Alex Bowman has been named full-time driver of the #88 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series by Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman replaced the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. last year and went on to earn three top-10 finishes. He said, “I would never have this chance without the support of Dale and everyone involved with the No. 88 team. To be part of Hendrick Motorsports and for Mr. Hendrick to have this confidence in me, it’s just amazing.”
41 year old LINKIN PARK singer CHESTER BENNINGTON was found dead yesterday morning, at his home in L.A. It looks like he committed suicide by hanging either earlier that morning or Wednesday night. His body was discovered by a housekeeper at around 9:00 A.M. He’d just arrived back in L.A. on Wednesday, after spending some time in Arizona with his wife. They’ve been married for 11 years. He was married once before . . . and he had six kids, including five-year-old twins.
Ever since ABC announced that they were bringing back “American Idol”, it seemed inevitable that RYAN SEACREST would be back as the host, even though he’s juggling like 18 jobs right now. ARyan finally made it official on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” yesterday. Actually, it was KELLY RIPA who made the announcement. TMZ claims Ryan was negotiating with the show for three months, because he wanted $10 to $15 million, plus an executive producer credit. Supposedly, he did NOT get the credit, and his pay will be closer to $10 mil. There’s still no word who will be joining KATY PERRY at the judges’ table.
O.J. SIMPSON was granted parole yesterday, meaning he’ll be released in October. He served 9 years of a 33-year sentence for kidnapping and armed robbery.
MILEY CYRUS says we should be more disturbed about her “Hannah Montana” days than her twerking phase. “It should be more shocking that when I was 11 or 12, I was put in full hair and makeup, a wig, and told what to wear by a group of mostly older men.”
MAREN MORRIS tries to eat healthy, but that’s not easy when you’re on the road and there’s a catering spread backstage. Her solution is to bypass the food, get some coffee, and walk away.
KEITH URBAN posted a photo of a mixing board on Twitter. He included a caption that let everyone know he’s back in the studio and recording new music.
The Three Little Stooges Movie has found its Larry, Moe and Curly. The comedic family film, from Three Little Stooges Productions centers on the trio of beloved characters as 12- and 13-year-olds.
CHARLES KELLEY and DAVE HAYWOOD recorded a parody of Sam Hunt’s “Body Like A Back Road”. It’s called “Party In A Bathrobe” and that’s what the two of them and their crew are wearing in the video. It’s about being on the road, and the whole thing takes place in one of Lady Antebellum’s trailers.
DIERKS BENTLEY Tweeted that he’s honored to have a song in the upcoming movie “Only The Brave”. “It sheds light on the lifestyle of wilderness firefighters and honors these men and their families.” It’s based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and some of the stars in it are Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, and Jennifer Connelly. It’ll be out October 20th.
Johnny Depp’s former business managers were told by the court to reframe their arguments about the actor’s spending, and in doing so they’ve added new details about his credit card expenses. He charged more than $500,000 in rental fees for storage warehouses that hold his Hollywood collectibles, $17,000 in handbags and luggage at Prada and $7,000 for a Keeping Up With the Kardashians couch as a gift for his daughter, Lily-Rose. These expenditures have come to light in The Management Group’s second amended cross-complaint against the actor, the latest filing in a heated legal battle that began in January when Depp sued TMG for $25 million. The managers also say Depp’s employees on his private island in the Bahamas racked up about a million dollars in charges related to the island’s expenses — and they had to pay off a large balance after the actor stopped making payments on the card.
The Queen Latifah movie “Girls Trip” is out this weekend. It’s up against the sci-fi flick “Valerian”, and the World War II movie “Dunkirk”.
Friday at 10:00 p.m. on Disney: The series premiere of “Raven’s Home” . . . with Raven Symone as her psychic “That’s So Raven” character Raven Baxter. She’s a mom now, and one of her three kids is starting to get psychic visions too.
This week’s CD Releases include new music Sara Evans.
