Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
After Wonho completed his 18-month mandatory military duty in South Korea this past September, the pop star had intended on taking some time off before making his “comeback” – K-pop parlance for releasing new music. But when the opportunity came up to be a part of the iHeart Jingle Ball lineup – which includes a Dec. 9 concert at the Allstate Arena outside of Chicago – he got to work, quickly.
Voiceover actress Debi Derryberry is best known for voicing the cartoon character Jimmy Neutron. But she is also a musician. Her latest children’s album, “Gotta Go Green,” will be released on March 8.
“My travels have exposed me to a lot of new music and introduced me to some of my favorite musicians, including some of my collaborators on my new album,” said Jessica Lowndes, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. “At one point, we were all working on the album over Zoom from different countries – Canada, United States, United Kingdom, (Denmark).”
Two decades after leaving his native California to launch his career overseas, musician and actor Van Ness Wu is celebrating the release of his first all-English-language album “Take a Ride.” Over the years, the multi-lingual artist has collaborated with singers like Beyonce and Bruno Mars, but Wu’s latest collection of songs pays homage to his childhood musical influences (Michael Jackson, Prince, A Tribe Called Quest), while putting a fresh spin on his unique sound that incorporates hip-hop, pop and rhythm and blues.
“My Northern Irish husband has yet to visit the Hawaiian Islands and I’ve been so excited to experience that place with him for his first time,” said “Virgin River” actress Zibby Allen. “The pandemic had different plans for us all. We’ll re-book eventually, though.”
“I love going down South to visit my mom’s side of the family,” said “General Hospital” star Sydney Mikayla. “My Grandma Tina always cooks up big meals. What can I say? I love to eat good soul food. It’s also nice to be around my extended family since my immediate family is just the three of us and my dog.”
“My parents took me to Yosemite at a very young age and I loved everything about it — climbing the rocks, finding sticks, looking at the stars and riding a very stubborn donkey named Chocolate,” said “City on a Hill” actress Keiko Elizabeth.
“Woodstock was a one-time event where people were civil and caring under the worst of conditions,” says Doug Clifford, best known as Creedence Clearwater Revival’s drummer. “They made the best out of a bad situation and that doesn’t happen anymore.”
Matthew Morrison’s already been on his dream trip. “It was my honeymoon and we went through Italy and Paris and then spent almost two weeks in Africa,” said the “Glee” actor.
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Eagan, Minnesota, filmmaker Kulap Vilaysack traveled to Laos to search for her birth father. As a child, she hadn’t realized he even existed. She filmed her trip for her documentary, “Origin Story.” Vilaysack is also known for creating and executive producing the comedy series, “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$.”