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Big Shake Up in France; FBI Search of Missing Family; Shaq O'Neal Now a Doctor; Same-Sex Marriage Debate
Aired May 06, 2012 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the "CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We begin with the big news out of France. President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his bid for re-election. His socialist challenger, Francois Hollande, is the winner with more than two-thirds of the votes counted. In Sarkozy's concession speech, he urged his supporters to rally behind the president-elect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. NICOLAS SARKOZY, FRANCE (through translator): The new republic, the president, France has a new president. This is a republican choice, Francois Hollande is the president of France. He must be respected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: We'll tell you how the French election will impact the U.S. economy in a live report from Paris just minutes away.
Also, big election, France isn't the only Euro nation witnessing a political shakeup. In Greece, early exit polls show the two main parties have suffered big losses in parliamentary elections. Those centrist parties supported painful austerity measures. Polls also show an ultra-right party making significant gains. Today's vote is expect to have an impact on U.S. markets tomorrow.
All right. Back here in the U.S., a manhunt is under way right now after a mom and her three daughters disappeared in Mississippi. Police say they have found two bodies at a home associated with Adam Mayes, this man. He is the man suspected in the disappearance of Jo Ann Bain, a Tennessee mother and her daughters. The four were reported missing by the woman's husband.
I've got Aaron T. Ford on the line. He's the special agent in charge in the Memphis division. So Agent Ford, your agency warned the woman and her kids that they may be in extreme danger. What's the immediate concern?
AARON T. FORD, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, the immediate concern is that we capture Adam Mayes, and return their kids and their mother back to their family.
WHITFIELD: Well, what is the connection here? We've got two different states involved here, where activity is being linked. Mississippi, bodies being found, and now we're also talking in Tennessee, where the search is under way. Kind of tie these two things together for me.
FORD: Sure. The FBI executed several search warrants in downtown Mississippi. Right now, we're concentrating on that area in Union County, Mississippi. The victims lived in Tennessee, in Hardaman County. And we believe that the victims were transported across state lines into Mississippi.
WHITFIELD: I see. And so where is the search being concentrated right now?
FORD: Right now, the concentration is in Guntown, Mississippi, particularly Union County, which encompasses Guntown. And we also have a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the subject, and the location of the victims.
WHITFIELD: Are you putting on any warnings to people about their safety, what to look out for, et cetera?
FORD: The FBI and its law enforcement partners considers the suspect, Adam Mayes, to be armed and dangerous. So any contact with him should be taken with extreme caution. In fact, you should always contact law enforcement first if you are an individual out there that comes in contact with Adam Mayes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Aaron T. Ford, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate that. Keep us posted on this investigation and search.
All right. Now to Kentucky, where a day after the Kentucky Derby, a murder investigation is under way right now. The body of a Hispanic man was found before dawn near the barns. Police haven't identified the victim. Earlier I spoke with Sgt. Robert Bivens, spokesman with the Louisville Police Department about that investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT BIVENS, LOISVILLE METRO POLICE DEPT. (on the phone): We just got the call just prior to 5:00 a.m. this morning, to respond to the back side of Churchill Downs. We are in the very preliminary stags. We do know that there were about 400 people located in that area last night. So we are trying to speak with as many people as we possibly can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Sgt. Biven said police won't know the cause of death until an autopsy is complete tomorrow.
A deadly day of troops in Afghanistan. A gunman dressed in an Afghan army uniform shot and killed a NATO service member before being killed by coalition forces. And in Paktia province, a roadside bomb there exploded, killing one American and wounding two others. The explosion hit a vehicle carrying U.S. troops near an outpost close to the Pakistan border.
If Saturday's arraignment was a sign, the trial of five accused 9/11 conspirators could take years. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four defendants dragged out the proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 13 hours. Despite their frustration, family members of 9/11 victims say the suspects deserve a fair trial. Chris Lawrence has more from Cuba.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 9/11 terror suspects turned their arraignment into a chaotic court circus.
