What Happened To Bruno Mars?

Guy Spends 6 Months Recreating A Van Gogh

Can you imagine seeing a Van Gogh painting sitting right off the freeway on your morning commute or aerial ride? One field in Eagan, Minnesota got exactly this when the 67-year-old artist, Stan Herd, transformed it into Van Gogh’s 1889 “Olive Trees.”

Herd has been doing similar types of artwork or ‘earthworks’ since 1981. “I realized in my late 20s that to create my monumental earthworks, beyond the design and actual creation of the work, I had to develop skills in public relations, communications, media relations, logistics, and fundraising,” said Herd on his website.

His most recent project took six months and spans 1.2 acres. Plenty of mowing, digging, and planting was involved all of which were commissioned by the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It can even be seen from the Minneapolis airport. The “Earthwork” is comprised of mainly large native plants and materials.

It was Herd’s way of uniquely engaging with his favorite artist. -Can You Actually

PEOPLE's 2022 Sexiest Man

 By Kara Warner 

If you were to tell a middle school-aged Chris Evans that he would one day be named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive, "he'd be pumped!" the star tells the magazine in this week's cover story. "This would probably be the road to the cool table which I was not at."

Present-day Evans, 41, is still adjusting to the new title—and having to talk about it—but he knows this news will delight at least one person: "My mom will be so happy," he says. "She's proud of everything I do but this is something she can really brag about."

It's a sunny fall day on an estate outside Atlanta, Ga. where Evans is sitting in front of the fireplace in a quaint farmhouse. Although he appears to have fully understood this particular assignment, dressed in a cozy knit sweater and jeans, the Boston native would probably rather jump into said fireplace than discuss being deemed sexy.

"This whole thing is tough to be interviewed about," he says with a laugh. "It feels like a weird form of humble bragging."

The Gray Man star is also bracing for some good-natured ribbing from his close friends. "Really this will just be a point of bullying," he jokes. "It's ripe for harassment." -Peoples Magazine

Pete Davidson Makes a Fashion Statement

One day after the news broke that Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson called it quits, the former SNL star was spotted on set in Australia wearing a t-shirt with an interesting message on it.

By Ashley Joy Parker

Pete Davidson is letting his outfit do the talking.

On Aug, 6, the former Saturday Night Live star was photographed for the first time since the news broke that he and girlfriend Kim Kardashian split after nine months of dating. 

While on the set of his upcoming film Wizards! in Cairns, Australia, Pete was snapped wearing a green trucker hat with the movie's title written on it, teamed with a graphic t-shirt featuring the eyebrow-raising message, "What... I feel like s--t."

The day before, sources confirmed to E! News that Pete, 28 and Kim, 41—who were first romantically linked in October 2021—ended their relationship earlier this week and decided to just be friends.

The insiders exclusively shared that while the pair has "a lot of love and respect for each other," they found that the long-distance dynamic and their demanding schedules "made it really difficult to maintain a relationship." 

While Pete has been spending part of the summer in Australia working on Wizards!, Kim has been busy focusing on her four kids—North, 9, Saint, 7, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3—with her ex Kanye West, who she is "happily co-parenting" with, per a separate source.

Just weeks before their breakup, Pete and Kim seemed to be going strong, despite the distance. On July 11, the SKIMS mogul showed her love for the comedian on Instagram with a series of cute photos of the pair, including pics of the two chilling by a pool and Kim resting her feet on her man's chest.

In the same post, fans also got a glimpse of Pete's latest tattoo tribute to Kim: the names "Jasmine" and "Aladdin" with an infinity sign in the middle on his collarbone. The former couple famously played the characters in an SNL skit when she hosted the show back in October and it was during this sketch that they shared their first kiss.

While their romance may be over in real life, Pete and Kim's relationship will continue to play out onscreen in the second season of Hulu's The Kardashians, premiering Sept. 22.

"I have a new boyfriend," Kim tells the camera as seen in a trailer for Season 2. "I'm just having a really good time." -Enews

Jeopardy! icon Amy Schneider

By Nola Ojomu

Jeopardy! champ Amy Schneider just keeps winning as she announces her engagement weeks after her historic run on the hit game show.

Schneider won the hearts of viewers during her incredible 40-game run which saw her land the record for the second-longest streak in the program’s history.

