February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Eileen Murphy
Oy, these romantic BoyZone blokes are enough to make a girl’s head spin. Hard on the heels of the surprise marriage of their bouncy blond frontman, Ronan Keating, to an equally bouncy blond model type, comes news that yet another band member has jumped the broom.
We refer, of course, to hunky Keith Duffy, who tied the knot – American style – in a Las Vegas wedding chapel. Those present for the spur of the moment ceremony included Ronan, fellow BoyZoner Stephen, and Keith. Oh, and, of course, Lisa, Keith’s fiancee.
The Sunday World reports that Ronan organized the whole shindig – the Vegas chapel, the license, the minister, the mandatory Elvis impersonator – the whole shebang. All Keef had to do was propose to the understandably gobsmacked Lisa while the Zoners were in New York for a bit of R&R last week.
But let the lovebirds tell it.
“I told her . . . the King is going to marry us in Las Vegas,” reveals Keef. “She didn’t say ‘yes,’ she didn’t say anything, she just bawled. The only time she said ‘yes’ was at the altar.”
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Lisa gushed, “Keith always does things in a big way. I knew our wedding would be something special, but I never expected anything like this. It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant.”
In keeping with an ancient Celtic tradition (something old, something new, something greasy, something blue), the couple enjoyed a special breakfast at McDonald’s on their wedding morning. Afterward, they went their separate ways until it was time for them to be united in eternal burnin’ love in the presence of the ersatz Elvis. The blushing bride was given away, appropriately, by the group’s stylist.
The happy couple honeymooned briefly before heading back to Dublin and their 2-year-old son, Jordan. They’re planing a joint wedding celebration with the recently hitched Ronan and Yvonne, and are busily building their dream home, complete with Jacuzzi and private bar.
The downside here is that there are only two BZ hunks still single and available for guilt-free fantasizing. For the under-15 set, that is.
Who’s your Daddy?
We hear that Liam Neeson and Emily Watson are in serious talks to play Frank McCourt’s parents in the movie version of his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, “Angela’s Ashes.”
Neeson would play Malachy Sr., the hard drinking, unreliable yet charming father, while Watson, last seen as Daniel Day Lewis’s love interest in “The Boxer,” would play the indomitable Angela. “Commitments” director Alan Parker will be calling the shots behind the camera.
One person who may not be terribly pleased about this roll of the casting dice will be Rosie O’Donnell, who was rumored to be interested in the part of Angela. But then, we hear that Rosie is being considered as a possible host for next year’s Oscar telecast, so life can’t be too depressing around the O’Donnell hacienda.
Go ahead – make his day
Attention, Irish criminals: you’ll want to be on your best behavior this fall. In September and October, tough-guy actor Clint Eastwood will be doing a little shooting around Ireland. Shooting a few rounds of golf, that is.
The award-winning director, who is as well known for his prowess with a nine iron as for his fabled .44 magnum, hopes to find inspiration in Ireland for a golf movie that he wants to direct. Golfer Tom Watson, a close buddy and prominent duffer, suggested that Clint would find the proper spiritual atmosphere on the courses in Ireland.
Eastwood loved the idea. “It’s certainly worth a shot!” he enthused. Which almost forces us to quote “Dirty Harry.”
We said almost.
U2 dismisses rampaging album rumors
As we told you last week, the U2 boys are busily denying reports that their fervently awaited new album is close to completion. We’re not sure how much faith to put in internet scuttlebut, but the Zoonation website lays out a reasonable scenario, as reported by the current issue of Hot Press.
According to Zoonation, the new album, “Rather Go Blind,” will feature a mix of live and studio tracks. Quoting an anonymous source at U2’s Principle Management, they offer the following track listing: “Mofo,” “I Will Follow,” “Gone,” “Last Night on Earth,” “Until the End of the World,” “Discotheque,” “If You Wear that Velvet Dress” (live), “Super City Mania,” “Heavenly,” “Universal Hymn,” “Let Me Understand,” “Willing to Give In Medicore,” “Pretend to Be” and “Year 2000 Fantasy” (studio).
Though this seems to be a pretty detailed list, the band insists that all reports are extremely premature.
“We’ve got this novel idea that we want to write the songs before we record them,” huffed a band source (who sounds an awful lot like Bono) when questioned by HP.
This would seem to be a major departure for the singer, who has often stated – so earnestly that we could imagine spittle forming in the corners of his mouth – that the songs are just out there, somewhere, and he’s just the ‘umble vessel through which they pass. Or words to that effect. Which makes Larry’s famous “Rattle and Hum” lament about Elvis being buried in the back garden of Graceland seem positively normal. But we’re getting off the subject . . .
It will be interesting to see if the band does come through with an album this year. Though the “PopMart” tour was one of the top-grossing rock shows of 1997, the album tanked shortly after its release. One would assume that they’d, er, rather go blind than repeat that embarrassment . . .
Briefings
Raise your hand if you’re surprised by stories that Absent Spice Geri Halliwell is actually 35 years old, and not 24, as the record company’s been insisting. What foul revelations are next? Does Scarey sleep with the light on? Does Sporty wear frilly knickers? Does Posh trawl for bargains at the thrift shop? Could – horrors! – Baby have wisdom teeth?
We bring this up only because the Girls are back in Ireland at the moment, working hard on their next album. We hear that, in a stunning departure from the previous two Spice offerings, the album will feature solos by the remaining Spices.
Amusingly, the Spice Girls and U2 are both recording in Dublin’s Windmill Lane studios as we type this. Don’t you wonder how often the pop tarts run into those other “Pop” tarts