Nelson pens memoir about music, pot, life
Willie Nelson has proven to be one of America’s most prolific songwriters. Turns out he’s no slouch when it comes to memoirs, either: He has a new one due in November.
Nelson will release “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die” on Nov. 13. Publisher William Morrow says the American music icon will tell never-before-heard stories about his life, family, music, politics, Texas, religion and favorite recreational activity.
A news release says the book will include contributions from family and friends, artwork by his son Micah and a forward by author, musician and friend Kinky Friedman.
Nelson has published a number of books on several topics since his first autobiography in 1988.
Collector donates Hemingway works
A love of Ernest Hemingway’s writing and the thrill of tracking down his many works led a Mississippi physician to amass a huge literary collection and donate it to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., so students and scholars could share it, the doctor said Tuesday.
“It’s like an Easter egg hunt. You just don’t know what’s going to pop up,” Edgar Grissom said as he described his 50-year effort to compile all of Hemingway’s English-language publications.
“I have the most complete collection of his primary works in existence,” said Grissom. “There’s no equal to it.”
Grissom said the collection includes more than 1,200 copies of novels and first editions as well as 2,500 additional items such as editor’s proofs that few collectors even know exist.
DNA test ordered in Hemsley death
A Texas judge has ordered DNA testing on a man who claims to be the brother of the late “The Jeffersons” star Sherman Hemsley.
Richard Thornton is challenging the validity of Hemsley’s will, which names the actor’s longtime manager, Flora Enchinton of El Paso, Texas, as sole beneficiary. Hemsley died of lung cancer July 24.
Judge Patricia Chew on Monday rescheduled the El Paso trial on Hemsley’s estate to begin Oct. 31.
Thornton, of Philadelphia, sought the DNA testing and must provide results by Oct. 15. Hemsley was born in Philadelphia but had lived in El Paso for the past 20 years.
Court documents indicate Hemsley’s estate is worth more than $50,000.
The birthday bunch
Actress Donna Douglas is 80. Singer Bryan Ferry is 67. Actress Mary Beth Hurt is 66. Singer Lynn Anderson is 65. Singer Olivia Newton-John is 64. Actress Linda Hamilton is 56. Actress Melissa Sue Anderson is 50. Actor Jim Caviezel is 44. Tennis player Serena Williams is 31.