Music Archives

New York, October 30, 2009 – “I think tonight is about all the greenery that Bette brings to the city, and then of course the cherry on the cake is Crosby, Stills and Nash, so it’s a Woodstock kind of night,” Michael Kors, costumed in full hippie regalia, told us at Bette Midler’s Hulaween Ball. 

Whoopi Goldberg kicked things off.  “You know, I have cats, so I don’t need to f--k with trees.  But I know people love to see them,” Whoopi told the dinner crowd.  Bette, whose costume was a “show ghoul”, said she was shocked that so many people showed up for the benefit.  “Because when I made my calls, so many people told me to go f--k myself,” she said before launching into her trademark foul-mouthed fundraising schtick, laced with songs and stand-up comedy. Midler made her way among the tables, embarrassing people into buying trees for the project.  Katie Couric, wearing a Kate Gosselin wig, pledged some money, but demanded in return that Midler sing a lullaby for her “eight children.”  Bette promptly launched into “If I Were a Rich Man.” 

CSN took the stage, and Graham Nash said, “I bought a $2,500 tree. Of course, the only plant David [Crosby] ever bought was some weed.”  The crowd sang along to Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, and by the time they did Teach Your Children – dedicated to Bette’s daughter, Sophie – everyone was dancing in the aisles.  

New York, October 29-30, 2009 – Backstage at this weekend’s fabulous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concerts, celebrities checked out the swag in the gift lounge. 

Bacardi, the “official spirit” sponsor, was a big hit.  While Steve Van Zandt, Lenny Kravitz and Bruce Springsteen signed commemorative bottles to be auctioned off for charity, Alan Cumming and Billy Joel swigged it straight and Penn Badgley had a Cuba Libre. 

All eyes were on New Moon hottie Chaske Spencer when he stopped at the Cult of Individuality jeans station – everyone was hoping he would drop his pants and try on a pair.  No such luck, but they are sending him a pair of skinny jeans.  Tiny Christian Siriano fits into Anoname women’s jeans. 

Aretha Franklin wished she’d gotten the AMC movie pass a few days earlier – she said she’d just seen the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It at one of their theaters.

Schott NYC outerwear was a hit with Bonnie Raitt, Fergie, David Crosby, Jackson Browne and Ana Ortiz.  Tom Hanks quipped, “Where were you when I was poor?  I have enough money to buy anything in the world, but nothing pleases me more than getting a free coat!”

New York, August 28, 2009 – The scene late Friday night outside the Lafayette Street building of Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, hours after he was found dead of an apparent overdose inside his apartment.   At around 11:45 PM, the front doors opened, the crowd parted, and amidst the aroma of veal Francaise from a nearby restaurant wafting in the humid night air, AM’s body was wheeled across the wet pavement and into a waiting city morgue truck.

The 36-year-old Philadelphia native survived a plane crash last September in which four people were killed. 

Atlantic City, NJ, Aug. 1, 2009 – After winning twice on Dancing with the Stars, Julianne Hough released a top-selling country music album.  Along the way, she was nominated for a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Award for choreography.  So, boy, did we feel like failures when we learned that Hough accomplished all this before the age of 21!

She celebrated her 21st birthday with her close-knit family this weekend at Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.  Julianne and her sisters Maribeth and Katherine shopped, dined at Bobby Flay Steak, and danced late into the night at club mur.mur, where they surprised the birthday girl with a cowboy boot-shaped cake. 

Photo: courtesy Borgata Hotel