"WWE Raw": AJ Styles Clubs John Cena

John Cena returns to Raw tonight

It was a good night for John Cena, who might finally have the crowd in his corner after A.J. Styles p****d all over his comeback, right in the midst of a fiery speech about Dylan Thomas.

Sidebar AJ Styles on WWE, Roman Reigns and His Fantastic Hair

It was a great night for folks who think WWE motors best when there"s a murderers" row of malevolent heels manning the card. Styles, Gallows and Anderson, Seth Rollins, Charlotte, Kevin Owenshell, even Rusev"s looking fierce again holding down the midcard as U.S. Champ. In retrospect, good thing they hit the gas on New Day as fan favorites.

But before I lose my train of thought and derail this introduction like it were Golden Truth"s momentum, here are the five key insights (in addition to the usual accompaniment of Twitter-friendly sidebar fodder) I took away from the May 30, 2016 edition of Raw.

5. Hybrid TheoryThat"s right, a Linkin Park reference. I"m OK with it. My gripe here has to do with tag-team-nickname fatigue. I love a good pun or play on words more than any reputable journalist should, but even I"ve grown weary of slapdash duos born of oddball circumstance Human Centiped-ing halves of their names until something seamless sticks. The practice may have hit its peak with Jeri-Show, so suffice to say that seven years on, Breezango feels fairly insipid. Not to mention it"s a tacit acknowledgment of a duo"s temporariness. Thing is, Fandango and Tyler Breeze make sense together, so why not christen them with a more permanent moniker befitting their evident chemistry, as if their pairing were considered with care rather than thrown together? I doubt Lex Luger would mind if this one was revived and pluralized.

4. Karl and Luke WarmerAfter 30 minutes of monologues and commercial breaks, the night"s first brush with consequence arrived when Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (or whatever order they prefer) b*m-rushed New Day during their match with the Vaudevillains. Now, a curious nuance in all this was Aiden English and Simon Gotch who were theoretically aiming to reassert themselves as title contenders happily offering up a prone Big E to Gallows and Anderson. You"d think they"d take umbrage with suffering a DQ loss and get in Gallows and Anderson"s faces. But alas, the real headline here is that A.J. Styles" former running mates made their inevitable push for New Day"s belts. And in a vacuum, I"d have made a gentleman"s bet that Kofi and crew retain at Money in the Bank, but with the Bullet Club (or Club, or whatever) back in sync (more on that in a bit), looks like we"re headed toward a full-scale invasion, not unlike the faction"s gold-plated dominance overseas.

3. I Could Flair LessDoes anyone really care that Charlotte kicked her meddlesome, increasingly doddering dad to the curb in a puddle of tears? He was playing a bad guy, and he was making for bad TV. The idea that we"re more inclined to boo his daughter now that she"s humiliated him would suggest he"d been acquitting himself with self-respect during his recent run. It"s not much less abrupt than Charlotte"s initial main-roster heel turn, all of which is worth a head scratch when much credit due to Ric"s genetic and legacy of influence the prodigal Flair flexes more than enough muscle and strength of character to have skipped the sisterhood drama and bloodline saga to begin with. If the idea is to let Charlotte"s heat simmer until Sasha Banks returns as an alpha heroine and their beef boils over, I"m fine with it, even if the recipe"s been a bit overcooked.

2. How to Lose "The Guy" in 10 DaysFor starters, cede the spotlight to his adversary, i.e. Rollins. Compound that by keeping he and his foe at a physical distance, likely on account of the challenger"s ongoing recovery. Stack the deck by bringing back Cena as part of a massive storyline involving three A-list antagonists. While you"re at it, continue to encourage debate about the New Era vs. old guard, neither of which the current Heavyweight Champ fits cleanly into. Roman Reigns is getting lost in the mix, not to mention his "The Guy" catchphrase is doing him a disservice by trying to neatly encode the nebulous space that he occupies. The looming, live SmackDown airings and subsequent roster splits may help clarify Reigns" role, whether he still carries the strap by then or not. But it"s too bad that after busting his a*s to claim the number-one spot on the call sheet, his mystique into Money in the Bank has been dialed way down.

