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Twenty-Two People, Including 14 Children, Died in Government Air Strikes Today in Syria; Peter O'Toole Has Died at the Age of 81; Spotify is Making Some Big Changes; Protests Continue in Ukraine

Aired December 15, 2013 - 17:00   ET

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

ROSA FLORES, CNN ANCHOR: Here in the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Rosa Flores, live in New York. Thanks you so much for spending some of your Sunday with us.

We start with some sad news tonight: the iconic actor, Peter O'Toole, is dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER O'TOOLE, PLAYING KING HENRY II: My life, when it is written, will read better than it lived.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: That line may have been appropriate for King Henry II, but not for the actor who portrayed him. Nominated for eight best acting Oscar, Peter O'Toole won the Golden Globe for this film, "The Lion in Winter." There were many others as well.

O'Toole won awards for films like "Beckett," and "Good-Bye Mr. Chips" and this one from 1962, arguably his most famous role "Lawrence of Arabia." While never winning an Oscar, in 2003 he accepted an honorary Oscar. After receiving the award he spoke to the media and made a comment about not doing terribly well with musicals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER O'TOOLE, ACTOR: I've been in three musicals. I can't sing a note. All three have died. All I know is that if I'm in it, then you'll be bankrupt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Peter O'Toole was a truly legendary film star. A man who personified old school epic Hollywood. A family statement today confirmed he passed away peacefully in a hospital in London. He was 81-years-old. And according to his family, he had been ill for some time now. He made a long list of huge movies, but Peter O'Toole will always be best known for his first major role, "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962.

Now, I want to bring in Tom O'Neil, all-around Hollywood journalist and author of several showbiz books.

And Tom, Peter O'Toole had slowed down a bit but was still working. Tell us about how a big loss this is for Hollywood.

TOM O'NEIL, HOLLYWOOD JOURNALIST, AUTHOR: Well, he wasn't just one of the greatest actors who ever lived. He was certainly one of the most versatile. Just a couple years ago, he had an ongoing major role on "tutors" on Showtime. And you could see this guy in Flintstone episodes, you could see him great comedies, like from Woody Allen's "Pussycat" and then the great dramas that you mentioned. But there was this other side to him that he made great fun of which was this swashbuckler, hard drinking, hard loving side to him that will forever be part of his legend.

Speaking of "Lawrence of Arabia," do you know what he did with all that money? Rosa, right after that movie opened, he went to the casinos of Casablanca with Omar Sharif and he gambled most of it away, and he shrugged it off and said, oh, well. I'll go earn some more.

FLORES: Having a little fun.

Now, many don't know that even though he was so epic, epic in so many films, Peter O'Toole never won an Oscar. Is that one of those big, great Hollywood mistakes, do you think?

O'NEIL: It's the biggest of all, because if this man, and he is, one of the greatest actors who ever lived, he went to his grave at Oscar's biggest loser. Nobody lost more than him. And a few years ago when his best friend Richard Burton was still alive, they were both tied at 7-7. So, Burton went to his grave and tied his Oscar biggest loser and just tells you what an indictment of this award is Hollywood that says, you know, that red button must pick on him, a comedic actor could win an Oscar, not this man.

He took it in great stride. When e he arrived in Hollywood for his last nomination "Venus," he told the "Los Angeles Times," said you know what? It's kind of cool being the biggest loser because I'm still in the history books this way.

FLORES: Great sense of humor.

Now, how is Hollywood reacting?

O'NEIL: I think everybody is devastated and shocked by it. He retired last year. Was very sickly even when he came out for "Venus," a few years ago, but still the loss is so immense because the man was so talented.

You know, Richard Burton once said about him, he was odd, he was mystical, he was deeply disturbing. He was all of those things. He wasn't just any actor. "Lawrence of Arabia" still ranks on the list of American film institute as one of the ten greatest movies ever made.

FLORES: Tom O'Neil, live for us in Hollywood. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

Now, the other big story we have been following, of course, is the weather. People from Missouri to New England spent part of the day digging out after a storm dumped nearly a foot of snow in isn't areas. Nearly six inches fell in Wooster, Massachusetts. And look at this damage cam video from our affiliate WCDB. The crew was driving on I- 94 in Wilmington, Massachusetts and caught a car spinning out in the snow ending up next to a guardrail.

