Celebrity

Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, Session Man And Hit Maker, Dead At 89

Published

2 years ago

2023-02-21

NEW YORK – Huey “Piano” Smith, a beloved New Orleans session musician who backed Little Richard, Lloyd Price, and other early rock stars and wrote the party hits “Don’t You Just Know It” and “Rockin’ Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu” with his band, has died. He was 89.

Acquelyn Donsereaux, his daughter, told The Associated Press that he died in his sleep on Feb. 13 at his Baton Rouge home. She did not specify the cause.

Smith was one of the last survivors of an extraordinary scene of musicians and songwriters who helped make New Orleans a fundamental influence on rock ‘n’ roll. He was a New Orleans native who performed nationwide but always returned to Louisiana. He began playing professionally at age 15, and by his 20s had contributed to a slew of 1950s hits, including Price’s “Where You At?” and Earl King’s “Those Lonely Lonely Nights.” Among the many artists he collaborated with were Little Richard, Fats Domino, and David Bartholemew.

Huey “Piano” Smith and the Clowns charted in 1957 with “Rockin’ Pneumonia,” a mid-tempo stomp featuring John Marchin’s vocals and Smith’s buoyant keyboard playing, and the equally rowdy and good-natured “Don’t You Just Know It.” The Clowns were also known for their songs “We Like Birdland,” “Well, I’ll Be John Brown,” and “High Blood Pressure.”

One Smith composition became a major hit and rock standard for another performer. Smith and his group wrote, arranged, and recorded “Sea Cruise,” but Ace Records, as Smith learned bluntly from local record distributor Joe Caronna, thought the song would be more successful with a white singer and replaced the Clowns’ vocals with those of Frankie Ford, whose version became a million-seller.

Piano Smith’s Popularity Waned After The Beatles Arrived

“I was crying as he (Caronna) said that,” Smith told biographer John Wirt, whose 2014 book “Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and the Rocking Pneumonia Blues” was released. “I’d had a little bit to drink. It broke my heart when he told me he was taking that.”

John Fogerty, the Beach Boys, Aerosmith, and Jerry Garcia were among the artists who covered piano “Sea Cruise” and other Smith songs. Ford later denied “stealing” the song, claiming he had written the lyrics. “Huey went through a period where he ‘forgot’ many things,” Ford explained to Offbeat Magazine.

Smith’s popularity waned after the Beatles arrived, and by 1980, he had left the music business, moved to Baton Rouge with his wife, Margrette, and converted to Jehovah’s Witnesses. He fought to be paid and credited for “Sea Cruise” and other hits, and he spent decades in legal and financial trouble, as did many other rock musicians from the 1950s. Meanwhile, local musicians continued to cite him as an inspiration.

“He was the man in New Orleans who got more out of simplicity than anyone else,” drummer Earl Palmer told Wirt.

Smith received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award in 2000, and the piano Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame honored him a year later. Admirers regard him as one of the most important performers not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Smith Had 47 Great Grand Children

According to his daughter, he is survived by his wife, ten children, 18 grandchildren, and 47 great-grandchildren.

Smith grew up in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood, his father a roofer and his mother a laundry worker. Smith began playing the piano as a child, learning from his uncle, and quickly mastered the eight-bar progression that was the foundation for countless blues songs. He played obsessively, sometimes to the chagrin of his neighbors, and in high school, he helped form the Joy Jumpers band.

He was still in his teens when he met Eddie Lee Jones, a young New Orleans musician who, as “Guitar Slim,” influenced countless musicians and gave Smith his “Piano” nickname. Professor Longhair’s blues-boogie woogie influenced Lewis’s early work. But he would eventually absorb various styles, from Jelly Roll Martin’s jazz to Fats Domino’s rock rhythm and blues.

“I started trying a variety of music instead of just one individual style,” he told Wirt. “I like my style, but it’s nothing like rhythm-and-blues, calypso, or any of that. It’s just a deep funk.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Judge Upholds Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Charge Against Alec Baldwin In On-Set Shooting

Published

14 hours ago

2024-10-26

Kiara Grace

Santa Fe, New Mexico – A New Mexico judge affirmed her decision to dismiss Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter allegation in the fatal shooting of a cameraman on the set of a Western film.

