Speaking with Jimmy Stafford of Train
It’s a different world for Train’s Jimmy Stafford these days. One minute he’s watching Gwyneth Paltrow act it up in “The Royal Tenenbaums.” The next moment, there she is touring with them. Come again?
Category: Interviews
Speaking with Clint Black
Though his publicist warned that Clint Black might call a few minutes earlier or later than our scheduled appointment, the country music star phones exactly on time. To the second. “My stomach starts to hurt if I’m late,” Black says during a conversation from Nashville, Tenn. “I don’t like wasting other people’s time by making them wait for me.”
Where did Michael’s millions go?
Eight hundred million dollars just doesn’t stretch as far these days. Just ask Michael Jackson. The self-proclaimed King of Pop may not yet be headed for the poor house, but some experts estimate that the litigious singer is at least $200 million in debt.
Early risers get first shot at Springsteen’s ‘Rising’
“The Rising” is making a strong move toward the top. By early afternoon Tuesday, fans had snapped up about 100 copies of Bruce Springsteen’s new CD at Tower Records, 2301 N. Clark. Two dozen or so were purchased in the wee hours.
Sole purpose
Five years ago, Susan McLaughlin Karp delivered a stillborn baby. On the first anniversary of her child’s death, Karp wrote the play she will perform at this year’s seventh annual Fillet of Solo Festival. A miscarriage isn’t exactly the best source for a one-woman show, but Karp handles her subject matter evenly in “Still.” She shares her experience in a way that won’t leave her or the audience drained.
Five questions with … Michael J. Fox
“Stuart Little 2” tackled the big boys at the box office and almost beat “Road to Perdition” for the No. 1 spot last weekend. Michael J. Fox–who voices the congenial little mouse who knows how to drive, fly and play soccer–called from New York Thursday to fill GLARE in on the film and his co-stars.
Speaking with … Jewel
When Jewel performs cuts from her latest album, “This Way,” at the Chicago Theatre this Sunday, don’t expect the singer to strap on her electric guitar. Her collarbone and ribs are still tender from when she was thrown from a colt at her boyfriend’s ranch in April. “[The accident] hasn’t really inhibited my show a lot,” Jewel says. “Touring Europe was a little painful ’cause the ribs were still tender. But it didn’t get in the way of the show. It just wasn’t a lot of fun.”
Contenders face the music
Call it poetic justice. In “Without Me,” Eminem brags, “I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley/to do black music so selfishly/and use it to get myself wealth.” The controversial rapper has been displaced by Nelly to No. 2 on the album charts, but the best-selling single in America belongs to none other than Presley.
Speaking with … Chris Isaak
By Jae-Ha Kim Chicago Sun-Times June 28, 2002 Since tackling his Showtime series “The Chris Isaak Show”–a thinly veiled version of his life–Chris Isaak has had little time to do nothing. Currently on tour supporting his latest album “Always Got […]
Got a clue? Try and prove it
When most of us think about forensics, we flash to images of body fluids, hair and fiber. But when Court TV’s Mobile Investiga-tion Unit rolls into the Lincolnwood Town Center in Lincolnwood today, it’ll be more of a flour and sugar whodunit.
Speaking with…John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo has figured out a way to keep his family happy after they see his skewering interpretation of them in his one-man shows. “I buy them really nice gifts,” Leguizamo jokes.
Nicolas Cage, John Woo — An unbroken code
Friendship isn’t the first word most people would think of to describe the World War II epic “Windtalkers,” which opens Friday. But it pops up frequently when the film’s stars Nicolas Cage and Adam Beach, and their director, John Woo, get together to discuss the movie. “I knew very little about this part of history,” says Woo. “That is one reason why I wanted to make the film. It was important to me to show how important the Navajo Americans were to World War II. But I also wanted to show the camaraderie and friendship between the men–the respect that they gain for each other in a very difficult time.”
’13’ on schedule, at last
Shortly after “Clockwatchers” was released in 1997, director Jill Sprecher was back to work … as a temp. It’s no coincidence that the script–which focused on four temps unhappy with their jobs–was written by Sprecher and her younger sister, Karen.
Matt Damon: ‘Bourne’ to run
Matt Damon has portrayed All American boys (“Good Will Hunting,” “All the Pretty Horses”), gaunt junkie soldiers (“Courage Under Fire”) and creepy thin killers (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”). But unlike his good friend Ben Affleck, who showed off his action hero prowess in “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and “The Sum of all Fears,” Damon has been slow to capitalize on his hunk factor.
Celebrity reaction to R. Kelly’s indictment
“A predator is a predator and if he is guilty, no matter if he pumps gas or sells millions of albums, he should be treated as such.” —Caresse Henry, Madonna’s manager
‘Blind Date’ no stranger to players here
Shadow T. Carr, 28, bills himself as a 1988 Buick Grand National. Would-be contestants wait to audition for a spot on the syndicated show “Blind Date” recently in Chicago.
Jessye Norman’s charisma is difficult to ‘Miss’
It’s never a good sign when a diva doesn’t like the way you address her. For instance, if you refer to opera star Jessye Norman as “Jessye,” she has no qualms about expressing her distaste. “That’s Miss Norman,” she tells the reporter in a deliciously regal voice that sounds much deeper than her sweet soprano singing voice would indicate.
‘Angelina Ballerina’ keeps author on her toes
When she was a little girl growing up on the North Side of Chicago, children’s book author Katharine Holabird imagined herself as a beautiful, graceful ballerina whose jumps were as light as a feather.
“I was a theatrical, melodramatic child,” says Holabird, phoning from Los Angeles. “I was also a tubby little 4-year-old waltzing around the house who thought I was this beautiful archetype–a ballerina.”
Speaking with … Cee-Lo
Cee-Lo has 50 tattoos, a bald head and a repertoire of songs that could fill several albums. For now, Cee-Lo–who is best known as one of the members of the Atlanta hip-hop band Goodie Mob–is content to tout his debut solo record, “Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfection.”
Entrepreneurs make book on various bad boyfriends
Maria Peevey and Megan Weinerman dated them all–the “It’s Not You It’s Me Guy,” the “Couldn’t Be Nicer Guy,” the “Girl Hair Guy.” You probably have, too, which is why the sassy entrepreneurs wrote Are You My Boyfriend? (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $14.95)–a humorous look at 19 types of men they’ve dated.