Thursday, February 19, 2009

Today's Blind Items - Kindness

What surprisingly prolific heavy metal artist/television host and reality star (we Americans only know one song, really and one very famous cover photo) rearranged his schedule to attend the wake of a 24 year-old fan, because he heard that the deceased's wish was to have him play at his funeral? He played the piano in the corner for over four hours, shook everyone's hand, and mourned with everyone as though they'd known each other for years.

62 comments:

  1. black flag was punk rock, not metal. he is very
    cool, but it's not him.

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  2. No idea who this is but wow-that's a great person. It's nice to have a kindness for a change.

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  3. what an excellent thing to do!

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  4. ozzy osbourne or "rock of love" guy?

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  5. how about Ted Nugent (sp?)

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  6. i assume the "we Americans" comment is a hint that the artist is not American...

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  7. Scott Ian of Anthrax?

    He is on a lot of VH1 specials, and I can't thnk of many Anthrax songs.

    What about the "very famous cover photo" clue. That might be a good place to start.

    I agree that he probably isn't American- although i guessed one.

    Off to keep searching...

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  8. I'm not familiar with many heavy metal artists, but I know Ozzy doesn't like being called heavy metal. And I don't think he plays the piano, does he?

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  9. Anyone in Judas Priest a reality show host/star?

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  10. The clues seem to point to Ozzy (but TV host?)...whoever it is, that's a great story!

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  11. henry rollins has a show on ifc channel also!!! im just trying to be right with my guess one time : )

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  12. Anonymous1:46 PM

    I wish it were Andrew WK.

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  13. WOW..WHAT A GOOD MAN....KINDNESS IS RIGHT...

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  14. The Andrew W.K. guess strikes me as a really good one.

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  15. i have absolutely no clue, but wow, how very gracious. applause to whomever it is.

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  16. Andrew WK fits.

    His debut album featured him with a bloody nose and blood running down his face.

    "Party Hard" was his one hit.

    He's produced a ton of music, much of it unreleased in the US due to him being sued by former managers.

    He hosted a reality show on MTV where he stayed at the dorm of some black girls, even letting them braid his hair.

    He plays piano. Insanely, but brilliantly.

    He is extremely outgoing and gregarious toward fans.

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  17. i first thought of henry rollins too but it's gotta be andrew wk because of the mention of the cover photo. also ted and henry aren't listed as piano players on their wiki entries whereas andrew is.

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  18. Someone who was a one-hit wonder here in the US, but well-known for a variety of things elsewhere. I'd say Sabbath and Ozzy as a solo artist are more than one-hit-US-wonders.

    I know Andrew WK is really good with his fans, but i don't know his music.

    I hear Henry Rollins is very cool, also. Also don't know any of his music (hey, I was a New Wave nerd in the 80's!)

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  19. Perry Farrell--cover art from "Ritual de lo Habitual"--song "Been Caught Stealing"--??

    Henry Rollings--cover art ??--song "Liar" ??

    Just like my bank account...got nothin'!

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  20. Easy. Bret Michaels. There was even a bit on his Rock of Love about a fan dying.
    Crys

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  21. Easy. Bret Michaels. There was even a bit on his Rock of Love about a fan dying.
    Crys

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  22. Bret Michaels was famous for more than one song.

    And I thought Iggy Pop @ first too, but he hasn't been on a reality show.

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  23. aha!
    On Friday, December 5th 2008, a die hard Andrew W.K. fan named Dominic Owen Mallary passed away after an accident while his band Last Lights performed at Boston University. Dominic had always said his dying wish was to have Andrew W.K. blasted at his wake. Catching wind of this, Andrew came to the wake, and played classical piano for the entire time after paying his respects.

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  24. Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. Except I heard he's kind of a self absorbed asshole so I don't know.

    Klaus Meine from Scorpions. They had that "Virgin Killer" album with the very very young naked girl...but what's the one song? And does he do television? Hmmm.

    There's a bunch of Death Metal album covers that are REALLY controversial but I doubt any of them would have had a hit that everyone knows...*L*

    I guess Andrew W.K. is a good guess but I refuse to call him Heavy metal...*L*

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  25. Could be Rollins, Black Flag was punk and then became metal. Except I don't think any of their songs got much play beyond college radio.

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  26. Andrew WK is a great guess. Ozzy's known for lots of songs, I can't think of a very famous photo of Brett Michaels & I don't think he's more famous abroad than here in the US, can't think of a famous photo and/or big hit for Rollins or Iggy.

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  27. Meatloaf is the host of a show on one of the cable channels...celebrity trivia for charity type show.

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  28. Bret Michaels of Poison has waaaay more than just one hit popular in America.

    So do Ozzy and Ted Nugent.

    I had never heard of Andrew WK- but i looked him up and he seems to fit. He is the only one where it expressly states he plays the piano.

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  29. OK, I guess Andrew W.K. is correct...*LOL*

    But I'd just like to point out that LONG HAIR DOES NOT A HEAVY METAL ARTIST MAKE.

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  30. I think Andrew WK as well. "Party Hard", the bloody face on the CD cover, plays amazing piano but still rocks the metal. He was so awesome to those girls on his reality show; the hair braiding was so cute, and how they kept telling him he stunk and that he needed a bath and some new clothes was hysterical. They treated him like their clueless brother ("We love you and all, but man you STINK and those pants need to be BURNT!") and he just went along with everything and was so cool to everyone, like he was just genuinely honored to be there. I love him and wish he had more recognition here.