In a ruling issued Thursday, state District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer upheld her July decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter allegation against Baldwin. She claimed that prosecutors did not present any factual or legal arguments to support altering the decision.

“Because the state’s amended motion raises arguments previously made and arguments that the state chose not to raise earlier, the court does not find the amended motion well taken,” the judge stated, adding that the request was also late.

Judge Upholds Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Charge Against Alec Baldwin In On-Set Shooting

A representative for Baldwin’s lawyers stated on Friday that they had no immediate reaction to the ruling.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey told The Associated Press that she disagrees with the court’s analysis and intends to appeal the decision. The Santa Fe district attorney appointed Morrissey to take up the case in March 2023, after a previous special prosecutor resigned due to errors in filing first charges.

The case was dismissed halfway through the trial due to allegations that police and prosecutors suppressed information from the defense in the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.”

Baldwin’s trial was disrupted by discoveries that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March by a guy who claimed it was related to Hutchins’ death. Prosecutors maintained the ammunition was unconnected and inconsequential, but Baldwin’s lawyers claim detectives “buried” the evidence in a different case file and successfully moved to dismiss.

Judge Upholds Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Charge Against Alec Baldwin In On-Set Shooting

Baldwin, the primary actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on a film set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver fired, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Baldwin claims he pulled back the hammer but not the trigger, and the handgun fired.

In April, a judge sentenced Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the movie weapons supervisor, to a maximum of 1.5 years in a state prison for involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.

Last month, Marlowe Sommer denied Gutierrez-Reed’s plea to overturn her conviction or a new trial based on concerns that prosecutors failed to communicate potentially exculpatory evidence. She determined that the armorer’s attorneys failed to prove that there was a reasonable likelihood that the trial decision would have been different if Gutierrez-Reed had access to the evidence, which is now pending in a higher court appeal.

SOURCE | AP

Celebrity

Seth Meyers Is Trading Politics For Parenting In New Standup Special

Published

2 days ago

2024-10-25

Kiara Grace

NEW YORK — Seth Meyers reveals that whether he’s quarreling with his wife or in an odd circumstance with his children, he can’t help but think of turning it into a piece. The comedian and host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” adapted numerous of those humorous stories for his latest HBO/Max standup special, “Dad Man Walking.”

Meyers’ most recent HBO special, “Lobby Baby,” which aired in 2019, also delves into his parenting adventures. Meyers adds that being holed up with his family during the pandemic forced him to write about his children and marriage to his wife, Alexi Ashe.

“I’ve always enjoyed how — unlike the nightly show, which is so tied to politics and the world we’re living in — this was more about sort of the universal experience of being part of a family,” Meyers said CNN in a recent interview. “It’s really fun to be on stage and realize that you are not alone in the way you are feeling about things.”

Seth Meyers Is Trading Politics For Parenting In New Standup Special

The program was shot live at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, where Meyers received large laughs talking about simple things like not understanding how to fold a stroller and the dangers of playing board games with his children, who are 8, 6, and 3 years old.

Meyers stated that his children have not complained about discussing the humorous things they say and do on stage. “I am very cognizant of saying things that I feel like they’ll be okay with,” he told me. They enjoy appearing on TV and serving as fodder for his act, but he knows that will change as they age. His oldest son suddenly appeared less enthusiastic about the traditional turkey costume contest for Thanksgiving.

“The minute someone at school busts him for being in a turkey costume, game over,” Meyers added, laughing. “But we will give them permission … because my wife did buy into being married to a comedian, whereas they didn’t choose it.”

One of the special’s highlight moments is Alexi attempting to pass through airport security with a tub of hummus. Meyers intended to keep it to himself, but he couldn’t resist testing it onstage. “I am literally in real time thinking … it’s not just that the story is so funny, but I realize this really is a perfect example of who we both are in this marriage,” he told me. “It kind of overlaps nicely with the theme of what I’m trying to do.”

