On the Town with Buddy Beaverhausen: Remembering Darlene Love, Merry Clayton & Marianne Faithfull at The Rainbow Room

Who remembers when, high atop Rockefeller Plaza, there was cabaret at the very classy Rainbows and Stars in The Rainbow Room.

Dress code was very strict. For men, it was jacket and tie and dress pants.

I have a very clear memory of going there around this time of year in '96 -- well before my blog -- to see a show of girl group greats. It was a very large large room but it was packed.

Darlene Love, Merry Clayton and Marianne Faithfull made an odd trio but that's part of what made it so wonderful. Faithfull good-naturedly poked fun at her ravaged voice.

The show had little patter but a plethora of wonderful songs. It ran January 16th through February 3rd of 1996. I remember the stage was a high dais set in front of the windows overlooking Manhattan. It snowed the night my friend John and I attended, providing a beautiful backdrop.

"He's a Rebel," "Gimme Shelter" and "Broken English" were all on the song list that night. There were at least 20 other numbers.

It was really a marvelous night to remember. And I do... so well! Right down to the shrimp cocktail and cosmos.

The next time I was at The Rainbow Room was at an office party in summer. Beautiful view and great food.

Bring back Rainbow & Stars! Cabaret is back big-time and we could use your elegance.

Darlene Love: All Alone on My Christmas Countdown 2015

This song is from the soundtrack of the movie Home Alone 2. Sung by Darlene Love and backed by the E Street Band featuring the late Clarence Clemmons playing a very mean sax.

The production is very Spector-esque and may remind you of an earlier Darlene Love song, the title of which is referenced herein.

And it's true that nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas. Spend it with ones you love and gather round the computer listening to my 2015 Christmas Countdown!

Audio Beaverhausen: Introducing Darlene Love

Darlene Love is smokin' hot at 74. We should all look this good at her age. Her powerful alto puts today's divas who require auto-tuning to shame.

The irony of Introducing Darlene Love's very title is that she should require no introduction at this stage of her career. Working for Phil Spector in the '60s, she was anonymously presented as The Crystals, Bob B Sox & the Bluejeans, etc.

But, after her large focus in the Oscar-winning documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, she achieved the public attention she deserves.

I grew up listening to Darlene's voice. I learned who she was when I was a teen. She's been one of my top idols ever since.

With songs written by Bruce Springsteen, Steve van Zandt, Elvis Costello and more, Love is in great company. The album launches with the gospel rouser "Among the Believers" before the album's first proposed single, the Spector-influenced "Forbidden Nights." "Night Closing In" by Bruce Springsteen is another strong contender as a single,

But Love doesn't stay within that comfort zone as she successfully tackles hard rock, sings a duet, power ballads, blues, spirituals. songs of world peace, all with much drama and full-throttle orchestra and back-up vocals.throughout.

Darlene's one cover is of "River Deep, Mountain High" and she makes it her own, knocking it out of the park. Spector originally wrote the song with Darlene in mind but replaced her vocals with Tina Turner's at the last minute.

Beautifully produced, executed, sung. Kudos all around. Very highly recommended. The cd version has a great pamphlet of liner notes, credits and pictures. Available on Amazon.com on both MP3 and cd formats.

By the way, Rolling Stone did a piss-poor job reviewing this album. Most responders to that review felt its author had dismissed this without even listening to it and I have to agree.

Darlene Love's Forbidden Nights

Who was a major player in bringing the girl-group sound back to pop music? Ahem! You know it was me, of course. And now it's back in all its glory.

I was so happy to check out this video promoting Darlene Love's new single, "Forbidden Nights." Great cinematography. Cameos by a host of her friends, including Elvis Costello who wrote the number and accompanist Paul Shaffer.

Joan Jett is in it; so is Bill Murray! Then there's Bruce Springsteen with Steve van Zandt, both of whom are featured on the upcoming album.

Filmed in Asbury Park, NJ, where my family & I often went for summer weekends, and where she will debut her new concert tour.

Not only star-studded but a dazzling new song. You can hear it here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/X4915gjpFEo

Buddy Beaverhausen Remembers Ellie Greenwich

Ellie Greenwich was born October 23, 1940 and died in 2009 of a heart attack due to complications from pneumonia, six years ago today, August 26, 1999. She was born in Brooklyn (isn't elmost everybody?) but, at age 10, moved with her family to Levittown, Long Island.

I grew up listening to Ellie's songs (written with then songwrting partner and hubby, Jeff Barry) on the radio on on my turntable. I loved these songs though, at the time, had no idea who wrote them. She and Barry frequently wrote for Phil Spector. She also recorded lead vocals as The Raindrops and as a solo artist. She and Barry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991.

I wore out most of the records on which she'd written the songs -- singles like "Be My Baby," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Maybe I Know," "Chapel of Love," "He's Got the Power" and "River Deep, Mountain High" to name but a few.



In 1983, Ellie wrote a hit single for Nona Hendryx, "Keep It Confidential." She followed that up with the song, "Right Track, Wrong Train." It was written specially for Cyndi Lauper, whose voice Ms Greenwich admired. It appeared on the B-side of the original "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" 45.

Shortly thereafter, Alan Pepper ~ my old boss at The Bottom Line, and all-around great guy ~ had a show created around Ellie's songs. Leader of the Pack was such a long-running hit at the club, it was brought to Broadway, featuring Darlene Love, Annie Golden and Ms Greenwich herself. I was lucky enough to see both versions.

RIP, Ellie (Eleanor) Greenwich. Your quintessential pop songs are forever in our hearts and on our "turntables," whatever media that is nowadays.

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Buddy Beaverhausen's Goodbye to Bobbi Kristina Brown

Variety just announced that Bobbi Kristina Brown has passed away at age 22.

Miss Brown was, of course, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. “Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away July, 26 2015, surrounded by her family,” the Houston family said in a statement to People magazine. “She is finally at peace in the arms of God. We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months.” The family has endured much heartache over recent years.

On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston was found dead in her bathtub. The memory of that night is still so vivid to me. I was downstairs, in my friend Kevin's apartment. A small group of us had just carried boxes up full of give-aways from Pottery Barn. I had only moved into my apartment three months earlier. We were celebrating in the living room when the news of Whitney's death came across the tv set. Needless to say, we were all shocked, sharing this together in disbelief.

Like her mother, Bobbi was found (by her partner, Nick Gordon) in her tub. She was unconscious and placed in a medically induced coma. Bobbi is from a long line of recording artists snd divas, starting with grandmother Cissy Houston. Her godmothers are Dionne Warwick and Darlene Love. Ms Love just celebrated her 74th birthday this past Friday.

