NEWSMAKERS

hEagles of Death Metal singer apologizes for his comments

Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has apologized for suggesting that security guards at a Paris concert venue were complicit in the assault by Islamic militants there in November that left 89 people dead.

Hughes told the Fox Business Network last week that six guards at the Bataclan venue never came to work the night of the attack, and “it seems rather obvious that they had a reason not to show up.”

On Friday, Hughes apologized: “I humbly beg forgiveness from the people of France, the staff and security of the Bataclan, my fans, family, friends and anyone else hurt or offended by the absurd accusations I made.”

“My suggestions that anyone affiliated with the Bataclan played a role in the events of November 13 are unfounded and baseless – and I take full responsibility for them,” he said in a statement.

The band’s performance at the Bataclan concert hall was turned into a bloodbath when suicide bombers stormed in as part of near-simultaneous attacks on cafes and a stadium around Paris.

Hughes blamed the lingering effect of the attack for his accusations that the security team may have been in on the attack.

“I’ve been dealing with nonstop nightmares and struggling through therapy to make sense of this tragedy and insanity. I haven’t been myself since November 13,” he wrote. “I realize there’s no excuse for my words, but for what it’s worth, I am sincerely sorry for having hurt, disrespected or accused anyone.”

Kerouac’s birthday celebrated in his Mass. hometown

LOWELL, Mass.

Fans of beat generation writer Jack Kerouac celebrated the “On the Road” author’s birthday at a series of events in his Massachusetts hometown.

Saturday would have been Kerouac’s 94th birthday.

The celebration started at 10 a.m. with a walking tour of Lowell sites connected to Kerouac. It began at the Kerouac Commemorative at Kerouac Park and ended at the Pollard Memorial Library.

The library played a pivotal role in shaping Kerouac’s literary consciousness. It now houses a “Kerouac Corner.”

Writer Steve Edington hosted a presentation comparing the lives and legacies of Kerouac and musician Woody Guthrie.

A show by jazz band The Moody Street Sound at the UnchARTed Gallery finished off the festivities.

The nonprofit Lowell Celebrates Kerouac organized the celebration.

Martin is guest curator at Boston art exhibition

BOSTON

Steve Martin has some happy eyes to go with those happy feet.

The actor and comedian was guest curator of an exhibition at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts devoted to Canadian modernist Lawren Harris.

Martin was on hand Friday for a preview of the exhibition, and he discussed Harris’ work at Saturday’s public opening of the show. He is a passionate arts patron and collector.

Thirty Harris paintings will be on display, including landscapes of the northern shores of Lake Superior, the icy waters of the eastern Arctic and snow-capped Rocky Mountain peaks.

Martin said Harris deserves international acclaim for reaching “another level of the metaphysics of landscape.” Harris died in 1970.

“The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris” runs through June 12.

Associated Press