Tag Archives: Entertainment

Poll finds 'Jeopardy!' fans overwhelmingly wanted LeVar Burton, not Mike Richards to host

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(NEXSTAR) – If it was up to “Jeopardy!” viewers, LeVar Burton would have been chosen to succeed Alex Trebek as the game show’s host, a new poll found.

The 64-year-old “Star Trek” actor received 14% of the votes, with just 3% throwing their support behind new host Mike Richards, Morning Consult found. In second place was actress Mayim Bialik with 13%.

Last week Sony Pictures Television announced that Richards, the show’s executive producer, would become the new host, with Bialik taking the over during primetime and spin-off “Jeopardy!” specials, including the upcoming “Jeopardy! National College Championship.”

The decision came after months of try outs by well known guest hosts, from legendary contestant Ken Jennings to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Morning Consult poll found that 12% backed Jennings to be the next host.

Burton, who captured millions of children’s hearts as the longtime host of “Reading Rainbow,” got a shot at the job after more than 260,000 hopeful fans signed a petition to make him the new host of “Jeopardy!” The show’s ratings sagged during his try-out period, however, which coincided with the start of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

While Richards may not be as well known as many of the hosts who tried out, he’s not new to the lead role. His resume includes hosting “The Pyramid” and “Beauty and the Geek,” as well as serving as executive producer of “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal.”

Alex Trebek hosted “Jeopardy!” for more than 36 years before his death in November at age 80 following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

MO State Fair: John Stamos to perform with The Beach Boys

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SEDALIA, Mo. – John Stamos will be performing with The Beach Boys at this year’s Missouri State Fair. That’s the latest update in the line-up of performers at the fair grandstands.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds is located at 2503 W. 16th Street, Sedalia, MO 65301, at the intersection of Highway 65 and 16th Street.

Stamos and The Beach Boys will perform on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.

Stamos is a two-time Emmy© Award-nominated television, film and theater actor and producer with a career spanning many decades. A gifted drummer, singer and musician, Stamos has toured, recorded and collaborated with The Beach Boys for over 30 years.

You can get your tickets now for this concert and other events in the State Fair Grandstand.

Here’s the full Grandstand concert and event line-up:

  • THURSDAY, AUG. 12 – TRACE ADKINS WITH COMEDIAN DUSTY SLAY, 7:30 p.m., $25 grandstand/$35 track
  • FRIDAY, AUG. 13 – RUSSELL DICKERSON WITH CASSADEE POPE, 7:30 p.m., $15 regular grandstand/$20 premium grandstand and $25 regular track/$30 premium track
  • SATURDAY, AUG. 14 – BOYZ II MEN WITH KAZUAL, 7:30 p.m., $20 regular grandstand/$25 premium grandstand and $35 regular track/$40 premium track
  • SUNDAY, AUG. 15 – MISSOURI STATE FAIR SHOOT OUT TRUCK & TRACTOR PULL, All Day Ticket – 12 p.m. & 6 p.m., $20 adults/$10 youth (ages 6-12)/free kids 5 and under
  • MONDAY, AUG. 16 – LUCAS OIL PRO PULLING LEAGUE, All Day Ticket – 12 p.m. & 6 p.m., $25 adults/$12 youth (ages 6-12)/free kids 5 and under
  • TUESDAY, AUG. 17 – TYLER FARR & TENILLE TOWNES, 7:30 p.m., $20 grandstand/$30 track
  • WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18 – THE BEACH BOYS WITH SPECIAL GUEST JOHN STAMOS, 7:30 p.m., $30 grandstand/$40 track
  • THURSDAY, AUG. 19 – RHONDA VINCENT & THE RAGE WITH LEROY VAN DYKE, 7:30 p.m., $20 grandstand/$25 track
  • FRIDAY, AUG. 20 – COLTER WALL WITH CHARLEY CROCKETT & TIM MONTANA, 7:30 p.m., $20 grandstand/$30 track
  • SATURDAY, AUG. 21 – HANK WILLIAMS, JR. WITH WALKER MONTGOMERY, 7:30 p.m., $30 regular grandstand/$35 premium grandstand and $45 regular track/$55 premium track
  • SUNDAY, AUG. 22 – WINGED SPRINT CARS, POWRi NON WINGED SPRINT CARS & LATE MODELS, 6 p.m. Hot Laps/7 p.m. Heat Races, $20 adults/$18 military/senior (ages 65+)/$10 students (13-17)/$5 youth (6-12)/free kids 5 and under

