News

Alan Bergman, the award-winning songwriter who helped craft Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” and Michel Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mind,” had died at the age of 99. The lyricist racked up a myriad of accolades for music he created in a songwriting duo with his wife Marilyn Bergman, who died in 2022 at the age of 93.

Bergman’s representative Ken Sunshine confirmed Bergman’s death, noting that he experienced respiratory issues in recent months, “but continued to write songs till the very end.”

Throughout his career, Bergman’s...

Alan Bergman, the three-time Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with his late wife, Marilyn Bergman, to form one of the most celebrated writing duos in the history of movie music, has died. He was 99.

Bergman, whose work includes such classics as “The Windmills of Your Mind” — wonderfully employed for the second-season finale of Severance — “Nice ’n’ Easy,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “The Way We Were,” died Thursday night of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, producer Julie Bergman Sender, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Marilyn Bergman died in January 2022 of respiratory failure at age 93.

The husband-and-wife lyricists worked particular magic with songstress Barbra Streisand and composers Marvin Hamlisch and Michel Legrand.

They won Academy Awards for the best original songs “The Way We Were” (shared with Hamlisch) from the 1973 Streisand film of that name and “Windmills of Your Mind” (shared with Legrand) from The Thomas Crown Affair...

Alan Bergman, the Oscar-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning songwriter whose lyric-writing partnership with his wife Marilyn lasted more than six decades and produced such hits as “The Windmills of Your Mind,” “The Way We Were” and “In the Heat of the Night,” has died. He was 99.

Bergman died on Thursday night at his home in Los Angeles, per the New York Times.

Marilyn Bergman, who died in January 2022, was the first woman president and chairman of the board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a leading performing-rights society for music-makers. Alan soldiered on even after her death, continuing to put words to music.

The Bergmans, who penned hundreds of songs, mostly for movies and TV, bridged the traditional Great American Songbook era of Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin with the more modern pop sensibility of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

Their poetic touch, combined with...

Jesse L. Kearney Jr., a playwright, a recipient of the Dramatists Guild’s Jonathan Larson Musical Theater Fellowship and the vice president of the advocacy group Black Broadway Men United, died Thursday, March 6, at a hospital in Newark, New Jersey, of complications from a cerebral arteriovenous malformation.

His death was announced by his wife Jacquelyn Bell Kearney, co-founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition. “In moments like these,” she said in a statement, “I think of how bright one soul can shine and pierce the hearts of so many people. Jesse’s light grows stronger every day.”

An attorney and arts activist, Kearney made significant contributions to both the legal and performing arts communities throughout his career. As the Content Acquisition and Development Manager at Audible, Inc., he championed diverse voices in audio storytelling. He was a cofounder and General Counsel of The Stage Network, a streaming media platform devoted to the performing arts.

Jesse L. Kearney Jr., a playwright, attorney and arts advocate, died March 6 at a hospital in Newark, New Jersey, after undergoing emergency brain surgery two months earlier, his wife, Jacquelyn Bell Kearney, announced. He was 49.

A recipient of the Jonathan Larson Musical Theater Fellowship from the Dramatist Guild and the Lazarus Family Musical Theater Award, Kearney co-wrote Making Micheaux (2021), a short musical film about Black film pioneer Oscar Micheaux that was produced by Prospect Theater Company’s Vision Series.

He also was the co-bookwriter and co-lyricist on the full-length jazz musical The Oscar Micheaux Project (working title), which was commissioned by Prospect Musicals and developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Johnny Mercer Writers Grove. It was selected for the 2023 Namt Festival of New Musicals and the 2024 Village Theatre Festival of New Musicals and received the inaugural Michael Friedman Award from the Pipeline Arts Foundation.

Kearney authored several one-act plays, and his musical...

After performing under the alter-ego of for years now, John C. Reilly has officially unveiled his debut single as Mister Romantic. To kick off this chapter ahead of the release of a full album, he’s shared a cover of the Johnny Mercer classic, “Dream.” Stream it below.

