YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BEACH WITH BROOKE BURKE & DODGER LEGEND TOMMY LASORDA!

MY EXCITING DAY AT THE BEACH DAY!
THOUSANDS OF US DID “IT” TOGETHER!!

THE LEGENDARY TOMMY LASORDA, BROOKE BURKE & FITNESS EXPERT DENISE AUSTIN ALL SHOWED UP AT THE BEACH TO  HOST A CHARITY EVENT WITH SKECHERS & KIDS FOOT LOCKER.

Recently I participated in The Friendship Circle Charity event with Brooke Burke, co-host of “Dancing with the Stars” with Tom Bergeron. The event involved walking 5 miles to raise money for local schools.

Kids Foot Locker and Skechers co-sponsored the event;  Brooke Burke is the Skechers spokesperson, so of course she was there to pitch in for a good cause. If it’s at all possible, Brooke Burke is even MORE beautiful in person. I took a close look to see if I could catch her wearing a pair of Spanx underneath her work out clothes, but no such luck. She’s gorgeous through and through!

Tommy Lasorda who spent 62 seasons in the Dodger organization, is very involved with The Friendship Circle Charity, was on hand to get the crowd excited.

The most exciting and the most fun to watch is Skechers spokesperson fitness expert Denise Austin. She used her motivational, high energy pep talk to get the 7000 eager participants hyped up for the starting gun.  We all gathered at The Manhattan Beach Pier, to begin the walk.  There were  marching bands, circling helicopters, the Mayor, men, women, children, dogs and of course, the highly exclusive residents of Manhattan Beach, CA .  Those include famous celebrities, super star athletes, rock stars and business moguls.  The sponsors anticipated they would raise approx $500,000 during the weekend just for the schools.

Here’s an interesting and well hidden secret about Brooke that she never talks about, we used to have a few close mutual friends.  Consequently, I ended up spending quite a bit of time out partying with her and a group of “starlets” that all had their eyes on the same prize.  A fun bunch of us girls would get together socially and go out on the town and trust me, everyone knew we had arrived! There have been some moments in my life that I look back and affectionately call them “rock-star” moments. Those were some exciting times! 

All of us girls were just at the precipice of taking our careers to the next level.  Brooke at the time had just been voted off during the second round on the show The Weakest Link.  During the same time she was shooting Wild On all over the country for the E! Network. 

Meanwhile, I was launching my career as well. I had just been honored with being selected to grace the pages of Playboy Magazine as Playboy Playmate Miss January.  It wasn’t long before I’d set my sights on hosting television. I got my first big break when I was hired to co-host a national show that was shooting in NYC.  20th Century FOX was launching a completely live and innovative network called FX.  They interviewed candidates world wide and I got the job! I was so excited when I found out who else was going to be hosting shows on this new network.  I actually got to work with Tom Bergeron, currently the host of “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Videos”;  Jeff Probst of “Survivor” fame; and also with Phil Keoghan of the Emmy Award winning show “The Amazing Race”.

When I saw Brooke at the Charity event, we said hello to each other.  She said she recognized me from somewhere, but couldn’t place it.  I reminded her about all the girlfriends we still currently had in common and about some of the most memorable moments from the past!  She just shook her head and said, “hmmm, I don’t remember that!”  Oh well, maybe it was because her husband David Charvet was standing with her and she didn’t want to cut loose with details about her single days. I suppose we all can relate to that to some extent!!

Great things are happening now for both of us, she’s co-hosting Dancing with the Stars and  I’m busy shooting the first season of my talk show, “Celebrity Insights with Luann Lee” and I’ll promise you this, I have more “rock star” moments to come and I’M GOING TO REMEMBER THEM!

www.LuannLee.com

Gene Simmons Shannon Tweed guest preparations before the wedding!

                                            WHAT A GIRL GOES THROUGH BEFORE
                                                SHE GOES TO A FANCY WEDDING AT
                                                         THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL!   
                
                                                                THE ROCK BAND: KISS
                                      GENE SIMMONS SHANNON TWEED WEDDING!!