Wrote Ms Love on Facebook: "Heart broken over the loss of this young, beautiful spirit. Rest in peace, my love."

Love for the Holidays at BB King NYC

Darlene Love returned to BB King NYC last night for her penultimate performance in a string of five evenings throughout the holiday season. Billed as a Christmas show, it was indeed that and more.

In full diva attire (yes, there was a costume change midway through the performance), Ms Love was both dramatic and, at an admitted 73 years of age, inspirational. Her eyes alone read "diva" thanks to her make-up artist La Sonya Gunter. Thick, thick lashes and heavily defined eyebrows with a glittery eggshell-blue eye shadow, her hair a curly mop that at times had a life of its own, it is no wonder she has such a significant following of gay men. She did the first set in a lacy, sheer black top and tight silver pants, and the second set in a form-fitting lacy white skirt and top.

As always, we were treated graciously by BB King's always-outstanding staff (attentive but not intrusive) and seated next to a husband and wife originally from England, now living in Toronto. They adored Darlene as much as we did. The audience, at large, was quite demonstrative in showing its appreciation of this act.

A class act, that is. Ms Love always was that and now she's glammed it up several notches.

She opened with a rockin' version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" before segueing into her classic Phil Spector version of "Marshmallow Word." As is sometimes the case at BB King, we found the mix to be a bit heavy on the instrumentals, though Darlene's voice is a sonic force undiminished throughout the decades.

There was no shortage of hits originally produced by Spector, though Love snarked that karma is a bitch. "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry," and "He's a Rebel" were all performed with passion. She ended her show with "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" to a final standing ovation.

Darlene touchingly paid tribute to the late singer Patty Darcy with a powerfully interpreted gospel tune entitled "Marvelous."

The title song from "All Alone at Christmas" was part of tonight's act, a song I adore during holiday season. The Saturday Night Live satirical video that featured Darlene singing "Christmastime for the Jews" was wonderfully clever and added some seasonal mirth.

Tracey, Merv and I @ BB King NYC

Ms Love, at times, emitted a Dave Letterman-like laugh and, during her engaging patter, a very Bette Midler-like line delivery or two...  or more. The influence of famous friends obviously wore off. I've been following Love since her Bottom Line days and am thrilled by her newly found fame.

As a back-up singer with The Blossoms, Darlene paid tribute to her work with Marvin Gaye with a protracted medley of his songs. It is hard to believe that anyone at this show would be disappointed by the sheer variety of material, and by one of the greatest pop/gospel voices of our era.

Darlene Love's New Album

Love & Van Zandt (left) recording with horns

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame diva, Darlene Love, has long been a favorite of mine and I have followed her performances throughout New York for decades. I first became mesmerized by her powerful voice on the radio in the '60s and have been a fan since then for life.

It was wonderful news that broke in Rolling Stone earlier this week that Steve Van Zandt would be producing a new album featuring Ms Love. Van Zandt, original member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, told Rolling Stone, "Everybody I know that is a great songwriter, I'm talking to. We're hoping to have an all-star album for Darlene, which she deserves."

Release date is expected to be around Christmas. The songwriters are expected to include Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Carole King, Mike Stoller, Van Zandt himself, and Cynthia Weill/Barry Mann. This promises to be major, people! Absolutely first-class.

It was Springsteen, you might recall, who inducted Ms Love into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I suspect Darlene's central part in the Oscar-winning Twenty Feet from Stardom helped green-light this project.

Darlene's biopic is in the works right now from Oprah's Oxygen Network as well.

I have blogged about Darlene Love numerous times. My articles and reviews about her have appeared on her web site.

http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/05/darlene-love-at-joes-pub.html

Might an exclusive Q&A be in the offing to help promote the new cd?

Dj Buddy B's Diva Dish 4/5/14

It's all about Love this week, diva devotees! And, of course, by that I mean none other than the Twenty Feet from Stardom diva, Darlene Love. What a success story! What a career! What a life! And now it's coming to cable as a tv-movie. Adapted from Darlene's autobiography, My Name Is Love, the movie is produced by the man behind Twenty Feet, Morgan Neville, and will be on Oprah's own OWN cable channel.

And who will portray Darlene? None other than diva Toni Braxton! Darlene thinks that is, in her words, a "FANTASTIC choice!" Couldn't agree more. Can't wait! Ms Braxton, meanwhile, recently wrapped up her run in After Midnight on Broadway March 30th.

Darlene Love, however, will be singing her last "Baby, Please Come Home" this Christmas season on Late Night with David Letterman. Letterman announced his retirement, this week, as host of the nightly talk/variety show. Love has performed this song on his show every year since 1986 and it sparked her career revival.

This was also a week for birthdays for classic divas of the silver screen. Doris Day, American movie star, recording artist and animal rights activist turned 92 on April 3rd. Nee Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, she began her professional career as a big band singer with Les Brown and His Band of Renown. She scored her first hit record with Brown, which was "Sentimental Journey." Her clean-cut good looks got her into movies and she became the top-ranking female box-office draw throughout the 1950s and '60s.

Her three comedies opposite Rock Hudson (Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers) are legendary at this point. The two remained good friends until Hudson's death from AIDS. Day had serious roles as well, notably in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (asked how he got such a great performance from the actress, Hitchcock replied, "It wasn't me; it was Doris.") and as singer Ruth Etting in Love Me or Leave Me.

Day received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an Oscar nomination (for Pillow Talk) and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is truly "America's sweetheart" with a squeaky-clean image that, sadly, undercut her being taken seriously as an actress at times. She was offered the role of Mrs Robinson in The Graduate by director Mike Nichols, against type. Day was interested but her husband/manager, Marvin Melchior, turned it down, preferring to cast his golden goose in fluffy comedies that did nothing for her career.

When Melchior died in 1968, Doris Day (who was married and divorced three times) was shocked to discover he had bankrupted her by squandering their earnings she'd worked for. She retired from show buiness in the late 1970s, although, in 2011, Day was the oldest living artist to have a top 10 album in the UK featuring new material. Since the 1970s, Ms Day has been an animal rights and welfare activist until this day, her home in Carmel-by-the-Sea full of well-cared for domesticated animals.

By the way, Doris Day had a very special relationship with Vaseline. Not only did she reportedly slather her face and body in it before sleep every night (to stay young-looking), but Vaseline ~ along with special lens filters ~ were employed to eliminate DD's seriously freckled face on-screen.

April 5th was the iconic Bette Davis' 106th birthday. She left us in 1989, however. Ms Davis' image and film career are so well known, and I've blogged about her so many times, I simply want to acknowledge her birthday and just say ponder how interesting it would have been if she'd co-starred with Doris Day at some point. What Ever Happened to Calamity Jane?