CNN's Alexandra Field is live in Woburn, Massachusetts.

And Alexandra, set the scene for us.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosa, the nice thing, it is pretty scenic. You can take a look behind me, you can see the holiday decorations, a fresh blanket of snow. Half a foot here in Woburn, which is just about 10 miles outside of Boston. But the part that you can't see is how cold it is here.

The snow stopped coming down earlier this afternoon. The temperatures actually warmed up a little bit, the plows were able to come out and move some of the snow around. But the temperatures dropped again. They are stuck below freezing here in the northeast and you can see over the snow, the ice is starting to harden and form. That makes the cleanup job harder and certainly heavier.

It's also a concern if you're heading out on the roads. You can see again the plows have been out. Cleaned up a lot of the roads but the Massachusetts department of transportation also put 1,200 of their trucks out on the road today. They were warning drivers about the possibility of flash freezing. Of course, that can happen when the temperature drops like this.

Now, people will have to deal with these below freezing temperatures for another day. After that, Rosa, they could actually see a little more snowfall. We are expecting another two to four inches in the Boston area by Tuesday. So, winter is officially here now.

FLORES: All right. Alexandra Field, live in Massachusetts. Thank you so much.

Now, the snow moved through now. It's just really, really cold. Meteorologist Alexandra Steele joins us.

And Alexandra, what can we expect? Are we expecting more snow?

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: More snow and continued cold temperature, Rosa. So the storm that moved through is done. You can see way up here in Halifax, but Washington, New York, Boston, the snow is over. The temperatures are cold, though. So whatever has fallen will certainly stay. And as Alexandra Field in the field said, there's another clipper coming through. And this is what we expect through Tuesday. Syracuse, Buffalo, so the Lee Side of like Ontario and like eerie snow, of course. But even in Boston and New York, a couple more inches for them.

So, here is what just expected, what we just had, and on to New York, 12 inches, North Haven is seven inches, Boston had six, Chicago had four, New York had five. So really, just on par with the forecast, we saw that develop. Again, the temperatures will remain cold. Look at New York. Well below average. All right, up and down the eastern seaboard. Conversely, though, Rosa in the south east, temperatures warmer will be than average. Look at Memphis, 60s. New Orleans, 60s. Atlanta warming up as well.

So things warming up in the southeast, but the upper Midwest feeling like 20 to 30 below zero. And also the northeast, quite cold, too, for the next couple of days.

FLORES: So we can all, I guess, just pray so that it just gets nicer and we can enjoy it all.

Thank you so much, Alexandra Steele in Atlanta for us.

Now, we stay on the weather beat. People in the northeast saw snow and ice, but in the south, it was rain and in Florida, look at this, a tornado. Homeowners in Palm Coast are cleaning up debris. The national weather service says the apparent tornado struck just before 8:00 last night damaging at least 15 homes. One man was hurt when his home crashed on top of him. Crews rescued him. He only had minor injuries.

Senator John McCain spoke to anti- government protesters today in Ukraine. McCain called the protesters an incredible display of patriotism. There have been uprisings since November 21st when Ukraine the president backed away from a trade deal with the European union. Instead, the Ukrainian leader close to tighten its relationship with Russia. McCain told our Candy Crowley Russian president Vladimir Putin is putting pressure on other countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I've watched him become more and more assertive in his desire as on old KGB apparatchik to the restore the near abroad. He has pressure on Estonia, Lithuania, Latia (ph) that all of the so-called near abroad and , of course, Ukraine is the crown Jewel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: The demonstration are the biggest in Ukraine since 2004 when protesters demanded the country's presidential election be overturned.

The man who became the symbol of a new and united South Africa has been laid to rest. About 4,500 people packed a giant tent today for the state funeral of Nelson Mandela. Mourners joined heads of state and celebrities including Prince Charles and Oprah Winfrey to pay their final respects to South Africa's first black president. Mandela was buried in his childhood village of Qunu. A military escort carried his casket to its final resting place.

