Celebrity
Time Reveals 2022 TIME100 The 100 Most Influential People in The World
TIME reveals the 2022 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The issue has 5 worldwide covers, each highlighting a member of the TIME100: actor Zendaya, Apple CEO Tim Cook, recording artist Mary J. Blige, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and actor Simu Liu.
The TIME100 includes surprising pairings of the list members and the guest contributors TIME selects to write about them. The nineteenth annual list features: Michelle Obama on Oprah Winfrey, Joe Biden on Volodymyr Zelensky, Matthew McConaughey on Channing Tatum, Denis Villeneuve on Zendaya, James Corden on Adele, Reese Witherspoonon Zoë Kravitz, Martin Scorsese on Andrew Garfield, Sandra Oh on Simu Liu, Ryan Seacrest on Kris Jenner, Laurene Powell Jobs on Tim Cook, Jeb Bush on Ron DeSantis, Tom Brady on Rafael Nadal and many more.
See the 2022 TIME100 full list, tributes, videos and photos here.
Of the 2022 TIME100 list, TIME editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal writes, “Our hope is that the TIME100 list is not simply a recognition of influence but a study in how influence can be wielded… If crisis is going to unite us, we must find within ourselves that same empathy. The spectrum of leaders on this list, wielding influence in so many ways, is a reminder that we all have the option to use our power for good.” https://time.com/6179626/how-we-chose-time100-2022/
Highlights include:
The 2022 TIME100 features dozens of entertainers, including Channing Tatum, Pete Davidson, Amanda Seyfried, Zendaya, Adele, Simu Liu, Mila Kunis, Oprah Winfrey, Ahmir “Questlove”Thompson, Mary J. Blige, Miranda Lambert, Jon Batiste, Keanu Reeves and more.
Athletes on this year’s list include: Nathan Chen, Alex Morgan, Eileen Gu, Candace Parker, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and Rafael Nadal.
This year’s list features 49 women, including Mary J.Blige, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Yeoh, Ariana DeBose, Adele, Miranda Lambert, Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Seyfried, Zendaya, Nadine Smith, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Quinta Brunson, Zoe Kravitz, Cristina Villarreal Velásquez and others.
The list features U.S. President Joe Biden, and other U.S. political figures including Kevin McCarthy, Ron DeSantis, Kyrsten Sinema, Ketanji Brown Jackson and more.
Other notable writers include Sacha Baron Cohen, Mindy Kaling, LeBron James, Billy Porter, Stevie Wonder, Alexei Navalny, Jimmy Fallon, Bernie Sanders, Bowen Yang, Billie Jean King, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Jack Harlow, Cory Booker, and more.
Xi Jinping is on the list for the 13th time, more than any other person on the list this year. Other repeats include: Oprah Winfrey (10), Vladimir Putin (7), Joe Biden (5), Christine Lagarde (5),Tim Cook (5), Adele (3), Rafael Nadal (2), Alex Morgan (2), Abiy Ahmed (2), Issa Rae (2), Megan Rapinoe (2) and Ursula von der Leyen (2).
Eileen Gu, 18-years-old, is the youngest person on this year’s list. The oldest person on this year’s list is Faith Ringgold, who is 91-years-old.
Nas on Mary J. Blige: “Mary came up the way we all did. She was a voice for us, but she wasn’t like other R&B artists at the time. She became a household name early because she was a hip-hop artist who also sang. The industry needed someone like that. The streets wanted that. Pop culture wanted that…… And when Mary came onstage at the Super Bowl halftime show this year, she got one of the loudest responses…She carved out a lane for herself, and now she can feed the people more than just music…. She became who she’s supposed to be.”
Laurene Powell Jobs on Tim Cook: “Apple is Tim Cook’s life’s work, and in this work, Tim displays mastery. Tim has demonstrated more range in his leadership of one of the world’s largest companies than any contemporary CEO. …Tim’s job demands not only business wisdom but also philosophical wisdom. The intense pressure of setting and executing Apple’s progression with deep precision, and of taking responsibility for the company’s effects on society, is almost unimaginable. Yet Tim does it with compassion and discipline, turning to nature to replenish his spirit.”