The special’s director, Neal Brennan, believes the humor lies in Meyers’ relatable experiences despite his celebrity and acerbic persona. “He controls ‘Late Night’ and his personal life? “He is completely out of control,” Brennan added, chuckling.

Brennan, who also helmed “Lobby Baby,” claims Meyers has no pretense regarding family. “His conceit is, ‘I’m a very good businessman… and I have all the power.'” I have complete authority; everything I say goes. And when I get home, it’s just a lot of people taking advantage of me and wanting to speak about lava.”

Meyers, known for his stinging political satire, claims that the humor in his act originates from seeing how men and women fail each other and attempting to distribute blame equitably.

“I’m so loath to do that special about a man complaining about his wife,” Meyers joked. He appreciates it when both husbands and wives see themselves in his comedy. “For me, balance is extremely vital. Whereas both sides politically are a complete waste of time, I strive to do both sides through marriage.”

Seth Meyers Is Trading Politics For Parenting In New Standup Special

Meyers also commented on “Saturday Night Live”‘s 50th anniversary, saying he enjoyed seeing his period’s “big swings” on the show. “I loved just being there while you watched Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Andy Samberg and Bill Hader all just become the people who would then be a massive part of show business for the next two decades.”

While some argue that “SNL” is no longer as hilarious as it once was, Meyers believes that being “beautifully uneven” is one of the show’s greatest enduring aspects compared to watching live sports.

“You don’t know until it happens how it’s going to be,” Meyers told the crowd. “I’ve always felt that the poorest show has something fantastic, while the best show has something dreadful. “And no host can guarantee consistency.”

As for whether he’ll continue performing standup, Meyers believes it’s a safe bet, given all the family drama. “They continue to provide stuff. So, sure, I can’t see it stopping very soon.”

SOURCE | AP

Celebrity

Harvey Weinstein’s Retrial Moved To Next Year, Lawyer Plans To Hire A Private Investigator

Published

4 days ago

2024-10-23

Kiara Grace

NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein’s retrial on sex crimes charges in Manhattan will not begin until at least next year, and his lawyer intends to employ a private investigator to check into a fresh complaint against the movie mogul that will now be included in the case.

The fresh information was revealed as Weinstein appeared in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

Harvey was already set for retrial on two sex offense charges after the state’s top court reversed his 2020 conviction earlier this year. Then, in September, he received a fresh charge for another attack. He’s pled not guilty.

On Wednesday, Judge Curtis Farber granted the prosecution’s plea to consolidate both cases and stated that he would set a new trial date by January 29, 2025.

Harvey Weinstein’s Retrial Moved To Next Year, Lawyer Plans To Hire A Private Investigator

The trial was originally slated to begin on November 12, but Harvey’s attorneys requested a date in March or April when the new accusation was added.

“We’ll need some time to investigate the case, hire a private investigator, and go deeper into discovery,” said Harvey’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala.

Prosecutors said they were not opposed to the date, but they were ready to go to trial in January.

Harvey was convicted of forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and third-degree rape for an attack on an aspiring actor in 2013. In the latest complaint, authorities allege that he forced oral sex on a separate lady in a Manhattan hotel in the spring of 2006.

Aidala stated after the court session that the identity of the new accuser had not been formally disclosed.

Lindsay Goldbrum, the accuser’s attorney, has previously stated that the lady has never made her claim public and does not want to be recognized for the time being, but she “will be fully prepared to speak her truth at trial.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office argued that having a second trial on the additional charge would be “extraordinarily inefficient” and a waste of judicial resources. Harvey’s lawyers argued in court documents that the cases should be kept separate, accusing prosecutors of aiming to turn the retrial into “an entirely new proceeding.”

Harvey Weinstein’s Retrial Moved To Next Year, Lawyer Plans To Hire A Private Investigator

Harvey has been detained at the city’s Rikers Island detention facility, where he has suffered many health difficulties.

He was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022, but his lawyers have filed an appeal.

The sexual assault and harassment charges against Weinstein fueled the #MeToo movement in 2017.

The 72-year-old former producer co-founded Miramax and The Weinstein Company, both of which create films and television shows. He produced films such as “Shakespeare in Love” and “The Crying Game.”

SOURCE | AP