People: Cosbys’ art joins Smithsonian exhibit
The extensive private art collection of Bill and Camille Cosby opens to the public today at the Smithsonian Institution as part of a major exhibition.
More than 60 rarely seen African-American artworks from the Cosby collection are being displayed alongside 100 pieces of African works at the National Museum of African Art in Washington. The exhibition will be on view through early 2016.
The comedian and his wife began collecting as newlyweds in 1967. Bill Cosby credits his wife for much of it, saying he grew up in a housing project where the walls held only a clock, a picture of Jesus and cutouts from Ebony magazine. Camille Cosby says they didn’t collect to increase their assets, but because they wanted to live with these works and to expose their children and grandchildren to positive images of African-Americans.
Dick suspected of necklace theft
Los Angeles police have arrested comedian Andy Dick on suspicion of grand theft.
The arrest of the former “NewsRadio” actor happened late Friday night in Hollywood.
The celebrity gossip website TMZ.com, which first reported the arrest, said Dick allegedly stole the necklace of a man he encountered on Hollywood Boulevard last week.
Police saw Dick riding his bike Friday night and made the arrest.
Dick posted bail early Saturday morning. A call to his agent was not immediately returned.
Jones receives premiere Voice Icon
Darth Vader, Mufasa, and even the tagline for a certain 24-hour news network helped make James Earl Jones one of the most recognizable voices on the planet and soon the recipient of the first Voice Icon Award.
But according to the actor, there was a period when he didn’t do much speaking. As a child he suffered from a severe stutter and for a period refused to speak at all.
“I once did not speak. I was mute. When I finally did speak, though, I spoke as an adult,” Jones said of the transformation.
The Tony-winning and Oscar-nominated actor will be the initial recipient of the Voice Icon Award from the first-ever Voice Arts Awards today. Sponsored by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, this new event will honor the best voices of the year from television, film, video games, commercials and audiobooks.
When asked if there was truth to the rumor that Jones would reprise the Darth Vader role in a flashback capacity in the upcoming “Star Wars” film, Jones mischievously laughed it off, saying, “Oh, Darth is dead. Darth is dead.”
The birthday bunch
Actor Charlie Robinson is 69. Movie director Bille August is 66. Actor Robert David Hall is 66. Actor Lou Ferrigno is 63. Rapper Pepa (Salt-N-Pepa) is 45. Rapper Scarface (Geto Boys) is 44. Blues singer Susan Tedeschi is 44. Actor Eric Dane is 42. Singer Nick Lachey (98 Degrees) is 41. Country singer Corey Smith is 35. Actress Nikki Blonsky is 26.