JAMES CONNELL, COUNSEL FOR AMMAR AL BALUCHI: Yesterday you may have observed that the accused participated in peaceful resistance to an unjust system. The accused refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the military commissions as demonstrated through their silence. These men have endured years of inhumane treatment and torture. This treatment has had serious long-term effects and will ultimately infect every aspect of this military commission tribunal.
BRIG. GEN. MARK MARTINS, CHIEF PROSECUTOR: I am confident the military commission that was convened here yesterday to try the charges referred to it, will answer the call with fairness and with justice.
LAWRENCE: The family members of those killed in the September 11th attacks had to watch as one defendant made a paper airplane and set it on the desk. Other defendants passed around copies of "The Economist" magazine. One defendant as his attorney was describing mistreatment, actually took off his shirt in court, exposing his bare chest and had to be reprimanded by the judge.
And still another defendant shouted out in the courtroom, maybe this is the last time you'll see us. Alleging that the guards may try to kill them and make it look like suicide.
EDDIE BRACKEN, BROTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: Maybe there's some things that I didn't like on one side, and I liked on the other. But the fact remains is, fair and just. That's what we're about. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm here, because my sister, Lucy, would be here for me. I know that. And I'm representing 2,767 people that have lost their lives, and thousands of families around the world that were touched. And millions of people that came to our aide and helped us. To show that they were there for America.
LAWRENCE (on camera): The next court hearing will be in June. But this had to be an embarrassment on all sides for those who pushed to have these men tried in a military commission here. This cannot be what they had in mind. And for the Obama administration, who promised to close Guantanamo Bay and move these trials to federal court, Saturday was a reminder of that failure.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: France has elected a new president. And that could have economic consequences right here in the U.S..
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Back to that historic day in France. Voters there have elected a new president. Socialist Francois Hollande has beaten President Nicolas Sarkozy in a razor-close race.
CNN's Hala Gorani is live at Hollande's headquarters in Paris. Hala, the country's unemployment rate was a big factor in this election. What change do the French voters want in this economy? What did they say through the polls?
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you mentioned that it was a close race, but it was still a victory for the socialist challenger to Nicolas Sarkozy. I can say with confidence, many Americans probably really haven't heard of Francois Hollande. Who is this socialist who beat Nicolas Sarkozy after only one term. Hollande is sort of a center socialist in France. He's promising to cut the budget, but he also says the country needs growth. In other words, that the budget tax that was agreed between the previous president Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany might change to include perhaps fewer budget cuts.
Now this is important for America. Why is that? Because whenever there are big concerns about Greece, Portugal, Spain, and their budgets, their mountains of debt, then it has a direct impact on the stock market in the United States. So people in the U.S., as well as other countries that are impacted by this debt crisis, are going to be watching very carefully what (INAUDIBLE) in the next few weeks and months in order to address this big crisis . That's number one.
Number two, why Americans should care about Francois Hollande. This is a French president who promised to withdraw French soldiers from Afghanistan by the end of this year. Nicolas Sarkozy, the incumbent, was promising to withdraw them by the end of next year. So this will have an impact on operations in Afghanistan as well. So on both those fronts, Francois Hollande is basically marking a change with the past, but also potentially there will be a very different relationship between him and President Obama, as well as Angela Merkel of Germany. All that being said, these countries are all allies, and agreements end up being made at some point but it will be very interesting to watch, Fredricka, how that all develops.
WHITFIELD: All right. Hala Gorani, thanks so much, joining us from Paris there. Appreciate that.
OK. So the U.S. markets for one and what other ways might this vote in France impact the U.S.. Let's check in right now with David Frum CNN contributor and former speechwriter for George W. Bush. So David, we're talking it's now six months out right now before U.S. elections. And this would take place involving a great ally of the White House, Nicolas Sarkozy. So in what way do you see some real parallels of the fight for the White House for President Obama, now seeing what's playing out for Sarkozy?
