Parton honored for charitable work
Dolly Parton was jokingly uncharitable after the crowd at the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy ceremony tried singing along with her during her acceptance speech at Gotham Hall in New York.
“That was terrible,” the Grammy-winning country superstar said after a muted singalong of “Books, Books,” the song she wrote to support her Imagination Library initiative.
That philanthropic program, which provides children younger than 5 a free book every month, was one of the reasons she was part of this year’s class of Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy honorees, as well as her donation to coronavirus vaccine research in 2020 that helped develop the Moderna vaccine.
“I’m very proud and honored to be a part of anything that is going to make the world a better place,” Parton said, adding that she was pleased to be celebrated along with Dallas entrepreneur Lyda Hill, Kenyan industrialist Manu Chandaria, and Lynn and Stacy Schusterman, from the Oklahoma investment family.
The ceremony Thursday celebrated the 20th anniversary of the award, which was established in 2001 as the “Nobel Prize of philanthropy.” To mark the milestone, which was postponed a year due to the pandemic, the Carnegie institutions launched the Carnegie Catalyst award to “celebrate the transformative power of human kindness.” The award went to World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit that provides meals after crises founded by chef Jose Andres.
Kelly memoir coming in Minka Kelly wants May: her fans to know that her life is not just a story of success. The actor and model — known for “Friday Night Lights,” “Titans” and “Euphoria” — is working on a book that publisher Henry Holt and Company calls “a gripping memoir of family, forgiveness and the importance of finding inner strength.” Holt recently announced that “Tell Me Everything” is slated to come out May 2.
According to Holt, Kelly, 42, “will speak openly about her upbringing as the daughter of a single mother” and “the cycles of violence and hardship inherited by the women around her.” In a statement, Kelly called the book a tribute to her mother and to all working-class single mothers.
CNN reveals start date for new morning show: CNN says it will debut its new morning show Nov. 1, a week before the midterm election.
The show will be called “CNN This Morning,” the network said recently. The program, with Kaitlan Collins, Poppy Harlow and Don Lemon as hosts, replaces “New Day” and will air weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. Eastern time.
CNN wants to take advantage of an expected bump in viewership surrounding the Nov. 8 election, so it is moving ahead in temporary quarters despite a New Yorkbased set for the show still being under construction, said Ryan Kadro, senior vice president of content strategy at CNN.
Oct. 17 birthdays: Singer Gary Puckett is 80. Actor Michael McKean is 75. Actor George Wendt is 74. Musician Bill Hudson is 73. Singer Alan Jackson is 64. Animator Mike Judge is 60. Singer Ziggy Marley is 54. Actor Wood Harris is 53. Singer Wyclef Jean is 53. Rapper Eminem is 50. Actor Sharon Leal is 50. Actor Felicity Jones is 39.