Happy birthday to Ken Burns. America’s documentarian turns 67 today. With all the new projects he has on the go, it will be a wonder if he has enough wind left to blow out his candles. Burns joined PBS’s President and CEO Paula Kerger, news anchor Judy Woodruff and historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,
In the excellent new HBO documentary “Ali: vs. Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes,” civil rights activist and MSNBC host Al Sharpton observes that Dick Cavett “was the whitest of white guys in America. But he gave blacks that had been considered outside of the mainstream – like Ali – a chance to be heard,
A friend of mine who tends to joke about these things, emailed to say he was afraid to visit his mother-in-law “Endora” over the Christmas holidays. “Was worried that Doctor Bombay wouldn’t be around to turn me back into me at some point.” Just another reminder of all the people we grew up with on
Because he was the host of a reality show, I met and interviewed president elect (swallowing hard) Donald Trump on a few occasions. Here is what happened on one of them: In 2010, I was in Manhattan interviewing the hosts of the real estate reality show Selling New York. I had a day to kill, and I
When people ask, as they occasionally do, who is the biggest star I ever met, I only ever have one answer: Muhammad Ali. “The Greatest” died Friday in Scottsdale Arizona. He was 74. Growing up as I did in the ’60s, there was no bigger hero than Ali. He was mesmerizing in the ring, floating and
Nineteen sixty-four grows in significance, for me, with every passing anniversary. Tuesday the 25th being the 50th anniversary of Muhammad Ali becoming The Greatest.On Feb.25, 1964, the 22-year-old boxer defeated fearsome heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Mighty Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round. Cassius Clay, as Ali was known at the time,
Scott Thompson from Hamilton’s CHML wanted to hear all about the just concluded Winter 2012 TCA press tour. I give him the scoop on Russell Brand’s fun FX session (he’s hosting their upcoming late night talk show) as well as Ricky Gervais’ subdued appearance, both at press tour and at the Golden Globes.Scott says the
Two times a year, the TCA press tour brings reporters face-to-face with many celebrities. Winter 2012 featured cocktails with Jon Hamm and the cast of Mad Men plus sessions and one-one-ones with Russell Brand, Charlie Sheen, Tony Bennett, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, the Idol judges, Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen,