NEW YORK/LONDON - Famed British born broadcaster turned US citizen Alistair Cooke, age 95, died at his New York home Monday night March 29th at around midnight according to a BBC report.  The Cambridge educated came to the US to study at Yale in 1932 and fell in love with America.  His "Letter From America" reports aired for 58 consecutive years on the BBC.  Prime minister Tony Blair said, "He was really one of the greatest broadcasters of all time."  In his adopted home he was most often seen on PBS TV as host of "Masterpiece Theater".  Cooke won four Emmys, three Peabody awards and was made an honorary knight commander of the British Empire.  As a US citizen he could not technically be Sir Alistair Cooke though.  He also was a popular author having written a dozen books, the most successful of which was "Alistair Cooke's America" which sold over 800,000 hardback copies.  Cooke retired from the BBC "Letter From America" broadcast only three weeks before his death.  

GENEVA SWITZERLAND - Sir Peter Ustinov died Sunday March 28th at a clinic near his home at Bursins, which looks down from the Alps onto Lake Geneva. Over his career he won two Oscars and three Emmys for his acting plus a Grammy for his narration of "Peter & The Wolf".  When not acting, he stayed busy writing plays, movies and novels or doing charity work. He was a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF for over 30 years and recently attended a UNICEF event in a wheelchair and nearly blind from diabetes. Ustinov also set up a foundation dedicated to understanding between people across the globe and between generations. He was 82 and the official cause of death is listed as heart failure. Ustinov married three times and is survived by four children and his third wife.

DETROIT - Aretha Franklin was released from the hospital just in time for her 62nd birthday celebration on Thursday March 25th after being hospitalized since Saturday March 20th for a reaction to antibiotic medication.  The Queen of Soul, who lives in Detroit, was hospitalized Saturday March 20th according to Gwendolyn Quinn, her New York City-based publicist. Last month, she won a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B vocal performance for ``Wonderful'' from her latest CD.  Franklin, who's one of the world's most honored singers, is best known for her signature song ``Respect,'' though she's had countless other hits including ``(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman,'' ``Chain of Fools', "Think"' and ``Freeway of Love.''

MIAMI - Sunday night March 28th, Showtime subscribers will be treated to one live performance of the Britney Spears Onyx Hotel Tour direct from Miami.  The live show starts at 9 PM and features Britney as you've never seen her before!  If the publicity photos are on the mark you'll see Britney in fabulous "Cher-like" costumes dripping in "Marilyn-like" jewels and heavy stage makeup that brings Kiss to mind.  It should be entertaining, yet bizarre and oh so Britney!   

NEWARK NJ/LOS ANGELES - Frankie Valli, a hit-maker with The Four Seasons produces hits of a different kind beginning Sunday night March 28th.  The lead singer of the 60's mainstay group joins the cast of the most critically acclaimed drama of the past 5 years.  Sunday night Frankie plays a new mobster moving in on Tony Soprano's crew on HBO's landmark series "The Sopranos".  Frankie says he got the moves and attitude for his character from the first third of his life which was spent in Newark near where the Sopranos is filmed.  "I think back to being a kid and these guys," he said.  Often mob types owned or ran the bars and clubs where the Four Seasons got their start.  Valli appears in four consecutive episodes so far, but it remains to be seen if he will continue on as a regular.  He says nothing is certain on the set of the show.  Valli plays a captain in the New York faction of the mob.  The show has wrapped for the season, but re-shoots have been done before for the show. 

Meanwhile at his Los Angeles home studio Frankie Valli continues working on a new album of jazz songs.  He grew up during the waning days of the big band era and says the music moves him.  He won't say when the jazz project will be finished or released.  He's working at his own pace on the project.  Meanwhile he's also spearheading the revival of The Four Seasons act with himself and the music director as the only original members left from the 1990 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group.  Valli, who is now 66 years old has three sons, one son age 16 and a pair of 9 year old twins.   

PHOENIX AZ - That tank top clad exercise guru Richard Simmons allegedly slapped a man who made a sarcastic remark about one of his best selling workout videos, according to Phoenix police.  Simmons, a millionaire many times over thanks to his "Sweatin' to the Oldies" series of exercise videos set to songs from the 1950s and 60s, was cited for misdemeanor assault.  Here's what police say happened.  Another airline passenger who was waiting with Simmons Wednesday night at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport recognized Simmons as he was waiting for a flight to Los Angeles, police said. The man "made the off-hand comment, 'Hey everybody. It's Richard Simmons. Let's drop our bags and rock to the '50s,'" said Phoenix police Sgt. Tom Osborne. "Mr. Simmons took exception to it and walked over to the other passenger and apparently slapped him in the face." The passenger, whose identity wasn't immediately available, wasn't injured but told police that he intended to file charges against Simmons, 55.  Sgt. Osborne said Simmons was cited for misdemeanor assault and was then permitted to board his flight. 

LOS ANGELES - Earlier we happily reported on the remake of the 60's hit sitcom "Mr. Ed" in the works for FOX TV.  (See the brotherdave.us archive.)  Now tragedy has struck the production and the series is stalled, at least temporarily.  The fledgling show's executive producer and head writer Drake J. Sather, age 44, who was was a longtime standup comedian, committed suicide on March 3rd.  Sather was going through a breakup of his marriage.  He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Originally from Seattle, his standup career led to scribe credits for some of television's edgiest work of the past 15 years, including "Saturday Night Live", "News Radio", "Ed", "The Larry Sanders Show" which earned him an Emmy nomination and "The Dennis Miller Show".  He and Ben Stiller co-wrote a bit for "The VH1 Fashions Awards" broadcast that was so funny they expanded on the theme and the 2001 hit film "Zoolander" was the result.  Pre-production of the new "Mr. Ed" was completed in February and the cast reportedly is locked with veteran sitcom star Sherman Hemsley as the voice of the wiseacre talking horse.  Other actors on the project include star David Alan Basche as Wilbur Post plus Garret Dillahunt and Sherily Fenn.  Several Sather scripts survive, plus notes on future episodes.  But somehow, we don't think the show will be the same without his unique sense of humor noir at the helm.