Originally released in 1944, “Dream” has been covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra, The Pied Pipers, and Roy Orbison. The song precedes an album of Great American Songbook favorites titled What’s Not To Love? For the project, due on June 13th, he’s recruited a number of musical colleagues to round out the LP, including award-winning producer and instrumentalist David Garza.

“I looked at our weary world a few years ago and tried to think of a way I could spread love and empathy,” Reilly said of the ongoing project. “I decided the most fun way to do that was through...

In case you didn’t know: John C. Reilly is a vaudeville guy. Not only did the beloved character actor star as half of the legendary comedy duo Laurel and Hardy in the emotionally affecting biographical film Stan & Ollie (2018), but since then he’s created a throwback stage persona of his own, the lovelorn and musically inclined Mister Romantic, who has sold out concerts across Los Angeles since 2022.

Now, Reilly is set to introduce Mister Romantic to the rest of the world with a full-fledged album that arrives on June 13. His charming debut,...

The Songwriters Hall of Fame will recognize Stephen Schwartz — the arranger and composer behind the music from “Wicked,” “Godspell” and “Pippin” — as the recipient of the 2025 Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala, slated for June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The Johnny Mercer Award is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is exclusively reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted in a prior year and whose body of work is of “such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer,” per the Shof. Schwartz was first inducted into the Hall in 2009.

“With every lyric and melody, Stephen invites us on an unforgettable journey,” said Shof Chairman Nile Rodgers. “From his iconic list of award-winning musicals, including ‘Godspell’, ‘Wicked’ and ‘Pippin,’ Stephen...

Frank Sinatra was the odds-on favorite to be the big winner at the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1959, but — perhaps as an early indicator that things wouldn’t always go to plan at the Grammys — ‘Ol Blue Eyes lost out on both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

The music industry’s most recognized awards were established in 1958 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States.

The first Grammy ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, with only 28 categories, a number that since has swelled past 100 and now settled at 91. It was attended by many of music’s elite. Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Gene Autry, Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini and André Previn gathered for a black-tie dinner and awards presentation inside the Grand Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton.

Related: Grammy Awards Red Carpet Photos: Chappell Roan, Jaden Smith & More

While Sinatra led all...

Quick LinksCharade Starred Cary Grant and Audrey HepburnCharade Bears a Resemblance to Other Hitchcock FilmsThe Film Charade Is Technically in the Public Domain

Charade is a film that almost defies categorization. It's part mystery, part suspense, part romantic comedy, and it's often mistakenly credited to one of Hollywood's most iconic directors: Alfred Hitchcock. But another Hollywood icon, Stanley Donen, led the film. It featured music by Henry Mancini and a title song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Anyone who's watched a Hitchcock film can see why it's often mistaken for one of his own. Its twists and turns and suspenseful style often mirror the horror front-runner's.

Following its release, the film garnered a handful of award nominations. It's leading cast members were also recognized for their performance with the same honor. Charade would mark a clear turning point in both Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn's acting careers. And it's...

With her nomination this year for “The Journey” from the Netflix historical drama The Six Triple Eight, Diane Warren has now contended 16 times at the Oscars, including the last eight years in a row, for Best Original Song. But the veteran artist — who has a Grammy, an Emmy, and two Golden Globes in her trophy case — has yet to score a competitive Oscar. Could this be her year?

Warren does, however, have an Honorary Oscar, which she collected in 2022 for her impressive body of work. That made her the first and currently only songwriter to receive that recognition from the Motion Picture Academy.

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Her 15 previous nominations are as follows:

“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin (1987)

Lost to: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing

“Because You Loved Me” from Up Close and Personal (1996)

Lost...

Nobody Loves You More, Kim Deal’s first-ever solo album, has been a lifetime in the making. The trailblazing singer-songwriter, whose recordings with the Pixies and the Breeders drafted blueprints for the Nineties alt-rock explosion, has always released albums at unusual intervals, La Jetée-like snapshots of her state of mind. She’s been the Buzz Bin sexpot (Pixies’ “Gigantic” for sure, and isn’t “Divine Hammer” simply Gen X’s “Tush”?), she’s been the bong in the reggae song (“Cannonball”), and the ever-moving island (Title Tk’s “Off You”). Other times,...

