Support independent journalism, free from the trades and other publications that are part of the tinsel town machine.
For 12 years, Showbiz411.com has been covering Hollywood, Broadway, the music business and the business of celebrity. Ads are our main source of funding, but contributions (not tax exempt) from readers who enjoy the scoops, exclusives, and fact based reports are always welcome and very appreciated. To inquire about ads, email us at showbiz411@gmail.com.
Keith Richards says on social media today “new music is coming.” But is it a solo record? Or something from the Rolling Stones? He also says he hopes to see us soon– a tour?
Well, the Stones haven’t had an album of new music in eons. They did have a number 1 single called “Living in a Ghost Town” during the pandemic. It would be swell to have an album built around that song.
A new album would also maybe the first without Charlie Watts on drums– or perhaps they have some tracks with him. Either way, fans are up for whatever Keith has in mind!
OK, Oscar ballots are out, voting begins and now we have the Producers Guild nominees.
They are:
Avatar, Banshees of Inisherin, Black Panther Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Glass Onion, Tar, Top Gun Maverick, and The Whale.
Those 10 could be the Oscars Best Picture nominees as well. It’s likely since they line up overlap with the Directors Guild, too. (Writers Guild doesn’t count because not every film is a signatory.)
So now what? Interesting that both Avatar and Wakanda made it in because they’re sequels to recent films. Maverick is like a new film, really, it’s so much better than the original and Jerry Bruckheimer deserves the nod. How they did that flying remains a miracle.
The winner of this award doesn’t automatically win the Oscar. This is about pulling off a great achievement.
Absent from this list are Woman King, Babylon, She Said, RRR, and Till. Till! This poor movie has really suffered at the hands of MGM. It should be there instead of a few others. What a shame.
As for Oscar ballots, the voting is competitive for the nominees. Best Actress is the hot category, where Michelle Williams is my first choice from “The Fabelmans.” She’s been nominated four times, she’s the only one of the pack without an Oscar, and her performance is sublime.
John Fogerty is finally reunited with his song catalog after 50 years.
Amazing. Irving Azoff and a small group of investors rallied to do what John has wanted since the 1970s. Now instead of selling his catalog — which everyone else is doing — Fogerty has his rights back to his Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with good partners.
Fogerty’s catalog was lost to him five decades ago when Saul Zaentz bought Fantasy Records, CCR’s label. Zaentz controlled the rights and wanted Fogerty to pay for use of the music. So John famously stopped playing his own songs. When he finally resurfaced with the hits “The Old Man Down the Road” and “Centerfield,” Zaentz actually sued him, saying Fogerty was just repurposing old songs. Fogerty won that suit, but still didn’t regain his rights to the old songs.
Zaentz, now dead quite a while, had a lot of nerve. He made Fogerty miserable and denied fans access to the CCR hits.
Fantasy was sold to Concord Records in 1994, which was eventually owned by Norman Lear. Now it seems that Concord has obliged Fogerty, Azoff and their group, sold the rights back to them and will be putting out CCR Records on the label with them. This is an incredible catalog of hits including “Proud Mary,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Traveling Man,” “Fortunate Son,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” and dozens more.
Fogerty says on Twitter, “As of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility. After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used. Up until this year, that is something I have never been able to do.”
He adds: “I am looking forward to touring and celebrating this year! I want to thank @ConcordRecords for helping to make all of this happen. And, I am excited for new ideas and a renewed interest in my music … like a revival.”
I’m not surprised Azoff got involved in this rescue. He knows the value of songs, and artists’ rights. What Zaentz did to Fogerty was criminal and painful. So this is a happy ending, the good guys have won.
PS Fogerty released this song and video several years ago, called “Zantz Kant Dantz,” in response to this lifelong feud. It was very clever.
Every year on the Friday before the Oscars comes the luncheon for the ICG Publicists Awards. This is the 60th anniversary and it’s a big deal. The Publicists Award is for the best campaign of the season, the movie you knew about well before it opened and actually went to or saw as a result.
This year the nominees for the award, named for Maxwell Weinberg, are for Avatar, Elvis, Glass Onion, Nope, Top Gun Maverick, and The Woman King.
It would be hard to choose a winner among those titles, the first four especially.
The award, along with others, will be presented at a lunch at the Beverly Hilton on March 10th.
