Entertainment

Country music legend Charlie Daniels dies at 83

Country Music legend Charlie Daniels, best known for his monster 1979 hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” died Monday of a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83. According to a press release from his representatives, the acclaimed Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member died at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn., where doctors determined his cause of death. Daniels accumulated a slew of accolades and awards during his long career in music, including his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame and becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He also won a Dove Award for gospel albums and a coveted Grammy Award for best country vocal performance by a duo or group. While The Charlie Daniels Band had numerous hits and remained a staple in Country music radio, his most enduring hit was a tale of a young man named Johnny who challenged the devil to a fiddle-playing contest and came away with a violin made of gold. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” was No. 1 on the country charts in 1979 and No. 3 on the pop charts. It was voted single of the year by the Country Music Association. “Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor, and a true road warrior, Daniels parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children, and others in need,” a statement from Daniels’ representatives reads. In addition to his music, Daniels was a major advocate for several causes that were close to his heart including supporting the U.S. military with The Journey Home Project, which he founded in 2014 with his manager, David Corlew, to help veterans. “My manager, myself and some other people started this Journey Home Project to help — we’ve come to find out there is a great need for assistance by veterans who are returning from their service. Most of the people that we deal with haven’t gotten that,” Daniels told Fox News in 2019. “We all know the agencies that are tasked with helping our military people are bureaucracies that, by nature, grind slow,” Daniels added at the time. “So there are immediate needs and slow bureaucracies, and we kind of step in and try to help out.” Daniels also worked closely with the Jason Foundation, a Nashville-based nonprofit started by a father who lost his teen son to suicide. Daniels previously said that after looking at the data, he knew he could help veterans and needed to educate people on just how close to tragedy we might be at any given moment. According to The Tennessean, Daniels is survived by his wife, Hazel, and son, Charlie Daniels, Jr. Daniels, a singer, guitarist and fiddler, started out as a session musician, even playing on Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline” sessions. Beginning in the early 1970s, his five-piece band toured endlessly, sometimes doing 250 shows a year. “I can ask people where they are from, and if they say `Waukegan,′ I can say I’ve played there. If they say `Baton Rouge,′ I can say I’ve played there. There’s not a city we haven’t played in,” Daniels said in 1998. Daniels performed at White House, at the Super Bowl, throughout Europe and often for troops in the Middle East. He played himself in the 1980 John Travolta movie “Urban Cowboy” and was closely identified with the rise of country music generated by that film. Daniels, a native of Wilmington, N.C., played on several Bob Dylan albums as a Nashville recording session guitarist in the late 1960s, including “New Morning” and “Self-Portrait.”

I was stunned to hear of Charlie’s passing.  Saw him in the ’80s in St. Louis at one of the infamous “Summer Jams” at the original Busch Stadium, and leaned on the stage when he played.  He was quite the entertainer and a man of great character; something one doesn’t say often about those in the entertainment business.  Thanks for the tunes and your inspiration, Charlie.  R.I.P.

Ricky Gervais mocks celebs in the ‘I Take Responsibility’ anti-racism PSA

Comedian Ricky Gervais had some fun at the expense of the A-listers who appeared in a new public service announcement attempting to combat racism. n a video for the “I Take Responsibility” campaign, multiple high-profile white celebrities are featured taking “responsibility for turning the racist tide in America,” denouncing police brutality and committing to learning more “about issues facing the black community.” Some of big-name performers include Julianne Moore, Sarah Paulson, Aaron Paul, Kristen Bell, Debra Messing, Justin Theroux, Stanley Tucci and Ke$ha. “Black people are being slaughtered in the streets, killed in their own homes. These are our brothers and sisters, our friends, our family. We are done watching them die. We are no longer bystanders. We will not be idle. Enough is enough.” The video also alludes to the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Atatiana Jefferson, which have sparked global protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. “Going for a jog should not be a death sentence,” the celebrities continue. “Sleeping in your own home should not be a death sentence. Playing video games with your nephew should not be a death sentence. Shopping in a store should not be a death sentence. Business as usual should not be life-threatening.” Gervais, however, took to Twitter with a zinger. “Terrible lack of diversity in this video,” the British comedian jokingly pointed out. Gervais, 58, isn’t afraid to skewer Hollywood. In January he sent shock waves through social media when he shaded a room full of A-listers at the Golden Globe Awards. Gervais’ message at the time was that many celebrities were being too preachy and were much too out of touch to speak on issues plaguing the common man. And in April the comedian slammed celebrities for their words of advice during the coronavirus outbreak. “I’ve got nothing against anyone being a celebrity or being famous,” Gervais said during an interview. “I think that people are just a bit tired of being lectured to. Now celebrities think: ‘The general public needs to see my face. They can’t get to the cinema – I need to do something.’ And it’s when you look into their eyes, you know that, even if they’re doing something good, they’re sort of thinking, ‘I could weep at what a good person I am.’ Oh dear.”

