A civil war of sorts may be brewing for the peaceful nation of Canada. Two of the country's citizens are preparing for an ugly, no-holds-barred grudge match at, of all places, the upcoming Grammy Awards. "We keep telling folks it's a friendly competition," warns one of the combatants, 72-year-old Walter Ostanek (pictured), "but two minutes before the winner is announced, the friendship is over."
Such animosity stems from the fact that the category in which Ostanek opposes his archrival, young buck John Gora, who's 49, may soon be abolished. Brace yourselves, people: the Grammys may be on the verge of eliminating the annual award for best polka album.
If this is the bandleaders' last shot at Grammy glory – Ostanek has been nominated a whopping 20 times and won three; it's Gora's fourth nomination, so far with a goose egg in the win column – they're not going out without putting the squeeze on. Ostanek, who plays the so-called Cleveland style of traditional polka, titled his latest album 'Dueling Polkas.' Not to be outdone by the crusty old-timer, Gora, who grew up on rock 'n roll and is partial to the horn-inflected Chicago style, called his '07 release 'Bulletproof Polkas.'
Who knew the music of Lawrence Welk could be so violent? Ambrose Bierce once defined the much-maligned accordion as "an instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin." But despite all the battle-hardened imagery, polka is an industry in retreat, Ostanek admits. "It's for weekend warriors now," he tells the Toronto Star. If the Grammys fold the style into the broader roots or world music categories, he frets, "you'll never hear of guys like us again." Say one thing for him -- the guy really knows how to push those buttons.
Polka Singers Poised to Brawl at Grammys
Britney’s back on the loose, so watch your toes as her wheels wizz by. The pop princess busted out of her recent home - the UCLA Hospital psych ward - yesterday, where she was being treated for a serious bi-polar disorder. What ensued was a typical Brit-day: speeding, wigs, British accent, car towing, a visit to the Beverly Hills Hotel followed by a stop at her lawyer’s office. Not surprisingly, her parents are pissed off about the whole thing. We’re hoping this is just a pit stop before Brit heads off for more help, but we’re not yet convinced that she actually wants any.
TMZ got their hands on Kanye West’s rider for his most recent concert tour, and his demands are, well, exactly what’d you expect. You can enjoy the entire 23 pages here, but why not just let us pick out the gems for you?
- There must be a masseuse at each show. Obvi. Big egos make for big back pains.
- A Connect Four game, if possible (The gang travels with one, but ya know - in case Kanye forgets it on his tour bus) .
- An entertainment center with an XBox 360, Playstation III and Guitar Hero. Fun!
- One bottle each of Hennessey, Sky or Absolut Vodka, Patron Tequila, plus six packs of Heineken and Stella Artois beer.
All food must be healthy and organic - NO fried food will be served. NONE! Kanye’s body is too precious for such things (alcohol excluded).
Lindsay’s career may be “back on track,” but her fashion choices are as poor-planned as ever. At a recent event celebrating her current Paper magazine cover, Linds showed up decked out like a Wall Street trader on top, with a fugly skirt surely deemed by someone close to her as cutting edge. Perhaps it was created by her pal Jeremy Scott, the fashion designer who shot the cover, but we have no idea, as all our clothes are from last year’s sale rack at Old Navy. Yet while our garb may be shabby, our eye for bad fashion is not. LiLo’s ensemble is an ensembleghhhhh.
Avril Lavigne Thinks She Can Design
The singer’s creating a line of rocker clothes for girls so you can dress just like her. Attitude problem not included. [Us]
Patrick Swayze’s Cancer Crisis
The Ghost and Dirty Dancing star is currently receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer. We’re sending him lots of good vibes! [People]
Jamie Lynn Spears Back on TV
Brit’s pregnant teen sis will guest star on Ashton Kutcher’s new show Miss Guided. Not that Jamie-Lynn is or anything. [People]
We Got it All Wrong! Jen Aniston Dumped Brad, Okay?
We are we still talking about a break-up that happened years ago!? Brennifer is way over, even if it is cool to know that she dumped his maybe-cheatin’ ass. [DListed]
Britney and Her Dance Students: BFF!
Awwww. This pic of Britney and some of her little dance pupils is just too cute. [TMZ]
Janet’s New Vid: Kylie Locked in a Club?
BET premiered Janet Jackson’s clip for “Rock With U.” The song has overtones of Australian club-queen Kylie Minogue, and the video’s set in a club (or sound stage, let’s be honest) that recalls a futuristic mental hospital/the well-designed drum ‘n’ bass nightspots of decades past. Janet herself is looking fairly fly, dressed in an outfit that looks a little like what might happen if Project Runway winner Christian Siriano did fetish wear. Would Christian collaborate with Janet? We suspect so, yes. Jackson is currently topping the charts with her provocative Discipline. To see other Janet videos — and watch her comment on them — check out our fresh Box Set.
Patrick Swayze, the actor who wooed the ladies (and ticket sales) with his sexy hip-swaying in Dirty Dancing and sultry sculpture work in Ghost, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The cancer is particularly deadly, with an “average life expectancy for a newly diagnosed patient is six to nine months, with only 4 percent of victims surviving more than five years.” An early report yesterday alleged that the star was on his deathbed with only weeks to live, however his doctor and rep have since clarified the state of his condition. “Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far,” Dr. Patrick George said. “All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.”
His rep added that Swayze would also continue to work on his new A&E series The Beast, as well as other upcoming projects. His new film, Powder Blue, is set to be released this year and co-stars Jessica Biel and Forrest Whitaker. In the meantime, we’re sending lots of good thoughts Swayze’s way while he battles this disease.