As we reported moments ago, the great actor Peter O'Toole is dead. He was known for his role in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "the lion in winter." But he was also known as a serious drinker.

My next guest talks about a study released just this week, released just this week that breaks down the long-term effects of hard living.

And an internet music outlet is making some big changes, but could it also change the music industry as we know it? All that and much more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: A federal judge in Utah struck down part of the state law banning polygamy after a lawsuit was brought by the stars of the television reality series "Sister Wives." The judge threw out a section of the law that prohibits cohabitation saying it violates religious freedom. The ban of bigamy will, remain meaning a person can't enter into more than one legal marriage at a time.

The CNN.com headline couldn't be more direct. Quote "I have Asperger's. I play violent video game and I'm not going to kill you." These are the words of CNN i-reporter Jeff White on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school. The 26-year-old uses himself as an example arguing that mass shooting are not the result of mental illness or disorders.

He writes quote "maybe, I'm idealistic and naive. But too often, we read all the media reports we can about a tragedy like Sandy Hook and they to play armchair judge about what caused it and what happened. Real life doesn't work that way. We cannot stereotype based on a handful of vague factors."

Joining me now is Dr. Jennifer Caudle. Now she is the board certified family medicine physician.

And Doctor Jen, thank you so much for joining us.

So let's talk about Asperger's. Tell us what it is? Because I know that there is confusion out there.

DR. JENNIFER CAUDLE, CERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN: Sure. Well, Asperger's is really a condition that is along the autism spectrum, it's not always understood very well. And I think that it's wonderful that a lot of people are coming forward and actually talking about it. And I think this opinion piece in particular is very important too and very helpful, and reminding us not to stereotype people. No people should be stereotyped. And really understand people for their own conditions and treat them like individuals.

FLORES: Because there's a huge stigma and I know that Susan Boyle came out and said that she has Asperger's.

CAUDLE: Right.

FLORES: And that she was told she had, you know, some sort of a brain injury or a brain disease earlier in her life. Do you think that by coming forward it helps, perhaps, take some of that stigma away?

CAUDLE: I do. I think it's so important. I think when people can come forward and talk about what they're going through and what's happened to them, it inevitably helps other people out there. This so important for people with Asperger's. And people who don't have it to understand the condition and to be able to relate and just understand more.

FLORES: Now, there's a new study that has been really causing a lot of conversation online. James Bond, it says, would die of alcohol- related causes like liver disease and, of course, everybody loves 007. He's a fiction's character.

CAUDLE: Yes.

FLORES: But on a serious note, alcoholism is a serious issue.

CAUDLE: Alcoholism is so serious. You know, two researchers were very interested in finding out exactly how much alcohol James Bond drank. They read all 14 of his novels and came to the conclusion that he drank quite a bit. They used what's called the standard alcohol unit to measure the amount of alcohol he drank. And the standard alcohol unit just to break that down, a bottle of wine has about nine standard alcohol. A pint of beer about three. Well, James Bond in a typical week drank between 65 to 92 standard alcohol units.

Now, we're talking lots of alcohol, lots of bottles of wine, and there can be real risk to that, and that's really what we're talking about here.

FLORES: All right. Thank you so much, Dr. Jen. We appreciate you being here with us.

CAUDLE: Great. Thanks so much.

FLORES: And still ahead, Syrian government air strikes killed nearly two dozen people today. Next, I will talk to our very own CNN reporter to get his unique take, what he sees reporting on the ground inside Syria. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Twenty-two people including 14 children died in government air strikes today in Syria. It's just one of the world hot spots we're keeping an eye on at this hour.

Now, we have two very experienced journalists with us to give us a nice insight into this area. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is with us here in New York, and Christopher Dickey joins us from Paris. He is the Mideast editor of the Paris Bureau chief for the "Daily Beast."

Now, good to see you both.

And, Fred, we're going to start with you. You've covered Syria extensively on the ground. Here is a quick glimpse at some of reporting earlier this month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Opposition fighters have occupied large parts of this district and are in the buildings only a few yard away. This is what it looks like when the army notices movement on the other side. Soldiers in this video showing attacking rebels as they try to fortify one of their positions. This area is deeply scarred by the war and heavy flashes could be heard from neighboring districts with a Syrian army, they're on the offensive.

