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Solyndra: New Scandal? Mike Tyson’s Bankruptcy Enemies Team Up Together Again

Roger Friedman
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1
Solyndra: New Scandal? Mike Tyson’s Bankruptcy Enemies Team Up Together Again

Is this a conflict of interest? Solyndra, the solar panel company in the middle of a huge national scandal involving the Obama administration, ousted their CEO today according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and other sources. Now the company has asked that Hollywood’s persistent and controversial bankruptcy trustee, R. Todd Neilson, take over the restructuring of the company.

Only one thing: Neilson and Richard Pachulski, a Los Angeles-Century City bankruptcy attorney who’s earned substantial fees already on Solyndra, are regular teammates in high profile cases. They are also linked by the controversial Private Bank of California. Neilson is the chairman of the board. Richard Pachulski is a director. Among the many cases they’ve worked on together and earned millions from is superstar boxer Mike Tyson’s bankruptcy case.

Pachulski’s law firm, Pachulski, Stang Ziehl and Jones, as been earning big fees from the Solyndra matter for some time according to AM Law Journal. They reported: “…bankruptcy boutique Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones is advising Solyndra on its Chapter 11 proceedings through name partner [Richard] Pachulski ($950), partners Debra Grassgreen ($795), Bruce Grohsgal ($705), and Joshua Fried ($650), and of counsel Shirley Cho ($650). Court records show that Solyndra paid $400,000 to Pachulski Stang in the year prior to its bankruptcy filing.” The numbers in parentheses are what the lawyers earn per hour.

That’s not all: at least one other director of the Private Bank of California, A. Stuart Rubin, is Pachulski’s partner in a separate real estate company.

Neilson’s involvement in the Private Bank of California as well as numerous celebrity bankruptcies, has been questionable for some time. His own firm, LECG, went belly up in its own financial scandal this year. Neilson decamped to a company started by a former LECG partner, giving itself the proper sounding name of Berkeley Research Group.

Meanwhile, other members of the board of the Private Bank of California include two partners from the same big deal Hollywood law firm: Gary Stiffelman and Melanie Cook.

And we wonder why #occupywallstreet is growing.

Elvis Costello, Pete Townsend, Cat Stevens Up for Songwriters Hall of Fame

Roger Friedman
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7
Elvis Costello, Pete Townsend, Cat Stevens Up for Songwriters Hall of Fame

Here are the nominees for induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. It’s a great list. But choices will be made by the voters. My choices include Elvis Costello, Cat Stevens and Don Covay, among others.

Non-Performer Songwriters

Don Covay – * Sookie, Sookie * Mercy, Mercy * Tonight’s The Night * Chain Of Fools

* Seesaw

Jerry Fuller -* Travelin’ Man * Young World * Young Girl * Lady Willpower * Show And Tell

Graham Gouldman – * Bus Stop * I’m Not In Love * For Your Love * The Things We Do For Love * No Milk Today

Tony Hatch – * Downtown * Don’t Sleep In The Subway * I Know A Place * My Love

* Sign Of The Times

Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell – * A Lover’s Concerto * Workin’ My Way Back To You * Let ‘s Hang On To What We’ve Got * Native New Yorker * Opus 17 (Don’t Worry ’bout Me)

Tony Macaulay – * Baby Now That I’ve Found You * Build Me Up Buttercup * Don’t Give Up On Us * Last Night I Couldn’t Get To Sleep At All * Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

Chips Moman – * Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song * At The Dark End Of The Street * Do Right Woman, Do Right Man * Lukenbach, Texas * Wurlitzer Prize

Artie Resnick/Kenny Young – * Under The Boardwalk * I’ve Got Sand In My Shoes * One Kiss For Old Time’s Sake * Good Lovin’ * Just A Little Bit Better

Don Schlitz – * The Gambler * Forever And Ever, Amen * When You Say Nothing At All

* He Thinks He’ll keep Her * On The Other Hand

P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri – * Secret Agent Man * Eve Of Destruction * Where Were You When I Needed You * You Baby (Nobody but You) * Can I Get to Know You Better