However, there was only heart that she cared about the most as she confirmed her engagement to partner Genevieve Davis.

“I have an announcement: Genevieve is no longer my girlfriend… she’s my fiancée,” Amy Schneider wrote on Thursday (25 February). “I couldn’t be happier or more proud to spend my life with the very best person in the entire world.”

American journalist Katie Couric was one of the first to send well wishes as she commented: “Congratulations!”

“Congratulations, Amy! Your Jeopardy fans are so happy to see you so happy!”, another follower wrote while one fan added: “Congratulations!! You’re having a pretty okay year.”

A fan tweeted: “CONGRATULATIONS!! Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness & love”

It’s been the year of dreams for Amy Schneider, 42, after she made Jeopardy! history as the first woman to break $1 million, ultimately winning nearly $1.4 million (£1 million) in prize money.

The California-based star also became the first trans person to ever qualify for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions – meaning she will return to screens later this year.

The game show sensation quit her job as a software engineer earlier this month to focus on activism, among other things, and recently took part in a candid discussion with fellow trans icon Zaya Wade.

Schneider is sure to become a familiar face after recently signing with Hollywood talent agency CAA, which reps the likes of Zendaya and Tom Hanks. –Pink News

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter Announce BILL & TED 3 Release Date

By Michael Walsh

We have some most excellent news to share with you: Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves have announced they will begin shooting Bill & Ted 3 this summer. And the would-be rock 'n' roll saviors will have a lot to answer for after never actually making the music that saves the world.

Rumblings of a third film in the franchise have been happening for a few years, and earlier this year those reports turned into a roar. Now the millions of people who only want to be excellent to each other can once again sing in unison about their dream for a better future, because life just got a lot less bogus after Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves announced in a video they expect to start filming the next Bill & Ted movie, titled Bill & Ted Face the Music, this summer.

In a short video in front of the Hollywood Bowl, the pair, who last rocked out together as the well-meaning, musically inept goofballs in 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, thanked fans for making the much-hoped-for film a reality. The video ends with a note about the release date; Face the Music will arrive in theaters on August 21, 2020.

Writer Ed Solomon previously said the long-rumored Bill & Ted Face the Music will find the Wyld Stallyns dealing with the fact they never actually got around to making their Earth-saving, world peace-creating music that was promised at the end of the second film. This new film will see the middle-aged pair going back in time to deal with their younger selves.

In fairness to the Stallyns, it always feels like you have plenty of time to do everything you need to accomplish when you have a time machine. And with a couple of actual princesses on your arms, we imagine it's not always easy to keep focused on heading to the recording studio to save mankind.

No matter what their excuse though, getting another Bill & Ted is definitely most excellent. –Nerdist

Dancing With the Stars Not Cancelled

Is Dancing With the Stars on its last legs? ABC’s unprecedented move to forego a Spring 2019 cycle has stirred buzz that the once red-hot dancing competition may soon be cut off at the knees.

Newly-installed Alphabet entertainment president Karey Burke addressed the speculation Tuesday at the Television Critics Assoc. winter press tour, declaring unequivocally that the show will “definitely be returning in the fall.” Regarding the decision to skip a spring cycle for the first time in franchise history, Burke deflected, “That decision was made before I got here.”

Having skipped this spring outright and aired an abbreviated all-athletes edition a year ago, could DWTS ever be a proper twice-a-year show again? “We’re in conversations about that,” Burke told TVLine. “They’re coming in soon to talk about their plans for the fall, and we’ll discuss it then.” 

Dancing is, of course coming off a controversial 27th season. After multiple well-scored frontrunners were eliminated prematurely (including R&B singer Tinashe and Fuller House actor Juan Pablo Di Pace), the Mirrorball was ultimately awarded to country radio DJ — and very dark horse — Bobby Bones, who had scored much lower than his three fellow finalists.

The finale results caused an uproar among DWTS viewers, prompting many fans (and us!) to call for a change to the show’s voting structure. –TV Line

Lady Gaga Calls Mike Pence The Worst Representation Of A Christian

“Mike Pence, who thinks it’s acceptable that his wife works at a school that bans LGBTQ—you’re wrong.”

