"Money talks – the only conversation worth hearing when times are bad," said Fred Allen during the Great Depression.

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Nobody pushes Barbra Streisand around, but then there is Michael Bublé. (Pronounced boob-blay; for those few who might be new to his charms.)

His "Crazy Love" album just hit No. 1 on Billboard, beating out the greatest star by far, and also the legendary rock band KISS. (These latter guys are, incredibly, still making music that their fans find relevant.)

Tuesday night, Michael, his Warner Records press rep Liz Rosenberg, and a gaggle of Bublé media friends and fans gathered at the famous Italian eatery Patsy’s in Manhattan to sweat out the imminent news that Michael had hit the top spot. It was like the old days of waiting for the Broadway first night New York Times review at Sardi’s. Exciting!

Among the little throng – People magazine’s Deputy Managing Editor Peter Castro … KC Baker, who writes for the mag … NBC’s Marianne Haggerty and Aretha Marshall … CBS Sunday Morning’s Ramon Parkins … Clear Channel’s Zena Burns … Maxim magazine’s Joe Levy, Lite-FM NY’s program director Chris Conley. (Mr. Conley bears a strong resemblance to 007’s Daniel Craig!)

There was no assurance that Michael would prevail, so nail-biting tension accompanied the pasta, the meatballs, the mozzarella, tomatoes, the prosciutto, the chicken contadina, the shrimps wrapped in bacon, the stuffed artichokes. Even Michael, who has dieted himself down to a slender, well-toned shadow of his former huskier self, ate heartily and nervously. After all, would it be possible to usurp Miss Streisand from her place at the top of the chart?

When word came, via Ms. Rosenberg’s cell phone, Michael leapt to his feet and said, "Finally, I’m on top of Barbra!" Then he left the room to call his mother in Canada. When he came back, more than a little misty-eyed, he thanked all those present. Actually, he hugged all present, which was a hell of a maneuver in a confined space, the intimate upstairs backroom of Patsy’s. Not that anyone complained about being up close and huggy with Bublé.

I have always had a tender spot in my heart for Michael; he serenaded me at my 80th birthday, on the cusp of his great career.



Singing for octogenarians? It can’t hurt.

***

A nugget of gossip was picked up this night. Too bad it has to be blind. The talk of several tables was that the wealthy father of a young, now wildly successful singer, bought up about 80,000 copies of her first CD, putting it over the edge as a hit.

Daddy doesn’t have to do this anymore, but baby will always be grateful.

***

Oh, and what have been the big sellers for People magazine this year, so far? The death issues, alas – Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze. And even more alas, the Gosselins. The above-mentioned Peter Castro shrugged when this info caused a massive flinch at his table: "Hey, they sell!"

***

Reminder! The great TV guy Don Hewitt of "60 Minutes" fame will be memorialized at 11 AM, Monday, in the space of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The speakers should be fascinating because Don was quite a character.