Jim Steinman – * I’d Do Anything For Love But I Won’t Do That * Making Love Out Of Nothing At All * Paradise By The Dashboard Light * Total Eclipse Of The Heart * Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad

Paul Vance/Lee Pockriss – * Catch A Falling Star * Dommage Dommage * Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini * Playground In My Mind * She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning)

Performer/Songwriters

Elvis Costello – * Accidents Will Happen * Alison * Veronica * Pump It Up * Watching The Detectives

Dion DiMucci – * Born To Cry * Donna The Prima Donna * King Of The New York Streets

* Love Came To Me * Runaround Sue

Deborah Harry/Chris Stein (Blondie) – *Dreaming * Heart Of Glass * In The Flesh

* Rapture * One Way Or Another

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) – * Moonshadow * Morning Has Broken * Peace Train

* The First Cut Is The Deepest * Wild World

Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart – * Here Comes The Rain Again, * Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) * Would I Lie To You * Missionary Man * Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves

Gordon Lightfoot – * Carefree Highway * Early Morning Rain * If You Could Read My Mind * Sundown * Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald

George Michael – * Careless Whisper * Faith * Father Figure * I Want Your Sex * Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Steve Miller -* Abracadabra * Fly Like An Eagle * Living In The USA * Take The Money And Run * The Joker

Lou Reed – * Dirty Boulevard * Heroin * Rock & Roll * Sweet Jane * Walk On The Wild Side

Bob Seger – * Like A Rock * Night Moves * Rock & Roll Never Forgets * Still The Same

* We’ve Got Tonight

Pete Townshend – * I Can See For Miles * Magic Bus * My Generation * See Me, Touch Me, Feel Me * Won’t Get Fooled Again

Tom Waits -* Ol’ 55 * Jersey Girl * (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night * Innocent When You Dream * Downtown Train

Russell Simmons Offers to Pay for Occupy Wall Street Cleanup, Says He’ll Go to Jail

Roger Friedman
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1
Russell Simmons Offers to Pay for Occupy Wall Street Cleanup, Says He’ll Go to Jail

Russell Simmons, music entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social activist, puts his money where his mouth is. He’s offered to clean up Zuccotti Park himself rather than see he #Occupywallstreet people get thrown out. Simmons is serious. On Twitter, as #UncleRush, Simmons says he will go to jail if he has to. He’ll be in the park at 7am. Frankly, the clean up of Zuccotti Park sounds like Mayor Bloomberg’s worst idea since concrete turning lanes and the paving over of Times Square. Third terms are really a bad idea, really. And this one is spiraling out of control.

Russell Simmons

@UncleRUSH

Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
#SuperRich. Chap 3 RT @DjjoelSMuzyk: #Peace, in search of meditation Books. Any recommendation RUSSELL?
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
@michaelskolnik: “Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.” ~Gandhi #OccupyWallStreet #fb
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Arjuna told krishna that he dnt wanna fight krishna told him do his dharma “get your bitch ass on front … http://m.tmi.me/h7anE
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Dear mike I have long supported u and u have been good mayor, don’t take me to jail tomorrow I’m not 22 I don’t wanna go :-) but I will
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Clean up is fine, if u clean section a and don’t allow the sleeping bags and set up back to section a ur gonna take us all to jail
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
.. @ #occupywallstreet now. Kids preparing to go to jail. Ill be back to hang w/ them tomorrow
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Meet me at Zuccotti Park tmw at 7AM. There is NO way the brave, patriotic yng ppl are being kicked out. http://bit.ly/oPxWkO #OWS
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
I have been there 15 times. And I will be there tomorrow #occupywallstreet 7am
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
love that Jay-Z and Kelly hung out >> http://bit.ly/rkccvj
Michael Skolnik
michaelskolnikMichael Skolnik

by UncleRUSH
“Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.” ~Gandhi #OccupyWallStreet
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Dear @MikeBloomberg — I will pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation. I don’t wanna go to jail but I will be there ready!
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor, my advice? dont make this to get violent. #occupywallstreet
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor, my advice? dont make this to get violent.
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor, my advice dont allow this to get violent.
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor but he shouldn’t allow this to get violent.
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Damn looks like they are gonna start a war out of this non violent movement. This could set off lots of chaos.
Global Grind
GlobalGrindGlobal Grind

