PASADENA, Oct. 5 – Singer Michael Bolton was in a Southland federal appeals courtroom Tuesday asking for a $5.4 million copy infringement judgment against him to be overturned. "This has been five or six years of the most difficult experience of my entire life," the pop star said after the hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Here the comparisons between the two songs at the center of courtroom battle. In 1994, a jury found that Bolton, 46, had taken portions of his hit song "Love is a Wonderful Thing" from a 1966 Isley Brothers tune of the same name. In 1996, a special master appointed by the court determined that Bolton and his writing partner, Andy Goldmark, owed Ronald Isley $5.4 million. Bolton attorney Russell Frackman told the three-judge panel that his client and Goldmark were teen-agers living in Connecticut when the song came out, and would not have heard it because it was not a hit. Witnesses at the 1994 trial said the song was played for about a week on radio stations in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia before it was taken off the air, Frackman said. Even if Bolton had used portions of the song in his own tune, the multimillion-dollar judgment against him was excessive, his lawyer said. But Isley’s lawyer, John McNicholas, argued there was evidence that Bolton was familiar with Isley’s song. He said when Bolton was introduced to Isley at a Lou Rawls benefit in 1988, Bolton said he didn’t need an introduction because he was "familiar with all of your work." Before driving off in a chauffeured Mercedes Tuesday, Bolton said, "I’m grateful we got this particular panel of judges. "I’m grateful we had the opportunity to put our case forward in front of them. And I’m hopeful that they’re going to really look into it as deeply as I would possibly want. They were very bright and very focused." The panel is expected to rule within two months.

It's taken awhile, but Michael Bolton is making good on his promise to appeal a 1994 multi-million dollar judgement for allegedly plagiarizing an old song by the Isley Brothers.  Bolton's legal counsel, Robert G. Sugarman, tells allstar that although the appeal was only heard yesterday in Pasadena by a federal panel, it had actually been filed in January of 1997.   Sugarman says the crux of the appeal is that the evidence wasn't sufficient to warrant the conclusion the jury ultimately came to. That conclusion was that Bolton's hit song, "Love is a Wonderful Thing," which was on the singer's Time, Love and Tenderness album, was partly lifted from a 1964 Isley Brothers song of the same name, and that the Isleys were entitled to 66% of the profits from his song, and 28% of album sales. The Grammy- winning album had sold 10 million copies at the time.  The song, written by Bolton and co-writer Andrew Goldmark, had also won several BMI and ASCAP songwriting awards. At that time, the Isley Brothers told the media that Bolton and Goldmark should return the awards.  The suit got even uglier when Bolton, who is white, lost and vaguely accused the jury, which was made up of four blacks and four whites, of racism.   Christine Pagac, one of the lawyers representing the Isley Brothers, says that with post-judgement interest, the award stands at roughly $6 million. She adds that her clients have yet to see a penny from the Bolton camp. The case got underway in 1992 and went to trial in 1994.  There is no deadline for the appeals panel, and a court official tells allstar that the decision could take months.

By MIKE PATRICK Staff writer

Joe Piscopo yukked it up in the dugout. Joan Lunden frantically pedaled an oversized tricycle. Michael Bolton kept beltin' 'em directly into the gloves of the opposing team. And the only ones who seemed to be scoring points were professional wrestlers. Atlantic League champs the Bridgeport Bluefish have nothing to worry about from these guys. It was singer Bolton's seventh annual celebrity softball game, held for the second year in a row at Bridgeport's Harbor Yard on Saturday, to benefit the Michael Bolton Charities Inc., which helps women and children who are at risk for emotional, physical and sexual abuse. "When I started having hit records in 1988, I got involved with a lot of benefits," Bolton said, resting in the dugout between innings in his "Bolton's Bombers" uniform. "Celebrity helps raise awareness and money."

