Times Square Gossip

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. HARDING **** George Clooney LETTERMAN’S EXIT --- This Wednesday will be David Letterman‘s final show. Let me just say that his past two weeks of shows have been nothing short of phenomenal . . . amazing, to be sure. With guests like Tom Waits, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Bill Clinton, Adam Sandler, Howard Stern, Oprah Winfrey, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Bruce Willis, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Ray Romano, a frail-looking Don Rickles (though funny as ever), and just a sterling moment and deep-hearted performance from Norm MacDonald. Suffice to say that Dave’s exit is going to be an immense moment in TV lore. Nothing against the Jimmys, but Dave had the gravitas and grace to do it all. His last two musical guests will be Bob Dylan tomorrow and Eddie Vedder with his still-going-strong group Pearl Jam on Wednesday. Dave’s final guest will be the man who has always been his first: Bill Mu...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. HARDING **** Elliot Tiber EYE OF THE TIBER --- When Elliot Tiber’s Taking Woodstock came out in 2007, his true and often wildly ribald story of how the famed 1969 Woodstock festival literally landed in the backyard of his parents’ rundown shambles of a Catskills motel rocked and shocked readers everywhere -- including, of all people, two-time Oscar winning director Ang Lee, who went on to make a terrific movie adapted from the book.  Sure, the film was toned down a bit from Tiber's fiercely absurdest and proudly gay source material, but Lee's vision of Tiber's story made for a stunning picture -- from the actors, including comedy-improv legend Eugene Levy's spot-on performance as the great farmer Max Yasgur and the remarkable Liev Schrieber as a former-Marine transvestite in his second Woodstock-themed films to date (the first being the Dustin Hoffman-produced 1999 drama A Walk on the Moon), to th...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. HARDING **** Elliot Tiber WOODSTOCK AT 45 --- Forty-five years ago this summer on August 15, 1969, Elliot Tiber found his own life's freedom just as the late folk singer Richie Havens sang his improvised song "Freedom" from the stage at the Woodstock Festival. As writer of the acclaimed book Taking Woodstock (made by two-time Oscar winning director Ang Lee into a major motion picture released five years ago in the summer of 2009) and its prequel Palm Trees on the Hudson, Tiber has had much to share with audiences about all the amazing things that happened to him both before and during that weird and wild and wonderful time in August 1969 that gave birth to Woodstock Nation.   In terms of what happened to Elliot after Woodstock, that question will soon be answered in detail with the forthcoming publication of Tiber's third and final memoir titled After Woodstock: The True Story of a Belgi...

**** ON THE RADIO **** Elliot Tiber XM’s Brett Winterble interviews Taking Woodstock author Elliot Tiber tonight (at 10:00 PM PT-channel 166) and got him to reveal for the first time, that a third and final tome on Woodstock, penned by him, will be released in the summer … titled After Woodstock (via Square One Publishing). Winterble, who called the Woodstock event a “touchstone of our generation,” at one point, asked him what memory remained with him the most from the legendary event in 1969. Tiber replied, “Richie Havens’ performance of ‘Freedom’ – it was what we wanted, we fought for, and though it didn’t happen right away, is finally starting to come true. Don't forget - the event was peace, love and music.” Tiber also talked about his new book out this week called, Palm Trees On The Hudson, which is about his life in New York and his association with Judy Garland. “I had put together a show for a very famous judge … and, the talent was Garland. She...

Robert Funaro with Steve Walter, Elliot Tiber and Joe Franklin Today is the 38th Anniversary of WOODSTOCK; the three-day festival of Peace and Love in 1969. Last night, at STEVE WALTER's CUTTING ROOM in Chelsea, author ELLIOT TIBER launched his new book TAKING WOODSTOCK; his first hand account of his life and role in the festival. He introduced MAX YASGUR to MICHAEL LANG, and was able to secure the necessary permits that enabled the music festival to go on. Tiber's parents owned the local El Monaco Hotel in Bethel, New York, and he soon found himself on the Chamber of Commerce ... which granted him his extraordinary access as well as putting him at the center of the history-changing event. Tiber also lived a closeted-gay life, journeying to New York on his weekends and dabbling with the likes of ROCK HUDSON; TRUMAN CAPOTE; and, TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, and, immersing himself in the burgeoning gay movement in NY, which culminated in his appearance at the Stonewall riots. With the ...

Chris Gilman and Elliot Tiber Photo By: James Edstrom TAKING WOODSTOCK's ELLIOT TIBER held court at NY's PALM WEST Thursday night, with Times Square Gossip(and pr-powerhouse DAVID SALIDOR), talking about his forthcoming launch party at Steve Walter's Cutting Room on Tuesday, August 14. Tiber's book, released by Square One Publishers, candidly details the efforts Tiber took to make the Woodstock festival happen. "I ran a hotel with my parents in White Lake, NY, the El Monaco, befriended Max Yasgur ... and, when the permit required to hold the festival fell through, I secured the proper notification, as I was on the Bethel Chamber of Commerce ... and, it went off." All along, Tiber was living a closeted-gay-lifestyle; going into New York on the weekends and befriending people like Rock Hudson, Robert Mapplethorpe, artist Mark Rothko; and, Tennessee Williams. Tiber gradated from Hunter College with honors and slowly became enveloped in the burgeoning gay-lifesty...

Richie Havens with Elliot Tiber During the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, there were a series of violent conflicts between the New York City Police and groups of gay and transgender people in New York City. The conflict lasted several days and was a watershed for the worldwide gay rights movement, as gay people had never before acted in such large numbers to forcibly resist police. ELLIOT TIBER, who's parents ran a small inn near Woodstock, was there and chronicles many of his thoughts in his new book TAKING WOODSTOCK (Square One Publishers), as well as his heroic efforts in making the Woodstock festival happen. Tiber lived by day working at his parents inn and by night, in new York City, a closeted gay existence. He came in contact with the likes of TRUMAN CAPOTE, ROCK HUDSON and, ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE. Says Tiber, "Stonewall was a life changing experience ... we all knew it the moment. I was the first to overturn a police car ... an amazing episode." Tiber adds t...

L-R: Steve Porpora, Verde Press, Anthony Pomes, Square One, author ELLIOT TIBER, Square One publisher RUDY SHUR, unidentified guest, and, consultant DAVID SALIDOR. A new book, TAKING WOODSTOCK (Square One Publishers), coming out in August will literally blow the lid off the Woodstock-generation with an in depth behind-the-scenes story of how author ELLIOT TIBER rescued the original Woodstock Festival cancellation. Elliot, who owned along with his parents an upstate New York motel, was working in Greenwich Village in the summer of 1969. He socialized with the likes of TRUMAN CAPOTE, TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, and photographer ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, and yet somehow managed to keep his gay life a secret from his family and his community. Then on Friday, June 28, Elliot walked into the Stonewall Inn - and witnessed a riot that would galvanize the American gay movement and enable him to take stock of his own lifestyle. Then, on July 15, when Elliot learned that the Woodstock Concert promoters were ...