''Have You Heard The One About....'' Part 2

Hollywood, being Hollywood, attracts the glamour and excitement of dreams coming true. That is why we, as a public, foster our attention on Tinseltown. We have unfulfilled dreams of being a big-shot, of everybody knowing us, and, having fabulous wealth and power. If we cannot achieve this dream, we follow the stars whom seem to have the most in common with us. Also, the stars we lust after. There are different configurations about following the goings on about show business. We are interested. Therefore, we should also be interested in Hollywood gossip and lore. Here are a few famous stories about the original Sin City. As always, I must state these stories are rumor, not fact. So, the words ''apparently'' and ''allegedly'' must always be around the following tales...... Rod Stewart likes bachelor parties. Yes, this story has been making the rounds since the 70's. It seems like Rod, a known ladies man, was attending a party thrown in someone's honor. A bachelor party. Now, as we all know, bachelor parties are attended by men, with an occasional visit or two by some strippers and, in some cases, women of a ''scarlet nature''. Ok. Dirty dealings abound. No surprise there. But, in this story it seems like more happened and Ole Rodney Stewart was the center of attention. What happened? Well, according to legend, Rod ''serviced'' most of the males at this party orally. Or, in street slang, he sucked off the whole crowd. Yes, not only are you in Mr. Stewart's heart and soul, but, also his stomach. The story continued with him being rushed to the emergency room and having his stomach pumped, where the huge amount of semen was said to be found. Now, Rod has always denied this story for years, since it has become almost a Rock and Roll Royalty Tale. He has joked and addressed it as a bullshit rumor. It probably is not true. He is a notorious ladies man who has had a penchant for stunning blonde woman. But, anything is possible. As a side note, this story about blowing guys at bachelor parties seems generational. Whomever is the hot male star music star in a decade seems to have this story sticking to him, so to speak. I have also heard this about Elton John [ which may have happened because of his notorious lust for men in the 70's], Jon Bon Jovi, and David Bowie. One last thing, a female has not-too-long-ago entered the ranks of the alleged stomach pumpers: Britney Spears. With her inclusion, the story is now shooting down the throat of the fairer sex. Its nice that we are growing in society that we can slander both sexes........ Speaking of David Bowie. A story about him is just as popular as the bachelor story. In the 1970's David was married to a stunning model named Angela Bowie. In show business language, the word ''stunning'' usually means that no one in the outside world finds this person attractive except for the fashion industry. At this time, David, also, was a bisexual. He publicly stated his preference for both males and females. And, he was very loose with his ass, sleeping with anyone, male or female, that came in his eyesight. So, as the story goes, Angela, or Angie, comes home to the house she shared with David. And, whom does she find curled up in bed naked with him? Why, Mick Jagger!!! Apparently, these two friends were more than friends, according to her. However long this may or may not have gone on is unknown, but, according to Angela, when she and David divorced, they had it in their divorce decree that for ten years she would not tell any tales about their life together, nor would he. Both sides went along with this silence for the ten years. As soon as the gag order was lifted, Angela spilled the beans about Jumpin Jack Flash and Major Tom. The strange thing is both Mick and David have never laughed off the story or denied it. Its possible it may be true. Angela Bowie claims the famous Stones song, ''Angie'' is about her and Mick's longing for her....... Tom Cruise loves auditions. Now, its almost too easy to write about the weird antics of this weasel. A cottage industry seems to have developed about Mr. Top Gun and his sexual leanings and bizarre behavior. A few years ago, he ''married'' the very cute Katie Holmes, a young, naïve girl many years his junior. Nothing new there, Hollywood loves to play the age thing. In a refreshing twist of switching, older women are jumping all over younger man [ I am a VERY BIG fan of cougars!]. Anyway, back to Tommy, because of his notorious bizarre behavior--- and the endless stories about his closet gay lifestyle--- his handlers have been scrambling for years to cover his escapades with pairing him up with various women. The marriages of Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman have been open debate for the gossip industry. Both seemed to sign on the dotted line with his management to go along with the charade of marriage with him so they could advance their careers. So, after these two marriages came to a shocking ending of divorce, Mr. Save The World went after another wife. Apparently, because the public is not being fooled by all of this, Tom Cruise found this mission impossible to find another actress to take his hand in matrimony. What does he do? Well, he turns to the Church of Scientology to help him audition actresses to play Mrs. Tom Cruise. Yes, just like when you audition for a play or movie role, actresses, young and naïve, were sent to the Church and met with the heads of this organization. When they passed muster with these refugees from the cast of ''Rosemary's Baby'', they were sent to Tom, where he interviewed them and weeded out the bad candidates [ these must have been the women with dignity and minds of their own to think]. Among the actresses brought in were: Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johanson, Jessica