Arsenio Hall: Being a Great Black Father is Job Number One

Former talk show king Arsenio Hall does not -- repeat -- does not want to return to the late night talk show game.
 
Hall says hardly a week passes that someone doesn't ask him about doing another show, but these days, "My agenda is pretty much directed by a 5-year-old. My kid has become a little more important to me."
 
Hall, who does the voice of the sinister Dr. Carver in the Disney Channel's animated "The Proud Family Movie" premiering tomorrow (8/19) says, "I remember turning down a meeting to talk about another talk show the same week I accepted 'The Proud Family.' I thought, 'This (talk show) will take me away from my kid and I've done it, but this will make my kid think I'm really cool."
 
He says his days of extensive standup touring are also behind him. "I was on the road when he was born," he recalls. "It's weird. I love doing standup and I love going on tour, but when you're doing 'Yuk, yuk' in Tibet and you hear your kid over the phone … It's like they can't pay me enough. I did the rest of the dates I was legally obligated to do and I brought my a-- home."
 
Hall adds, "I've had an incredible life, and if I have a legacy, it's that 'There was a brother who did some things that succeeded and some things that didn't always succeed.' But what better mission to be on than being a great black father?" he asks. "There are not enough of us who take pride in being a great, black father, and I believe you could trace some of the problems in our society to parenthood. When you see a Jenna Bush (the president's daughter) getting into trouble, people say, 'Why is she getting into trouble with all she has?' Well, George Bush is busy, too. Whether it's the White House or Compton, kids are screaming out for attention. So for me, fatherhood is a far greater mission to succeed at than a talk show."
 
THE INSIDE TRACK:

The Go-Gos celebrate their 25th anniversary next year, and are already planning "to make a big splash" out of it with special events and performances. That's according to Kathy Valentine, the bass player of rock's most successful all-female band to date -- and co-composer of such Go-Go's hits as "Vacation" and "Head over Heels."
 
Kathy's now launching her "Light Years" solo album, which came about, she says, "because I wanted to still be creative when I was very, very pregnant. I never wanted to make a solo record before. Then I started liking the way it was coming together."
 
The disc drops Sept. 6, and Kathy is doing appearances on its behalf, including an in-store performance at L.A.'s Amoeba Records Sept. 7, and a special concert at the Troubadour the 14th. "I'd like to do some select cities and TV, but at this point in my life, with a toddler at home, I can't really go on a long tour," she says. As it is, daughter Audrey waits for Kathy to finish rehearsals, then she'll say, 'Can you play with me now, Mommy?' You can buy them all the toys, but what they really want is you," she observes. Audrey's been on hand for Go-Go's concerts, and "She reduces the entire experience to 'Mom's work is loud. Daddy's work isn't loud.'" Kathy's husband is an attorney.
 
SO BAD HE'S GOOD:

Miguel Ferrer reports that Henry Winkler "is even better in this episode than he was in the first one. He's so mean. People are going to enjoy it." Winkler guest-starred on last season's cliffhanger finale as the higher-up who came in and fired Ferrer's Dr. Garrett Macy on the show. Now, with his own "Out of Practice" sitcom to debut next month, Winkler's wrapped his "Jordan" return episode, in which Macy's situation will be resolved. The two actors are "very old friends. We met through mutual friends back when he had just done this TV pilot called 'Happy Days.' He said, 'It's sort of like 'American Graffitti,' and, I don't know. I think it's good,'" recalls Miguel with a laugh. "He's a lovely, sweet man -- one of the guys success never changed.
 
AFTER THE FALL:

Madonna's spill from a horse this week -- which cost her three cracked ribs, a broken collar bone and a broken hand, on her birthday, no less -- has prompted quick action from Gary Lashinsky, promoter of the November-starting U.S. tour by the Spanish Riding School of Vienna's famous Lipizzaner stallions. A formal invitation has gone out to the singer to attend a show and have a riding lesson with the School's Chief Rider, Hans Riegler, one of the world's best horsemen. "Perhaps she wasn't focused enough on one of her riding lessons and needs a top-notch refresher course," he says. He adds, "And as the saying goes, 'when you fall off a horse you got to get right back on.'" Ouch.

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)

The Beck/Smith syndicated newspaper column includes exclusive in-depth, behind-the-scenes reports on the stars, on the business of television and movie-making, and on the recording, publishing and media beats.

©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.