JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

In what is becoming a yearly tradition (and one of which we heartily approve!), Johnny Depp once again graces the cover of ROLLING STONE; you’ll find Johnny on the January 24th issue with the headline “Johnny Sings: The Rock ‘n Roll Heart of a Hollywood Rebel.” The rock-star cover photo is by Matthew Rolston; you can see a larger version here: http://tinyurl.com/27fayx and another of Ralston’s pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/2egqw9 Inside ROLLING STONE is an interview by Gavin Edwards that focuses not just on SWEENEY TODD but on the importance of music throughout Johnny’s life. Here’s a brief excerpt from that interview:

ROLLING STONE: What was the first song you could play [guitar] through?

JOHNNY DEPP: [T]e first song I played all the way through must have been “Stairway to Heaven.” I remember getting through the fingerpicking and just cursing Jimmy Page.

ROLLING STONE: What was your first band?

JOHNNY DEPP: When I was about thirteen, I got together with some other kids in the neighborhood. This one guy had a bass, we knew a guy who had a PA system, we made our own lights. It was really ramshackle and great. We’d play at people’s backyard parties. Everything from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to Cheap Trick to Devo–and “Johnny B. Goode” was the closer.

ROLLING STONE: You’ve got that wistful look in your eyes.

JOHNNY DEPP: You’re thirteen years old and you’re playing rock & roll. Loud. Poorly. But somebody’s letting you do it in their back yard. And it was absolute perfection. It was freedom. Right off the bat, there was no question: I had found my future.

The Zone thanks Emma for posting the ROLLING STONE news; you can read a longer excerpt on the News & Views forum, and a commentary thread on the Pit. ROLLING STONE has a photo gallery devoted to Johnny Depp on its website right now; you can see it here: http://www.rollingstone.com/ –Part-Time Poet

PIRATES dominated the 34th People’s Choice Awards: Johnny Depp won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star for the fourth straight year, earning the title for his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow; his co-star Keira Knightley, who plays Elizabeth Swann, won the award for Favorite Female Action Star; and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END was named Favorite Movie, as befits 2007’s worldwide box office champion. AT WORLD’S END also won a unique award–Favorite Threequel, besting SPIDER-MAN 3 and SHREK THE THIRD–in a category created for this year’s films.

Due to the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America, the People’s Choice Awards did not have their usual format; there was no red carpet and no gathering of stars in an auditorium. Queen Latifah hosted the event and read the names of the winners in three dozen categories. Some winners were shown giving taped acceptance speeches, but there were no speeches from any of the POTC winners . . . although the broadcast did air a clip of one of Johnny’s older acceptance speeches near the beginning of the show.

The Zone thanks Lady Abberline and all of the members who posted reports from the show as it aired on CBS; you can read their comments on the Pit. A complete list of People’s Choice winners can be found on the Zone’s News & Views forum; thanks to Theresa for posting them. Congratulations to Johnny, Keira, and everyone who worked on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END–you are the people’s choice once again. –Part-Time Poet