Funny, so many of us were in red, none of us called each other before the wedding, must be the new “it” color.  Most of us Playboy Playmates know from experience from going to celebrity, star studded events, you better wear something where you stand out!  I’d recently bought this dress, only wore it one other time and not around the same group, so it was the perfect dress for me.

I didn’t have time to put a lot of thought into what I was wearing because the entire week before, I’d been in the middle of the Yosemite forest.  I’d be selected by my daughter’s school to be one of the chaperon’s for 350 kids at a Christian camp.  (BTW, have I ever mentioned? I DON’T LIKE TO CAMP!!! There were bears and bear…………….um…….LOGS! Scary.) And spiders the size of footballs and beetles that flew and crawled in our cabin. There were actual mountain lions lurking around! AND every ounce of food was deep fried! Breakfast, lunch and dinner, deep, deep, deep fried!

Thank Goodness, actually in this case, thank you GOD, for all the incredible, uplifting worship services 3 times a day. I left the forest exhausted, but my soul full. Got home late Friday night and passed out, glad to be out of that rickety bunk bed and inch high, 50 yr old mattress, and into my soft comfy Four Seasons mattress, yummy.  I was a sleep by 9 pm zzzzzzzzzz

BUT! Then the loud sound of my alarm early Saturday morning, the day of the wedding. I was a mess, nothing was unpacked and some of those things I needed to bring with me in to Beverly Hills.  I had to hire an entire team of people to get me ready!! Tanning, wardrobe stylist, hair-coloring, blow dry, nails, make-up, lashes, car service, blah, blah, blah! For all of us over the age of 30, it takes just a BIT LONGER to get ready for these high profile events!

World wind baby, but worth it, it was a BLAST!! Xoxxoxo I love these two. Gene Simmos and Shannon Tweed I wish you a LIFETIME of happiness together

www.LuannLee.com

KISS singing at the reception of Gene Simmons Shannon Tweed wedding

Before Gene and Shannon's wedding in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel

Gene Simmons Shannon Tweed Wedding!

Gene Simmons from KISS finally
Marries the love of his life Shannon Tweed! 

It was so exciting and such an honor to be invited to the Gene Simmons Shannon Tweed wedding this past Saturday, October 1st at The Beverly Hills Hotel.  I absolutely adore them and they’re a blast to hang out with. But this celebrity wedding almost didn’t happen.  Simmons has dated Tweed for 28 years and finally Tweed drew a hard-line, “marry me or I’m gone!”

Simmons didn’t hesitate long and proposed to Tweed in July.  A short clip of his proposal aired on YouTube and it brought tears to my eyes.  So did my first glance at her engagement ring!   I first became aquainted with Shannon Tweed’s 24 carat diamond engagement ring at her bachelorette party. It’s huge, and I cried with a mixture of joy and envy. The engagement aired on the finale episode of Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIFlPz8BpDk&feature=email

The wedding invitation posted on People’s website read, “Classy Cocktail Attire Requested, although we know some Rock star attire will be worn.” It was signed by the “soon-to-be Team Tweed-Simmons.”  Among the celebrity guests were Simmons’ KISS band mates, Huge Hefner, several Playboy Playmates, Bill Maher and Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Gene and Shannon have two kids — Nick, 22, and Sophie, 19 — they were part of the wedding party with Sophie serving as maid of honor and Nick as best man.  But before Gene and Shannon exchanged vows, their adorable dog was walked down the aisle by two equally adorable ring bearers.

The wedding ceremony was absolutely beautiful, taking place on the crystal lawn of the Beverly Hills Hotel.  There were dozens of crystal chandeliers hanging in large trees surrounding the garden, cream rose petals lined the aisle and huge flower arrangements were everywhere.

Simmons and Tweed exchanged vows that they had personalized, in front of 400 friends and family members. I was SO thrilled to be one of those friends!  The ceremony was very touching and Shannon was one of the most beautiful brides I’ve ever seen.  The dress, the veil, and the tiara all were stunning. She was also wearing an incredible bracelet that TMZ reported was worth $420,000!