Denis Villeneuve on Zendaya: “She is an autonomous creative force herself. A cultural icon in the making. A person driven by pure inspiration, empathy, and respect for her craft, who uses authenticity as a new superpower. She seems fearless, her roots run deep, and I love that she still laughs like a kid. Zendaya is the future. And there is nothing more comforting to me. This is only the beginning.”
Sandra Oh on Simu Liu: “Simu has been working hard to get through closed doors, and now he wants to hold those doors open for others. You see him doing that through the way he speaks out against hateful violence, his openness about his own experiences of isolation and discrimination, his professional choices. He’s our superhero.”
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Mia Mottley: “There are some who stand tall and stand out no matter where they are from—whether a large, densely populated country or a small island nation. Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados is one such person. Bold, fearless, and possessing a great intellect and wit, the Prime Minister is a brilliant politician who knows how to shake things up… She is an embodiment of our conscience, reminding us all to treat our planet, and therefore one another, with love, dignity, and care.”
Joe Biden on Volodymyr Zelensky: “In President Zelensky, the people of Ukraine have a leader worthy of their bravery and resilience, as citizens across the country… fight for their homes and their freedom… The nations of the free world, inspired by the example of President Zelensky, are more united, more determined, and more purposeful than at any point in recent memory. With the support of the U.S. and our allies and partners, he has left his mark on history and proved to the world that Ukraine will long endure and its people will ultimately realize the democratic future they have long desired.”
Bill Clinton on Joe Biden: “On the global stage, President Biden has unified our democratic allies across Europe and around the world to isolate Russia and provide military and humanitarian assistance to the brave people of Ukraine, while restoring U.S. leadership on key issues including climate change, democracy, and human rights. We still face stern tasks, including taming inflation without causing a recession, and combatting violent crime. The usual sound bites and answers that dominate the news won’t help. But a get-the-job-done leader who cares more about the people than the polls, more about winning the future than rewriting history, will. That’s who Joe Biden is. And why I’m glad he’s on the job.”
Matthew McConaughey on Channing Tatum: “Unafraid to fear, confident enough to be the brunt of the joke, and playful enough to take the dare, Channing calls the youth in all of us out to play.Innocent sometimes, naive never, he’s a nine-lives sleight-of-hand magic trick by design and on purpose.He doesn’t handle his business in the game of Hollywood, he plays his game in the business of Hollywood.”
Cynthia Nixon on Sarah Jessica Parker: “She isn’t tall, but she is a giant—as a performer, producer, and businesswoman. And she is, quite simply, beloved. We love her glamour, her vulnerability, her fearless oh-so-skilled physical comedy, her sexiness, and her sweetness. But most of all, we love the essence of who she is… Because while superficial things about my friend have changed, when I look at Sarah Jessica, I see that same one-of-a-kind, diamond-in-the-rough 12-year-old. And I always will.”
Kara Swisher on Joe Rogan: “I’m probably the very last person you might pick to assess the power and meaning of Joe Rogan. While we both do long podcasts, we’re quite different in terms of origins (journalist vs. comic), tone (persistently tough vs. indefatigably curious), and content (just the facts vs. just asking questions—including to obvious charlatans)… Rogan has pioneered and plowed the fields like no other. To say he is big is an understatement… But he’s also gotten into a lot of trouble this year for resurfaced racial slurs he made—and apologized for—and being a place where COVID deniers get a very easy ride. It’s complicated, of course, but there’s no question that Rogan’s success is pretty simple: the former Fear Factor host has become the nation’s earworm.”
Ryan Seacrest on Kris Jenner: “When I was first introduced to Kris Jenner, she possessed everything you would envy in a person: charisma, confidence, and warmth… .I saw her fearlessness firsthand as she insisted the show include not only the family’s high points, but all its vulnerabilities as well. Since then, Kris has become the undisputed matriarch of reality television and is destined to be ranked among the top marketing minds in history… As the stabilizing core of an empire, she continually navigates the unexpected challenges of life and business with empathy, transparency, and endurance.”
