Gone Too Soon...

My head and heart are still reeling from the events of today. We knew Farrah Fawcett was, sadly, losing her battle with cancer, yet to hear that she had passed was, nonetheless, heartbreaking and painful. Just hours later, the shock of Michael Jackson's passing was almost unbelievable, in fact, too much to take.

In my business of covering entertainment news, one must remain stoic while reporting these stories, but I must tell you, I broke down in private several times today. You'd have to be inhuman to not feel the sadness of such tragic situations, human loss. And it didn't begin today, it started earlier this week.

First it was a former colleague, a very successful sportscaster from Philly who succumbed to prostate cancer at the young age of 54. Gary Pappa was a father, a husband, a friend. And worked til the very end, even doing the sports on station WPVI while losing his hair. He will be missed. Then, Ed McMahon, whom I had the distinct pleasure of being welcomed into his home, and working with him on several occasions. A class act all the way, and a family man to the core. Then today...

I am shaken, saddened, yet trying in earnest to celebrate the lives of these icons. On Jackson's album "Dangerous" is a song titled "Gone Too Soon" ... say no more.

Grab Some "Local Color"

I began painting as a therapeutic hobby about 7 years ago. Not trained. Self taught. With simply a passion driving me, I picked up a canvas and some brushes one day because I had always wanted to paint, but never thought I could. Some might say I still can't. But that doesn't stop me.

Therein lies the plot line for a new movie that utterly took me by surprise, "Local Color" -- written and directed by George Gallo, who truly is a renaissance man: filmaker, actor, writer, and yes, painter. He began painting in the same way I did, but when he was much, much younger. This movie is his story.

You don't have to be an artist to fall in love with this film. You don't even have to like art. You just have to love a great story, brilliantly photographed and masterfully acted by Armin Mueller-Stahl, Trevor Morgan, Ray Liotta, and Samantha Mathis, to name a few of the top-notch cast. With his words and direction, Gallo paints a moving portrait of love, passion and attainable dreams.

"Local Color" opens July 3rd. Go see it. It will renew your spirit and inspire you to not just dream your dreams, but live them.