LONDON - Some think Pierce Brosnan is the best Bond since Sean Connery, but he might be double-oh-done.  The word is that negotiations over the next Bond film have fizzled and London bookies are already setting odds on who will be the next 007.  At this writing, Hugh Jackman is a 2-1 favorite, followed by Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Orlando Bloom, Christian Bale, Ewan McGregor and long-shot Russell Crowe.  "Pierce made the role his own," says David Black, chairman of the James Bond International Fan Club. "He's been a very good Bond."  The next installment in the Bond franchise is due in theatres at Thanksgiving 2005.  So far there's no script, no title and no James Bond.  We believe Brosnan will eventually be lined up for one more outing and then graciously pass the mantle on to a young gun.  For now though, our London sources are at a loss to explain what is going on at Eon Productions where the top brass appears to be befuddled about what to do next.  Eon can't slight Pierce and must handle this with cautions care because he's made them 1.2 Billion dollars, which is more than double what Sean Connery's Bond box-office.  If they mistreat Brosnan it would weaken their position when it comes to signing up the next 007.  It would tarnish the prestige factor of the role.

PALM SPRINGS CA - Art James, who was an announcer or host for a dozen TV game shows over three decades, including "Concentration" and "Family Feud Challenge,"  died Sunday March 28^th in Palm Springs at age 74 of a sudden illness.  He was born Arthur Efimchick in Dearborn, Michigan October 15^th, 1929 and studied engineering at Wayne State.   James worked as an announcer on "Concentration," which ran from 1958 to 1973 making it NBC's longest-running game show ever.  Art James also worked on “Say When”, “Face the Music” and “Blank Check”.   Prior to joining NBC he was an announcer for Armed Forces Radio while stationed in Germany after WWII.  After NBC he started his own Art James Productions in the 1990’s teaching public speaking. 

LOS ANGELES - Original "Saturday Night Live" cast member, the late John Belushi was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and salutes from his brother, Jim Belushi, and fellow ``Saturday Night Live'' cast members Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd on Thursday April 1st.  Fans from as far away as Belushi's native Chicago were on hand along with his widow, Judy Belushi Pisano, plus friends Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and Tom Arnold.  The troubled funny man was just 33 when he died of a drug overdose in a Hollywood hotel room in 1982.  In addition to television work, John Belushi starred in the 1978 comedy classic ``National Lampoon's Animal House'' and in 1980's box office smash ``The Blues Brothers,'' which co-starred Aykroyd. 

WASHINGTON DC - Howard Stern's mouth finally caught up with him.   On Thursday April 8th the FCC proposed $495,000 in indecency fines against Clear Channel Communications for the April 9th, 2003 Howard Stern broadcast which resulted in 18 alleged violations in that one show alone. Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio station chain, suspended Stern last month from their six stations that carried his morning show, which regularly features graphic sexual content.  After these fines he won't be back on the Clear Channel outlets.  Stern maintains there is a plot against him masterminded by President Bush.  Clear Channel has 30 days to contest the fine. Only last month the company last month agreed to pay a record $755,000 indecency fine for broadcasts by the disc jockey known as ``Bubba the Love Sponge,'' whose program is also no longer heard on Clear Channel stations. 

Many insiders feel this will force Stern, Bubba and their kind off the "public" airwaves and onto XM or Sirius or other paid satellite programming providers.  Such subscription broadcasts are not subject to the FCC's scrutiny while traditional radio stations are restricted between 10 PM and 6 AM to carry no indecent programming.

To further clarify what happened with the Stern show, his program is produced by the Infinity radio division of Viacom from which Clear Channel purchased rights to air the show.  (Viacom also owns their own chain of radio stations under the Infinity banner plus CBS, MTV, CMT, Nickelodeon and other television networks in addition to entire cable television systems, motion picture production companies and other media outlets.) Stern did not technically work for Clear Channel, they simply paid fees to Infinity to carry the Stern programs on six of their stations in markets where the Stern show was popular.  His show is not off the air but is still heard on at least 24 stations outside of the Clear Channel chain and most of those are Viacom owned.

No fines have yet been levied on Infinity or their corporate parent Viacom, but surely they are waiting for the other shoe to drop.  When it does drop, you can expect Stern to move to subscriber supported satellite radio.  While the fines themselves may seem like petty cash to giant corporations such as giants Viacom and Clear Channel, the fact is that in addition to stiff fines the FCC can revoke station licenses or choose to deny their renewal for serious rule infractions.  Without a license, a station is out of business and financially worthless. 

None of the satellite radio services are yet in the black.  XM and Sirius are bound to be viewing Stern as their salvation and the pathway to profit.  One could reasonably expect a bidding war between those two major services for his daily morning show.

LOS ANGELES - Jack Smith, an Emmy Award-winning correspondent during a 26-year career at ABC News, died Wednesday April 7th. He was 58.  Smith, the son of former ABC anchor Howard K. Smith, was diagnosed last fall with pancreatic cancer and died at Marin General Hospital, according to his sister, Catherine Smith.  Smith won two Emmys, a Peabody and numerous other awards during his television career and helped develop ABC News' technology beat and its "Cutting Edge" segment. He regularly appeared on ABC's nightly news program, "Nightline" and "This Week with David Brinkley."  A Vietnam veteran, Smith also narrated an award-winning series on the war for The Learning Channel, "The Soldiers' Story." Smith won a Bronze Star and Purple Heart during his tour in Vietnam from 1965-66.  Smith covered foreign wars, five presidential elections and the White House during his career. After retiring from ABC in 2000, Smith moved to California to become a media consultant.

HOLLYWOOD - Congratulations are in order for Ted Turner who got a well deserved "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!  At the unveiling on Wednesday April 7th Ted stated, "Well, I'm almost at a loss for words."  But he found a few. 

Brother Dave who worked for Turner in 1974 & 75 at Turner's WTMA in Charleston said, "Everyone who worked for Ted at one time or another might be tempted to feel like a little part of that star is theirs, but it is all Ted's.  If it wasn't for Ted Turner there would be no Superstations, no Turner Classic Movies, no CNN or The Weather Channel and probably MGM would not have thrived to survive until this day.  Ted is the best friend a movie and TV fan ever had.  If hit wasn't for Ted we all might still be watching three networks and PBS.  He started with literally nothing and went on to reinvent television into what it is today.  His story is worthy of telling in a major film trilogy.  Ted Turner is the Henry Ford of the last third of the 20th century as far as I'm concerned.  No one person had as much lasting impact.  Casting Ted is easy, Jim Carey is perfect.  The problem with making a movie about him is, who could you get to play Jane Fonda?" 

