Grapevine: Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey hit the road
Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey tour hits The Palace
Two musical mega stars — Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey — bring their 35-date “All the Hits Tour” to The Palace of Auburn Hills on April 11. Richie has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. Besides earning an Oscar, a Golden Globe and four Grammy Awards, Richie also was named this year’s MusicCares person of the year. His tourmate, Mariah Carey, has sold more than 220 million records and has written more of her No. 1 singles than any other solo artist. Tickets, $39.95-$500, go on sale Saturday via LiveNation.com. Citi cardmembers can gain access to a pre-sale starting at 10 a.m. Thursday. Visit citiprivatepass.com for details.
Patti Smith performed on behalf of Bob Dylan
Singer, songwriter and former Detroit Patti Smith performed Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” in Stokholm, Sweden, over the weekend as part of the 2016 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, but opted not to attend and receive the honor. Smith stopped singing at one point — telling the crowd “I’m sorry, I’m so nervous” — but was met with applause from the supportive audience, and restarted the phrase. Dylan recently also decided to skip the meeting with President Barack Obama and the other American Nobel Prize winners.
Gospel legend Joe Ligon died
Singer Joe Ligon died Sunday in Georgia at age 80. He was known as the spirited and energetic frontman for Grammy Award-winning gospel group the Mighty Clouds of Joy. An Alabama native, Ligon started the group in California in the 1950s and they released music up until this decade.
Bill Cosby seeking plea deal in sexual assault case
Us Weekly and Page Six report that Bill Cosby will seek a plea deal in his current sexual assault case. Sources are saying Cosby is hoping to make a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time and also to evade a trial. The disgraced comedian has been charged in Pennsylvania with three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault for a 2004 incident. Cosby, who is free on $1 million bail, has been accused of drugging and raping more than 50 women throughout his career. Gossip mags are reporting that sources say Cosby and his family think he’ll be eligible for probation-only, given his age and the fact that he has paid this victim millions of dollars. Neither spokespeople for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office nor reps for Cosby had any comment.
‘Flip or Flop’ hosts to separate
Tarek and Christina El Moussa, the husband-and-wife team on HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” reality show, have announced they are separating. This comes six months after the police were called to their house over what the couple characterizes as an “unfortunate misunderstanding,” according to the Associated Press. For now, the plan is to continue their professional life together, and HGTV says the series will continue to film as scheduled.
Also ...
■Forbes named actor Chris Evans Hollywood’s “best actor for the buck” for a second year in a row. This means he has a good paycheck-to-box-office ratio, at least it’s good for the people who pay him. According to Forbes, the “Captain America” actor returned an average of $135.80 at the box office for every dollar he was paid. Chris Pratt was ranked second, the television actor who recently graduated to being a box office star (“Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World”) returned $125.40 for every $1 he was paid this year.
■Norah Jones performs at the Fox Theatre on May 23. Tickets, $39.50 and $69, go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday via Ticketmaster and Olympia Entertainment. Call (800) 745-3000 or (313) 471-6611.
Compiled by Melody Baetens
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
Tuesday’s birthdays
Dick Van Dyke, 91
Christopher Plummer, 87
Ted Nugent, 68
Steve Buscemi, 59
Jamie Foxx, 49
Taylor Swift, 27