People: Her grandma? Cracklin’ Rosie
Neil Diamond held onto the secret for decades, but he has finally revealed that Caroline Kennedy was the inspiration for his smash hit “Sweet Caroline.”
“I’ve never discussed it with anybody before – intentionally,” the 66-year-old singer-songwriter said.
“I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday.”
He got his chance last week when he performed the song via satellite at her 50th birthday party.
Diamond was a “young, broke songwriter” when a photo of President Kennedy’s daughter in a news magazine caught his eye.
“It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony. It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there.”
Years later, holed up in a hotel in Memphis, Tenn., Diamond would write the words and music in less than an hour.
“It was a No. 1 record and probably is the biggest, most important song of my career,” he said, “and I have to thank her for the inspiration.”
So let’s hear the other side
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are suing the Showtime cable network over the TV series “Californication,” which is also the name of the band’s 1999 album and single.
The show also features a character named Dani California, which is the title of a 2006 Chili Peppers song, the lawsuit noted.
” ‘Californication’ is the signature CD, video and song of the band’s career, and for some TV show to come along and steal our identity is not right,” said lead singer Anthony Kiedis.
Vuitton bags Britney
Luxury handbag maker Louis Vuitton has won a counterfeiting lawsuit over a Britney Spears music video.
A Paris civil court ordered Sony BMG and MTV Online to stop broadcasting or marketing the video for “Do Something” in any form and fined them 80,000 euros ($117,000) apiece.
One shot shows fingers drumming on a dashboard covered with what looks like Vuitton’s “Cherry Blossoms” design: dark pink blossoms on a pale pink, weblike background, embossed with the “LV” logo.
Just call him Big Daddy
“Sex and the City” star Chris Noth and his girlfriend are expecting their first child.
Noth, 53, played Sarah Jessica Parker‘s love interest, Mr. Big, on “Sex and the City,” a role he’ll reprise in the upcoming movie version.
He also plays Detective Mike Logan on the TV show “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
It’s all about the hype
Lance Armstrong denies he’s dating Ashley Olsen, saying that they’re “strictly friends.”
And former flame Sheryl Crow is peeved over a Life & Style magazine story saying she’s upset about the alleged relationship, saying: “Lance and I are friends. … What he does in his personal life … is none of my business.”
The birthday bunch
Actor Joseph Campanella is 80. Actress Marlo Thomas is 70. Singer Dr. John is 67. Actor Harold Ramis is 63. Actress Goldie Hawn is 62. Singer Steven Curtis Chapman is 45. Actress Nicollette Sheridan is 44. Singer Bjork is 42. Actress Jena Malone is 23.