STATE FAIR ARENA

The State Fair Arena is another popular venue on the fairgrounds, offering 11 days of action including rodeo, bull riding and motorsports. Unless otherwise noted, all State Fair Arena ticketed events are free for ages 5 & under, but must sit on an adult’s lap. Ticket prices do not include Fair gate admission:

  • THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, AUG. 12-13 – MRCA SHOW-ME STATE STAMPEDE AND RODEO, presented by Area RAM Dealers, 7 p.m., $8 adult/$5 youth (ages 6-12)/free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • SATURDAY, AUG. 14 – MRCA SHOW-ME STATE STAMPEDE AND RODEO, presented by Area RAM Dealers, 7 p.m., $10 adult/$6 youth (ages 6-12)/free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • SUNDAY, AUG. 15 – MOTOCROSS, FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF THE MO FAIR CROSS SERIES, 7 p.m., $7 ticket/free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • MONDAY, AUG. 16 – FLAT TRACK TT RACE, 7 p.m., $7 ticket/free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • TUESDAY, AUG. 17 – MSF TRUCK & FARM TRACTOR PULL, 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., $5 adult/free kids 12 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18 – ANTIQUE CLASSIC TRACTOR PULL, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Free, no event ticket required
  • WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18 – MISSOURI STOCK ANTIQUE CLASSIC TRACTOR ASSOCIATION, 1 p.m., Free, no event ticket required
  • THURSDAY, AUG. 19 – GARDEN TRACTOR AND MINI ROD AND TRUCK PULL, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Free, no event ticket required
  • FRIDAY, AUG. 20 – BULL RIDING COMPETITION, presented by Area RAM Dealers, 8 p.m., $12 adult/$6 youth (ages 6-12)/Free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • SATURDAY, AUG. 21 – BULL RIDING COMPETITION, presented by Area RAM Dealers, 8 p.m., $14 adult/$7 youth (ages 6-12)/free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)
  • SUNDAY, AUG. 22 – DEMOLITION DERBY, 2 p.m., $12 adult/$6 youth (ages 6-12)/free kids 5 and under (must sit on an adult’s lap)

GOVERNOR’S HAM BREAKFAST

The 68th Governor’s Ham Breakfast is a traditional gathering of Missouri elected officials, leaders in agriculture and supporters of the Missouri State Fair. The Breakfast features Missouri country cured ham and other Missouri Grown products. Tickets are $50 per plate and include Aug. 19 gate admission to the Fair.

ADVANCE TICKET REMINDER

You can stop by your local Break Time Convenience Store and Orscheln Farm and Home Store, or purchase advance tickets online on the Missouri State Fair website, by Aug. 11.

  • Advance adult admission tickets are on sale for $10 ($12 value).
  • An advance Unlimited Carnival Ride Wristband ticket is on sale for $24 ($35 value).
  • Advance Unlimited Carnival Ride Wristband ticket is on sale for $34 ($47 value) and includes one-day unlimited carnival ride wristband and one-day adult admission.

Advance tickets must be purchased by Aug. 11.

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Garth Brooks reassessing stadium tour because of COVID surge

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Country star Garth Brooks said he will be reassessing whether to continue his stadium tour because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Brooks said he is still scheduled to play the next two shows scheduled in Kansas City and Lincoln, Nebraska, but will not put tickets on sale for the next planned stop, Seattle in September.

