And then he kissed her at midnight in a gay bar

January 2, 2024June 8, 2024 L.T. HanlonLeave a comment

Mack Linger and Rosita Minkey kiss at midnight.

On New Year’s Eve, Mack Linger found himself in The Guy Chaparral, a gay country dance bar in Cathedral City — a world away from the Palm Springs rehab clinic he’d escaped.

The bar, a kaleidoscope of lights and laughter, was owned by the brother of Rosita Minkey, Mexico’s reigning queen of country music. Mack had harbored a secret crush on Rosita since their paths crossed at a music festival in Nashville.

The bar pulsed with energy, its patrons swaying and stomping to the rhythm of country classics. Feeling a mix of nervousness and exhilaration, Mack lingered near the entrance, his gaze scanning the crowd. That’s when he saw her — Rosita, her presence illuminating the stage. She was a vision, her voice melding with the twang of guitars, creating a melody that resonated deep within Mack’s soul.

Mack gulped so hard he almost farted.

Mack found himself onstage, his voice joining Rosita’s in a harmonious duet. They sang with a passion that belied spontaneity, their voices weaving through over a dozen songs.

As midnight approached, the bar brimmed with anticipation. When the clock struck twelve, Mack and Rosita’s eyes locked as everyone sang “Auld Lang Syne.”

When they kissed, the crowd erupted in cheers, and dozens of patrons captured the moment and shared videos on social media.

Mack never returned to the clinic.

A rehab breakout and a New Year’s publicity stunt

December 31, 2023June 8, 2024 L.T. HanlonLeave a comment

Caitlyn Mahoon and Mack Linger hatch a scheme.

Mack Linger’s drinking career has a music problem

December 31, 2023June 8, 2024 L.T. HanlonLeave a comment

Mack Linger talks on an old-style analog phone.

Country star Mack Linger, more accustomed to the spotlight of the Grand Ole Opry than the shade of a rehab center, nursed his ego and shoulder — both bruised when a security guard thwarted his escape attempt from a Palm Springs rehab clinic the previous night.

Clinic director Nathaniel Beaumont confiscated Mack’s cellphone and revoked his online, TV, and radio privileges.

Mack was already plotting his next departure when a nurse escorted him to one of the patient conference rooms. She nodded toward a landline phone, then closed the door behind her.

He picked up the handset, pressed a blinking button, and recoiled as the voice of Christopher “Topher” Coobee, his label’s PR man who navigated the murky waters of public relations with the finesse of a shark, blared across the miles.

“Mack, get ready,” Topher said. “Caitlyn Mahoon is doing a piece on you.”

“Tell her to find another loser. I’m not some sob story for her to exploit.”

“It’s all about the drama, Mack,” Topher said. “You know how this works. Your recovery, or lack thereof, is just fodder for the masses.”

“And what about my actual recovery?” Mack shot back, his words edged with cynicism.

“Recovery, relapse, it’s all the same headline. You’re here to make a scene, not a change.”

With a resigned scoff, Mack agreed. “Fine. Is this that old bag who looks like a cross between Barbara Stanwyck and an albino prune?”

“Whoa, there. Just keep it smooth, buddy. Lather on that old Oklahoma charm,” his flack said.

“I’ll be the perfect gentleman,” Mack said.

Mack Linger enters rehab after Reno incident

December 29, 2023June 8, 2024 L.T. HanlonLeave a comment

NASHVILLE (AP) — Country music sensation Mack Linger, famed for his chart-topping “Lonesome Roads, Unwritten Codes,” has checked into a Palm Springs rehabilitation clinic, music industry sources said.

The move follows an incident last week in Reno, where the 31-year-old singer made headlines for an outrageous outburst during his concert at the Sunk Creek Casino.

Eyewitnesses said that Linger stripped naked — except for his cowboy hat — and urinated on a table of bachelorette party revelers heckling his performance of “Railroad Tracks and Love Sacks.”

Video of the incident, which has since gone viral, sparked a mix of concern and disbelief among fans and critics.

Linger, known for his soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics, has often spoken of his struggles with the pressures of fame and a family history of substance abuse.

On Friday, he shared on X (formerly Twitter) a selfie taken poolside at an undisclosed clinic and commented, “Greetings from the Matthew Perry 12-step program!”