"I'm a big Michael Bolton fan and I dragged her with me," Watertown resident and Bolton Fan Club member Linda Ciarleglio, 34, said, pointing to her friend Terry Butler, 34, of Waterbury, who rooted for the other team. "I go to all his concerts." Bolton didn't sing, but he and a lot of celebrities used their fame - and their athleticism - at Harbor Yard to raise money. Bolton's team played the All-Stars, a team made up of professional wrestlers from the World Wrestling Federation, comedians like Joe Piscopo and Eddie Brill, former New York Met Keith Hernandez, Lunden and others. Lunden, who just scored a run and would soon race against a professional wrestler on a tricycle, said she had recently visited Kids in Crisis in Greenwich and appreciated the fact that Bolton's charity benefits women and youth. "He knows women are his ardent fans, so that's who he chose to give back to," Lunden, former host of the TV show "Good Morning America," said. "I think he's very tuned into women, and it shows in his songs." Nearby, the two WWF wrestlers who make up "The Mean Street Posse" each scored a home run. "It's nice to show the community the WWF doesn't just have an office in Stamford, we're involved," WWF spokeswoman Susan Aitchison said. Former "Saturday Night Live" star Piscopo took a break from fielding in the All-Stars dugout to point out he also runs a nonprofit organization, called the "Positive Impact Foundation," that produces TV shows celebrating kids' accomplishments. "He's one of the few entertainers - and there's only a handful - that really care," Piscopo said of Bolton. Piscopo was expected to perform a comedy routine Saturday night at Bolton's benefit gala and charity auction at the Stamford Marriott. Charity spokespeople said it wasn't certain exactly how much the two events would raise, but they did say the ballgame and the $500-per-plate benefit were the major fund-raisers for an organization that brings in more than $2 million a year. Last year, the organization devoted 68.7 percent of the money it raised directly to the charities it serves.

Well, why not?
Count in Michael Bolton as another singer who wants to make movies. He says he's spending more time on the West Coast to focus on his film production company, and is taking acting lessons in New York and Hollywood. ``The first few projects I want to do are small films -- not studio films,'' Bolton says. ``I would just like to do something no one would expect. I wouldn't mind being the bad guy.''

Consider yourself warned! Michael Bolton wants to make movies. The oft-derided singer and lothario is spending more time on the West Coast to focus on his film production company, and is taking acting lessons. "I would just like," Bolton crooned, "to do something no one would expect." Talk about leaving your options open ...

Oct. 19
Michael Bolton, "Timeless: The Classics," Columbia. The singer applies his pipes to such rock-era standards as "Like a Rolling Stone," "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Sexual Healing."

HarborYard Park in Bridgeport, Conn., 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2

Michael Bolton, Joe Piscopo and Phoebe Snow will perform and Joan Lunden will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies at Post-Softball Benefit Gala in Stamford, Conn., 6:30 p.m., Oct. 2

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 30, 1999-- The Michael Bolton Charities Inc. will hold its seventh annual celebrity softball game at HarborYard Park -- the home of the Bridgeport Bluefish -- at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2.

The Bolton Bombers -- a softball team headed by Michael Bolton -- will play against a team of celebrities including former Saturday Night Live star Joe Piscopo, Hall of Famer Keith Hernandez, comedian Eddie Brille, Dan Jansen, Trevor Matich, and All My Children soap opera star Bill Christian. The benefit gala will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Conn. The honorary chairman of the event is Louis Marx Jr., chairman, NOEL Group. Joan Lunden will return for her seventh year as Mistress of Ceremonies. Comediennes Joe Piscopo and Eddie Brille will perform, as will the legendary Phoebe Snow. Michael and his band will end the evening with a special performance. The Foundation will present The Michael Bolton Lifetime Achievement Award that evening to the following humanitarians: David and Jillian Gilmour, Founder/Chairman Figi Natural Artesian Water and Martin Richards, Founder and President of The Producer's Circle Co. Both the softball game and Gala are open to the public. Tickets for the softball game are $10 per person ($15 per person for preferred seating) and can be purchased at the Bluefish box office during all games or by calling 203/345-4800. Tickets for the Gala are $500 per person and must be purchased in advance by calling 203/483-6463. Seating for the Gala is limited and ticket reservations will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.