1. That Is The A.J. Styles We LoveAfter Seth Rollins nailed his heel performance last week, A.J. Styles made his most indelible impression on WWE yet with a virtuoso villainous turn, realigning with Gallows and Anderson and beating the h**l out of John Cena. (Also, Styles repeatedly storming back to the ring and delivering added punishment was a clever complement to Rollins" stuttering retreats earlier in the evening.) The crowd hated it, because they want to love Styles, because they want to root against Cena and apparently just because. But Styles only evolved into a must-sign free agent after establishing himself of late as a leader of bad men. So for those of us who"ve cringed through his aw-shucks routine since debuting at Royal Rumble, man did his about-face feel good.

Below the Belt:

• Yeah, you lost me at Ronald Reagan.
• Simon Gotch"s attire might be a tad too cheeky.
• Gallows really overdoes it on the glistening oil.
• Ah, so Big Show"s been in his bus watching Ride Along all this time.
• At least Zack Ryder"s hung on to his spiffy WrestleMania gear.
• Man, Titus O"Neil gets really pumped about Memorial Day.
• Enzo and Cass just got way too on the nose about their cheesiness.
• Also, who decided to hit un-pause on their Dudleys feud?
• Stop saying, "New Era."
• Boy, the camera managed to find the least excited person in Green Bay when Cena"s music hit.
• There sure were a lot of people speaking very matter-of-factly last night.
• I"m just not feelin" Dana Brooke. (Or that botched Michinoku Driver.)
• I was enjoying Dolph Ziggler"s Rick Steiner look.
• Never too late to reconsider this whole Shining Stars thing.
• Is there anything to say about that main event?
• Move of the Night: Gotta admit, I enjoyed Ziggler"s loony low blow.
• Line of the Night: KO"s got some comic timing. See: His dry "What are you, eight?" to Jericho.
• Sign of the Night: Did that say, "Please Don"t Mute Us Mr. Dunn"? (Seriously. It was, ironically, hard to discern.)
• In Case You Fast-Forwarded Through Commercials: I wonder where Jane Krakowski"s sympathies laid in the Verizon strike? Goldberg"s in the new WWE video game, where he"ll probably fare better than at batting practice. Hey, do the Rock and Kevin Hart have a new movie out?
• Noticeable In Their Absence: Sheamus, Wyatt Family, Kalisto, Darren Young.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/news/wwe-raw-aj-styles-clubs-john-cena-20160531

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RANK: Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, Oh My! Which A-Lister Has The Worst Ego?!

Mariah Carey - We Belong Together

Mariah Carey refuses to be seen in fluorescent lighting without sunglasses. Justin Bieber seemed to insinuate that he IS G*d. Kanye West has compared himself to almost every great mind ever.

Obviously, these three have heads that are about as big as their celebrity status.

Related: Celebs Who"ve Put Their Foot In Their Mouths!

And we can only kind of blame them, since we doubt they can even remember the last time anyone even told them "no."

But these musicians aren"t the only A-listers with unbearable egos! Who do U think is the absolute worst?! Rank them (below)!

[Image via Will Alexander/Ivan Nikolov/Brian To/WENN.]

Tags: charlie sheen, chris brown, christina aguilera, gwyneth paltrow, julianna margulies, justin bieber, kanye west, katherine heigl, mariah carey, naomi campbell, play with perez

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Source: http://perezhilton.com/2016-05-27-kanye-west-mariah-carey-justin-bieber-celebrity-worst-biggest-ego-rank

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Vanessa Hudgens to star in new comedy, Powerless

Vanessa Hudgens & Ashley Tisdale / Inner Circle

May 28, 2016 Entertainment, TV

ByAGENCY

Vanessa Hudgens in one of the first images from Powerless. Photo: Warner Bros Television

NBC has begun ordering series for the 2016-2017 season by picking up two comedies: Powerless and Trial & Error, Variety has learned.