Michelle Obama on Oprah Winfrey: Whether she’s talking to pop stars, Presidents, schoolgirls, scholars—or she’s asking you about your life over a glass of wine in the living room—Oprah has always had that uncanny ability to open us up, to hear beyond our words, and to uncover a higher truth, to be vulnerable with us in a way that allows us to be vulnerable back…. When Oprah connects with something—a person, a book, a song, an idea—she makes sure to shine her light on it. She validates it. She anoints it… That’s why no matter where you go, everyone knows her name. And all of it makes me wonder: maybe her success isn’t rooted in the fact that she found a common denominator that unites us all. Maybe Oprah is our common denominator.”
Elle King on Miranda Lambert: “Not a lot of people will take your hand, nudge you right into the spotlight, and share it with you…But that’s exactly what Miranda Lambert did in 2019, when she asked me to be a part of her Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour, during which she brought along a new generation of artists to share her stage. It was Miranda’s idea to bring us all together—she wanted powerful female voices to front the whole thing. That’s her vibe: she’s all about making everybody feel welcome. And there is not one inauthentic hair on her head.”
Reese Witherspoon on Zoë Kravitz: “Zoë Kravitz defies definition. She contains multitudes and stands fully formed in her beauty, her intelligence, her grace, her humor, her strength. Part maverick, part savant, mostly just … cool…Working with Zoë on Big Little Lies, I discovered her hidden talent: her humor. She made me laugh during endless night shoots and always pushed the comedic tension between our characters onscreen.”
Jack Harlow on Pete Davidson: “Pete’s appeal to the world has everything to do with his authenticity. He doesn’t try to hide the person that he is. It’s a classic recipe for success and connection. I would consider myself truthful, but being around Pete makes me want to continue to reach even further for the realest version of myself. We don’t have another one of him. He’s daring, thoughtful, and simply hilarious. And he’s only 28. An icon with so much more left to accomplish.”
LeBron James on Quinta Brunson: “That’s the real beauty of Quinta’s brilliance. Using humor and nuance to connect people over everyday realities in order to improve them—for students, teachers, creators, and everyone who comes after her. Because it’s all about opening doors. Breaking down barriers. And doing it with love, kindness, and compassion. While still being an absolute boss like QB.”
Steve Ballmer on Andy Jassy: “Moving computing into the cloud is one of the great functional transformations of technology in my lifetime. Andy Jassy, who led Amazon Web Services (AWS) since its inception in 2003, was a great leader in that transformation. With AWS, he built one of the world’s most successful businesses…Hats off to him for what he’s done at Amazon over the last two decades and what he will accomplish going forward—even if I’m rooting for Microsoft when the two companies compete.”
The Complete list:
Gautam Adani, chairperson of Adani Group
Adele, recording artist
Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Anwar Al Bunni and Mazen Darwish, lawyers
Elizabeth Alexander, poet and president of the Mellon Foundation
Bela Bajaria, Netflix executive
Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna
Umar Ata Bandial, Chief Justice of Pakistan
Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of FTX
Jon Batiste, recording artist
Joe Biden, President of the United States
Mary J. Blige, recording artist
Gabriel Boric, President of Chile
Quinta Brunson, actor, writer, and producer
Mike Cannon-Brookes, CEO of Atlassian
Nathan Chen, figure skater
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Pete Davidson, comedian
Ariana DeBose, actor
Demna, fashion designer
Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida
Hwang Dong-hyuk, film director
Evan Eichler, Karen Miga, Adam Phillippy and Michael Schatz, researchers
Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi
Andrew Garfield, actor
Timnit Gebru, computer scientist
Nan Goldin, photographer
Eileen Gu, skier
Sônia Guajajara, activist
Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania
Frances Haugen, data engineer
Michael R. Jackson, playwright, composer and lyricist
Ketanji Brown Jackson, federal judge
Letitia James, Attorney General of New York
Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon
Kris Jenner, media personality
Francis Kéré, architect
Hoda Khamosh, activist
Zoë Kravitz, actor
Mila Kunis, actor
Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank president
Miranda Lambert, recording artist
Maya Lin, architect and artist
Simu Liu, actor
Valérie Masson-Delmotte and Panmao Zhai, climate scientists
Kevin McCarthy, politician
Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn, soccer players
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
