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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 5 July 2017
Maria Menounos reveals

brain tumor battle, quits

E! News

In this April 12, 2016, file photo, Maria Menounos arrives at the
Los Angeles premiere of “Captain America: Civil War” at the In this undated photo, under the direction of Mormon Tabernacle Choir director Mack Wilberg,
Dolby Theatre. members of the Wasatch Music School’s advanced vocals group perform “Child of God” and
Associated Press “River in Judea” at the Utah State Prison.
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Maria chance that it could come
Menounos says she has back. E! says Monday that Mormon Tabernacle Choir director
been diagnosed with a be- Menounos is leaving the
nign brain tumor and has network after three years. mentors inmate music group
announced her resignation The cable network says
from E! News. it believes Menounos will
Menounos tells People tackle her health struggles SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The the class regularly. said. “The men just respond
magazine that she under- “with the same fierce dedi- newest students of the di- Wilberg admits he was ner- to him. He has such a hum-
went surgery last month to cation she is known for.” rector of the famed Mor- vous when he held his first ble greatness about him.
remove a golf-ball-sized The 39-year-old says her mon Tabernacle Choir workshop with the inmates . And that’s good for the
tumor discovered in Feb- face is still numb from the have the talent you would in February. men to see.”
ruary. Menounos says 99.9 surgery but should be back expect to be honed under “I didn’t know what to ex- Inmate Ron Kelly considers
percent of the tumor was to normal soon. the guidance of an experi- pect, but that first time I ... the program a life saver. He
removed during the seven- Menounos is also caring for enced music teacher. But looked at all these inmates has been at Utah State Pris-
hour procedure on June her mother, who has stage- they come from an unlikely — I know they have had on for almost 35 years and
8. She says there’s a small four brain cancer.q source — Utah State Prison. challenges in their lives — calls himself the program’s
Director Mack Wilberg and to see them come main recruiter.
spent months helping mem- together (to sing), I was “For lack of better terms,
bers of the prison’s Wasatch moved by that,” he said. I’m kind of the pimp of the
Music School prepare for a The group has also re- music school,” he said.
spring recital in June. The sponded well to Wilberg’s “I’m out there asking peo-
inmates performed with in- presence, even though he ple, ‘Hey, have you ever
struments donated by the pushes them harder than played an instrument?’ .
community and sang gos- they have been used to, We want this to be a place
pel, county and rock songs. Aguirre said. He worked where people can escape
Many audience members with program about once and have peace.”
said the recital exceeded week after Easter. Pitt Wilberg said he was im-
their expectations. would take over during pressed by the inmates’
The Wasatch Music School weeks Wilberg could not passion and dedication
began in 2006 with volun- make it. for music and plans to
teers dedicated to provid- “It’s just been phenomenal, continue working with the
ing resources to inmates the results he has,” Aguirre group.q
so they could learn to play
In this Sept. 22, 2016, file photo, actress-singer Rumer Willis poses
for a portrait in Los Angeles. Associated Press guitar or piano or sing. The
group is co-directed by
Rumer Willis is proudly marking inmate Roland Pitt, who

6 months of sobriety competed with Wilberg in
college, and decided to
teach music at the prison
By The Associated Press four episodes of Fox’s “Em- to atone for his mistakes.
Rumer Willis is celebrating pire” earlier this year.
six months of being sober. She’s also known for win- Seeing the potential of the
school’s choir, the school’s
The daughter of Bruce Wil- ning Season 20 of ABC’s
lis and Demi Moore says on “Dancing with the Stars” in director, David Aguirre,
asked Wilberg if someone
Instagram that she’s “never 2015.
been more proud” of her- Willis has ventured into mu- from the Tabernacle Choir
could oversee a master
self after what she calls sic recently. She went on
“the long journey.” tour with a cabaret-style class. To his surprise, Wilberg
himself offered to teach
Rumer Willis guest starred in show last year.q