Finally, I leave you with this gone-viral video of Kristen Bell singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" (a song she performed in Disney's Frozen) live because it's wonderfully touching, funny and poignant:

Video Beaverhausen: Twenty Feet from Stardom

Darlene Love,  Tata Vega, Merry Clayton, Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer

Twenty Feet from Stardom is Oscar nominated in the Best Documentary, Features category this March, has won a series of international awards in that category, and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. The video versions include deleted scenes, Q&As with Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer and the film's director, Morgan Neville and other extras.

It's an amazing film about pop music's back-up girls -- and even some back-up boys. A definitive chronicle of our pop history, Twenty Feet from Stardom is flawlessly edited as it weaves its story together from the usual talking heads, stock footage plus electrifying live stage and studio performances.

A smorgasbord of songbirds, a bevy of beautiful voices, an embarrassment of riches, TFfS fascinates right to the end credits. With few drops in engagement with its audience, it is a cultural time capsule of seven decades, from the mid-20th to the 21st century. It is not just the story of rock and roll, it is the story of Western culture and the struggles against racism and sexism. Many viewers don't remember the time when back-up girls were all white and how revolutionary it was, culturally and sonically, when ~ to paraphrase Lou Reed ~ the colored girls went "doot da doot...." And it is theorized that music and the popular culture lent support to the burgeoning civil rights movement.

TFfS also explores the relationship of church and gospel music on back-up singers and on rock, generally. In the documentary, we hear the testimony of Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Claudia Lennear of The Ikettes, Gloria Jones, Judith Hill, the Waters Family and many more. We also hear from the stars whom these people "back up," including Bruce Springsteen (particularly articulate and thoughtful), Bette Midler, Mick Jagger, Sting, Stevie Wonder and Grammy Award-winning producer Lou Adler.





Darlene Love, certainly, provides the focus and the apotheosis for this film. She is reunited in TFfS with the other members of The Blossoms, Fanita James and Jean King, and joined by her sister, Edna Wright of Honey Cone ("Want Ads," "Stick Up"). And, of course, it is she who steps out from the background and the anonymnity of singing lead vocals under various group names, largely under her producer, Phil Spector, and finally becomes a recognized star.

Buddy Beaverhausen is hoping Twenty Feet from Stardom will snag the Academy Award come March 2nd. Not just because I'm a fan of girl-groups and divas but because this is such a breathtaking, exquisitely pieced together chronicle of background singers and, more broadly, the evolution of our society. In any event, a must-see.

My Christmas Countdown 2013 Continues with Ms Darlene Love

David Letterman has said "It's not Christmas until Darlene Love sings 'Christmas, Baby Please Come Home'!" Here she is on last year's Letterman show, belting out her famous Christmas classic that she originally recorded for Phil Spector. This year, she is expected to return for the song's 50th anniversary. I expect to see Darlene Love live at BB King's NYC this coming Friday, December 6. It's Christmastime!

Giving Thanks for Divas on Thanksgiving 2013

Posted on a fan's Facebook Page

Thanksgiving has arrived, my turkeys, gobble gobble! Of course, Buddy B has so much to be thankful for this year, especially not having to cook for guests! (Ain't nobody got time for that.) I'm thankful for going to Bay Ridge's Lighthouse Diner, Thanksgiving afternoon, two blocks away, with my friend who called in the rezzies. Give me a bloody mary and a plate of lasagne and I'll be grateful, pilgrim! And, hey, Plymouth rocks! But also, I am thankful to the harvest of contemporary divas who keep us dancing and inspire us with their awesome voices.

Martha Wash has been our divine diva for five decades now, as a solo artist and as the voice of Two Tons of Fun, The Weather Girls, Black Box and C&C Music Factory. I am truly thankful for Miss Martha! And I adore her current album, Something Good, which is a perfect ~ and very inspirational ~ gift for the holidays. Available at Amazon.com.

I'm thankful for Cher! What a legend, icon, superstar diva, with an outstanding six-decade career. Her new album, Closer to the Truth, is marvelous and I highly recommend it for the holiday season and beyond!

La La Brooks, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector. 1960s girl-group divas who survived Phil Spector and continue to have vibrant careers today! All have albums available on Amazon; Darlene and Ronnie having Christmas cds. Our Ms Brooks has a new album this season on the indy Norton label.

Cyndi Lauper! What more do I have to say? One of the outstanding pop vocalists of our lifetime. And she even recorded a Christmas album. Guess where you can get it!

Madonna and Lady Gaga continue to impress, tantalize and titillate. (Though neither has yet done a holiday cd; get on it, girls!)

Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand -- both boasting Christmas cds no holiday collection should ever be without.

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen and Our City Radio are grateful for our enduring divas and give thanks unto them. Not a turkey amongst them.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and may God bless us all this holiday season! Stay safe, stay warm, stay tuned into Queens Our City Radio.

Phil Spector Christmas Album: 50th Anniversary

Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift for You Christmas album was released on November 22, 1963, the same day as the assassination of JFK. Although now considered a holiday classic, it was a relative disappointment at the time as it peaked on Billboard at #13. (Ooo! That unlucky number.) Perhaps the national mood had something to do with it. (Another famous Jackie, Ms Susann, was upset that the President's death would affect sales of her first book, Every Night, Josephine by stealing the media spotlight at the time!)

The album was re-released on Apple Records in 1972 ~ with a picture of Spector dressed as Santa, wearing a "Back to Mono" button. It was retitled Phil Spector's Christmas Album. This version went to No. 6 on Billboard's Christmas Albums chart in December of that year.

The album features the major artists from Spector's Philles label including The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans, and The Crystals. Ms. Love and Ronnie Spector have become so associated with the holidays because of this quintessential pop Christmas album, they tour every holiday season with a special Christmas show. (Both are returning in December to B.B. King's in NYC; I'll be reviewing both shows.)

Darlene Love's "Christmas, Baby Please Come Home" became a smash hit as a result of her annual appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. As Dave says, "It isn't Christmas until Darlene Love sings Christmas, Baby Please Come Home."

Toxic Brooks

La La Brooks will not let up on her obsession with Darlene Love. I think Blah-Blah "Babbling" Brooks should seriously start trying to productively, constructively and positively work on reviving her own career (after all, she has a new single she could be promoting instead of talking shit). Here's tonight's Facebook post via our Ms Brooks, verbatim.

It's beyond the pall, don't you think?

