Q100's Bert Weiss: Our guy in Hollywood

Hours before the big “American Idol” finale, fans in Hollywood are already lined up to witness the showdown between Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze.

So reports Bert Weiss, who is the middle of the madness with his Q100 radio show. In fact, Weiss says fans arriving for the pre-show red-carpet festivities got there before the red carpet did.

(For all the Idol news your heart could desire, click here for my colleague Rodney Ho’s blog.)

Weiss likes Crystal’s chances. “She is so raw right now,” he said, referring to her authentic, sometimes gritty look and sound. Then again, Weiss said, should she win, she could soon be sporting a new image. “Hollywood gets a hold of them, glams them all up,” he mused about past winners’ tranformations. “You’ll see her and she’ll have new (anatomy), she’ll be wearing these clunky shoes.”

Idol fans will pick a new winner – and say goodbye to judge Simon Cowell as this season concludes. Weiss says he’s heard …

Continue reading Bert Weiss: Live from “Idol” »

Those of us in the media have a big time chronicling the “Housewives,” and now one of them seems to be joining us.

NeNe Leakes “will be joining the 11Alive morning crew this summer. She’ll be bringing her fun and sense of humor to some great entertainment and feature segments,” the station said.

We just got word that the Housewives will be shooting scenes for the upcoming season on Bravo tonight at Twist, if you’d like to stop by and gawk.

Leakes herself has been newsworthy lately, showing up at an event sporting a new nose. It’s unclear whether she’ll be discussing that on air, but if you miss her on WXIA you can catch her on Bravo.

“Her work at 11Alive will be documented by Bravo and part of the upcoming fall season of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ ” the station’s statement continued.

Leakes is already a published author, remember.

Continue reading NeNe’s new job – as a morning-show personality »

Laura Bush greeted hundreds of fans at her book signing. Staff photo by Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

Former First Lady Laura Bush, in town for a book signing at the Buckhead Barnes and Noble store this week, made time for shopping and a little Southern comfort food during her time in Atlanta.

Mrs. Bush, who greeted hundreds of fans at the signing for her new memoir, “Spoken From the Heart,”  stopped into a few antiques shops on Miami Circle in Buckhead, accompanied by a friend and her security detail, Buzz hears from a well-placed source.

After her visit to the book store, she dined at South City Kitchen in Midtown. She enjoyed the evening’s special, which was pan-seared Georgia mountain trout with summer squash-mirliton gratin, roasted tomato jam, arugula, lemon and extra virgin olive oil, as well as a side of succotash.

We understand she arrived about 8 p.m. and was seated at a table on the patio – not a private dining room. She was accompanied by Secret Service personnel, …

Continue reading Laura Bush shops, dines during her trip to Atlanta »

Before and after pix from RadarOnline.com

NeNe Leakes has a new nose and has been appearing in a play. The reviews – of the nose – aren’t great.

“I think @NeNeLeakes might have just committed a Jennifer Grey,” a Twitter post from a user named Heidi Mara reads.

“I like your new nose,” reads a tweet from someone calling him or herself Return of Cirque. “Where did you buy it?”

Those are the nicer comments.

RadarOnline.com says the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member is on nose job #3 and has other work done.

“Her friends and family are worried that she will get addicted to plastic surgery, but sadly the producers of the show are not discouraging because they think it adds some drama for the fans,” the site says, quoting unnamed sources.

Leakes posted this photo of herself on Twitter

Leakes, a frequent tweeter who is usually pretty candid about what’s going on, isn’t responding to the critics. Instead she’s been talking about her recent trip to New York, where she’s …

Continue reading NeNe’s new nose »

CNN

On air, CNN’s Nancy Grace is the fiery and sometimes controversial inquisitor, often grilling interview subjects and addressing the camera with a piercing gaze.

In person on Wednesday, she was reserved and gracious as she spoke to a crowd of more than 700 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The Macon native, now based in New York where she hosts a show about current crime news on HLN, was honored as the YWCA of Greater Atlanta’s 2010 Woman of Achievement. Her remarks were brief and heartfelt.

“I grew up in the middle of soybean fields with pine trees as far as the eye could see, where the sound of church bells would literally bring you in for dinner,” she said. Her family lived outside town and when she first visited a YWCA, she said she thought the “M” in YMCA had been accidentally turned upside down.

She took ballet lessons at the Macon YWCA, although her family had enough money for just a leotard – not a tutu.