Legendary musician Bob Dylan, a recipient of 10 Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Peace Prize, remains an unstoppable force in his remarkable 65-year career. At 82 years old, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee recently announced plans for yet another tour, Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour.

Scheduled to take place from March 1-18, Dylan will play 12 concerts in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. While it is uncertain if these shows will mark the conclusion of the tour—as the announcement poster hints at its continuation from 2021 to 2024—no additional dates have been revealed at this time.

Dylan’s tour initially began in November 2021.

>Get Bob Dylan Rowdy Ways Concert Tickets Now!

Bob Dylan Rowdy Ways Concert Tour Setlist

Here’s the setlist for Dylan’s last concert in 2023:

“Watching the River Flow” “Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine” “I Contain Multitudes” “False...

The 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala will feature a special appearance from Diane Warren, who has been named this year’s recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award. The award, to be presented at the ceremony on June 13, is considered to be the institution’s highest honor. It is reserved for songwriters and songwriting teams that have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame and whose catalogue of work matches the quality and standards set by esteemed songwriter Johnny Mercer.

“I’m beyond honored to receive the Johnny Mercer Award,...

The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced today that Diane Warren will be the 2024 recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala in June.

The gala is set for Thursday, June 13, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The Johnny Mercer Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is exclusively reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted and whose body of work is “of such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer.”

Warren was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.

“I’m beyond honored to receive the Johnny Mercer Award,” Warren said in a statement, “especially looking at the names of the other songwriters who have gotten this great honor. When I was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame,...

Alice Walker published her acclaimed novel “The Color Purple” in 1982. It sold five million copies; Walker became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and she also received the National Book Club Award. Three years later, Steven Spielberg directed the lauded film version which made stars out of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover. It earned 11 Oscar nominations. The story revolves around a young woman who suffers abuse from her father and husband for four decades until she finds her own identity. Not exactly the stuff of a Broadway musical.

But the 2005 tuner version received strong reviews, ran 910 performances and earned ten Tony nominations, winning best actress for Lachanze. The 2015 production picked up two Tonys for best revival and actress for Cynthia Erivo. The movie musical version opened strong Christmas Day with $18 million and is a strong contender in several Oscar categories especially for Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks.

There are films you watched every time they pop up on TCM or streaming services. It’s like visiting an old friend. These movies put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. And one such film is “Charade,” which celebrates its 60th anniversary on Dec. 5. Deftly directed by Stanley Donen from a fun and thrilling Peter Stone screenplay, “Charade” stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who exude a William Powell/Myrna Loy style chemistry that leaps off the screen. And let’s not forget that gorgeous Henry Mancini score, the romantic Oscar-nominated title tune “Charade,” with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and the pulsating Saul Bass title sequence.

I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...

Tony Bennett accepted the boundaries of his universe.

In the last few decades of his life, the period of his greatest success, he never tried to do a Rick Rubin/Johnny Cash-style album of recent pop and rock hits tweaked to suit his voice. Instead, he transported the contemporary artists he worked with — Lady Gaga especially — to his preferred musical arena: the Great American Songbook classics of Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwins, Harold Arlen, and so many more. Without seeing the cover, you’d never even know his “MTV Unplugged” album was an “MTV Unplugged” album just by listening to it. His last studio album, “The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern,” speaks to his appreciation of the craft of songwriting embodied by the entire Great American Songbook era, and how a singer can work in dialogue with that songwriter even decades after their death to create meaning.

Blake Edwards directed Breakfast at Tiffany´s back in 1961, an iconic film and wardrobe that turned Audrey Hepburn into one of the most memorable figures of the History of Films.

Based on the novel by Truman Capote.

Storyline

A young girl from New York seeking luxury everywhere, falls in love with her neighbor. Together, they live a strange relationship that is a battle from within and from outside.