The Michael Bolton Charities -- founded in 1993 by two-time Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Michael Bolton -- was established to help benefit children and women at risk from the effects of poverty and emotional, physical and sexual abuse as well as to provide access to education for underprivileged youth. To purchase softball tickets: Contact the Bridgeport Bluefish box office, 203/345-4800. To purchase Gala tickets and for more information, contact The Michael Bolton Charities, 203/483-6463.

 Contact:

The Michael Bolton Charities Inc., Branford, Conn.

Tel: 203/483-6463

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Michael Bolton's charitable foundation has increased its rate of giving following criticism of its performance. New financial reports show that Michael Bolton Charities Inc. increased its rate of charitable giving to nearly 69 percent last year. Financial statements had earlier revealed that only 15 percent of the $2.5 million collected after expenses in 1995 went directly to organizations the singer's charity was created to help. ``We're still a young organization and we're still learning,'' said Jacqueline Smaga, the foundation's executive director. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the state believes charities should spend at least half of their revenues on programs and activities that directly benefit the causes supported by contributors. The charity funded 18 nonprofit organizations whose mission is to serve women and children who are at-risk for emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

By MARIAN GAIL BROWN Staff writer

Singer Michael Bolton’s foundation proved to be more of a "Soul Provider" to the charities it supports, giving them 68.7 percent of what it raised last year — a rate of giving more than four times greater than in 1995, when it was criticized for its stinginess. That’s the picture that emerges from a review of the Michael Bolton Charities Inc. filed recently with the state Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Protection. The charity is based in Branford; Bolton lives in Westport. Bolton’s charity drew criticism last year when it was revealed that only 15 percent of the $2.5 million it netted after expenses in 1995 went directly to the organizations it was set up to help. The bulk of the money that year was spent on fund-raising efforts. According to its latest return, known as a 990 statement, Michael Bolton Charities Inc., formerly known as the Michael Bolton Foundation, accepted $787,897 in donations and state grants, and dispersed $540,936 in 1998, a 68.7 percent rate of giving. The charity earned another $103,500 from its investments in 1998, for a total income of $891,397. The charity last year funded 18 nonprofit organizations whose mission is to serve women and children who are at-risk for emotional, physical and sexual abuse. "We’re always looking for improvements, and it seems that the Michael Bolton Charities is vastly improved," said Dan Langan, an analyst with the National Charities Information Bureau, a 70-year-old watchdog group that scrutinizes the tax returns of about 300 charities and foundations. "I would attribute our progress to what was said all along. We’re still a young organization and we’re still learning," said Jacqueline Smaga, executive director of Michael Bolton Charities. "And last year was truly a wake-up call for us. We learned a lot last year and everything was tightened up." She added, "Our numbers did improve drastically last year and this is where we are; 1999 will either equal or surpass the 1998 figures." The charity spent $304,211 on management, operating and program expenses, equal to 38.6 percent of what it raised, not including the return on its investments. Fund-raising expenses totaled $24,347, or 3.1 percent. Between the grants it issued and its operating costs and fund-raising expenses, the charity spent almost $82,000 more than it took in. It made up the deficit through the $103,500 it earned on its investments. Its earnings were up 13 percent. "The financial picture is very good," said Len Miller of Miller & Co. of Stamford, the charity’s auditor. "When you get up to over 50 percent in giving, you’re doing pretty well, and this is latest return, with a rate of 68.7 percent, is the highest that it’s ever been." Last year, the charity gave away 52.4 percent of what it took in. Among the 1998 recipients of Bolton’s grants were Safe Space of New Haven, $157,230; City Kids Foundation in New Haven, $75,000; Yale Child Study Center at Yale University in New Haven, $67,050; the Boys Choir of Harlem, $45,000; and the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Norwalk and Stamford, $17,500. The Bolton charity started off 1998 with net assets of $2,074,182 and ended the year with $2,096,050, an increase of $21,868. By comparison, the charity’s net assets in 1997 had increased $201,937.

