Bonnie Raitt earns Walk of Fame star

Olympian news services

Originally published Thursday, March 21, 2002

LOS ANGELES -- Grammy-winner Bonnie Raitt gave her fans something to talk about as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Raitt's father, veteran Broadway singer John Raitt, was on hand Tuesday to perform "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and ended the song with the words, "Everything is going Bonnie's way."

"I can't believe that in my 50s, I'm standing here with my Walk of Fame star," said Raitt, whose star is in front of her record label, Capitol.

"If someone proposed this to me 20 years ago, I would have said, 'No way,' " she said.

Several hundred fans celebrated with the 52-year-old singer-guitarist, whose music runs the gamut of blues, country, pop and rock. Raitt has won nine Grammys and recorded dozens of albums including "Give It Up," "Takin' My Time," and her 1989 hit, "Nick of Time."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mary Tyler Moore will be on hand in May to introduce a bronze statue that captures a key moment from the opening of her popular 1970s sitcom, when her character threw her cap skyward.

The statue will be unveiled on May 8 at the corner of 7th Street and the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, the spot where fans of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" still search for Mary's tossed-up tam.

"I can't believe it's going to be 8 feet tall," Moore said.

Reminiscing from her home in New York's Westchester County, Moore said one of the show's creators suggested that she wait for a break in the traffic, walk into the intersection and throw her tam into the air as a sign of exuberance.

"It's the seminal moment of the show," the 64-year-old actress said. "It not only speaks to Mary Richards' feelings, but to my feelings as well. The show represented my hopes and dreams, and I wondered if my abilities were honed enough to carry my own show."

INDIO, Calif. -- Robert Downey Jr. is making progress since being placed on probation for drug offenses, a judge said during a court hearing.

Judge Randall D. White determined on Tuesday that the actor was staying clean and urged him to continue treatment.

Downey appeared in a dark suit and looked healthy. He did not speak to reporters, but agreed to sign autographs for fans outside the courthouse.

While his attorney has said Downey eventually will return to work, the actor has said his primary concerns are staying sober and spending time with his son and family.

He was sentenced in July to a year at a live-in rehabilitation center and three years probation after pleading no-contest to cocaine possession and being under the influence.

ST. LOUIS -- Carl Phillips, acclaimed for his poems with sparse verse and deeply personal subject matter, has won the 2002 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for his book "The Tether."

"I'm delighted and honored," Phillips said Monday. The award, given annually by Claremont Graduate University in California, comes with a $100,000 prize. The ceremony is scheduled for April 26.

The Tufts Award is among the poetry world's most prestigious trophies. It's given for a single work and goes to writers such as Phillips who are considered to be in the middle of their careers.

Phillips, 43, teaches writing and literature at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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