Movie Review

We cannot (and do not) separate the iconic nature of this film, of the “real” New York, the one (they say) existed. No, today there is nothing left of it. There is nothing left of the elegance, that bittersweet joy of a joyful and bitter portrayal of capitalism.

The novel is by Truman Capote. He wrote this one (which is not so famous) and In Cold Blood. He knew what he was talking about: he loved parties, luxury… and ended...

Click here to read the full article.

Robert Clary, the French actor, singer and Holocaust survivor who portrayed Corporal LeBeau on the World War II-set sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, has died. He was 96.

Clary, who was mentored by famed entertainer Eddie Cantor and married one of his five daughters, died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles, his granddaughter Kim Wright told The Hollywood Reporter.

CBS’ Hogan’s Heroes, which aired over six seasons from September 1965 to April 1971, starred Bob Crane as Colonel Robert E. Hogan, an American who led an international group of Allied prisoners of war in a convert operation to defeat the Nazis from inside the Luft Stalag 13 camp.

As the patriotic Cpl. Louis LeBeau, the 5-foot-1 Clary hid in small spaces, dreamed about girls, got along great with the guard dogs and used his expert culinary skills to help the befuddled Nazi Colonel Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer...

Barbra Streisand’s fabled run of 1962 shows at the Greenwich Village nightclub, Bon Soir, will be released as a new live album, Live at Bon Soir, on Nov. 4 via Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings. To tease the release, Streisand shared a powerhouse rendition of the Arthur Hamilton-penned song, “Cry Me a River.”

Live at Bon Soir was recorded over three nights, Nov. 4 through Nov. 6, 1962: Streisand was just 20 years old, and she’d signed her first record deal with Columbia only a month earlier. The recordings were originally supposed to become Streisand’s debut album,...

Tony Bennett has been part of the pop cultural landscape for over seven decades. The 96-year-old scored his first hit song, “Because of You,” in 1951, the year he made his first TV appearances on a long-forgotten variety series “Star of the Family.” He recorded his signature tune, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ in 1962. Other hits included “Rags to Riches,” which Martin Scorsese used brilliantly on the soundtrack of his 1990 masterpiece “Goodfellas” and the Oscar-winning “The Shadow of Your Smile” from 1965’s “The Sandpiper.”

Unlike the crooners Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, movie success eluded Bennett. Just check out his film debut in the overstuff 1966 turkey “The Oscar.” His career waned. Rock was hot and Bennett wasn’t. He stopped recording in the late 1970s and was in lot of debt. He turned to drugs but a near death drowning experience in his bathtub changed his life and lifestyle.

Fundraiser

Actors Jeremy Irons (“House of Gucci”), Sinéad Cusack (“Wrath of the Titans”) and Greta Bellamacina (“This Sceptred Isle”) are set to take part in a charity fundraising event for Ukrainian refugees on Wednesday evening in London.

The trio are set to give readings at the event, which will also include talks by journalist Misha Glenny and historian Sir Simon Schama about Putin’s Russia.

The Kiva Cello Quartet will also play.

Funds will go to the Wonder Foundation, its Polish partners, Panorama and Pontes, and Moldovan food business incubator Katalyst, all of whom are providing services from housing and employment to food and assimilation to hundreds of Ukrainian families fleeing the war.

“An Evening for Ukraine’s Refugees” takes place in Central London on Wednesday March 30. Tickets can be purchased here.

Detention

Viktor Marunyak, the elderly subject of Roman Bondarchuk’s IDFA winner and Ukraine’s 2016 Oscar entry “Ukrainian Sheriffs,...

Diane Warren is in an elite club. Her 13th Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category puts her among some of the greatest songwriters of all time. Sammy Cahn (23 nominations), Johnny Mercer (18 nods), Alan Menken (14 nominations), and even Randy Newman (13 nominations). In fact, she’s been recognized by her peers in the Academy more than legends such as Henry Mancini (11 nods), Burt Bacharach (5 nods), or Elton John (4 nods), among others.

Continue reading Diane Warren On Her 13 Oscar Nominations: “I’ve Already Won” [Interview] at The Playlist.