DAVID FRUM, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the fate of the euro currency is the biggest question mark over the Obama re-election effort. If there is more bad economic news from America - for America, the most likely place it would come from is from some currency crisis in Europe. And the French and the Greeks in an election today that is every bit as important have delivered a vote pleading for some kind of relief from this austerity. The tragic paradox for French voters is, Francois Hollande probably has better ideas about what to do for France over the next six weeks than Nicolas Sarkozy does. But he has much worse ideas about what to do over the next six years.
WHITFIELD: So just yesterday we saw the president of the United States kind of rolling out officially the re-election campaign, spending time in Ohio, and then again in Virginia, trying to hit hard, looking forward for the economy. Is this going to be an uphill battle for this president?
FRUM: Conditions are really bad for a lot of people. And that is never good news for an incumbent. While there has been growth, growth remains desperately, desperately slow. Over the Obama years, we have seen an increase in employment. But it still remains true that half the people who lost their jobs in 2008-2009 remain unemployed. And the labor force participation that we are making more progress against unemployment, by people giving up looking for work than we are by job creation. So that is an uphill battle.
WHITFIELD: What do you suppose that conversation is like, that telephone conversation between President Obama and Sarkozy, or perhaps with Francois Hollande. I imagine he would have to have a conversation with both?
FRUM: Well, the conversation with Francois Hollande will have some big question marks in it. And maybe the biggest is over Iran. Nicolas Sarkozy has been a very effective ally of the United States on the Iran question. He has taken a tough line on Iran. In fact, of the major European countries, France has been interestingly the toughest on the Iranian nuclear program.
Francois Hollande may indicate a softer line from France. So that will be one question. But they'll be preoccupied with the euro. Is there a way to save the euro currency in a way that does not impose terrible hardship on millions of people across Europe and risk the structure of political stability. Look at what happened in Greece with old line parties were repudiated, extremists brought into Parliament, look at the first round of the French voting two weeks ago where the two extremist parties together got more votes in the first round than Francois Hollande, the ultimate winner, got in the first round.
WHITFIELD: All right. David Frum, thanks so much, CNN contributor and former speechwriter for George W. Bush. Also, the author of several books, including your latest novel, "Patriot." Thanks so much, David, for your time.
FRUM: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And you can now call former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal, Dr. Shaq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, FORMER NBA SUPERSTAR: I like to break things down in the simplest form. If Shaq can do it, you can do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: I talked with Shaq about why getting his doctorate was so important to him. And what he plans to do with his newest degree.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Shaquille O'Neal, pretty outstanding. He's a rapper, an actor, an author, TNT analyst and now call him doctor. Dr. Shaq. You love that video, don't you? You're like 30 years ago. But you still look the same. You look great.
O'NEAL: That was when I was a young man.
WHITFIELD: And now you're a doctor. Congratulations.
O'NEAL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, how meaningful is this? We're talking about a degree, a doctorate now in organizational leadership with specialization in human resource development. That was a beautiful moment. Boy, that's a mouthful, isn't it?
O'NEAL: Yes, it was.
WHITFIELD: What was that moment like?
O'NEAL: It was a proud moment, especially for my mother and father. I promised them that I would further my education. I think they did an unbelievable job of preparing me for life. And, you know, preparing me for life in general.
WHITFIELD: You could have reneged on that deal.
O'NEAL: Yes, I could have.
WHITFIELD: You could have said, "You know what? I have done a lot in my career. I've done all the things I just mentioned in that list, and some. Why do I need a degree?" Why did you feel that was important to do that?
O'NEAL: Well, a lot of people always focus on how great the Golden Gate Bridge looks, but nobody ever talks about the legs. So you know, my parents have always been my legs. You know, my father created my athletic side, and my mother created my philanthropy side. So you know, everything I do was created by them. You know, they know best. And you know, one thing that can never be taken from you is your education. I mean, I know I couldn't play basketball forever. But they always told me that, you know, if you have the education, you will always have something to fall back on.