Alba, and Katie Holmes. Finally, he selected Katie to fall in love with and live in a blissful state. They even ''conceived'' a child, which further gives credence to the Rosemary's Baby analogy. After a few years of the perfect couple, alas, this third trip down the aisle did not last. The public was not fooled, of course. But, it became a bitter divorce, which must have stunned Tom and his Cult Of The Damned. Katie went on her way and is raising the child pretty much on her own, a wise move. But, this story about the auditioning seems to have the most legs in terms of currency.......... Natalie Wood was a star we remember quite fondly. From her career as a child star to her adult roles, and, finally, to her mysterious [and, still unsolved] death in 1981 at the age of 42, Natalie still has a lot of people who still follow the flame of her memory. Her private life was quite active, with many men in and out of her life. But, there is a story, a horrible story, about how she lost her virginity at the age of 16. She was raped by an older man. A famous actor. One of the biggest actors in movie history. This man, apparently, seduced her against her wishes as a teenager, getting her drunk and finally, well, it is stated above what happened. Because this actor was so famous--- and powerful-- he was able to skate any kind of prosecution for his dastardly deeds. Natalie's account seems to be strong in reality. She did not make the story up, by most accounts. The name of the famous actor is well-known throughout the years in the Hollywood culture. Natalie never publicly announced whom he is but most insiders there are aware of his identity. Lana Wood, Natalie's sister, has said she will announce his name when the veteran actor dies. He is still among the living. The actor is believed to be Kirk Douglas...... So, those a few more stories about Hollywood. I posted one blog about a year ago with different stories. I will post more in the months ahead. Perhaps, you have heard some of these tales, maybe, in other forms with other names attached to them. Let me state again that these are rumors, not fact. Well, some are but I have to say this to be fair and to save my ass in court. Rumors, folks......... Perhaps........

Great Movie: ''Brian's Song''

The key moment in the movie, ''Brian's Song'' comes in the closing moments. It is the death scene, the final exchange between its two lead characters, Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Piccolo, as we know, is dying of his cancer. Sayers, leaning over his bed, is saying goodbye to him without uttering the words. They are holding hands, as two teammates, and, most importantly, two friends will do. Suddenly, Piccolo is gripped by pain. His face contorts and his grip on his friend's hand locks into a plea to hold him for support. Gale Sayers grips him tighter, giving him the support that a friend gives when needed the most. This one moment conveys the backbone of their friendship. Brian Piccolo soon dies after....... ''Brian's Song'' is on the list of every filmgoer who wants to cry for a movie. It was a TV Movie Of The Week in November, 1971, on ABC. From its first airing, it has attained a love by the public, one of those movies one must see over and over again. It tells the story of a friendship between two football players from the Chicago Bears, Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. One was a great football player, perhaps, the best open field running back in NFL history. The other, a hard-working, but, mediocre player, who had he lived, would not have gone down in NFL history in anything other than his supreme good character. Truth be told by their many mutual friends, they were close friends, but, not the best of friends that the film depicts. Hollywood, being Hollywood, embellished the closeness of their friendship for dramatic purposes. The film is by no means factually accurate at points of the story. But, it doesn't matter. A film is designed to entertain and hopefully, teach and inspire. This movie succeeds greatly in this aspect. We know from the beginning of the film that Piccolo will die, the narration over the opening credits tells us it will end in tragedy. If anything, though, knowing this adds to the poignancy in the story. We know, even in the movie's funny scenes, that there is a dark cloud hovering over, waiting to drop down. And, when the story does take that sad turn, the filmmakers have us firmly in their grasp. We are willing accomplices in the arc of the tragedy story......... They meet in training camp in the year 1965. Sayers, a star at the University of Kansas, was the Bears Number 1 draft pick that year, one of the most sought-after college prospects in the nation. Gale Sayers had star written all over him. He was a painfully shy man, one of those guys that just mumbled more than talked. His talking was done on the football through his playing. He was fast, very fast, with the ability to break a tackle and run into the open field. And here, when he did break loose, his beauty came to full fruition. He had the misfortune of playing at the same time as Jim Brown, who garnered all the media and fan attention. Sayers, because of his shyness, would always be in the shadow of the great Brown. Perhaps, if he had blown his own horn a little he might have been the legend Brown, and, later on, Walter Payton, would become. But, that wasn't in his nature to brag. He did his job on the field, made friends on the team, and, quietly lived his life....... In that same first training camp was also another running back named Brian Piccolo. Piccolo went to Wake Forest, where, through hard work, he led the nation in rushing and scoring in his senior year. Nobody would confuse the talent of Piccolo's and Sayers'. Sayers was a gifted athlete. Piccolo succeeded because he wasn't given the gifts