Hi Facebook Family,
I cannot express my gratitude enough to you guys who are backing me for the truth. I know that a lot of the same people who care about me also care about Darlene Love. I hate to keep repeating myself (I don't have dementia lol), but remember that I was a big admirer of Darlene when I'd be flown out to California to put down my tracks at GoldStar Recording Studios.
I can think back now and see The Blossoms going into the studio. I was googly-eyed over them. Fanita and Gloria would be very open-arms to me; I can remember that clearly as I think about it now. Darlene was definitely not as friendly; there was an aloofness about her. I was the one making over her while she sort of "patted me on the head" almost in a condescending manner. But it didn't matter to me at the time; I was just a teenager who was in awe of this person.
But for me to see the sickness in her today is unbelievable. I would bet my last dollar that the people around her know that she is a little loony to continue to promote these crazy assertions regarding my song. Interestingly, Darlene was trying to do the same thing with Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High."
She performed RDMH in the Broadway play, "Leader of the Pack" and recorded it on the soundtrack album. Over the subsequent years, she would sing this song in her live performances. And over many years of performing the song, she tried to burn it into the public's mind so that they would ultimately believe her lie that Phil had intended for that song to be hers. And it was not meant to be hers. Phil wanted Tina to sing that song. Unfortunately, if people don't do their research, it becomes very easy for them to be duped into believing that which is not true.
I think that Darlene Love has always had to lean on someone else to be successful. Anything she perceives as being potentially successful, she will grab onto in an attempt to gain success for herself. If you put a sign around a sewer rat's behind which said "You'll be a star in my underground show," she would follow him. She'll attach herself to anything and especially to anyone who she thinks might bring her any level of perceived success. Ironically, her song in the new movie is "Lean On Me" when in fact, she leans on everybody else.
Darlene's greatest success stories are the people who she claims wanted to sleep with her including the likes of Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke; and now, only two days ago, she's added Danny Glover to the list.
She could never talk about being on tour with Dick Clark and all the other artists with whom we, The Crystals, traveled in this country and abroad. True, Darlene was on Shindig for two years, but she was on the show as a background singer and didn't interact with the artists to the extent that we did on tours, seeing and traveling with them night after night after night as professional performers.
Darlene has also proven herself to be a very adept liar. For example, after Whitney Houston died, Darlene jumped into the media, expressing that she was Whitney's godmother. She told this to many sources. Some of these sources began wondering why Darlene claimed this when it had been widely reported that Aretha Franklin was her godmother. At some point, reporters were getting curious about how Darlene came to be Whitney's godmother as it had never been mentioned prior to her death.
Darlene was put on the spot during one interview as she was asked about this.
She explained that she was the second godmother to Whitney. This is the story which she told: "One day I was visiting Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston was running around. She was about eight years old. I said, 'You're so cute. I want to be your godmother.' " End of story.
Here's another story. She was on the Wendy Williams show. Darlene spoke about the men who had tried to sleep with her. Wendy said, "Oh, you have two daughters. How do they feel about that?" Darlene laughed a little and answered the question. The incredible thing here is that Darlene does not have any daughters. She has three sons. I couldn't believe that when Wendy had mentioned her daughters, Darlene didn't correct her; she didn't even mention that she had any sons at all.
I think that Darlene must have always wanted daughters. I remember that we both had attended the funeral of Estelle Bennett, Ronnie Spector's sister. I had brought some photos of my kids to show Nedra Talley Ross (the third Ronette and first cousin of the other two) as I hadn't seen her in years. I was showing the pictures and Darlene was there and she saw them also. The photos showed my daughters holding my granddaughters. Darlene said passionately, "I always wanted daughters." So that's how I knew that she was lying on the Wendy Williams show.
So I think you all can see that Darlene has shown a pattern of lying. She not only lies about my song but also about other things.
How can you believe a liar?
There will never be an excuse about how Darlene perpetuates the lie regarding my song, "Da Doo Ron Ron" and how she attempts to rewrite history. I will not give up in fight to rectify this injustice.

Love you all, La La

Good God almighty! Enough already. Lalala, I can't hear you any more...!

War & Peace, Love, Religion, Lies, Sex, Videotape, Shoes, Music & Vodka

Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters & Susan Sarandon 

Thought I'd go over some of the events and gossip that interested me over this past week and that I thought my readers might enjoy as well.

Beloved columnist-superstar Liz Smith reported in the New York Social Diary, Huffington Post and Chicago Tribune on Wednesday's promotional luncheon to get the documentary film, 20 Feet from Stardom, nominated for an Oscar.

Wrote Ms Smith: "Girl, what the hell is the matter with you. How come you're having a heart attack? Explain this to me!"
 
That was the great Darlene Love, doing her best Bette Midler imitation (and it's very good!), telling what Bette phoned and said to her, a week after Darlene's heart attack several years ago. Bette knew Darlene was out of danger. She called her old friend to make her laugh.


Darlene told this story the other day at a celebration for Morgan Neville's fantastic documentary, "20 Feet From Stardom."


This tells the history of back-up singers -- you know, those girls who stand in the back harmonizing with the star, filling in notes the star can't hit, and sometimes -- as in Darlene Love's case, singing the whole damn song, and then seeing it released under some other group's name! So this is an extraordinarily poignant, life and talent affirming look at these women, some of whom -- like the majestic, incredible Lisa Fischer -- seem content not to have made it "big" as a solo performer. There are others who have regrets, but concede that perhaps they didn't have the stamina, confidence or "killer instinct" to go it alone.

La Liz ends by saying: I attend so many events, luncheons, celebrations of this and that. Many are amusing, some are valuable for gathering bits of news, a great many produce nothing but a pain in the ass and a ridiculous taxi fare. Very few hit you in the heart and soul. This did. And so will "20 Feet From Stardom." Remember this the next time you listen to your favorite singer. If you hear voices in the background -- though one hears less now, with the rise of technological post-recording gimmickry -- just realize those voices belong to women, and men, who give their all for somebody else. And maybe you'll realize that you too, are a "back-up singer" in life.

Meanwhile, a reporter from Showbiz 411 wrote: I asked Darlene if she ever talks to her “Lethal Weapon” co-star Danny Glover. They played husband and wife in the four Richard Donner films.
Darlene, ringed in Shirley Temple curls, said: “I don’t speak to him. Keep that man away from me.” That was a surprise because I thought she reserved such sentiments for Phil Spector only. What’s the issue?


“He wanted to sleep with me, it was a big problem. Once he called me at home and said, I’m looking at a picture of you right now. You don’t know what I’d like to do with you.” Love laughed, but she was dead serious.

