Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Kenneth Choi has two high-profile films in the hopper. First, he portrays Jim Morita, one of the Howling Commandos in the action film “Captain America: The First Avenger,” which opens July 22. He has also finished shooting the remake of “Red Dawn.” Currently a resident of Los Angeles, the 39-year-old actor talks about some of his favorite places and also explains why he wants to revisit a destination that holds nothing but bad memories for him.
WNBA basketball star Candace Parker loves to travel and try new restaurants with her husband, Shelden Williams (of the Denver Nuggets) and their 15-month-old daughter Lailaa. “That girl can eat 900 times a day,” says Parker, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. “She is always running around kicking a soccer ball and is always hungry. She likes everything. It’s wonderful because we don’t have to worry much about what she might like when we travel.” Parker, 24, has most her summer free now that her season is over. But she’s currently in the process of moving her family from California to Colorado to accommodate her husband’s basketball schedule.
You’d think Keith Johnson — who spent his early years traveling around Europe with his art dealer father — would want to spend all his free time exploring boutiques and museums. “No,” says the 53-year-old star of “Man Shops Globe.” “I surprisingly am not a big shopper or museumgoer. New York fills my need for constant visual stimulation. I love the variety of sights and sounds. It also reminds me how big the world is and how I need to get out and see it.”
Larenz Tate has been in Oscar-winning films and critically-acclaimed TV shows (“Ray,” “Crash,” “Rescue Me”), but to his young children, he’s just the “blueberry pancake guy.” “They have no idea what I do for a living,” says the 34-year-old actor, who resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. “They just know that I make the best pancakes.” Tate loves to travel with his family and talks about a recent trip to paradise — the Dominican Republic.
Robert Lamm knows a bit about traveling. In his four decades with the band Chicago, the singer-songwriter-keyboardist has been around the world multiple times. “I could be a travel agent,” Lamm says, laughing. “If this music thing doesn’t work out…” One of his favorite memories is of the trip he and his wife, Joy, took to Munster, Germany.
You can’t talk about progressive rock without mentioning the band Yes. Yes is progressive rock. The band, formed in 1968, and known for hits such as “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Roundabout” and “I’ve Seen All Good People,” has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and enjoys touring and meeting their fans. Chris Squire, who founded the group with Jon Anderson, says it never ceases to amaze him how many fans show up to support them.
Young star-on-the-rise Keke Palmer joins seasoned pro William H. Macy in “The Wool Cap,” a TNT original film airing Sunday night.
Born and raised in Aurora, Rodney Lee Conover was 18 when he left the western suburbs for Los Angeles. He worked as a stand-up comic. He had bit parts on TV and in films. But like many entertainers — both struggling and otherwise — what he really wanted to do was make his own films.
Ted Davis is the ultimate player. He’s cute, but not too good-looking. He’s charming without being overly smooth. As he notes early in “BachelorMan,” Ted knows he’s not God’s gift to women, but is just optimistic enough to think they’re God’s gift to him.
By Jae-Ha KimChicago Sun-TimesJuly 2, 2004 Peter Frampton, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo*Taste of Chicago5 tonight*Petrillo Music Shell, northeast corner of Jackson and ColumbusFree Back in 1976, Peter Frampton set the standard for what a rock star looked […]