the
Give me your music, your art, your huddled masses of words and rhythms, yearning to breathe free.
Give me your music, your art, your huddled masses of words and rhythms, yearning to breathe free.
the
Give me your music, your art, your huddled masses of words and rhythms, yearning to breathe free.
Guido Barilla, president of the world's largest manufacturer of boxed pasta, has vowed his company would never feature homosexuals in its ads. Well, when I heard this news, my thoughts immediately turned to Woody Allen's kooky 1973 film "Sleeper," which offered some insights into the virility-enhancing effects of pasta.
Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr was so determined that his eldest son NOT follow in his footsteps that he gave the kid but one drum lesson in his life. Zak Starkey, who turns 48 today, would have to master the skill all by himself…with a little help from his godfather, Keith Moon of The Who.
At a show at New York's legendary Apollo Theater a few months back, Bruce Springsteen joked that he was the "hardest working 'white' man in show business." Bruce made this remark in homage to one of his idols, the late James Brown, the soul-funk sensation long known as the "hardest working man" in the business. James, the Apollo apostle, often performed up to 330 one-night shows per year, in extravagant bop-till-you-drop style. Growing up in extreme poverty may have driven James Brown to work till exhaustion, but what inspired a middle-class white boy from Long Branch, New Jersey, to rock his heart out onstage for four hours, night after night, from beach bars to coliseums? "His love of his fans" is one easy answer. But it goes much deeper than that, as I was reminded after reading a fascinating profile of Bruce in the July 2012 issue of "The New Yorker" magazine.
"The Greatest Tea Room Orchestra in the World" is how British journalist and talk show host David Frost described The Beatles when they played "By George, It's The David Frost Theme" on his September 8, 1968, talk show. The tune was written by Beatles' producer George Martin. The boys appeared on the show to promote their new single, "Hey Jude," but couldn't resist hamming it up a bit. David Frost died this past Saturday at age 74. While I found his persona a bit annoying, I applaud him for snaring some great interviews. Beatle fans will be interested to know that Frost interviewed the Fab Four on various occasions throughout the years.
Keith Moon would have turned 68 today if he hadn't died in 1978 from swallowing 32 tablets of Heminevrin, a sedative he was taking to help him with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The Who's chemically induced clown/drummer mixed one too many horse tranquilizers with brandy on the evening of November 20, 1973, causing him to pass out twice during the band's performance at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. But the show went on! Who guitarist Pete Townsend shouted out to the crowd: "Can anybody play the drums?", and a young man stepped forward.