Ricky strikes again, and i’s a beautiful thing.  These self-important, self-righteous, nauseating liberal celebs drive us crazy with their sanctimonious bloviating.  Thanks Ricky!!       🙂

‘I’m not locking down anymore,’ says former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar

Rock singer Sammy Hagar on Friday declared himself done with restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, the contagious and potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The 72-year-old former Van Halen frontman spoke his mind about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic during an interview conducted by KSHE-95, a classic rock radio station based out of St. Louis, Missouri. “I don’t say the word ‘hate’ very much, but I hate this frigging coronavirus crap,” said Mr. Hagar. “I’m not afraid of it, and I’m not locking down anymore. I’ll go around to anyone. If you don’t wanna be around me, fine. Keep your distance — I’m all cool with that. It’s not like I’m against that. But I’m sorry — I have no fear at my age about it.” Mr. Hagar said elsewhere during the interview that he was nervous at first about potentially contracting COVID-19 since individuals his age are at a high risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from it. “I was still worried about this possibly killing me. And you know what I thought of? I thought, you know what? I’ve had the best life of any human being on this planet. If the damn thing wants to come and get me and kill me, let it be,” said the singer. “Life isn’t gonna be any better from this day on for the rest of my life than it has been. And I swear to you — I came to grips with it.” Mr. Hagar fronted the rock group Montrose before launching a career a successful career as a solo-artist that earned him a hit in 1984 with the anti-speed limit anthem “I Can’t Drive 55.” He joined Van Halen the following year and sang lead vocals on the group’s next four albums, including 1991’s Grammy Award-winning record “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,” before leaving the band later that decade. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in a separate interview published earlier in the week, Mr. Hagar referred to COVID-19 as “the flu” and harshly criticized the economic shutdown it sparked. “I’d rather personally get sick and even personally die, if that’s what it takes. We have to save the world and this country from this economic thing that’s going to kill more people in the long run,” he told Rolling Stone. “This shutdown of the economy is going to make that escalate 10 times and then we’re all going to be sick and you can’t walk down the street. I would rather see everyone go back to work. If some of us have to sacrifice on that, OK. I will die for my children and my grandchildren to have a life anywhere close to the life that I had in this wonderful country and freedom. That’s just the way that I feel about it,” said the singer.

God bless Sammy..  There are few in the entertainment industry who get it.  And, we love the shout out to “the Rock of St. Louis,” KSHE 95; the greatest rock radio station in the nation, bar none.  Here’s the link, if ya want to check out that interview:  https://www.kshe95.com/real-rock-news/favazz-interviews-sammy-hagar-amidst-covid-19-pandemic/             Thanks Sammy!!   🙂

Roger Waters Sings Terrorists’ Anti-Israel Anthem: ‘We’ll Take Back the Land, from the River to the Sea’

Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters sang that Palestinians will “take back the land, from the Jordan river to the sea,” a battle cry routinely used by terrorists that ultimately calls for the elimination of Israel. Together with anti-Israel far-left British filmmaker Ken Loach, Waters appeared at the UK Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s (PSC) Nakba Day 2020 event, where he claimed that “the Israel lobby and the Israeli government and the Israeli special whatever they are called… [are] trying so hard to destroy the voices of support [for Palestinians],” the UK’s Jewish Chronicle reported. The Palestinian “Nakba” commemorates the “catastrophe” of the establishment of the State of Israel. Playing an acoustic guitar and wearing a Palestinian kaffiyyeh, Waters performed a song he had written for the event which included the lyrics, “We’ll walk hand in hand and we’ll take back the land, from the Jordan river to the sea” – a take on the war cry, “From the river to sea, Palestine will be free!” The slogan, often chanted by pro-Palestinian supporters at anti-Israel protests as well as the Hamas terror group, essentially calls for a Palestinian state to take over the Jewish state which currently exists on the land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea. Speaking at the event, Loach, a member of Britain’s Labour Party, claimed the party’s controversial former leader Jeremy Corbyn was “brought down” in the same campaign targeting him and Waters and other pro-Palestinian activists who are “vilified” and facing “accusations of racism and antisemitism.” ”We must not be put off – we have to tell the story. The abuse we get here is nothing compared to what the Palestinians get in their daily lives,” Loach said. BDS founder Omar Barghouti closed the event with the claim “Israeli technology” is to blame for a range of refugee crises in South Sudan, Rwanda and Latin America. Speaking to Breitbart News, international human rights lawyer and social activist Arsen Ostrovsky called Waters an “unhinged racist and antisemite.” “Let there be no ifs, buts or maybes, Roger Waters is an unhinged racist and Antisemite,” Ostrovsky said. “It is perhaps rather fitting that for someone who so fervently promotes the BDS Movement, is now boycotted himself from his very own band, for whom even he has become an embarrassment, with his hyper politics and vile hate.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “Leave it to anti-Semite @rogerwaters to put Palestinian terrorists’ genocidal credo to music. Proud Jews have three-word response: Am Yisrael Chai! The People of Israel lives!”

Roger Waters has a long history of promoting his Communist, “workers party,” anti-Semitism and other extremely socialist/liberal, politically correct nonsense in his concerts.  I’ve seen him interviewed recently on Fox News, of all places, and he’s still crazy as ever.  Shame on him for taking the side of Hamas and other Islamo-wackos over the FREE state of Israel.  What a tool..

Roger Waters blasts ex bandmate David Gilmour for banning him from Pink Floyd’s website

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters has called out David Gilmour for banning him from the rock group’s official website and social media platforms. On Monday, Waters posted a lengthy video to his Twitter account in which he puts Gilmour on blast for assuming control of the rockers’ webpage and essentially banning him from having any part of it. “Nothing from me is on the website,” the band’s original bass guitarist said in a video filmed from inside of his home. “I am banned by David Gilmour from the website.” Waters said he feels it would be “fair and correct” for all of the band members to post updates about their projects on the site, no matter if they’ve since left the group. “David thinks he owns it. I think he thinks that because I left the band in 1985 that he owns Pink Floyd, that he is Pink Floyd, that I’m irrelevant and I should just keep my mouth shut,” Waters adds later in the clip. He recently released his social distancing rendition of the band’s hit “Mother,” which he admitted made him feel nostalgic about jamming out with his former bandmates. “It did make me think, one and a half million of you have viewed our new version of ‘Mother.’ It really warms my heart but it doesn’t bring up the question of why is this video not available on a website that calls itself The Pink Floyd website,” Waters argued. The musician also took aim at Gilmour for not promoting Waters’ 2019 film about the band titled “Us and Them.” “We’re not allowed to even mention such a fact on the official Pink Floyd website. This is wrong,” Waters continued, adding, “We should rise up and, oh, I’ll just change the name of the band to Spinal Tap and then everything will be hunky-dory.” Waters said he also brought up this issue with the band’s “surviving members” last year. He stressed in his tweet along with the video that, in addition to the band’s website, Gilmour has also blocked him from accessing the group’s “Facebook page and all the rest.” The musician then vowed not to “get all weird and sarcastic” and concluded with some thoughts about the coronavirus. “We live in dark, dark desperate times and we need to find ways to communicate with one another so we can act cooperatively to stop the man destroying this fragile planet that we call home,” Waters said. Waters left the band in 1985 and pursued legal action against the group for continuing to use the band name. He failed in court. In 2013, Waters admitted in an interview that he regretted taking legal action against his former band members.