Although guests were asked NOT to bring cell phones or cameras into the event, Bill Maher, decided that rule didn’t apply to him.  Using his phone throughout the entire ceremony, he tweeted out some details on his Twitter page, “At the Gene Simmons-Shannon Tweed wedding – a dog just walked down the aisle ahead of the bride so it’s a good start.” Clearly in poor taste, but that’s Bill Maher for you.

Hugh Hefner called the event “a very romantic, family affair” on Twitter.  Playboy magazine’s creator dated Tweed in 1981.

The reception was OVER the TOP!!  After a quick dress change, from her amazing, princess like Priscilla of Boston bridal gown into a GORGEOUS Badgley Mischka Bridal evening gown, Simmons and Tweed danced their first dance together.  Turns out Gene Simmons isn’t the only one with an incredible voice.  Their daughter Sophie sang “At Last” by Etta James.  She’s stunning, 5’10” and a computer science major who can really sing! It was an enchanting moment.

Nick sang as well.  His choice was classic Frank Sinatra.  He’s a 6’8” hottie that can also belt it out!  I mean really, really sing, he’s charismatic and has incredible stage presence. Tweed eventually sang too, this entire family is talented.

KISS finally took the stage and rocked us out for the remainder of the evening.  The whole event was a mixture of part magical wedding, part rock concert and part fairytale.

It just shows you that if you wait long enough, and in Shannon Tweed’s case 28 years, dreams really do come true and Tweed got her dream sealed with a KISS! A whole band of them!!!

For Entertainment Tonight’s exclusive, inside look at the wedding, check out this link below:
Inside Gene Simmons KISS Wedding: http://www.etonline.com/news/114875_Exclusive_Inside_the_Gene_Simmons_KISS_Wedding/index.html

www.LuannLee.com

Before Gene and Shannon's wedding in the lobby of The Beverly Hills Hotel

After the wedding reception in my suite at The Beverly Hills Hotel, we ordered sliders!

You will NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED at the KEITH URBAN Concert!! Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

KEITH URBAN CONCERT WITH JACK BLACK, JOHN FOGERTY
AND PLAYBOY PLAYMATE/TV HOST LUANN LEE
STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA

Ok, so we all know KEITH URBAN is sexy, hot and super YUMMY! So, when I found out he was coming to Los Angeles, I knew I was going to be there.  I’ve seen him 3 other times before and he’s great in concert, so this time I wanted to be front and center.  I wanted to be that close so I could see that dazzling smile, that twinkle in his eye and most importantly, those incredibly sexy fingers romancing his guitar strings!  I wanted to see him sweat, grind and dance while he, I imagined, sang personally to me.

Those are the things I wanted from this concert.  What I got was that and a whole lot more.

We bought the tickets a month in advance and didn’t realize that the concert fell on the evening of the Jewish High Holy day, Yom Kippur.  The people we were going with are Jewish.  They were going to have to “break the fast” before they could join us, so that would delay us getting to see the opening act, Jake Owen. By a strange coincidence, Jake Owen used to date my BFF, Playboy Playmate Carrie Stevens.  I’ve met him through her and thought he was a jerk, and told him so in not so many words.  So missing the opening act didn’t bother me.  Although, the current hit of his, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” does have a catchy melody and is pretty good.  He is also hot, not as hot as Keith Urban, but hot none the less.  Unfortunately, the second he opens his mouth, he’s also arrogant, egotistical and star-struck by his own image, so he becomes UN-HOT real fast.

