newsmakers

newsmakers

‘Tennessee Waltz’ singer Patti Page dies

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

Patti Page, the “Singing Rage” who stumbled across “Tennessee Waltz” and made it one of the best-selling recordings ever, has died. She was 85.

Page died New Year’s Day in Encinitas, Calif., according to publicist Schatzi Hageman.

Page was the top-selling female singer of the 1950s with more than 100 million records sold. Her most enduring songs remain “Tennessee Waltz,” one of two songs the state of Tennessee has officially adopted, and “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window.”

“I was a kid from Oklahoma who never wanted to be a singer but was told I could sing,” she said in a 1999 interview. “And things snowballed.”

She created a distinctive sound for the music industry in 1947 by overdubbing her own voice when she didn’t have enough money to hire backup singers for the single, “Confess.” She went on to score 15 gold records and three gold albums with 24 songs in the top 10, including four that reached No. 1.

She was popular in pop music and country and became the first singer to have television programs on all three major networks, including “The Patti Page Show” on ABC.

In 1999, after 51 years of performing, Page won her first Grammy for traditional pop vocal performance for “Live at Carnegie Hall — The 50th Anniversary Concert.”

Bieber paparazzo struck, killed by car

LOS ANGELES

A paparazzo was struck and killed by a car while darting across a street after taking pictures of Justin Bieber’s Ferrari when it was pulled over along a freeway in Los Angeles, police said Wednesday.

Bieber was not in the car at the time. The singer later said his prayers were with the family of the 29-year-old photographer who was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the accident late Tuesday afternoon.

His name was withheld by police pending notification of relatives.

“Hopefully, this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders and the photographers themselves,” Bieber said in the statement released by Island Def Jam Music Group.

Ty Pennington to host HLN series

NEW YORK

Ty Pennington is doing some traveling again, this time for the HLN television network.

HLN said Wednesday that Pennington, who stars in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” will host a monthly series called “American Journey.” It will focus on people with unusual lifestyles and debuts Jan. 12. Each episode will air multiple times over the weekend on the network formerly known as CNN Headline News, with a new edition starting each month.

Early episodes will focus on lobstermen and Delta blues musicians.

Pennington said he wants to follow the growing subculture of entrepreneurs and creative thinkers trying to rebuild the country.

Vindicator wire services