As you can see, this area was pretty destroyed in the fighting. The front line static for quite a while. As the government wins back more territory around here, rebel fighters are fleeing to the front line in this area and in have been increased battles recently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, Fred, the United States has been providing aid to opposition forces. What's the status of that?

PLEITGEN: Well, I mean, currently they have stopped providing some of what they call that non-lethal aid to the opposition. One of the reasons is that the opposition is pretty much falling apart. I mean, if you look at the modern opposition right now, they're having a lot of trouble staying cohesive. Their leadership is not really recognizing any of the forces on the ground. Their political leadership and it is the Islamist groups that are really making headway in Syria.

One of the interesting things is, you know, when we were there, we talked to Syrians there. Obviously not everyone dropped Bashar Al Assad yet, but there are a lot of people who are on the cusp. And what these people keep telling me again and again what is the alternative?

So, they're sitting there in Damascus, they are looking at their own government which they don't like, but then they are looking towards the opposition territory. And what they see there is not a cohesive entity. They are seeing Islamist fighters on the move. They're seeing beheadings in places and they are just seeing an opposition that hasn't gotten any state going in their area.

FLORES: And Chris, let me ask you, because we were talking, of course, about the U.S. providing this aid in an area where you don't know where the good guys and who are the bad guys. Can the U.S. successfully provide this aid?

CHRISTOPHER DICKEY, MIDDLE EAST EDITOR, THE DAILY BEAST: Well, that's why the U.S. has backed away. It doesn't feel it can know enough who's going to be the end receiver of these goods, whether they're bullet proof vests or night vision equipment or maybe whether resources gone and glasses and different kind of armaments. And that is why have been very reluctant especially on the northern front. The front in the south, I think the United States is still providing what's called non-lethal aid to some of the rebel groups down there.

But, you know, it's incredibly complicated, because it really isn't a question of just Islamists here and then good guy moderate secular types in the middle and then Bashar Al Assad on the other side. And, of course, knowing this well, it's a mosaic of lots of dir warlords with different allegiance and those shift. You have two different Al Qaeda-related factions. You got the Saudis now trying to build up an Islamist front, that's not Salafis-Islamist front. It is not Al Qaeda related. And you've got all of these, these people who really, who are the ones who started the protest movement, who feel completely orphaned by this turn of events.

But even if the United States gave them a lot of weapons and certainly a lot of non-lethal aid, I don't think it would turn the tide for them.

FLORES: And Fred, paint a picture for us, because you've been on the ground. Talk to us about the infrastructure. How are people actually dealing and coping with all of the chaos?

PLEITGEN: Yes. It's very interesting, because the infrastructure is very different depending where you go. It is completely destroyed in places especially the front line areas hiding around Damascus. If you go obviously to the north, the places like Aleppo, it is absolutely destroyed and getting destroyed more and more.

But then, if you go into places like downtown Damascus and or even some other towns that are under control of the opposition, it's almost like southern Europe. The roads are very good, the infrastructure is very good. People in most places have most of the things that they need. One thing that always a problem is getting fuel. So, that's one of the things they usually haven a issue with. But in some places the infrastructure is actually OK.

And one of the things that I take from the time in Syria, which I think is very important, is that when I talk to opposition people, and when I talk to government people, the ones that are secular are actually not that far apart. I think if you stuck them in a room and they started talking, they could actually sort out their differences.

I have people from Syrian military tell me they would be willing to fight together with the modern opposition if it was to destroy the Islamist forces, but there is one dividing factor. And that's Assad and that is something that America's going to have to deal with and America's probably going to have to deal together with the international community to solve that somehow.

FLORES: And let's turn to Iran. Senator John McCain told our Candy Crowley today that the Senate probably will pass a new sanctions bill that would take effect when the new six-month nuclear deal expires. Are sanctions what pushed Iran to a nuclear deal, are they going to be dealt with, Chris? Do you think?