So, even though Roger admits he quit the band 35 YEARS ago, and then SUED the band….he thinks he should be able to have access to their site?  Seriously??  We’ve already established that Roger is a little crazy.  But, c’mon..   It’s unfortunate when things like this happen.  But, they do.  Recently Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon of Journey fired legendary drummer Steve Smith, arguably one of the greatest drummers in rock history, and founding bassist Ross Valory over business/money issues.  Minus Steve Perry, that ended the classic Escape-Frontiers-Trial By Fire era that produced all the great Journey hits.  Awful..  But, I digress..  If Roger wants to try and mend the fence with Dave and Nick, he should do it behind the scenes; not out on social media.  It makes him look like a whiny 16 year old girl.  Dude..  You’re 76 years old.  Get over it.  If you want to see the official Pink Floyd web site in question, click on the text above.

Bad Company vocalist Brian Anthony Howe dead at 66

Bad Company vocalist Brian Anthony Howe has passed away at age 66. Howe passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest at his home in Florida on Tuesday, his friend and manager, Paul Easton, said. “It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of a loving father, friend and musical icon, Brian Howe,” Easton said. “Though EMTs were able to have a short conversation with him, he slipped away, and they were unable to revive him,” the statement continued. Howe’s sister Sandie also reacted to the news in a statement via his manager. “Finding the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts over losing my brother has been difficult,” Sandie said. “Our family would like to thank you for your compassion and the outpouring of love we are receiving.” The singer-songwriter had previously suffered from a heart attack in 2017. A longtime friend of Howe’s told Fox News on Thursday that he recently was involved in a scooter accident that left him with “broken ribs and a punctured lung.” The friend shared that Howe will be remembered as a “great man with a big heart.” He was also a “huge” animal lover and his loved ones are currently trying to find new homes for his many pets, including five dogs. Just six days ago, the former frontman confirmed he was in pain on his official Facebook account. “Horrible,” Howe responded to a Facebook friend who asked how he was feeling. “Broken ribs are NO fun.” Howe was born in Portsmouth, England. His musical career took off when he was signed to become the lead singer for Ted Nugent’s “Penetrator” album. The album reached No. 56 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart with “Tied Up In Love.” Howe joined Bad Company in the 1980s, replacing original member Paul Rodgers on lead vocals. In October 1986, Howe and original members Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke released “Fame and Fortune.” While original bassist Boz Burrell appears credited as part of the album’s lineup, session player Steve Price played on the album, according to Howe’s official website. Howe formerly spoke out in an interview with News-Press about his eagerness to “toughen things up a little bit” after the 1986 album’s release. After what he says was “tremendous resistance” from bandmates, he got his wish. With Howe as vocalist, the group went on to release the albums “Dangerous Age,” “Here Comes Trouble” and “Holy Water.” The latter album resulted in chart-topping success with the singles “If You Needed Somebody,” “Holy Water,” and “Walk Through Fire.” Howe left the group in 1994 to embark on a solo career. The frontman had been living in Florida at the time of his death but had relayed to the outlet last year his desire in moving to Nashville, Tenn. to possibly kickstart a new musical career. “That would wake me up, I think, musically, and take me down roads that I’m not used to being on,” Howe told News-Press of his interest in embarking on a new musical career in Music City. “And I think that’s healthy for you, too, if you’re an artist. I think you have to have different inputs and listen to other people’s influences and see what happens.”

We’re very sorry to hear of Brian’s passing.   As was mentioned, he took up the mic after original legendary singer Paul Rodgers left Bad Company to go solo.  Paul, of course, is back with Bad Company now and has been for several years now.  But, Brian left an indelible stamp on the band during his time.  Thanks for the tunes, Brian.  R.I.P.

For more on Brian, click on the text above.  And here is a link to the video for Holy Water.   FYI, it’s just girls and fast cars; not the band:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57IpQQ7oDiA

 

Dolly Parton secretly produced ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and fans are stunned: ‘We do not deserve her’

Dolly Parton secretly produced “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and fans are freaking out over the resurfaced revelation. The country icon’s name never appeared in the rolling credits of the hit series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. However, Sandollar Entertainment, the production company Parton co-founded and owned, was responsible for bringing the show to life on the small screen. Parton created Sandollar Entertainment with her former longtime manager, Sandy Gallin, in 1986. According to IMDB, the company produced “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for its total seven seasons. In 1992, the production company worked on the original “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” feature film, meaning she had an important role in the show’s genesis. Sandollar Entertainment has also produced a number of major television shows and films, including “Father of the Bride” in 1991, the 1986 flick “Fly Away Home,” and “Angel,” which ran from 1999 to 2004. It’s also been discovered that Gellar’s character Buffy Summers’ birthday is January 19, the same day the country star was born, according to The Independent. Parton fans were left in awe of the discovery, taking to Twitter to express their delight. “I just found out that Dolly Parton was an uncredited–but important–producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I AM SHOOK Y’ALL. We do not deserve Dolly Parton, tbh,” one fan wrote. “First Dolly Parfton writes I Will Always Love You, then I find out she was a producer on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the greatest show ever? Dolly is not only talented, but she’s cool af! #DollyParton #BuffyTheVampireSlayer,” wrote another social media user. One person added: “Dolly Parton is an amazing business women in entertainment. Her being a secret producer for Buffy the vampire slayer is truly incredible. Makes me love the show that much more.” “Wait, what?” several other fans said to express their dismay. “Just learned that @DollyParton was a producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and my mind is blown. Just put Dolly in charge of the world already! #womanpower #Buffy #dollyparton,” another hilariously tweeted. As of Saturday, Parton has yet to comment on her involvement on the show. The singer and songwriter, 74, appears to be keeping busy this week by sharing her “At Home” playlist with amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Fun!  Definitely wouldn’t have seen that one coming..  But, who doesn’t like Buffy?  It was such a great cult tv show for seven seasons (and yes, I own them all), and then continued in the graphic novel medium (have them too, don’t judge).  Buffy was the creation of Joss Whedon who also did Toy Story, and the two Marvel Avenger movies; the first one and Age of Ultron.

Ricky Gervais calls out celebs amid coronavirus quarantine: ‘People are just a bit tired of being lectured to’

British comedian Ricky Gervais continues to roast Hollywood’s elites whom he believes are becoming lecturers to the general public amid the global coronavirus pandemic and should simply stop trying to tell others what to do. “I’ve got nothing against anyone being a celebrity or being famous,” he told the New York Times in an interview published on Thursday. “I think that people are just a bit tired of being lectured to. Now celebrities think: ‘The general public needs to see my face. They can’t get to the cinema – I need to do something.’ And it’s when you look into their eyes, you know that, even if they’re doing something good, they’re sort of thinking, ‘I could weep at what a good person I am.’ Oh dear.” Gervais, 58, sent shockwaves through social media when he shaded a room full of A-listers at the Golden Globe Awards in January. Gervais’ message at the time was that many celebrities were being too preachy and were much too out of touch to speak on issues plaguing the common man. He told the Times that he strategically navigates the fine line between putdowns and offered an interesting take what it means to be a “court jester” and admitted that while he can get away with the jokes he makes on stage, he knows he likely won’t be lambasted for doing so. “No, the world hasn’t changed. No one looks at me differently. And I’ve got nothing against those people, really,” he explained when asked of his growing conservative fan base. “I think that’s the mistake people make: They think that every joke is a window to the comedian’s soul — because I wrote it and performed it under my own name, that that’s really me. And that’s just not true. I’ll flip a joke halfway through and change my stance to make the joke better.” He continued: “I’ll pretend to be right-wing, left-wing, whatever wing, no wing. I’ve got to go after the richest people in the room, and NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press [Association, which organizes the Golden Globes]. I’ve got to be a court jester, but a court jester’s got to make sure that he doesn’t get executed as well. I’ve got to make all the peasants laugh at the king, but the king’s sort of got to like it.” The funnyman said he was taken aback by the uptick in support from right-leaning backers but said he wasn’t aware of it until “a couple of disgruntled liberal elites suddenly said, ‘Oh, Gervais is alt-right now.’” “And I went, what? What’s right-wing about taking the mickey out of the richest, most powerful corporations on the planet?” Prior to Gervais’ conversation with the Times, numerous celebrities have showered the internet with videos starring themselves from the confines of their homes or their chosen quarantine quarters.