Sikhulile Moyo and Tulio de Oliveira, researchers
Dmitry Muratov, journalist
Sevgil Musaieva, journalist
Rafael Nadal, tennis player
Karuna Nundy, lawyer
Emily Oster, economist
Derrick Palmer and Chris Smalls, union organizers
Sarah Jessica Parker, actor
Candace Parker, basketball player
Khurram Parvez, activist
Peng Shuai, tennis player
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Issa Rae, actor, writer, and producer
Keanu Reeves, actor
Faith Ringgold, artist
Gregory L. Robinson, program director of the James Webb Space Telescope
Joe Rogan, host
Sally Rooney, author
Emmett Schelling, executive director of Transgender Education Network of Texas
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
Amanda Seyfried, actor
Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. Senator for Arizona
Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida
Jeremy Strong, actor
Jazmine Sullivan, recording artist
Sun Chunlan, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China
Channing Tatum, actor
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, filmmaker and recording artist
Cristina Villarreal Velásquez and Ana Cristina González Vélez, Causa Justa pioneers
David Vélez, CEO of Nubank
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Taika Waititi, filmmaker
Josh Wardle, software engineer
Oprah Winfrey, host, television producer, actor, author, and philanthropist
Xi Jinping, President of China
Michelle Yeoh, actor
Yoon Suk-yeol, President of South Korea
Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, Ukrainian General
David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery
Michelle Zauner, recording artist
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Zendaya, actor
The second annual TIME100 Summit on June 7, 2022 will convene leaders from the global TIME100 community to spotlight solutions and encourage action toward a better world. Speakers for the day-long event include: Apple CEO Tim Cook; co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates; NBA champion, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Dwyane Wade; writer, producer, and actor Mindy Kaling; U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry; former U.S. Representative and co-founder, Giffords Gabrielle Giffords; Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley; founder and creative director, Brother Vellies Aurora James, designer Christian Siriano; head of global TV, Netflix Bela Bajaria; Olympic Champion, Freestyle Skiing Eileen Gu; writer, director, producer and actor Taika Waititi; poet and author Cathy Park Hong; artist Jon Batiste; senior vice president, BioNTech SEDr. Katalin Karikó; filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen and more. Visit Time100summit.com for program and speaker updates.
The 16th annual TIME100 Gala, celebrating TIME’s list of the world’s most influential people, will take place on June 8, 2022. The event will feature performances by Mary J. Bligeand Miranda Lambert, as well as honorary tributes from members of this year’s list, remarks from TIME Editor-in-Chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal, and more.
Both events will take place at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
The June 6 / June 13 double issue of TIME goes on sale on Friday, May 27.
G.H. Harding
FAMILY’S A BITCH-THE END OF SUCCESSION — Sunday’s finale of Succession (HBO) was a mixed bag. I’ll be honest: At first I thought the finale was totally underwhelming, but after some additional thought and reading some other excellent reviews, I’ve come to the point where I now believe it was, pure and simple, how it had to end.
Joss Stone
None more so than Joss Stone on “I Put A Spell On You.” What a voice. I’m amazed she’s not bigger; very Janis Joplin.
Gary Clark
Also, Gary Clark delivered a blistering, amazing performance on Stevie Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.” No question that he’s the next guitar-wizard. Here they both are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvO2_noxaXQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO2BLAXveVo …
The Flash
I watched all 9 seasons of the CW’s The Flash and the first 5 were pretty terrific. The remaining ones got poorer and poorer as the original cast disappeared one by one. Grant Gustin, The Flash, was there the whole time, but their finale last week was terribly confusing – save for a song by Tony Award winner Jesse L. Martin (for Rent) – a key member of the original cast. The last two seasons had a myriad of costumed villains, some from the comic, some not, but just wildly messed up. The CW was sold to Nexstar last year and big changes are in their future. Sad … and, CNN is reporting that Universal Music is close to snapping up the rights to the Queen-catalog for $1 billion-plus. Good for them.
Queen
Disney had it previously, but Queen’s music is more popular than ever before. It’s a real shame Freddie is not her to share in it. If you wondered the record for the biggest previously was for Bruce Springsteen’s catalog at $500 million.