DICKEY: Well, I think that the administration is going to fight as hard as it can to keep those sanctions, bills from being passed right now. You know, the U.S. faced this problem a few days ago, and all of a sudden the Senate bill died in the morning. Nobody was sure exactly why that was.

But then a couple of days after that, the U.S. did impose some new sanctions directly on certain companies and individuals, and the result was a breakdown, a temporary breakdown and, we think. In the technical talks, Indiana and we have Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of Iran saying, you know, we weren't ready for this. This goes against the spirit of the negotiations.

So, there's going to be a lot of back and forth like this. And every new element that's thrown in to the works, like new sanctions imposed by Congress, is just going to complicate things. But it your question is, did sanctions bring the Iranians to the table in the first place? They absolutely did.

FLORES: All right. So Fred and Chris, stay with me. Our conversation will continue. Senator John McCain spoke to protesters in Kiev today. He's concerned with the Russian president's recent moves to strengthen ties with Ukraine and other neighboring states, a move that some believe resembles the old Soviet Union. All that and more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: A massive and growing protest movement in the former Soviet Union got some bad news today. I'm talking about Ukraine where crowds have been massing for weeks. This is how center Kiev looked a short time ago. Hundreds of thousands of people angry at the president for choosing an economic alliance with Russia, instead of better relations with the European union. Today, the EU made it official, any chance to make a deal is now apparently dead.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in that crowd of protesters right now.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosa, these protests have put up another line of defense here, perhaps because they got some bad news today. The European Union making it clear, they were stopping talks with Ukraine about signing an agreement. They would bring this country in a westernly direction, improved relations with the EU. They said simply the Ukrainian government is making close to signals in the past couple of days. They might want to sign a deal. It is actually base serious about it. They're not being seas, they are not giving them the commitments they need.

But continuing to play out in the square, what these protesters desire for a life facing the European direction. And we support today from U.S. Senator John McCain who said that future lies with Europe and the U.S. supports them, but nine years ago many thought this country made its decision to head in a westerly direction during the Orange, brushes away most of its post-soviet authoritarian leadership. It seems though, the decision still hasn't been made and Moscow doesn't really want to let this country go.

Threats of sanctions from Russia if they sign that European deal, Russia is offering its own customs union, a kind of opposite deal to the Europeans, and many feel this country in the east could suffer significantly if Russia were to try economically to punish it. Ukraine is split between the Ukrainians in the west and once to face Europe and its Russian speaking east industrial, so much closer than its soviet Russia.

That by them has been playing out for a decade now. But still, the commitment to these protesters in the freezing cold, not dented at all, a political impasse is many ways because the president is not budging on their key demands and many because the president is not really budgeting on that seeing rival pro-government protests, elsewhere in the capital, we could see tension rise in the days ahead -- Rosa.

FLORES: Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

Now, let's talk more about Ukraine with CNN's red Pleitgen and Chris Dickey of the "The Daily Beast."

I want you to listen to Senator John McCain. He spoke to our Candy Crowley this morning from Ukraine. He says he is concerned about Russia's past and future role there and he says Vladimir Putin's actions remind him of the soviet era.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: I've watched him become more and more assertive in his desire as an old KGB Apparatchik to restore the near abroad. He's put preserver on Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, all of the so-called near broad and, of course, Ukraine is the crown jewel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: So, Chris, to you. Do you think Putin is trying to reassemble the old Soviet Union?

PLEITGEN: Yes. I absolutely think he's trying to do that. Maybe not in the kind of dictatorial way that the Soviet Union was, but in terms of organization, in terms of the alliances, bringing people closer and closer to Moscow. Bringing these near abroad closer to Moscow, yes, absolutely, and the Russian people want to do it and a lot of people in those countries are not so unhappy about doing it either. (INAUDIBLE).

FLORES: We're having a little audio issues.

Let me go with you now, Fred. Do you feel that Russia is putting a lot of pressure on the Ukraine?

PLEITGEN: Well, they certainly are. And actually when Chris was starting to cut off, at that point I want to pick up on it. I think he is absolutely right. A lot of those people in a lot of those countries wouldn't be too unhappy about it. One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that although you're seeing this gigantic protests there and he is pro-western politicians is that Janokovic (ph) did win an election. He is in power not because of some quo or something. The majority, this slim majority, but the majority of Ukrainians voted him in office. And the majority of Ukrainians are pro-Russian.

