LAS VEGAS (AP) — Celine Dion is cancelling her shows tomorrow and Sunday night in Las Vegas. Dion’s husband and former manager, Rene Angelil, has died of throat cancer in Vegas. He was 73. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg says his office was notified yesterday of Angelil’s death. Angelil discovered Dion when she was 12 and mortgaged his house to fund her first record. They married in 1994 and had three children. Dion had taken time off of her Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace to take care of Angelil for a year. She returned in August.
Archives for January 2016
Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd Up for Best Original Song Oscar
NEW YORK (AP) — Sam Smith was in a coffee shop with his mother when he found out he was nominated for an Oscar. He’s up for best original song for co-writing “Writing’s On The Wall” from “Spectre.” Smith says he’s feeling overwhelmed and jokes, “Better pick out a gown.” His competition includes Lady Gaga and Diane Warren, who wrote the song “Til It Happens To You” from the sexual assault documentary, “The Hunting Ground.” Lady Gaga says her nomination “lends a voice to the victims and survivors all over the world.” It’s Warren’s eighth nomination for best original song, but she’s never won. The Weeknd is nominated for co-writing “Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey.” He tweets, “It can’t get more surreal than this” and it’s “truly a proud moment.” The other nominees are “Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction” and “Simple Song Number 3” from “Youth.” The Oscars will be given out February 28.
The Newman Family Set Oscar Nominations Record
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Randy Newman’s family has achieved an Oscars milestone. Newman’s cousin Thomas was nominated for an Oscar for writing the score to the film “Bridge of Spies.” Thomas’ father, Alfred Newman, his brother, David Newman, and uncles Emil and Lionel Newman are also film composers. Add all that up and the Newmans have been nominated for Oscars 89 times, more than any other family. “Bridge of Spies” is Thomas Newman 13th Oscar nomination. He has never won. The awards will be handed out February 28.
“Amy,” “What Happened, Miss Simone?” Nominated for Documentary Oscar
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences likes Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone, but Nirvana, N.W.A. or the Beach Boys — not so much. The Amy Winehouse film “Amy” and the movie about Simone, “What Happened, Miss Simone?” both have been nominated for the best documentary Oscar. “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” was snubbed. The movie based on N.W.A, “Straight Outta Compton,” was a critical and commercial success but only got a nomination for best original screenplay. The Brian Wilson film “Love and Mercy” was expected to at least get a nomination for its music but it failed to get anything.
Brit Awards Nominees Announced
LONDON (AP) — Adele, James Bay and Years And Years lead the nominations for the Brit Awards, Britain’s answer to the Grammys. They’re each nominated four times. Adele and Bay are up for best British album, considered the big award. They’re up against Coldplay, Florence and the Machine and Jamie xx. Amy Winehouse got a posthumous nomination for best British female for the soundtrack to the documentary “Amy.” The Brits will be held February 24 in London.
Heart, Joan Jett and Cheap Trick Plan Summer Tour
NEW YORK (AP) — Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick will tour together this summer. The Three For All Tour begins July 14 outside Detroit.
“China Girl” Actress Recalls Filming Video
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The woman who starred in David Bowie’s “China Girl” video says the steamy scene on the beach was the least sexy she’s ever been in her life. Geeling Ching was 23 when she was cast in the 1983 video. Ching says she and Bowie were naked for the beach scene but it was not romantic. She says she was freezing and she kept getting salt water in her mouth. She also accidentally head-butted Bowie. They hit it off anyway and had a real-life romance that involved her traveling with him on private jets. Ching says Bowie was “other-worldly” and “beautiful.” It didn’t last long, and Ching returned to her native New Zealand. She had other acting roles but fell in love with the hospitality industry and now works as a restaurant manager.
Show Must Go On With David Bowie’s “Lazarus” Musical
NEW YORK (AP) — Tickets for David Bowie’s Broadway musical “Lazarus” are a hot commodity after his death on Sunday. Tickets for a Tuesday afternoon matinee were selling on StubHub for as much as $1,900, but now even those are unavailable. The show was already a hit before Bowie died. “Lazarus” has been continuing to run as planned, and the only acknowledgement of Bowie’s death is a video screen with Bowie’s picture in the lobby. The musical is a sequel to “The Man Who Fell To Earth” and features some of Bowie’s greatest hits.
David Bowie Producer Tony Visconti Plays In Bowie’s Honor
TORONTO (AP) — David Bowie’s longtime producer says the best way to work through grief is through music. Tony Visconti and his band, Holy Holy, played a Bowie tribute show for about 900 people in Toronto on Monday. It was part of a scheduled tour but sold out after Bowie’s death on Sunday. Among the albums Visconti produced were Bowie’s 1969 album “Space Oddity” and his last one, “Lazarus.” Visconti says Bowie’s songs are “some of the best music that’s ever been written.”
David Bowie Was In Talks For “Guardian’s of the Galaxy 2” Cameo
UNDATED (AP) — The writer and director of the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” had wanted David Bowie to do a cameo in the sequel, and Bowie was open to the idea. James Gunn writes on Facebook he heard from mutual friends that Bowie wasn’t doing well, then heard back Bowie was OK and the cameo could potentially happen. Bowie’s song “Moonage Daydream” was on the best-selling soundtrack of the first movie, and Gunn says he’s trying to work another Bowie song into the sequel. He says it seems appropriate for Bowie to be the only artist with songs on both soundtracks.