In an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, legendary actor Harrison Ford reveals that a lunchtime birthday celebration with Jimmy Buffett and the late Ed Bradley inspired him to get his ear pierced:

Ford told ABC’s Barbara Walters that he decided to have his ear pierced “after a somewhat indulgent lunchtime in celebration of either Jimmy Buffet or Ed Bradley’s birthday. …We shared a bottle of wine and I got enthusiastic about Jimmy and Ed’s earrings and went out and got one right after lunch.”

Ford is interviewed as part of “The Barbara Walters Oscar Special,” which airs at 7 p.m. EST Sunday just before the Academy Awards ceremony from Los Angeles.

Ford’s next film, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” is due out May 22, while the drama “Crossing Over” is slated for a June release.

Read the entire article here.

Make that two Cheeseburger In Paradise restaurants that have announced plans this week to close. First, the Asheville, North Carolina location, and now the Lansing, Michigan location that opened two years ago. The parent company, OSI Restaurant Partners Inc., has altered its strategic planning and is closing stores that no longer fit into this new plan according to the Lansing State Journal:

The restaurant, at 5924 W. Saginaw Highway, was closed “because it no longer fits the strategic plans for the Cheeseburger in Paradise brand,” parent company OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. said. The Tampa, Fla.-based company said it will relocate employees to other nearby company restaurants. Among others, OSI owns Outback Steakhouse, which has area locations in Delta Township and Okemos, and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, with a location in Delta Township. Cheeseburger in Paradise opened in Delta Township in 2006.

Cheeseburger in Paradise was founded in August 2002 and is owned by Outback Steakhouse, under a license from Buffett. The “island fantasy” concept features colorful cocktails and live music as well as Key West-style architecture and decor that offer customers an escape from the daily grind.

In 2005, Jimmy Buffett sold his holdings of the chain to Outback Steakhouse, Inc., who previously held a 50% share in the chain. Outback pays a royalty of 4.5 percent of restaurant sales to Buffett.

To find locations and get other information, visit the official homepage of Cheeseburger In Paradise here.

UPDATE: York, PA and Greenville, SC locations closing too. Report other closures by leaving a comment to this post.

The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis awoke Wednesday morning to Buffett’s song “Oysters and Pearls.”

The crew began preparing for the spacewalk after waking up to Jimmy Buffett’s “Oysters and Pearls,” which opens with lyrics about Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic.

It was played for Atlantis’ pilot, Alan Poindexter, who will coordinate Wednesday’s spacewalk from inside the station.

“We’re looking forward to a great day on orbit and a great (spacewalk) and having Rex and Hans out the door here real soon,” Poindexter said.

It’s not the first time that the shuttle Atlantis has hosted Buffett’s music. On September 16th, 2006 the Atlantis crew awoke to Buffett’s “Twelve Volt Man.”

The three year old Cheeseburger In Paradise restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina has closed, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times:

“The closure is a prudent business decision for us at this time, but we would like to serve our loyal Asheville customers again at some point in the future,” Matt Wissman, joint venture partner of Cheeseburger in Paradise in the North Carolina area, said in a press release. “On behalf of all of us at the restaurant, we want to express our appreciation to the Asheville community for their patronage over the past years.”

Wissman said the company will work with employees “to re-locate them to one of the other company restaurants in the area.” Cheeseburger in Paradise is a subsidiary of OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, which also owns Outback Steakhouses.

Buffett played a benefit show there on January 11th, 2005 to celebrate the grand opening. The event raised $96,000 for Eblen Charities, whose programs serve thousands of Western North Carolinians.

Cheeseburger in Paradise was founded in August 2002 and is owned by Outback Steakhouse, under a license from Buffett. The “island fantasy” concept features colorful cocktails and live music as well as Key West-style architecture and decor that offer customers an escape from the daily grind.

In 2005, Jimmy Buffett sold his holdings of the chain to Outback Steakhouse, Inc., who previously held a 50% share in the chain. Outback pays a royalty of 4.5 percent of restaurant sales to Buffett.

To find locations and get other information, visit the official homepage of Cheeseburger In Paradise here.

Part II of the Bloomberg interview with Buffett is now available. It includes Buffett singing “Somewhere Over China” and “Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants” solo with just his guitar. Check it out below:

Watch Part I here.