Many friend's of Turner's were on hand for the unveiling and it received worldwide media attention, even though Turner is no longer involved in any day to day media operations.  Ted Turner's mark on mass entertainment will be the most enduring of our generation.  His accomplishments and innovations are too numerous to mention.  But chief among them were putting his channel 17 in Atlanta, WTCG which later became WTBS, onto cable TV systems nationwide.  His efforts toward film preservation are legend among classic film buffs.  And who else would have had the guts to spend millions to colorize "Casablanca"?  Nobody but Ted Turner.  Thank you Ted!

KANSAS CITY  - Niki Sullivan, who played rhythm guitar and sang backup for Buddy Holly on his early hits with the Crickets, has died.  Sullivan, 66, died in his sleep at his home near Kansas City Tuesday April 6th, according to Tricia Earl of The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas.  Niki Sullivan sang backup and played rhythm guitar on all the Buddy Holly recordings but stopped touring with Holly prior to the tragic plane crash which took Holly's life.  He said it became apparent that Holly didn't need a rhythm guitarist on tour.   

SANTA MONICA CA - Paul Atkinson, a rock-and-roll pioneer and influential music industry executive, died Thursday April 1st at the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center.  Paul Atkinson was 58.  Atkinson, who died of liver and kidney disease, started as a guitarist for The Zombies, one of the first and most original of the British Invasion bands of the 1960s.  Then Mr. Atkinson made the remarkable transition to music mogul.  It was Atkinson, as an exec at the then omnipotent Warner/Electra/Atlanta music group, who signed ABBA to their first US record distribution deal.  He also signed other notable artists including Bruce Hornsby, Patty Smyth and Judas Priest.  Born in Cuffley, England, Atkinson lived in Los Angeles for the past 20 years. He is survived by his wife Helen, their two children, James and Lucy, and one son Matt from a previous marriage.  His death was not disclosed until Tuesday April 6th by his publicist Susan Clary in Los Angeles. 

LOS ANGELES – There’s trouble in Springfield.  Production of voiceovers for “The Simpson’s” has ground to a halt as the entire voice cast has stopped showing up for work in an apparent effort to force a speedy settlement of a long contract negotiation process.  Daily Variety, the Hollywood trade paper reported Thursday April 1^st that the six real people who provide the voices for the main characters are holding out for more dough for the upcoming 16^th season of the hit animated sitcom.  According to Daily Variety, each cast member is asking for something in the ballpark of $360,000 per episode.  They currently earn approximately $125,000 per episode.  Three-year contracts for Dan Castellaneta who voices Homer, Hank Azaria who voices several characters (including Moe, Apu, Comic Book Guy), Harry Shearer who does Mr. Burns and others, Yeardley Smith who is the voice of Lisa, Julie Kavner who is the blue haired Marge and Nancy Cartwright who does Bart expired several months ago.  The voice tracks are recorded and then the animation is drawn.  So, without the voiceovers, the artists can’t draw.   There was another dispute in 1998, also over salaries and it worked out fine. 

Also looming through all of Hollywood is contract negotiations beginning next week for screenwriters in The Writer’s Guild of America.  The WGA shut Hollywood completely down in a crippling 22 week strike in 1988.  Their current three year deal runs out May 2^nd.  So they have less than four weeks to come to terms.  A major focus will be on revenues from the recent upsurge in DVD sales of television series.  If they fail to reach an agreement, it would impact about every show on television, even late night talk stars Jay Leno and David Letterman!

LOS ANGELES - Kelly Osbourne, the 19-year-old daughter of heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne, has checked into a Malibu drug rehabilitation center for an addiction to painkillers, her parents said Friday night April 2nd in an exclusive "Larry King Live" interview on CNN.  Kelly Osbourne's younger brother, Jack, 18, checked himself into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic last year and Ozzy Osbourne has been candid about his decades of battles with substance abuse.  Sharon Osbourne said that an English tabloid notified them early Friday that they had a photograph of Kelly in an apparent drug deal.  Ozzy said that his daughter denied having a stash of drugs, but the family's maid said she had found a bag of pills underneath her bed.  ``So the bag was delivered to me, and I opened this bag and it was full of pills. ... There must have been 500 pills,'' Ozzy told King.  Her mom says she then confronted Kelly, who eventually acknowledged a drug problem ``after a lot of twisting."  Within hours, Kelly's brother drove her to the Promises rehabilitation center in Malibu.  When Larry King asked Sharon if she had advice on how to steer children away from drugs, she answered, ``I'm a failure!  How can I give anybody advice?''   The Osbourne family has been featured on a hit "reality" show on MTV.  The entire clan is featured except the Osbourne's oldest daughter Aimee, she wanted no part of the on-air proceedings. 

ATLANTA - One half of another notorious music couple might soon be launching his own "reality" show.  Whitney Houston and husband Bobby Brown may get to share an inside view of their tumultuous life with TV viewers. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Brown - who's been jailed twice just this year - is trying to sell a show about himself to a network.  Her publicist, Nancy Seltzer, told The Associated Press on Friday April 2nd that Houston will not be central to any show.  ``As I understand it, the reality show is about Bobby Brown. If she can help her husband in any way, she of course will do so, but it's about Bobby."  Houston, who has acknowledged using drugs in the past, recently checked herself into a metro Atlanta rehabilitation center. 

(Following stories archived 04-21-04)

COAST TO COAST USA  - Elvis is in the building!  Well at least on the big screen.  On Monday June 21st, to celebrate the 50th anniversary year of rock `n’ roll, Elvis will be rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ on the big screen in a special, exclusive coast-to-coast One Night Only™ screening of a specially created 100-minute edition of the new, digitally remastered Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special at 42 Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres across the country.  The closest to us will be Garner NC's UA Garner Towne Square and Greenville SC's Regal Hollywood Stadium theaters.  Garner is in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.  Depending on where you are, Greenville SC might be closer for you.

The iconic concert event, which marked Elvis’ famed comeback first aired on December 3, 1968 as an NBC television special. Now, featuring previously unreleased footage, the digitally remastered Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special will be shown for the first time on the big screen, as an exclusive One Night Only presentation. This debut will take place on the eve of the Tuesday June 22nd release of Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition DVD -- a three-disc set containing seven hours of Elvis concert footage. Also available on June 22nd is ELVIS, Aloha from Hawaii – Deluxe Edition DVD, a two-disc set featuring all the performance material from Elvis’ historic concert event seen in more than 40 countries by 1.5 billion people on its initial airdate in 1973.  A preview of content from the Aloha from Hawaii, DVD set will be included in the Regal debut presentation.