Powerless is the first-ever DC Comics comedy. Vanessa Hudgens stars as Emily, a spunky young insurance adjuster specialising in regular-people coverage against damage caused by the crime-fighting superheroes. Its when she stands up to one of these larger-than-life figures that she accidentally becomes a cult hero in her own right even if its just to her group of lovably quirky co-workers.

Now, while she navigates her normal, everyday life against an explosive backdrop, Emily might just discover that being a hero doesnt always require superpowers.

The workplace comedy also stars Alan Tudyk, Danny Pudi and Christina Kirk. Ben Queen wrote the pilot and will exec produce with Michael Patrick Jann who directed the pilot.

John Lithgow (centre) in Trial & Error. Photo: Warner Bros Television

Trial & Error is a fish-out-of-water comedy, starring 3rd Rock From The Sun alum John Lithgow. The series follows a bright-eyed New York lawyer (Nicholas DAgosto) who heads to a tiny Southern town for his first big case, which is to defend an eccentric rollercising poetry professor (Lithgow) who is ccused of the bizarre murder of his beloved wife.

Settling into his makeshift office behind a taxidermy shop and meeting his quirky team of local misfits, the young lawyer suspects that winning his first big case will not be easy, especially when his client is always making himself look guilty.

The comedy also stars The Views Sherri Shepherd, Steven Boyer, Krysta Rodriguez and Jayma Mays. Jeff Astrof and Matt Miller are writers and exec producers, and Jeffrey Blitz is director.

Both shows hail from Warner Bros Television. Trial & Error also comes from Barge Productions and Good Session Productions.

Both Powerless and Trial & Error join new shows on NBCs upcoming slate, The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, plus dramas Taken and Emerald City. Reuters/Elizabeth Wagmeister

Source: http://www.star2.com/entertainment/tv/2016/05/28/vanessa-hudgens-to-star-in-new-comedy-powerless/

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Indy 500: Rookie Alexander Rossi wins 100th running

INDY 500: Robin Miller with winners Alexander Rossi, Bryan Herta

Alexander Rossi celebrates after winning the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

INDIANAPOLIS Running on fumes on the final laps of the race, rookie Alexander Rossi ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 4 and still managed to win the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

Rossi, a 24-year-old native of California, coasted to the line ahead of Carlos Munoz, Josef Newgarden and Tony Kanaan as late-race fuel strategy led to a wild and tense finish.

A year ago, he was watching this race from Monaco.

WINNER: From Formula 1 to Indy, Rossi scores life-changing accomplishment

It was perhaps one of the more unlikely Indy 500 victories, as Rossi has almost no experience in racing on oval tracks after spending several years pursuing a career in Formula One. Rossi couldnt quite believe it himself.

I have no idea how we pulled that off, he said, in a television interview immediately after the race.

Rossi thanked his Andretti Autosport team, which gave him a ride in IndyCar this year.

At one point, we were 33rd, Rossi said. And we rolled the dice and we came through and made it happen. And this is just phenomenal. I had no idea Id be in IndyCar, I had no idea Id be in the Indy 500 and now Im here, weve won and Im at a loss for words. It will change my life for sure.

Move of the race: Teams got nervous that they didnt have enough fuel to finish the race in the closing laps, so several top contenders made stops for a quick splash of fuel in the last 10 laps. But Rossi stayed out, and the gamble paid off just barely.

Juan gone: Defending race winner Juan Pablo Montoya crashed on lap 64 when his cars back end broke loose in Turn 2, sending him into the outside wall. Montoya was uninjured but his car was too damaged to continue. That ended his bid for a third Indy 500 win, after winning last year and in 2000.

Helio hit: Helio Castroneves was among the main contenders going into the final quarter of the race, but he sustained damage to the left rear bodywork of his car and had to make an extra pit stop to replace the rear wing assembly.

Pit problem: Two top contenders collided in the pits during a caution flag shortly after the races halfway point. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Townsend Bell were pulling out of their pit stalls at the same time when Bell bumped into Helio Castroneves, who was in the outside lane, then pinballed into Hunter-Reay. Both cars stalled on pit lane, and fell outside the top 20 once they restarted.