Meanwhile, the new Pope, "Eggs" Benedict, was in the news this week with his generally well-received comments on the gay community that, at least, signals progress of sorts. Time magazine wrote:

...[I]t was a question [the Pope] was asked on the flight back to Rome, about homosexuality, that has come to define the trip and has sparked hope that the Roman Catholic Church might be softening its stance on being gay. (Even using the word gay, which Francis did in English while otherwise speaking Italian, is unprecedented for a Pope.)

Is there anything new in what he had to say? Well, yes, in terms of tone. And this is no small thing. Francis' immediate predecessors called homosexuality an "intrinsic moral evil" and branded homosexuals as "intrinsically disordered." Instead of mirroring those blanket condemnations, Francis offered kindness and compassion. Then, in an act of genuine humility, he asked, "Who am I to judge?" It is telling that this rhetorical question got so much attention, since Jesus, who Christians believe was the perfect revelation of God, warned, "Judge not, that you be not judged." Yet previous Popes have shown no hesitation in being judgmental about homosexuality. This change in tone is significant.

The gayest legal document ever came across my desk today. Louboutin lawsuit vs Yves St Laurant for infringing on their trademark for red shoes. The NYC-based, international firm hat represented YSL (& won the case in this dispute resolution document) even managed to bring Dorothy's ruby slippers into their argument! Favorite line in the Louboutin lawsuit: "Oral argument was held in early 2012 in a courtroom packed with dueling Louboutin- and YSL-wearing fashionistas." I can just picture it. LOL! (Don't often see the word "fashionistas" in a legal document.)

Alexis Carrington vs. Shirley Partridge. Says TMZ: 

80-year-old Hollywood legend Joan Collins is livid at fellow icon Shirley Jones, insisting she's NOT some porn-watching swinger pervert and never was -- despite claims in Shirley's new book -- and now, she's threatening Ms. Jones.

Sources tell TMZ, Joan -- famous for the '80s soap "Dynasty" -- is pissed over one anecdote in particular, which Shirley recounts in her book "Shirley Jones: A Memoir," a story about the first time Shirley met Joan in the late '60s and a 4-person sex party nearly broke out.

According to the book, Shirley and her then-husband Jack Cassidy were at the home of Joan Collins and Tony Newley for dinner ... and after dinner, Tony proposed they all get naked and watch porn together. Shirley writes, "It was clear what Tony was leading up to -- swinging."

I will add that the Anthony Newley wrote, directed and starred in a movie titled Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? The film was a sleazy vanity project about the thinly disguised Newley, as character Merkin, leading a life of moral decay with real-life wife at the time, Joan Collins. Ms Collins sought divorce shortly after the release of this celluloid embarrassment.

And Jack Cassidy was bisexual; the jury's out on Shirley, who went from '50s/'60s honeydewed ingenue to hardened androgyny by the '70s.

Shirley Jones' book is now on sale. And Joan Collins will revive her club act at B. B. King's NYC in November (ironically, not long after David Cassidy is booked to perform).  http://www.bbkingblues.com/bio.php?id=3148

Today, as reported in the Los Angeles Times, there was a Russian-vodka-spilling protest in West Hollywood:

Several West Hollywood bar owners stood curbside Thursday, each holding a large Stolichnaya vodka bottle.

The men planned to pour out the containers, filled with water, in symbolic protest of anti-gay legislation that recently passed in Russia, Stolichnaya's home, banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" such as informing kids about homosexuality. 
 
“We do street theater to raise public consciousness about the issue,” said West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran.


Duran and the owners do not blame the vodka company, per se.
 
LGBT people are being beaten, jailed and killed for acts as small as holding a rainbow flag, said Alfredo Diaz, owner of Revolver Video Bar in West Hollywood. Diaz and others called for an immediate end to such abuse.

A similar event took place in NYC yesterday.

The winter Olympics must be moved to another country. It is unacceptable for the Olympics Committee and the world community to allow this event, where even gay Olympic athletes are threatened, to take place in Russia under current conditions.

Just say nyet!

Dueling Divas: La La Lashes Out! (At Darlene Love. Again.)

La La, Darlene & Cousin Brucie during happier days

Last summer, I documented the ongoing feud between girl-group divas La La Brooks and Darlene Love. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/07/la-la-brooks-vs-darlene-love.html
http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-ever-happened-to-la-la-brooks.html

As the documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, opens wider in cinemas across the USA, with a real possibility of being Oscar-nominated next year, Darlene Love continues to promote the film on tv talk shows and in the press. This, it seems, has invoked a renewed indignant frenzy from La La.

Fasten your seatbelts, she warned her Facebook fans today, paraphrasing Bette Davis in All About Eve. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

I just went to see the movie "20 Feet from Stardom," a documentary about background singers, which Darlene Love claims to be HER movie, when in fact, it's about and features background singers in general, including Merry Clayton and Lisa Fisher. I should mention that the latter two singers blew me away with their extraordinary talent. [Ahem! -- Buddy B] http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/06/audio-beaverhausen-20-feet-from-stardom.html

Toward the beginning of the film, there is a scene where Darlene Love and the other two members of her group, The Blossoms reunite to sing an impromptu version of "Da Doo Ron Ron." At that point, I knew where things were going.

There is a scene where you see The Crystals performing "He's A Rebel." While this is being shown, Darlene is discussing her drama of how she had been shortchanged to the point where her career really didn't begin until she was 40 years old. She blames The Crystals for being partially responsible for this (which is a lie, by the way). She gives the impression that by that record (and "He's Sure the Boy I Love) having been released under The Crystals' name, she was shortchanged out of a career. If it weren't for The Crystals' name which Phil had substituted for her own name, Darlene's career would not have been launched.

Darlene forgets that she was nowhere in sight at the time. We were an established professional group who had had records released (with Barbara on lead vocals). We had traveled extensively both domestically and internationally. In fact, we first heard Darlene sing as we were traveling on the road to a gig. That's when we heard "He's A Rebel" which was announced as being recorded by The Crystals. We were all in our teens at the time and I was the youngest. We got our manager on the phone to learn what was happening. He said that we'd have to learn the song and do it in our shows as it was released as a Crystals record.

Around the same time, the famous DJ Murray the K announced on the radio that it was not The Crystals who were singing on "He's A Rebel" which added to the confusion. We were angrier than Darlene could ever have been as we were already a professional group and vocally, we did not require a Darlene Love--or anyone else--to make us famous. We already were famous. Darlene was a housewife at home raising children and also cleaning houses for others.

The Crystals had nothing to do with stopping Darlene Love. Why didn't she travel with her group "Bob B. Soxx & The Bluejeans" with whom she had a hit with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah?" We were on tour and were told that Bob B. Soxx & The Bluejeans would be joining us. I was happy as I thought I would get to see Darlene, whose voice I always liked. Then I saw Bobby Sheen appear with two other girls. I asked him about where Darlene was. He explained that she was married and living at home, raising children, so he had to bring a substitute for her. So that's the group she could have joined in order to launch her career.

