In a city famous for its festivals- one of biggest events is the annual Jazz Fest. This 2 weekend event features performers from around the world playing their music all across New Orleans. The line-up generally features over 100 performers, with a great majority being those who are originally from Louisiana. 2011’s Fest was yet another huge success and drew in a crowd of over 400,000 people! We’re confident that 2012 has just as much to offer!


And the performers are…


Trombone Shorty, Eagles, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, TBA, John Mayer, The Neville Brothers, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Ne-Yo, My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver, Paulina Rubio, Jill Scott, Florence + the Machine, Allen Toussaint, Feist, Bunny Wailer, Bonnie Raitt, Irma Thomas, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Dr. John, Janelle Monae, Yolanda Adams, Iron and Wine, Pete Fountain, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steel Pulse, Rebirth Brass Band, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Esperanza Spalding, funky Meters, Levon Helm Band with special guest Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aaron Neville, Steve Earle, Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band 50th Anniversary Jam, Little Anthony and The Imperials, Ani DiFranco, Givers, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Dianne Reeves, Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Better Than Ezra, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Bruce Hornsby, Dave Koz, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Gomez, Pedrito Martinez, The Bounce Shake Down feat. Big Freedia, Katey Red, Keedy Black, and DJ Poppa, Israel & New Breed, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Zebra, Amanda Shaw, James Cotton "Superharp" Band, Cowboy Mouth, Asleep at the Wheel, Papa Grows Funk, David Sanborn & Joey DeFrancesco, Bobby Rush, Chuck Leavell & Friends, Ellis Marsalis, Marcia Ball, Voice of the Wetlands All Stars, John Boutté, Gary Clark Jr., Texas Tornados, Poncho Sanchez Latin Band with Terence Blanchard, Cheikh Lô (Senegal), Tab Benoit, Regina Carter's "Reverse Thread", Bombino (Niger), Glen Hansard, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Jeremy Davenport, Sara Jarosz, Bonerama, Evelyn Turrentine-Agee, Terri Lyne Carrington's Mosaic, Ruby Wilson's Tribute to Bessie Smith & Ma Rainey, Wycliffe Gordon, Donald Harrison, Lindigo & Fixi (Reunion Island & France), Sonny Landreth, Buckwheat Zydeco, Soul Rebels, The Stars of Heaven, Jewel Brown with the Heritage Hall Band, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Anders Osborne, Honey Island Swamp Band, Theresa Andersson, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Eric Lindell, Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Pine Leaf Boys, James Andrews & the Crescent City Allstars, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles, Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band feat. Thais Clark, Banu Gibson, Hot 8 Brass Band, Creole Wild West, George French 

Phew! The festival certainly has a lot to offer. Tickets will be prices vary, and can be purchased through ticketmaster.

This full list was provided by International Business Times. You can read their article here!


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_  Steven Seagal has been a household name when it comes to action movies since the late 80’s with the release of his first movie, “Above the Law”. Since then he has released dozens of action films, each showing off his admirable martial arts training. With that enormous of a film portfolio, it is hard to imagine that the actor had time for much else- But he did!

Over twenty years ago, during his rise to stardom, the action hero also graduated from the police academy in California. Since that time he has been serving as a reserve officer, before applying for a more permanent position in- you guessed it, Louisiana. Seagal owns a home here and decided to commit himself to the Jefferson Parish Law Enforcement. When A&E heard the story, they couldn’t miss the opportunity to develop a television series out of this perfect premise. The show “Steven Seagal: Law Man” followed the star on his real life adventures with the Jefferson Parish police. While Law Man only last a few years, Segal isn’t abandoning his post quite yet. In fact he is taking his experience with the Louisiana Law Enforcement to a whole new project! “True Justice” which is set to air in spring of 2012, features the actor playing a Seattle-based police officer. While this show is filming in Canada mostly, the actor is sure to bring his experience in Louisiana to the role.  

For more on this story, read what REELZ had to say!

_ A lot of things come to mind when tourists think of “New Orleans”. Maybe it’s the Jazz Music, the Food, or even the French Quarter and Mardi Gras. But, according to the experts, tourists have started flocking to the Big Easy for more than just the Hurricanes at Pat O’Brien’s. According to Katie Gunnell, director of “Film New Orleans”, our city has been seeing an increase in tourism as the momentum of Hollywood South continues to grow. She tributes this to the constant reminders of how truly beautiful, and diversely cultured our city is, in every movie filmed here. One of the more famous tour-guides in New Orleans mentions how in all of his group tours- ranging from VooDoo all the way through Hurricane Katrina, there is always a place to talk about at least ONE famous movie or television show filmed there. And the tourists love it! Certain spots have even attracted specific attention because they were part of the setting of film or a television show. A great example of this is Li’l Dizzies which has been serving NOLA locals traditional Cajun food for years. Recently, this neighborhood spot is serving more than just locals as tourists file in just so they can eat at “that place that was in TREME”. So what does all this mean for our city? Well, the film industry has already been great to our economy because of the jobs it creates. Now, because of this surge in tourism, the hospitality industry, and cultural centers are also seeing an increase in profits. Who would have thought that the Big Easy would so quickly become such a Big Star?