It wasnt the only issue on pit lane during Sundays race. Will Power was penalized after making contact with Tony Kanaans car during an early stop.

Sage setback: Sage Karam started 23rd and had worked his way into the top 10 when he drifted high in Turn 1 and hit the wall on lap 94. It was a tough break for Karam, who is trying to work his way back into a full-time ride in IndyCar. A crew had to make brief repairs to the impact-absorbing SAFER barrier in the area that Karam hit.

LADY GAGA:The six-time Grammy Award winner replaced Keith Urban who skipped his appearance because of a back issue to fill-in during a two-seater ride with Mario Andretti. The 1969 Indy 500 winner helped pace the field for a few laps, along with Roger Penske, who was driving the pace car in his 50th year as a motor sports team owner.

POKER FACE:Lady Gaga goes for ride with Mario

400 MILES

Leader: Tony Kanaan

Move of segment: Kanaan passed Helio Castroneves and fought off Josef Newgarden on a restart on Lap 158 to take the lead at the 400-miLe mark. Kanaan started the segment In fifth place.

Incidents: Buddy Lazier lost his left front wheel while exiting the pits on Lap 149, bringing out a caution. The incident happened just as leaders Castroneves and Kanaan were pitting.

Whos in trouble: Marco Andretti, who was sixth at the start of the segment, encountered issues with tire pressure and dropped to 22nd by the end of the segment.

300 MILES

Leader: Alex Tagliani, who started the race in last place, rolled into first during a caution period and led after 300 miles (120 laps).

Move of segment: Helio Castroneves, in search of his fourth Indy 500 win, surged into the top 10 and on into first place as the race reached the halfway point. Former winner Tony Kanaan and contender Marco Andretti also came to life in the segment.

Incidents: The landscape of the race changed dramatically during a caution period as three of the fields best cars were involved in a pit-road tangle. The cars of Townsend Bell and Ryan Hunter-Reay were damaged as they made contact when Castroneves stacked his car on the outside in a three-wide situation. Sage Karam slammed hard into the Turn 2 wall while trying to pass Bell on the outside on the 94thlap. The caution that flew for Karams wreck was extended as workers cleared debris and examined the wall where he hit. Debris from Karams wreck hit Kanaans hand. On lap 115, Mikhail Aleshin lost control and hit the outside wall. Conor Dalys car was damaged in the incident.

Whos in trouble: Team Penske drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud were struggling in the second half of the field.

INDY 500: Day in pictures

200 MILES

Leader: Andretti Autosports Ryan Hunter-Reay leads at the 200-mile mark of the 100thIndianapolis 500.

Move of segment: Will Power was sent to the back of the field for an unsafe release from his stall during a pit sequence, but the team skipped a yellow-flag caution period later to take over the lead. Power entered the race having never won an Indianapolis 500.

Incidents: Defending race-winner Juan Pablo Montoya looped his Team Penske Chevrolet out of Turn 2 on Lap 64, crashing hard and wrecking his car. Montoya had won two of his previous three Indianapolis 500 starts. It just happened, he said.

Whos in trouble: Points leader Simon Pagenaud is mired in 22ndplace. Hes won three consecutive races but is struggling early. Its been an unfruitful day so far for Team Penske. Owner Roger Penske is celebrating the 50thyear of team ownership and is seeking what would be a record 17thIndy 500 win.

INDY 500: Celebrity sightings

100MILESLeader: Ryan Hunter-Reay, who started third and exchanged the lead with Hinchcliffe during the first 28 laps, led Townsend Bell and Josef Newgarden at the 100-mile mark.

Move of segment: Simon Pagenaud, who has won the previous three Verizon IndyCar Series races, jumped from eighth to fourth. Tony Kanaan jumped from 18th to eighth.

Incidents: Buddy Lazier, who qualified 32nd in the 33-car field, encountered trouble with a stuck throttle before the green flag and didnt start the race.

Whos in trouble: Hinchcliffe, who started from the pole position and battled Hunter-Reay during the first 28 laps, faded to sixth place by Lap 40.

Contributing: Brant James, Jeff Olson, Mike Hembree

RESULTS

1. (10) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 200.