It wasn't exactly Woodstock '99, but Michael Bolton's fans tried their best Sunday night. The bland balladeer ruffled a few feathers at the benefit for his foundation when he encouraged his audience — including Fox News anchor John Roland and a lady — to get up and dance around Marty Richards' Southampton estate. That caused Richards to get up onstage and shout, "No one wants to look at your tushses — people have paid a lot of good money to see the performance." A blushing Bolton agreed, saying, "Marty knows best," before dashing off to field a congratulatory phone call from President Clinton. Among the dancers at the Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs-catered event were Star Jones, Keith Hernandez and Dan Jansen ...

Michael Bolton takes on the generous and deep-pocketed Hamptons on Aug. 16, for the special event benefiting his self-named charity organization. (The Second Annual Michael Bolton Celebrity Golf Classic.) The day before, on the15th, producer Martin Richards throws open the doors of his Southampton estate for Michael, a gala at which the singer promises to belt out a few numbers. (Unlike Samson, Bolton didn't lose any strength when his long locks were cut short. And he looks more handsome now, without that distracting mane.)

(May 9, 1999 9:26 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Summer is drawing near, school is ending, and, as The Offspring sings, "Why don't you get a job." Mind you, there's nothing sexy about the minimum wage opportunities that await this year's batch of teens seeking steady employment for the first time. As the Barenaked Ladies sing in a paean about bad jobs ranging from forestry to retail: "Never is enough. I never want to do that stuff." But it's also a rite of passage, and everyone has had a bad job or two. Even musicians who now get paid big bucks being on stage or in the studio have flipped burgers or dug ditches sometime in their lives. We asked some of them to relate their least-favorite jobs:
Michael Bolton: "I worked at a car wash when I was 17. I remember I wanted to buy my girlfriend a gift, and it was right before Christmas. I didn't have any money and a friend of my father owned a car wash. I did that gig for three weeks. It just had nothing to do with anything I wanted to do. I was just so removed from everything I loved and what I wanted to do with my life."

Copyright © 1999 Nando Media
Copyright © 1999 Scripps Howard News Service

Michael Bolton, singer and honorary chairman, Prevent Child Abuse America, at news conference Bolton says he became upset when he saw parents abusing their children in public.

Michael Bolton, singer and honorary chairman, Prevent Child Abuse America, at news conference Bolton says society must raise awareness about child abuse and neglect.

Sid Johnson, executive director, Prevent Child Abuse America, at news conference Johnson says although the crime rate has dropped, the number of child abuse cases has risen.

Sid Johnson, executive director, Prevent Child Abuse America, at news conference Johnson says that of the child abuse victims who die, most are killed by their parents.

Copyright 1999& The Associated Press

PRNewswire

29-MAR-99

WHAT: Press conference to announce that children in the U.S. are more likely to be violently victimized at home than on the streets, according to Prevent Child Abuse America (formerly the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse). Also to be announced are such statistics as:

-- While the nation's overall crime rate fell 21 percent from 1993 to 1997, reports of child abuse and neglect grew by 8 percent and confirmed cases increased 4 percent

-- During the period 1993-1997, Prevent Child Abuse America estimates that over 5,000 children died from abuse or neglect in the United States

-- One third of all Americans have witnessed an adult physically abuse a child and two-thirds have seen an adult emotionally abuse a child

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, March 30
WHERE: The National Press Club
Holeman Lounge
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, D.C.

202-662-7500

WHO: Prevent Child Abuse America representatives:
-- Sid Johnson, Executive Director
-- Maura Somers Dughi, President of the Board
-- Michael Bolton, Honorary Chairman

CONTACTS: -- Kevin Kirkpatrick (in Washington, D.C.): 312-371-5523
-- Matt Feldman (in Chicago office): 312-663-3520 ext. 161

SOURCE: Nebraska AIDS Project

Celine Dion and Michael Bolton to Headline 'You Gotta Have Friends' A One Night Only Benefit for the Nebraska AIDS Project on Friday, April 9th

