Julia Gillard's new pal Rhianna

They seem like the most unlikely of pairings – a former Prime Minister and one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. And yet since first meeting in 2016, Julia Gillard and Rihanna have formed an unlikely friendship based on their shared passion for promoting education in developing countries around the world.

Read more at Australian Vogue. 

Meanwhile: spotted in New York by one of our eagle-eyed readers -on the Promenade along the East River and Carl Schurz Park filming for an HBO series : Nicole Kidman.

Tinkling The Ivories with One Direction

To the Cosmopolitan Cafe in deepest Double Bay for a special treat. Legendary pianist Chet Clark ( above) had flown in from his home in Santa Barbara to give a concert for invited guests. Clark was big in the 50s, and the 60s and 70s. He appeared on every major rock'n'roll show in Australia and the USA and accompanied legendary names of rock and pop, too many to mention.

(left : Jenny Main,John Foreman & Maria Venuti at the Cosmo)

Joining Chet at the piano was the musical director of some of television's and live theatre's top shows John Foreman who flew in from Melbourne for the night.
The night was put together by producer Jenny Main and hopefully will be the first of many musical evenings to come
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The Shuttle will be at the Ch 7 studios in Martin Place tomorrow morning for One Direction's appearance. Are we looking forward to it ?. Not as much as Tony Bennett's final show tomorrow night at the Sydney Opera House which we managed to score a rare ticket for.

There is one thing everyone must do in this life. And that is see Tony Bennett sing live.
There is a reason Frank Sinatra said Bennett had "the best tonsils in the business". His voice is like pure honey and washes over you with a purity never experienced before. In our lifetime we have not seen a live singer with such perfection and poetry in their voice. There is no man or woman on this planet that is better. Bennett's recordings do not do his voice justice, as wonderful as they are. This is the singer who thrives on live performances and at 85 years old, by all accounts he is as good today as he was 50 years ago.

Oh yes, Rihanna is in town and attended the premiere of Battleship last night and went shopping in Paddington during the day before boarding a luxury yacht for the obligatory Harbour cruise. Perhaps she waved to One Direction who were also on the Harbour.

No Show As George Goes Home

A sharp eyed Shuttle reader informs us that George Michael jetted out of Sydney on the 20th February and obviously would not be attending the 2011 Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras last night.



George-now home

That make George and Rihanna the two latest celebrity non-shows at the Mardi Gras party following a long line of international acts visiting Oz  that happen to co-incide with the parade and party and that the local media begin inferring for weeks beforehand will be appearing at the party.

 It's become almost obligatory that anyone with the remotest gay following must somehow offer their entertainment services to the party even if it's for free. The chances of this happening when tour promoters already walk a fine financial line are remote. The only exception has been the saintly Kylie Minogue who sang (mimed) at the 2000 party.



"hate your media!"



It goes hand in hand with visiting celebs having to say they "love the country and have always wanted to visit" when questioned by local media.
 Oprah Winfrey  went overboard with her "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi !" screeches during her 2 local Opera House broadcasts while Eminem was refreshingly honest and said he couldn't stand the country or it's media- words spat out at a presser in 2002 much to the Shuttle's delight as we knew it would infuriate local scribes (and it did).

Or the claim that every visiting star who "loves the country" must therefore purchase a mansion in what international economists say is the most over-inflated real estate market in the world.

Thus we are still looking for proof George Michael purchased the Whale Beach house with magnificent sea views in which he holidayed in this year as reported in a daily newspaper of note, on a respected real estate website and on a morning TV broadcast. Our property mole says there is no record yet of such a transaction and that the house is available for rent or purchase since Mr Michael departed these shores.

 ## On Friday the Shuttle will attend the Cornucopia charity event at the most expensive private property in Sydney and Australia -Swifts in Darling Point, the castle like former home of the Reschs beer brewing clan.

Rihanna, Dawn O'Donnell & The Tool Shed

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Rihanna

Just 18 hours to go before the 2011 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras begins it's journey up Oxford Street to finish at Moore Park where thousands will then flock to Fox Studios and the Horden Pavilion for the after-parade party.

Entertainment at the party will be Alexis Jordan, New York dance queen Wynter Gordon, the internet sensation  Chris "leave Britney alone" Crocker and drag star Courtney Act.

While the tabloids are still plumping their wish list of star acts-George Michael and Rihanna, we can report that whilst negotiations have been under way between the Mardi Gras committee and Rihanna's management, it's unlikely she will grace the event. Money is the problem. She wants lots and the Mardi Gras crowd are basically broke. Rhianna will be appearing at the Acer Arena tonight and fantasies that she will jump in a chopper to the inner city party are just that.

There is one big problem for stars who entertain at the party. Cameras of any description, personal or media are strictly banned. No photograph of the party has ever been published so it isn't even worth the publicity value to front up. George Michael will be there with bells on but only as a guest.

Rhianna visited the adult sex shop, the Tool Shed on Oxford Street yesterday and spent up big. While it was meant to be a big secret and the shop is usually packed out with visitors at this time of the year, the Tool Shed owners closed the doors and within minutes mobile phones were abuzz about the diva's shopping spree.

The Tool Shed is one of the oldest and most successful adult shops in Sydney and was opened by the lesbian former ice skating champion, cum butcher and nightclub owner Dawn O'Donnell.

It sold adult gear, aids and x-rated porn when porn of any description was illegal. There was also a back room with live sex shows where audience members were always welcome to join in.

 Once every six months the local cop shop at Taylors Square about 200 yards up the road would raid the Tool Shed but not before a friendly station  Sergeant would put a call through to Dawn with the full details and time of the raid..

Photographs would duly appear in the newspapers of police trudging out of the store with boxes of supposed porn and it was claimed, the constabulary had done their duty. The boxes were empty of course except for one which was packed with goodies like the latest lesbian porn to be shared around back at Darlinghurst nick and another with a few dozen cans of beer. Dawn was generous like that. While most of Dawn's nightclubs had mysterious fires when business soured, the Tool Shed, a real money spinner, always survived.



Dawn O'Donnell



When Dawn died she left a fortune of 4 million dollars and Mosman house worth another 3. Like all good gay society deaths, there was intrigue over Dawn's will. She left the house to her girlfriend plus a load of art. Much of which turned out to be fake including a Lucien Freud. Rumours say the paintings were switched whilst Dawn lay dying in hospital.

Our mole at the Toolbox tells us Rhianna spent up big on S & M outfits that will no doubt feature in her show tonight. Lots of leather and  skimpy outfits with studs , a whip, handcuffs and a set of nipple rings !. A burly bodyguard carried out 2 bags of gear while Rhianna rushed to a waiting Range Rover. By that stage there must have been a dozen paparazzi waiting and a crowd of excited gays from the nearby pub.

A passing American tourist asked a photographer if the figure in black with the hood over her head was a local politician !

Meanwhile here is Chris Crocker talking about gays. The Shuttle met him at a party on Thursday evening and asked him what the Britney bit was all about. Chris said his mother was doing drugs at the time and going through a rough patch-in his eyes Britney became his de-facto mum !