Everything you hear from Darlene regarding and against The Crystals is a blatant lie. On some of her radio interviews, she jokes that if it weren't for her, The Crystals would not be working. If that isn't a joke!

Returning the the new movie, Darlene sings "Da Doo Ron Ron" at the beginning of the film and later shows The Crystals lip synching to "He's A Rebel" to suggest that Darlene had been the voice behind all of The Crystals' records, which could cause people who don't know the truth, to think that that The Crystals didn't sing anything on their own.

My manager and myself were able to discuss this with Morgan Neville, the director of the film. He knew who La La Brooks was and that I had recorded "Da Doo Ron Ron." When we explained everything to him, he sadly expressed regret that he had used the footage of Darlene and the reunited Blossoms singing that song. He explained that he had simply asked them to sing anything and Darlene chose "Da Doo Ron Ron." In retrospect, he wished that they would have sung a gospel song instead; it would have been a lot cheaper, considering the money it had cost to license the Phil Spector song.

At the end of the day, I must say that I admire the great background singers and respect them wholeheartedly because they spoke the truth about their lives. If Darlene would one day come forward and also tell the truth and express how she had to ride on my back to gain success, then she would gain my respect.

I would love for you guys to share this post as far and as wide as possible. Quoting from Humphrey Bogart's line in "Casablanca," "OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS IN ALL THE TOWNS IN ALL THE WORLD, SHE WALKS INTO MINE."

Ouch! Fasten your seatbelts indeed, referencing both All About Eve AND Casablanca! Our Ms Brooks signs off on her vitriolic Facebook post with -- get this! -- "Love you all,  La La"   

By the way, La La has a new single out on Norton Records, vinyl 45 rpm. It's a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire." Should be fierce.

 

Audio Beaverhausen: "20 Feet from Stardom" Soundtrack CD

"And the colored girls go 'doo-da-doot-a-doot-doot-doo....'" So goes the famous chorus on Lou Reed's classic '70s glam rock song, "Walk on the Wild Side." It's the back-up singers who beautifully and artfully take over, ultimately delivering us to the hot sax fade-out. And so begins the soundtrack cd for the documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, now in selected theaters.

None other than a woman who most certainly paid her dues in the music industry as an uncredited girl-group singer for Phil Spector and one of the hardest working back-up girls in the industry, Ms Darlene Love, has been at the forefront of promoting this great movie about the unsung -- if I may say -- story of the voices that really can make or break a single.

Love has been on the tv talk-show circuit tirelessly to discuss 20 Feet, culminating with her moment on the couch with David Letterman. She has been all over the press, notably in a recent Rolling Stone interview and talking with The New York Times. The latest New Yorker article about Love on Letterman really serves as a great primer on her career if you need to know more. (He stole my "unsung" joke, I swear! I had it all prepared.)
(http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2013/07/01/130701ta_talk_friend

Darlene Love was recently, and long-deservedly, inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. One of the best tracks on the album is the rare version of her recording of "Fine, Fine Boy," produced by Phil Spector, who surprisingly gave his permission for two Love tracks to be used in the film and on the soundtrack.  (The other is the girl-group classic, "He's a Rebel," which Spector released under the name, The Crystals.) The album track of "Fine, Fine Boy" differs from the one used in the film (showcasing Spector's obsessive perfectionism), as is the divine Merry Clayton's "Gimme Shelter," and these rare tracks are worth the price of the cd alone.

It is, indeed, when the back-up singers step into the spotlight, fronting songs, that the album's best, rarest and most valued tracks are found. Ms Clayton's soulful "Nobody's Fault But Mine" with back-ups by Oren Waters, Judith Hill, Tata Vega and ex-Harlette Charlotte Crosley is an amazing aural experience. But even better is her powerful rendition of "Southern Man."

Lisa Fischer's "Sure on this Shining Night" with its traditional church-choir back-ups highlights this always amazing singer's ability to carry a brief but classic hymn. Tata Vega and Judith Hill's "Let's Make a Better World" is a brightly buoyant pop-gospel number while Judith Hill's solo power ballad (with simple piano accompaniment), "Desperation," impresses as well. Not a single bum track on this album, people.

Back-up girls strongly carrying the iconic Bowie tune, "Young Americans," Talking Heads' "Slippery People" and Joe Cocker's "Space Captain" are also featured. Some of the star performers may have even felt the need to snarl, like Bette Midler to her Harlettes, "Ok, back-up girls! Back up!"

The album concludes with a sterling rendition by Darlene Love covering "Lean on Me," showcasing the range and power of her voice. She is a national treasure at this time.

Must-see movie (now in selected theaters) and must-have album. Each very highly recommended. Terrific remastering work; album produced by Morgan Neville. Available @ Amazon.com.

P.s.: You might best know Tata Vega from her 1979 disco smash posted below:

What Ever Happened to La La Brooks?

http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/07/la-la-brooks-vs-darlene-love.html

When the above post was created, I decided that would be the end of story, at least on my blog, no matter what drama continued. But, as things stand, I find that's so very hard to do.

Let me just add that I love Love and Brooks. I adore their voices. I enjoy seeing them perform. But La La has decided to sink her teeth into Darlene and it's becoming not only a public embarrassment on our Ms Brooks' Facebook page but a question of possible litigation. In her one rebuttal, Darlene Love, recently recovered from surgery for her heart attack, described La La's attacks as slanderous, and I for one smell litigation in the making.

When does one's free expression of thought become an issue of public harassment and/ or slander? La La is currently testing the parameters, having gone so far beyond the pall that I am beginning to lose respect for her, to be frank. Shouldn't La La be placing her energy in reviving her own career and not obsessively picking at the scabs of who was a real Crystal, and who sang "Da Doo Ron Ron" initially? Let go, baby, it's in the girl-group, Phil Spector past. So many psychic scars from those days. Ronnie knows and built a new show around it. As Ronnie warns in a song, "You can't put your arms around a memory/Don't try, don't try...."

In her single reply to your ranting, Ms Love said she related to you as a survivor of those Spector days and was hurt by your remarks. You ignored the olive branch and went on.

Who is pumping you up to keep tearing away at Ms Love on Facebook? This is not approprate discussion on such a public forum. As a friend of mine asked me privately, where the fuck is your manager? What is he getting paid for? Why doesn't he step in as you are out of bounds?

You have become a joke. Ms Blah Blah Babbling Brooks. Bette Davis never ripped into Joan Crawford with this much vitriol.