OMAHA, Neb., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the top names in music will join forces for ``You Gotta Have Friends,'' a concert created especially as a benefit for the Nebraska AIDS Project. The concert will feature performances by Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Australian triple-platinum sensation Human Nature, comedian Andre Phillippe-Gagnon, Joshua Groban, Jessica Tivens and others, all under the musical direction of multiple Grammy Award winning producer and songwriter David Foster. This one night only benefit will take place at Aksarben Coliseum on Friday, April 9 at 8 p.m.``I am happy to be joining this wonderful group of performers to help the Nebraska AIDS Project,'' said Ms. Dion. ``AIDS is not just a problem in one part of this country so it is only fitting that we should come together in Omaha and do our part to fight this terrible disease.'' "We are thrilled to have such an amazing array of stars from around the world converging to support the work we are doing for people with HIV in Nebraska,'' said Sue Crumpton, Executive Director of the Nebraska AIDS Project. ``We are especially grateful to the performers and to our generous benefactor, Terry Watanabe, for making this event possible.''Founded in 1984, the Nebraska AIDS Project (NAP) is one of the nation's oldest AIDS service organizations, providing support services and financial assistance from the early days of the AIDS epidemic. NAP is the leading provider of services to people living with HIV and AIDS throughout the state of Nebraska and in southwest Iowa.Tickets for ``You Gotta Have Friends,'' priced at $50, $100, $150, $300 and $500, can be purchased directly from the Aksarben Ticket Office, from any Ticketmaster location, or charged by phone at 402-422-1212. Tickets are also available on line at www.ticketmaster.com. The Aksarben Box Office information line is 402-561-7001. Special benefit level tickets, priced at $1000, include a post-concert party with the performers, and may be purchased exclusively by calling 402-596-2617. All tickets constitute a charitable contribution to NAP and will be accompanied by a tax receipt upon request. SOURCE: Nebraska AIDS Project

Handsome crooner Michael Bolton's sun is energized by Mercury, and both are traveling in the sign of the fish. This combination encourages him to make connections on more than a superficial level, with a committed relationship his primary goal. Bolton's Leo moon gives him a playful disposition and makes him affectionate and generous. Look for him to expand his repertoire by acting in a romantic comedy this year.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of American Airlines employees, retirees and executives gathered today for the dedication and opening of a $1.9-million addition to the American Airlines C.R. Smith Aviation Museum. The 10,000 square-foot "Hangar" showcases and shelters the restored Douglas DC-3 Flagship Knoxville, originally operated by American during the 1940s. Apollo Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, was special guest speaker; Aldrin will return later this year to participate in the museum's aviation lecture series."This celebration is a tribute to American Airlines' people -- the DC-3 is here because employees and retirees used their own time and money to acquire and restore it for the museum," said Donald J. Carty, AMR Corp. (NYSE:AMR) chairman and CEO. "And when harsh Texas weather threatened the airplane, this same group took the initiative to get this enclosure built, enlisting the help of several thousand others to buy the memorial bricks. Their enthusiasm speaks volumes of the pride our employees have in our company and our heritage."The DC-3 Hangar features floor-to-ceiling glass, and a curved roof that suggests the shape of a wing. Much of the expansion funding was by airline employees, retirees and museum friends who purchased nearly 7,000 memorial bricks displayed in the Hangar's floor.Today the museum also premiered its new large-screen IWERKS film "Spirit of American." The inspirational 20-minute aviation movie -- narrated by actor James Garner, with original theme music performed by Michael Bolton -- replaces the popular "Dream of Flight" film that premiered when the museum opened in 1993. Movie admission is free.