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  31. @ Harriet Hellfire

    I was thinking Scorpions, too. Their one hit would be "Rock You Like a Hurricane", right? That is the only one I am familiar with. But I found no evidence of any Tv career.

    I listened to Andrew WK's song "Party Hard" and it sounds kind of metal. A new 21st Century metal. And if that is the only song released in the US, than that might be how he is labeled here.

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  32. Wow; great detective work, kourtney!

    I'd never have figured this one out; I hadn't heard of Andrew WK in years, nor had I thought of him.

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  33. @kourtney

    Yay you got it!

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  34. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  35. Good job kourtney!!!!

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  36. Good job Kourney!

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  37. I may be way off, but this sounds like Dee Snider of Twisted Sister. I heard he has done similar things like this in the past. He hosted Headbangers Bal (before it was really Headbangers Ball), was a contestant on CMT's Country Star and essentially has only one hit you have heard.

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  38. I thought of Dee Snider as well, but this BI has now been solved. It is Andrew WK...it's on his website. On the messageboards.

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  39. And to buttress what Daaang said about him in the girls' dorm, he STAYED overnight. Remember, they made a makeshift bed for him in the dorm common room of couch pillows? He actually stayed. Most celebs woulda filmed a scene of them pretending to go to sleep and then get outta there for the nearest 5 star hotel. Nope, Andy stayed overnight. Probably wasn't one girl in that dorm that was into his music but they loved him and he was super to them.

    The deoderant-down-the-pants stunt was funny as hell, too.

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  40. damn i was going to say Dave Navarro.

    Rockstar INXS as host, MTV show with Carmen for tv show.

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  41. Kourtney solved it. Great job

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  42. great guy!

    off topic

    i know that henry rollins doesn't care much for keanu reeves. anyone know what's the deal on that? i read that they did a movie together and that's when the shit hit the fan.

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  43. Lovely, lovely kindness. Thank you for posting this. Made me warm and fuzzy inside.

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  44. Great detective work Kourtney!
    I've never heard of Andrew, but know I want to know all about him. What a sweet thing to do

    Quintessential, I found this. It's an old interview with Henry

    Keanu & Me: Henry Rollins on Mr Reeves and his other movie star mates...

    KEANU REEVES (starred with Henry in 'Johnny Mnemonic'-Henry says: "Good old Keanu. Hmm...He's a nice guy, but he's kinda boring to act with. When he says lines you don't really believe him, so it's hard to act against that. It's like acting with a guy from porno films."

    AL PACINO (starred with Henry in 'Heat')-Henry says: "His double threw my double through a window. Having grown up digging the guy so much it was a real thrill to work with him and have that captured forever on film. He was really cool to me, really friendly and really funny. He was a nice guy to everyone on the set, from the script girl to the lighting guys, and had no attitude. Just a dead cool guy."

    CHARLIE SHEEN (starred with Henry in 'The Chase')-Henry says: "Charlie is very cool. He can be off his face until 6 am, and then show up at the shoot at eight and hit his lines perfectly every time. He parties hard but he's always nice. A pro."

    PATRICIA ARQUETTE (starred with Henry in 'Lost Highway')-Henry says: "A super nice lady. She's really beautiful. I mean, just dangerous (in italics, Hans) good looks. I know her husband, Nic Cage; he's a fan of the band and a cool guy."

    DOLPH LUNDGREN (starred with Henry in 'Johnny Mnemonic')-Henry says: "The Teutonic dream, the Aryan fantasy. He didn't talk very much and didn't seem that friendly. He kinda snorted when I introduced myself, and that was about as much communication as we had. I thought maybe he was mad, because this was the 40th film in which he had to wear an animal pelt and hold a blunt weapon."

    http://www.comeinandburn.com/archive/kerrang32997.htm

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  45. Never heard of Andrew WK either but what a GREAT guy! The show premise sounds hilarious - hope it re-airs. Will check him out.

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  46. :(

    thanks sweater for your detective work.

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  47. http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=721962&page=6

    def. andrew wk

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  48. my first thought was gene simmons of kiss--fits the profile pretty well but sounds like it was solved with the andrew w.k. article

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  49. WOW. So happy to know that there are still good people in the world!

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  50. definitely andrew wk.

    i heard about this a while ago, some friends of mine went to the service. dominic's friends (and fans) launched a campaign and sent andrew wk tons of myspace messages and emails letting him know about dominic's wishes to have him play his funeral. a lot of people, even people who didn't know dominic, were devastated by this loss and im sure wk's presence was a real comfort to them.

    i think its beautiful that he went, i've heard great things about andrew wk as a person and how he treats his fans like friends and this just confirms that.

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  51. who the hell is andrew wk?

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  52. I don't understand why this is a blind item.

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  53. J-Mo, sometimes Enty gives us solvable "blind" items because he knows we love to play detective, and it's satisfying to be able to get one right. Also, he usually reveals all the kindnesses eventually. It almost more of a game to play than it it gossip. :)

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  54. Oops, "It's" not "It" and "it is" not "it it." I guess my brain figured it could turn itself off since it's Friday.

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  55. I was just wondering the other day whatever happened to Andrew WK...for a short while he was the 'future of rock', but if he's in conflict with the MANagement that'll be why we don't hear much from him.
    It's a very cool tink he did, Well Done, that man.

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  56. Never, ever heard of him.

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