Showbiz Today

Music Cares Honors Elton John; Career of Actor Michael Clarke Duncan Continues to Grow; Who's Behind the Cover of Your Favorite Album?

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JIM MORET, CO-HOST: Hi, I'm Jim Moret on the Fox lot in Century City, where Music Cares is saluting Elton John as person of the year, and one of the people saluting Elton John is Grammy nominee Diana Krall.

Thank you very much for joining us today.

DIANA KRALL, MUSICIAN: Thank you.

MORET: You are not even nervous about the Grammys, you're nervous about performing here tonight. Why?

KRALL: I am nervous about the Grammys a little bit, but I'm probably more nervous about here, performing here.

MORET: Why?

KRALL: Because Elton John is one of my heroes as is Sting and Phil Collins and...

MORET: Talk about -- you met him recently.

KRALL: I met him recently after practicing the song I'm going to perform tonight and all of his music, you know, that I could get my hands on as a kid in my basement, along with Fats Waller, of course. But I met him in Hawaii. He was playing across the street from me. I was with the Honolulu Symphony and he was performing at an arena, you know, just literally across the street and...

MORET: And he's a fan of yours, isn't he?

KRALL: That's very nice. It's very cool to sign a CD to Elton John for me.

MORET: And we wish you a lot of luck, because your album is nominated for three Grammys.

KRALL: Thank you, thank you.

MORET: Thank you very much.

As I said, we're on the Fox lot, and Fox is making news of a different sort. Let's go back to Laurin for that.

LAURIN SYDNEY, CO-HOST: Right you are, Jim. Who wants to get out of a sticky situation? Fox does. A scandal involving Rick Rockwell, the former comic who tied the knot on "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire," has prompted Fox to cancel a rebroadcast of the special. The news comes after the revelation of Rockwell's troubled relationship with a previous fiancee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MULTIMILLIONAIRE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His identity has been kept a secret, and for two hours he has been shrouded in darkness, but finally the wait is over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SYDNEY (voice-over): More mystery than anticipated shrouds the multimillionaire groom who was married off on the Fox Network ratings- buster, "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?"

A report about the groom, Rick Rockwell, appeared on a Web site called thesmokinggun.com over the weekend. It revealed Rockwell had been the subject of a temporary restraining order in Los Angeles back in 1991. The petition alleged Rockwell had threatened his fiancee's life after she broke off an engagement.

The Fox Network put out a statement saying: "Fox had become aware of information regarding Mr. Rockwell's past. In light of that new information, the network feels that to rebroadcast the special would be inappropriate and consequently we have removed it from our schedule."

Although billed as a real estate developer, Rockwell was known in the past as a standup comic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK ROCKWELL, STANDUP COMIC: I've fallen down and I can't get up!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SYDNEY: A brief film career included a role in the B-movie, "Killer Tomatoes Strike Back," as well as two other films in that series. The new information has cast a shadow over the show.

JAMES PONIEWOZIK, "TIME" MAGAZINE: It could be something like this that makes them decide that there is too much risk involved. When we were talking about the risk inherent in this kind of broadcast, it's really not so much the expenditure as the fact that, you know, we all sort of knew in the back of our minds -- this is kind of a volatile situation.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SYDNEY: In the wake of this Rockwell story, Fox has not said if it will develop any more specials featuring eligible multimillionaires.

Multimillionaires are flowing Hollywood's way on this holiday weekend at the box office. "The Whole Nine Yards" and "Hanging Up" are in a battle for number one over President's Day, with each collecting Washington and Lincolns totaling $16.1 million. The Bruce Willis comedy drew plenty of men, while "Hanging Up" appealed to women moviegoers. The tie may be broken Tuesday, when final figures are released.

Michael Clarke Duncan, who co-stars in "The Whole Nine Yards," measures more than two yards high himself. And with his big muscles, he won't have any trouble lifting an Oscar trophy, should he win one next month.

Dennis Michael talked with the nominated actor about his growing career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WHOLE NINE YARDS")

BRUCE WILLIS, ACTOR: What's up, Frankie?

MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, ACTOR: What's up, partner? Good to see you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS MICHAEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry in the lead roles, you can say there are already some very big stars in "The Whole Nine Yards," but Michael Clarke Duncan is giving new meaning to the term big talent. In a comedy, he can get laughs with his engines at idle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WHOLE NINE YARDS")

DUNCAN: Aren't you going to cry out for help?

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: Would it do any good?

