First it was Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, and now BILL and MELINDA GATES are getting divorced . . . after 27 years of marriage. They issued a statement saying, “We no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.” They added that they will continue to work together at the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which helps people all over the world to, “lead healthy, productive lives.” The charity was founded in 2000, and is now worth over $40 billion. Bill and Melinda got married in Hawaii on January 1st, 1994. He’s 65, she’s 56. They have three kids . . . a 21-year-old son and two daughters, ages 18 and 25. Bill is worth around $137 BILLION. They never had a prenup, but Belinda’s divorce petition says they’ve already come to a “separation agreement” . . . and she will not need spousal support.
The pandemic has been going on so long that you may have forgotten that PINK and her then-three-year-old son Jameson tested positive for COVID-19 early on . . . 14 months ago. They had it bad. In fact, Pink was GETTING HER AFFAIRS IN ORDER. She says, “It was really, really bad and I re-wrote my will . . . at the point where I thought it was over for us, I called my best friend and I said, ‘I just need you to tell [my daughter] Willow how much I loved her.’ As a parent, you think, ‘What am I leaving for my kid? . . . What do I need to tell them if this is the last time I get to tell them anything?'”
Actress BILLIE HAYES died last week of natural causes. She was 96 years old. She played WITCHIEPOO on the Saturday morning kids’ show “H.R. Pufnstuf”.
NBC has yet another “Law & Order” show in the pipeline, and this time the hook is that . . . rather than the prosecution, this one focuses on the DEFENSE. It’s even called “Law & Order: For the Defense”. The guy who created “Law & Order”, Dick Wolf, says, “We spent the last 30 years on shows that played offense. Now it will be great to play defense.”
There’s no cast or timeline for the new show yet. After the original “Law & Order”, the others have included: “Criminal Intent”, “Special Victims Unit”, “Trial By Jury”, “Law & Order: L.A.”, “True Crime”, “Hate Crimes”, and “Organized Crime”.
Someone put together a list of “wild and random” music facts Here are 10 highlights:
- Ed Sheeran slept on Jamie Foxx’s couch for six weeks before he made it big in the music business.
- Dolly Parton wrote the legendary songs “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” in the same day.
- Childish Gambino got his rap name from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator.
- Before Panic! at the Disco made it big on their own, they used to be a Blink-182 cover band.
- Elvis Presley was actually a natural blond and his stylist dyed his hair by mixing shampoo, vitamin capsules, aloe vera, and herbs.
- “Respect” by Aretha Franklin is actually a cover of an Otis Redding song. She rewrote the lyrics because the song originally had a misogynistic tone and now it’s one of the most famous female anthems of all time.
- Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez used to be on “Barney & Friends” together before they became iconic pop singers.
- Jimi Hendrix taught himself how to play the guitar and never learned how to read music.
- Nicole Scherzinger sang 95% of the vocals featured on the Pussycat Dolls’ first album.
- Harry Styles gave Stevie Nicks a carrot cake when they met for the first time backstage at a Fleetwood Mac show. He even piped her name onto it.
It’s interesting to hear artists talk about “the song that got away.” They could’ve recorded it, but didn’t for some reason . . . and then it became a huge hit for someone else. For JASON ALDEAN, that song was Luke Bryan’s “Drunk On You”. Jason heard it first but passed on it because he was looking for a specific kind of sound to finish an album he was doing. He liked the song, but it just didn’t fit. The big regret came a little later. “Luke came over and played me some songs off his record and that was one of them and I was like ‘ughhh.’ It went on to be a big ole hit for him. [But] I believe songs land where they’re supposed to land.”
Are the PISTOL ANNIES working on new music? Miranda Lambert teased the idea on Instagram when she congratulated Ashley Monroe on her new album, “Rosegold”, which dropped Friday. Someone in the comments asked if the Pistol Annies are coming back, and Miranda wrote, “We’ve got something up our sleeve.”
MIDLAND will be hitting the road next fall. “The Last Resort Tour” will kick-off October 7th in Phoenix, Arizona, and wrap December 16th in Shreveport, Louisiana
TRACE ADKINS is working on his 13th album, and says it’ll be released later this year. The first single, which is called “Heartbreak Song”, is out now. You can listen to a sample of that at TraceAdkins.com.
RUSSELL DICKERSON has been named the newest CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador. He’ll use his voice to “inspire students and teachers” across America. He’s also performing this Saturday at the Grand Ole Opry in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Broadway can reopen on May 19th.
Robert William “Bobby” Unser, the auto racer who won the Indianapolis 500 three times in his nearly 30-year career, died at age 87. Unser’s death was confirmed by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday. He is survived by his wife, two sons and and two daughters. Unser won the Indy 500 in 1968, 1975 and 1981 during a 27-year career. The Unser family is legendary in auto racing — six members of the family have raced in the competition. Bobby’s younger brother, Al Unser, won the Indy 500 four times, making the two the only pair of brothers to both win the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
MIKE NESMITH and MICKEY DOLENZ are launching a MONKEES farewell tour in September. 10/22 — Bethlehem, PA @ The Wind Creek Event Center — 10/24 — New York City, NY @ Town Hall
Raelynn is 27
Lance Bass is 42. ‘N Sync Hollywood Walk of Famer.
Erin Andrews is 43. “Dancing with the Stars” co-host and Fox Sports’ lead NFL sideline reporter.
Will Arnett is 51. Batman in the “LEGO” movies
Randy Travis is 62.
