At Home in Hespeler

All the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities

Shania Twain, country superstar, modern day Helen of Troy and single for about ten minutes, married her former best friend’s ex-husband, Frederic Nicolas Thiebaud. Don’t feel bad for the ex-friend however, as she struck first stealing Twain’s husband, Mutt “the dumbest man on earth” Lange.

Twain and Thiebaud were married in Rincon, Peurto Rico on New Years Day. Thiebaud now holds the record for having the best hangover in history.

Chuck Berry doesn’t drink or do drugs, but being 84 has got to feel like being hung over more often than it doesn’t. New Years day was a does day, as Berry fell ill during a show in Chicago.

He appeared tired and struggled through an hour of the show before stopping. Fortunately, he came back half an hour later to tell the audience he was OK. Berry’s representatives say he is fine and he is returning to his home in St. Louis.

Here at Fluffernutter world headquarters, we’re mentioning the true legend Chuck Berry when we pull out our prayer mat and bow towards Mecca.

Fluffernutter Review in Brief – The Kings Speech: g-g-g-g-g-Great mm-mm-mMoovie. LllllLook for an o-o-o-o-Oscar for c-c-c-c-c-Colin ffffFirth.

Jan 1, 2011: 1 1 11: The day all the cuties got married.

Serial cutie #2, Valerie Bertinelli married her second husband, Tom Vitale in California on New Years day. Bertinelli’s first husband, oh lets call him “Mutt Lange II” since “Eddie Van Halen” is already taken, was on hand, as was his bassist, and son with Bertinelli, Wolfgang.

The happy couple have been dating since 2003.

Fluffernutter Review in Brief – True Grit: Very true to the story, and very gritty.

David Arquette had, to borrow a phrase, one hell of a New Years hangover. How so? He spent New Years Eve partying very hard indeed, then checked himself into rehab the next day.

I’ve had some hangovers in my time, swore off booze, uttered the phrase, “wish I was dead.” But I have never wasted a good hangover checking myself into rehab. That’s a hangover.

So you had the big New Years Party. You were da’ man! David Arquette left you a message: “I never seen anybody so wasted!” he says.

You groan, roll over, wipe the eyeball boogers from your face and notice for the first time, your not alone: Meg Ryan is in bed with you. Yea well, some guys have all the luck:

John Mellencamp and his wife announced last week they are splitting up. Done. No more. This week the word hit’s the interwebs – do you need more proof – that Cougar is dating the ultimate cougar, Meg Ryan.

Don’t know if he has all the luck, but John Cougar Mellencamp certainly has gotten more than his fair share of it.

Gerry Rafferty (1947-2011).

Saddened to hear the news that Stuck in the Middle writer and Baker Street ingénue Gerry Rafferty has died, aged 63, after a long illness.

While Rafferty is best known for the sublime Baker Street, and never forget Right Down the Line, which most obits have done, the most interesting Trivia Pursuit question about Rafferty is that he played in a folk duo with fellow Scot Billy Connolly. The Humblebums recorded three albums, two of the them with Rafferty, before splitting in 1970.

Baker Street is one of the rock eras works of genius. Agorgeous, layered textured song about life on London’s famous Baker Street in the swinging 60’s (where Rafferty busked), it features possibly rocks most famous sax line and a great guitar solo.

Rafferty is survived by his daughter. May he Rest in Peace.

Fluffernutter, Review in Brief Baker Street, Billy Connolly. The Humblebums, Chuck Berry, Colin Firth, David Arquette, Eddie Van Halen, Frederic Nicolas Thiebaud, Gerry Rafferty, Helen of Troy, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Mellencamp, Meg Ryan, Mutt Lange, Right Down the Line, Shania Twain, Stuck in the Middle, The Kings Speech, Tom Vitale, True Grit, Valerie Bertinelli, Wolfgang Van Halen

Saturday Fluffernutter – all the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities.

Indy and Ally sitting in a tree… Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart  are tying the knot as the anthropologist with ‘tude is finally making an honest woman of the lawyer which broods. The 66 year old Ford and the 44 year Flockhart old  have been an item for seven-and-a-half years.

This is one of those stories which drives me nuts.  For forever and a day bands, and artists, would put out a couple of albums, then shift gears.  After a few albums, it’s time to give your fans something else, a new voice: show them you aren’t a one trick pony.

This week Amy Winehouse took demos for her 3rd album to her bosses at Island records. Instead of more of the same, the songs, it is reported, had more of a reggae feel. “Her bosses don’t think it’s a wise move to change her style so sharply and have told her that.” What utter nonsense. Either trust your artist and get out of their way, or drop them. But to suggest change is bad is stupidity on a symphonic scale. I have often in my weekend pieces complained about the lack of quality that emerges from the music industry these days. This is a prime example of why that is.

The former Mrs. Eddie Van Halen, Valerie Bertinelli  is looking fabulous at 48 and proving it on the cover of People (right).

The folks at Jenny Craig must be doing cartwheels this week.

Another girl next door who recently showed she still had some stuff at 40, Jennifer Aniston released boyfriend John Mayer recently. The reason, apparently he is too busy to call, email, or text her, but has a twitter account full of messages. Seems the former F–R–I–E–N–D was feeling neglected while Mayer was tweeting to strangers.

Think I’d give up my twitter account. Mayer didn’t, and his tweets can be got here.

Robin Williams is in full recovery mode after a heart attack three weeks ago. He has since had surgery to “replace his aortic valve, repair his mitral valve, and correct his irregular heartbeat,” and is on the mend. Doctors expect Williams to make a full recovery within eight weeks.

Dan Seals (1948-2009) – Back in the 70’s, there were folk groups who had a successful run with pretty acoustic music: Seals and Croft, Dan Fogelberg and England Dan and John Ford Coley among them. Dan Seals was England Dan, and younger brother of Jimmy Seals of Seals and Croft. Their songs were wonderfully melodic, their success great.

It was the eighties though, in the opinion of this blog, that Dan Seals provided his penultimate moment. Bop is one of those songs that reminds  how good a simple pop song can be. Three minutes of feel good, fall in love happiness compressed into half-a-dozen chords, two verses, three choruses and a bridge: perfect.

This week of England Dan Seals lost a two year battle with lymphoma at age 61.  He is survived by his wife and four children, and At Home in Hespeler expresses their deepest condolences to them.

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