others had been given by God. Through his tenacity, he made a name for himself in college. Still, when the NFL draft happened, no team selected him. He was a free agent trying to make the team. In personality and demeanor, Piccolo was an all-star. He was funny, friendly, everyone's pal. Meeting Sayers that first day in training camp, he sized his rival [remember, they were both going for the same running back spot on the team] up and decided to have a little fun at Gale's expense. Sayers had yet to meet the legendary coach of the Bears, George Halas, so Piccolo told Sayers to always talk in the left ear of Halas, since that was his good ear. This was nonsense, of course, but Sayers did as suggested, and there is an amusing scene at the beginning of the movie where Gale is hopping around the room trying to talk into Halas' ''good ear''. Soon, Sayers realizes he has been duped by the prankster Piccolo. A few scenes later, Gale gets his revenge when he slides mashed potatoes on Piccolo's chair while he is singing. Naturally, Brian sits down on the potatoes. They look at each other. They are now even........ Gale Sayers makes the team easily, for he is the star running back the Bears have been waiting for. Brian Piccolo, barely survives the cut. What he does to make the team is work like a dog beyond his lack of pure natural talent. This appeals to Old Man Halas. They keep Brian around but do not hold up much hope for him. He will play backup and play on the return team. However, his importance will soon come because the Bears have a radical notion for the times. This was the mid-Sixties, with the white-hot Civil Rights movement going strong and tempers and emotions running high. The Bears want to get with the times and have the first black-white roommate arrangement in the NFL. This pairing, stunning in today's world, is revolutionary for its time. Both Piccolo and Sayers think nothing of the arrangement --- the fact they are roomies is proof Piccolo made the team--- but, they are warned of how explosive this will be in the outside world. They will receive hate mail from both sides of the aisle. And, they do. Both sides gets their licks in. In time, it will be accepted, but, the first year is rough for them. They treat the racism with dignity. Also, with humor. There is a loud laugh in the movie when Piccolo is asked by a reporter about the roommate controversy. Piccolo replies, with his great humor, '' There isn't much problem as long as he doesn't use the bathroom.'' The reporters laugh........ With being roommates comes the natural bonding between the men. They meet each others wives and the four all become close friends. It is hard to tell whom brings more to the friendship. The movie tilts towards Piccolo with bringing Sayers out of his shell and helping him with his rehab when Sayers breaks his leg during a game. The important thing is they are bonding, forming a friendship that is beyond football. There are confidences shared and good times taken. In time, they will also share the backfield together during a short span of the season. Then, illness comes into the story..... Brian Piccolo was born with the cancer gene in him. That is what the doctors all say. He has a tumor taken out of him, and, later part of his left lung and breast. Clearly, the cancer has spread all over his body, attacking all of his organs. Finally, on June 16, 1970, Brian Piccolo will die of his cancer at the appallingly young age of 27. The movie tells us over the closing credits that he had three daughters and many friends. The final words on the narration are, ''When his friends think of him its not about how he died, but how he lived. How he did live!!'' And, the haunting swell of the sad music [you have the theme playing in your head right now, I know] comes up. With these final moments, most of the movie's viewers will have tears in their eyes. If you do not, then, you missed the whole point of the movie and its message...... James Caan and Billy Dee Williams play their roles very well. Neither of them can ever be considered a great actor, but, they are two, solid journeymen performers, who, through hard work and diligence, bring the real-life exploits of these two friends to the screen successfully...... Hard work and diligence. Brian Piccolo would be proud........ The legacy of this movie is that, for pure entertainment, it rings the bell. There are laughs and smiles, but, there are also the deep emotional wells of sorrow. This movie earns them, through the solid storytelling and the fine acting. Death, in any story, always presents a built-in sympathy for its characters. Many movies exploit this tactic and it becomes shoddy and self-serving for the filmmakers. It is easy to shoot a dog in the movie and get a rise out of the audience. But, a well-made movie earns the right to get that rise. The backstory of the dog before the shooting is the key part. If you know about the trials and tribulations of the dog and have real affection for it, then, its shooting becomes more personal. And, that is what ''Brian's Song'' does, it earns it merits through the very real story surrounding the tragedy. You care for these men and their friendship. Even though there is that sorrow cloud above them, somehow, on repeated viewings of the movie, you want that cloud to go away and the men continue their friendship for years to come. It doesn't happen, of course, but the feeling of wanting good for these men never leaves....... There is that final image of them holding hands on the deathbed. Two friends saying goodbye. Two men coming from different worlds and backgrounds. Two men with different personalities and views of life. And, two men doing what all of humanity should do. Caring for each other and accepting each other for whom they are. Unity of the human spirit........ Not a bad message......