 

For the full story, watch this clip on abc26.

_ Author, Stephanie Meyer rose to international fame with the release of her novel series, “Twilight”. With the third of the movie adaptations of these books in the theatres now, you might think that Meyer is ready for some time-off. But, it is quite the opposite!  The author is now in pre-production for the film version of one of her other books, “The Host”. This science-fiction thriller tells the story of a time when human beings are invaded by an “unseen enemy” which forces them to lose control of their bodies, and in most cases, their minds. But protagonist, Melanie is a different kind of human. Her thoughts and memories affect the actions of the “Wander” that has taken over her body. This harrowing tale of Melanie’s past, and her painful struggle includes love, loss, and danger. So the movie will definitely have something for everyone!

Director, Andrew Niccol has signed on for the new adaptation of this novel. Niccol is an Academy Award nominated director, who has previously worked on the movies “Gattaca”, “The Truman Show” , “Lord of War”, and “The Terminal” .

Casting has already started in Los Angeles, and casting will begin here in Louisiana in the coming weeks. For more information about this movie, visit Meyer’s own site or reach this article on examiner.com… and definitely stay tuned into SCG for more casting news and extra opportunities!

_  In 2005 Brad Pitt purchased a mansion in California following his divorce from actress, Jennifer Aniston. Since then he has widened his real-estate perspective and has built (more than a few) homes here in New Orleans. So what was to become of his $12 million dollar Malibu Dream house? Fortunately, a friendly neighbor was happy to take it off his hands! Metairie-native and comedian, Ellen DeGeneres, purchased the home just last week for her and her wife, Portia De Rossi. Ellen has gained international renown for her daytime talk show, and De Rossi is best know for her television roles in series, “Ally McBeal”, “Arrested Development” and “Better Off Ted”. The sale was very short, and a source told the Daily Gossip that Pitt’s remaining belongings were moved out the day off the transaction. DeGeneres and De Rossi plan to De-Light in this home sooner rather than later, and have already begun moving in their furniture. Ellen has a passion for real-estate, which she explained in an interview is because of her up-bringing. She said, “we never had a house when I was growing up, we always rented… The first thing I did when I made money was buy a house”.  So it looks like the two have no plans of returning to Metairie in the immediate future. But when they do, this Southern Celebrity Gossiper is sure that Brad Pitt can help them find a nice place to settle down!

_ The JOY Theatre of New Orleans will re-open on December 29th! This iconic feature of Canal Street has been closed since 2005, after suffering severe damages from Hurricane Katrina. There have been a lot of naysayers over the past 6 years who said that the theatre was beyond repair, but when McDonnel Group took over as contractor, everything changed. Suddenly the building that was flooded beyond recognition, that had slabs of ceiling on the ground, began to reclaim its original shape. The JOY first opened in 1947, and the renovations have upheld the historical integrity of the building. Art deco pieces accent the main lobby, and a vintage ticket turnstile allows entry. Those involved with this, seemingly impossible, undertaking are themselves surprised by the progress made on this particular project. The Talent Coordinator, Bill Johnston remarked, "It's incredible how much has been done since mid-September and how  much more needs to be done before the end of the month — and it's going to be… It's just staggering.” Tickets are already on-sale for the line-up following the Grand Opening on the 29th. Musicians from around the country have been trying to rent the space just to be a part of this historic event.

Since the storm, Canal Street has become a symbol for New Orleans’ progress. Revitalizing old structures- like the JOY, remind residents of the greatness that can be recaptured here in New Orleans. Louisianans have rallied behind this Grand Opening, and tickets are selling fast for upcoming performances. The Gambit recently wrote a more detailed account of this story, including the history of the JOY Theatre. The article is available on their website. On this site is also information about upcoming performances and tickets sales. This story is absolutely worth your attention, especially around this time of year. Having some JOY back in New Orleans is certainly something to celebrate!

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! From all of us at Southern Celebrity Gossip!