DUNCAN: Nope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DUNCAN: You don't have to be mean. You can hurt somebody with a smile, and once you punch them, you don't have to show any like (growling), you just like, yes, now you see who that feels? Now you don't want to keep doing this, do you?

MICHAEL: But Duncan showed his formidable acting power in a heartbreaking performance in "The Green Mile," working with Tom Hanks as the gifted but simple convict, John Coffey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE GREEN MILE")

DUNCAN: Do you leave the light on after bedtime? Because I get a little scared in the dark sometimes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DUNCAN: People say, "you're the guy -- you're Michael Clarke Duncan," instead of, "Are you the guy -- are you Ving Rhames?" I don't get that anymore. Nobody gets me mixed up with Ving Rhames anymore.

MICHAEL: Duncan's work in "The Green Mile" has earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, and he's big enough to admit he can't be blase about that honor.

DUNCAN: Bruce Willis told me, and Denzel Washington told me, both of them -- they sounded like carbon copies -- they said, "there's nothing you can do, there's no reason to worry to about it, just have fun and just go with it." Me, I've tried to do that. I've tried not to bite all my nails off, but I have. I've tried not to think about it, but I've been thinking about it constantly. So how do I stop that?

MICHAEL: Bruce Willis, his co-star in "The Whole Nine Yards," is someone whose advice Duncan is glad to take. Duncan played a supporting role in "Armageddon" two years back, and Willis has been one of Duncan's staunchest supporters ever since.

DUNCAN: Bruce is a very integral part of my career, and he just told some people, he said, "Well, I didn't do any of the work, Michael did the work," but still, it was phone calls to Frank Darabont to get "The Green Mile," and then he calls me up and tells me I'm going to do this movie with him. I'm like, OK, Jimmy the Tulip, we can do that. And he's just been an instrumental positive force in my career.

MICHAEL: He is a little anxious about that Oscar, but Michael Clarke Duncan isn't worried about the future, otherwise.

DUNCAN: I'm ready for anything right now.

MICHAEL: No joke here. Michael Clarke Duncan is on his way to being a very big star.

Dennis Michael, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYDNEY: The Broadway musical "Cats" has run out of its nine lives. After 18 years and 7,397 performances, the curtain will close on the longest running show in Broadway history. The show has grossed approximately $380 million and was seen by more than 10 million people. The producers say that ticket sales have dwindled over the past two years. The final performance is set for June 25.

And now let us go over to party central, where Jim Moret, who loved the Broadway musical "Cats," has a very special guest -- Jim. MORET: We are with a man whose life appears to be organized chaos. I guess that's the best way to put it, isn't it? Tonight you are being honored by Music Cares. First of all, are you uncomfortable receiving these kind of accolades?

ELTON JOHN, MUSICIAN: You bet your life, yes. I, you know, squirm. I mean, tonight won't be so bad because it's more or less like a concert, you know, and I am very grateful for all these people who are going to come on stage and sing some of our songs, and so the embarrassment won't be as bad as it probably will be on Wednesday at the Grammys, when I'll be flinching and still going (cringes).

MORET: And that's really -- well, the Grammys are for a Grammy legend award.

JOHN: Right.

MORET: Tonight is really for your philanthropic effort.

JOHN: Yes. This is for, you know, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the stuff we do for that, and it's very nice to be -- it's a great honor. I mean, it's fantastic -- although I don't feel comfortable, no.

MORET: When I hear legends award, you're too young for that, don't you feel that way?

JOHN: Yes. I mean I'm only 53, so I've got a few more years to come. I've never done the Grammys, you know, never been on the Grammys in my life, never appeared on the Grammys, so the first time I appear on the Grammys I get the legend award, so, you know, there's never going to be another one, so maybe the last time I'll be on the Grammys, you never know, but it's the first time I have ever done them.

MORET: Meanwhile, you have your play, "Ieta" (ph), opening on Broadway. You've got "The Road to El Dorado," your new DreamWorks film. Talk about that.

JOHN: Yes. That comes out on the 29th of -- well, the premier is on the 29th of March. That's an animated film with DreamWorks we've been working on for five years, music by myself, lyrics by Tim Rice. There are six songs in the movies and there are 11 on the soundtrack, because we wrote another five extra songs so you get a proper album. And the movie is real good fun, it's a great movie, beautiful animation, and a lot of laughs. And so -- you know, with animation you have to wait -- be very, very patient, it takes a long time and -- but it just happens that it's coming out six days after "Ieta" opens on Broadway.

MORET: And then, not long after that you have your Oscars party.