I enjoy your many recollections about "the old days" and working with Phil. But I am turned off by your unrelenting attacks on Ms Love. Kindly stop and proceed in a positive, productive kind of a way.

Ginger Casey made an attempt to smooth things over on your Facebook, yet you attacked her, her husband and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Honey, you don't need Phil to petition against The Crystals induction now!

Are you high, are you going insane? These are things I wonder as I read your cruel, paranoid hissy fits. I can't believe you've gone this far and it makes me sad. Even a frequent-posting Facebook friend suggested you get to bed after a full night of frothing at the mouth.

Last weekend, at the Laura Nyro tribute in Damrosch Park, I was speaking to a young woman, bringing up the gala Ponderosa Stomp Girl Group concert from last year. She asked if I knew La La Brooks. I said I didn't know you personally but you were nothing short of fabulous doing "River Deep, Mountain High" at that show's finale. She told me she met you in the neighborhood in the Village and thought you were very sweet.

That was encouraging. Please concentrate on your career, not on Darlene. It's uncomely for you to air dirty laundry in public.

Ta ta, La La! I'm hoping you get a grip. I'm sure you are nice to know. Let us know that sweetness again and let's hear more of your great talent, less of your bitter bile.

La La Brooks vs. Darlene Love

Darlene Love @ Joe's Pub in May, via my iPhone

My agent just informed me the United Nations purchased ALL the tickets to my show at 54 Below Theatre on Monday August 6th which means it's completely SOLD OUT!!!! I wonder who will be showing up! It's gonna be an interesting night .... lol,  Darlene Love recently posted on Facebook.

Ms Love has had a great resurgence and re-recognition, and has become of interest to a new generation. I don't know if she has new representation, but she's all over the place since her induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Performances under Studio 54 this season, Joe's Pub, BB King's Christmas Queen once more. She privately performed at NBC studios in NYC for friend Sue Simmons' retirement, and for the Ronald McDonald House. She is as beloved as she is omnipresent, not only on David Letterman every holiday season, but interviewed locally, nationally, internationally as of late. Might make another diva of the '60s girl-group era a little envious, huh?

Leery La La

Beside her success, Ms Love has a birthday tomorrow. I find it rather strange that La La Brooks chose to post this today on Facebook, then:

You know how I always have stories to tell you about things that are the truth and things that really happen in my life, LaLa begins. I will comment as we go along, otherwise offering La La's language verbatim on this matter.

The other day I received a personal letter from a fan who was venting ...about how Darlene Love has often incorrectly claimed credit for having performed lead vocals on "Da Doo Ron Ron." This letter was very heavy to me because the writer seemed very upset. I hope that after reading this message, you will all be calm and forgiving. [I was wondering if the letter was penned by, say, La La's sister.]

When I first came back from Europe where I had been living for 14 years, I got a call from the lead singer of a very famous girl group [Ronnie Spector, may I assume?], who told me "La, Darlene has been taking credit as if she did the original version of "Da Doo Ron Ron" and she has a lot of promoters booking her based on this assumption." [Ok, let me first say it is not true that Ms Love gets bookings based solely on the fact that she'll sing "Da Doo Ron Ron."] I listened to this but didn't respond as it was difficult for me to believe that someone could lie and be so mean. [Darl?] I had loved Darlene and her voice so much from the time that I was a child being flown out to California to put down the track. [Ms Love is only 6 years older than our Ms Brooks.] But, in time, I witnessed the lie myself.  [Oh-oh!]


In 1999 or 2000, I was being managed by Debbie and Bruce, a husband/wife couple who took me to "The New York Heroes Awards," which was an event honoring people including Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett, Celia Cruz and others. When we got to the event, the first person I saw near the door was Darlene. I gave her a big hug and asked how she was doing. She said, "I'm fine but I'll be better if I can get a part in another 'Lethal Weapon' movie."  [Snark much?] We both laughed and then walked inside. I saw Mary J. Blige sitting at a table with her sister. I had wanted to meet her and now I had that opportunity. The event hadn't started yet so I was able to talk with her for about 20 minutes. I told her who I was and what group I was with and what songs I had sung. Mary was overwhelmed [!] and said that people like me had paved the way for those who came after including herself.

I then went upstairs to my seat, as the proceedings were getting ready to begin. I was sitting between my managers at the table. A gentleman came out on stage introducing Darlene as the Master of Ceremonies. I was aware of this but I had no idea as to what would happen after she came out. He introduced her as if she were a member of The Crystals. Also I noticed in the program book that she was listed as having sung "Da Doo Ron Ron." When Darlene came out, she had a "ha ha" demeanor about herself [Ooo, girl!], as if she knew that I was there in the audience but there was nothing I could do to refute what was being claimed. I was outraged. [Get where this is going, huh?]


I was now in tears and saying to my managers, "I'm going to go on stage and tell the truth." [Oh, that's such a '60s girl-group line!] I was going to shut it down. But I was sitting between both of them and they had me pinned in. [Helpless! They must have been big people.] Debbie knew that I was really upset and said that she would talk to this guy by the side of the stage. She went downstairs and I could see her speaking with this guy. Naturally, she was upset and I could see her hands flying with emotion. Then she came back upstairs. Bruce asked what had happened. I was too upset to say anything. She said that show producer acknowledged that they all knew that La La Brooks was there and knew that she did that song, but that "this is politics. We know La La's there. We'll send her an apology letter later."

At this point, Debbie went to the ladies room so I was not pinned in and was able to get out of my seat. [Phew!] I began going down the stairs, heading toward the stage. I bent down to speak with Tony Visconti who was one of the organizers of the event. I told him about what was happening and he said that "I know, La La This is f'd (sic) up." I said, "Tony, if you don't rectify this, I'm going on stage." He was very concerned about this as he knew I was ready to go up there. He showed me the guy I should go to behind the stage. I went up to him, grabbed his arm and with tears in my eyes, I said, "How dare you! You're giving out these Heroes awards to current artists; yet at the same time, you're snuffing out another hero from the past-- who did this song; you're lying and playing politics by falsely giving someone else credit!"

I now saw Mary J. Blige coming down to go to the ladies room. She saw that I was upset and asked what happened. So I explained the story to her. "Mary, this business will try to screw you over. Don't let this happen to you." She responded, "Girl, don't let them steal your joy." Her manager who was accompanying her said, "La La Brooks, we know that you did that song. We know you're the real deal!" [I.e., Darlene is NOT.] In the meantime, I saw various show people speaking on their walkie-talkies, trying to solve the problem [it was that important!], as they knew I was determined to walk on stage. Everyone was there--people from Billboard and Cashbox magazines, etc.

