chris connelly takes a look back. ♪ always dancing down the street ♪ >> reporter: as songwriter and front craft and an upbeat sensibility to create radio-friendly hits that helped define the late '70s, early '80s rock sound. ♪ i guess you're just what i needed ♪ working alongside bassist-vocalist benjamin orr ocasek led the cars to success with the release of their self-titled debut in 1978. it was catchy, contemporary rock. and the hits kept coming. ♪ who's gonna drive you home tonight ♪ the video for "drive" would feature "sports illustrated" swimsuit model paulina porizkova. she and ocasek would wed in 1989 and have two children together. ♪ you might think i'm crazy ♪ to hang around with you "you might think" in which a computer transformed ocasek and noise model susan gallagher was mtv's video of the year for 1984. later in the decade the cars went their separate ways. on his own ocasek would have some hits, "emotion in motion" in 1986. not a typical rock star, ocasek lived life out of the limelight. he graduated high school near cleveland, returning tth city in 2018 when the cars wer

. >> he told chris connelly about the struggles of being raised by a single mom in canada. >> i grewof money. i was, lived with my mom. my mom and dad split up when i was really young. >> what kind of effect do you think that had on you as a young kid? >> you know, my parents splitting up, it's not one of the highlights of my life. it's sad that a kid experiences, you know, feeling like they left. it makes you, you know, not feel so good, but now that, you know, being in my position that i'm in now, looking back it's like i'm so blessed. >> the then 16-year-old bieber sounding confident that he could avoid the pit falls of other child stars. >> what's going to keep you from making those same bad decisions they made. >> my mom's always there for me, and i never want to let her down. >> at 18, he spoke about his devotion to faith. >> are you devout in a moral sense? i know how you feel about drugs, but no booze? >> you got to be responsible. don't drink and drive excessively. you have to be responsible. >> but fame seemed to take its toll. bieber found himself embroiled in scandal afte

here's abc's chris connelly with the abc news exclusive. >> reporter: he made millions laugh as presidentday night live." >> jem, let me tell you something. there's going to be a whole bunch of things we don't tell mrs. clinton. >> reporter: and as a self-centered radio host on "news radio." >> it's time for -- ♪ the real deal with bill mcneil ♪ >> reporter: phil hartman was at the top of his game, starring on tv and in movies, when in 1998 at the age of 49 he was shot and killed by his wife, brynn hartman who then killed herself. >> after i heard brynn had shot phil and then heard brynn had shot herself, i think everyone was in shock in the family. and cannot imagine why she would do that. >> reporter: now for the first time in a new abc news special, details of the couple's relationship from greg omdahl, brynn hartman's brother. >> i would say brynn confided in me quite a bit. i know she was upset with phil on one, maybe two occasions where he would be doing a part, "the simpsons" or news radio. he had mentioned to brynn that maybe i can get you a part. and when he'd come home she'd say

it takes a look back at her fetime on the scene and behind the scenes and chris connelly, the one andobin. you know, when you heard her voice, when you listened to her lyrics, when you saw her on stage, you thought, debbie harry is fearless. well, it turned out she wasn't that fearless. she had to overcome that. in fact, as her new memoir proves she overcame a lot on her way to becoming a trailblazing rock star. ♪ had a heart of glass >> reporter: as front woman of the new wave band blondie from the mid '70s into the '80s, debbie harry was the undisputed queen of her scene. combining the torrid allure of a rock singer and ironic attachment of a french film star on such hits as "heart of glass." now, four decades after blondie first roared out of new york city's punk mecca cbgb, "face it" offers candid, compelling when you were up on stage what did that feel like at first? >> terribly frightening, yeah, and i suddenly realized, well, i have to make them respond, i have to go out there. i have to get them. after that it was a no-brainer. i just went out and got them. >> reporter: did sh

chris connelly is tracking the latest from los angeles. orning to you, chris. >> reporter: and good morning, michael. the news coming down on monday. comic shane gillis out at "snl" after just a few days amid a firestorm of criticism. from the stormy daniels allegations -- >> stormy, this is michael cohen. are you alone? >> yes. >> and what are you wearing? >> reporter: -- to the opioid crisis. >> i want to use heroin. but i also want to get stuff done. >> reporter: "saturday night live" doesn't steer clear of controversy in its sketches. recent days, though, have seen "snl" dealing with its own controversy. the show declaring in a statement on monday it is dropping one of its new hires, 31-year-old stand-up comic shane gillis. >> i took skoal out of my mouth to come up here. and i didn't vote for donald trump. it makes me like the nelson mandela of central pennsylvania. >> reporter: but a video of gillis from about a year ago surfaced from "matt and shane's secret podcast" in which he mocked and mimicked a chinese accent and referred to as

chris connelly is in florida with all the details, good morning, chris. >> hey, good morning, michaelin miami they've got to be celebrating. they've got two versatile and charismatic performers lined up for super bowl liv. >> are you in? >> reporter: oh, yes, she is. jennifer lopez, the "hustlers" halftime show at miami gardens hard rock stadium on sunday, february 2nd confirmed last night. >> i love that it's in miami. >> yeah. >> it is a very latino town and picked the two of us. >> i feel incredibly honored. >> it's going to be an exciting show. ♪ let's get loud >> reporter: she's not alone. also set to turn super bowl liv into a studio 54 is shakira, the brainy hips don't lie singer/songwriter worldwide star. ♪ my hips don't lie >> it's going to mean a lot for our community. yes, girls. >> reporter: for more than two decades she's been a dynamic performer live on stage. ♪ whenever wherever ♪ we're meant to be together >> reporter: the colombian singer shakira, 42, has ties to prime as does j. lo who's been given the keys to the city of miami beach. the 50-year-old hinting months a

chris connelly is in los angeles with the story. ng, george. you know from "snl" and on talk shows, on "the simpsons," funnyman phil hartman could always make people laugh. then on a day in may of 1998, that laughter turned into shocked silence. and the question, why? two decades later on a two-hour abc news event airing tomorrow, there are some answers at last. he made millions laugh as president clinton on "saturday night live." >> jim, let me tell you something. there's going to be a whole bunch of things we don't tell mrs. clinton. >> reporter: and as a self-centered radio host on "nsradio." >> it's time for -- ♪ the real deal with bill mcneal ♪ >> i'm your host. >> reporter: phil hartman was at the top of his game, starring on tv and in movies. when in 1998 at the age of 49 he was shot and killed by his wife, brynn hartman, who then killed herself. >> after i heard brynn had shot phil and then heard brynn had shot herself, i think everyone was in shock in the family, and cannot imagine why she would do that. >> reporter: and now

that ruled the airwaves in the '70s and '80s, dying on sunday in his manhattan townhouse, and chris connellyre with a celebration of his life and distinctive sound. good morning, chris. >> reporter: good morning. during an era of pop's most passionate shouters, ric ocasek of the cars was cool and dry and for decades millions were thrilled by his sleek, meticulously crafted rock 'n' roll. ♪ always dancing down the street ♪ >> reporter: as songwriter and frontman for the cars ric ocasek used state of the art pop craft and an offbeat sensibility to create radio-friendly hits. ♪ let the good times roll >> reporter: that helped to define the late '70s, early '80s rock sound. ♪ what i needed >> reporter: working alongside bassist vocalist benjamin orr he led the cars to success with the release of their self-titled debut in 1978. it was catchy, contemporary rock and the hits kept coming. ♪ you might think i'm crazy ♪ to hang around with you >> reporter: the video for "drive" would feature "sports illustrated" swimsuit model paulina porizkova. she and ocasek would wed in 1989 and have two children