Everything old is new again. Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed remake of “West Side Story” has garnered seven Oscar nominations. That haul is impressive but pales next to that of the 1961 original which reaped a whopping 11 bids. Not surprisingly, it was the big winner at the 34th annual Oscars. These took place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on April 9, 1962 with Bob Hope hosting.

The Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins adaptation of the Leonard Bernstein–Stephen Sondheim landmark Broadway musical waltzed away with 10 wins including Best Picture, Director (shared for the first time) and for supporting players Rita Moreno and George Chakiris.

Robbins also received an honorary Oscar that night for his “brilliant achievement in the art of choreography on film.” Ironically, Robbins had received his walking papers from his directing duties 45 days into production. Wise told me in a 2002 L.A. Times interview that the production was behind schedule and over-budget.

The past 12 months have been outstanding for H.E.R. Not only did she pick up two Grammys at the 2021 ceremony including Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe,” she also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song a few weeks later for “Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah.” “Fight For You” was then submitted to the 2022 Grammys, and it has been nominated for Song of the Year, Best Traditional R&b Performance, and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Now it’s the front-runner for the latter two according to Gold Derby’s odds. But just how common (or uncommon) is it for Oscar-winning songs to have Grammys to their name as well?

SEEBest Adele songs, ranked: Her 20 greatest hits, including ’30’ songs you’re crying to right now

The first Oscar-winning song to win at the Grammys was “Moon River,” written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer,...

Peter Palmer, who originated the title character in Broadway’s 1956 musical Li’l Abner and then reprised the role for the 1959 film adaptation, died Tuesday. He was 90.

His death was announced on Facebook by his son Steven Palmer, who noted that the actor died one day after his 90th birthday. No cause was given.

“As a family we knew this was coming and that’s why we had such a wonderful celebration of his birthday this weekend,” Steven Palmer wrote. “He enjoyed being celebrated by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and friends and extended family. Gonna miss you, Pops.”

Palmer, who majored in music while playing football in the early 1950s for the Big Ten champs University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and routinely performed the National Anthem at games, was cast as Broadway’s naïve, muscle-bound hero of Dogpatch after producers saw him sing on The Ed Sullivan Show.

The Li’l Abner musical,...

The 1996 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album Songs and Music From the Motion Picture ‘She’s the One’ is such a weird outlier in the band’s catalog that even Tom Petty himself didn’t quite know what to make of it. “It was kind of a confused album for us,” Petty told writer Paul Zollo in his book Conversations With Tom Petty. “It got stocked in the soundtrack section. It didn’t really come out like a Heartbreakers record. So it didn’t feel like we made a record or anything.

With the Grammy eligibility period for the 2022 ceremony more than halfway done already, let’s consider which artists are looking for more than just an award. This year we saw Beyoncé break the all-time record for most Grammy wins by a female artist, Taylor Swift nab a record-breaking third Album of the Year win, and key noms and wins for Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, and Jacob Collier. Who’s poised to break more records and make more history next year?

SEE2022 Grammy predictions: Song of the Year Bruno Mars’s general field dominance again?

With his highly anticipated album alongside Anderson Paak as the super duo Silk Sonic, Bruno Mars could make history in a couple of ways. First off, an Album of the Year win for “An Evening With Silk Sonic” would be Mars’ third Album of the Year win (he previously won as a producer on Adele...

Singer-songwriter Gretchen Lieberum, who co-founded the Prince cover band Princess with Maya Rudolph, has released a rendition of “Come Rain or Come Shine” from her upcoming collection of standards, This May Only Be a Dream, out May 7th.

Lieberum’s take on “Come Rain Or Come Shine” — penned in 1946 by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer — opens with an experimental flourish, as if an old recording of the song had been shot through a wormhole. While the song settles into a slightly more traditional swoon about halfway through, Lieberum deftly balances...

Johnny Mandel, the prolific composer and arranger who worked with Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Barbra Streisand and more — and famously composed the theme song for M*A*S*H — has died, Variety reports. He was 94.

