Video: James Garner is still an Oklahoma “Maverick”
James Garner (The Oklahoman Archives photo)
The Oklahoman Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett has assembled an excellent indepth feature on Academy Award-nominated Oklahoma-born and bred screen legend James Garner.
The feature, which includes an email interview with the 84-year-old actor, covers Garner’s rough-and-tumble upbringing in Norman, his extensive Korean War service, his passion for car racing, his generous nature, his signature TV roles in “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files” and his many big-screen successes, including his Oscar-nominated turn in “Murphy’s Romance,” and more.
“One of the things that’s really remarkable about my dad is that there are very few actors in Hollywood or anywhere that have been able to go from film to TV, back to film, back to TV” without diminishing his A-list stature, Garner’s daughter Gigi Garner told Gene in a recent phone interview.
James Garner said in his email that “The Notebook” (2004) is one of his three favorites of his own films “because it was about everlasting love. I believe in everlasting love.” He and wife Lois have been married for 55 years.
His other favorite films: “‘My Name is Bill W.’ (1989) because over the years people have told me that seeing the story of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous had helped them. ‘The Americanization of Emily’ (1964), because it was written by the great Paddy Chayefsky and because it was about the futility of war.”
What has being from Oklahoma meant to him?
“Everything!” he said in his email. “I’m so proud of it, I almost start conversations, ‘Hi, I’m Jim from Oklahoma.’ … Oklahoma is friendly and full of nice people.”
To read the full feature and see a photo gallery of Garner’s life and career, click here.
And check out this terrific NewsOK video about Garner:
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Hall and Oates, Heart to play return engagements at Tulsa Hard Rock Casino
Hall and Oates (AP file)
Heart
TULSA- During the first eight months of performances at The Joint, few were anticipated more than the performances by Daryl Hall and John Oates and Heart. Due to overwhelming demand, both sets of performers will return to the music venue inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
Daryl Hall and John Oates return to The Joint on Sept. 12, with tickets starting at $60. Heart returns Sept. 15, with tickets starting at $45.
Tickets for both shows go on sale Aug. 2, according to a news release.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is off of Interstate 44 at exit 240. Ticket prices and information on upcoming shows are available online in The Joint section of www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com. All guests must be 21 years of age or older.
Heart returns to the Joint after performing a sold-out show on April 8, 2011.
Led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart has sold more than 35 million albums and achieved platinum status 20 times since the 1976 debut “Dreamboat Annie” launched the band into instant stardom behind the success of early singles “Crazy on You” and “Magic Man.”
To date, Heart has charted 31 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Barracuda,” “Straight On,” “Tell it Like it Is,” “What About Love,” “All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You,” and the No. 1 hits “These Dreams” and “Alone.”
Daryl Hall and John Oates originally played for a capacity crowd inside The Joint on Oct. 22, 2010.
Recognized in 1987 by the Recording Industry Association of America as the No. 1-selling duo in music history, Daryl Hall and Oates have released six No.1 singles: “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” “Maneater” and “Out of Touch.” To date, the band has had seven albums go platinum and charted 34 singles.
The duo is fresh off a sterling performance of “Rich Girl” on Tuesday’s Season 2 finale of “The Voice”:
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Carrie Underwood performing tonight on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood will be the musical guest tonight on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The show airs at 11:05 p.m. weekdays on ABC (KOCO-5 in Oklahoma City).
The Checotah native will be performing music from her recently released fourth album “Blown Away.”
As previously reported, Underwood’s “Blown Away” debuted this week at the top of the Billboard country albums list as well as at No. 1 on the cross-genre Billboard 200. “Blown Away” sold 267,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: JD McPherson to play “Conan” June 6
Tulsa-area singer-songwriter JD McPherson will play on “Conan” on June 6, he announced on his official Facebook page. Conan O’Brien’s late-night show airs at 10 p.m. weekdays on TBS.
Named as an “artist you should know” in 2011 by NPR, McPherson made his Rounder Records debut last month with the release of “Signs and Signifiers,” “a rockin’, bluesy, forward-thinking album that subtly breaks the conventions of most vintage rock projects.” (All Music Guide).
Known for energetic live shows, McPherson and his band are touring the U.S. tour in support of “Signs and Signifiers.” Stops along the tour are planned for Boston, Chicago and a West Coast run beginning June 1; in addition, McPherson will play home-state shows May 18 at VZD’s in Oklahoma City, May 19 at Tulsa May Fest and June 13 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa.
With more than 400,000 YouTube views, McPherson’s self-directed video for the first single “North Side Gal,” was shot by the band in the Hi-Style studio and features the classic gear used for the recording of the album, according to a news release.
Hailing from Broken Arrow, the former art teacher traveled to Chicago to record “Signs and Signifiers” at Hi-Style studio, which is housed in the attic of producer/bassist/studio owner Jimmy Sutton’s home and is 100 percent analog. “I have recorded this style of music in the digital realm, and it just doesn’t quite “sing” as much. Slamming that ¼-inch tape really hard produced the most beautiful distortion I’ve ever heard,” says McPherson.
