Dave Grohl’s Romantic Oscar Night
Dave Grohl is an equal-opportunity dancer. After the Foo Fighters frontman performed a poignant solo version of The Beatles‘ “Blackbird” during the In Memoriam segment of the Academy Awards telecast, he and his wife Jordyn Blum headed to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party, where the piano man performed for the exclusive crowd. When John performed his early hit ballad “Your Song,” Grohl and his missus slow-danced and serenaded each other at the back of the tented party space adjacent to the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. Moments later, the former Nirvana drummer did the same with America’s Next Top Model coach “Miss” J. Alexander. Nearby, James Blunt and Beck were deep in conversation while Scissor Sisters‘ Jake Shears had a prime seat at a table close to Elton’s. Among the music-industry movers and shakers in the audience: managers Larry Rudolph and Eric Podwall, Quincy Jones and Russell Simmons.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Lana Del Rey & Gaga’s Oscar Talk
The Weinstein Company’s annual pre-Oscars party at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel on Feb. 27 was as much about music at it was about movies. Singer/actress Zendaya, who wore two Marchesa gowns over the course of the night (Marchesa’s co-founder Georgina Chapman is married to Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein), sang “Neverland” from the company’s Broadway production Finding Neverland at the Fiji Water-sponsored soiree. Dancer, actor and singer Derek Hough — brother of Grease Live! star Julianne Hough — performed two songs from Singin’ in the Rain, an upcoming Weinstein-produced musical in which he is slated to star. Diane Warren sang the Oscar-nominated “Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground, a documentary distributed by Radius-TWC (which is owned by The Weinstein Company), and around 11:30 p.m., her co-writer on the song, Lady Gaga, arrived with fiance Taylor Kinney. She got a warm hug from Lana Del Rey and the two spent several minutes engrossed in conversation until Gaga noticed that Kinney had wandered away and beckoned him over to meet Del Rey. Also in the crowd were legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who scored Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Jared Leto and John Legend and his very pregnant wife Chrissy Teigen, who sat in the center of the room with Nick Jonas.
Emblem3 Q&A Gets Steamy
On Feb. 24, the recently reunited reggae group Emblem3 worked a packed house of women into a froth before playing an acoustic mini-set at the VFSC Social Club at Platform in Culver City, Calif. Before the performance, which was sponsored by Chrysler and L’Oreal, brothers Wesley and Keaton Stromberg and bandmate Drew Chadwick were supposed to answer questions about how social media has changed the music business, but the subject quickly became the relationship of the trio of heartthrobs and 2012 X Factor finalists. “We are all single,” Wesley told the approving crowd. “We don’t want to worry about anyone back home.” Chadwick also told the crowd that he looks for “sincerity in a woman — and a big booty,” although he quickly added, “Just kidding.” The Q&A session took an even racier turn when a blond woman in her 30s stepped up to a microphone that was available to audience members with questions and proclaimed, “Not only did you guys give me platinum goosebumps, you made my nipples hard.” As a finale, the band performed four songs — “Sunset Blvd,” “End of Summer,” a new number “Taboo Love” and a cover of Justin Bieber‘s “Love Yourself” — to the appreciative crowd.
Following the show, Chadwick talked exclusively to Overheard about the band’s free app, which enables fans to listen to Emblem3’s music, and about the trio’s upcoming new album. Chadwick said he and his bandmates have set up a studio in the Los Angeles home where they currently live and are writing and recording new music. He added that he is working on a “fun, upbeat song” titled “Too Pretty” that was inspired by his breakup with an ex-girlfriend.
Kelly Rowland’s Busy Dance Card
Former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland had a glamorous Oscar weekend. On Feb. 25, she joined Oprah Winfrey, Nick Cannon and Chris Rock at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon sponsored by the Lincoln Motor Company at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where the starry crowd was entertained by Leon Bridges. The star of the event was Winfrey, who had guests flocking to her table in search of a selfie, but four bodyguards stationed around her kept the crowd at bay while serving the talk-show star drinks and food.
Later that night, Rowland danced with friends at Cadillac’s pre-Oscars party at the Chateau Marmont while wearing a stylish black jumpsuit and a diamond necklace that, she told Overheard, was a gift from Elton John. Not surprisingly, she attended John’s annual Oscar viewing party three nights later then headed to Maserati’s Oscar Salute at the W Hollywood, where she sat with host Kevin Hart and Unforgettable actress Lala Anthony while Questlove DJ’d.
–Additional reporting by Shirley Halperin
An edited version of this column will appear in the March 12 issue of Billboard magazine.