You have the ones right now who are protesting this high-profile gatherings who are showing a different side of Ukraine but a deeply divided country. And that is what the U.S. has to tread very very carefully on all of this.

On the one hand, it is good to encourage things like basic democracies. It's obviously very good of senator McCain to go there and downright threaten Ukrainians not to use force against these protesters because that will be an awful signal.

But, yes. I mean, on the one hand, of course, the Russians are trying to, I wouldn't say reassemble the soviet union, but they are trying to increase their spear of influence because quite frankly, they lost a lot of their spearmen recently, But I would say that there are many Ukrainians who are not against that.

FLORES: And should the U.S. be concerned about these moves by Russia?

PLEITGEN: The U.S. should always be concerned about. Bu I think by and large, the Russians yet, they do want to increase their spear influence but the Russians are not a real threat to the United States at this point. The Russians are simply too weak. Their economy is I think about the size of Holland's economy. It is not very big. They still have a large military but it is not a very potent military. They're trying to play a power game in Syria. But on the one hand, they are also willing to cooperate in Syria. If you look what they've done on Syria's chemical weapons program, for instance, when that was on the table, when they were mutual interest, they were willing to go with that.

Ukraine is a very, very difficult issue for the Russians. It is not only the fact that that they want to increase their sphere of influence, they have big military assets in that country. They have a naval port in that country that's basically turned into a Russian city. So, this is something that is very key to the Russians, something they won't be willing to let go. So, it's definitely something where the U.S. should be concerned. They need to tread carefully. But they should also, Washington should make clear, that yes, they support Democratic protesters. They support Ukraine moving closer to Europe. It is something that would be, most probably very good for Ukraine's economy. But the big question, and I think we all should ask, is why you both need to be mutually exclusive? Why can't they be close to Russia and the EU? Why are we still at odds?

FLORES: Yes, interesting question.

Fred, thank you so much, and Chris as well, who was live for us.

And still ahead, the iconic Peter O'Toole is dead. We'll take a look back at his incredible career and his legacy. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Old school Hollywood lost a drat one this weekend. Peter O'Toole was 81-years-old. He died in London. He brought "Lawrence of Arabia" to life on the screen. And he rebelled against show business off the screen. And despite his mega stardom, Peter O'Toole somehow never managed to win that one big Hollywood award.

Here's CNN's Martin Savidge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was one of the greats. Peter O'Toole was simply an icon, towards the end of his life continued to wow audiences with his screen presence. Born Peter Seamus O'Toole Ireland in 1932. His adolescence was spent in England. He made his professional debut on the London's stage in 1955.

From the west end O'Toole weekly transitioned from the stage to silver film. His appearance in 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia" catapulted to worldwide stardom and earned him his first Oscar nomination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you take a picture?

SAVIDGE: Lawrence was the beginning of a string of successful films during the 1960s including another Oscar nominated performance "Opposite Katharine Hepburn in the line and winner."

Admittedly a heavy drinker, his taste for alcohol not only threatened his career, but also his life. He managed to give back the drink and a comeback in a grace director in the "the stuntman."

A self-described entertainer by trade, O'Toole marked his own image as an alcoholic, over the hill matinee idol in "My Favorite Year," a performance the earned him his seventh Oscar nomination.

Though he made some forgettable films through such as 1984's :Super Girl," O'Toole continued to work appearing in several made for TV films including "Joan of Arc."

In 2003, the academy motion pictures arts and sciences honored the 71- year-old actor with the Oscar for lifetime achievement. Initially, he declined acolyte hearing that it would signal the end of his career.

But O'Toole carried on returning to the desert sands where his career began with the turn in 2004's sword and sandals epic a "Troy." His role as an out of work actor in his golden years who became obsessed with a much younger woman. In 2006's "Venus" earned him yet another best actor nomination, further (INAUDIBLE) his status of a legendary performer.

