Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
You wouldn’t think that sleeping in a coffinlike bunk would be “cool,” but Rachael Yamagata can’t get enough of it. Prior to this tour, Yamagata never had enough money for an actual tour bus, so as far as she’s concerned, the small sleeping quarters are fine. Not so for her bandmates.
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.
Jet Li. Jackie Chan. Donnie Yen. Quick. Which one of these action film stars grew up in the United States? Or, more appropriately, which one of these stars had to leave the United States before he could make a name for himself in Hollywood? That would be Yen. Sure, while he’s not as famous in the United States as either Li or Chan, he has a loyal following worldwide and an impressive resume of films — the best of which were made in Hong Kong.
This summer has been ruled by the house of Usher. With his hits “Burn” and “Confessions Part II,” the sultry R&B singer with the rock-hard abs turned his breakup with TLC’s Chili into chart-topping success.
That song, that summer. Flash back to any summer of your life and there’s always one tune that defines these months. With a few weeks left, USHER seems to have a lock on 2004.
How much attitude do Liz Phair, Nina Persson, Charlotte Martin and Katy Rose have? So much that they don’t mind being called chicks.
Simple Plan have a simple idea — cut their tour short this summer and get back into the recording studio to work on their new album, which they hope to have out this fall. “We want to build something really great,” says drummer Chuck Comeau, 24. “We’re trying to capture who we are now and also record songs we won’t be tired of playing three years down the line. It’s really exciting.”
Let’s hear it for the girls. After decades of taking secondary roles in films aimed at teenage boys, a new generation of actresses has slowly descended upon Hollywood. And guess what? Their movies are doing well at the box office.
Growing up in north suburban Libertyville, Marlon Brando was well-liked by the neighborhood children. A polite teen with a kind heart, he was hardly the misunderstood rebel that he would later portray in “The Wild One” (1953). But he didn’t mind causing a bit of havoc during his years at Libertyville High School, which he attended as a freshman and sophomore, before his parents shipped him off to a Minnesota military academy.
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 […]
It’s not often a New York band will admit Chicago might be just as cool — if not cooler — than the Big Apple, but Suffrajett took it one step further by relocating to Wrigleyville six months ago. Of course, it may have helped that guitarist Jason Chasko already was familiar with the city, having worked with Liz Phair in the past. When singer/violinist Simi (that’s right, just Simi) got a look at their new digs, she says her jaw hit the floor.
People sometimes get confused when Rick Recht plays Jewish music. They think of songs from a bar mitzvah or a Jewish wedding. What he plays, though, is pop music that sounds hopeful. Some of it happens to be sung in Hebrew.
Before ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, there was the New Kids on the Block. Joey McIntyre — the littlest kid — is now a married man of 31 who is touring to promote his new solo album, “8:09” (Artemis Records). A successful actor who has starred onstage (“tick, tick … BOOM!”) as well as in film (the upcoming “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding”) and TV (“Boston Public”), McIntyre is concentrating on his singing now.
Chris Carrabba may be the most scrutinized man in rock ‘n’ roll. Not necessarily by the critics, but certainly by his devoted fans, who debate everything he does. The frontman for Dashboard Confessional, considered by some to be the poster boy for emo rock, carries this burden surprisingly well.
After the success of his bandmate Justin Timberlake’s solo CD “Justified,” JC Chasez had his work cut out for him. But thanks to controversial songs like “All Day Long I Dream About Sex” and “Some Girls (Dance with Women),” Chasez seems to be doing just fine himself. The other ‘N Sync heartthrob phoned from Los Angeles on his way to rehearsal to chat about his solo album “Schizophrenic,” Clay Aiken and his love for classic rock.
With the amount of time they spend together, you wouldn’t think the characters on “Friends” would have a spare moment to even think about hooking up with anyone else. While they couldn’t compete with, say, Samantha Jones, when it comes to the sheer number of romantic conquests, these six friendly New Yorkers have had their share of relationships.
Just as “I know you are, but what am I?” became equated with Pee-wee Herman, and “Yeah, that’s the ticket,” is instantly associated with Jon Lovitz’s “Liar” character on “Saturday Night Live,” “How you doin?” has become the cheesy pickup line everyone can laugh at, thanks to a clueless but lovable Joey Tribbiani.
Even if you don’t know much about “Friends,” chances are you remember “The Rachel.” Jennifer Aniston’s hair took on a life of its own a few episodes into the show’s debut season, when her character showed up with a striking new hairstyle: Gone were her long, semicurly locks. In their place was a fluffy, layered ‘do — a modified shag.
For a show that’s not really about fashion, “Friends” has had its share of, um, eye-catching looks. From Chandler’s hair (yes, Chandler’s — not Rachel’s) to Joey’s eyebrows to Ross’s armadillo suit, the $1 million-an-episode stars have been willing to appear in getups that are unconventional, unflattering and sometimes just plain goofy
By Jae-Ha Kim Chicago Sun-Times April 26, 2004 It’s a cold, cruel world out there when you’re not getting paid $1 million per episode anymore. As our favorite “Friends” prepare for their final episode this […]