Beating drums has ceased to be Bobby Z's only form of exercise, since his heart attack scare earlier this year.

"Besides drumming [there's now] a treadmill" in Bobby Z's routine, his wife, Vicki Rivkin, told me Monday.

Prince's first drummer with the Revolution is now eating right and he's out and about. On Friday, Bobby and Vicki took in fDeluxe at the Loring Theater. Others present included Carl Eller and Robyne Robinson, upscale jewelry maker.

fDeluxe is the name of the reconstituted band formerly known as the Family, the handle it cannot use because Prince owns the rights to that moniker and Symbolina would not allow them to use it. fDeluxe's band members are Susannah Melvoin, Eric Leeds, Paul Peterson and Jellybean Johnson.

Rivkin is thrilled with the progress Bobby Z has made. "Thank you, God. It's a miracle, just a miracle," she said. "You have no idea what we've been through. They told us to say goodbye, he wasn't going to make it through the night."

Man of Style?

WCCO-TV anchor Frank Vascellaro, fashion icon?

"Oh yeah, you've known that for years," he said. "You probably saw that right away [in me]."

Not actually, I said, laughing as Vascellaro mocked my guffaws in disapproval. He's a real handsome guy, his hair remains gray-free and is NOT a toupee (although some readers insist that it is), and he looks great in a suit.

MplsStPaul magazine's shops supplement has extrapolated the aforementioned attributes into something more grand by including Vascellaro on its "Men of Style" cover.

You don't care about fashion, I reminded him.

"I do for a few hours a day. That's what this story was about. And I do care a lot more because of the great influence in my life that is Amelia Santaniello," he said of his co-anchor who also is his wife.

Somebody's trying to get lucky tonight! I teased him.

"I try to get lucky every night," he said. "That's what I would like the lede to be, and if you could, move it to the front page," he said providing the headline: "'Revolutionary Information: Man Tries to Get Lucky Every Night With Wife.'"

Moving on, I hear that Vascellaro is getting razzed appropriately by colleagues who see the humor in his sharing a cover with salon spa owner Denny Kemp, personal protection specialist to the stars Elijah Shaw (whose clients have included Naomi Campbell -- snicker here, as she needs no bodyguard as long as she's got a cellphone), Timberwolf Wes Johnson, musician Jeremy Messersmith and businessman Tom Wicka.

Wicka is the only one whose credentials as a fashionisto I can vouch for personally. Wicka loves to shop! A few years ago he had a regular, as in almost every Saturday, habit that required a trip to Neiman Marcus.

On page 22, Wicka dares to "Rock a scarf. Although it's becoming too mainstream." On the cover, he's wearing orange shoes that are a tad loud even for me, and I like that color. I'll bet they were expensive, I thought, turning to page 24, where my hunch was confirmed with one word: Gucci.

While Vascellaro's wife is a member of his "shopping team," he's not a player on hers. "One time I bought her a great dress at the Oval Room. She said 'Good try' and returned it. I learned my lesson: Don't buy clothes for Amelia," he told the mag.

Rebuttal? "That was not the comment I made," Santaniello said Monday. "I cannot believe he said that. I thought 'This is so sweet.' He bought it the wrong size, too small, I was flattered and I had to return it. I would never discourage him from buying me stuff. Now Frank relies on Tom's wife Angie Wicka's advice on what to buy for me."

Convicted and acquitted

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann "convicted" herself Friday on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," who acquitted himself accordingly. And without guiding Bachmann to the correct phrase: I have convictions.

"If you become president, and you seem pretty strident in your views, could you [compromise]?" asked Leno.

"Convicted. I'm convicted," Bachmann told Leno with a gesture.

"You don't get convicted until after you're in office," quipped Leno. "That's later. You have to get elected first."

Bachmann complimented Leno. She also took a shot at humor herself when Leno asked about her husband Marcus Bachmann's mental health clinics that some believe are involved in therapy to change gays.

"That whole pray-the-gay-away thing, I don't get that," said Leno.

Bachmann said when she first heard that description she thought it was a midlife crisis reference: "'Pray away the gray.' That's what I thought it was."

Leno said, "I've been married 31 years -- first wife, very happy. Two gay guys get married, how does that affect my marriage?"

Bachmann said, "The family is foundational. Marriage between a man and a woman has been the law for years."

Some laws need updating. There was a U.S. law that would have made me a runaway slave and there was a time when Bachmann would not have been allowed to vote or run for office because of her gender.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on FOX 9 Thursday mornings.