The exclusive in-theatre event will take place at select Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres nationwide, Monday, June 21 at 7:00 p.m. (local time). Advance tickets are available for $12.50 at participating box offices or online at www.Regalcm.com. Event day tickets will also be available at box offices or online for $15.

WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND - Nearly 40 years after he lost it, Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman has one of his guitars back, thanks to a New Zealand musician. Wellington music maker and business consultant Nick Sceats airfreighted the bass to Wyman after discovering that it belonged to the rock star. Now, Wyman has sent a note to Sceats, thanking him for the bass that he thought he'd lost forever.

"It doesn't look too bad for wear and tear, considering what it has gone through and the traveling it has done over the years," Wyman wrote in the letter, excerpts of which were printed in Wellington's Dominion Post newspaper. "Once again, thank you. Your kindness was well appreciated," he said. The rare guitar, called a Wyman bass, was one of a small number that the manufacturer Vox made in the 1960s, and the only Vox guitar adorned with an endorser's name: Wyman. It's still unknown how the then 29 year old, now 67-year-old rocker, lost the guitar in Wellington in 1966 on tour with the Rolling Stones. Sceats, who had the guitar in his possession for 15 years, said it was known among local musicians as the ``legendary Wyman bass.'' So he wrote Wyman saying he had a bass guitar which may have belonged to him, and offering to return it. Sceats said he was stunned when Wyman wrote back to say it was definitely his, and that he would love to have it back.

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears is getting married again.  Friday June 25^th her record label confirmed that she is engaged to Kevin Federline, who is a dancer.  Spears 22 and Federline 26 have not set a date yet, or if they have they aren’t saying.  They started dating several months ago after Spears’ first marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander (not the actor) lasted 55-hours.  Britney’s new flame was previously canoodling with actress Shar Jackson of the “Moesha” TV show and they have a 2 year-old-daughter together and are expecting another baby in July.  I suspect Britney & Kevin will put the wedding off until after Kevin’s and Shar’s baby arrives.  No comment coming from the Shar Jackson camp yet.  Meanwhile Spear’s “Onyx Hotel” tour is on hold due to her knee injury.  He latest album has sold 2.6 million copies, so she really doesn’t need the work. 

NEW YORK  - Eric Clapton's storied Fender guitar sold Thursday June 24^th for a record $959,500 at an auction that raised more than $7.4 million for a drug treatment center, auction house officials said.  “Blackie,” the black-and-white Fender Stratocaster that served as Clapton's sole stage and studio guitar from 1970 to 1985, was the most expensive ever sold at auction, Christie's said in a statement. The previous record was set in 2002 when a guitar belonging to Jerry Garcia sold for $957,500.  The buyer of Clapton's guitar, one of 56 he offered, was not disclosed.  Proceeds will go to the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, an addiction treatment center Clapton established in 1998. Clapton overcame a heroin addiction years ago.  Bidding was fierce for several other guitars, too. Clapton's 1964 cherry-red Gibson ES-335, along with its case, sold for $847,500, which Christie's said was a world auction record for a Gibson.  “Lenny,” the guitar Stevie Ray Vaughan played from the 1970s until his death in 1990, sold for $623,500, Christie's said. The guitar was donated by Vaughan's estate.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - Paul McCartney kicked off his concert Sunday June 20th before an estimated crowd of 50,000 in St. Petersburg's Palace Square, making only his second appearance in Russia where fans once had to risk arrest if they wanted to listen to the outlawed Beatles in secret.   But the mood was upbeat and Beatlemania was in full swing in the square outside the Hermitage Museum. Lucky ticketholders waved Beatle memorabilia and proudly wore their Beatles' T-shirts. Russia's train system added extra train service to take fans from Moscow to St. Petersburg for the show.   The event is said to be McCartney's 3,000th gig, but his first ever in St. Petersburg.   Tickets reportedly cost from about $20 for the cheap seats up to $1,720 for special VIP-seating, where President Vladimir Putin watched the show.   In the 1960’s, the Beatles were officially banned by Soviet authorities, who declared their music a corrupting influence of the decadent West.  Now the Russian president rocks out to McCartney live.   Times change don’t they?   Last year, McCartney fulfilled what he said was his longtime wish and performed in Moscow's Red Square before about 20,000 fans, including Putin.  He delighted the crowd with a rousing rendition of ``Back in the U.S.S.R.''

GREENWICH, CT - Diana Ross took more than 2,000 people on a trip down memory lane Thursday June 24^th during a 90-minute concert in her hometown of Greenwich that benefited a local teen center.  Diana performed nearly two dozen of her most popular songs from her 40-year career. General seating for the concert was free, but some 400 people paid $250 to $1,000 for premium seating near the stage.   She threw a kiss to her sons, Evan and Ross Naess, while singing ``Endless Love.'' Her sons are active at the Arch Street teen center, which has been facing an operating deficit.

(Following stories archived 07-10-2004)

LONDON, UK -  Paul McCartney celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Beatles movie "A Hard Day's Night" at a private screening. McCartney was reunited Tuesday July 6th with the cast and crew of the 1964 film, which shows the Beatles navigating a series of adventures as they prepare for a TV appearance. "A Hard Day's Night" was an instant success upon release,
bringing McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr even greater fame. The following day, Wednesday, July 7th, also marked Ringo's 64th birthday, making him the first Beatle to reach the milestone mentioned in the song "When I'm 64." The film "A Hard Day's Night" was released internationally this week on DVD, with additional rare footage of the foursome.  McCartney, 62, said he hadn't seen the movie since its release. "Yes, it takes me back. It's great seeing it again," he said, noting that "it's very sad that George and John aren't around to see it." Lennon was gunned down outside his New York City apartment building in 1980.  Harrison died of cancer in 2001. McCartney enjoyed the black-and-white film tribute to 1960s Beatlemania with his 36-year-old wife, Heather. "Heather has never seen it full-length. We have just seen bits and pieces," he said.

LOS ANGELES - Singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright, best known for her duet with Billy Preston on "With You I'm Born Again" and as the former wife of Stevie Wonder, died Monday July 5th after a long struggle with cancer. She was 58. Wright recorded six albums for Motown, the most notable being the first two, which were produced by Wonder. Both Wonder productions were disappointing sellers, but were well received by critics.  Born Rita Wright in Pittsburgh, Syreeta was working in the '60s as a Motown secretary when she was enlisted as a backup singer. Founder Berry Gordy later signed her to the label. Ms. Wright married Wonder in 1970. Although the union lasted only two years, their professional collaboration as songwriters spawned a series of hits, including "If You Really Love Me," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" and the Spinners' smash "It's a Shame."  Ms. Wright’s duet with Preston, "With You I'm Born Again," originally appeared on the soundtrack to the Paramount movie "Fast Break" and reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart in 1980.  She recorded her last studio album, "The Spell," in 1983 and her resume included work with Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Leon Ware and Donald Byrd, among others.

MEMPHIS TN - Elvis Presley's "That's All Right" played simultaneously on radio stations around the world Monday July 5th to mark the 50th anniversary of the rock 'n roll icon's first professional record. Scotty Moore, Presley's first guitarist, hit a button on a control board at Sun Studios to begin the satellite broadcast to at least 1,200 radio stations, including Magic 96.1 in Charlotte. Outside the small studio where Presley cut the record on July 5, 1954, a street party was under way, with bands performing on a sound stage at Sun's front door. More than 2,000 participants turned out by early afternoon. "That's All Right" now enjoys a prominent place in the history of American music, but it wasn't an immediate hit. "A lot of people think it was an overnight success, but we paid our dues for two years on the road in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas before RCA picked us up," Moore said.

Many historians regard the recording of "That's All Right" as a milestone in American pop culture and the first mainstream rock recording. However others point to "Rocket 88," the 1951 hit written by Ike Turner, as the first rock record because of its distorted electric guitar sound. Still others claim Bill Haley's 1954 hits "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (the latter a remake of a Big Joe Turner version) ignited the rock explosion. And of course, there are those who say that the blues and swing recordings of black artists from years earlier were rock tunes. Still others maintain that rock & roll wasn't created by a recording artist at all, but by Cleveland DJ Alan Freed. Just two years ago, there were commemorations of the 50th anniversary of rock 'n' roll pegged to Freed's Moondog Coronation Ball in Cleveland. Some rock historians have claimed the March 21, 1952, show as the first rock concert, and that 1952 concert is certainly the main reason the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was located in Cleveland.

ATLANTA  - R&B singer Bobby Brown must turn himself in to jail officials by Sunday July 11th on charges he hit his wife, singer Whitney Houston.  A judge had ordered in May there was enough evidence for Brown to stand trial on misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly striking Houston in the face at their home near Alpharetta. The judge told Brown he must turn himself in by Sunday for fingerprinting, and he then would be released on $2,000 bail.  If he does not appear at the jail, a bench warrant could be issued for his arrest.

LOS ANGELES - Marlon Brando Jr., the legendary actor who was well known for playing Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" films, died on July 1st at age 80 of lung failure resulting from fibrosis. During his four-decade career, Brando influenced actors like Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson. Many in Hollywood and theatre circles consider the brooding, Academy Award-winning method thespian to be the greatest actor of his generation. He certainly was one of the most independent and most respected. Brando appeared in more than 40 movies, playing Marc Antony in "Julius Caesar" in 1953, a motorcycle gang leader in 1954's "The WIld One", a sheriff in "The Chase" in 1966, the Man of Steel's father in "Superman" (1978), an insane colonel in "Apocalypse Now" (1979), a bemused shrink in "Don Juan DeMarco" (1995) and a criminal in "The Score" (2001). However, in only his second outing with an electrifying portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in 1951's "A Streetcar Named Desire" he permanently cemented the name Brando onto the top of Hollywood's short "A-Plus" list, where it would remain for over four decades. Unlike most other film stars, Marlon Brando, Jr. had an obsession with privacy. He felt he owed his fans a good performance, and nothing more. Brando preferred to live in seclusion and rarely made public appearances. He wed three times, each marriage ending in divorce, and fathered nine children. In 1991, His eldest son Christian was convicted of murdering his sister Cheyenne's boyfriend. Four years later, Cheyenne committed suicide. Brando's turbulent life was the subject of dozens of biographies, and his own cryptic memoir, "Songs My Mother Taught Me." Even in death Mr. Brando's fanaticism about privacy lingered on as his family held a private cremation ceremony in Los Angeles a full 24 hours before anyone outside his immediate family heard about it.  Brando's estate is estimated at just over 21 million dollars, he was becoming cash strapped so it is likely it is mostly real estate and personal property.   Marlon Brando started his screen career as a muscular leading man, and ended it as an elderly woman.  The great actor's last role was a voice performance for the animated comedy ``Big Bug Man,'' about a candy factory worker (voiced by Brendan Fraser) who gets superpowers after insects bite him.  Brando voices Mrs. Sour, the candy company's owner - and he did it wearing a blond wig and a dress, with full makeup and white gloves, according to writer/co-director Bob Bendetson.  The film is set for release in 2006.

(Following stories archived 07-29-2004)

(***Reference to following story, see the item archived 08-26-04 which debunks the validity of the items found at the flea market.***)  LONDON - My dad told me never to buy "a pig in a poke."  But a vacationer who purchased an unopened suitcase at an Australian flea market for thirty-six US dollars found a trove of Beatles memorabilia inside, including photos, concert programs and - and most importantly unreleased recordings according to the Tuesday July 13th London Times.  While the materials have yet to be authenticated, some experts believe the collection is at least one sizable chunk of the lost ``Mal Evans archive,'' which was the personal property of the Beatles' roadie and sometimes recording engineer.  Mr. Evans was killed by police in Los Angeles in 1976 after he playfully, yet foolishly brandished a toy gun. The contents of the suitcase mysteriously vanished during the police investigation of his death.

The 4 1/2 hour reel-to-reel tape recordings include John Lennon and Paul McCartney experimenting with alternative versions of some previously unrecorded tracks. The collection also includes previously unknown versions of ``We Can Work It Out'' and ``Cry Baby Cry.'' The tapes, labeled ``Abbey Road... not for release,'' will be evaluated by the Beatles' record label, Apple, and examined by experts to determine their origin and authenticity.
`'It sounds very exciting indeed,'' memorabilia consultant and Beatles specialist Peter Doggett told The Times. A spokeswoman for Christie's said while the auction house has had no contact with the collection as of yet, there is ``Beatles memorabilia in every pop memorabilia sale - it's very popular.'' In 1998, a notebook compiled by Mr. Evans, containing draft lyrics for ``Hey Jude'' and ``Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,'' sold for $185,000 at a London auction. A year earlier, McCartney obtained an injunction to prevent Evans' widow from selling a scrap of paper with the original lyrics to ``With a Little Help From My Friends.''