by UncleRUSH
NEW MUSIC! @Drake ft. @NickiMinaj “Make Me Proud” >> http://bit.ly/r3ZYbM
Michael Skolnik
michaelskolnikMichael Skolnik

by UncleRUSH
Working on plan with @UncleRUSH to pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation tmw at #OccupyWallStreet
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Dear @MikeBloomberg — I will pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation. http://bit.ly/oPxWkO PLS RT #OWS
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
RT @roadie4life: “@UncleRUSH: “Do not fight the darkness. Let the light in and the darkness will disappear” – Maharishi”

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Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett Return to Broadway After 20 Years (or More) Away

Roger Friedman
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0
Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett Return to Broadway After 20 Years (or More) Away

What a night on Broadway: “The Mountaintop” opened, with incendiary performances from Samuel L. Jackson respectively as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Angela Bassett as a maid (or it seems) in Memphis’s Lorraine Motel on the eve of Dr. King’s assassination. It’s been 20 years since Jackson was on Broadway (“The Piano Lesson”), 23 for Bassett (“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”).

The audience was filled with big names, more than I’ve seen turn out at once for a Broadway play opening.

Everyone from Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz (and Alicia’s great mom, Terria Joseph) to sports giants like Magic Johnson and Julius Erving to Harry Belafonte to Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee (who gets a shout out in the play), Anthony Mackie, Liz Smith, Iris Love, sisters Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, Ahmad Rashad (ex of Phylicia), Mary Alice, Sam Rockwell, Star Jones, Gayle King, Dick Cavett, producer Marty Bregman and bw Cornelia, Jimmy and Margo Nederlander, the Shuberts’ Phil Smith, producer Judy Gordon, writer Joan Juliet Buck, actor Billy Magnussen, and the stars’ spouses–LaTanya Richardson and Courtney B. Vance.

Lead producer Jean Doumanian should be proud bringing “The Mountaintop” to Broadway–it’s a terrific new play by a young black playwright named Katori Hall. Broadway is desperate for new blood; this is it. And Hall’s play, while not perfect, is certainly strong with a great plot twist and a knock out ending directed by Kenny Leon.

Bassett’s character is totally invented from fiction, and so she has greater latitude something original and wild. She is amazing, and must be seen. Jackson has the harder task–he’s playing one of the great icons of history, politics, and culture. Long a film favorite, Jackson pulls off his first stage work in years aplomb. He also has MLK’s hairline. “Look,” he showed me at the after party, “It’s a wig. I am bald under here.” He lifted his signature Kangol cap. Might he have played MLK with a Kangol? “I thought about it,” he said with a laugh.

Damien Echols to Publish Memoir, May Be A Hobbit

Roger Friedman
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7
Damien Echols to Publish Memoir, May Be A Hobbit

Well, I should have written this two days ago when I knew it. But no one at Penguin called me back. Anyway, they’ve signed Damien Echols of the “West Memphis Three” to write a memoir which will be published in September 2012. Echols told me about it at the premiere of “Paradise Lost 3” the other night but the Penguin people kept the story on ice. Oh well. Echols and his wife Laurie Davis are now in New Zealand, as I reported before, with director Peter Jackson. There’s talk that Jackson is giving Echols a small role in “The Hobbit” while the couple is there. Why not? After 17 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, Echols can have anything he wants. Echols has self published another book you can find on amazon.com from a few years ago. Comedian actress Margaret Cho was responsible for that one. Echols is not the only member of the West Memphis Three. There’s a fund to help the other guys, and they need it.  You can find it at http://www.wm3.org/

Sol Kerzner, Celebrity Hotel and Casino Titan, Struggling to Keep Control

Roger Friedman
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2
Sol Kerzner, Celebrity Hotel and Casino Titan, Struggling to Keep Control

There’s a lot of trouble in the world of high flying international hotelier and casino owner Sol Kerzner, head of Kerzner International Resorts. The 76 year old South African zillionaire owns the Atlantis resorts in the Bahamas and Dubai, as well as the celebrity populated One and Only Resorts in Dubai, Mexico, and Cape Town.  And Kerzner himself may now be in a lot of trouble on several fronts. There’s talk that he may lose his seat on the company’s board within the next 90 days. At the same time, Kerzner is in the middle of what’s come a terrible divorce from his fourth wife. And he’s still mourning the loss of his son and heir apparent.

