JULIA ROBERTS is almost 50 years old. She’s rich, beautiful, and an Oscar winner. And yet Internet trolls can still get to her. Her niece EMMA ROBERTS had posted a picture of the two of them playing cards, and then the comments started coming. People said Julia’s not aging well, she looks like a man, you know, that kind of stuff. And she says, “I was amazed at how that made me feel. I’m a 50-year-old woman and I know who I am, and still my feelings got hurt. I was sad that people couldn’t see the point of it, the sweetness of it, the absolute shining joy of that photo.”
A lot of people are watching or RE-watching STEVE CARELL in “The Office” on Netflix . . . but Steve doesn’t think the show would fly today, because of political correctness and the #MeToo movement. He says, “It might be impossible to do that show today and have people accept it the way it was accepted 10 years ago. The climate’s different. Michael Scott . . . was predicated on inappropriate behavior. He’s certainly not a model boss. A lot of what is depicted on that show is completely wrong-minded. That’s the point . . . but I just don’t know how that would fly now. There’s a very high awareness of offensive things today, which is good, for sure. But at the same time, when you take a character like that too literally, it doesn’t really work.”
CHRISTINA AGUILERA had to cancel a show last night because she lost her voice. She said, “I need to rest tonight in order to get well ASAP, and will be unable to sing my heart out and perform for you at tonight’s show.”
An AMY WINEHOUSE hologram will tour the world next year. It’ll sing digitally-remastered versions of her songs, backed by a live band.
MAREN MORRIS is ready, and very willing to be a role model for impressionable young girls. It’s something she prepared for by studying her musical heroes Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Carole King. “These women weren’t wallflowers. They were completely empowering and unapologetic in their stance. And there was also this really intense vulnerability that no one was able to show at that time, especially in male artists and songwriters.” Think about it, NONE of those ladies were ever considered weak. So now it’s Maren’s turn to be one of the female artists who can make a difference.
MORGAN EVANS is one of those artists who performs naked. It’s just just him and his guitar. No backing track, and no live band to hide behind. “I just play solo. It’s kind of terrifying, but gratifying at the same time. There’s no barrier between me and the audience. It’s just what’s happening is happening in front of you, and I’m standing there sharing my stories.”
The ZAC BROWN BAND and SHAWN MENDES episode of “CMT Crossroads” will debut October 24th . . . and they’re offering a preview to get you interested. It’s a video of them performing ZBB’s “Keep Me In Mind”.
Most songs remind us of a certain time in our lives. And sometimes they’ll even bring us back to a specific moment. Turns out the people who write those songs also have memories of when they created them. ERIC CHURCH, on an Instagram clip where he talked about his song “Monsters”, which is on his “Desperate Man” album. He said, “I think after Vegas [it] became more real to me. A specific night I can remember going in my oldest son Boone’s room and [his] closet light dimmer wasn’t bright enough and he wanted it brighter. And when I went in and made it a little brighter and he said, ‘That’s good, that’s good, that’s perfect.’ And it wasn’t much, but that stuck with me.” Eric added this in the caption: “It will always be a song that I think about where I was at that time in my life, where my kids were, and just how that little bit of light is what made the difference.”
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM is suing FLEETWOOD MAC for firing him.
LINDSAY ELL says the best part about being a female artist in country music is inspiring other women . . . just like Shania Twain inspired her when she was young. It’s a responsibility that makes her want to write songs that have good messages.
Blake Shelton, Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch, and Eddie Montgomery are some of the artists performing at a launch party for the Troy Gentry Foundation. The show is January 9th at the Grand Ole Opry . . . and funds will go to several causes, including military, cancer research, and music education.
This week’s CD Releases include new music from Usher, Tom Morello, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, and Kelsea Ballerini’s husband Morgan Evans.
Ryan Gosling’s astronaut movie “First Man” is out today. It’s up against “Goosebumps 2” and the thriller “Bad Times at the El Royale”
Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC: Seth Meyers hosts “Saturday Night Live”, and Paul Simon is the music guest.
Sunday at 8:15 p.m. Eastern on NBC: “Sunday Night Football”. The New England Patriots host the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sunday at 10:00 p.m. on HBO: The series premiere of “Camping”, which is a sitcom starring Jennifer Garner and David Tennant. Their trip to celebrate his 45th birthday is derailed by uninvited guests.
Kirk Cameron is 48.
Martie Maguire is 49.
Hugh Jackman is 50.