PETER O'TOOLE, ACTOR: In terms of people that have gone, I've lost a few in the last few years and I miss them eventually, but they're not here, on we go.

SAVIDGE: Finally in July of 2012, O'Toole himself admitted that he could not go on in the acting business. He officially retired, giving the profession of quote "profoundly grateful farewell."

Peter O'Toole, an immortal on-screen. Uniquely human off.

Martin Savidge, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: And still ahead, an internet music outlet is making some big changes. But could it also change the music industry as we know it. That's ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Unlike music giants Spotify, made a move this week that some say will have a huge impact on the entire music scene. Up until now, you could listen to thousands of songs for free with Spotify, but only on your computer.

Now, your mobile device, your tablet, all for free. Great for you and me, but how might it affect the artists and the music labels that want to make sure they get paid?

Joining me now is Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor with "Rolling Stone" magazine and Shanon Cook, Spotify music expert and spokeswoman.

And Shannon, let me start with you. Talk to us about just this big move. This is huge.

SHANNON COOK, SPOTIFY SPOKESWOMAN, MUSIC EXPERT: Well, basically, what we've found in the last year, Rosa, is that more and more listeners are engaging with Spotify and accessing music and sharing music and playing around with their play lists on mobile devices. What we wanted to do was essentially bring a free version of Spotify to those listeners and just give them a chance to really dig into our 20-plus million songs and get going with the service. And if they like it and they want more bells and whistles they can upgrade to our premium service, which is a paid, paid subscription service.

FLORES: Now Anthony, I have to ask you about how does this affect the music industry? Because we are almost in an era where we love free stuff. Apps are free. Music for free. How does this affect the industry?

ANTHONY DECURTIS, AUTHOR, MUSIC CRITIC: Well, I mean, it's continues a trend that is ongoing nap is the question finally, you know, with Spotify and other streaming sites. Obviously, artists and record labels have been concerned about, you know what is their payment. And you know, this is, you know, even with a service like iTunes, you know, there's a sense of which, this music has been created by the artists, it has been created by the record companies, and, you know, services are streaming, and obviously, their business model is based on this music, but, you know, how exactly artists get paid, you know, is the ongoing struggle. You know. In so many ways with the culture.

COOK: But let me point out that we are a service that works very closely with the record labels. And all the music that is on Spotify, is there because the labels gave it to us essentially. And we're very very serious about paying right toll and 75 percent of Spotify's revenue goes to the rights holders which ends up in artists hands. But it's a service that is not intended to just provide free music for people. It's provided to bring music to people quickly. Let them access it instantly, and also takes care of all the rights holders.

FLORES: Yes.

Now, I'm going to ask you to stay with me, because we have lots of conversation to talk about. And coming up next, we're talking top rock 'n' roll stories of the year. What's your number one? Was it Miley Cyrus or perhaps Beyonce's "stealth" album on iTunes? We'll talk about it after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Welcome back.

Where to begin when talking about the top rock stories of the year, from Miley's crazy antiques to the (INAUDIBLE) passing to a huge year for (INAUDIBLE). And then of course, Beyonce breaks the mold and drops an album in iTunes with absolutely no warning, no build up and no promotion.

Joining us again, Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor with "Rolling Stone" magazine and Shannon Cook, Spotify music expert and spokeswoman.

And Anthony, I'm going to start with you this time because there was, you know, the talk that perhaps Miley Cyrus was contender for "Time" magazine's person of the tear.

Is that true?

DECURTIS: I think that is true. And you know, and why not? I think that, you know, Miley Cyrus sort of dominated pop culture thought throughout the year. And I think, you know, there was a lot of finger way game, I think, you know, Miley Cyrus, you know, was kind of, you know, shy style, you know, for, you know, freeing like king of sexual provocation to the MTV -music awards.

I think she is a lot smarter than people think she is. I think she is more talented that people think she is and I think Miley Cyrus is going to be around for a while. And I think she is having fun right now. And I pick all of her kind of subversive provocation are part of the fun she is having.

