“Forbes” put out its annual list of ‘The World’s Highest-Paid TV Hosts’, and “JUDGE JUDY” SHEINDLIN is #1 for the first time with an estimated $147 million haul over the past 12 months. Here’s the Top Five
- Ellen DeGeneres, $87.5 million
- Dr. Phil McGraw, $77.5 million
- Ryan Seacrest, $74 million
- Steve Harvey, $44 million
OPRAH’s mother Vernita Lee died at her home in Milwaukee on Thanksgiving day. She was 83. She has already been laid to rest in a private funeral service.
“Diff’rent Strokes” superstar TODD BRIDGES got sucker-punched, just for trying to help. Todd’s wheelchair-bound neighbor was trying to evict a woman from his house, and he asked Todd to back him up. An argument ensued, and the woman’s boyfriend clocked him, knocking him straight to the ground. The whole thing was caught by a surveillance camera. Todd says, “No one likes to be sucker punched, but I am glad that I was there to help my neighbor, who was faced with a potentially dangerous situation. Much rather it was me, and not my neighbor.”
The new “Robin Hood” remake turned out to be the biggest bomb of the year. It opened with only $22.8 million worldwide, on a budget of $100 million.
STYX has a handful of dates lined up next year with LARRY THE CABLE GUY. The tour is called “Laugh. Rock. Seriously.”
AXL ROSE was seriously ill and puking before the GUNS N’ ROSES show in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. He made it through 20 songs of the planned 28-song set before he had to call it quits.
Kelsea Ballerini and The Chainsmokers will be performing on the West Coast part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC. So will Foster the People, Dua Lipa, Macklemore, Skylar Grey, Ella Mai, and Charlie Puth. Ryan Seacrest will host from Times Square, along with Jenny McCarthy.
You may have heard BRETT ELDREDGE covering Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” on a Peloton commercial. Well, you’re going to hear more of it because he released it as a single.
The CMA Foundation has been recruiting country stars to share stories about their music education and the teachers who made a difference to them as part of the “Starts With M.E.” campaign. KEITH URBAN’s story started early. He picked up a guitar at the age of six and pretty much never set it down again. He was fortunate to have a lot of great teachers, but there was one who really stood out. “Her name was Mrs. Grimmer, my music teacher in 8th, 9th, and 10th grade. I failed music as a subject because I couldn’t read and had no [music] theory, but she knew I was naturally talented so she rewrote this whole test that we were supposed to take.” The new exam was more about “playing” and less about “theory”, and it played into Keith’s strengths. At the end of the year the school officials didn’t approved of the changes and the entire class failed. He says, “She was so distraught. But that meant the world to me that she would want to recognize our natural talents like that.”
Somebody put together a list of alcohol brands that your favorite country stars are associated with as investors or in ownership.
- Código Tequila . . . George Strait
- Blue Chair Bay Rum . . . Kenny Chesney
- Old Camp Whiskey . . . Florida Georgia Line
- Beach Whiskey . . . Jake Owen
- Backstage Southern Whiskey . . . Darius Rucker
- Arrington Vineyards . . . Kix Brooks
- Old Tattoo Wine . . . Craig Morgan
- Red 55 Winery . . . Miranda Lambert
- Four Cellars Wine . . . Little Big Town
- Z. Alexander Brown Wine . . . Zac Brown
- Wild Shot Mezcal . . . Toby Keith
- Redneck Riviera Whiskey . . . John Rich
- Smithworks Vodka . . . Blake Shelton
Did Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton get married in Reno, Nevada? That’s what one of this week’s magazines is reporting. Gossip Cop, however, looked into the story and cannot find anything to substantiate the claim that they had a secret wedding.
Jaleel White is 42. Caroline Kennedy is 61. Bill Nye “The Science Guy” is 63
