Singer's gig canceled after accident
Haitian singer Erol Josué was in Miami yesterday for his Memorial Day concert, but the weekend got off to a rough -- and scary -- start. Josué's gig at Johnny D's in Somerville on Friday was canceled after a car carrying several members of the band on their way from New York was in an accident near Hartford. Two members of the band spent the night in a hospital and were released the next day, Josué said from Miami. The gig , which was canceled a short time before the singer/actor/dancer was slated to take the stage, will be rescheduled.
Tufts alum may get key NBC post
A Tufts alum who helped bring "The Office" and "Ugly Betty" to US audiences may be the man tapped by NBC to be its top entertainment guy, an executive close to the talks told the Associated Press's David Bauder yesterday. A former talent agent who now runs Reveille Productions, Ben Silverman could be named to a new post overseeing the struggling network's entertainment operations as early as today . Several trade publications and websites reported yesterday that NBC, which recorded two of its least-watched weeks ever this spring, is already looking for a replacement for Kevin Reilly. Silverman, who was born in the Berkshires, was in town last fall to host a fund-raiser for the Combined Jewish Philanthropies. In addition to importing "Ugly Betty" and "The Office," Silverman's projects include "The Biggest Loser " and "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?"A winning weekend for Kennedy
Senator Ted Kennedy had good Memorial Day weekend, winning a Figawi charity boat race yesterday with wife Vicki and son Teddy on his crew. They weren't as successful on Saturday, when his boat, Mya, was in the middle of the pack. "The old schooner showed she wanted to win," the senator said yesterday after receiving his trophy at the Hyannis Yacht Club when the weekend's awards were doled out. Kennedy started things off on Friday night at the Village Green in Hyannis for a dedication of a new statue to honor President Kennedy, who was born 90 years ago today.Life is good for Jacobs brothers
The most unusual place the " Life Is good " logo has been spotted is in Iraq, says Bert Jacobs, who along with his brother, John, founded the Boston-based $100 million company that sells clothing and sports gear. "We got a request for Frisbees; there were two soldiers teaching young Iraqi kids how to play ultimate Frisbee," Bert says in the new Summer Fun edition of Improper Bostonian, out today. "They sent us photos and we were so blown away, we sent them boxes of Frisbees." But John counters: "On a lighter note, if you remember the runaway bride [Jennifer Wilbanks] -- she was sporting one of our hats while she was still on the lam."Actress Kate Burton took in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of "Present Laughter" starring Victor Garber, the other night, before heading to Brown University's commencement were she received an honorary degree. Burton, who performed in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of "The Cherry Orchard" earlier this year, was one of several celebs who attended the Brown graduation. Spotted in the audience were Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman, Dustin Hoffman, and Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Garber's "Alias" costar Ron Rifkin also took in the Huntington show late last week. Rifkin, who now stars in "Brothers & Sisters," stayed at The Colonnade Hotel .
In town to see his son, Vidal Sassoon finished up a series of events to raise money for Habitat for Humanity and Behind the Chair's work in building homes in New Orleans. "I'll be 80 in January. I'm not cutting hair anymore," Vidal said. "What else do I have to do?" The reception at the Four Seasons Hotel was hosted by Vidal's son,
On any other night, if UpStairs on the Square owners Mary-Catherine Deibel and Deborah Hughes had a guest of writer Barbara Kingsolver's renown they wouldn't miss a moment of her time there . But the author's visit after her "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle " signing overlapped with Deibel and Hughes being honored as business owners of the year by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. .
As well he should, Citibank's Dan Eastman had a sweet seat at the reception following last week's New York premiere of the HBO film "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." Eastman, who lives in Hopkinton, is the great-great-great-nephew of Charles Eastman, the Dartmouth-educated Sioux doctor who is one of the film's central characters. Adam Beach plays Charles Eastman in the film, which also stars Aidan Quinn and Anna Paquin.
Globe correspondents Siddartha Mitter and Steve Morse contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