WHITFIELD: And what are you going to do with that degree? O'NEAL: Well, I plan on doing public speaking. And I will, you know, plan on letting my expertise in being a humorous leader. Because you know, certainly we have to modulate on how to use humor and seriousness. You know, there's really no one specific style that you lead. Me and myself, I'm 80 percent humorous and 20 percent serious.
WHITFIELD: And how important, what kind of message do you think this is sending to a lot of young people? Those who want to be an NBA star, they want to be a Shaq, or those who are in - or maybe they're at a crossroads where they want to figure out, why do I need a degree when I'm getting a lot of pressure, that I can play, I can start my career right now? Do you ultimately end up sending them a message of the value you see in having a degree?
O'NEAL: Well, I'm not really, you know, trying to send a message. As I said earlier, my parents prepared me well for life after basketball. I have six children of my own. And I always wanted them to be proud of me. But not proud of me as an athlete, also being proud of me, you know, being able to go to school, and they can say, you know what, my father's a doctor, my father is an educated man, my mother is an educated woman. So I like to break things down in the simplest form. If Shaq can do it, you can do it. I think now is the time for children to learn. I don't know how old - how old are you, 21, 22?
WHITFIELD: Yes, how did you know?
O'NEAL: I'm old. I'm 40. Back in our days when we had to do book reports and research, we had to go get the encyclopedias. Remember that?
WHITFIELD: Right, we had the hard copy.
O'NEAL: The hard copy. My parents couldn't really afford encyclopedias. So we had to borrow them and it was kind of nearly impossible to get research but now Google -
WHITFIELD: It's at your fingertips.
O'NEAL: It's right there at your fingertips. You know, I think the children now need to take advantage of how easy it is to learn. You know, my slogan is, if Shaq can do it, you can do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Shaquille O'Neal, doctor. What's next for Dr. Shaq? He revealed to me that his plans include another degree that could land him in the courtroom. Hear more of my interview with him next hour.
But first, some people wouldn't dream of going on vacation without their pets. There are some precautions that you need to take before you and your furry friends are on the go.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIM SAMPSON, BEN & JACK'S OWNER: What's up, buddy? Reporter: It's a joyful reunion for Tim Sampson and his two dogs, Ben and Jack.
SAMPSON: Hey, little Benny.
Reporter: They started their day in Costa Rica and just arrived in Houston. So tell us why you're traveling with your pets?
SAMPSON: They're my kids. They travel with me and go wherever I go.
Reporter: If your four-legged family member is going on your next trip, a visit with your vet should be the first stop.
Dr. Sorenson checked my dog, Astro.
DR. NANCY SORENSON, VETERINARIAN: If you're going probably for either, whether it be car or air, you'd want to have a copy of maybe their most recent medical records with their vaccination history, rabies history.
REPORTER: Sorensen also suggests you take a photo of your pet in case you get separated.
SORENSON: Make sure they have an identification tag on them that has the contact information of where you'll be when on vacation.
reporter: these precautions can help make sure your furry friend comes home safe.
SAMPSON: They live healthy and happy. I don't think they minded the trip at all.
Reporter: The next time you are on the go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And North Carolina already banned same-sex marriage. This week voters in that state could take it one step further. Big names are coming down on opposite sides of the issue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Checking the top stories now.
An Al Qaeda operative wanted for his role in the deadly bombing of the "USS Cole" has been killed. (INAUDIBLE) died in an air strike in Yemen. He had been indicted in the United States on 50 terrorism counts. The FBI had offered a $5 million reward for his capture.
A man hunt is under way right now after a mom and her three daughters disappeared. In Mississippi, police say they have found two bodies at a home associated with Adam Mayes. He's the man suspected in the disappearance of Joann Bain, a Tennessee mother and her daughters. The four were reported missing by the woman's husband.
