Nelson campaigns for an old friend
Country music icon Willie Nelson returned to Ohio to sing out in support of an old friend, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
Nelson performed a sold-out benefit for the congressman on Sunday in Lorain, about 25 miles west of Cleveland. The star previously campaigned for Kucinich during his long-shot bids for president.
Redistricting has thrown Kucinich into a congressional primary battle with another veteran Democrat, Marcy Kaptur.
Her campaign sniffed last week that while Kucinich brings singers to northern Ohio, Kaptur brings jobs.
Multiple news outlets report that Kucinich shot back during a news conference before Sunday’s concert that he has worked to save steel jobs in the region.
Puck earns food world Oscar
The so-called Oscars of the food world this year will give the ultimate nod to a man best known for feeding celebrities at the real Oscars.
The James Beard Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement award this year will go to Wolfgang Puck, whose menu for The Academy Awards Governors Ball is almost as eagerly anticipated as the awards themselves.
Puck – who has won multiple honors from the foundation and is the only chef to have twice received its Most Outstanding Chef award – was chosen for his talent as a chef and restaurateur, as well as for his history of revolutionizing how American chefs think about food, foundation president Susan Ungaro said in a release.
Puck, whose cooking combines classic French technique with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients, has been an iconic voice in California cuisine. Born in Austria, he moved to Los Angeles in 1975. In 1982, he opened Spago, the restaurant for which he remains best known. Today, he has 20 restaurants around the country.
The award will be presented during the foundation’s annual awards gala on May 7 in New York.
The birthday bunch
Actress Carol Channing is 91. Actor Stuart Margolin (“The Rockford Files”) is 72. Actress Jessica Walter (“Arrested Development”) is 71. Actor Glynn Turman (“The Wire,” “A Different World”) is 66. Singer Harry Wayne Casey (KC and the Sunshine Band) is 61. Singer Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) is 56. Actor Anthony LaPaglia is 53. Actress Kelly Lynch is 53. Singer-guitarist Lloyd Cole is 51. Guitarist Jeff Hanneman (Slayer) is 48. Bassist Al Jaworski (Jesus Jones) is 46. Actress Minnie Driver is 42. Actress Portia de Rossi is 39. Actress Kerry Washington (“Ray”) is 35. Singer Justin Timberlake is 31.