December 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC(DALLAS, TX) — Just weeks after receiving a Country Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award, country music legend Charley Pride has died in Dallas, TX at the age of 86. The cause of death was complications from COVID-19.

The son of a sharecropper, Pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi and rose to become country music’s first Black superstar and the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

A former pro ball player, he played for several Negro League teams, as well as with the Class C farm team of the New York Yankees and other minor league teams.  After failing tryouts with the California Angels and the New York Mets, he moved to Montana and worked as an iron smelter, while continuing to play local ball.

At the same time, he began singing solo and with local bands.  He also recorded demo tapes, one of which led legendary country artist and producer Chet Atkins to sign him to RCA.  His third single, “Just Between You and Me,” was a hit and earned him a Grammy nod, as well as major bookings.  However, many fans who heard his music didn’t realize that Pride was Black.

At his first big concert, in 1966, he famously walked onstage and the 10,000 fans fell silent.  Pride said later on, “I told the audience: ‘Friends, I realize it’s a little unique, me coming out here with a permanent suntan to sing country and western to you. But that’s the way it is.^‘”

Between 1967 and 1987, Pride scored 52 Top 10 country hits, won three Grammys and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and became RCA Records’ top-selling country artist.  The CMA named him its Entertainer of the Year in 1971.

In his memoir, he wrote, “We’re not color blind yet, but we’ve advanced a few paces along the path and I like to think I’ve contributed something to that process.”

Pride’s hits included “Kiss An Angel Good Morning,” “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “You’re My Jamaica,” “You’re So Good When You’re Bad,” “She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory,” “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me),” “Someone Loves You Honey,” “Mountain of Love,” and many, many more.

Pride’s final performance was at last month’s Country Music Association Awards.  He sang his signature tune, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” with Jimmie Allen, a rising Black country star who credits Pride for opening the door for his own country music career.

By Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

December 12, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage(NEW ORLEANS) — Carol Sutton, an acclaimed actress who starred in numerous stage productions, movies and TV shows spanning over 50 years, has died. She was 76.

On Friday evening, ABC News affiliate WGNO confirmed that Sutton passed on Thursday after being hospitalized for several days at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. According to NOLA, Sutton died of complications from COVID-19.

“Carol Sutton was practically the Queen of New Orleans theater, having graced the stages across the city for decades,” said New Orleans mayor Latoya Cantrell in a statement.

“The world may recognize her from her performances in movies and on TV — whether it’s Treme or Claws, or Runaway Jury or Queen Sugar — but we will always remember her commanding stage presence, her richly portrayed characters, and the warm heart she shared with her fellow cast and crew in productions such as 4000 Miles and A Raisin in the Sun,” Cantrell added. “May she rest in God’s perfect peace.”

As a New Orleans native, Sutton was the recipient of several Big Easy awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Some of her other notable acting credits include Monster’s Ball, Ray, Steel Magnolias, The Help, Poms, and more recently, HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

Sutton is survived by her two children: son, Archie Sutton Jr. and daughter, Aunya Sutton.

By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

December 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Melodie Jeng//GC Images(LOS ANGELES) –Shia LaBeouf is being sued by his ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs, with the singer claiming the actor “hurts women…uses them [and] abuses them both personally and mentally.”

The suit, submitted in Los Angeles by attorneys representing FKA, who was born Tahliah Barnett, calls LaBeouf “dangerous.” 

Barnett’s suit claims the actor “tormented” her, brandished a firearm while driving, and “knowingly” gave her an STD, among other accusations of similarly violent behavior. 

Her attorney Bryan Freedman says, “Shia LaBoeuf has abused Ms. Barnett…and others. We tried to resolve this matter privately on the condition that Mr. LaBeouf agree to receive meaningful and consistent psychological treatment. Since he was unwilling to agree to get appropriate help, Ms. Barnett filed this suit to prevent others from unknowingly suffering similar abuse by him.”

In a statement to the New York Times, LaBeoeuf says, “Although many of these allegations are not true, I am not in the position to defend any of my actions. I owe these women the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those thing I have done.” 

LaBeouf, who has struggled with alcohol in the past, leading to run-ins with the law, noted, “As someone in recovery, I have to face almost daily reminders of things I did say and do when I was drinking.”

He tells the Times, “It has always been easy for me to accept responsibility when my behavior reflects poorly on myself, but it’s much harder to accept the knowledge that I may have caused great pain to others. I can’t rewrite history. I can only accept it and work to be better in the future. I write this as a sober member of a twelve-step program and in therapy for my many failings.”

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

December 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC News/Steve Iervolino(LOS ANGELES) — 2020 has been, well, a lot for all of us, but for parents, it’s been particularly trying. Between work, helping kids with school, and keeping them occupied, it’s easy to forget to take some time for yourself.

That’s why Tropicana is urging everyone to take a “Mimoment,” after a recent survey it conducted showed that 87% of parents agreed that pandemic parenting has led them to craving some self-care.

With that in mind, Tropicana has recruited celebrity parents Jerry O’Connell, Gabriel Union-Wade, and Molly Sims to help it urge parents to enjoy a “moment of brightness” — with a mimosa.  In a new campaign, the stars are shown stealing a “Mimoment,” thanks to a series of mini-fridges cleverly disguised as a garage tool box, a bathroom cabinet, and a laundry hamper. 

O’Connell tells ABC Audio the spot was a bit of life imitating art.

“Literally, what was happening was my children were crying and screaming and blaming me because they were kicked out of a Zoom classroom,” he explains. “Something happened with the Internet and they were yelling at me like I had something to do with [it]!”

“And the phone rang and it was the people at Tropicana saying, ‘We’re going to do this…campaign where we’re going to celebrate the parents who have been holding it down in the pandemic.'”

He adds, “[P]arents should be celebrated during this pandemic…I’m really proud of all of us!”

While the mini fridges shown in the spot aren’t currently for sale, people can visit Tropicana’s Instagram page to reveal where they #TakeAMimoment of brightness — and they could just be surprised with one of their own. O’Connell says it’s pretty handy. 

“What I do is I rattle some tools around and they have no clue what is going on down there,” he laughs. 

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

December 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Paul Archuleta/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Tamera Mowry says Sister, Sister is the gift that keeps on giving.  

The 42-year-old mom of two revealed to E!’s Daily Pop that her children, eight-year-old Aden and five-year-old Ariah are big fans of the show.  Not only that, she says her kids have been inspired to walk in their mother’s footsteps.

“They love Sister, Sister,” said Mowry. “Ariah watches it on her own. She loves it so much, Aiden loves it so much that now both of them want to be actors.”

Mowry, who was 16 when the Emmy Award-winning show catapulted her and sister Tia Mowry into fame had mixed feelings about her children’s announcement.

“I was like, ‘Oh lord. Oh lord,'” she laughed. 

The television personality went onto explain that Hollywood would be in a lot of trouble if her children kickstarted an acting career.

Mowry admits her son can “get away with everything” while her daughter, Ariah is so self-certain, “She will even be confidently wrong!”

“Doesn’t matter where she is, what she’s doing, how she’s dressed, wherever she is, she is confidently grounded,” she continued.

Sister, Sister ran for six seasons between 1994 and 1999.  

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.