Brooks was already scheduled to take a three-week break after the Aug. 14 show in Nebraska and will take that time to assess what to do about the remainder of the dates in 2021. He is also scheduled to play Cincinnati; Charlotte, North Carolina; Baltimore and Boston.

“It breaks my heart to see city after city go on sale and then have to ask those sweet people and the venues to reschedule,” Brooks said in a statement. “We have a three week window coming up where we, as a group, will assess the remainder of the stadium tour this year. It’s humbling to see people put this much faith in you as an artist, and it kills me to think I am letting them down.”

Brooks, one of the biggest selling entertainers in music, restarted touring in July and regularly performs in front of 60,000-70,000 people per stadium. Many of his shows sell out well in advance.

First ever “Route 66 Heritage Festival” held in Miami

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MIAMI, Okla. – The City of Miami is hosting the inaugural Route 66 Heritage Fest.

The Route 66 Heritage Festival in Miami is hosting a number of events, from live music, to food trucks, a car and bike show, and so much more. For local band “Until Now”, it’s the opportunity to play for their greatest fans. Band member Joe Redden says “To be honest with you, we’re mind blown with it, we’ve been excited with it for about two months now, we’ve been getting ready, we’re just super excited to play in a crowd this size and play on a stage like that, so we’re super excited.”

The concert series features eight groups, four Ffriday evening and four more Ssaturday, as it pays tribute to the musical heritage of Ooklahoma. Redden says “It’s great, it’s absolutely great, couldn’t ask for anything better than this man, it’s really great, really excited for the car show, bike show, all that stuff, I mean, something like this hasn’t happened in Miami for a long time and it’s really great to see the community coming together like this.”

That musical heritage is what brought Oklahoma’s Lieutenant Governor, Matt Pinnell, to the festival, so he could make an announcement about two of Mmiami’s more famous musicians. “Miami has a lot of great musicians that have come through the Miami, Oklahoma area, but the Gaines, part of Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be inaugurated tonight into our Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.”

Pinnell sees it as a great opportunity for the community as a whole. “For a town to be playing to their strengths, talking about how amazing Route 66 is, the American experience you can get here, along with promoting the Oklahoma Music Trail and all the musical heritage, I think it’s a winning combination and one that’s going to pay dividends for this town and make small business owners here a lot of money.”

The festival continues tomorrow with more live music beginning at 4:00pm.

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Gooding Jr. could owe millions after ignoring rape lawsuit

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NEW YORK – Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. could be on the hook for millions of dollars in damages after failing to respond to a lawsuit that accused him of raping a woman in New York City in 2013.

U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty issued a default judgment against Gooding on Thursday, saying it appeared the Oscar-winning “Jerry Maguire” star was willfully ignoring the lawsuit and that waiting for him any longer would be unfair to his accuser.

Judge Crotty said that under the law, the 53-year-old Gooding’s failure to respond and defend himself in the lawsuit constituted an admission of liability.

The judge gave Gooding a final deadline of Sept. 7 to participate in the case. After that, the judge said, he’ll decide on damages.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, alleged Gooding raped her without protection after meeting her at a Greenwich Village VIP lounge and luring her to his hotel room under false pretenses.

She is seeking $6 million in damages.

No lawyer was listed for Gooding in the federal court docket. A message seeking comment was left with his lawyer in his New York City criminal case.

Attorney Mark Heller, who represent Gooding in the criminal case, said the events alleged in the lawsuit “never took place” and suggested the plaintiff was somebody “looking for some glory to bask in the publicity and notoriety of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s case.”

Citing case law, Crotty said in his order Thursday that he will invite both sides to argue over damages in court before deciding what Gooding owes.

The accuser originally sued Gooding in August 2020. The case was dismissed and then quickly reopened in March over a technical issue. Gooding was served with court papers April 22 and failed to respond to an initial May 13 deadline, Crotty said in his order.

In his criminal case, being tried in state court in New York, Gooding is accused of violating three different women at three different Manhattan night spots in 2018 and 2019. One of the women alleged Gooding pinched her buttocks. Another said he squeezed her breast.