By Rose Dommu

A little-known singer-songwriter once wrote, “No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgender life, I’m on the right track baby I was born to survive.” That woman, you may or may not have guessed, was Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known in some circles as Lady Gaga, and this activist is not happy about the government shutdown, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, or really the government in general.

During a show of her Las Vegas residency Enigma Sunday night, Gaga took a break during “Million Reasons” to speak directly to the government's highest (and most hated) officers.

“If the fucking president of the United States could please put our government back … there are people who live paycheck to paycheck and need their money,” she told the crowd, to cheers.

She also turned her ire toward Mike Pence, who defended his wife's wife new position at Immanuel Christian School in Fairfax County, Virginia, which refuses to admit or employ queer people on the basis of religion. “And to Mike Pence, who thinks it’s acceptable that his wife works at a school that bans LGBTQ — you’re wrong … You say we should not discriminate against Christianity. You are the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian.”

She made some points!

“I am a Christian woman,” Gaga added, “and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice and everybody is welcome. So you can take all that disgrace, Mr. Pence, and you can look yourself in the mirror and you’ll find it right there.”

Imagine what she might say if given the chance during, for instance, an Oscars acceptance speech.

–Out 

Dancing With the Stars

by Rebecca Lannucci

Indeed, against all odds (including middling scores from the judges), country radio DJ Bobby Bones and pro dancer Sharna Burgess were crowned the winners of this season’s Mirrorball trophy.

And though I mean no disrespect to Bobby or his very deserving partner, his victory underscored something about DWTS that has ruffled many feathers, including my own: All too often, the show rewards popularity over dance skill, and that needs to change.

I’ve covered Dancing With the Stars for eight seasons now, and for the most part, the Mirrorball trophy in those cycles has gone to one of the strongest — if not the strongest — dancers. But more and more, mediocre contestants with large, passionate, eager-to-vote fanbases are making it to the finale over contestants who A) were excellent from Week One, or B) put in the work to become excellent over time.

There is an easy argument to be made here that Dancing With the Stars is a goofy reality competition show and shouldn’t be taken so seriously. I don’t disagree; in fact, I’ve tweeted in the show’s defense before, asking those who mock it to consider that, hey, these amateurs are just trying their best to do something scary on live television, OK?

The flip side, though, is that regular viewers of DWTS are investing hours of their time into each new season — and part of the fun is watching these contestants actually get better over time, until a celebrity who truly deserves the win is (ideally) handed the Mirrorball trophy. The novelty of watching a bad dancer stumble his or her way across the ballroom wears off after about two weeks; after that, DWTS is only compelling if the celebs are taking the judges’ criticism seriously and showing real change week over week. (The Season 27 finalists who did not win — particularly Harry Potter alum Evanna Lynch — showed incredible growth from September to November, which made Bobby’s “Well, America loves ya!” win all the more frustrating.)

This argument doesn’t only apply to Bobby, whose triumph I don’t mean to insult; he came on the show with zero dance experience and clearly had a busier schedule than most of his fellow competitors, which means it’s a minor miracle that he even survived nine weeks of broadcasts.

But if we’re speaking objectively about the best dancer of Season 27, it wasn’t Bobby — nor was it The Bachelorette’s Grocery Store Joe, who similarly relied on his fanbase to make it to the semifinals. Former MLB catcher David Ross wasn’t a superb dancer either, but Chicago Cubs fans took him all the way to second place in Season 24. Bristol Palin’s supporters carried her to third place in Season 11, and the list goes on. Meanwhile, phenomenal performers like Glee’s Heather Morris and Fuller House actor Juan Pablo Di Pace had their Dancing careers cut short, despite terrific routines and excellent scores from the judges.

As a fan of Dancing With the Stars, I’ve found that it doesn’t really matter to me how much dance experience a contestant possesses at the beginning of the season. What makes the show enjoyable is what he or she does with their time on the show, whether they start strong or spend weeks climbing to the top of the leaderboard. To see proficient contestants leapfrogged by someone who simply got enough votes, despite any evidence to suggest he or she is a good dancer, makes the entire season feel like a waste of time. (Sharna Burgess, for example, was still counting the beats aloud for Bobby during their finale performance in order to keep him synced with the rhythm. In the finale!)