2. (8) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 200.

3. (6) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 200.

4. (19) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 200.

5. (25) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 200.

6. (15) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 200.

7. (1) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 200.

8. (13) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 200.

9. (20) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 200.

10. (3) Will Power, Chevrolet, 200.

11. (4) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 200.

12. (24) Oriol Servia, Honda, 200.

13. (11) Marco Andretti, Honda, 200.

14. (21) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200.

15. (31) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 200.

16. (28) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 200.

17. (29) Alex Tagliani, Honda, 200.

18. (33) Pippa Mann, Honda, 199.

19. (9) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 199.

20. (19) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 199.

21. (5) Townsend Bell, Honda, 199.

22. (26) Matthew Brabham, Chevrolet, 199.

23. (22) Bryan Clauson, Honda, 198.

24. (2) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 198.

25. (23) Spencer Pigot, Honda, 195.

26. (16) Takuma Sato, Honda, 163, contact.

27. (7) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 126, contact.

28. (27) Stefan Wilson, Chevrolet, 119, electrical.

29. (17) Conor Daly, Honda, 115, contact.

30. (30) Buddy Lazier, Chevrolet, 100, mechanical.

31. (14) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 98, mechanical.

32. (18) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 93, contact.

33. (12) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 63, contact.

//

100th indianapolis 500, Alexander Rossi, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, indycar, James Hinchcliffe, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Indycar

Source: http://sports.usatoday.com/2016/05/29/indy-500-alexander-rossi-wins-100th-running/

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"Idol" winner joins Adkins, Beach Boys for Memorial Day Concert

Beach Boys - Wouldn"t It Be Nice

WASHINGTON h**l go down in music and television history as the 15th and final champion of American Idol, having won the shows farewell season.

Now, Trent Harmon comes to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitolto sing the national anthem at this weekendsNational Memorial Day Concert, which airs live Sunday night from 8-9:30 p.m.on PBS andaround the globeto U.S. military service memberson theAmerican Forces Network.

A frequent advocate of theWounded Warrior Project, Harmon says he might get choked up.

Man, I dont think theres going to be any more moving of a ceremony than being able to look out over that crowd, Harmon told WTOP. Im pretty sure Ill be able to hold it all together, but I really cant wait. I hope I have time to get there early or even maybe afterwardand just walk through Arlington, just kind of soak it all in. Its going to mean a lot to me. This is a big deal to me.

Turns out, WashingtonD.C. holds a special place in Harmons heart.

D.C. is my most favorite childhood memory as far as family vacations go, Harmon said. Being a history major throughout college, it was kind of an inspiring moment for me to go to D.C. as a ninth or tenth grader, so thats going to be an even bigger bucket list for me.

Its been a wild ride for Harmon sincewinning the Idol finale in April. The Mississippi native has since moved to Nashville to crank out songs for his upcoming record the prize for winning Idol.

Itsstrange, man, Harmon said. I look at this from such a contestant-to-artist perspective. Even being around Keith Urban, Harry Connick and J-Lo, its such an artist-to-contestant perspective.And in one moment, they announce your name as the winner of the show, and now its artist-to-artist.

He says hes still not used to beingpart of the Idol club.

Imbumping arms and having lunch with the Scotty McCrearys, the Katharine McPhees, the Carrie Underwoods, Harmon said in awe. Id be talking to David Cook and I would say, Oh, excuse me, Mr. David, and hed say, Man, you dont have to say that anymore. Youre one of us now."

The Idol fellowship will continue Sunday, as McPhee will also perform as part ofthe Memorial Day Concert, along withThe Beach Boys, National Symphony Orchestra, Alfie Boe and Trace Adkins,who often salutesfallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery with thehit country song, Arlington.

I actually got to seeThe Beach Boys in concert for the first time last summer and it was pretty surreal in itself, Harmon said. I hadnt even auditioned for[Idol] at that point, so now Im sharing a stage with them artist to artist. Thats kind of weird if you really say it out loud from my perspective.

