Celebrity Scribe – Page 8 – Heartfelt musings of Celebrity Scribe Marsala Rypka.

Lionel Richie: Wow, Wow, Wow!

When I think of weddings, I can’t help but think of Lionel Richie. The reason is because when I got married in 1983 (I’m blessed to be married to the same man for 27 years) the first song my husband, Steven and I danced to was a Lionel Richie song. Actually, that’s not exactly right. I couldn’t make up my mind between “Endless Love” and “Truly,” so much to my husband’s dismay, I chose both songs. Needless to say it was a long first dance.

Flash forward to April 9, 2010. I’m scheduled to interview Lionel for the June “Wedding” issue of Luxury Las Vegas magazine and I’m hoping that he will be as wonderful as I imagine, or else memories of my wedding day will be tainted.

Everything is set and then I get a phone call pushing the interview back to the following week. No problem. I understand celebrities have very busy lives and anything can happen at the last minute to change their plans. Now we’re scheduled to talk on April 16, the very day Lionel is supposed to arrive in New York from Geneva, Switzerland.

That worries me. [Read more…] about Lionel Richie: Wow, Wow, Wow!

Wynonna: A Portrait in Healing

By Marsala

The first in a six-part series called The Judds aired last night on Oprah’s OWN network. It was filmed as Wynonna and Naomi prepared for their 2010 “Last Encore” tour, the first they would perform together in ten years.

As I watched the show, I was struck by both women’s honesty, openness, and willingness to be vulnerable with each other especially knowing that millions of people would be watching. It’s impressive anytime anyone is willing to let go of their ego, but in Wynonna and Naomi’s case, it is extraordinary, because when you are famous it’s even more difficult to give up the facade.

I had my own personal experience with Wynonna back in January 2006 when I interviewed her for my monthly celebrity column called “Up Close and Personal” in Luxury Las Vegas Magazine. She blew me away then just as she did last night. She touches my heart in a very profound way. Here is my recollection of that experience and excerpts from that interview:

Anthony Hopkins: Hannibal Lecter He’s Not!

By Marsala

When you wake up in the morning you never know what the day will hold. I never expected that I would answer my cell phone while I was driving down the freeway and hear my editor say, “Would you like to interview Anthony Hopkins?”

“Of course I would,” I shrieked into the phone. “He’s a legend, an icon.”

“Then you have to be at such-and-such art gallery tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. They’re exhibiting his paintings and he’s making a personal appearance.”

Tomorrow! Excitement and fear flooded my body as I remembered how much the 1991 film, Silence of the Lambs truly terrified me. The coming attractions, as well as the trailers that were played over and over again of the psycho-genius, cannibalistic, serial killer who enjoyed eating his victims’ liver with some “fava beans and a nice Chianti,” were so convincing that on the way to the theater, I started crying and hyperventilating, telling my confused husband that I wanted to turn around and go home.