Anyway, we finally get to the concert an hour late and as we walk in to Staples Center, we hear the crowd screaming and Keith Urban say to the audience, “Good Evening Los Angeles!”  So my girlfriend and I start an all out sprint to the sign that reads “Access to Floor Seats”.
I was all decked out in my fancy-dandy cowboy boots and they have these amazingly beautiful zippers that go up the inside of my calf.  At the top of the zippers are beautiful metal, rose shaped zipper pulls.  Well, my two rose zipper pulls got entangled, my legs stuck together and at a full gate, I went flying in to the air!  I landed face first on to the cement floor with my knee landing second and then my hands.  I remember my mom always saying to me, “if you ever fall, always WATCH THE FACE, brace yourself, put  your hands down first!”  I didn’t stand a chance though, my arms got pushed out of the way by other fans running as fast as they could to get to their own seats.  So face first was my fate!  Ouch!

I was dazed and in so much pain I couldn’t get up.  Security came, then they called the paramedics with a wheel chair and on and on.  ALL I kept thinking about was, Keith Urban is now on his THIRD song, I’VE GOT TO GET IN THERE!!!!

I finally broke free from security, hobbled my way down 3 flights of stairs to the floor seats and limped up to the mosh crowd that had gathered around the stage.  Turns out Urban wanted to have a “club like” type of concert.  He had told his security guards to let the audience crowd around the stage and stand in the aisles.  I saw a small hole in the mass of people and went for it, by a stroke of luck, my 13th row seats had “magically” turned into 4th row seats!  Everyone was dancing and singing, no one was sitting, which was a good thing because I couldn’t bend my knee at this point.

I stood and enjoyed the concert immensely.  Keith Urban never disappoints, he’s an extremely gifted singer/song writer/guitarist and he LOVES to perform.  He brought fans up on stage twice during the evening; the first time Urban invited  3 people who had made extravagant signs that coordinated with Urban’s song “Kiss A Girl”.  Two ecstatic, female 20 something’s and an adorable 9-year old little girl got to come up and collect their kisses.  It was very sweet.
Keeping with the theme of the same song, the second time, Urban invited 3 guests to come up on stage, but ONLY if they knew the lyrics to his song, “Kiss A Girl”.  They each got a chance to sing a short solo version of the song with Keith’s band backing them up.  The audience voted by clapping after each guest.  The winner was escorted over to center stage to sing the song as a duet with Keith Urban himself!!!

 
Wow, how surreal and how exciting for the 3 guests who were selected by Keith himself.   How high my anger and disappointment was rising when it hit me that if I hadn’t fallen, I WOULD HAVE MOST DEFINITELY TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD SO THAT HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED ME!  I would have been able to JUMP, HOP, SCREAM MY PLEA, WAVE MY HANDS just to get his attention! Remember, I was right in front of him in the fourth row!  No one really thought he was going to bring someone up on stage so few people were even trying.  I was shocked myself!

But because I was in SO MUCH pain, I was forced to stand still and watch 3 other people live out my DREAM.  The first two girls were more shocked than ready to sing, lastly a “weekend cowboy type with a large kids stuffed horse” got up on stage. I kept thinking, “PLEASE! This was supposed to be my dream”, but I have to say, this guy knocked it out of the park!  The combination of a couple of beers, his cocky swagger and the fact that he really new the words, impressed everyone.  It was an easy choice and Keith Urban rocked out the rest of the song doing a duet with his new “partner”!

Urban always keeps his great sense of fun and adventure in to his shows.  At one point He even took a huge drink of water and spit it out all over the girls that were directly in front of him and they ate it up.  Then the “icing on the cake” happened.  Keith Urban threw his wrist band into the crowd and it landed right at my FEET!!!!  It hurt to bend over to pick it up and just as I reached to pick it up, a much larger “beer guzzling, cowgirl type chick” snatched it from my hands!  But for a moment it was mine

John Fogerty joined Urban joined for the Fogerty written song “Proud Mary, Rolling On The River” and Jack Black sang the Charlie Daniels song, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.”  It was AWESOME; pain, bruises and a crushed knee cap, it was AWESOME!

www.LuannLee.com

It’s my New Blog!

Hi Everybody!

I’m very excited about my new blog and website. Now you’ll be able to keep up with me and I can keep up with you!
I’ve got a lot of great plans and projects coming up and I’ll be giving you the play by play so you won’t miss a thing!

- Luann