Featuring JD McPherson (lead and backing vocals, guitar), Jimmy Sutton (bass), and Alex Hall (drums, piano, organ), the album was recorded through a collection of vintage microphones into an old 1960’s Berlant 1/4-inch tape machine. The 12-track album kicks off with the fervent pulse of the first single, “North Side Gal,” and segues into one of the albums two covers, McPherson’s take on “Country Boy,” an old R&B number originally written and recorded by Tiny Kennedy.
The album hosts an array of guest musicians, including Scott Ligon on piano (NRBQ’s Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet); Jonathan Doyle (Nick Curran & the Lowlifes, White Ghost Shivers); Chicago’s Josh Bell (The Del Moroccos) on tenor and baritone saxophones; Susan Voelz (Alejandro Escovedo, Poi Dog Pondering) on violin; Allison Chesley (Helen Money) on cello, and Joel Paterson (The Modern Sounds) lends choice guitar work to the Joey Simone classic “Your Love (All That I’m Missing).”
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New releases for May 8, 2012: Albums from John Fullbright and Turnpike Troubadours
A pair of excellent Oklahoma performers with Okemah ties released new albums today.
Singer-songwriter John Fullbright, an Okemah native, dropped his debut album “From the Ground Up.” To read The Oklahoman Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett’s recent interview with Fullbright, click here.
And Okemah-based red dirt band Turnpike Troubadours, for which Fullbright used to play, released their third album, “Goodbye Normal Street.” To read my interview with frontman Evan Felker, click here.
Also, Texas country star Pat Green dropped today his second covers album “Songs We Wish We’d Written II.” He will play a CD release show Wednesday at the Wormy Dog; look for my interview with Green Wednesday.
Here is a list of the week’s new CDs, DVDs and books, at Amazon.com, VideoETA.com and BarnesandNoble.com:
CDs
John Fullbright, “From the Ground Up.”
Turnpike Troubadours, “Goodbye Normal Street.”
Pat Green, “Songs We Wish We’d Written II.”
Silversun Pickups, “Neck of the Woods.”
Keane, “Strangeland.”
Glenn Frey, “After Hours.”
Barenaked Ladies, “Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before!”
Rita Wilson, “AM/FM.”
Mary Mary, “Go Get It.”
Liza Minnelli, “Legends of Broadway: Liza Minnelli Live at Winter Garden.”
Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett, “The CBS Television Specials.”
Dee Snider, “Dee Does Broadway.”
Danny Elfman, “Dark Shadows: Original Score.”
DVDs
The Big C: The Complete Second Season
Chuck: The Complete Fifth and Final Season
Fantasy Island: The Compete Second Season
Mother’s Day
Playback
Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie
Underworld: Awakening
The Vow
Books
I Am a Pole (And So Can You!)by Stephen Colbert
11th Hour (Women’s Murder Club Series #11) by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
The Road to Grace (Walk Series #3)by Richard Paul Evans
Home by Toni Morrison
The Family Corleone by Ed Falco, Mario Puzo
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Jermaine Paul, finalist for Blake Shelton’s team, wins “The Voice” Season 2
Jermaine Paul
Jermaine Paul, the finalist for Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s team, won Season 2 of “The Voice” live tonight on NBC.
Paul, a former backup singer for Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige, proved he was ready to take center stage over the course of the hit reality TV show’s sophomore season. He came on particularly strong during Monday night’s final performance show with his soaring rendition of R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” his playful duet with Shelton on the R&B classic “Soul Man” and his coach tribute, a heartfelt version of Shelton’s smash “God Gave Me You.”
He and Shelton embraced on “The Voice” stage after the big announcement that Paul had defeated Tony Lucca, the finalist for Adam Levine’s team; Juliet Simms, the finalist for CeeLo Green’s team; and Chris Mann, the finalist for Christina Aguilera’s team.
“You did it!” Shelton said over and over as he hugged the victorious Paul.
Shelton, the country singer from Tishomingo, and Paul, whose musical influences include Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, were an odd pairing. Both Shelton and Green turned their giant red chairs for Paul’s blind audition, a soulful version of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated,” and argued persuasively to have the big-voiced crooner join their teams. But Shelton seemingly won Paul over with his honesty, telling the hopeful basically that whether he avoided elimination was up to how hard he worked and how well he performed.
“I just want to thank everyone who supported me from Day 1. Nobody but Jesus, man!” Paul said as he thanked his wife, four children and parents tonight from center stage.
As the winner, Paul wins a recording contract. The four finalists also received new cars from Kia.
Here’s a look back at Paul’s blind audition:
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Video: “The Voice” Season 2 finale airs tonight
Classic covers, tributes and more drama between celebrity coaches Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine and her former “Mickey Mouse Club” co-star/Team Adam finalist Tony Lucca were all part of the big two-hour final performance show Monday on “The Voice.”
Jermaine Paul, the finalist for Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s team, let his big voice and even bigger soul shine on a cover of R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” and a thank-you cover of Shelton’s smash “God Gave Me You.” For their duet, Paul and Shelton joined forces for a fun rendition of the Sam & Dave classic “Soul Man.”
The other “The Voice” Season 2 finalists are Chris Mann for Team Xtina and Juliet Simms for CeeLo Green’s team.