No specifics about Mandel’s death have been revealed. The news was shared by singer and friend Michael Feinstein on Facebook early Tuesday morning: “A dear friend and extraordinary composer-arranger and all-around brilliant talent Johnny Mandel just passed away. The world will never be quite the same without his humor, wit and wry view of life and the human condition.

James Taylor and his son Henry performed a sweet and simple rendition of the American standard, “Moon River,” on a recent episode of The Voice.

The singing competition has continued with its 18th season even as the coronavirus pandemic has forced the judges and contestants to work remotely. So Taylor — who’s serving as a “Mega Mentor” this season — shared his performance from home, setting up with an acoustic guitar and singing “Moon River,” while Henry provided a tasteful bit of backing accompaniment and texture on the electric guitar.

“Moon...

This episode includes Hollywood spoilers. You can find our easter egg guide for the first episode here.

Ah, the episode of Hollywood introduces us to Anna May Wong and the 1940s studio caste system. There’s a lot to unpack in this hour, which may give you nightmares about how a studio cafeteria is apparently not that different from a high school… except, you know, with racism.

Hollywood Episode 2

-When Ernie bails Jack out of prison, Jack laments he cannot have a record. “Yeah you can,” Ernie answers, “Ever heard of Frank Sinatra?” Ol’ Blue Eyes was arrested in 1938 in New Jersey after being charged by an ex-girlfriend with “adultery and seduction.” That is to say, he could be and was charged back then with promising marriage and then ghosting her the morning after.

-We then hear Johnny Mercer and Paul Eston’s rendition of “Button Up Your Overcoat.”

-Avis...

Recorded in Nashville last September, this week’s episode of Walking the Floor captures a 50-minute conversation between podcast host Chris Shiflett and blues belter Delbert McClinton. Both musicians were in town for AmericanaFest, with Shiflett playing a string of solo shows during the weeklong event and McClinton receiving the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s appropriate, then, that their conversation focuses on a lifetime of musical memories, from McClinton’s childhood in Texas to the career that’s taken him around the world.

His unique approach...

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are in the hunt for their third Best Original Song Oscar, for “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II,” but there would be another noteworthy achievement on top of that potential victory. This marks the husband-and-wife songwriting duo’s third nomination, which means they could have a perfect 3-for-3 record in the category at the end of the season.

The Lopezes won on their first two bids for “Let It Go” from “Frozen” (2013) and “Remember Me” from “Coco” (2017) — wins that made Robert, then 39, the youngest and fastest (in 10 years) to Egot and the first double EGOTer. They share a 2-for-2 record at the moment with Giorgio Moroder, who prevailed for “Flashdance… What a Feeling” from “Flashdance” (1983) and “Take My Breath Away” from “Top Gun” (1986).

No one has been able to remain undefeated at three nominations or more. Should they walk away with the gold again, the Lopezes would join Tim Rice,...

James Taylor will take on the Great American Songbook on the singer’s upcoming album American Standard, due out February 28th. The LP is Taylor’s first since 2015’s Before This World and 19th overall.

“I’ve always had songs I grew up with that I remember really well, that were part of the family record collection — and I had a sense of how to approach, so it was a natural to put American Standard together,” Taylor said in a statement. “I know most of these songs from the original...

The original “Aladdin” (1992) brought Alan Menken two of his eight Oscars — for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “A Whole New World”) — and now the 2019 version can help him break some longstanding records.

Menken, who returned to compose new music for the live-action remake, could add a ninth Oscar to his collection for the new Jasmine anthem “Speechless,” which he co-wrote with fellow Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. That would give him the solo record for the most victories for Best Original Song at five, tie him for the most Oscars in the music categories, and extend his own record for the most Oscars won by a living person.

Menken is in a four-way tie with four wins in Best Original Song with Sammy Cahn, Johnny Mercer and Jimmy Van Heusen. The prolific composer and songwriter garnered all of his awards during the Disney Renaissance for...

Frank Ocean’s creative brand Blonded will host its first queer club night, PrEP+, somewhere in New York City tonight, October 17th.

