Ahmir Thompson, founder of the Roots and drummer for the "Tonight Show" band, wants to find the kind stranger who bought him a turntable and several records at the tender age of 5.
Thompson — better known as Questlove — posted on social media that he was traveling with his parents, who made their living playing gigs, when he made friends with "Ellie" in 1976 in Portland, Maine. "Being the irresistible cat that I was, I talked an older woman named Ellie into buying me a stereo and a record collection," Questlove posted on Facebook and Instagram. Ellie wrote the youngster's order on a napkin: "Bad Blood" by Neil Sedaka, "Dance With Me" by Rufus, and the Jackson 5.
"I knew talking to strangers was a no-no, but my instincts paid off," he wrote. His parents were upset that he'd been chatting up a stranger when Ellie returned the next day bearing gifts. But he says his new friend told his parents "please don't have him get in trouble on my behalf!! He's so cute of course I wanted to start his record collection!!!"
King receives daughter he long denied
The long-running royal scandal that has riveted Belgium has achieved a new milestone after former King Albert II reunited with the daughter he fathered out of wedlock more than half a century ago — and refused to recognize. Capping a momentous few weeks, the ex-king and his wife, Queen Paola, received the former Delphine Boel at their residence, the 18th Century Belvedere Castle outside Brussels. Boel, a 52-year-old artist, last month won recognition as Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine following a bitter two-decade paternity fight. "After the tumult, the suffering and the hurt, it is time for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation," the three said in a joint statement. "Together, we decided to take this new path. It will require patience and effort, but we are determined."
Engaged: "The Voice" co-stars Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are engaged and sharing the good news on social media. "Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020. … And the rest of my life. … I love you. I heard a YES!" Shelton wrote. The stars met as judges on the singing competition show years ago. After Shelton divorced Miranda Lambert and Stefani divorced Gavin Rossdale in 2015, the two later began dating. They have recorded duets together, including "Nobody But You," which just won a CMT Music Award last week.
Memoir: Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the national security aide who offered key testimony during the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump, has a book deal. Harper announced that Vindman's "Here, Right Matters: An American Story" will come out in the spring. The publisher is calling it a "powerful and dramatic memoir" that spans his family's emigration from the Soviet Union to the U.S. to his "moment of truth" in taking on a sitting president. Vindman said, "My hope is to offer my story as an affirmation that the American dream is alive and worth continuing to fight for."
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