People – Full Slate of Celebrities Helping ‘Idol’ Charity
“Idol Gives Back,” the charity event of the Fox singing competition “American Idol,” was taped this week at the Kodak Theatre and is scheduled to air at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on WHBQ-TV Channel 13.
“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest served as master of ceremonies of the event, which featured several live musical performances and celebrity appearances by Billy Crystal , Robin Williams , Peyton and Eli Manning , Jimmy Kimmel , Sarah Silverman , Reese Witherspoon and Brad Pitt .
One highlight was a duet by Fergie and Heart .
Celebrities including David and Victoria Beckham , Kiefer Sutherland , Ellen DeGeneres , Jim Carrey and Whoopi Goldberg appeared in taped segments. Hillary Rodham Clinton , John McCain and Barack Obama also appeared in taped messages.
Beneficiaries this year include the Global Fund, Malaria No More, Children’s Health Fund, Save the Children, Children’s Defense Fund and Make It Right, Pitt’s campaign to help New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina.
Last year, “Idol Gives Back” raised $76 million for underprivileged children. Producers anticipate this year’s event will raise $100 million.
JT gets help with barbecue
Justin Timberlake is attempting to improve his New York restaurant, namely the barbecue which reports say was “awful,” reports NME.com
The restaurant has now enlisted the help of Ray Lampe , known in the culinary world as “Dr. BBQ.”
According to Nymag.com, Lampe is “a competition barbecuer and barbecue consultant known for his balanced, crowd-pleasing style.”
“Dr. BBQ” will be at Southern Hospitality, located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, for two weeks a month to make sure the standard is upheld. Lampe wants the ribs “to be competition-style, where when you take a bite the meat comes off easy, but doesn’t just slide off the bone. I don’t think the guys that were in charge before really got that.”
Timberlake is part-owner in the venture, which opened last July.
‘Idol’ meets ‘The Office’
Melanie Brown and Joey Fatone have a new role to add to their scarily similar resumes: TLC host.
The duo will co-host “The Singing Office,” a tongue-in-cheek singing competition that pits different groups of employees against each other.
Both Brown and Fatone were members of chart-topping pop quartets (the Spice Girls and ‘N Sync, respectively); both finished in second place on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars”; and both have starred in “Rent” on Broadway.
In each episode, Brown, 32, and Fatone, 31, surprise employees at two separate workplaces with impromptu vocal auditions.
– From Our Press Services
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Today’s birthdays
Shecky Greene , 82; Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie , 67; J.J. Jackson , 67; Peggy Lennon , 67; Leon Huff of Gamble and Huff, 66; Steve Howe , 61; John Schneider , 48; Izzy Stradlin , 46; Julian Lennon , 45; Biz Markie , 44; Robin Wright Penn , 42; Patricia Arquette , 40 .
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Originally published by From Our Press Services .
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