The saga of Heather and Sol has played out in the British newspapers but has so far remained off limits here. The divorce, sources say, has taken a toll on Kerzner, who’s always been a hard partying guy with no aversion to alcohol. Kerzner had been married to the former Heather Murphy for ten years and from all reports it was a love match. Heather, now 41, was devoted to Kerzner by all accounts. But word from inside the Kerzner empire is that the story is shaping up like a version of “King Lear,” with daughter Andrea, 48, reportedly telling her father that if he didn’t divorce Heather he would never see his grandchildren again. That’s the same Andrea Kerzner who purchased a $18 million Manhattan condo on Central Park West in 2008, according to The New York Observer.

Last year Kerzner put on a quite show for his 75th birthday, inviting friends from around the world to fly to Rome and sail around the Mediterranean  with him on his massive yacht. It was on the yacht, friends say, that Kerzner’s adult children forced a stand down with their father over Heather, who has two children from a previous marriage. The result was a massive, screaming, door slamming fight that guests like Quincy Jones, Naomi Campbell and Denise Rich are still talking about. When it was over, Heather was out. Now Kerzner– whose properties benefited in the last ten years from incredible publicity thanks to gala celebrity events and inclusion in movies and other media–could lose control of not just his personal life but his business, too.

It’s the business that’s proven to be more in peril than the marriage. Four years ago, Kerzner’s son, Butch, was killed in a helicopter crash in the Dominican Republic. Butch’s death, friends say, has thrown the father into a tailspin. Kerzner’s company is now said to be in disarray, with many talented executives, including the company’s head of corporate communications, leaving or being fired in the last couple of years. Meantime the company is struggling under $2.6 billion worth of debt that’s currently being restructured.

An expected fight among board members should be bloody, sources say. Kerzner and his two daughters occupy three seats. But the other directors–Ron Baron of Baron Capital, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, and Tom Barrack of Colony Capital (yes, the same company that owns Neverland)– apparently feel it’s time for a change. Kerzner would lose his board seat and status but remain in some emeritus capacity.

Stay tuned…

“Gotti” Actor Ben Foster Waffles As Money Woes Stall Film

Roger Friedman
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0
“Gotti” Actor Ben Foster Waffles As Money Woes Stall Film

The “Gotti” movie: I’ve told you exclusively for weeks that the movie is in financial trouble. Today, Deadline Hollywood tried to steal our thunder by literally just picking up what we’ve been reporting–haha, since they complain all the time about being stolen from. Anyway, I can tell you that the actor signed to play John Gotti, Jr., Ben Foster, has been asking around for other work since “Gotti” doesn’t seem to be happening. Foster was brought in by director Barry Levinson, who introduced the talented young actor a decade ago in “Liberty Heights.” If Foster leaves, expect the rest of the cast to start exiting too since the money simply is not there. What Deadline has totally overlooked is that the producer, Marco Fiore, and executive producer, Salvatore Carpanzano, have no history in the film business. They do, however, have history with the law. Fiore is a former convicted felon. Carpanzano has a colorful past with courtrooms. Irish born construction magnate Fay Devlin has been Fiore’s main source of income. He was introduced in May at the Cannes Film Festival where I ran into him, Levinson, and Fiore having dinner at the seaport. Devlin runs a company called Eurotech and has been a prime supporter of Irish peace, backing Gerry Adams and the Sinn Fein movement. But it seems to be Fiore’s inability to attract any large investors other than Devlin that’s shutting him down.