I wholeheartedly understand that America’s votes are a fun and integral part of any reality competition show; Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli shouldn’t get the only say in who advances each week, and I’m frankly not entirely sure how DWTS should change its voting structure. Perhaps, as many fans have suggested, the judges should get a “save” option that expires after a certain week. Perhaps the show should take a cue from So You Think You Can Dance and allow the judges to decide which in-jeopardy pair goes home. Or perhaps it’s as simple as giving the home audience’s votes less weight than the judges’ scores.

DWTS will likely opt not to change its system at all — but after 27 seasons, the series is in need of a tune-up. Yes, this show does play by slightly different rules than most reality competitions; after all, the winners of SYTYCD, American Idol, et al. actually want to perform for a living, whereas DWTS hopefuls can take the trophy and split. But the show has revealed, with increasing frequency, that it doesn’t much matter if a contestant earns high marks or makes noticeable improvement each week. All these amateurs seem to need is a gaggle of fans who will vote tirelessly for their favorite — and that’s not a competition I’m interested in watching. –TV Line

Tabernacle Choir Name Change Marks Church's Shift

The singers will now be called the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement.

The world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be singing the same tune but under a new name.

The choir was renamed Friday to strip out the word Mormon in a move aimed at ending shorthand names for the religion that have been used for generations by church members and others.

The singers will now be called the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement. It's a nod to the home of the choir for the last 150 years, the Tabernacle, located on church grounds known as Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City.

The group had been known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir since 1929, when it began broadcasting a weekly radio program to a wide audience.

Church President Russell M. Nelson announced guidelines in August requesting that people stop using "Mormon" or "LDS" as substitutes for the church's full name. He said "Latter-day Saints" was acceptable shorthand.

The faith holds that the full church name was given by revelation from God to founder Joseph Smith in 1838.

The term Mormon comes from the church's signature scripture, the Book of Mormon, which followers believe is based on the record keeping of an ancient prophet named Mormon.

A church webpage that was up before Nelson's announcement described the term Mormon as an "unofficial but inoffensive nickname for members."

But Nelson in his August statement urged people not to use Mormon or LDS. The "Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name he has revealed for his church," he said.

Speaking later in Canada, Nelson acknowledged that it would be a "challenge to undo tradition of more than 100 years" but said the name of the faith is "not negotiable," according to a video posted on a church website. He said church members need to use the proper name if they want outsiders to use it.

"We're not changing names. We're correcting a name," Nelson said. "Some marketers change names hoping to be more successful — that's not our point. We're correcting an error that's crept in over the ages."

In a different video from the trip, Nelson said, "It's not Mormon's church, it's not Moses' church, it's the church of Jesus Christ."

The name change will be a big effort for the Utah-based faith that counts 16 million members worldwide. The renaming of the choir is the first step with many changes still to come. The church still uses Mormon in its Twitter handle.

The faith's presidents are considered prophets who lead through revelations from God. Nelson, 94, ascended to the post in January after the previous president died.

The choir renaming comes a day before Nelson and other Mormon leaders are set to provide spiritual guidance and deliver church news at a twice-yearly weekend conference in Salt Lake City attended by nearly 100,000 people and watched by hundreds of thousands of others on TV and online.

The choir of about 360 men and women sings at the conferences and has performed worldwide and at inaugurations of U.S. presidents, including President Donald Trump.

Choir President Ron Jarrett called the name change an exciting opportunity for the choir to start a new chapter that aligns the group with Nelson's request. He said the choir's website and social media pages will be updated to reflect the new name.

"It is a huge brand for the church. It's been there for a long time and people recognize it," Jarrett said.

He added, "I don't think we'll lose people. In fact, we may even gain listeners. ... It will look and feel and sound just like always, but maybe even better."

The faith previously embraced and promoted the term Mormon, including with a 2014 documentary about its members called "Meet the Mormons." The church ran a series of "I'm a Mormon" ads on TV and billboards starting in 2010, aiming to dispel stereotypes by telling the stories of individual members.

The church tried once before to insist on the use of its full name — in 2001 ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The new effort says Mormon, Mormonism and LDS are not acceptable.

Nelson did not speak Friday, and the church did not provide comments from him about the choir name change.

Rechristening the high-profile choir puts teeth into the effort to shed the longtime nickname and signals more changes to come, said Patrick Mason, a religion professor who studies the faith at Claremont Graduate University in California.

That doesn't mean it will be easy.