Retired U.S. General Colin Powell will also make anappearance at the concert, which will beco-hosted by annual emcees Joe Mantegna andGary Sinise,the latter of whom joined WTOP last week.

We just wouldnt miss it, Sinise said. Its one of my favorite things to do each year. Its a great way to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for our country we have great performers every year.

Sinise and Mantegna will also co-host MondaysNational Memorial Day Parade onConstitution Avenue. The parade will include performances byPhil Vassar, John Michael Montgomery and Tony Orlando. Itwill betelevised live nationally at 2 p.m. on REELZ network, locally onNews Channel 8 in D.C., streamed online on Military.com andaround the world on the American Forces Network.

The American Forces Networkuses seven satellites anddigital compression to broadcast events over 1,000 outlets in more than175 countriesand U.S. territories, as well as on board U.S. Navy ships.

But before you line up along the parade route onMonday, head down to the National Mall on Sunday andgrab a spot forthe 8 p.m. concert.The National Memorial Day Concert is free to the public.

Listen to the full interview with 2016 American Idol winner Trent Harmon below:

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

2016 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://wtop.com/entertainment/2016/05/idol-winner-joins-adkins-beach-boys-for-memorial-day-concert/

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Beach Boys" forever fun, sun music returns to nation"s spotlight

The Beach Boys Greatest Hits Full Album 2016

Mike Hughes, For the Lansing State Journal 7:38 a.m. EDT May 27, 2016

The Beach Boys history in the nations capital includes performing the July 4 concert for six straight years, drawing hundreds of thousands of people.(Photo: Photograph courtesy AP)

The Beach Boys will be back in a familiar spot Sunday singing to the masses (and to TV viewers) in Washington.

We have a huge history with Washington, D.C., Mike Love said. Its been monumental literally.

That last part is a pun about national monuments, but the first part is an understatement: For a six-year stretch, Love says, the band had Washington shows each 4th of July; once, they did two cities.

Crowd estimates are fuzzy, but he was told the band drew 900,000 people in Philadelphia that afternoon and almost as many in Washington. They could only hold 750,000; we got a standing ovation.

This time, its a different holiday (Memorial Day eve) and the approach is varied. The concert will range from country (Trace Adkins) to classical (Renee Fleming, Alfie Boe), plus American Idol alumni Trent Harmon and Katharine McPhee.

Harmon, 25, was born shortly before the Beach Boys turned 30 and Love turned 50. A few years ago, I won radio tickets to see them play, he said. Man, they put on a great show.

Theyve survived turmoil within the group and from the outside world.

In 1983, Secretary of the Interior James Watt announced no more rock bands would perform at the Capitol, because they attract the wrong element. Without mentioning any group by name, he said: Were not going to encourage drug abuse and alcohol, as was done in the past.

The uproar was instant. Nancy Reagan called and apologized, Love said. She said, Ronny and I have always been big fans.

The Beach Boys returned the next year. Meanwhile, the PBS telecasts, which had begun in 1981, became ratings hits; in 89, PBS added the concerts on Memorial Day eve.

Either event is logical for the Beach Boys, Love said. Weve had letters from Vietnam veterans, telling how much our music has meant to them.

Its an American sound songs about fun and sun and blue-sky freedom. Its the same kind of music we used to sing at my cousin Brians house, with my sister Maureen, Love said.

Thats Brian Wilson, whose brothers (Carl and Dennis) started joining in. Brian talked at length about the harmonies of the Four Freshmen and the Everly Brothers and more.

In 1961, the three brothers became the Beach Boys, along with Love and Al Jardine, Brians former football teammate. Like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, this had two opposites at the core.

I both envied and felt intimidated by my cousin Mike, Brian wrote in Wouldnt It Be Nice (HarperCollins, 1991). Tall and blond, he exuded confidence and swagger. He had a big ego. He wasnt especially nice. I looked at him and knew I couldnt measure up.

Brian was the genius at composing music and blending sounds. Ive never known anyone who knew as much about vocal music, Love said.