The announcement was made by Tim Menke and Sheryl Main, ICG Publicists Awards Chairs.
“The outstanding nominations this year shine a bright light not only on the diversity of the films submitted but also the individual challenges the publicity teams faced in this highly competitive field,” said Main.
The statement we all waited for, from Rod Stewart. Rod writes: Jeff Beck was on another planet . He took me and Ronnie Wood to the USA in the late 60s in his band the Jeff Beck Group and we haven’t looked back since. He was one of the few guitarists that when playing live would actually listen to me sing and respond .
Jeff, you were the greatest, my man . Thank you for everything . RIP”
1/2
Jeff Beck was on another planet . He took me and Ronnie Wood to the USA in the late 60s in his band the Jeff Beck Group
and we haven’t looked back since . pic.twitter.com/uS7bbWsHgW
Zendaya didn’t attend last night’s Golden Globes, but she did win Best Television Actress in a Drama for “Euphoria.” She posted a thank you to Instagram but was one of the many winners who did not thank the Hollywood Foreign Press. Very few did, with the notable exception of Jennifer Coolidge. Why? Because they know what a sham the group is.
Stevie Wonder originally wrote “Superstition” for Jeff Beck. They played it together at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary.
Sting was a long time friend. They played together often. Sting told me this afternoon: “He was the greatest guitarist in rock and roll history. A lovely man.” A video of them doing “People Get Ready” is below as well.
Jeff Beck was responsible for so much of what we call classic rock. He was the launching pad with Jimmy Page for Led Zeppelin, coming out of the Yardbirds. Tributes on Twitter are pouring in from every rock star and musician in the world.
PS Everyone go to Spotify and play “Beck-Ola.” one of the greatest albums of all time.
Jimmy Page wrote on Twitter: “The six stringed Warrior is no longer here for us to admire the spell he could weave around our mortal emotions. Jeff could channel music from the ethereal. His technique unique. His imaginations apparently limitless. Jeff I will miss you along with your millions of fans. Jeff Beck Rest in Peace.”
Legendary rock guitarist Jeff Beck has died at age 78. The music world is bereft. Beck was a genius player, incredibly popular and successful on his own and with groups. He was a lontime collaborator with Rod Stewart. Recently, Beck had been on tour with Johnny Depp for an album they made together.
He won eight Grammy Awards for his magnificent talent and had another eight nominations.
Beck’s family posted this to Twitter: ‘On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss.”
His death is indeed a tremendous loss. He first became popular with the Yardbirds, had his own Jeff Beck Group, and then was part of Beck, Bogert & Appice. Then he went out on his own as an axe man extraordinaire. There are dozens of albums, recordings, guest star roles on albums. His fans each have favorites but mine was always his rendition of “People Get Ready.” with Rod.
This is really, really sad. Condolences to his family, friends, and legions of fans.
I am happy to report that Felicity Huffman — an Emmy winner and past Oscar nominee — is back!
ABC says she’ll co-star in a spin off of “The Good Doctor” called “The Good Lawyer.” The new show will have its pilot within an episode of the current series, and then launch on its own, I hope, in the fall.
Huffman is one of our very best actresses and a really lovely person. She made a mistake in the college admissions scandal and paid the price with unwarranted public humiliation and a short jail sentence. I thought she was treated shabbily by the press.
But that’s over, and this news is very felicitous!
Kennedy McMann (“Nancy Drew”) is set to guest star as Joni DeGroot, the brilliant, funny and self-aware lawyer who is relatively new to her prestigious law firm when she takes Shaun’s case. Living with OCD, Joni has never wanted to be treated differently. While her symptoms take a toll on her personal and professional life, her attention to detail allows her to see cases through a different lens.
Huffman will play Janet Stewart, a highly regarded attorney and partner at the law firm with a fierce intellect and dry wit. A seasoned veteran, Janet has represented Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) in several legal matters over the years, so he turns to her to represent his beloved protégé. But when Shaun declares that he wants Joni to represent him, Janet is forced to let Joni take lead on the case.
Here are the DGA nominations for feature film. No woman, no POC, and those will be talking points today. Wiped out is Sony’s “The Woman King,” which had the best shot. Also no “Avatar” or “Black Panther Wakanda Forever.”