One of the Red Ball's honorees, singer Michael Bolton, said he asked an ex-girlfriend, actress Ashley Judd, to introduce him from the podium at the black-tie event."She was going to introduce her mother anyway," said Bolton, referring to the evening's co-honoree, Naomi Judd. "I thought if Ashley introduced me, it wouldn't be uncomfortable for either of us." Bolton recalled meeting the young star three years ago at the Country Music Awards in Nashville. "I think I fell in love with the entire Judd family before I fell in love with Ashley," said Bolton.Since their split, the two have remained good friends and do see each other from time to time. "I'll tell more private things [about Bolton]," Judd said coyly, "for $5 a pop in a booth outside.When she finally did introduce Bolton, Judd said that "Michael's philanthropy in his soul is bigger than his singing voice.""Michael is my favorite male singer," added Naomi. "Wynonna [her other daughter] is my favorite singer, and Elvis is dead."

This year's Red Ball raised nearly $750,000 for both the Children's Advocacy Center of Manhattan and the Mary Lea Johnson Richards Institute, the organ transplant research and treatment facility founded at NYU Medical Center in memory of Richards' wife.

GWEN KNAPP- EXAMINER COLUMNIST

PEBBLE BEACH - By my calculations, Ken Griffey Jr. and Roger Clemens melded minds across two golf courses on Saturday. At roughly the same instant that Griffey was declaring golf tougher than Clemens, the big pitcher was tossing the links-land equivalent of a no-hitter. Here's how it played out: In the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Clemens aced No. 17 at Poppy Hills. The hole is a 163-yard par-3, and Clemens mowed it down as if it were Ozzie Guillen. Clemens' tee time was 10 minutes after Griffey's glamour foursome - Junior, Kevin Costner, Tiger Woods, Mark O'Meara - started on Pebble Beach. So when Clemens knocked in his ace, Griffey should have been just about finished. He and O'Meara endured blustery winds on the oceanfront course to make the cut for Sunday's final round. On his way out of the scorer's tent, Griffey was asked which was harder: golf in a squall or a game with Clemens on the mound. "This," he said without hesitating. "At least, (Clemens) gives you something to hit." That is the AT&T's charm, the possibility that two of the American League's finest could be making golf statements simultaneously. Or that Academy Award winners will send a golf ball swimming in the Pacific. Or that Alice Cooper and Michael Bolton, the two extremes in popular music, would come down the fairway back-to-back, each having exceptionally good hair days. On Pebble Beach Saturday, Bolton's old 'do would have undone him. At the 18th hole, the wind blew so hard that waves sprayed over the restraining wall and onto the fairway. On the green, the flag bent in an arc. Anyone with long hair ended up looking like Cousin Itt from "The Addams Family." But Bolton is country-club-ready these days, shorn like a banker. And Cooper wears his hair just below his shoulders, in a tidy pony tail. Still, at the AT&T, neither of them made the cut. Cooper, a 9-handicap paired with pro Rocco Mediate, contributed 13 strokes to his team, but they were still 7 strokes off the cut. Cooper scored better with the fans. Strolling down 18, he went over to the gallery to offer autographs. One young man asked Cooper to sign his T-shirt and stuck out his chest. "OK," Cooper said, "but I've had