Grammys to salute Band’s Helm
Elton John and Mumford & Sons will hit the Grammys stage to pay tribute to Levon Helm.
The Recording Academy announced Wednesday that T Bone Burnett, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes will also perform “The Weight” at Sunday’s awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
“Can you think of a song that fits (more)?” said Ken Ehrlich, producer of the Grammy Awards. “Philosophically, it fits the moment.”
Helm, who grew up near Helena, Ark., was the drummer and one of the singers for The Band. He died of complications from cancer last year at age 71.
The Band’s 1968 debut, Music From Big Pink, and its follow-up, The Band, remain landmark albums of the era, and songs such as “The Weight” and “Cripple Creek” have become rock standards.
Geithner tells side of crisis
Former Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner will write a book focusing on his response to the financial crisis, The Associated Press has learned.
Geithner, 51, will be represented by Washington-based attorney Robert Barnett, who confirmed Wednesday that Geithner would be meeting with publishers, but otherwise declined comment. Barnett has negotiated deals for President Barack Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Few Treasury secretaries have attracted as much attention as Geithner, who has been praised for preventing a second Great Depression, but also criticized for being too sympathetic to Wall Street. The book is expected in 2014.
Morris out at Fox News
Political commentator Dick Morris’ prediction of a huge landslide for Mitt Romney didn’t pan out. And now he’s lost his job at Fox News Channel.
Network spokeswoman Dana Klinghoffer said Tuesday Fox wasn’t re-signing Morris, who was steadfast in his prediction of a big Romney win over President Barack Obama. He has made few appearances on Fox since the election. Morris had also been criticized for accepting paid ads on his website from candidates he discussed on the air.
On his website, Morris said he’ll appear Wednesday on CNN’s Piers Morgan show to talk politics.