The live two-hour season finale of “The Voice’s” second season, which will include Justin Bieber performing his new hit “Boyfriend,” airs at 8 tonight on NBC (KFOR-4 in Oklahoma City).
Video: Previewing the Season 2 finals of “The Voice,” which begin tonight
The two-night finale for the second season of the hit reality TV show “The Voice” begins tonight on NBC.
The show’s social media correspondent Christina Milian sat down with each of the four celebrity coaches – Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green and Oklahoma country music superstar Blake Shelton – to chat with them about the finals. I love what she has to say about going over to a party at Blake’s house in Los Angeles and finding several of his now-eliminated team members hanging out there. He admitted he cares about his team members “to a fault sometimes.”
“I like to be around good people,” Blake says.
Blake even admits he has been a bit intimidated by his finalist, seasoned backup singer Jermaine Paul, who has toured a lot of with Alicia Keys.
The other “The Voice” Season 2 finalists are Tony Lucca for Team Adam, Chris Mann for Team Xtina and Juliet Simms for Team CeeLo.
The final live performance episode of “The Voice’s” second season will air at 7 tonight, with the two-hour season finale showing at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town added to CMA Music Festival
Miranda Lambert (AP file)
The reigning Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo, and fan favorite group Little Big Town have joined the performer lineup for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field at the 2012 CMA Music Festival. The event takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10, in downtown Nashville, and will once again be filmed for an ABC television special to air in late summer
Lambert will perform on Thursday, June 7, and Little Big Town will perform on Saturday, June 9.
Also during the Nightly Concerts at LP Field, Sarah Darling, Nashville School of Arts Chamber Choir (under the directon of Walter Bitner), Oak Ridge Boys, and Julie Roberts will each perform the National Anthem.
The current lineups for the Nightly Concerts are as follows in alphabetical order:
Thursday, June 7: Jason Aldean, Glen Campbell, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, and Zac Brown Band. National Anthem performed by the Nashville School of Arts Chamber Choir (under the direction of Walter Bitner).
Friday, June 8: The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Ronnie Milsap, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood. National Anthem performed by the Oak Ridge Boys.
Saturday, June 9: Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, and Kenny Rogers. National Anthem performed by Julie Roberts.
Sunday, June 10: Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, and Rascal Flatts. National Anthem performed by Sarah Darling.
Tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts are $40 (plus applicable handling fees) for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field. Fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or (800) 745-3000. They can also purchase them through CMAfest.com.
Four-day ticket packages are also available, from $125 per person plus handling fees. Four-day ticket package categories correspond to varying levels of seating at LP Field and include admittance to all four Nightly Concerts as well as all daytime Festival activities, including the Fan Fair Fall where artist autograph signing sessions take place. Children 3 years and younger are admitted free.
Ticket prices and artists are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.
Lambert has received four CMA Awards, including two wins as Female Vocalist of the Year (2010, 2011), Album of the Year (2010 for “Revolution”), and Music Video of the Year (2012 for “The House That Built Me,” directed by Trey Fanjoy). Her most recent album is the gold-certified “Four the Record,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart last year and established her as the first country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of her first four albums debut at No. 1. The album features her No. 3 hit “Baggage Claim” and current single “Over You.”
Platinum-selling country group Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook – has received a career total of nine CMA Award nominations to date. The foursome recently recorded “Deep River Woman” with Lionel Richie for his current album “Tuskegee,” which hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. Little Big Town’s fifth studio album, produced by Jay Joyce, will be released later this year and features the first single, “Pontoon,” which is at radio now.
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Oklahoma artists Desmond Mason and Nathan Lee to be featured tonight on OETA’s “Gallery”
Desmond Mason, former NBA player, talks about his painting, which he donated to Educare in Oklahoma City on Thursday, July 14, 2011. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman Archives
Basketball fans, before you tune in to TNT at 8:30 tonight to watch Game 3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Round 1 playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, watch OETA’s Emmy Award-winning arts documentary program “Gallery.”
Former NBA star Desmond Mason, who is now an artist, will be featured on the latest episode of “Gallery,” airing at 7:30 tonight on OETA. Former hip hop artist turned painter Nathan Lee also will be featured in the episode.
Mason played basketball for Oklahoma State University (my alma mater!) before spending 10 seasons in the NBA playing for Seattle, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Sacramento.
After retiring from the NBA in 2010, he is now focusing on art.
An artist since the age of 13, Mason got a degree in studio art from OSU and painted throughout his NBA career, with exhibits in his various home towns raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities, according to a news release.
Now he’s raising money for charities in his new home state.
“Gallery” spends a new day with Mason, giving viewers the chance to meet his family , see his new home and discover more about his life in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma-born Nathan Lee’s artistic career began in the hip hop culture on the streets of New York City, but now he’s back in the state and doing all he can to add color to Oklahoma’s creative tableau, including contributing his own artwork as well as running an outreach program for minority artists and mentoring talented teens.
According to NewsOK TV blogger Melissa Hayer, this episode of “Gallery” will show again twice during the month of May, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 17, and at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 27.
And go Thunder!
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