The newly found tapes may not be in very good condition considering their age and the fact that they were trudged from London to Australia and who knows where else. But there is a good chance that they could be restored and someday some never before heard Beatle songs may be for sale!

NEW YORK - After she asked for leniency based on the good she has done, Martha Stewart's sentence has been handed down.  She is to serve five months in a minimum security Federal prison in Connecticut, pay a $30,000 dollar fine and follow that up with two years of supervised probation of which five months will be under house arrest.  Ms. Stewart's lawyers have appealed the sentence trying to get the prison term reduced, so she won't serve her sentence immediately.  But the appeal won't drag on for years. Expect it to be over inside of six months.  She could have been sentenced to 16 months in prison.  And remember those cute Photoshop doctored photos that were circulated by email showing a redecorated cell?  Forget them. She'll be living without any of those accruements, but ex-inmates in the Federal Prison System say she should instead concentrate on keeping her toilet clean.  Meanwhile her home economics empire is crumbling. Advertising revenues are way down at her two leading publications including the once mighty "Martha Stewart Living" which may soon be titled simply "Living" to disassociate the insider stock trading scandal convict from the magazine.  They have already changed the name of "Martha Stewart Everyday Food" to just "Everyday Food."

TOKYO - Cryptic one-time world chess champion Bobby Fischer who has been in hiding since resigning his title in 1975 has popped up again.  This time he may wind up a man without a country as he is in custody of Japan immigration authorities and might have problems repatriating to the USA. Fischer, 61, was taken into custody Wednesday July 14th on suspicion
of holding an invalid passport when he tried to leave from Tokyo's Narita airport for the Philippines.  Immigration officials are investigating how Fischer entered Japan in the first place and may deport him soon.  A spokesman for the Immigration Department confirmed Fischer had been detained but would say no more on the matter.

Bobby Fischer, a brilliant but highly volatile player, is the only American ever to hold the world champion title in the Russian dominated game.  Some consider him the greatest chessmaster ever produced by the free world.  Fischer's 1972 victory over Russian Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland is regarded as the "Match of the Century."  The win brought chess tremendous publicity in the United States and made him an instant celebrity.  A number of the games were even broadcast on television, with his win regarded as an American propaganda victory because chess had been dominated by the Soviets since World War II.  In 1975 Mr. Fischer resigned his title after demanding a number of strict conditions for a match against Anatoly Karpov, also of the Soviet Union.  Chess officials declined to give in on Fischer's demands, so Mr. Karpov became champion by default. Bobby Fischer then disappeared from sight until 1992 when he unexpectedly surfaced to play a match in Yugoslavia.  The Yugoslavia appearance was a risky move for the chess wizard because it brought him into conflict with U.S. authorities since economic sanctions against Yugoslavia were in force at the time and he was there to play for money.  A chess insider reportedly sighted Mr. Fischer in Tokyo in 2001, but the report was widely discounted as a publicity stunt by the up and coming Japanese player.

MEMPHIS TN - The niece of Memphis music pioneer Rufus Thomas has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $67,000 from the late singer's estate. Marceline Vaughn was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison.  She is expected to spend nine months in prison and the rest of the sentence on probation.  Vaughn, 42, also agreed to make restitution for the stolen money.  Thomas, who died at age 84 in December 2001, was one of Memphis' most colorful and well-known entertainers.  He was also the father of R&B singer Carla Thomas.  Early in his career Rufus was a radio disc jockey and co-host of an amateur show that helped such entertainers as B.B. King get their start.  Then Thomas made Sun Record's first successful recording in 1953 with ``Bear Cat.''  He recorded at Sun before Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis began their careers there with producer Sam Phillips.  Thomas was best known for novelty dance recordings such as ``Walking the Dog,'' ``Do the Funky Chicken'' and ``Push and Pull.'' The probate court estimates the assets of Thomas' estate are worth $470,000.

(Following stories archived 08-06-2004)

LOS ANGELES - The syndicated TV series ``On-Air with Ryan Seacrest'' is going off the air.  Seacrest was unable to turn his visibility as host of Fox's ``American Idol'' into success for his own show.  Low ratings led affiliates to balk at renewing their contracts and with few affiliates left Twentieth Television announced the end of production earlier this week.  The last "On-Air" broadcast is September 17th.  Seacrest will return for another season of "American Idol" on FOX and will continue his stint on the weekly worldwide radio staple, "American Top-40."  This is the first ever bad news for Seacrest, whose greatest asset seems to be that he is just so darned tickled to be here.  Seacrest is still under contract to Twentieth Television and they may develop another show for him. 

NEW YORK - Pierce Brosnan says his 007 days are double-oh-done according to an Entertainment Weekly report.  In an interview posted on the magazine's Web site Tuesday, the Irish-born actor said 2002's ``Die Another Day'' was his last Bond outing.  "That's it!  We went out on a high, and I look back affectionately at that time and doing those four movies. But I've said all I gotta say on it.  Bond is another lifetime behind me.  I've said all I've got to say on the world of James Bond," the report quoted Mr. Brosnan as saying.

Think it is a ploy?  Original Bond Sean Connery quit for one movie before coming back for more money after his replacement, George Lazenby, announced he would never do another Bond film before "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was even finished shooting.  If Mr. Brosnan is indeed finished Eon Productions must find another actor and fast for the 21st Bond movie which is scheduled for release around Thanksgiving 2005.  I predict that there is no way to get "Bond 21" finished by 2005.  Thanksgiving 2006 looks more likely.  Barbara Broccoli held EON together and kept it on schedule after her husband Albert ("Cubby") Broccoli died but now Mrs. Broccoli is gone too and it remains to be seen if the current EON leadership can successfully pilot the most successful franchise in motion picture history in the sure handled Broccoli style.  A "Jinx" series featuring Halle Berry was in the early planning stages, but has been abandoned to devote 100% of their efforts toward "Bond 21."  We hope Berry returns as well, but that isn't likely.   