JOHN: Well, no, the Oscar party is sandwiched in between as is my birthday. So "Ieta" opens on the 23rd. My birthday is on the 25th. The Oscars are on the 26th. I'm doing a benefit for breast cancer here in Los Angeles on the 28th, and "El Dorado" is on the 29th.

MORET: But when do you rest?

JOHN: The 27th I suppose.

MORET: And anymore touring?

JOHN: Yes, I am continuing to tour. I'm still doing this piano solo tour and I've just finished in Reno last night for this part of the tour, then I recommence in April and I do about 20 more dates in America and then I go to Europe and start over there.

MORET: A very tired, a very uncomfortable, but a very talented and happy Elton John.

JOHN: But I'm very happy, very happy, yes.

MORET: Thank you very much.

JOHN: Thank you.

MORET: More of SHOWBIZ TODAY right after this, don't go away.

ANNOUNCER: Grammy and Oscar nominee Phil Collins talks about tonight's Music Cares event. And more unsung heroes of the music biz, a look at people whose artwork graces the cover of your favorite album.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORET: When Elton John is honored here tonight, he'll be serenaded by some Grammy nominees. Included among them, Phil Collins.

You are -- first of all, congratulations. You just won a Golden Globe.

PHIL COLLINS, SINGER: Thank you. Thank you very much.

MORET: And you're nominated for a Grammy and an Ocsar.

COLLINS: It's a good year.

MORET: It's been -- it's all "Tarzan" all the time for you.

COLLINS: Yes, well I was very close to the project. Four years of working on it and another year of talking about it and promoting it and sort of going around the world when it came out for the premieres. So this is kind of a lovely way to finish, the Globe, the Grammys and the Oscars. I mean, even if you don't get them it doesn't matter. It's the fact that, you know, you're up there being nominated, and the work you're very proud of is, you know, being appreciated,

MORET: Talk about music here. You're a past honoree here.

COLLINS: Yes, about three years ago, I think, I was the Music Care person of the year, which was, you know, it's a lovely thing to get, really. Again, you know, a lot of people sort of put things in the program, say nice things about you, people you forgot liked you, It's very sweet. It's very sweet.

MORET: Does it make you feel like you've arrived? You're a little older than you thought you were?

COLLINS: Yes, it does, actually. I mean, it is nice to have these little pats on the back, a lot of people saying, congratulations for staying in there, boy.

MORET: Now what's it like to sing another artist's songs? This particular song you're singing tonight you recorded some 10 years ago on a tribute album to Elton John, and you said it's also been in your act.

COLLINS: That's right. We used to do it as an encore on the "Serious" tour, I think and the "Both Sides" tour because we did it on the "Two Rooms" album, which was the tribute.

I love singing other people's songs, you know? I mean, I usually include a song from somebody else on every record I do. Not every, maybe, but most albums I've done because I like singing other people's material. You know, "Separate Lives,", you know, that's not my song, that's a Steven Bishop song. And I've covered a Beatles song on my first record and did a Supremes, of course, "You Can't Hurry Love." So I like doing other people's material.

MORET: You've been in the music business a long time. You've seen it go from albums to CDs. Cover art was very important back then.

COLLINS: Yes, I actually mourn the loss of the 12 inches cover, you know?

MORET: Well we're now celebrating the unsung heroes of cover art album for the CDs.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK RYDEN, ARTIST: This was the first one.

MORET (voice-over): One album cover led to a career for artist Mark Ryden. His mind is a visual gallery of whimsical imagery, eccentric colors and intricate detail.

RYDEN: I just started doing album covers as vinyl disappeared.

MORET: As the medium became almost obsolete, Ryden's work began to prosper. For over a decade, his artwork has been admired by celebrities, authors and musicians. Michael Jackson took a hands-off approach for the cover of his "Dangerous" album.

RYDEN: I really just sort of did what I wanted on this. I do most of my painting late at night. I'll work until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, quite often, so I can spend quite a number of hours painting.

MORET: As mark Ryden is painting, Lou Beach is dreaming.

LOU BEACH, ARTIST: I like to go to sleep thinking about what it is that I have to solve. Oftentimes, the subconscious will come up with something.

MORET: Beach made $50 for his first cover creation. In order to pursue a career in art, Beach was a janitor.

Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell co-authored the book, "100 Best Album Covers."

AUBREY POWELL, CO-AUTHOR, "100 BEST ALBUM COVERS": Album covers are not soap powders. It's not a product that you're putting in there. that's the joy of it. And I think that's why it excited people like Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Robert Mapplethorpe.