Ramon Hervey has earned global recognition as a highly regarded entertainment manager, brand consultant & publicist who has represented Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Paul McCartney, the Bee Gees, Muhammad Ali, Caitlyn Jenner, Quincy Jones, Vanessa Williams, The Commodores with Lionel Richie, the Jacksons with Michael Jackson and a whole lot more A Listers. He is the author of the book…The Fame Game: An Insider’s Playbook for Earning Your 15 minutes.
After having invested 4 decades in playing the fame game, Ramon and I sat down to talk on The Motivation Show podcast.
Ramon, why do you call fame a “game” and why did you choose that word for your book title? “Fame is unpredictable, just as are the results in a game. Everyone has failures. You hope to win, but it is not guaranteed. Only .0065% of over 7 billion people in the world are famous. There are a lot of successful people in the world that never become famous. Fame and success don’t come with a warranty.”
What does Ramon feel about luck playing a role in success and fame? “I think there is a certain amount of luck in what I do. A lot of it is timing. Timing is a form of luck.” One example Ramon gives is when Starbucks started to introduce music in it’s cafes. The first one was Ray Charles, who died shortly thereafter, which skyrocketed sales of his music. That sales surge is what Ramon attributed to luck.
The pursuit of fame…is it mostly a positive goal? “Most people don’t know what fame is til they already become famous. A lot of stars change their mind about what they thought fame was going to be. A lot of people don’t like all the baggage that comes with being famous. The lack of privacy. In my time on the planet, it has definitely changed dramatically over the past ten years.” Ramon points to Social Media and it’s impact on more people having an opportunity to become famous in different ways than were available previously.
Why did Richard Pryor, at the height of his fame, attempt suicide & what was the famous incident which almost killed him that he later confessed to as a suicide attempt? “I managed all of Richard’s missteps. He was probably the #1 black entertainer in the world at that time. It’s not my fame. It’s their fame. I think Richard always felt guilty about his fame. He didn’t think he could live up to the level of fame that he achieved. That created an albatross around his neck. It made him rely on more substances to sedate him and calm himself. He reached the point that he did not want to become that person anymore. For the longest time he said that he didn’t (try to commit suicide), he said it was an accident. Richard always found a way to market his vulnerability. All of his comedy focused on all of his missteps. He had shot all four tires on his Mercedes and told his wife during a fight that you are not going to leave in that car. He put that into his comedy. He did it the exact opposite way of what we would advise which would be to put the incidences behind you. I don’t know anyone else that was as successful as him in marketing all of the things he did wrong.”
When asking Ramon about what type of confident personality one has to have to become famous he says, “I do believe you have to have a big ego and a certain amount of self confidence to be successful. Every famous person I met took a different path to get it and they all loss some level of fame at some point.”
Can you give us an example of someone you managed very well? “I am very proud of my relationship with Bette Midler. She helped to blossom my career. I was never her manager, but I was her publicist. I did work in a management capacity…she didn’t have a manager. I have a great appreciation and fondness for her. Also, working with my ex-wife Vanessa Williams on her crisis management. I did not know her at the time she was embroiled in the Miss America controversy. She resigned here title and I am glad she did. We got married and had three kids together and I managed her career. It took ten years for her to get her life back after she resigned from the Miss America pageant where she was just called Vanessa Williams without alluding to any prior controversy.”
In discussing his earlier years, Ramon shares two musical giants that helped shape his career. “In my book, I try to enlighten people about the trajectory of my own fame. My first client I got to work with was Paul McCartney. My initial task was to put together a press kit. That shaped my next 4 or 5 years when I got an opportunity to work with Quincy Jones who is the first client I brought to Rogers & Cowan who I was working with at the time. He was someone I treasured to be in his presence because he had so many great stories and so much great insight.”
Ramon muses in his book about fame, that the more you get, the harder it is to manage. I asked him if there are any other examples like that. “Probably the worst case scenario was Rick James. He had a very troubled childhood. For him, fame meant he put himself above people. He created a lot of bad blood. The way that he treated people. A lot of people did not want him to win. He always had a great fan base, but I think his fame was toxic for him. He self-destructed. He was obsessed with fame and all the hoopla and perks. He loved being the king of everything. He was very demanding. He did not know how to manage his fame.”