Anyone think Hugh Jackman would be good as Bond?  Other names being tossed around are Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Ewan McGregor and...of all people...comedy actor Hugh Grant.  But it probably won't be any of them.

Historically Eon has never gone after stars like McGregor, Jackman or Law but prefers instead to make their Bonds into stars.  Before playing Bond, here's what each Bond was doing.   Sean Connery was a disabled sailor/milkman/nude art model who had done three small film roles including "Darby O'Gill & The Little People" and "The Longest Day."  Roger Moore & Brosnan were both popular but underpaid television serial actors.  George Lazenby was a mechanic/car salesman/model who had appeared in TV commercials and one bit role in a Spanish language spy film.  Lazenby quit EON because the contract restrictions were too demanding.  Timothy Dalton, the most experienced actor ever to play Bond,  was a last minute fill-in when Brosnan could not get out of his "Remington Steele" television contract.  Mr. Dalton came from a classic theater background with roles in several period films where he usually played royalty who was adept with sword and saddle.  While Mr. Dalton was certainly a solid and edgy Bond, Cubby Broccoli was anxious to get Mr. Brosnan the very moment his TV contract was over so Mr. Dalton worked on a one film contract twice.  Mr. Brosnan was the only Bond pick I ever successfully predicted.  I did that the very first night that his old "Remington Steele" TV show premiered. 

So are you waiting on my next prediction now are you?  Ok, here it is.  Brother Dave predicts the next James Bond will be Geoffrey Moore, son of Roger Moore.  He's 38 which is exactly the right age, he's 6' 2' tall and has acting experience in six totally forgotten film and television projects since age 7.  His film work is largely under the stage name R. J. Moore.  His most notable film work was with his father on "Sherlock Holmes in New York" at age 10.  The problem with this prediction is that Geoffrey Moore is running two extremely successful London restaurants these days and plays hard on the London social scene.  I do truly believe he will be offered the role and would be one of the best Bonds ever, if only he accepts!  But, will he do it?  He has a great life already and doesn't need the money.  Leaving his restaurant businesses unsupervised might be impossible for him.  Maybe his dad can talk him into it?      

My opinion is that as good as Mr. Brosnan was in the role, which was VERY good, he has aged out and either Mr. Brosnan is finished with EON or EON is finished with him.  It could have gone either way, but either way our money is on Mr. Brosnan's Bond days being behind him for good while the next 007 will be a relative unknown.  If Geoffrey Moore declines who would be our second choice?  Someone we've never heard of...yet. 

SAN DIEGO - The film project known until now only as "Star Wars Episode III" will go by the title "Star Wars Episode III:  The Revenge Of The Sith."  The movie, set for release in May 2005, will link the prequels with the original ``Star Wars'' trilogy by showing how Luke Skywalker's father, Anakin, went from a sweet-natured slave boy to become Darth Vader, the number one movie villain ever.   Lucasfilm announced the new title at the annual Comic-Con International, the annual gathering of tens of thousands of sci-fi and superhero fans Saturday July 24th in San Diego. 

LOS ANGELES - Academy Award-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith, who crafted memorable music for countless movies and television shows ranging from the "Star Trek" and "Planet of the Apes" to "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Dr. Kildare," has died.  He was 75.  Mr. Goldsmith was perhaps the most versatile tunesmith in Hollywood history.  He could do scores for any project.  You name it.  Westerns, horror, sci-fi, action, adventure, comedy, drama or documentaries.  It didn't matter.  He could get the job done and with flair.  His legacy, an astonishing body of work, will serve as an inspiration for generations of film and television composers to come.  Just a few more of his works:  "Patton," "The Waltons, "Chinatown," "The Blue Max," "Barnaby Jones," and he earned an Oscar for "The Omen."  Not without a sense of humor, it is said he donned a gorilla mask while directing the orchestra during the recording of the score for "Planet of the Apes."

LOS ANGELES - Two members of the 1960s rock band Electric Prunes sued their record label and a company that published their songs, alleging in two separate lawsuits the companies failed to pay them royalties totaling $1 million.   The Electric Prunes was formed in Seattle in 1965 and recorded more than a dozen albums. Their biggest hit was the 1965 song " Had Too Much to Dream Last Night.''  Both their label and their publishing company had their California business licenses suspended in the late 1960's. 

(Following stories archived 08-19-2004)

LONDON - Guitarist Dave Davies, one of the founding members of British rock group The Kinks, has been partially paralyzed by a stroke he suffered in June. Spokesman Alan Robinson said on Monday August 9th that the 57 year old Davies would have to spend at least another month in hospital, but that doctors were confident that with physiotherapy he would recover. "He is paralyzed on the right hand side of his body but he retains some feeling and he can still hold a guitar plectrum. These small things mean a hell of a lot. They're small but very important," Robinson said. Davies, who founded The Kinks in the early 1960s with his brother Ray, collapsed June 30 while promoting his new solo album, ``Bug.'' One of the best of the guitar-driven bands of the British Invasion era of the 1960's. Dave Davies brother Ray Davies is the Kink's chief singer and songwriter. Ray Davies was shot in the leg in by a thief who snatched his girlfriend's bag as the pair walked in New Orleans on January 4th.

FISHKILL NY - Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, two of America's music legends are in the opening days of an unusual concert tour of minor league ballparks called the Field of Dreams Tour. The tour began in Cooperstown, N.Y., next to the Baseball Hall of Fame and will play at ball parks in Altoona, Pa.; Peoria, Ill.; Sevierville, Tenn.; Sioux City, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb. These are all places artists of this calibre are seldom if ever seen. Dylan played at a few small baseball stadiums in the 1990s. He liked the idea of organizing a field of dreams tour, said Jerry Mickelson, partner in the Chicago-based Jam Productions. Dylan and Nelson are also courting families, admitting children aged 12 and under for free if accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. "We're finding three generations of people coming to the shows - the grandparents, the parents and the kids," Mickelson said. At Cooperstown, Dylan donated an autographed album with his 1975 song ``Catfish,'' about pitcher Catfish Hunter, to the Hall of Fame. The tour is to end in September in Kansas, near the site of the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame. An attempt to perform at the Iowa field featured in the movie ``Field of Dreams'' has been abandoned because the nearby cornfields made it impossible to haul in equipment, Mickelson said.