MORET: Annie Lennox and Dave Stuart of the Eurythmics let acclaimed photographer Richard Avedon capture a moment for their latest album.

DAVE STUART, SINGER: I thought it was a clever idea.

ANNIE LENNOX, Memorable idea.

STUART: You see, every time people see us walking down the street, it's like a commercial for our album cover.

MORET: Christian and Rob Clayton were teenagers when the Eurythmics entered the music scene. Together, as the Clayton Brothers, they have made a name for themselves in the world of album cover art.

CHRISTIAN CLAYTON, ARTIST: It has to sell the band. I mean, that's the most important thing. The Neville Brothers, they gave me a book they were really into and, like, they hand-wrote some stuff. They even had art that one of the wives had done that they wanted me to see.

MORET: Still, over the past few decades, the art form has become a casualty of technology, from LPs, to CDs and now MP3.

BEACH: It's a lot nicer to do the Sistine Chapel than, you know, the Last Supper on the head of a pin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MORET: Back here live at the Fox lot. Music Cares is the charitable arm of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. This black tie event tonight will have some 1,300 guests. They hope to raise $1.7 million for the charity.

We'll be back with more of SHOWBIZ right after this.

Don't go away. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SYDNEY: Jim, you have two wonderful daughters, so I'm sure that you are fully immersed in this whole boy band craze.

MORET: My younger daughter, Carlie (ph), loves, let's see, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and 98 Degrees.

SYDNEY: You've got it. Very well done, Jim. But there's one group that I don't think you are familiar with or your daughter.

MORET: Oh, you must be -- you're speaking of "2gether," right?

SYDNEY: Exactly.

MORET: "2gether" is a mock boy band story that premieres on MTV tonight, and Bill Tush has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They look like a boy band.

(MUSIC)

They sound like a boy band.

(MUSIC)

But if something's just not adding up, it's probably because these guys are just actors starring in a made-for-MTV parody about the boy band phenomenon.

ALAN BLUMENFELD, ACTOR: Someone described it as "Full Monty" meets the Backstreet Boys, "Bad News Bears" meets the Monkees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "2GETHER")

BLUMENFELD: We're a band now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUSH: That's Bob Buss. It's his job to find a bunch of stray kids and transform them into a boy band in time to make a major gig. Trouble is he only has seven days to do it. But he does know the formula for success.

KEVIN FARLEY, ACTOR: Now there is five different types of guys that he has to look for in a boy band. Typically there is the older brother type, myself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "2GETHER")

FARLEY: But I can't be perfect every time. I'm not Ozzie Osbourne.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FARLEY: The heart-throb right over here.

EVAN FARMER, ACTOR: My name is Evan Farmer. I play Jerry O'Keefe. I play the heart-throb and I'm kind of the leader of the group.

MICHAEL CUCCIONE, ACTOR: Hi. I'm Michael Cuccione, and I play "Q.T." McKnight. And my character is extremely into women.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm the shy one.

ALEX SOLOWITZ, ACTOR: I was a bad boy.

FARLEY: He's the bad boy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "2GETHER")

SOLOWITZ: Yes, I'm a rebel, man.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yo!

SOLOWITZ: Like that dude in "The Matrix," yo!

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Precisely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORET: To make sure that "2gether" didn't look and sound too bad meant relying on the same record producers that work with the real boy bands.

And like in any boy band, what happens behind the scenes is almost more interesting than what happens on stage.

BRAD RAPIER, CHOREOGRAPHER: They get along like brothers, like they argue a lot, they fight, but then they love each other. And it's -- but the dynamic is hilarious.

(MUSIC)

SOLOWITZ: So there's this guy the other day, and he's like "You're in that group `2gether' with the fat guy." And I was like, "Oh, I guess." He's like, "Are you him?"

FARLEY: I'm a bit portly, big-boned.

CUCCIONE: Pleasantly plump.

TUSH: Well, at least he's easy to pick out if you're a groupie.

FARLEY: Funny guys don't get the chicks. They say: "Oh, you're so funny, you're so funny! I'm going to make out with that rock star over there."

(LAUGHTER) (MUSIC)

TUSH: Bill Tush, CNN Entertainment News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MORET: We're out of time, but tomorrow we'll have Carlos Santana and Clive Davis as they get ready for the Grammys. We'll have a complete wrap-up of tonight's Music Cares event, honoring Elton John.

For Laurin Sydney and everyone here at SHOWBIZ TODAY, I'm Jim Moret. We leave you now with Phil Collins rehearsing for tonight's Music Cares even on the Fox lot in Century City. Thanks for watching.

(MUSIC)

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