"If they want to learn more about the religion, they are going to google Mormon," he said.

Many members of the church have fond childhood memories of listening to the choir, sometimes affectionately dubbed as MoTab.

"There really won't be much a difference. Same music, same beautiful sound. It'll just look different on the brochures," said Deborah McMullin of Stoughton, Wisconsin who visited Temple Square on Friday.

Weeding out use of Mormon and LDS completely, though, is going to be difficult, said Chad Guertin, 32, of Magna, Utah.

"You want to, you know you should, but it's so habitual in how we've referred to ourselves for so long," Guertin said. "Putting it into practice is harder because we have an awfully long name." -NBC News

What Happened To Susan Boyle

by Barry W Stanton

Taking to the stage in a federal reserve beige, paisley dress and a wry smile, Susan Boyle shocked the world with her incongruous performance on “Britain’s Got Talent”. Gaining the nickname “The Woman Who Silenced Simon Cowell”, her overnight fame overwhelmed the then 47-year-old singer. She had a minor breakdown shortly after rising to fame, but has since turned it around, so what is she up to these days?

Susan Boyle’s Early Life

Susan Boyle Susan Boyle was born on April 1st 1961 in Blackburn, Scotland. Her parents, Irish migrants Patrick and Bridget Boyle, were a miner and shorthand typist respectively. She was born the youngest of eight children and suffered birthing complications, being deprived of oxygen for a short time. This led to a misdiagnosis of brain damage. A more recent analysis from doctors has revealed that Susan Boyle suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a developmental disorder on the autistic spectrum. The diagnosis would explain her musical focus, and her lack of close personal relationships.

The town of Blackburn isn’t exactly known for music, and school was no real refuge for the young Susan Boyle. Kids can smell difference and she was mercilessly mocked by her peers for her perceived simple-mindedness. She left school with few qualifications, but was undeterred and redoubled her efforts in mastering her voice. She would spend her free time practicing and seeing the occasional show to listen to professional singers. She saw Les Misérables for the first time shortly after leaving school and she fell in love with the song that would make her famous, I Dreamed a Dream.

In 1995 she auditioned for the Michael Barrymore talent show “My Kind of People”. Her performance never made it to television, but I was able to find candid footage of the event. She sang as well as you would imagine, but the event was marred by the audience’s jeers and Barrymore’s juvenile antics, at one point laying on the floor and attempting to see up her skirt, at this point Barrymore was still in the closet. It’s a sad thing to think that she could have seen recognition for her talents much sooner.

She lost her father in 1997, and had to put her dreams of stardom on hold to look after her mother. Bridget, her mother, was her biggest fan though, and it was her that encourage Susan Boyle to get back out there and take part in competitions and Karaoke again. She cut a demo tape in 1999 and sent it to record labels and radio shows. Unfortunately she was hit with another tragedy in 2000 when her sister Kathleen died of an Asthma attack. She took the loss hard and threw her emotions into her music.

She started singing lessons in 2002, with voice coach Fred O’Neil. That year she appeared in numerous benefits and local shows. She was hit with a final tragedy in 2007 when her mother passed away. Unlike with her sister’s death, which made her refocus, her mother’s death drove Susan Boyle into hermitage. She didn’t sing for nearly two years and spent her time seeing to elderly neighbors and her local church. In 2008 her singing coach convinced her to try out for “Britain’s Got Talent” and in 2009 she did.

Susan Boyle international Star

Susan Boyle’s studio quality voiced juxtaposed with her homely looks flabbergasted the cynical audience, she received a standing ovation before hitting her first crescendo. She made it to second place in the competition overall, losing to the dance trope Diversity in the final. There were accusations of online voting fraud at the time, and considering how easy it is to set up a voting script there may well be truth to the claims. Her début album was released in 2009, called I Dreamed A Dream, It sold extremely well, topping the charts in both the UK and the USA. The following year she release a Christmas album. She held a small competition before the release of the Christmas record, The Gift, the winner of which got to perform a duet with her on the album.

She released her third album in 2011, Someone to Watch Over Me, which again hit the number 1 spot in the UK. Another album followed in 2012, though it did not sell quite as well. She made her acting début in 2013 as Eleanor Hopewell in “The Christmas Candle”. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Max Locado. Set in the 19th century English village of Cotswolds, about the simple towns folk in need of a miracle. Susan Boyle said at the time;

“I can’t believe I’m making a film. I’m very excited to be a part of The Christmas Candle. Everyone on set is a delight to work with and it’s a fantastic experience to be part of the team.”