Police are investigating a murder at Churchill Downs. Detectives want to talk with some of the 400 people known to be near the crime scene last night. The body of a Hispanic man was found shortly before 5:00 a.m. fewer than 12 hours after the Kentucky derby. Investigators won't know the cause of death until an autopsy is complete tomorrow.
A major political shakeup in France. President Nicolas Sarkozy has been voted out of office. Socialist challenger Francois Hollande won today's election by a narrow margin. The country's high unemployment rate has been a critical issue in the race. Sarkozy says he takes full responsibility for the defeat.
Tuesday voters in North Carolina will decide whether to approve the state's marriage amendment act. If passed, it goes beyond a ban on same-sex marriage, which is also already in effect in the state. It would effectively ban civil unions and domestic partnerships, too.
Here's the language voters are considering. "Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in the state. The amendment got a big boost this week when evangelist Reverend Billy Graham, a North Carolina resident, came out in favor of the initiative. Former president Bill Clinton said he opposes amendment one, and this morning vice president Joe Biden said he would absolutely be comfortable with the idea of same-gender marriage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just think that the good news is that, as more and more Americans come to understand what this is all about, it's a simple proposition. Who do you love? Who do you love? And will you be loyal to the person you love?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Joining me to talk about this vote, and the Reverend Billy Graham's potential influence, is CNN's Belief Blog co-editor Eric Marrapooi. Good to see you, Eric.
ERIC MARRAPOOI, CO-EDITOR, CNN BELIEF BLOG: Hey, Fred, how are you?
WHITFIELD: I'm good. So does Reverend Graham, does he get certain voters' attention enough to actually influence their vote by speaking out on this?
MARRAPOOI: Yes, a lot of folks in North Carolina today woke up in their local newspapers and saw a full page ad from Billy Graham. Of course, he's a longtime North Carolina resident. If you go in Charlotte, you drive along the Billy Graham Parkway; it is also home of the Billy Graham Library which draws lots of tourists. He has a very special relationship with that home state of his there in North Carolina.
So I think this will have an impact. To what degree, we'll see. The polls have indicated this is an extraordinarily close vote. There's been a lot of early voting. I talked to an LGBT activist about that today and he told me, look there is a lot of people who are going out and they feel cautiously optimistic that this bill will be defeated. Their organization has poured billions of dollars to fight this. But when you have a person with the gravitas, Billy Graham is America's pastor in a lot of ways. Remember, just think, Fred, how many inaugurations where he did the blessing before the presidential inauguration. So his voice is not taken lightly in that state. That's for sure.
WHITFIELD: Which makes it that much more interesting, because you would wonder, what provoked him to speak out. Traditionally he doesn't like to be in the middle of political dialogue. Just as you say, he is America's pastor.
MARRAPOOI: Yes, Reverend Billy Graham, his long and storied career, the 93-year-old pastor, he hasn't spoken out very often on political partisan issues. It's probably no surprise to those of us who followed his career that he holds this position personally. What's the big surprise here is the fact that he's come out and very publicly endorsed this one position, and put his own money behind it with the Billy Graham Evangelist Associations. And taking out ads in 14 newspapers all across the state.
WHITFIELD: The Reverend Graham is quoted as saying he, quote, never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage. So perhaps it's the traditionalist in him that feels compelled to say something.
MARRAPOOI: Yes, it's possible. And what's interesting here is to see the number of pastors in North Carolina who have come out on the other side of this. I talked to one group today, there's about 400 pastors on the other side of this today. As saying no, this should be voted down because of what it might do for domestic partnerships and civil unions. This is something that's been going on in churches for almost 40 years. It's no surprise this has come up. Lots of other states in the south have similar bills on the books and similar constitutional amendments.
North Carolina, as you said earlier, already bans gay marriage. So there are a lot of other people on the other side of the issue who were saying well what's really the point of all this. So we're seeing those folks pour a lot of money in support. And on the other side, too, those traditionalists, religious conservatives who have come out and said, yes, this is something we really want and we're going to put our money and our time behind it.