When Jim Met Pat: Forever In Love

The old man was lying in the casket, his journey in life had ended. His name and background are now lost to history. He must have known love, though. His wake gathered the many who knew him, approved of him as a person. Young and old came out for the final salute. It was the final tribute to a life ended. But, somewhere in that vast crowd, two young and extraordinary people were about to meet their fate. They would meet in this unlikely arena. The love affair that would blossom on this night would have long-term ramifications, forging a union and a family that flourishes today. And, creating a son who is writing these words for you to read....... James Martin Scoleri liked to work the room. He had the natural ability to do so. With his good-looks and sweet demeanor came the remarkable ability to meet someone and be instantly liked by that person. James, well, Jim or Jimmy by those who know him, had a legion of friends and admirers. They saw his good heart and spirit shining through that warm personality. Jim was the type of person who you went out with for a good time, but, also, the type whom you told your problems to. He was a terrific listener who gave sound advice. And, he had that great smile!!! All teeth that proclaimed his goodness. You just wanted to be around him. He was twenty-three in 1951. His childhood had been marred by sadness and tragedy at times. His beloved father had died in 1943 at a very young age. Jim's mother, Mary, had recently given birth to Jim's brother, Tom. So, at the age of fifteen, he became the man of the family. He grew into the role like fitting into a pair of comfortable shoes. His natural ability to be liked and take charge suited this time, for Jim had a mother that could be very controlling and unstable. She was old-fashioned Italian, from the old country where Italian sons took care of their mothers. Jim loved his mother and was the good son, but, it was never enough for her. He had to be her whole life [ a practice her sisters used on their children ]. Throughout his childhood, Jim tried to please his parents. While his father was still alive, he witnessed the intense fights between them. They ran the gamut from the typical marital squabbles, to his father, at one point, chasing his mother around the home brandishing a gun. Jim knew his father would never use the gun, for he was a peaceful man. But, the moods of Mary would bring dark forces into the family. While she would be a terrific grandmother in the future, she never stopped the mind games with the people around her. When his father passed, Jim became the center core of the little family. He had dreams of being a musician. He loved music and wanted to follow the natural creative instincts that surged through him to become a professional musician. However, when death came to his father, Jim put his dreams and ambitions in the drawer and starting working to support his family. He finished school early [ he could have gone to a fine college had circumstances been rosier ] and got a job working in a factory. Now, his family on his father's side where, ah, not afraid to be on the other side of the law. This was Chicago, mid-forties, where the ''Outfit'' ran everything. The Scoleri family was not afraid to get their hands dirty. But, they never wanted this for their kids. The elders did what they had to and never let the kids in the family into the family business. Jim was always encouraged to stay away from the garbage and be clean. It was obvious, also, that he would never would have what it took to be a gangster, his persona was of a kind and honest man. So, he worked the good work, honest and proud. He kept his eyes on the family and took care of his mother and his younger brother. His dreams of music would come later. And, Jim also kept a busy social life. He loved to dance and be the life of any party. Naturally, this charisma would draw in the ladies. From what I have heard, Jim was quite the ladies man. Women were obsessed with him. According to family lore, one woman was threatening to kill any woman who would marry him. By 1951, when he went to that wake, Jim was leading the average life of someone his age. He wondered what his future would bring, and whom he would share it with......... Patricia Elizabeth Grimmer was a pampered child. The youngest of two girls born on the North Side of Chicago, she grew up, not rich, but, with the comfort of a few bucks in the bank. She was a beautiful child, with a shy and warm smile. She and her older sister, Gloria, grew up in the shadow of Wrigley Field. They became rabid Cubs fans [ unusual for girls in the thirties and forties ]. Patricia, whom everyone called Pat, idolized her father. He was an architect who very much doted on his daughters, It would be fair to say that the girls were somewhat spoiled in their youths. This was Depression time, when men and