According to a statement, tonight’s event will be the first in a series of club nights dedicated to creating a safe space for people to meet and dance. The event will feature “globally celebrated DJs,” though no lineup has been announced. Links to tickets have reportedly been given out and the venue will be revealed to ticket holders later today.

PrEP+ takes its name from the HIV prevention drug,...

The Dream Builders Project is hosting their biennial ‘A Brighter Future for Children’ Charity Gala & Poker Tournament to benefit the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on September 26, 2019 in Hollywood, CA.

The program provides a unique opportunity for patients to express their creativity and emotions through art and music during their stay at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. 100% of the net proceeds from the gala will directly benefit the program so that they can continue their impactful work, changing the lives of children at the hospital.

Among the stars confirmed to attend are Shanna Moakler, Don Cheadle, Loni Love, Eric Roberts and many more.

You can find event tickets, poker buy ins and VIP tickets via eventbrite: www.BFFC2019.eventbrite.com.

From: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/19244-dream-builders-project-to-host-a-brighter-future-for-children-charity-gala-and-poker-tournament

Related past articles Stars To Attend 6th Annual Tower Cancer Research Foundation Cancer Free Generation Celebrity...

Christine McGuire, whose pop hits propelled her and her singing sisters to many radio and television appearances, died Dec. 28 in Las Vegas, where she lived. She was 92 and her family confirmed the death, but did not provide a cause.

Christine was the oldest of her singing sisters, Dorothy and Phyllis. They began singing in church in their hometown of Miamisburg, Ohio, but avoided secular music until their late teens, finally adding some pop tunes to their repertoire. They were discovered by local bandleaders and radio stations in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and became well-known for their three-part harmony.

In 1952, the sisters traveled to New York in hopes of auditioning for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, a TV show that was akin to the American Idol of its time. Godfrey wasn’t around, but singer Kate Smith was, and she booked them for a two-month engagement on her national radio broadcast.

Don McKay, who portrayed Tony in the 1958 London premiere of West Side Story, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 93. His nephew, Sean McKenna, confirmed McKay’s death to Playbill.

The Clarksburg, West Virginia, native began his acting career on stage in the late 1940s in regional theatre productions in the Chicago area. His Broadway debut came in 1951 in the musical Make A Wish, followed by the Johnny Mercer musical Top Banana.

McKay is remembered best for his portrayal of Tony, originating the role in the 1958 West End premiere of West Side Story, with original Broadway cast member Chita Rivera. He also later starred in the original Tokyo production of West Side Story and in a 1964 revival at the City Center in New York.

McKay also appeared opposite Shirley Bassey in a 1959 London revival of Show Boat, and later co-starred with Elliot Gould in the 1963 London production of Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town.

On Nov. 8, 1973, Buena Vista unveiled its 83-minute animated adaptation Robin Hood, featuring music and songs from George Bruns, Roger Miller, Floyd Huddleston and Johnny Mercer. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below: 

Two-thirds of Robin Hood, the new Disney animated feature produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, is charming, amusing and imaginative. The characterizations are simple, vivid, and with the aid of the vocal talents of Peter Ustinov and Terry-Thomas, sometimes genuinely inspired. But there's also that other third, spaced throughout the 83-minute movie, which is visually monotonous, uninteresting and a rehash of familiar Disney techniques. 

The ...

On Nov. 8, 1973, Buena Vista unveiled its 83-minute animated adaptation Robin Hood, featuring music and songs from George Bruns, Roger Miller, Floyd Huddleston and Johnny Mercer. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below: 

Two-thirds of Robin Hood, the new Disney animated feature produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, is charming, amusing and imaginative. The characterizations are simple, vivid, and with the aid of the vocal talents of Peter Ustinov and Terry-Thomas, sometimes genuinely inspired. But there's also that other third, spaced throughout the 83-minute movie, which is visually monotonous, uninteresting and a rehash of familiar Disney techniques. 

The ...

Ten-year-old Sasha Bogosian, who has cerebral palsy, first began designing and painting denim as therapy. On Saturday, for the first time, her designs donned a fashion runway with celebrity supporters, including host Paris Hilton.

