In a very sad development, my longtime Martha’s Vineyard friend, Carly Simon, lost both of her sisters this week. Broadway composer Lucy Simon died of breast cancer on Thursday, and former opera singer Joanna Simon passed from thyroid cancer on Wednesday.
Wow, what a horrible week for her. Both deaths were confirmed by a source close to pop superstar Carly. I got to say, this family was born into unusual, rarefied wealth in an atmosphere of celebrity. They were all the children of Simon & Schuster publisher Richard Simon and his wife, Andrea.
The Simon sisters and their brother, Peter, would all find their way to success in professional music careers. Peter, the youngest sibling, passed away in 2018. He was a photographer and an expert on reggae music. Actually, it was Peter who introduced me to Ska many, many decades ago. We remained good friends until his death. And his sister Carly was always just the most down-to-earth person you would ever want to meet. My sincere condolences go out to Carly Simon and her entire family.
And speaking of the East Coast, Shonda Rhimes just purchased a $15.7 million mansion in the affluent neighborhood of Westport, Connecticut. It is a sprawling 11-bedroom, New England colonial home with a basketball court, bowling alleys, an arcade, a home theater, concession stands, a playroom, a billiard room, eight fireplaces, and a kitchen with a pizza oven. Because, for gosh sakes, who needs a kitchen unless it has a pizza oven? Go on Miss Shondra. We ain’t mad at you, girl.
I also hear that the home has a tennis court, pool, playground, and outdoor seating/dining areas. Okay. You know what? She deserves it. She works really, really hard and got a lot of great shows on the air for a long time. That’s what happens.
And for all these stories and a whole lot more, don’t forget to follow Tanya Hart on social media @tanyahollywood and @aurnonline.
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