women were roaming the streets begging for work and food. Pat's family always gave where they could, but, they never felt the pangs of the Depression. The girls, who were always very close, went through their childhood like children should: unaware of the horrors of the world. They lived in the bubble of innocence and good times. Pat was introverted. She was shy in class and with strangers. Never rude, mind you, but, if a group of people were gathered, she tended to play the quiet onlooker. She lived in her own quiet world of her own thoughts and feelings. She never minded being alone. Growing up, because of her shyness, she had only a few close friends. But, she exhibited then the ability she never lost in life: strength of character. Underneath that shy girl was a strong emotional system. She was the rock for her friends [ and later, for her family ] who always calmed a tense and volatile situation with her sweet goodness. She had that soothing way that all mother's have even then. The world was going crazy and everything seemed to be going helter skelter, but, there was sweet Pat, a calm oasis in the storm. She would need that strength in time, starting with the death of her father when she was 19. He died suddenly of a heart attack. Pat never got over the loss of him. He was the family idol, the person she most admired in life. Now he was gone, creating a void in her life that was never filled. Her mother, sister and her grew even closer. But, the financial situation was gone and she came face to face with the reality of the world. Her shyness kept away from the world but now she had to join it. Pat had grown into a beautiful blond young woman. She was proudly Irish.She had the wholesome looks of the Land Of The Green, which, of course, attracted the opposite sex. But, Pat, despite her shyness, exhibited that strong sense of character, and was very picky on whom she dated. She did not date much and certainly did not sleep around [ she proudly always stated that she was a virgin on her wedding night ] and while she had many suitors who wanted to court her, she dated sparingly. Her life by the age of twenty one, when she went to that wake, was of a young girl working in a bank. She was wondering what was in store for her in life and if her Prince Charming was out there....... Now, here comes the gap in the story: no one, including Jim and Pat, can remember the exact moment of introduction. It must have happened the typical way with someone saying, '' Jim, this is Pat.'' However the exact exchange went, sparks flew immediately between the young people. It is easy to imagine the feeling in the air. Jim charmed her, like he charmed everyone. Pat listened and was shy, like with everyone. But, something happened. It was that instant sparking between two people that destiny brought together. They must have felt embarrassment because they were hitting it off between each other while some guy was dead a few feet away. At some point in the evening, Jim asked Pat for her number. She was a little hesitant because of her shyness, and also, she was a good girl who did not give out her number to strange men. But, Jim was persistent, in a way that a man is when he hears the bell ringing in his soul of a woman who interests him. Finally, Pat gave him the number. Jim wanted to call her right away but, Pat, always independent, was already drawing the lines in the sand. He would have to wait........ A few weeks later, the date came. They went out to dinner. It is the sign of the times back then in the year of 1951, but, he took her to an Italian restaurant to have pizza. Pat had never had pizza before. Pizza was only confined in that world of Italian people. The Irish had their own food. Pat gamely went along with trying this foreign food. She picked up a knife and fork to cut into it. Jim smiled that beautiful smile of his and gently admonished her, ''Pat, you do not use a knife and fork on pizza.'' She smiled back at him. And, it was in that moment, that small moment, that they became one. A look and feeling passed between them. It was the seed of affection that was starting to sprout into love. The eyes of these two grew warm and loving. If there was that one moment that they fell in love, it was here, over, of all things, how to eat pizza. The love affair had begun for the next forty years. And, Pat always ate pizza the proper way with her hands...... They were married in 1953. They were gloriously in love. Jim was embraced by Pat's small family. They loved him, as the rest of the world did. Pat was also loved by the Scoleri family, with one notable exception. Jim's mother, Mary, did not approve. The fact that her son now had someone else that was number one did not sit well with Mary. Plus, Pat had the added insult to be Irish. Anyone who was not Italian was thought of as not existing in the world. Pat tried always to get along with her