_ Culinary Celebrity, John Besh has been making the rounds here in Louisiana promoting his new book, “My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking”. Louisiana is hardly new territory for him, having been born in Meridian, Mississippi and raised around New Orleans. Besh has made quite a name for himself in the culinary community, and boasts nine of the finest restaurants throughout the Crescent City. Included in these is the acclaimed, Restaurant August which has appeared twice on Gourmet Magazine’s “Best Restaurants” list. The restauranteur has also made appearances on Food Network’s “Iron Chef” and released his own cookbook, before being awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southeast.

Despite this supreme fame in his field, John Besh stays rooted in his southern manners. Most important of these manners- the ones at the table! His most recent publication stresses the significance, both nutritionally and socially, of joining the family together for meals. Having children of his own, he understands the importance of preparing food together as a family as a way of spending time together. Especially when you’re flying around the world for Food Network television appearances! Fortunately for Besh, this week he got to stay close to home. He visited both Barnes & Noble and The Accidental Chef Cooking School in Lafayette to sign copies of his new book, along with his wife and kids.


For more on his latest book, visit his website.

_ When this Southern Celebrity Gossiper hears the name “Lenny Kravitz,” she thinks one thing: eclectic. This artist has been rediscovering himself, redefining his genre, and redecorating his real-estate since he first rocketed into the public spotlight. This diverse background has certainly not gone unnoticed- nor unrewarded. Currently, the singer/songwriter/composer/designer owns several homes, and spreads his time between Miami, New York, and New Orleans. This French Quarter home has been featured in countless magazines showing off the unique historic charms of the building, and also the owner’s flair for decorating.

 Kravitz attributes a lot of his success to his ability to stay “in between”. Throughout his life, because off his parents, his up-brining, his talents, and even his real-estate, he has always been straddling different identities- which are what make him so accessible to the public. He says that he is part black and part white, mostly Christian but also Jewish, a musician and a designer, a New Yorker and a New Orleanian. Most recently, French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand paid tribute to this evolved sense of identity. Lenny Kravitz was awarded the Legion of Honor because he “freed [him]self of the barriers between black and white sound." Over the years, Kravitz has been able to transcend typical stereotypes and create art that relates to everyone. We’re happy that he decided to mix a little Cajun in there for the rest of the world to share!

 For more on the ceremony in Paris, visit luxist.com

 AND

 For pics of Kravitz’s French Quarter pad click here!

_ Actor Will Ferrell has been causing quite a stir in the NOLA scene since his arrival for the filming of new movie, Dog Fight. This movie, as previously described, is a comedic political-satire full of Ferrell’s trademark slapstick. The film has been shooting in various locations throughout New Orleans, even closing more than one famous restaurant for indoor scenes. Dog Fight is also featuring local actors, including Billy Slaughter, who teaches at John Robert Powers New Orleans, and Madison Wolfe who is a JRP student.

  But it isn’t just the film community that is buzzing about this new semi-resident, but also the Mardi Gras Krewes! Specifically, the Krewe of Bacchus has dubbed this Hollywood icon as the parade’s namesake for the 2012 Carnival! The parade of Bacchus rolls on the 19th of February and will be donning one, very festive Will Ferrell. Executive director, Owen Brennan III, guaranteed the community that Ferrell has “promised us that he will be a very enthusiastic Bacchus 44”. And why shouldn’t he be? This particular Krewe has a habit of electing master comedians to reign as Bacchus. In years past, Bacchus has included Drew Carey, Bob Hope, and Billy Crystal.

So it seems that Will Ferrell is just as happy to be here in New Orleans as New Orleans is happy to have him here! Brennan also made a point to mention that Will Ferrell plans to “eat his way through” the city while he’s here. This gossiper is certain that this town can hold him to that plan!

For more about this story, read the full article through nola.com

On Wednesday, Saint’s Quarterback Drew Brees made one the most important guest appearances that a celebrity can hope to make: Sesame Street. The athlete appeared with Elmo to introduce kids to the word “measure”. You can watch the clip of Drew Brees helping kids (and muppets) better understand how to use tools to find out how long or tall something is. With little ones of his own, this appearance had to be a special treat for Drew- and everyone, even Elmo, seemed happy to have him be a part of this classic television show!  

But "Mr. Drew" isn’t the only celebrity who has had the pleasure of co-hosting with Elmo, here are some of the Southern Celebrity Gossiper’s favorites.

Amy Adams (who starred in the locally-shot “On the Road” with JRP New Orleans’ student, Madison Wolfe) : made her debut a while back.

… and this Metairie-native, Ellen DeGeneres celebrated her similarities with the famous host in 2008. Watch the video here! 

An appearance on Sesame Street is a make-it or break-it opportunity, and we’re happy to report that Drew Brees passed the test!