Paul Shaffer
Most people know Paul Shaffer as the bespectacled bandleader on Late Show with David Letterman. What they may not know is that Letterman's sounding board is also the music director for the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In 1986, Shaffer's HoF gig got him noticed by HBO, and he was brought on board as music director for an episode of the Cinemax series Sessions. This, however, would be no ordinary concert. Piano legends Fats Domino, Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis would be sharing the stage at New Orleans' vaunted Storyville Ni
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Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll and director Taylor Hackford
While Taylor Hackford is best known for directing dramas like An Officer and a Gentleman, The Devil's Advocate and Ray, his documentaries may be some of his most interesting work. After getting his start as an investigative reporter for public television in Los Angeles, the silver-bearded cineaste went on to helm 1987's
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Elliott Yamin, American Idol
In the end, for American Idol wannabe Elliott Yamin, it came down to a trio of giant, video-projected percentages: 33.68, 33.26 and 33.06 — the last of which, separated from second place by just 10,000 votes, belonged to him. "I just knew.... I had that intuition that my name was going to be attached to the bottom number," he told TVGuide.com the morning after being sent packing. "And I was prepared for it, so it was easy to take and grasp." As for the oh-so-slim margin of loss to finalists Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, he says, "It was really flattering to have been involved in such a close, tight-knit race."
Early on in the competition, the 27-year-old Virginian was handed some of the highest praise one could ever expect to hear from
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Michael Chiklis, The Shield
American IdolFifties night was far kinder to the wannabes than Stevie Wonder night was last week. And the evening clearly belonged to Mandisa. Wow... just wow. A note to Paula Abdul: No woman wants to be compared to a horse. Paris thrived vocally on "Fever," but she's so young that the "vamp" thing didn't work so well for her. To quote the cinema classic and '50s-themed flick Grease, "she's too pure to be pink."
For a minute I was so excited to see Live on stage doing "I Alone." But then I realized it was Chris, stopping once again in the '90s for inspiration instead of heading to the '50s like everyone else. He's always great, but I'm waiting for Simon to coax Chris out
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Desperate HousewivesOf course ABC chose to show a repeat tonight — the cast was up for best ensemble in a comedy series at the SAG Awards, airing at the same time. So glad they won for the second year in a row, and I was quite happy about Felicity Huffman continuing her winning streak: first an Emmy, then a Golden Globe (for Transamerica) and now a SAG award. She's this year's Jamie Foxx (at least Felicity doesn't sing the same Ray Charles song at every single awards show). Hopefully, she'll be announced as an Oscar nominee this Tuesday morning. Tonight's repeat reminded me of what a "whack job" (the term that Layla woman used) George was. He's a character I simply do not miss. I do, however, enjoy Lesley Ann Warren and Bob Newhart, so I hope they bring them back. And it made sense for us to see Gabrielle release that red balloo
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Larenz Tate, Love Monkey
In CBS' recently premiered Love Monkey (Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET), Ed alum Tom Cavanagh is flanked by a trio of buds, including Jason Priestley's dad-to-be, Mike, and Christopher Wiehl's onetime baseball stud, Jake. Rounding out the close-knit quartet is Shooter, played by Larenz Tate, with whom TVGuide.com went one-on-one in this Q&A.
TVGuide.com: Some have likened Love Monkey to Sex and the City, but with guys and music. In that scheme of things, who is Shooter — Samantha?Larenz Tate: Yeah, that's what everyone is saying. Our show clearly stands on its own, but if I had to compare, he'd be the
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Harry J. Lennix, Commander in Chief
As Jim Gardner on ABC's Commander in Chief (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET), Harry J. Lennix plays a White House chief of staff caught in the middle as he protects the legacy of President Mackenzie Allen's (Geena Davis) late predecessor — occasionally even lending his ear to her arch enemy — while still serving the highest office in the land. TVGuide.com spoke to the actor about Jim's dilemma (and jettisoned love life), as well as the thrill of watching Ray Charles come to life.
TVGuide.com: People who have seen The West Wing and/or Th
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Like an old, sweet song, Ray Charles seems to be on plenty of minds these days. His last CD, Genius Loves Company, has sold half a million copies. And Ray, a film based on his life, opens Oct. 29. But first, Jamie Foxx, the star of that biopic, will host a CBS tribute to the 12-time Grammy winner, who died of liver disease in June. The special will feature performances by Elton John, Reba McEntire, Stevie Wonder and other Charles fans. Says Foxx of the event: "For Ray, we're going to do it right."
TV Guide Online: Your performance in Ray has already been generating Oscar buzz. Do you care, or are you one of those "it's an honor just to be nominated" types?Jamie Foxx: If you play for the Lakers, you want to go to the championship. I just look at this stuff as a beautiful testimony to Ray Charles' life.
TVGO: You've worked previously with a lot of big stars, like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Denzel Washingto
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Collateral star Jamie Foxx has heard whispers of Oscar buzz for Ray, his Ray Charles biopic due in theaters this October. "I've heard that," he grins. "You don't want to jinx things, but I accept that. I come from an athletic background. If you're playing basketball, you want to go to the championship. If the Oscars are the championship, then you want that to happen for your movie."
Despite what some folks may think, Foxx insists his film is not an effort to capitalize on the recent passing of Charles. The Father of Soul died June 10 after a long battle with liver disease. "Ray Charles got a chance to view the movie in his own way before he passed," Foxx says. "We want to make people understand that we didn't go, 'Oh, Ray Charles died and we're trying to make a quick buck.' We want to shut that talk off."
In lesser hands, the blind musician's unique look and mannerisms could be imitated in a buffoonish way, but Foxx just m
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