mother-in-law. It was always an uphill battle. In time, Mary would accept Pat, but, never with any real affection and feeling. Throughout the marriage, Pat would always be on guard and defensive towards Mary, awaiting the knife in the back. Jim tried to play peacemaker, but, it was an uphill battle. Finally, Pat would demand he make some kind of decision since Mary was destroying their marriage. Firmly, Jim told his mother that this was the woman he loved and wanted to spend his life with. If Mary would not treat her better, then, he would cut off all contact with his mother. Pat was his life. He loved her furiously. Mary retreated but never surrendered the battle. While a terrific woman in many way, Mary was fighting her demons. A fragile truce would mark the years ahead........ Lisa was born in 1956. Tom came along in 1962. And, James Patrick [ a marvelous union of the names of his parents ] would arrive in 1965. Jim and Pat had the normal marriage. They knew joy and pain, success and setbacks, tremendous love and unbelievable heartbreak, like any couple. But, throughout it all they never stopped being a team. They never grew tired of being with each other. His friends became her friends. He took her on business trips  and never wanted her away from his side. As Jim made his way in the world, Pat managed the home front, with raising the kids and taking care of the domestic situation. There was always great joy when he came home, the house would be bustling with energy and laughs. They both wanted that. While they would go out socially and throw parties at their house, the prime feeling between them was being with the kids in the house. They passed their love and caring down in the bloodlines of the children. When you walked into the house, you were greeted with the feeling that you did not want to be anywhere else in life. It was the kind of house where people ate pizza with their hands....... Jim developed cancer in 1991. Bladder and colon. There was a feeling for a few horrible weeks that he would not survive. But, he fought the battle and survived. However, he was never the same person again. His body betrayed him and grew steadily weaker. Pat was by his side always, the steady rock she had always been. The next few years there was the unspoken feeling between them. It was the feeling that he would leave her soon....... Then came the horror of horrors in 1995. A call in the middle of the night from Ohio. The youngest son took it and heard the terrible news. Tommy, the second child, was dead. The police said it was suicide [ that is debatable] . Jimmy, the youngest, told his parents that their son was gone. The shock and grief was overwhelming for Jim and Pat. Pat broke down but Jim held up. He comforted her as only the love of someone's life could. While they held each other and wept their grief, the youngest child saw the shadow of grief settle over them, never to leave....... Six months later, Jim and Pat had their last night together. After the calamity of their son's death, Jim went down in spirit. This once vital and proud man, who embraced life and all that it gave him, suffered the overwhelming grief of losing a child. It sapped his spirit and he gave up. That final night together, March 21, 1996, his body and mind were leaving him. He sat in his chair. Pat was sitting on the couch nearby. Suddenly, Jim asked Pat to come hold him. He felt like he was dying. He wanted to be held by her one last time. And, she held him. There was no suffering. He was leaving her and wanted her close....... That night, in his sleep, Jim passed...... Pat discovered him the next morning. Before the tears came, she saw his expression. He was smiling....... Pat would be alone. Her son and daughter were there always but she was alone. Gone was her husband, partner, companion, lover, father of her children, and her inspiration. And, six months after he left Pat began her own health issues. A quadruple bypass would go wrong in the recovery room, stopping her heart three times and destroying one kidney and damaging her other one. Dialysis kept her alive for the next year and a half. Pat exhibited that Irish strength through it all. But, she needed Jim. She always talked about him as if he was still around, just in the next room. Despite the medical treatment she was getting, it did not help her much. Her youngest son found her dead, after she woke up and got dressed, curled up in the fetal position. A little angel lying in no pain....... So, they are now together again in Heaven. I picture them always together, as in this life. They have my brother with them and their parents and relatives and friends. There is always a grand party happening around them. Good times. And, there are two people, forever in love with each other, smiling and holding each other..... And, eating pizza...... With their hands, of course......

The Tonic: The British Are Coming!!!