“Today, my daughter has three tutus,” she noted with a …

Continue reading Honors for a gracious Nancy Grace »

Those of you fearing you’ll be lost without “Lost,” take heart. The historic Strand Theatre on the Marietta Square offers a sort of group therapy for you this weekend.

The Strand offers a free screening of the mysterious sci-fi drama’s final episode this Sunday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and a two-hour retrospective begins at 7 p.m. Then at 9 p.m. the last episode, which supposedly will answer all those lingering questions fans have, will be shown.

Admission is free. The Strand concession stand will be open so that you and fellow Losties can commiserate over popcorn, candy, soft drinks, beer and wine. But the theater has just 531 seats. If you show up and you’re number 532, well, get lost.

For more information see the Strand’s Web site.

Continue reading Free screening of “Lost” finale »

Tyler Perry is telling fans in a message posted on his Web site that he’s been ripped off by a credit card thief.

“Some idiot stole my credit card number,” he says in the message. “Can you believe that? Take a look at all the stuff they charged. If you know any of these people, call the police.”

Perry then lists a detailed accounting of the thief’s escapades, which total more than $28,000. Whoever boosted the number bought airline tickets – lots of airline tickets – along with goods at Best Buy, Lowe’s, movie tickets, clothing from online retailers and more. The most recent activity was on May 4, when the thief made an online purchase of $200. The purchases appear to have taken place in various locations, including a $105 expenditure on May 1 at a Decatur movie theater.

Perry, who has been on tour with his stage presentation of “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” doesn’t speculate on how his credit card number was stolen in the …

Continue reading Tyler Perry a victim of credit card fraud »

Local restaurateur George McKerrow was a co-chair of Taste of the Nation last night. Jane Fonda was honorary chair

Jane Fonda has moved away from Atlanta – but she didn’t stay gone long.

We caught up with her Wednesday night for an interview prior to Taste of the Nation. The sips-and-nibbles extravaganza at the Georgia Aquarium benefited Share Our Strength, which combats childhood hunger.

“I’ve become a resident of Los Angeles, but I’ll never leave Atlanta,” said Fonda, noting she has family, friends and her two charities here.

Her swank Poncey-Highland pad is still on the market (it’s yours for $4.5 million or $10,000 a month if you prefer to lease) but she won’t be here to personally give you a tour. She leaves for Paris soon for a film project there, and then heads to upstate New York for a film called “Peace, Love and Misunderstanding.”

Such opportunities are the reason for her move back west, and she got a little choked up when we asked if she was sad to move …

Continue reading Jane Fonda returns to Atlanta…for a night »

In a photo posted on Twitter, V103's Frank Ski and Gucci Mane catch up Wednesday night at Mane's party at the Georgian Terrace

Freshly released from jail, Gucci Mane partied with close friends last night, hosting a select group at a private dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Georgian Terrace Hotel.

Among the folks dining on miniature beef Wellington, peekytoe crab salad, pecan crusted chicken, bananas foster and ever-flowing champagne were R&B singers/reality show stars Monica and Kandi Burruss; rappers Big Boi, Shawty Lo and Wacka Flocka Flame; producers Jazze Pha, Sean Garrett and Drumma Boy; DJs Drama and Sense; radio personalities Frank Ski and Nina Brown of V-103 and Hot-107.9’s Durtty Boyz; Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall and former DeKalb CEO turned congressional candidate Vernon Jones.

Record execs from across the country, including Atlanta’s James Rhodes and Nicole Sellers and Asylum Records’ CEO Todd Moscowitz, attended as well.

“The only time you see this many …

Continue reading Gucci Mane’s private post-prison party »

The rapper Gucci Mane, known around the Fulton County Courthouse as Radric Davis, ends his stint in a taxpayer-supported gated community tonight.

After pleading guilty to assault in 2005, he was sentenced last fall to a year in the clink for a probation violation (failing to fulfill some court-ordered community service.)

He’s leaving the Fulton County tonight and plans a midnight press conference.

My colleagues Kristi Swartz and Ryon Horne will be there to cover his release and press conference, so be sure to check ajc.com later on tonight.

Fans will be happy to know the slammer hasn’t held up Gucci’s career. His CD, “The State vs. Radric Davis,” came out Dec. 8. The album features Keyshia Cole, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, Keri Hilson and Usher.

A few months ago, he sent word to us through his reps that he is focusing on the future.

“I have accepted full responsibility for my actions, ” Gucci said in a statement. “I am remaining positive and want my fans to know that I am grateful …

Continue reading Gucci Mane released from prison tonight »