Suddenly I saw this woman running down toward me saying "La La, don't worry, we're going to rectify it and get you on stage." So she walked me to the back of the room. As we were walking back there, I ran into some famous basketball players who were there and had heard about this mess-up. They were yelling, "Don't worry, sis. This stuff is wrong. Don't worry, they're gonna take care of it." Then I heard Darlene on stage introducing me, telling the audience who I was and what I did. And then she said, "Ladies and Gentlemen......La La Brooks." As I approached the stage, I received an overwhelming standing ovation, which shocked me. But these people hadn't seen me in 14 years. And Cashbox and Billboard had always known that I had done that song.


My hands were shaking as I reached the podium so I made sure that I placed them firmly upon it. Darlene was standing toward my right. I calmly spoke into the mike: [Are you ready, bitches? A star is reborn.]


"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I was an original member of The Crystals. My name is La La Brooks. The other original members were Barbara Alson [sic], Dee Dee Kenniebrew, Mary Thomas and Patsy Wright. I did "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me" when I was 15 years old with Phil Spector." The audience applauded. I continued, "Ladies and Gentlemen. Darlene Love was never a Crystal. But she was always Darlene Love." [Woowee, child!] I gave Darlene a smile and a hug and went offstage. [Bitch!] I received another standing ovation. [Bitch!]


I tell you this story to say how in this business there are people who will try to steal your glory. When fans write to me about things which are wrong, they are people who have done their research and know the truth and would like to tell it but don't have a platform to do so. And even Paul Shafer [Uh-oh! Dragging him in, too! Shafer will be on the phone with DL tomorrow, whining, "I never said that! I swear!"], who I love so much, has said many times that he doesn't understand why Darlene continues to try to take credit for a song she didn't do. If he doesn't know about music and who did what then who does? Paul is one of Phil Spector's good friends. [That's a recommendation these days?] So to all of you fans who've written letters to me about this, I thank you for having done your research on everything. So don't worry or be angry. Because when we have our big fan barbeque next year, I want you to come with your party faces on (lol). So don't worry, be happy........Love to all, La La

La La and Barbara Alston were the original lead vocalists for The Crystals. Phil Spector brought in Darlene Love to get more of the sound he wanted from his fronting diva, starting with "He's a Rebel." Oddly timed and bitter, I was surprised by this post. La La has posed with Darlene, both smiling. I assumed they were friendly. But now the dark side. What Ever Happened to La La Brooks? I was shocked to read such blatant resentment today. It's all playing out on Facebook, people, in the future of today. Is Darlene to Madonna as La La is to Gaga? Or vice versa?

 La La and Love: you decide! Below, dueling River Deeps.





Aw, it's all so sad. Right, Ms D?

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen's Hollywood Babble On

Well, it was a couple of days of prattle and tattle, lots of it involving figures in the world of pop music. Let me clue you in:

Darlene Love, on Tuesday, proudly announced, "My agent just informed me the United Nations purchased ALL the tickets to my show at 54 Below Theatre on Monday August 6th which means it's completely SOLD OUT!!!! I wonder who will be showing up!" Well, so do I!  I imagine a room of global dignitaries, guzzling cocktails, letting the weight of the world melt from their shoulders to Darlene belting out "He's A Rebel." Of course, that may not so relaxing for members of the General Assembly, especially those from countries like Yemen and Pakistan.

Maybe Dj Buddy B can get a Q&A with the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer before her next 54 Below performance. (I've got a Q&A coming up soon with another fabulous, powerhouse diva!) I'll keep you posted on both fronts.

Can you believe screen heartthrob and TCM favorite Tab Hunter is 81 today? His autobiography is very gentlemanly. The only performer he didn't seem to get along with was Tallulah Bankhead (drunk and mean when they were in the Tennessee Williams Broadway flop,  The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore), and he even limits saying anything negative about her. Still good-looking, with a still athletic build, he's still performing (dinner theater). Gay fans know him best for starring twice with Divine, in Polyester and in Lust in the Dust. He also had an affair with Anthony Perkins. It's in the book.

It was Miss Britney Spears who left X Factor in the dust due to her spontaneous hissy fit. San Francisco Chronicle claims she "left the set of 'The X-Factor' auditions in North Carolina on Monday after a contestant, dressed in drag, destroyed her pop hit '(You Drive Me) Crazy.'"

How could you "destroy" that?

"Music mogul Reid appeared to feel Spears’ pain during the audition – he patted the singer on the back as Lovato and Cowell tried to hide their disbelief by covering their faces with their hands," said People.com. Or hiding their laughing at a fellow judge.

Simon Cowell, astute as ever, told the contestant, “I don’t think she quite understood your tribute.”

"Spears returned to her seat moments later and added, 'I really respect the tribute. It was really nice," the Chronicle adds.  C'mon! She was told to say that when the producers turned missy around backstage and pushed her back onto the set, reminding her just what that big, fat paycheck is for.

If there's a cruel joke here at all, it was played by the show's producers.

The very tall, dark and very handsome actor, Cheyenne Jackson, has joined the HBO cast of Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as his lover, Scott Thorson. Steven (Magic Mike) Soderbergh directs. I hope Cheyenne has a shirtless scene or two. Why, I would have named this film Beyond the Valley of the Candelabras!

Thank God, when I went to Vegas to see Bette Midler perform, I went out to the desert, beyond the valley, to The Liberace Museum (now defunct). It smelled as if Libby was buried right there, under the floorboards! Incredible.

And, now, two odd facts I want to share with you because I love you:

Fact #1 from Unicorn Booty: "A new study suggests the key to avoiding morning sickness – or the cure for those afflicted with it – is devouring as much of your babydaddy’s semen as humanly possible." It also suggests semen is a cure for nausea. But, really, ladies and gents, can you imagine going in to your partner, waking him up in bed, and saying: "Darling, I think I'm going to puke. Do you mind if I...?"

I think not.  Of course, Joan Crawford had it on hand in a refrigerator. Good for her complexion she swore, applying it as a moisturizer. So you might take that into consideration as far as preparedness is concerned.

Fact #2 comes from my friend, Jennifer Lott Randall: "300 A.D. Christian martyr St. Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry, is burned by the Romans after having her teeth extracted." We Catholics have a patron saint for oral hygiene! In 300 A.D., that meant just bashing all your teeth out. And St. Apollonia was put to death by the Tea Party of her time for being toothless! (I admit it's not the chicest look for a girl.) Still, I'll never again bitch about dental procedures or orthodontia!
                                          
                                         ***
Well, I hope you've had your fill of my gab and blab. Until our next gossip corner, best wishes and all my love, Buddy B!