion in Morrow.
Advocates for people with disabilities from the Arc of Georgia, disABILITY Link and the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities were involved. Kate Gainer, 59, who organized the Midtown protest, said by phone. “When you use the word ‘retard,’ that is hate language.”
Late Wednesday afternoon, DreamWorks Studios issued a statement through spokesperson Chip Sullivan, saying “Tropic Thunder” satirizes Hollywood and its excesses, and is in no way meant to disparage individuals with disabilities.
“We have had productive discussions with representatives of disability advocacy organizations and look forward to working with them closely in the future,” Sullivan said. “However, no changes or cuts to the film will be made.”
Carter under fire
Occasionally, we’ll begin to suspect that some ajc.com bloggers are, well, less than kind. But the New York magazine bloggers commenting on “Who’s Afraid of Jimmy Carter?” — reporter Amy Wilentz’s recent reported-in-Atlanta profile of the former president — are lobbing verbal Molotov cocktails online this week.
Says blogger Robmac: “Jimmy Carter is what you get when you tie colossal ego to unfettered sanctimony.”
Too kind you say? Get a load of what blogger Quercus has to say: “Carter was a dismal president, the greatest failure in the job in my lifetime until W came along. But he has set a sort of standard for the behavior of ex-presidents, devoting what prestige he has retained to causes he believes in, public opinion be damned.”
Helping to create a balance of opinions was this posting by Rubyduby, however: “Jimmy Carter is far too much of a gentleman to say ‘I told you so’ but you can’t escape the truth. If the policies his administration put in place had been allowed to continue, the U.S. would be energy independent today … It takes a true leader to always do what is right, not necessarily what is popular and that is exactly what Jimmy Carter did.”
Celebrity birthdays
Singer David Crosby is 67. Actor-comedian Steve Martin is 63. Romance novelist Danielle Steel is 61. Cartoonist Gary Larson (“The Far Side”) is 58. Film composer James Horner (“Titanic”) is 55. Singer Sarah Brightman is 48. Actress Susan Olsen (“The Brady Bunch”) is 47. Actress Halle Berry is 42. Actor Christopher Gorham (“Ugly Betty”) is 34. Actress Mila Kunis (“That ’70s Show”) is 25.
OVERSCENE
Congressman John Lewis, former Atlanta Mayors Sam Massell and Andy Young, Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts, Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin exte