Fred, I really think this one is really going to come down to the wire on Tuesday. It's a simple majority. Majority wins in this case. It's up or down, whoever gets more votes will take it and that will be the constitional amendment, it will either go in or it won't.
WHITFIELD: Eric Marrapooi, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
MARRAPOOI: You got it.
WHITFIELD: OK, hundreds of pelicans and dolphins dying in Peru and no one know why. Could the problem affect the fish that you eat? I talked with a marine conservationist who is trying to get some answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Some stories making headlines around the world now. A rare tornado in Japan kills a teenager, just 37 miles northeast of Tokyo. The twister destroyed dozens of homes and left nearly 20,000 households without power. Japan's weather agency issued warnings for the east, urging people to seek shelter if necessary.
Syria's opposition is blaming the government for a blast that hit Damascus yesterday. Activists won an investigation into the explosion. Syria is due to hold parliamentary elections tomorrow, despite ongoing violence.
Police in Moscow detained more than 400 protesters, one day before Vladimir Putin's inauguration as Russia's president. Three key leaders of the anti-Putin movement were among those arrested. The interior minister said 20 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters.
First, more than 800 dolphins now more than 500 pelicans are washing up dead on the coast of Peru from Punta Negra to San Jose. It's a mystery as to why. Marine conservationists Hardy Jones recently visited this area in Peru. He's the executive director of BlueVoice.org an ocean conservation organization that protects whales and dolphins. I spoke earlier with Hardy Jones about the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARDY JONES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BLUEVOICE.ORG: The pelican number is now up to 1,200. That's my latest report from Peru. And there are a variety of reasons why these mass mortality events take place. None has been defined for this particular event. But the important thing to know, to get the context of this is that while this event in Peru is absolutely catastrophic and for someone like myself who loves dolphins, it's heartbreaking, it is not unique.
There are so-called mass mortality events that are taking place right now in the Gulf of Mexico in the United States waters. There have been 6,000 striped dolphins that died in Spain on two occasions in the early 2000s. There are dolphins dying off of Cape Cod right now. And I could give you a longer list than that. But the point is that these mass mortality events are increasing, both in frequency and in virulence.
WHITFIELD: And so there can be a variation of reasons as to why. One of the first instincts that some conservationists have that there may be acoustic trauma that's causing the dolphins, or even many whales to wash up onshore, but since pelicans don't spend as much time in the water as much as the dolphins do, that kind of rules out the acoustic trauma for pelicans, doesn't it?
JONES: Well it does for the pelicans, yes. One thing we ought to be clear about is, the pelican mortality and the dolphin mortality, while they are probably linked, could be totally disconnected. Could be totally different causes for them. Now, the el Nino -- or rather, the la Nina that had prevailed for about 18 months, started to wind down in January and February, and was declared over in April. So that means that there's been a tremendous change going on in the water temperatures off Peru, which can redistribute prey, and that might particularly have an effect on the pelicans. Some of the fishermen were saying that the pelicans just weren't getting anything to eat.
WHITFIELD: But that's a huge number, you talk about the 1,200 pelicans. Do you think it's something much more ominous than that, or do you really think it could relate to some sort of contaminants in the water or food source of these pelicans?
JONES: Red tides are not uncommon in various waters that are up welled such as this area off Peru. Red tides are generated by warmer waters that may be a result of global warming. They also are enhanced by fertilizer and pesticide runoff. So they then have an red tide and they produce a neurotoxin, which is very deadly. And that is something that could kill both species.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Joe says the national study may be needed to find out what is causing this massive die off.
All right. At the New Orleans Jazz Fest, a young man some are calling the Louis Armstrong of the future, Trombone Shorty.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Among the breakout musicians being showcased at the annual New Orleans Jazz Heritage Fest now in its final days, Trombone Shorty, is a young horn player and now sharing big stages with artists like Lenny Kravitz, among others. He started out playing as a toddler using makeshift instruments on the streets of New Orleans. I talked face-to-face with Shorty about music, fame and family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Trombone Shorty this is a real pleasure to get a chance to sit down and talk with you. I know you've been on the go. You'll been all over the world. In the last two months. But maybe it's playing here that brings the most gratification?
