TONY BENNETT has officially retired from performing, on doctors’ orders. He had a fall tour scheduled, but he canceled it.
It was a good day yesterday for KELLY CLARKSON. She got an email on the set of “The Voice”, telling her that her prenup had been upheld. When she received the email, she let out a scream and had a celebration with her co-stars. The prenup separated all of her assets and income earned during her marriage to talent manager Brandon Blackstock, including the Montana ranch that he’s currently living on. Brandon had wanted their properties split, along with all of the income that Kelly earned while they were together . . . but the judge basically said not today, Brandon. BLAKE SHELTON recently got rid of Brandon as his manager.
ROBERT PLANT and ALISON KRAUSS released their new single, “Can’t Let Go”.
BRITNEY SPEARS is one step closer to being free. Her dad Jamie Spears just told the court he’s stepping down from her conservatorship. He’s not leaving right away, but he will work to “prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.” Jamie’s lawyer called him the victim of, “unjustified attacks”, and said that he “rescued” his daughter by taking charge of her affairs 13 years ago. He also took a shot at Britney’s mom Lynne, for having little to do with her since then. But that continuing a public battle with his daughter wouldn’t be in her best interest. And he said, “Regardless of his formal title, Mr. Spears will always be Ms. Spears’ father, he will always love her unconditionally, and he will always look out for her best interests.” Britney’s attorney isn’t impressed. He says they still believe Jamie, “reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate,” and they’re going to continue to investigate that.
Iowa hosted their first-ever MLB game last night on a specially constructed field next to the real-life “Field of Dreams” movie set. The Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees with a walk-off homer in the ninth. There was a nostalgic opening ceremony, where KEVIN COSTNER led the players through the cornfield and onto the field. Kevin said, “Thirty years ago on the other side of that corn we filmed a movie that stood the test of time. Tonight, thanks to that enduring impact that that little movie had, it’s allowed us to come here again . . . Is this heaven?” For an added old-school touch, both teams wore retro uniforms and even the scoreboard was changed . . . manually.
A Reddit user asked, quote, “Who is a celebrity you used to admire, but no longer do, and why?” Here are some responses . . .
- Jared Leto . . . “Over time I started to realize how pretentious he is . . . he has some Bono complex and sees himself as some profound artist who is changing the world.”
- James Corden . . . “I saw story after story from fan encounters where he is a complete and utter [jerk]. Now that I know he’s a fake, his shtick is unwatchable.”
- Gwyneth Paltrow . . . “The pseudo health information she spreads is terribly incorrect . . . It’s sad how many people are actually influenced by it as well.”
- Ellen DeGeneres . . . “I started getting really soul-leeching sort of vibes from her, and now it just feels like she’s using people.”
- Lea Michele . . . “I used to think all the diva stuff was just nasty rumors, but turns out it’s not.”
- Elon Musk . . . “I learned that he exploits his workers.”
- Dr. Phil . . . “I learned how some people are abused at the Turn-About Ranch treatment facility he sends them to.”
A new “Home Alone” movie is coming. It’s called “Home Sweet Home Alone” and it hits Disney+ on November 12th. It’ll be about a boy named Max who is left home . . . alone . . . while his family is on vacation in Japan. A married couple will attempt to break into Max’s home to get their hands on a priceless heirloom, so he must protect it. KENAN THOMPSON, ELLIE KEMPER, and ROB DELANEY are in it, but there’s no word who they’re playing.
Bartenders and servers are the best tippers, right? They know what it’s like to work a long shift and come up short. Is it the same for musicians? They’re sitting on a stool somewhere playing song after song hoping you’ll stuff a dollar into the jar. CHRIS YOUNG remembers those days and he recently paid it forward. He got together with a TikTok influencer named Lexy Lately. She asks her followers for contributions, and then puts that money in the tip jar of struggling musicians. They went to a downtown Nashville venue where two guys were playing music . . . and proceeded to make their day. Lexy gave them $1,000, and then she introduced Chris, and he matched it with another $1,000. The audience got a treat too. Chris borrowed one of the musician’s guitars and launched into “Famous Friends”.
JASON ALDEAN is funding a program for survivors of the Route 91 tragedy who are still experiencing trauma. 25 of them will participate in a six-day workshop called Triumph Over Tragedy. It’s being held this November at an “emotional wellness retreat center” in Tennessee, and Jason’s paying for it.
Several artists have released cover songs for “The Metallica Blacklist” album, which is out September 10th. And even though it’s not a contest, I’m calling it for CHRIS STAPLETON’s version of “Nothing Else Matters”.
KENNY CHESNEY is selling one of his mansions. This one’s in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tennessee . . . and he’s asking $14 million, give or take.
Andy Griggs is 48.
Danny Bonaduce is 62.