Susan BoyleShe sang an original song for the film, Miracle Hymn, which was featured in her fifth album Home For Christmas.

What is Susan Boyle Doing Now in 2016?

Susan Boyle has had a musical based on her life made, opening in 2012 it received positive reviews and went on to tour the UK and Ireland. Fox Searchlight have since purchased the film rights and are in pre-production.

Her last album was released in 2014, with nothing appearing from the singer at all in 2015. Seems she took a year out to actually enjoy her new-found fame, showing up at various venues and festivals to just have a good time. I’m glad to see it. Her holding companies have drawn in a combined $3.5 million dollars, showing the Susan Boyle brand is still a hot commodity. She has begun dating for the first time in her life, seeing a man close to her own age. It is confirmed that Susan Boyle is back in the studio recording new material, set for release at the tail end of 2016. –Gazette Review

Broadway Star Nathan Lane Marries Partner Of 18 Years

By Joe Williams

The Tony-Award winning star of ‘The Producers’, ‘The Birdcage’ and ‘Modern Family’, married Elliot – a playwright and producer – in an intimate ceremony on Tuesday, reports People magazine.

Lane’s spokesman said: “Nathan and Devlin were married in a small ceremony in New York City this week. Everyone is extremely happy.”

The pair recently worked together on a children’s book, ‘Naughty Mabel’ – inspired by their nine-year-old pug Mable.

“I mentioned to Devlin how hilariously over-privileged our Mabel was becoming, and jokingly suggested we should write a children’s book called ‘Mabel of the Hamptons,” Lane said of the book.

“Devlin thought this was a great idea and actually sat down and wrote a first draft.

“I realised he meant business and so we dove in together, and many drafts later ‘Naughty Mabel’ was born.”

Whilst promoting the book, the pair discussed possible wedding plans on talk show The View – saying the ceremony would be a very “low-key event”

“Well, we don’t want to rush into anything,” he said.

Although he has gained wider recognition due to recent TV stints on both ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘Modern Family’, one his best roles is arguably that of Albert the drag queen opposite that late, great Robin Williams in ‘The Birdcage’.

Lane publicly confirmed he was gay in 1999 – even though he had already told his family at age 21. –Pink News

Dixie Chicks Make a Controversial Announcement

By Parker Lee

It was March of 2003 when things took a huge turn for the Dixie Chicks.

The U.S. – under the leadership of President George W. Bush – was on the verge of invading Iraq when the lead singer of the trio, Natalie Maines, told a London audience:

    “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.”

The backlash in America was severe at the time, with country radio stations refusing to play Dixie Chicks music and sparking feuds with the likes of Reba McEntire and Toby Keith. They were essentially ostracized from the American country music scene and haven’t played live in the U.S. since.

But it appears that’s all about to change:

The Grammy-winning group is now set to tour more than 40 cities in the U.S. and Canada in 2016 – though it was a difficult decision, as Maines had previously noted:

    “I feel like we are tainted. I don’t know if we put a tour up, if people would come.”

While time seems to have healed some fans’ wounds:

    Dixie chicks are going on tour?! GAME CHANGER! I will definitely be attending one of those shows. ???????????? -Independent Journal

Barry Manilow Has Married His Manager

Looks like they made it.

Barry Manilow and his longtime manager Garry Kief tied the knot last year in a private ceremony, multiple sources confirm to PEOPLE.

“It was a surprise,” a friend of the couple says of the wedding, which was held at Manilow’s Palm Springs, California, home and attended by “20 to 30 guests” who had been told they were attending a “lunch.”

Though the couple chose to keep the wedding completely private and did not sign any official paperwork, Manilow and Kief both wear wedding bands and “are committed to one another and have been for a very long time,” a Manilow source says. “They have a great relationship. Garry has always been there for Barry.”

News of the nuptials may come as a surprise to some Manilow fans, but the source says the “Copacabana” singer has never tried to hide his sexual orientation.

“He’s at a point now where he’s got his career and personal life in a great place and he really doesn’t care what people think,” the source says. “He’s in love and happy.”