In closing, I ask Ramon, what he is most proud of. “I am proud of my reputation. I have never been sued. I’ve always approached business with a great deal of integrity. I’ve always worked really hard. I’ve always tried to be honest with my clients. Authentic and transparent. I think that is much better than being a yes man.”
So when I think of fame, I think of getting the best table in the best restaurants. I think about people idolizing me. I also think about people interrupting my conversation and my meal for photos and autographs. Do I really want that…or do I just want a nice, quiet, peaceful meal. Hmmm…some food for thought. How about you? Do you want to be part of the Fame Game?
You can listen to Eli’s podcast The Motivation Show on any podcast listening app or use this Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NVmTDAvGbzooN8TCW7tuN. To contact Eli or to have him speak at your event, email motivatea2z@gmail.com.
G.H. Harding
LASSO’S MOM CITY — I believe that the best ever episode of Ted Lasso was dropped this week, entitled Mom City. It started off innocently enough with Ted leaving for work and walking right past his mother! He realized it and turned back to her. Turns out she had been in London for a week and was just now seeing Ted.
Harry Nilsson
Also, Harry Nilsson’s “Puppy Song” was a key musical moment in the EP. Harry, we love you!
Joel Diamond
SHORT TAKES — The #1 iTunes song currently is Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do with It.” Much deserved … Producer Joel Diamond used to live at 220 Central Park South in NYC. His building was torn down and re-built. It is now part of what they call Billionaire’s Road. WSJ-reporter Katherine Clarke’s new book is about just that.. Via Random House, Billionaire’s Row is out on June 13 …
Sasha Prendes
We dropped the name of new Latino-artist Sasha Prendes last time; we just saw a teaser clip for her new video “Shake This.” Check it out here: https://www.sashaprendes.com/video … Micky Dolenz headlined at this week’s Abbey Road On The River and delivered his usual high-octane performance.
James Burton
He leaves for England this week for the James Burton & Friends/One Night Only event June 4 at London’s Palladium … Terry Jastrow interviewed by Brad Balfour for his podcast this week …
Whoopi Goldberg
ENDQUOTE: Via Deadline: The View’s Whoopi Goldberg Claims ‘American Idol’ Led To The Downfall of Society. Ouch! Check it out here: https://deadline.com/2023/05/the-view-cohost-whoopi-goldberg-claims-american-idol-led-to-downfall-society-1235380500/ … Happy Bday Buddy Blanch and Bobby Shaw!
G.H. Harding
TINA TURNER — Talk about a voice of a generation … my generation for sure. I think one of the first records I ever listened too was one from Ike & Tina Turner and Tina immediately caught my ear and eye. 1973’s “Nutbush City Limits” and later “Proud Mary.” Tina was simply dazzling. She passed Wednesday in Switzerland after a lengthy illness and surviving a stroke.
12 Grammys; 3 Grammy Hall of Fame awards; a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; the first Black artist and the first female to be on the cover of Rolling Stone; and, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. And she had her biggest hit when she was in her 40’s. Tina was a ground-breaker in every sense of the word.
From “Nutbush City Limits” to her stunning album, Private Dancer, she was a fierce innovator.
Tom Cuddy with Tina Turner
Author Mark Bego who did two tomes on Tina said: “The passing of rock legend Tina Turner is truly tragic. She was an amazing force of nature as a singer, performer, actress, and international inspiration. Having started out with ex-husband Ike Turner, as part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the 1960’s, Tina broke free from an abusive marriage with Ike, and became a solo legend on her own. I was privileged to tell her story in the books Tina Turner: Break Every Rule in 2003, and a German language update in 2009 called Tina Turner: Die Biografie. Her story, her legend, and her timeless music will live on.”
For those in the know: British-singer John Miles (“Slow Down”) toured with Tina in 1987. I knew Miles … great, great talent. Here she is with WOR’s Tom Cuddy, back when he was running WPLJ.
