Blog bits: Ashvegas A-listers

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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More blog bits for ya. I watch the celebs so you don’t have to:

From the ATL to the AVL

Cee-Lo Green brought his act to Ashvegas earlier in the week, and I wish I had stayed on top of things because if I’d known he was going to be in town, I would have shagged my sorry ass down to the Peel to see him. He apparently put on quite a show, and it wasn’t all about the music.

If you haven’t heard of Cee-Lo, you’re not alone. Cee-Lo started with an Outkast posse, then moved to the Goodie Mob. Now he’s on his own, touring to promote his second album, Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine.

He’s somewhere between Andre 3000 and my man Anthony Hamilton. He mixes up gospel and hip hop and spoken word and can scat and rap and do all ‘dat. He’s hard to assign a genre. And he’s got this thug persona, even though he’s throwin’ out smooth R&B and gospel, plus the rap. Still, it’s good stuff. Check it out.

Anyway, in town he had some equipment problems. His DJ’s mixer went on the fritz, then Cee-Lo went on the fritz and punched the damn machine. He tried going it alone, then gave up. He didn’t play an hour. Read about it here.

Miller time

I’ve heard that Stephanie Miller, who has a talk show on the Air America Radio Network, will be visiting Ashvegas sometime in May. It’s pretty amazing that WPEK, AM 880 on the dial, is broadcasting her show – we’re there with major city markets like LA, where she’s based.

Clear Channel owns WPEK and put liberal radio on the air here last year. Here’s some background, although the link is old.

Miller’s got a horsey laugh and can sing a one-note song for days if she’s got a hot one on the line like Jeff Gannon or Tom DeLay. But it’s a nice balance to the local airwaves once dominated by rightwing nutbags who had the same five callers every day. (Cecil, Grady, Don, y’all know who you are.)

Smathers and Shuler
OK, he’s not a celebrity yet, but he may well be. Actually, he is, but only in Canton. Mayor Pat Smathers says he’s thinking about running a statewide race for Lt. Guv.

I don’t know much about Smathers, other than he rules our smelly neighbor to the west (they’ve got a paper mill there). But he seems to be quite a back-slapper, and if you want to work in Raleigh, but you don’t want to work, why not be Lt. Guv.?


While we’re on the topic of celebs in politics, I guess y’all have heard that Heath Shuler says he may run against U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor. Shuler went to Swain County High School where he starred as a quarterback, then went on to star as a Volunteer at UT. Then he went to the NFL and flopped.

Anyhoo, it’s Dems who are laying claim to Shuler now, even though he campaigned for Republicans in local races in east Tenn. a few years ago. Word is he was also a registered Repub. there, too.

Shuler will speak at Reynolds High School’s annual Hall of Fame Banquet at 7 p.m. May 14 at the Holiday Inn Sunspree if you want to try to pin him down. Note to WNC Dems – time’s running out for you to pick someone and get organized if you think you stand half a chance against Taylor, which, by the way, you don’t.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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