Murdoch Empire Suffers a New Scandal: WSJ Europe Publisher Resigns

Roger Friedman
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0
Murdoch Empire Suffers a New Scandal: WSJ Europe Publisher Resigns

The Rupert Murdoch empire suffered a new scandal today. The Guardian reports that Andrew Langhoff, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal Europe, has had to resign. The reason stems from a scheme–all committed to paper–to falsely boot circulation numbers. This is on top of the phone hacking scandal that claimed an entire newspaper, News of the World, and 17 people who’ve been arrested. News Corp stockholders were already calling for the ouster of James Murdoch. This new disaster won’t help his cause, that’s for sure. Read the Guardian story here. It’s sort of amazing. And you know, it’s not over for News Corp. It’s like a death by paper cuts. Literally.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/12/wall-street-journal-andrew-langhoff

Lizzie Olsen Could Be on Oscar List for Indie Film

Roger Friedman
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1
Lizzie Olsen Could Be on Oscar List for Indie Film

If Jennifer Lawrence‘s Oscar nomination last season for “Winter’s Bone” is any indication, Lizzie Olsen is headed for one this year. Olsen, the younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, debuted last night at long last in “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” The title is a mouthful, but this dark indie drama by Sean Durkin is a winner even more so than I remembered it from Sundance. Olsen is a revelation, quite captivating the audience with her natural acting style. This time around, too, the performances of Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy, and John Hawkes were more evident, too. The whole film is a gem. Kudos too to lesser role holders Alan McCullough, Brady Corbett and Maria Dizzia. At the premiere, director Durkin, who grew up in New York, recalled getting shooed off the steps of Lincoln Center for skating around illegally. Now he has a feature in the New York Film Festival–and made for less than a million dollars. At the after party at the Empire Hotel rooftop, the Olsen twins huddled with their sister, who could be their triplet. Elizabeth aka Lizzie is the breakthrough actress of the year. What’s she doing next? “Finishing NYU,” the level headed 22 year old told me. She also co-stars with no less than Jane Fonda in the upcoming, “Peace, Love and Misunderstanding.”

Adele, Lady Gaga Head Up American Music Awards Nominees

Roger Friedman
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0
Adele, Lady Gaga Head Up American Music Awards Nominees

The amusing and meaningless American Music Awards have announced their nominees. Lady Gaga and Adele take up most of it, and they’ve thrown Justin Bieber in for good measure. Here’s the list. Again, this is just a fun night. It has nothing to do with anything. The Grammy Awards are in February.Maybe Foster the People will win Best New Artist. As you know, the winners are well informed prior to the show. My guess is they’ll give Gaga all of it. She’ll show up, get good ratings, and make for a fun night. Adele will get Adult artist or something.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2011 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

POP or ROCK MUSIC

Favorite Male Artist
Justin Bieber

Bruno Mars

Pitbull

Favorite Female Artist
Adele

Lady Gaga

Katy Perry

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
LMFAO

Maroon 5

OneRepublic

Favorite Album
Adele/21

Lady Gaga/Born This Way

Rihanna/Loud

COUNTRY MUSIC

Favorite Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

Favorite Female Artist
Sara Evans

Miranda Lambert

Taylor Swift

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

Lady Antebellum

Favorite Album

Jason Aldean/My Kinda Party

The Band Perry/The Band Perry

Taylor Swift/Speak Now

RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC

Favorite Artist
Lil Wayne

Nicki Minaj

Kanye West

Favorite Album
Jay-Z & Kanye West/Watch The Throne

Lil Wayne/Tha Carter IV

Nicki Minaj/Pink Friday

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC

Favorite Male Artist
Chris Brown

Trey Songz

Usher

Favorite Female Artist
Beyonce

Rihanna

Kelly Rowland

Favorite Album
Beyonce/4

Chris Brown/F.A.M.E.

Rihanna/Loud

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC

Favorite Artist
The Black Keys

Foo Fighters

Mumford & Sons

ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

Favorite Artist
Adele

Bruno Mars

Katy Perry

LATIN MUSIC

Favorite Artist

Enrique Iglesias

Jennifer Lopez

Pitbull

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

Favorite Artist
Casting Crowns

Tobymac

Third Day

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Adele

Lady Gaga

Lil Wayne

Katy Perry

Taylor Swift

Sprint New Artist Of The Year

POP/ROCK

Foster The People

Hot Chelle Rae

COUNTRY

The Band Perry

Thompson Square

SOUL/R&B

Marsha Ambrosius

Miguel

RAP/HIP-HOP

LMFAO

Wiz Khalifa

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