And NOBODY cares about them…which they don’t get….but Ricky does.    🙂

‘Rambo: First Blood’ and ‘Tommy Boy’ actor Brian Dennehy dead at 81

Veteran actor Brian Dennehy, known for roles in “Rambo: First Blood,” “Tommy Boy” and “To Catch A Killer,” died Wednesday at age 81. The burly actor started in films as a macho heavy and later in his career won plaudits for his stage work in plays by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller. He died of natural causes in New Haven, Conn., according to Kate Cafaro of ICM Partners, the actor’s representatives. Known for his broad frame, booming voice and ability to play good guys and bad guys with equal aplomb, Dennehy won two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe and was nominated for six Emmys. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2010. Among his 40-odd films, he played a sheriff who jailed Rambo in “First Blood,” a serial killer in “To Catch a Killer,” and a corrupt sheriff gunned down by Kevin Kline in “Silverado.” He also had some benign roles: the bartender who consoles Dudley Moore in “10” and the levelheaded leader of aliens in “Cocoon” and its sequel. Eventually, Dennehy wearied of the studio life. “Movies used to be fun,” he observed in an interview. “They took care of you, first-class. Those days are gone.” Dennehy had a long connection with Chicago’s Goodman Theater, which had a reputation for heavy drama. He appeared in Bertolt Brecht’s “Galileo” in 1986 and later Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard” at far lower salaries than he earned in Hollywood. In 1990 he played the role of Hickey in Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh,” a play he reprised at the Goodman with Nathan Lane in 2012 and in Brooklyn in 2013. In 1998, Dennehy appeared on Broadway in the classic role of Willy Loman, the worn-out hustler in Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” and won the Tony for his performance. “What this actor goes for is close to an everyman quality, with a grand emotional expansiveness that matches his monumental physique,” wrote Ben Brantley in his review of the play for The New York Times. “Yet these emotions ring so unerringly true that Mr. Dennehy seems to kidnap you by force, trapping you inside Willy’s psyche.” He was awarded another Tony in 2003 for his role in O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” At the podium, after thanking his family, co-stars and producers and complementing his competitors, he said: “The words of Eugene O’Neill — they’ve got to be heard. They’ve got to be heard, and heard and heard. And thank you so much for giving us the chance to enunciate them.” Dennehy was born July 9, 1938, in Bridgeport, Conn., the first of three sons. His venture into acting began when he was 14 in New York City and a student at a Brooklyn high school. He acted the title role in “Macbeth.” He played football on a scholarship at Columbia University, and he served five years in the U.S. Marines. Back in New York City in 1965, he pursued acting while working at side jobs. “I learned first-hand how a truck driver lives, what a bartender does, how a salesman thinks,” he told The New York Times in 1989. “I had to make a life inside those jobs, not just pretend.” His parents — Ed Dennehy, an editor for The Associated Press in New York, and Hannah Dennehy, a nurse — could never understand why his son chose to act. “Anyone raised in a first- or second-generation immigrant family knows that you are expected to advance the ball down the field,” Dennehy told Columbia College Today in 1999. “Acting didn’t qualify in any way.” The 6-foot-3-inch Dennehy went to Hollywood for his first movie, “Semi-Tough” starring Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson. Dennehy was paid $10,000 a week for 10 week’s work, which he thought “looked like it was all the money in the world.” Among his films: “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” “Foul Play,” “Little Miss Marker,” “Split Image,” “Gorky Park,” “Legal Eagles,” “Miles from Home,” “Return to Snowy River,” “Presumed Innocent,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Assault on Precinct 13.” He played serial murderer John Wayne Gacy in the 1991 TV movie “To Catch a Killer” and union leader Jackie Presser in the HBO special “Teamster Boss” a year later. “I try to play villains as if they’re good guys and good guys as if they’re villains,” he said in 1992 He worked deep into his 70s, in such projects as SundanceTV’s “Hap and Leonard,” the film “The Seagull” with Elisabeth Moss and Annette Bening and the play “Endgame” by Samuel Beckett at the Long Wharf Theatre. His last foray on Broadway was in “Love Letters” opposite Mia Farrow in 2014. He is survived by his second wife, costume designer Jennifer Arnott and their two children, Cormac and Sarah. He also is survived by three daughters — Elizabeth, Kathleen and Deirdre — from a previous marriage to Judith Scheff.

