MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2022

Over the weekend, we lost three beloved celebrity old-schoolers . . .

  1. Nichelle Nichols died of heart failure on Saturday at the age of 89.  She famously played Nyota Uhura on “Star Trek:  The Original Series” and in many of the “Star Trek” movies. She was one of the first Black women to be featured in a major TV show, and from 1977 until 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA’s programs, and to help recruit diverse astronauts. In 2015, Nichelle suffered a minor stroke . . . and in early 2018, she was diagnosed with dementia.
  2. NBA legend Bill Russell died yesterday at the age of 88.  A cause of death wasn’t released . . . but he was not well enough to present the NBA Finals MVP trophy back in June because of a long illness. In 2011, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement.
  3. Actress and comedian Pat Carroll passed away of pneumonia on Saturday at the age of 95.  She’s best known for providing the voice of Ursula the Sea Witch in Disney’s original, animated “The Little Mermaid”. She also made many appearances on TV . . . everything from “The Carol Burnett Show” to “ER” . . . and did several Broadway shows.

Chris Rock may have indirectly responded to Will Smith’s apology video in Atlanta on Friday, when he said that everyone wants to play a victim, and, “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.”

Britney Spears finished writing a tell-all, but it won’t come out anytime soon because there isn’t enough paper.  There’s apparently a global paper shortage.  

Luke Bryan’s “Drink a Beer” is a sad song, but it helped him connect with two young boys who needed a morale boost at his show in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday. They were holding up a T-shirt that said, “Our dad died.  Can we sing ‘Drink a Beer’ together?”  Luke’s answer?  Yes!  He invited them up to the stage, and while they were wiggling through the crowd he put ON the T-shirt. He asked when they lost their father, and they said it was May of 2020.  Then he wrapped his arms around them, and they did the song.  Well, they tried.  The boys were so emotional they could barely speak, let alone sing. When it was done they posed for a few photos and Luke told the crowd, “For anybody that’s lost somebody out there, I love you.  Thank you.”

Tragedy struck Kenny Chesney’s show in Denver on Saturday when a fan fell off the side of an escalator and died.  Police said she was sitting on the railing when it happened.  Kenny told “The Denver Post” he was “devastated” by the news, and that he’s grieving for the woman and her family.

WMAZ-TV talked to the artist who did the “Beavis-looking” mural of Jason Aldean on a building in Macon, Georgia.  Her name is Shamika Bussey, and to her credit, the job wasn’t easy.  She painted it while standing on top of her truck IN the rain.  She’s proud of her work, and nobody can take that away from her.

Carly Pearce is completely, 100% over Michael Ray.  She’s been dating Riley King for over a year now, and she recently shared a pic of them hanging out in Montana.  So we checked HIS Instagram and it’s plastered with one photo after another of them looking very happy.

The state of Kentucky has suffered with the recent flooding . . . and Chris Stapleton, who grew up in Eastern Kentucky, is helping out.  His “Outlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund” is working with the Kentucky Red Cross and Appalachia Crisis Fund to get people the resources and assistance they need.

Jodie Sweetin married her longtime boyfriend, clinical social worker Mescal Wasilewski, on Saturday in Malibu. The couple, who have dated for five years and became engaged in January, were married at a private home. Her two daughters — Zoie, 14 and Beatrix, 11 — were in attendance, as were Sweetin’s co-stars John Stamos, Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber. This is Sweetin’s fourth marriage. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner

“DC League of Super-Pets” barely won the box office with a $23 million opening weekend.  “Nope” came in at #2 with $18.6 million.

Kenan Thompson agrees with Lorne Michaels that “Saturday Night Live” should end with Season 50. 24-25 season

Amy Grant is in stable condition after she was admitted to the hospital following a bicycle accident.  Cuts and scrapes only.  The accident has caused her to postpone her August concert dates.

Lioinel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, along with host Ryan Seacrest, will all be back this fall for the 6th season of American Idol

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are talking about expanding their family

The eldest grandchild of President Biden and first lady Jill Biden has announced she will be married in a ceremony on the White House’s South Lawn later this year.

Jason Momoa is 43.  Aquaman

Tempestt Bledsoe is 49.  Vanessa Huxtable on “The Cosby Show”.

Coolio is 59.

Blogs

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