Paul Simon
SIMON OF THE TIMES — (Via Deadline) Singer-songwriter Paul Simon, who at 81 has just released his 15th studio album, titled Seven Psalms, has revealed a recent hearing loss in his left ear and says the condition has left him doubting he’ll tour again.
In an interview with UK’s The Times, Simon said the hearing loss struck while he was writing the new album. “Quite suddenly, I lost most of the hearing in my left ear, and nobody has an explanation for it,” he told the publication. “So everything became more difficult.”
The Graceland singer said he was more frustrated and annoyed than angered by the hearing loss “because I thought it would pass, it would repair itself.” The condition, however, has not improved, and he now has doubts that he’ll perform live again, a decision reinforced by both a 2020 bout with Covid and his lack of enthusiasm for singing some of his old songs.
“The songs of mine that I don’t want to sing live, I don’t sing them,” he told The Times. “Sometimes there are songs that I like and then at a certain point in a tour, I’ll say, ‘What the f*ck are you doing, Paul?’ Quite often that would come during ‘You Can Call Me Al.’ I’d think, ‘What are you doing? You’re like a Paul Simon cover band. You should get off the road, go home.’”
Simon, who lives on a large Texas ranch with wife Edie Brickell, reflected on the recent losses of Gordon Lightfoot and Jeff Beck, noting, “It’s just the age we’re at…My generation’s time is up.”
SHORT TAKES — Brutal review of HBO’s The Idol in Roger Friedman’s always prescient Showbiz 411. Friedman goes to great length to say that the machinations of the music business are not accurately portrayed in the show at all. Truth be told: They’ve never been accurately portrayed. To me, the closest they even came was in Martin Scorsese’s brilliant Vinyl. Euphoria’s Sam Levinson is the force behind this one and I didn’t have any desire to watch it. After reading Roger’s take on it, I probably never will. Check it out here: https://www.showbiz411.com/2023/05/22/cannes-hbo-unveils-the-idol-starring-the-weeknd-abel-tesfaye-and-lily-rose-depp-in-vulgar-gross-outsiders-take-on-pop-life…
Q1043 in NYC giving away DVDs of the recent Neil Bogart-inspired movie Spinning Gold. Sadly, when Justin Timberlake stepped away from portraying Bogart, this movie was DOA. It came out with nary a whisper, terrible reviews and was literally over in three days. I knew Bogart and this could have been a great, great movie. Sad for sure
Eppy; Robert Miller; and David Salidor
We wondered about Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam (seen here with Eppy from My Father’s Place and PR-pasha David Salidor) and emailed him? No response so far. We’ll keep you posted … NBC just announced that The Blacklist finale will air -two hours- on Thursday, July 13. Suffice to say, it was a sensational show …
Bob Dylan
Happy BDay to Bob Dylan; Mike Myers; Cillian Murphy; and Frank Oz.
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Tony King; Mark Bego; Michael Leon; Adriana Kaegi; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Mark Knopfler; Daryl Easlea; Russ Titleman; Donnie Kehr; Cori Gardner; Benny Harrison; Steve Walter; Jeff Smith; Vinnie Zuffante; Marion Curtis; Angela Tarantino; Michael Fuchs; Sasha Prendes; and ZIGGY!
G.H. Harding
GABRIEL’S GOLD — I first met Peter Gabriel eons ago at a Prince’s Trust event in London. He was sitting with the actress Rosanna Arquette, and I just formed an immediate connection with him. I was with another client, but we just clicked and ended up talking for several hours. I’ve followed his music before and certainly after and he latest album, I believe his first in 21 years, i/owill be out shortly and he’s been releasing tracks one by one – believe it not, whenever there’s been a full moon.
CHURCH AND STATE — Sunday’s penultimate episode of Succession was as brutal and emotional as ever. The three siblings, joined by their mother at Logan’s funeral, were awash in emotion, but not enough to dissuade them from further business angling. Roman ultimately broke down while he was delivering an eulogy and ended the show wandering aimlessly in a protest taking place. Logan’s brother Ewan, essayed by James Crowell, delivered a blistering indictment of Logan … on point for sure. And, Cromwell knocked it out of the park for sure.