Manilow’s rep is not commenting on the marriage. The National Enquirer was first to report the news. –Source: Time

HBO’s ‘Looking’ Has Been Cancelled – But Will Be Wrapped Up In A Film

Fans of HBO’s series ‘Looking’ will have been disappointed to learn today that the series has been cancelled after two seasons.

The silver lining, however; is that the network has promised to wrap up the storylines in a special, which is still to be made.

Dubbed as the gay ‘Girls’, ‘Looking’ was unveiled in 2013, and lasted 18 episodes.

HBO this week released a statement which reads: “After two years of following Patrick and his tight-knit group of friends as they explored San Francisco in search of love and lasting relationships, HBO will present the final chapter of their journey as a special. We look forward to sharing this adventure with the shows loyal fans.”

Russell Tovey, who stars in the series, tweeted to say executive producer Andrew Haigh would direct the film to end the series.

Haigh directed the critically acclaimed film ‘Weekend’.

‘Looking’ was commended for dealing with a number of topical issues such as PrEP, substance abuse and hook-up apps, and starred Jonathan Groff.—Source: Pink News

Lance Bass Wedding Via Instagram

Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding special went off without a hitch on E!. The former boy band member and his new hubby Michael Turchin became the first same-sex couple to exchange vows on cable television.

Overall, positive vibes came to the couple from viewers and celebs alike, who took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the ceremony. Lance posted a few memorable moments from the ceremony to his Instagram account, like the couple's nontraditional furry ring bearers and an endearing photo of his "conservative dad" who walked him down the aisle.

In continuing to spread the love, Lance and Michael jetted to Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning to officiate a mass wedding for 100 couples, gay and straight, to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in Florida. The ceremony was moved indoors because of inclement weather, but that didn't stop the happy couples. Congrats to everyone! [Click on the link to view more photos] -Source: Out

Jon Stewart Is Leaving the ‘Daily Show’

During a taping of his show Tuesday, Daily Show host Jon Stewart announced to the audience that he is retiring sometime “later this year.” A statement released shortly afterward from Comedy Central read, “For the better part of the last two decades, we have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Stewart. His comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come. Jon will remain at the helm of The Daily Show until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family.” Stewart has served as host of the Comedy Central program for over 15 years. –The Daily Beast

Tyndale House Agrees To Pull 'The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven'

After Alex Malarkey, the so-called “boy who went to heaven,” issued a public letter recanting his story, his publisher announced it will take the book based on his experience out of print.

Christian publisher Tyndale House confirmed the decision in a statement to The Washington Post. Lifeway, the Christian retailer owned by the Southern Baptist Convention, made a similar move earlier this week, agreeing to pull the book from its shelves at the request of Malarkey and his mother, Beth.

The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven was published in 2010 and claims to tell the true story of Alex Malarkey’s visit to heaven while in a coma following an accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He was 6 years old at the time. Malarkey’s father, Kevin, wrote the book and shares a byline with his son, who is now 16 years old.

In his brief letter, posted on the Pulpit and Pen, Alex Malarkey said he made his claims about heaven because he wanted to get attention.

“I did not die,” he wrote. “I did not go to Heaven.…People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.”

In April, Beth Malarkey wrote a post on her blog detailing what she described as problems with the book and her son’s opposition to having his name continue to be associated with something he knew wasn’t true. Her appeals aren’t new—she said she’s been trying to get the book pulled from shelves since 2012—but only gained attention this week after her son issued his letter.

“Alex’s name and identity are being used against his wishes… on something that he is opposed to and knows to be in error according to the Bible,” Beth Malarkey wrote. “How can this be going on??? Great question. …How did it get this far?…[A]nother great question. …Sometimes bits of truth can become so twisted and distorted that it seems impossible to straighten out.”

The mother and son lay blame for the book with the people who are “profiting” from the story. But neither are specific about who that is. Beth Malarkey claims her son has not received any money from the book. But she also seems to take some of the blame for what happened, without offering specifics in the role she played in having the book published in the first place. She also makes no mention of her husband and where he stands on the book that bears his name.