Love provided many of the early lyrics. He didnt surf only Dennis Wilson did but he knew the California life of convertibles, blondes and sunshine. He became the guy who talked to audiences. By early 1965, Brian had quit the road and focused on the studio, with Bruce Johnston joining the group.

By the end of that year, the Beach Boys had already had eight top-10 Billboard hits including two (I Get Around and Help Me Rhonda) that reached No. 1. The next year, Good Vibrations also was No. 1. I wrote the words to that on the way to the studio, Love said.

That song turns 50 on Oct. 10; the classic Pet Sounds album turned 50 on May 16. Love married, with four ex-wives, nine children and decades of transcendental meditation seems vibrant at 75.

He and Johnston bought the band and tour with it, with others including John Cowsill, former drummer of the Cowsills filling the other slots. We did 172 concerts last year, Love said. Thats not bad for someone who was 74.

Watch the Beach Boys

National Memorial Day Concert, 8 p.m. Sunday, PBS; repeats at 9:30

Beach Boys plan to do five hits. Also performing: Trace Adkins, Katharine McPee, Renee Fleming, the National Orchestra. Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna host; Trent Harmon sings the National Anthem.

Read or Share this story: http://on.lsj.com/1VlrfTy

Source: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/entertainment/television/2016/05/27/beach-boys-forever-fun-sun-music-returns-nations-spotlight/85024098/

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Mexican soccer star Alan Pulido kidnapped in border state

ALAN PULIDO SECUESTRADO
FILE - In a June 29, 2014 file photo, Mexico"s Alan Pulido consoles teammate Javier Hernandez (14) after the Netherlands defeated Mexico 2-1 during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the Netherlands and Mexico at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil. A state official says that Mexican soccer star Alan Pulido has been kidnapped in the northern border state of Tamaulipas. The official says the 25-year-old player was kidnapped near his hometown of Ciudad Victoria on Sunday after leaving a party. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) Federal and state forces mounted a big search operation Sunday for Mexican soccer star Alan Pulido, who was abducted in the crime-plagued northern border state of Tamaulipas.

The 25-year-old Pulido is a forward for Olympiakos of Greece and was part of Mexico"s 2014 World Cup team, though he wasn"t called up for the Copa America tournament that starts this coming week.

"We have information that he was intercepted by armed persons and since then his whereabouts are unknown," said state Attorney General Ismael Quintanilla.

The Tamaulipas Coordination Group that includes federal and state security agents said on its Twitter account that it was searching for the player. Reporters in the city saw an unusual deployment of troops and police in the streets, while at least two police or military-style helicopters flew overhead.

A state official earlier said Pulido was kidnapped early Sunday after leaving a party near his hometown of Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, a state that has suffered battles between major drug gangs. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss a case under investigation.

Authorities gave no further details about the kidnapping or a motive for the abduction, which happened a week before state elections to pick a new governor for Tamaulipas.

Pulido"s Greek team said it hoped for a good outcome for the player.

"At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with Alan," Olympiakos said on its official Twitter account in a message in both Spanish and English accompanied by a photograph of him.

Former teammates on Mexico"s national team went on social networks to offer their support for his welfare.

"A shame what happened," goalkeeper Jesus Corona said on Twitter. "My prayers are with him and his family at this difficult time."

Similar comments came in tweets by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Diego Reyes and Miguel Layun and strikers Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Oribe Peralta, all of whom are in the United States of the Copa America competition.

Pulido debuted and played several seasons with the club Tigres of Monterrey, whose Twitter account expressed solidarity with the player"s family "in the difficult situation they are experiencing."

Pulido left the Tigres in 2014 to play in Europe, though he has been in a dispute with the Mexican club about whether his contract there continues to be valid.

National team coach Carlos Osorio recently said Pulido has the quality to be on the squad but was left off the Copa America team due to the legal dispute. He had scored three goals in earlier call-ups.

In the most recent season, he scored five times in eight appearances with Olympiakos.

___

Associated Press Alfredo Pena reported this story in Ciudad Victoria and AP writer Carlos Rodriguez reported from Mexico City.

Source: http://gazette.com/mexican-soccer-star-alan-pulido-kidnapped-in-border-state/article/feed/355136

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