TROMBONE SHORTY, TROMBONE AND TRUMPET PLAYER: Yes. It's great to be able to play here in town, because we tour. I think last year we did 200 dates of touring. And what happens is, a lot of people love the New Orleans music, and they come to see us in their home where it can be in Colorado, or anywhere, and all of them come down for the jazz festival. What happens is, I get to get my fan base from around the world to come to New Orleans and join in with the family and the people that have seen me grow and raised me here. It's one of the biggest fan bases that we have all at one spot. So it's really, really cool.
WHITFIELD: Some of the places you've been, Japan, Australia.
SHORTY: Japan, Australia, Singapore, Europe. I forgot what else.
WHITFIELD: Moscow and you're playing at the White House. SHORTY: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All within the past two months.
SHORTY: Yes, two months.
WHITFIELD: All these appearances are very different. Is there one that brings a certain musical depth to you?
SHORTY: Not really. I think wherever we play; we just bring the New Orleans thing. People can really connect with that. They don't know what we're doing, but as soon as those rhythms are going on, something's going on. But as long as we can play, there's musical depth everywhere for us. I used to play marching in the streets of New Orleans. We played at birthday parties, we played at jazz funerals, and we played in people's bedrooms. So as long as we can make some type of noise, we'll make the best of it. And we'll play everything out there.
WHITFIELD: So you call it noise. Did you think it was noise when you were, what, 2, 3, when you started --
SHORTY: I didn't know what we were calling it. My mom probably thought it was noise. I thought it was blowing so much in the house. But it was really fun. I just was trying to imitate what my bigger brother was doing, James Andrews. He was the one really responsible for me playing. He's the one that took me on tour when I was 7 years old and he got me going. So I was just trying to do what he was doing. And as I got older, I was really able to understand what he was doing. And he would teach me on the spot, play in my ear, and we just kept doing it.
My brother James told me we were on stage, and he shouted out Trombone Shorty. I remember it was at the jazz funeral, and everybody was calling out Trombone Shorty. He just named it that. I was actually shorter than a trombone. And now we've changed positions, and it's just been my name for a while. I actually tried to do a show under my name Troy Andrews. But no one showed up except family members and friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: You can just call him Shorty for short. He also talked to me about gumbo, New Orleans signature dish and how that influences his music.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In the final stretch as the two weekend-long New Orleans Jazz Fest, thousands of fans didn't let today's threat of rain dampen their spirits. Over the two weekends they heard from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Neo, Yolanda Adams and a local young man made big, Trombone Shorty is being called Louis Armstrong of the future. He told me face to face that his music has a special name.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Eddie described your music as really the conglomeration of a lot of things, just in the audience uplifting, some influences of a lot of rock.
SHORTY: Yes, definitely. I think it's just a musical gumbo, you know. I grew up here in New Orleans; I spent a lot of time with Dr. John and the Neville Brothers, and different people like that. So me growing up as a kid, and being exposed to different types of music, it just allowed me to think that music was all one as a kid. I was just put in different settings and it just stuck with me. It's just a musical gumbo. We just put everything in one pot and that is like New Orleans music period.
WHITFIELD: I hear you come up with your own name for it.
SHORTY: Summer Funk Rock. We came up with that. We were on a flight one day. And somebody asked us what we playing. It's funky, high energy, rock. So we came up with Super Funk Rock and we stuck with it that day.
WHITFIELD: Your fans are really like family. You've got band members; you've gone to elementary school together, junior high school together. What keeps you all together like that?
SHORTY: Music, it is our love for one another. We all grew up playing together, in jazz camps and musical camps around the world. We studied together, we played together, we learned together. And we just love each other as brothers, you know.