Paris Hilton and Miracle Kid Sasha Bogosian and Guests

Credit/Copyright: Briana Hodge

Bogosian began creating custom denim designs in an effort to raise funds for Children's Hospital Los Angeles (Chla), where she receives treatment and care. Her foundation, The Sasha Project La, has raised $35,000 to support the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program at Chla, with a goal of giving thousands of kids like her access to art therapy.

Celebrity supporters and patients treated at children’s hospitals on Saturday modeled Bogosian’s one-of-a- kind splatter painted Levi’s denim collection in Saturday’s Rock the Runway event, presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which raises fund and awareness for 170 children’s hospitals across North America.

Paris Hilton will host Rock The Runway, benefitting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and The Sasha Project La, on October 13.

Paris Hilton has been delivering smiles to patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for years and the impressions the kids have made on her heart will stay with Paris forever. “I always enjoy spending time with inspiring Miracle Kids and their families. It is clear that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a very special place where miracles are made every day. I knew I wanted to give back and do more to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I am honored to host Rock The Runway which combines my love of fashion and my passion for philanthropy. I know the hard work, creativity and dedication it takes to create your own fashion line, and I’m so proud of Miracle Kid Sasha Bogosian for using her talents as a fashion...

Hollywood’s allure, insatiable ambition, and the price of fame are at the center of one of the most oft-told stories in show-biz history: “A Star Is Born.” The latest edition, with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, is the fourth to be made, and the third to be music-centric. Variety has already written many articles about that one, which is released today — read Owen Gleiberman’s review here — but how do the previous renditions stack up?

1937

Producer David O. Selznick’s original rendering won Oscars for its cinematography and its original story. While the story was written by director William A. Wellman and novelist Robert Carson, many of its sharpest and most cutting lines are believed to have been penned by famed writer Dorothy Parker and husband Alan Campbell (who were nominated in a separate Oscar category but didn’t win).

Janet Gaynor played Esther Blodgett-turned-Vicki Lester, a starry-eyed...

Willie Nelson was the musical performer and a guest on Wednesday night’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where he sang “Summer Wind” from his new Frank Sinatra tribute album My Way.

Nelson, who called Sinatra his “favorite singer” during an on-the-bus interview with Colbert, adds a gentle, wistful touch to “Summer Wind,” the lightly jazzy arrangement complementing his soft vocal delivery. The song, penned by Heinz Meier and Johnny Mercer, appears on Nelson’s newly released My Way — his second full-length album of 2018 — alongside standards such...

Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson were huge fans of each other, even playing a show together and teaming up for a series of PSAs in the 1980s. Nelson pays tribute to his favorite singer on My Way, out this Friday, and just released a video for “One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” that showcases Nelson’s loose, indelible phrasing and jazz skill.

The song – written by Harold and Johnny Mercer – was first performed by Fred Astaire in 1943’s The Sky’s the Limit. But Sinatra made...

At 85 years old, Country Music Hall of Fame member Willie Nelson remains a headlining concert attraction and a prolific recording artist. On September 14th, Nelson will release his second album of 2018, paying homage to friend and fellow music icon Frank Sinatra. My Way, the follow-up to April’s Last Man Standing, features Nelson’s versions of songs closely associated with Sinatra, whom Nelson first heard at 10 years old when Sinatra joined the radio program Your Hit Parade.

Co-produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings and populated with lush string and horn arrangements,...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the Warner Archive:

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Burbank, Calif., Get ready for one of the liveliest, leaping-est, sassiest and happiest musicals ever, as Warner Archive Collection proudly unveils its Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray™ release of the Oscar-winning 1954 MGM classic Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain), and starring Jane Powell and Howard Keel, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was nominated for four Academy Awards® and won for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. This Western musical is distinguished by a wonderful score of original songs by composer Gene de Paul and lyricist by Johnny Mercer (Li’l Abner) along with brilliant, acrobatic dancing scenes choreographed by Michael Kidd.

Presented for the first time on Blu-ray, featuring a new 1080p HD master from a 2018 2K scan in its original 2.55 CinemaScope aspect ratio,...