COOK: And I think if her goal by we go to this sort of vivid imagery, I'm personally not sure I needed to see her licking a sledge hammer. But, if her goal with all of this stuff is to make people listen to her music more, it is absolutely working. Because she's had a stellar year with sales. And on Spotify, she is like one of the top six most stringed females in the U.S. more popular this year than lady Gaga, Beyonce. So, it t is working for her. But interestingly, I think we have to give her credit for putting twerking on the mainstream.

DECURTIS: I think that should be the word of the year and not selfie.

FLORES: Getting lots of attention.

COOK: I think even my parents now understand what twerking is.

FLORES: Explain that to kids. I know, one of the worst things for parents. Now, let's talk about the seasoned musicians. Mick Jagger 1770. Stones still performing, David Bowe and his new album, "Post a heart attack." I mean, these are some major artists and they are very seasoned. We should use the word "seasoned", and they are big hits still.

DECURTIS: The 'Rolling Stones" tour was a big deal. And Jagger turned 70 this year, which was a little hard to believe. But the stones shows were incredible. And you know, rumor has it that they are going out again next year. I think we can look forward to that. And you know, there's a sense of which where the age for, you know the age of which it is possible to be a rock star just continues to rise. I mean, it used to be, don't trust anyone over 30, and now you have people in their 60s and 70s on the road touring very successfully.

FLORES: And you're writing a book about Lou Reed.

DECURTIS: I am.

FLORES: And I was going to ask because when performers like that pass, they leave a lot like that behind. What about the younger performers. Do they perhaps use what more seasoned performers have left behind? Or where do they gain inspiration, you think?

DECURTIS: Well, I think in the case of someone like Lou Reed, his death has -- I mean, musicians I think really always -- there's a famous line about the velvet underground that only 30,000 people bought their first album, but 30,000 people formed bands. So musicians were always inspired by Lou Reed.

But I think for the general public who didn't understand his impact and influence, which by my way of thinking rivals Bob Dylan's or the Beatles, you know, that anyone who came up and liked punk rock or any kind of alternative music, those bands and those fans owe debt to Lou Reed. That's one of the things they find out when someone dies.

COOK: And I think one of the things we noticed is right after Lou Reed died in October, our users were really streaming "walk on the wild sides" and his song "perfect day" in mass numbers all around the world -- Italy, Spain, the UK, Australia. And it was interesting because Those songs were being streamed and added to personal lay lists in huge numbers for about three weeks after he died. And it is always sort interesting to see that sort of heart-felt sentimental activity happening. And keep in mind a lot of our users are younger. So, I think they were checking them and probable checking him out for the first time.

FLORES: And let's talk about Beyonce and Beyonce dropping this album on iTunes. Do you think we will see this more, Shannon?

COOK: I think we probably will. I mean, it was a really shrewd move on her part to just release it without any warning whatsoever. And you know, some people say, it was a bit of a stunt. But stunt or no stunt, it absolutely worked because she's done really well.

Whether or not whether or not it means next week down loads and sales will be as high as they've been since the announcement, it remains to be seen. There is never really a formula that really works. But yes, I think we will see more of this, don't you?

DECURTIS: Well, I think, you know, it is an example of -- I think successful even if it failed. I mean, it didn't fail but people are trying things. I mean, I think is a wide open environment now. And it was bold. It was amazing for, you know, an album on that scale by an artist that that level of success to just put a record out there with no promotion whatsoever. I mean, it's amazing and it is smart and it is daring and it is interesting. And it is the kind of thing, I think, we'll see more of.

FLORES: And before I let you go, because we've got about ten second before the next hour, number one rock story of the year. What do you think?

DECURTIS: Number one rock story of the year. I think that the number one rock story of the year is -- you know, I think stories like, you know, the story about Spotify that we talked about before, you know, the ongoing evolution of what the music industry is and what that's going to become is something like Beyonce releasing this album. People trying to find their way in a very new environment.

FLORES: Shannon?

COOK: I think the biggest story of the year in music is Lourd, 16, 17-year-old singer from new Zealand land who was went from relative obscure at beginning of the year to getting to Grammy nominations and now sharing the stage with Beyonce and Rihanna.

FLORES: Thank you guys, so much. We appreciate it.

The next hour of NEWSROOM begins right now.