Archive: Page 7
Conservative, Musician Buckley Dead At 82
MEMPHIS - The architect of American Conservatism William F. Buckley Jr.'s body was discovered early Wednesday evening in the Mississipi River, where he had disappeared while swimming with his son Christopher days before. Tourists on the American Queen riverboat spotted the 82-year-old Buckley's body in the water at about 4:40 p.m. and notified the crew, which retrieved it. Buckley was positively identified by his son. Police said there were no signs of foul play. Buckley, who had recently taken up singing and playing guitar, had been in Memphis since early February working on an album of original songs inspired by his novel "The Rake". He had just finished having dinner with Christopher Buckley last Thursday and the two were on their way to a rehearsal studio at about 9 p.m. when they stopped at the marina. Christopher reported that a fully clothed Buckley suddenly decided to "go swimming," something he'd done there previously. The elder Buckley vanished under the waves created by passing boats and did not emerge.
Maxim Rescinds Prior Apology for Black Crowes Review
NEW YORK - After issuing an apology for publishing a negative review of the Black Crowes' new album by a writer who hadn't listened to the whole CD, Maxim magazine has since rescinded it's apology now having heard the album in its entirety. In a follow-up statement to the one issued Tuesday, editorial director James Kaminsky announced: "After hearing the entire Warpaint album, it is Maxim's opinion that yesterday's apology was issued prematurely, and it seems our original rating of two-and-a-half stars was being generous." Kaminsky went on to describe the new CD as "a steaming pile of excrement" and described the band as a "bunch of washed-up has-been's from yester-year who have completely lost touch with rock & roll."
Aretha Franklin Irked By Beyonce Comments, Size Of Appetizer Trays
DETROIT - On music's most celebrated night of the year, Aretha Franklin felt she didn't receive the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she deserves. Speaking through her publicist, Ms. Franklin expressed her dissatisfaction with pop diva Beyonc��Queen" reference when introducing Tina Turner at this year's Grammy Awards, and also took umbrage with the size of the appetizer trays backstage. "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonc?sp; However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy," Franklin fumed. She went on to add "And I don't know who was responsible for those little appetizer trays, but they were way too damn small and there weren't nearly enough of them. The Queen of Soul shouldn't have to seek out a Hometown Buffet following the show."
Tom Petty Named Super Bowl MVP
GLENDALE - A sheepish-looking Tom Petty, flanked by Fox Analyst Terry Bradshaw and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, begrudgingly accepted the Super Bowl MVP award for his inspired performance at halftime of the New York Giants 17-14 victory over the heavily-favored New England Patriots on Sunday. The first non-participant to receive the award, Petty mumbled a brief statement acknowledging the hard work of his Heartbreaker bandmates and congratulated the New York Giants on a "truly remarkable effort." Several Giants players credited Petty's "powerful" set, which included the motivational anthems "Runnin' Down A Dream" and "I Won't Back Down" as being the turning point of the game. "Just hearing that cat sing about not giving up and overcoming adversity made us realize we actually had a shot," linebacker Antonio Pierce said reflecting on his team's comeback from a 7-3 deficit at halftime. Quarterback Eli Manning praised Petty's composure in delivering what amounted to an error-free set of songs from the Full Moon Fever album. "He's got nerves of steel, that guy. To face a crowd that size on one of the biggest stages in the world of professional sports, it had to be intimidating as hell." Giants coach Tom Coughlin, waving a freshly-signed copy of Petty's Damn The Torpedos album triumphantly in the air, lauded the Heartbreakers' discipline and ability to focus in crucial moments of the concert. "He played with the heart of a champion, no question. I think the true measure of a competitor is the ability to make those around you better and Tom certainly demonstrated that tonight." Patriots head coach Bill Belichick expressed his support for Petty's selection as MVP in his postgame comments to reporters. Commenting on the monumental upset, the typically stoic Belichick dryly remarked "Even the losers get lucky sometime."
George Clinton Charged In Midday Funkjacking
LOS ANGELES - Popular funk artist George Clinton was arraigned Friday morning on charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery for his involvement last month in a Redondo Beach funkjacking. The charges stem from a January 25th incident where the eccentic-looking singer is alleged to have robbed a Sam Goody retailer of nearly $5000 dollars worth of funk in a daring daytime heist. According to witnesses, Clinton - flanked by two men later identified as bassist Bootsie Collins and keyboardist Bernie Worrell - entered the Sam Goody store on Hawthorne Boulevard at approximately 11:15 A.M. brandishing a laser pistol and ordering cashier James Evans to "give up the funk." Evans summoned a manager who obliged the dreadlocked singer by filling a large sack with assorted funk merchandise and paraphernalia as the imposing trio chanted "We want the funk. Give up the funk." Clinton and his accomplices fled the scene in an enormous, brightly colored spacecraft Police identified as the P-Funk Mothership which lifted off from a makeshift launchpad on the roof of a nearby parking garage. They were nabbed a few hours later by intergalactic security forces. Clinton's lawyer denied all charges and assured that his client will be absolved of any wrongdoing.
Lou Christie Sues Discovery Channel Over Title Of Conjoined Twins Show
NEW YORK - 60's crooner Lou Christie has filed an official lawsuit against Discovery Communications, official distributor for cable TV's "The Discovery Channel", after the company used one of his songs without permission as the title for a show on conjoined twins. Entitled "Two Faces Have I", the show borrows its name from Christie's 1963 hit, which reached #6 on the Billboard charts. Besides the obvious copywright infringement, Christie objects to his songs being used as a form of advertisement. In offical court documents, the singer stated "I refuse to allow my music to turn into a corporate tagline, especially in instances like this with such questionable taste." Representatives from Discovery Communications maintain the company's innocence, and cite the lack of any legal penalty following 2002's "Lightnin' Strikes", a documentary chronicling people who became horribly disfigured after being hit by lightning.
Simulated Rock Band Dissolves After Gaming Dispute
PORTLAND - Local teen Steven Fayheim announced Friday that he and his four gaming buddies have parted ways after nearly four turbulent weeks as "The Grenades", a performing ensemble in the popular video game "Rock Band." Fayheim made the announcement from his front porch to a small gathering of neighborhood children and an elderly jogger who stopped briefly to eavesdrop on the proceedings. According to bass guitarist and sometime-vocalist Fayheim, the dispute arose over his insistence on playing more "edgy" numbers from alternative artists like Coheed and Cambria and Fallout Boy rather than sticking to the classics of established veterans Kiss or Rush. His fellow gamers also bristled at his suggestion that they modify their individual character's appearances to look more "hardcore." When reached for comment, Grenades drummer and Target cashier Chris Kennedy asserted that tensions arose because certain players were "dragging the band down" by repeatedly failing out of performances and preventing the group from progressing to larger venues. "I'm sick of playing the f**king clubs," Kennedy groused. "I just didn't feel like some of us were dedicated enough to make the leap to arena tours." Fayheim for his part calls Kennedy a "showboat" who was more interested in playing up to the crowd than concentrating on the quality of the music. As for future plans, the bassist says he and lead guitarist Chad Baumer are forming another band, Mucus Plug, with a drummer and vocalist they met online.
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