We’re sorry to hear of Brian’s passing.  His roles were iconic.  Our prayers go to his family.  Thanks for the memory’s, Brian.  R.I.P.

Ricky Gervais bashes rich celebrities complaining about coronavirus quarantine: ‘I just don’t want to hear it’

Ricky Gervais has some choice words for rich celebrities who are complaining about being under coronavirus quarantine in multimillion-dollar mansions. The 58-year-old comedian took notice of stars that have been reacting negatively to being in isolation in an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Ellen DeGeneres returned to do her talk show from home where she caught backlash for joking that being in quarantine is like a prison. Meanwhile, Sam Smith and Kelly Ripa got emotional during video interviews while talking about the struggles of staying at home. In a new interview with The Sun, Gervais pulled no punches in lambasting the affluent celebrities for struggling under the new conditions. “After this is over I never want to hear people moaning about the welfare state again, I never want to hear people moaning about nurses again. Or porters,” he explained. “These people are doing 14-hour shifts and not complaining. Wearing masks, and being left with sores, after risking their own health and their families’ health selflessly. But then I see someone complaining about being in a mansion with a swimming pool. And, you know, honestly, I just don’t want to hear it.” After his seemingly angry rant, the comedian pivoted to a lighter tone, noting that he’s doing fine under quarantine given that he was always more of an introvert. “I didn’t go out much anyway, and there’s always too much booze in the house. It’s always been the 6 p.m. watershed for as long as I remember. Obviously, I am looking at the watch,” he joked. Gervais explained that, despite the fame, success and money he’s earned today, he remembers the humble beginnings that he came from, noting that he “had no money growing up, I didn’t have any until I was 40.” He was especially grateful for his hardworking mother, who he says made sure his family wanted for nothing, except cash. “Men worked hard, but women worked miracles,” he told the outlet. “Because when my dad finished his work that was his own time. But my mum didn’t stop working, women didn’t stop working. Carers didn’t stop working, all the women in my family were carers in some respect.” This is hardly the first time that Gervais has used his platform as a celebrity to tear into fellow actors and actresses. In January he hosted the Golden Globes for the fifth time and made no bones about criticizing the Hollywood elite at the event. He even called out the many stars in the room for their relationship to large corporations like Apple, Amazon and Disney. “Apple roared into the TV game with ‘The Morning Show,’ a superb drama about the importance of dignity and doing the right thing made by a company that runs sweatshops in China,” he said at the time. “So you say you’re ‘woke’, but the companies you work for, Apple, Amazon, Disney… If ISIS had a streaming service you would be calling your agents.”

HAHAHA!!  We posted what all Ricky said that night at the Golden Globes back in January.  Glad he’s still at it, telling his fellow entitlement-minded, out-of-touch,  HollyWEIRD liberal elitists to shut the hell up.  It all kinda started with Arnold S. posting some video of him soaking in his hot tub, smoking  a cigar and telling us all to just stay home and relax.  As much as we love the former Governator, it showed a breathtaking lack of relatability to the rest of us peasants who don’t have a gazillion dollar mansion, and the only worry we have is if our housekeeper can’t come to clean up after us during this lockdown.  Millions of Americans are suffering, and now unemployed trying to figure how they’re gonna pay for groceries or make the next rent/mortgage payment.  It’s like Colin Kaepernick whining how he’s all “oppressed” with his three mansions, and so on.  Yeah right..  Can I please be that “oppressed?”  Thanks Ricky for calling these pampered idiots out!  Excellent!!     🙂