Gooding has pleaded not guilty. An Oct. 18 hearing is scheduled to set a trial date.

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ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill passes away at 72

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ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, one of the Texas blues rock trio’s bearded figures, died at his Houston home, the band announced Wednesday. He was 72.

In their Facebook post, guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard said Hill died in his sleep. They didn’t give a cause of death, but a July 21 post on the band’s website said Hill was “on a short detour back to Texas, to address a hip issue.”

At that time, the band said its longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, would fill in on bass, slide guitar and harmonica.

Born Joe Michael Hill in Dallas, he, Gibbons and Beard formed ZZ Top in Houston in 1969. The band released its first album, titled “ZZ Top’s First Album,” in 1970. Three years later it scored its breakthrough hit, “La Grange,” which is an ode to the Chicken Ranch, a notorious brothel outside of a Texas town by that name.

The band went on to chart the hits “Tush” in 1975, “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’” in 1983, and “Rough Boy” and “Sleeping Bag” in 1985.

The band’s 1976 “Worldwide Texas Tour,” with its iconic Texas-shaped stage festooned with cactuses, snakes and longhorn cattle, was one of the decade’s most successful rock tours.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Said Rolling Stones lead guitarist Keith Richards in introducing the band to the Hall: “These cats are steeped in the blues, so am I. These cats know their blues and they know how to dress it up. When I first saw them, I thought, ‘I hope these guys are not on the run, because that disguise is not going to work.’”

That look — with all three members wearing dark sunglasses and the two frontmen sporting long, wispy beards — became so iconic as to be the subject of a New Yorker cartoon and a joke on “The Simpsons.”

 

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Frontenac’s “The Dance Pitt” takes home national awards

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FRONTENAC, Kan. – The Dance Pitt in Frontenac, Kansas is celebrating some big accomplishments.

The dance team recently went to Branson for a national competition, facing more than a dozen other dance studios. The Dance Pitt won two national titles and a second runner-up national title.

Champion Dasncer Tatum said, “I get to spend time with friends, and I just love dancing because I really get to express how I feel. It’s just very fun.”

The Dance Pitt is also celebrating its 10th year of operations.

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‘Kansas’ rock violinist, singer Robby Steinhardt, dies at 71

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Robert E. “Robby” Steinhardt, a violinist and vocalist with the progressive rock band Kansas, has died due to complications from pancreatitis. He was 71.

His wife, Cindy Steinhardt, said he died Saturday at a hospital in Tampa, Florida. She announced on Facebook Monday that he had just recorded his first solo album, and had been looking forward to being back on stage and going on tour.

Steinhardt, a native of Lawrence, Kansas, was an original member of the band, teaming up with Topeka West High School graduates Kerry Livgren, Rich Williams, Phil Ehart and Dave Hope and with Steve Walsh, who grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri. Steinhardt performed with Kansas from 1973 to 1982 and 1997 to 2006, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

The band sold more than 15 million records and notched up seven top 40 hits, including “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry on Wayward Son.”

The band, which now makes its home in Atlanta, continues to perform with Williams and Ehart as the only original remaining members.

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Illinois-based choir performs at Life Point Pentecostal Church

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JOPLIN, Mo. – The Mattoon Youth Choir made a stop in Joplin Sunday morning at the Life Point Pentecostal Church.

The choir is a group of 70 young people that for more than 30 years spends part of the summer touring the country and even Europe. They joined the congregation at Life Point Pentecostal and praised the Lord with their songs.

Choir Director Nixon Doty says it goes beyond just coming together and singing.

“Something that we really strive to do is to connect with churches and minister together,” said Doty. “Not just come in, be a concert, pick up, sing, leave, but to come and connect with churches and be in one mind and one accord with a true spirit of unity with each and every church.”

The choir is based at the apostolic center in Mattoon, Illinois, a community of around 18,000.

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