HELLO AMERICA!─ Word has it that incarcerated star Bill Cosby is extremely upset about Eddie Murphy’s comments about him on his return to “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend. “It is still obvious,” Cosby’s retort was, “Murphy is still a slave of the white man!” Of course, it has always been known that Cosby never respected Murphy as a genuine comic. He has always believed that he was a step back into the old world of Black carnival clowns of the 1920s who were assured of a paying audience. Even so, Eddie’s fans are excited about his follow up film of “Coming to America” that was quite a money maker for Paramount films.

John Legend is really developing into a first- rate performer, especially on reality-competition series, “The Voice.” He is relaxed, well spoken, and seems to work with all the other panel judges with a tremendous intellectual ease. In my book, Legend is a class act.

Speaking of first-rate, I caught a view of a documentary film, “Yancey McCord: The Killer That Arizona Forgot.” The film produced by M. Jason Allen is scheduled to premiere in January. It has veteran actor Chris Robinson and his wife, singer-actress Jacquie Shane, as part of the cast. Without a doubt after the general release of this film, Robinson will get calls from producers begging him to take a look at their scripts.

If you remember, he made the character of “Rick Webber” on General Hospital a household name. He is also working on the book of his Hollywood experiences which include that of series “Twelve O’Clock High” and numerous other TV hits penned to his name down through the years.

When Atlanta publisher, Caroline Brown of OASIS magazine informed me it was decided to have me on the cover of their publication, I was seriously moved as well as thrilled! They are paying tribute to me for my “Hollywood Through the Back Door” memoir. In addition to the nearly 20 years that I have had my column in the Beverly Hills publication, Canyon News. Of course, it is quite gratifying to be acknowledged for something you have spent your entire life struggling to build a positive and trusting reputation, especially in a shock-proof film colony as Hollywood. OASIS is scheduled to be released soon after Christmas!

I WANT TO THANK all of those readers from places as London, Paris, Australia, Texas, Georgia, Florida, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Oregon, Seattle and so many other exciting places who have written to let me know how much they enjoy the Canyon News Beverly Hills weekly column. Believe me, I am extremely lucky as well as grateful. MERRY XMAS and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!