Cheryl's Art And Music Guide

Suzie Ronson  was  David Bowie 's hairdresser and   Mick Ronson 's wife. Now she is an author, and her book is called  Me and Mr. Jones:   My Life With David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars .  Suzi confesses that she was also a ''tour madam'' who brought fans together with the band. She is also candid about Bowie's moods--how he could be cold one day, then attentive the next.  Suzi, who helped form David's  Z iggy Stardus t  look (and later worked with  Iggy Pop, Lou Reed , and   John Mellencamp ), originally styled his mother's hair.  Visit the publisher's website,  Pegasusbooks.com , for more.

  Actress  Jane Fonda  has teamed up with galleriest  Larry Gagosian  and   Christie's   auction house to launch  Art for a Safe and Healthy   California . The aim is to protect Californians from toxic oil drilling.  On the 17th of May, a portion of   Christie's   Post-War and   Contemporary Art Day  will benefit the  Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California , with yet more pieces to be offered this summer at Gagosian's Beverly Hills gallery. On April 9, a benefit was held here to kick off the campaign.  John Legend  performed, and art from the likes of   Ed Ruscha,   Catherine Opie,  and  Marilyn Minter  was sold.  Supporters included  Sean Penn, Aileen Getty, Frank Gehry , and L.A. mayor   Karen Bass . Just that one evening raised over ten million dollars.

An Australian promoter who worked on tours for  AC/DC   and  Dire   Straits  has died.  Garry Van Egmond , who suffered complications after surgery, was 82, and in the music business for over 50 years. It's been reported that he was responsible for the sale of at least 30 million tickets in Australia. Garry's other clients included  Prince, INXS , and  Bruce Springsteen . His son,  Christo Van Egmond ,  said he was a ''fantastic'' father, friend, and mentor, and in the industry, was known as ''a true gentleman.'' Christo will continue to run  TEG Van Egmond .   Garry is also survived by his daughter  Katie , and two grandchildren,  Hugo  and  Saskia . 

Artists from across the state of Texas have contributed to an exhibit about the solar eclipse. Through the fourth of May,  Art Center Waco  is hosting  Eclipse:   Shining Shadows . There are portraits, sculptures, and more, with a total of 37 artists represented. Folks are invited to create their own interpretations as well--at tomorrow's  Family Day   event. A gallery tour and face painting are also on the agenda.  There is no charge, but space is limited. So visitors need to  register in advance .

  Budweiser  has joined forces with   Peter Blake .  They have a new series of pop art beer cans featuring Blake's signature, and available at  Tesco   stores in the UK.  Budweiser   is also making available a refrigerated frame available for  purchase  to showcase the new star and heart designs. The artist, who created album covers such as the   Beatles '  Sgt.   Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band  and  Oasis '  Stop the Clocks , said, ''I have always believed in the power of art to transcend boundaries and connect with people from all walks of life, so I am thrilled to partner with   Budweiser , an American cultural icon.  ''We are bringing pop art back to its roots and bringing it to the masses through this limited-edition can, inviting everyone to appreciate the beauty of art in their everyday lives.''

Brad Gooch  is a poet, novelist, and biographer who has written about  Flannery O'Connor   and   Frank O'Hara . His latest book, though, is about  Keith Haring . It turns out that a main inspiration was the artist's father, who offered encouragement and drew with him. Later on, Keith's resentment built up, and he felt both his dad and mother were too controlling. There was a similar problem in some of the young man's art classes since he didn't like being told what to draw. But it wasn't long before teachers backed off, appreciating his ambition and talent. Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring  is about other creatives as well. Keith was friends with   Kenny Scharf , who used to work with discarded television sets. In fact, he helped Kenny drag a bunch of them across town. Other pals were  Jean-Michel Basquiat , who liked to write on the walls of Keith's art school, and  Tseng Kwong Ch i , who documented much of Haring's work. That included su