better offers." Among the celebrities, Griffey turned out to be the big surprise this year. In his first appearance, he thoroughly charmed the fans and the officials who accompanied him. He flipped a kid carrying the traveling scoreboard for his foursome, sat in a woman's lap and encouraged the fans to make noise whenever he studied a shot. "Y'all can cheer," he said. "I'm not used to hitting when it's quiet." If you didn't know better, you'd have confused him for Bill Murray, or a holdover celeb from the free-wheeling days when this tournament belonged to Bing Crosby. On the fairways, he dispensed autographs whenever he could. He even made eye contact as he signed, rather than acting as if mingling were a chore. Once, the attention backfired on a fan. "Not you," Griffey said, returning a program unsigned. He pointed to the young man's cap. "You're a Yankee fan." He walked away for a second, did a U-turn, and anted up the signature after all. "He's great for the tournament," one of the marshals said. Griffey also played a pretty game of golf. He and Costner had the same handicap, 14, and their partners, Woods and O'Meara, both finished the third round at 3-over par. But while the Woods-Costner team were 5 strokes over the pro-am cut, O'Meara-Griffey were 1 under. "It was great playing with Tiger and Mark on their level, even though I'm not on their level," Griffey said. He and the two pros live in the same Florida development, a haven for the famous. O'Meara, winner of two majors last year, winner of five AT&T's, disappears in their company, utterly obscured. But nobody fades into the background quite like Mark Grace. The Cubs first baseman, a .310 hitter and an engaging personality, was part of the backdrop to Sammy Sosa's 66 home runs this summer. And every year, he signs up to play alongside Murray in the AT&T. The golf writers who cover the tournament gave him this year's "Caddyshack" award for being such a fine sidekick, but usually, he's barely noticed. Murray enlisted Grace in a synchronized tee-off at the opening hole Saturday, a gag the two have pulled before. Murray's finest moment, though, was spontaneous. After he chipped a ball about three feet in the rough on 12, he dropped to his stomach and turned his club into an imaginary pool cue. That's how he reached the green, prone with his club upside down. The weather cost the crowd a Murray grand finale. When he reached 18, usually his big stage, the rain had just picked up. He made quiet exit, just a few mugs to the crowd. Then on his way to scorer's tent, in the raw cold, he signed about 30 autographs. Grace walked on by, making apologies: "I'm so cold, I can't write." The crowd, thin by now, didn't seem disappointed. The biggest letdown was seeing Jack Lemmon, the beloved Academy Award winner, miss the cut yet again, for an estimated 25th time. Even Lemmon isn't sure how many times he's been in this event. He and partner Peter Jacobsen were well on course after the first day, at 10-under as a team. But Friday at Spyglass put them out of contention, and despite Lennon's unique 21-handicap, they missed by three strokes. Lemmon, at 73, has a bad back, and he visited a doctor after Friday's round. So it was an achievement in itself that he walked six hours, three days in a row. Like an athlete, he played in pain. Obviously, the man still has a lot of the energy he brought to characters like Ensign Pulver. As Murray said, after a great shot this week, "You've got to respect that."

