Celeb Roster Just Released for 500 Fest Parade
The Indy 500 celebrity announcements are coming fast and furious now. The 500 Festival just released a complete roster of notables set to attend Saturday’s IPL 500 Festival Parade (May 26, noon, downtown).
No one will confuse it for the guest list at the Oscars, but hey, we’ll take what we can get.
Maria Menounos. Claim to fame: Holds distinction of having been youngest-ever host of Entertainment Tonight and currently appears with Mario Lopez on TV’s Extra. Dancing with the Stars. (And she was already here this year for Super Bowl XLVI.)
Olivia Newton-John. Claim to fame: Grease. Xanadu. “Let’s Get Physical.”
Gladys Knight. Claim to fame: “Empress of Soul.” The Pips. Dancing with the Stars.
Jana Kramer. Claim to fame: One Tree Hill. Country music. Knockout.
Eddie Money. Claim to fame: “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Take Me Home Tonight.” Cool name.
Guy Fieri. Claim to fame: Celeb chef and host of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. On deck to drive the pace car in Sunday’s race.
Dave Hester. Claim to fame: Intrepid junk collector on A&E’s Storage Wars.
Chuck Pagano. Claim to fame: New head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck’s biggest fan.
Rick Springfield. Claim to fame: “Jessie’s Girl.” Played Dr. Noah Drake on the soap General Hospital.
Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld Jr. Claim to fame: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second-highest-ranking military officer in the United States.
Indiana Pacemates. Claim to fame: Shakin’ it.
Florence Henderson. Claim to fame: “God Bless America.” America’s favorite TV mom. (Her cool website says so.)
>> BONUS: The woman formerly known as “Carol Brady” spoke with us here.
Captain Keith Colburn. Claim to fame: Pilots the Wizard on the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch. Irascibility.
Smurfette and Clumsy. Claim to fame: Smurfs. (But we’re not expecting Katy Perry, who voiced Smurfette in the 2011 animated feature and was just in town for Super Bowl XLVI.)
Mario Andretti. Claim to fame: AP’s “Driver of the Century” in 2000. Consummate host.
Johnny Rutherford. Claim to fame: Three-time Indy 500 champ and beloved IMS legend.
Audio courtesy Sean Copeland’s morning show on B105.7
Image: Maria Menounos, via mariamenounosonline.com
