Having A Good Time Is Always On His Mind
It’s getting to be as much of a holiday fixture as fireworks and barbecues: Willie Nelson’s big Fourth of July bash.
Tuesday was the 22nd straight year for the affair, and the first ever in legendary Luckenbach, Texas.
Some 12,000 of Willie’s closest friends joined townsfolk to guzzle Lone Star and listen to the likes of Kris Kristofferson, David Allen Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker and the Geezinslaws.
“Let me tell you about Willie,” said Don Turner, owner of Lazy T BBQ in nearby Austin. “He’s an honest man, not all put-on, the same in person as when you see him on the stage.
“If he says to hell with it, he means to hell with it. If he’s going to smoke dope, he’s going to smoke dope. He don’t wear suits. He don’t wear ties. He probably don’t wear drawers.”
Jim Carrey, asked about his $20 million deal to play a lonely TV repair guy in the upcoming “Cable Man” (in TV Guide): “No, that’s actually what I pay each month to get cable in my neighborhood.”
Bet he thinks guys in earrings are strange birds
Burt Ward turns 50 today.
But not for much longer, if Newt has his way
Michael Moore spent his Independence Day filming in Cobb County, Ga. - which receives more federal dollars than almost any other county in the nation, and just happens to be the home of House Speaker Newt Gingrich - for an upcoming episode of “TV Nation.” Said Gingrich, who did a promo for the show: “I think it’s great. It’s a free country.”
Maybe someday he’ll be back where he belongs
Tuesday also marked the beginning of a three-day birthday celebration for the Dalai Lama, who turns 60 today. The Tibetan leader, who got the party rolling by leading 40 monks in a baritone chant, has been living in exile in India with thousands of his followers since an abortive uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule.
Don’t you suppose he’d be safer home alone?
Macaulay Culkin, whose estranged parents are fighting in court over who gets to control the careers of he and his younger brother, Kieran, is reportedly seeking comfort at pal Michael Jackson’s abode.
Some of Steven’s best friends are aliens
Jackson, by the way, removed the offensive phrases “Jew me” and “kike me” from his “HIStory” album at the request of an outraged friend, Jewish film director Steven Spielberg.
They’re negotiating for Michael’s original nose
Installation of exhibits has begun at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, scheduled to open Sept. 1. The first items to be taken out of storage include a blue suede jacket worn by Elvis Presley, a sequined white outfit owned by Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison’s glasses, Johnny Cash’s guitar and tuxedos from the Temptations.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Two Color Photos
The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Rick Bonino