Modesto Bee Online
February 6, 1999

By Ron Agostini Bee sports columnist

(Published: Saturday, February 06, 1999)

PEBBLE BEACH -- This week on the hallowed fairways along 17-Mile Drive, golf ranks in importance down with cracked sea shells and leftover artichokes. Golf is the vehicle, of course, at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. It's just not driving the car. That task is reserved for the celebrities, the names, the beautiful people. Bing Crosby announced the party for his friends in 1947, and the only time it stopped was for the occasional 50-mph gale and sideways rain. Tom Watson was trailed by a surprisingly modest crowd Friday as he sauntered up the 18th fairway Friday at Poppy Hills. Watson, winner of 34 tournaments, is golf. Michael Bolton, the singer of torch songs, is not. But guess who the crowd reacts to? You want celebrities? We've got celebrities, by the thumbnail: BILL MURRAY -- Anyone who unstuffs a shirt like former PGA Tour boss Deane Beman earns eternal favor in this tournament. At every green and tee, his group just finds a quiet corner while Murray holds court. "I'd like to dedicate this drive," Murray announced at Spyglass Hill's 10th tee, "to all the men and women here who obviously don't have to work today." They even erected a chain-link fence around Pebble Beach's 18th green. It's already been dubbed "Murray's fence," a rather tacky insurance policy for elderly women Murray routinely tosses into bunkers. We'll see how Murray negotiates the fence today. CLINT EASTWOOD -- As board chairman of the Monterey Peninsula Golf Foundation, Eastwood is one of the AT&T's behind-the-scenes movers and shakers. Insiders believe he seeks major changes. On the course, however, Eastwood lends a lot of glitz and precious little game. He shanked one into the trees Friday at Spyglass' par-3 11th. Moviemakers square his shoulders, puff up his weight and make him Dirty Harry mean. In person, he's about as menacing as your grandfather. GLEN CAMPBELL -- He's also old school, an image he cemented with his southern fried version of "McArthur Park" ("Someone left a cake out in the rain ..."). But he remains a favorite, a throwback to Bing's final days. KEVIN COSTNER -- He's more uptight than usual this year, but no one minded when he holed from the front bunker for birdie at Poppy's 11th. Costner's retro look featured a tie and vest and something his female galleryites have known for years -- best butt in the tournament. JACK LEMMON -- He's 73, his eyes are failing and the courses break his stamina. He struggled up Spyglass' steep hills Friday. He's fortunate his chances of making his first cut in 25 tries are less than 50-50, because he'll be hard-pressed to survive today's round, much less Sunday's. ALICE COOPER -- Looks naked without his stage snake and makeup, but the aging rocker can play. He's listed as a 9 handicap, and he's actually a 6 (handicaps are swelled here to account for the tough courses). On Friday, he ripped a 220-yard all-carry 3-wood to the green at Poppy's 10th for a two-putt birdie. MICHAEL BOLTON -- He's been obsessed with the game since he picked up his first club a year ago. It's even affected his love life. "I'm looking for women who play golf," he told a golf magazine recently. Bolton's tee shot struck a woman on the fly at Poppy's 11th. After a few anxious seconds, she regained her feet while the crowd applauded. Her last words to a concerned Bolton: "Thank you." SAMUEL L. JACKSON -- He's dangerous in the literal sense. His shots bounce off cart paths, hurdle down sea cliffs and send his partners scurrying for shelter. He's also having a great time. JIM COURIER -- He trumps Pete Sampras in one department: At least there's not a tennis major taking place this week. Sampras bolted the Australian Open to exhale at the Bob Hope. Courier plays tennis right-handed and golf left-handed. To no one's surprise, he's a legitimate 4. KEN GRIFFEY JR. -- Griffey, a 14, can be very good and very bad, sometimes on the same hole. He's helped his professional partner Mark O'Meara 14 strokes in two days, putting him on the same pace with former AT&T sandbaggers George Brett and Dan Marino. Brett and Marino both won the AT&T pro-am before they were not invited back. MARK GRACE -- The Chicago Cubs first baseman pals with Murray, a terminal Cubs fans, and Scott Simpson. They're together on the course and in Carmel. Grace, often the straight man for Murray's pranks, can crack a few one-liners of his own. For one more day, the celebrities rule.

New York Daily News
February 3, 1999

Kevin Costner teams with Tiger Woods this week for the AT&T Pro-Am golf tourney in Pebble Beach, Calif. Also competing are Clint Eastwood, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Bolton, Jack Lemmon and Bill Murray. But the "Tin Cup" star is the one to beat.. . .

Reuters/Variety
February 2, 1999

Westport News
January 15, 1999

BY MASHA GELLER
Singer Michael Bolton's third attempt to compromise with the Historic District Commission proved unsuccessful yet again Tuesday evening, as the commission unanimously denied his request for a partial demolition of the 1905 farmhouse. Members of the commission, led by newly elected chairman Peter Marshall, felt that the singer's proposal to demolish three quarters of the house and the 1993 garage, was too drastic and would not be appropriate for the  Historic District. Mr. Bolton's architect Philip H. Cerrone presented the plan, which would leave a structure 25 feet wide and 17 feet deep, with or, preferably, without the wrap-around porch. The proposal calls for demolition of the cross gable, which is a portion of the original 1905 structure, leaving a severely truncated structure some members likened to a "movie set." The two-story house would contain one bedroom, one bathroom, a living area and a staircase. Mr. Bolton would have to bring the structure up to zoning regulation and install a kitchen area, among other things. Tuesday's meeting was the second time the HDC heard the partial demolition proposal after denying it last month due to insufficient architectural renderings of what the house would look like after the demolition. "There's not going to be much of a house left," said Sonja Friedman, who was elected permanent member of the commission at the beginning of the meeting after serving as an alternate in previous years. Tess O'Brien, a resident of the district, said "I thought there would be more of the house left. I realize that he's trying to compromise and I appreciate that, but this is just going a little too far." Old Hill Rd. resident Debbie Angotti, who owns three houses in and around the   Historic district, said the house will not be livable should the demolition request be approved, urging the commission to reject the application.