Jimmy Fallon plans second album’s release
“Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon is known for performing with his famous musical guests, including Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen and Blake Shelton, so it seems only natural the comedian and music enthusiast would release a new album.
Fans won’t have to wait long. His second record, not yet titled, is scheduled for release next summer on Warner Music Nashville, the Associated Press reports. It will feature parodies and songs that have become instant classics on NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”
His first album, “The Bathroom Wall,” was released in 2002.
Despite singing live with some of the biggest names in music on his show, Mr. Fallon said he still feels the pressure of getting his new album completed.
“Mostly, it means I should probably start writing some songs,” he said in a statement Friday.
Ebert’s ’At the Movies’ out of funding, on hiatus
Movie critic Roger Ebert said the public television program “Ebert Presents: At the Movies” will go on hiatus at the end of December, according to the Associated Press.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning critic wrote on his blog Wednesday that the move is necessary to enable the public television stations that carry the show to plan their programs for the beginning of the new year.
Mr. Ebert wrote that although it is distributed by American Public Television to all 50 top markets, he hasn’t been able to line up additional funding for the show.
The show is hosted by Associated Press movie reviewer Christy Lemire and Mubi.com film critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky.
Gold hopes series helps people with eating disorders
Tracey Gold, who once struggled with anorexia, admits she gets worried when she sees actresses on hit shows shrinking, but she doesn’t place the blame solely on Hollywood.
The actress told the Hollywood Reporter that the root of the problem is more widespread than just the entertainment industry.
“I always look at the first season of a TV show and see an actress one way, and then in the second season, you see her 10 pounds lighter - it’s a cycle,” Miss Gold said. “I think there’s an ongoing problem - not just Hollywood, but also society. It’s a widespread problem across the country.”
Miss Gold, who struggled with the disease in the 1990s, is hoping to make a difference in the lives of women battling life-threatening conditions such as anorexia and bulimia in Lifetime’s unscripted series “Starving Secrets With Tracey Gold,” which airs at 10 p.m. Fridays. Each hourlong episode will feature Miss Gold sharing her own experiences with other women and working with a team of specialists to help them get the treatment they need.
The actress became anorexic at age 19, after finding fame as Carol Seaver on the hit sitcom “Growing Pains,” and it nearly took her life by age 22. But she said she thinks she would have struggled with anorexia even if she hadn’t been in the public eye.
Part of the problem, she said, is that there’s even more pressure on celebrities as the number of tabloids and media outlets covering celebrities has grown, not to mention all the online bloggers and places where fans can post critical comments for all the world to see, such as Twitter.
“It’s people behind a computer, without ever having to show their face, who are perpetuating more of a need to fit a certain mold,” she said. “We live in the age of the Internet, and people can say whatever they want and be really nasty.”
That’s part of the reason she praises young stars such as Demi Lovato and Mary-Kate Olsen for not being afraid to seek treatment, knowing that their every move is chronicled in the tabloids. She also applauds Miley Cyrus, who recently spoke up to people critical of Miss Lovato after she appeared to gain some weight in the wake of her treatment.
’X Factor’ castoff gets encouragement from Bieber
“X Factor” finalist Drew Ryniewicz, who was sent home from the competition in a double elimination on Thursday night, got a few words of encouragement from one of her idols, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
About 45 minutes after the West Coast broadcast of the Fox show, Justin Bieber tweeted to the 15-year-old Chino Valley, Ariz., native: “keep yr head up. I lost my 1st competition too. this is just the beginning. never say never.” The message was promptly retweeted by Drew, who has amassed 94,000 followers, one of them being Justin.
“X Factor” viewers may recall that Drew auditioned with one of Justin’s biggest hits, the song “Baby” and professed her love for the teen phenom in a pre-performance video package.
The tweet marks a moment of triumph following an emotional roller coaster of a day that ended with three of the four judges voting to remove her from the competition. Drew’s swan song was Roxette’s “Listen to Your Heart.”
Speaking to reporters after the show, Drew said she “had a weird feeling all day in my heart. … I knew something was not going to go how it should.”
Well, things are looking a bit brighter now. Indeed, Drew told the Hollywood Reporter Friday morning, “I was freaking out when Justin Bieber tweeted me. That pretty much turned my day around after getting voted off!”
’Jersey Shore’s’ Pauly D signs on with 50 Cent
He’s talked about it, but now Pauly D is officially a member of 50 Cent’s music group.
The “Jersey Shore” star officially signed to the rapper’s G-Note label on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The label focuses on dance and pop music - a good fit for Pauly D because he’s known as a DJ as well as a reality star.
He has been working in music since he was 16 and parlayed his success on the MTV hit series into becoming an in-demand DJ. Pauly D even joined Britney Spears for a few dates on her recent “Femme Fatal” tour as an opening act.
• Compiled from Web and wire service reports.
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