► One of my favorite entertainers/singers, Barry Manilow (82) has been diagnosed with lung cancer.  During a routine physical exam, his doctor ordered an MRI as a precaution. It came back showing a cancerous spot on his lung. Barry said, “The doctors do not believe it was spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis. So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.” Barry is canceling tour dates in January to allow himself time to recuperate.  Read More Barry Manilow in concert, July 2025. Photo: Mat Hayward via Getty Images/Huffington Post Comment: Barry is so talented. A good piano player, singer, songwriter, and entertainer. He started his career writing commercial jingles. He hit his career stride in the 1970s - 1980's with one hit song and album after another. He has so many songs that I love. I never get tired of hearing them.  One of my favorites is "Weekend in New England". Wishing Barry a speedy recovery and good he...

Help Me, Jesus, I don't want to say anything unkind about a child, but Beyoncé and Co. make it near damn near impossible since she and her husband are intent on making their child have "it"-that extraordinary innate quality superstars are supposed to have but can't be manufactured. Blue Ivy is only 11 years old and danced in her mother's shows on the Renaissance Tour; she was okay, hit her marks, and was in synch. However, that isn't the response I am supposed to have. I am supposed to be blown away, but then I am not one of Beyoncé's rabid slavish fans who call her Queen Bey; I am not a member of The Beehive, and I didn't dress in silver because she commanded it. So I don't see her child as a Princess or acknowledge that cretin Jay-Z as a king. Blech. I could rant about his comments about Jews and his alleged violence against women all day, but he is not what this article is about. This is about The Child. The Carters want The Child to be a prodig...

Ben Platt, seen above in a blouse even Ruth Buzzi might have been embarrassed to wear, along with the darlingest meemaw-approved high-waisted pants, has just about had it with you poors calling him out for being a wealthy Nepo Baby, so knock it off.  As you may recall, last year "New York" magazine published a story on Hollywood Nepo Babies, which explained the obvious: the sons and daughters of wealthy Hollywood stars and execs have it real easy when it comes to breaking into showbiz. How easy is it for them? Easy as a dead whore, I'd say, but what really rankled said nepo babies? The article named names.  This included Ben Platt, an arguably insufferable performer and singer whose vibrato is so out of control that he sounds like Woody Woodpecker on his best days (and on his worst, Anthony Newley). But I digress. When recently asked about his status as a Nepo Baby - given that his father, Marc, is one of the richest, most successful producers of the past two decades - he...