LOS ANGELES - Sixteen-time Grammy Award winner Eric Clapton was inducted into ``Rockwalk'' on Monday August 9th during a private ceremony. Clapton, 59, received a commemorative plaque and had imprints of his hands and signature installed in marble on Sunset Boulevard. ``Rockwalk'' was established in 1985 to honor musicians who have made a significant contribution to the history of music. He recently completed a North American concert tour to promote his latest CD.

NASHVILLE TN - William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys is recovering from a mild heart attack, the group's publicist said. Golden, 65, widely recognized for his long gray beard, was traveling with the country group Saturday near Wausau, Wis., when he fell ill and checked into an area hospital, publicist Sandy Brokaw said Monday. The singer is expected to make a full recovery in four to six weeks, Brokaw said. The Oak Ridge Boys are continuing to perform with Golden's son, Chris, filling in.

 LOS ANGELES - R&B music legend Rick James died Friday August 6th at his home near Universal City. The musician lived alone and was found dead by his personal assistant. Mr James career peaked in 1981 with ``Super Freak,'' a song so enduring that one riff from that song powered the M.C. Hammer smash ``U Can't Touch This'' nearly a decade later and earned James and Hammer both a Grammy. But James' career never had the staying power of his signature hit, and the singer's life and music languished through cocaine addiction and two years in Folsom Prison following a 1993 conviction on two counts of assault. In his final days, James made a comeback bid that included playing along with routines by comedian Dave Chappelle that parodied his history of erratic behavior. James was a diabetic and had a pacemaker and police say they believe his death was by natural causes. But to be sure an autopsy and toxicology exam were scheduled for Saturday August 7th according to the coroner's spokesman. His three children released a joint statement saying they believe he died of heart failure.

(Following stories archived 08-25-2004)]

CHARLOTTE - Celebrate the life of Elvis by attending Elvis Tribute Day on August 15th, the anniversary of his death.  Bring the family to Hoods Crossroads Shopping Center at Idlewild & Hwy 51 from noon till dusk for Elvis impersonators, music, Elvis pictures on display, a candlelight vigil, concessions & big ole Krispy Kreme jelly donuts, while they last!  The Hood property was once owned by Elvis' ancestors, & many of his relatives still populate Mecklenburg County.

LONDON - Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a minor stroke in London on Friday night July 30th, according to a spokesman for the Isley's  record label.

SHREVEPORT LA  - Fans of Elvis Presley are trying to raise $80,000 to have a statue of the rock 'n' roll icon created in time for the October 16th 50th anniversary of Presley's first appearance on ``Louisiana Hayride.''   Friends of the Municipal Auditorium and a local Elvis fan club known as the Elvis Angels plan to ask the Downtown Development Authority for the money next week.  Elvis was one of a number of stars who sang on the stage of the Municipal Auditorium early in their careers on the world famous "Hayride" live broadcasts from 1948 until 1960. 

NEW YORK - Life after Elvis is far from "Lonely Street" for the Presley ladies who are "en vogue" so to speak.  In the August (Elvis Month) issue of Vogue Magazine, three generations of Presleys - Priscilla, her daughter, Lisa Marie, and Lisa Marie's daughter, Danielle Riley - candidly discuss their lives.  Lisa Marie daughter turned pop star is working on her second album, a follow-up to 2003's ``To Whom It May Concern."

BURBANK CA - Former Eagles bassist Randy Meisner has been hospitalized for chest pains according to his manager. Meisner, 58, was taken to Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank Friday morning August 6th. He co-wrote and sang the Eagles hit "Take It To The Limit" in happier days with the Don Henley and Glenn Frey dominated group. Meisner joined the ranks of several other gifted musicians when he was forced out of the Eagles in 1977. He now performs with The World Classic Rockers.

PHILADELPHIA - We have just learned that George Williams, lead singer of the Tymes and co-writer of their hit "So Much In Love", passed away Wednesday July 28th. The group was formed in 1956 in Philadelphia and originally was known as the Latineers. The name was changed in 1960 when George was brought in as lead singer. George also recorded with a jazz group called the Chosen Three in the mid-80s, while the Tymes experimented with female leads. But he was still performing "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "You Little Trustmaker" until shortly before his death.

LONDON - A long-lost trove of rare Beatles material that reportedly was found last month by a British tourist was not the real deal. The collection remains lost. Last month, The Times newspaper reported that a suitcase bought by Fraser Claughton, 41, at an Australian flea market for about $35 was packed with Beatles memorabilia, including photos, concert programs and unreleased recordings.

But Pete Nash, a memorabilia expert from the British Beatles Fan Club who examined the contents of the suitcase on behalf of a British television channel, said he saw photocopied ticket stubs, laser-scanned pictures from the 1990s - and no rare reel-to-reel recordings. Nash called the collection "farcial" and said there was nothing to connect the reproductions to the lost one-of-a-kind Beatle items. The Times reported that among the contents of the suitcase was a reel-to-reel tape that included John Lennon and Paul McCartney experimenting with alternative versions of previously unrecorded tracks. Many thought the collection was the lost "Mal Evans archive," originally belonging to the Beatles' roadie and sound recordist. Evans was shot and killed by Los Angeles police in 1976 after brandishing a fake gun. His personal effects and the ashes of his body were sent home to England but never arrived and are presumed lost. The expert says many of the items in the suitcase appeared to be copies.

LOS ANGELES - Elmer Bernstein, the Oscar-winning composer who scored such movie classics as "The Ten Commandments," "The Magnificent Seven," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Animal House," "The Great Escape" and "True Grit," died Wednesday August 18th. He was 82. Bernstein who was nominated for the Academy Award 14 times, most recently in 2002 for "Far From Heaven," died in his sleep in his suburban LA home following a recent period of poor health. Among his many notable efforts were the scores for "Some Came Running," "Hawaii," "The Great Santini," "A River Runs Through It" and "Gangs of New York." He also composed several works for symphony orchestras. His "Magnificent Seven" theme was adopted by Marlboro cigarettes in the 1960's for the popular television commercials that featured cowboys on horseback and launched the "Come to where the flavor is, come to Marlboro country" multi-media imaging that has endured in several variations right up until today.  Actor Tom Selleck was once a Marlboro cowboy.  Although Elmer Bernstein and Leonard Bernstein were both native New Yorkers and became quite good friends, they were not related. A piano prodigy who studied composing under Aaron Copland in New York, Bernstein moved to Hollywood in 1950 to work on his first movie score.