Jimmy Fallon’s Napkin Trick
Jimmy Fallon treated patrons at Rao’s restaurant in East Harlem to a high-spirited performance on Sept. 14 that included pulling a dinner napkin from his pants. The Tonight Show host engaged in an impromptu a cappella session with his dining companion, music-industry veteran Tommy Mottola and the owner of the fabled eatery — where reservations are virtually impossible to get for non-regulars — Frank Pellegrino. During an ear-splitting rendition of “Stand by Me,” Fallon flitted among tables, guzzling patrons’ drinks, sampling their overflowing pasta dishes and producing said napkin from his pants, which he draped around a woman’s neck. At that point Mottola wisely said, “We have to go, Jimmy,” and the duo left to raucous applause. In May, the media reported that Fallon — once again in attendance with Mottola — sang after diners’ cellphones were confiscated. On Sunday, however, a number of visible iPhones suggest that Fallon’s performance will soon be on the Net.
Rihanna Is Latest Celebrity Target of Alleged Nude Photos Leak
Extreme Multitasker
Rock band Extreme‘s Nuno Bettencourt, also known as Rihanna‘s badass guitar player for the past four years, tells Billboard he has entered the world of screenwriting. While on tour with Ri-Ri, he wrote a script called “The Lost and the Found,” which he calls “a politically driven action drama where stardom and espionage become one.” James Gandolfini‘s production company picked up the script, and after the Sopranos star’s 2013 death, Virgin Produced has continued to develop the project.
Miley Cyrus Blamed for Canceled High School Dance
Quick Riffs
Miley Cyrus wore her favorite tie-die shirt to dinner with friends at Nobu on Sept. 13. A source says Cyrus was smoking in the women’s room at the celeb hangout….At the Sept. 10 listening party for Leonard Cohen‘s Popular Problems album at the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles, Cohen said he’s already working on another album.
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This article first appeared in the Sept. 27th issue of Billboard.