WHITFIELD: The CEO of Jazz Fest Quint David (ph) introduced you; he said this is the Louis Armstrong of the future.
SHORTY: Oh.
WHITFIELD: That is heavy.
SHORTY: That is heavy. I don't know about that. But that's some big shoes to fill.
WHITFIELD: A lot of people were saying that. That you have music of the future. You have your own blend right now but you're taking it to another place.
SHORTY: Yes, we're just playing. We're all influenced by different -- we're influenced by hip-hop music. The oldest member in my band is 30 years old. So we listen to a lot of hip-hop and funk. We just happened to grow up in New Orleans, and we're putting it together in one pot and we want to make beautiful music if we can.
WHITFIELD: What's it like to be the cover guy of the poster?
SHORTY: It's really exciting. You know, I was on the Congo Square in 2009. When I got the call, I thought it was a joke. I'm like, I'm not there yet. But it's really great to be able to be on the Jazz Fest poster. I think I maybe the first and second youngest. But it's really exciting. It's such an honor to be among Fats Domino, my hero Louis Armstrong. I'm just really, really excited that I represent New Orleans and where we're going next. It's still surreal to me. I'm really, really blessed and honored and excited to be on that.
WHITFIELD: Your family is here, you've got your mother over here, your grandmother over here, lots of cousins. You surround yourself with your family.
SHORTY: Yes. We tour so much, that I don't get a chance to see them. So whenever we get a chance, they all come out, they all hang out with me and make fun of me or whatever. But it's really great. I'm happy they're here to be able to experience this with me. Because without them, I wouldn't be where I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Trombone Shorty, also in New Orleans I talked face to face with sole somber Al Green, who says President Obama, has some decent vocal cords himself. But don't quit the day job, he says. That's at 5:00 Eastern Time.
All right. The search is on for a missing movie executive. Find out why police are asking the public for help.
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WHITFIELD: The case of a missing movie studio executive, it tops our stories making news across the country now. Sheriff's deputies are asking the public for help in finding Gavin Smith. He was last seen in his Mercedes at his California home Tuesday night. Smith is an executive with 20th Century Fox.
NASA researchers are looking for chunks from a meteorite that crashed into El Dorado County, California, last month. They spotted 12 potential craters, but are not saying exactly where they are. But that hasn't stopped meteorite hunters from searching. Many are already in the area hoping to find one and maybe make a quick buck.
Robots are battling it out in Indianapolis this weekend. The electronic gladiators are taking part in the National Robotics League Championship. The robot competition is designed to help introduce young people to manufacturing.
One of the hardest moments for presidential candidates, knowing when to call it quits. "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley lays out the blue print for leaving the field gracefully.
CANDY CROWLEY, ANCHOR, CNN'S "STATE OF THE UNION:" Fred, in a campaign game, it's important to know not just know when to fold them, but how. Gingrich patrol for the presidential race this week was 23 minutes of pure Newt, but it followed a well-worn template of political exits. First, lighten the mood, theirs and yours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My wife has pointed out to me approximately 219 times, give or take three, that moon colony was probably not my most clever comment in this campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were nosed out by a land slide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Next, remember, it wasn't just your campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRICH: I also want to thank Celesta's mother --
RICK SANTORUM, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard. God bless you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much and god bless you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Then make it official cut the cord.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRICH: Today I'm suspending the campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will suspend my candidacy for president of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Then grit your teeth and say something nice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRICH: If you look at Romney's pledge to cut spending by creating private sector jobs, something I would suggest Governor Romney knows about 60,000 times more than does President Obama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have tremendous regards for John. Have always had tremendous regard for John.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I congratulate President Carter on his victory here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Now, reset.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRICH: Celesta and I pledged to create new solutions, new opportunities, so that the 21st century will be the third century of freedom in American exceptionalism.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: I will continue fighting to defeat the president's agenda of socialism.
HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: For the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share and for the country we love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: In politics, Fred, it is often easy come, but not so easy go.