“What I have walked through with Alex over the past nine years has nearly broken me personally and spiritually,” she wrote. “I have wept so deeply for what I have watched my children go through, been made aware of how ignorant I was of some things, how selfish I was, and how biblically illiterate I was, which allowed me to be deceived!” -Source: Christian Headlines

Colton Burpo Says 'Heaven Is For Real' Is True

16-year-old Alex Malarkey shocked the Christian community by saying he lied about going to Heaven when he was six; The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, the book written about his experience was false. Now Colton Burpo, the subject of Heaven is for Real has spoken out about his story, saying that his experience in Heaven was entirely true.

Burpo claims he went to Heaven during an emergency appendix surgery at age 3. Now a teenager, he says Heaven is for Real, the bestselling book turned movie is an accurate portrayal of what really happened.

"Dear friends, I know there has been a lot of talk about the truth of other Heaven stories in the past few days,” Burpo wrote on his website. “I just wanted to take a second and let everyone know that I stand by my story found in my book Heaven is for Real.

"I still remember my experience in Heaven. I want to keep telling people about my experience because it has given hope to so many people.

"People have their doubts about my story. But the thing is, I wasn't coaxed into doing this. I wanted to tell people about my experience. In fact, I started sharing my story with my friends and people in our town way before there was a book called Heaven is for Real.

"I hope that my story continues to point people to Jesus. He really, really loves you." -Source: Christian Headlines

Elton John Sticks It to Russia's Antigay Law in Front of Thousands

Invoking Tchaikovsky, Tim Cook, and even the iPad, pop's megastar minced no words in calling out the absurd brutality of Russia's ban on so-called homosexual propaganda during a concert in St. Petersburg.

Sir Elton John has done it again, asking Russians at a concert in St. Petersburg to reconsider the homophobic, draconian ban on so-called gay propaganda that President Vladimir Putin signed into law last year.

This time, the out Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter invoked the name of beloved Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who is believed to have been gay, reports The Moscow Times.

"Is Tchaikovsky's beautiful music 'sexually perverting?" the British-born pop star asked the crowd. John's rhetorical question was a direct attack on the 2013 Russian law that criminalizes any public expression that could be construed as "distribution of information that is aimed at the formation among minors of nontraditional sexual attitudes, attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations, misperceptions of the social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or enforcing information about non-traditional sexual relations that evokes interest to such relations."

Rocket Man Wants to Know if an iPad Makes You Gay

Sir John, 67, also took his performance as an opportunity to lambast the recent removal of a statue commemorating Apple founder Steve Jobs in St. Petersburg, just days after Jobs's successor, Apple CEO Tim Cook, came out as gay last month.

"Can this be true?" John asked the crowd. "Steve's memory is rewritten because his successor at Apple, Tim Cook, is gay? Does that also make iPads 'gay propaganda'?"

Not the First Time Sir John Slammed Russia's Antigay Laws

Sir Elton John dedicated a 2013 concert in Moscow to murdered gay Russian youth Vladislav Tornovoi, who was just 23 when he was raped and murdered after coming out as gay.

"You took me to your hearts all these years ago, and you've always welcomed me with warmth and open arms any time I've visited," John said from the Moscow stage. "You have always embraced me and you have never judged me. So I am deeply saddened and shocked over the current legislation that is now in place against the LGBT community here in Russia. In my opinion, it is inhumane and it is isolating. People have demanded that because of this legislation, I must not come here to Russia. But many, many more people asked me to come and I listened to them. I love coming here."

The out musician even went so far as to invite President Putin to join him in meeting some of his country's LGBT people in person.

"I would welcome the opportunity to introduce President Putin to some Russians who deserve to be heard, and who deserve to be treated in their own country with the same respect and warm welcome that I received on my last visit," John said in a statement released after the 2013 concert.

There's no indication that Putin ever replied to that invitation.

St. Petersburg: The Birthplace of Modern Russian Homophobia

Russia's second-largest city was the first to enact a local ordinance banning so-called gay propaganda, years before a similar law took hold nationwide. In fact, the federal legislation that took effect last year was modeled after the St. Petersburg ordinance, which was drafted by municipal lawmaker Vitaly Milonov — notably the first to demand a lifelong ban on Apple CEO Tim Cook's entrance into Russia the very day Cook came out.

In July the Human Rights Campaign unveiled an enlightening report documenting the marked increase in violence and oppression against LGBT people in Russia that followed the ban on gay propaganda's enactment a year earlier. –Source: Advocate