Kendall and Shiv pursued their own affairs and it was clear by the episode’s end, that both brothers knew, she was siding with Lukas Matsson. Tom was barely in the episode at all and even missed Roy’s funeral; although he claimed to be the last one with Logan when he died.
The episode was written be creator Jesse Armstrong and was as powerful as ever, Truly a great show and one that I will miss. Get ready for next week 90-minute finale. It should be nothing short of stunning.
GUESS WHO DON’T SUE — What major 80’s blue-eyed soul singer was about to pact with a English-based label for his new album, when at the last minute he (and his manager) changed their mind and released it themselves on their own label?
The album is 3 weeks old with nary a review nor any major airplay.
Anyone can release their own album these days; but, the key is the support staff and street team … much needed these days with social media. I remember back in the day when a major ad agency took a two-page ad out themselves: the first page said, this is what happens when you don’t advertise. The second page: totally blank.
It does take a village indeed!
SHORT TAKES — The long-talked about Dave Mason autobiography, Only You And I Know, will now be out on November 14. It was originally supposed to be out this week. I wonder what caused the delay? Maybe he remembered more stories about The Moke or Teddy Slatus? …
David Zaslav
David Zaslav (Zaz The Butcher) was met with boos and angry chants from students after taking the stage at Boston University on Sunday to accept his honorary degree and give the 2023 commencement speech. Those cries began as early as the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO’s introduction by BU President Robert A. Brown during the 150th commencement exercises at Nickerson Field. As Brown spoke to Zaslav’s “passion for documenting and sharing the human story on a global scale,” the chants and booing immediately picked up, followed by what would become a constant ebb and flow of calls throughout his 20-minute speech. A plane even flew by with a banner proclaiming Pay Your Writers. Face it, this guy’s a joke for sure …
Micky Dolenz -photo by Jane Blunkell-
Micky Dolenz’s solo show in Davenport, Iowa this weekend, apparently was off the charts. Our spy reports that SRO-crowd was terrifically energetic; especially on a terrific version of The Beatles’ “Get Back.” Thanks to Jane Blunkell for the attached shot. Dolenz is at Abbey Road On The River this week and Louisville Public Media did a nice interview with him. Check it out here: https://www.lpm.org/music/2023-05-22/shines-catchup-with-micky-dolenz-of-the-monkees … I caught the Bob Clearmountain interview on Inside Power Station on NYC Life Channel this weekend and it was pretty good. Stephen Webber, Director of BerkleeNYC was not the best interviewer I’ve ever seen, but he held up. To tell you the truth, I’d never heard of this channel or show, but frankly, it was pretty well done.
The Power Station, for those that don’t know, was one of the premiere studios in NYC before going through a series of management changes and now Berklee School of Music owns it. As the interview with Clearmountain abruptly ended, they showed a video and interview from a current student there; so it’s as much a promo move from Berklee as anything else. I wonder what actual artists were interviewed for the show. I’d love to see Springsteen interviewed or even Duran Duran. These behind-the-scenes docs are gaining prominence for sure. Latino-artist Thalia announced one last week and there’s a slew coming. Stay tuned …
James Mangold
And, the new Indiana Jones movie debuted at Cannes last week and received not the best reviews and much chatter was about its director James Mangold and whether he was a good choice. I’ll see it for sure as I’m a fan of the series, but Sunday I caught the tail-end of Ford vs. Ferrari, which I loved the first time I saw it and loved it again. I had forgotten that Mangold directed that one too and to me, did just a brilliant job. Bravo! … Happy Bday Bernie Taupin!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Race Taylor; Tony King; Rob Dickins; Daryl Easlea; Glenn Gretlund; Ian Lee; Mikael Wood; Robert Evans; Roger Friedman; Angela Tarantino; Robert Funarto; Michael Fuchs; Brian Cox; Kit Lambert; Chris Stamp; Decca Records; Lifehouse; Benny Harrison; and CHIP!
The New Dramatists’ 71st Annual Benefit Luncheon and You are There
Tribeca Festival Announces ‘Expressions of Black Freedom’
A Golden Night at InterContinental New York Barclay
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