The horror and crying for that fateful day was still hanging over the people, a shell-shock that would stay in their souls forever. The news had come around lunchtime. The President had been killed. For the rest of the long weekend, the world was glued to their TV's, a mass visitation by the grieving public. Once the funeral was over, it was very difficult to return to the routine of everyday life. The United States seemed to be going through the motions. The months of December and January were months of grim mourning. Coupled with the depression of winter, America was in a sadness coma, awaiting rebirth. By February of 1964, we wanted something happy in our lives again, something to get the human spirit alive and kicking again. America desperately needed a happiness tonic. And, one was found. But, strangely, that tonic was not given to us by an American. But, rather, that tonic, that cure for America's blues, was four young men from Liverpool, England...... For the entire year of 1963, while The Beatles were becoming a sensation in England and the rest of Europe, they could not crack the American market. Their record company, EMI, owned Capital Records in the States. But, Capital would not jump on the bandwagon of this gimmick from England. We had American artists, they smugly told Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager, we do not have any need to go across the water for a band who had come from the backwoods of some English town. So, for the year of 1963, while Beatlemania broke all over Europe, the largest market in the world turned a deaf ear. In desperation, Epstein made small record deals with small record companies, hoping that these would be the entry he needed to break the band. The first couple of singles released in America were the first couple released in England, ''Love Me Do'', and ''Please Please Me''. Both flopped, barely making a dent. Then, ''She Loves You'', a monster hit in England, was released in America. Another flop. Finally, the small record labels terminated their contract with Epstein. Capital Records seemed to be correct: there was no future in the U.S. for this little band......... But, Brian Epstein was a determined man. He had taken these four on a couple years earlier when no one else would. He had made the grueling climb with them from obscurity to national obsession and did not take ''no'' easily. He still doggedly pursued the Capital Records executives, pleading with them to get behind his ''boys''. Just look at the sales they were generating, he told them. Enormous profits for them in England. In Novenber of 1963, three weeks before Dallas, he met with the big shots in New York, and played them the new song that the band had made especially geared to the ''American Sound''. It was called ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' and it had all the hallmarks of breaking wide. Just push it a little. Plus, Epstein proudly stated, the band had just been booked by none other than Ed Sullivan to be on his show in February of 1964. It seems that Sullivan, stopping off in Sweden, had witnessed the pandemonium that their airport reception had been. Later on, Sullivan had stopped off in England and witnessed a replay of what was happening in Sweden. Checking into this group a little, Ed Sullivan had learned that this group was shattering music records and audiences all over Europe. Being the master showman that he was, Sullivan immediately booked them for his show. All of this was told to the executives by Brian Epstein in that meeting. Finally, almost grudgingly, the Capital executives gave in. They would release this '' I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' song in January of 1964. And, they said they would throw a little promotion behind it, too. Happy, Brian Epstein returned to England. He had done well........ By January, the rumblings about the band had begun to be heard in America. A little clip of the band performing had been shown on the ''Steve Allen Show'' and NBC news had run a story on them. Gingerly, Capital Records released ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' to record stores and the radio stations. Almost overnight, the record exploded. In three weeks, it rang the bell at Number 1. Capital Records executives, caught off guard, immediately went into promotion overdrive. Soon, Beatle stickers and banners were blanketing the country, heralding the call ''The Beatles Are Coming! The Beatles Are Coming!'' The country, caught off guard by the events in Dallas, went crazy with joy. Finally, something happy had been given to us. Parents, while disapproving of rock and roll music, seemed to put their criticism of the music aside. Teenagers, the backbone of the record buying public, went crazy for them. Especially, the girls........ Some of the strongest images of the 1960's are of teenage girls pulling their hair and screaming their lungs out for The Beatles. Obsession for a performer is not new. Recently, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley had experienced this obsession, with teenage girls going mad over them. But, The Beatles screaming was even more intense. It was a scream born out of an overwhelming need to hold them, hug them, sleep with them. The average teenage girl fan was in love with at least one member of the band, usually Paul. He sang the love songs that melted their hearts while being the most attractive one in appearance. But, the others had their legions of followers, too. Ringo was the Everyman. He appealed to the ugly ducklings in the audience, the ones that weren't pretty or weren't the most popular in school. George was the quiet one. All mysterious. He, of the four, was the one that looked like he needed to be sheltered and cared for. And, there was John. John was the funny, intelligent one, the artist and poet. John also seemed dangerous, which appealed to the girls that wanted to be naughty. All of them had their base fans. That was one of the greatest things about the band: they appealed to every one. And, that was what caused the screams. It was a primal scream to keep them and never let them go. But, it was also a release of joy and fun. No words were necessary, just a scream would do. The screaming was once monitored by scientists, They said that the sound of that screaming at a Beatles concert was like standing next to a 707 while taking off.......... ''Why would America want us? They have everything over there. Why would they need The Beatles?'' So said Paul McCartney on the flight over in February. The Beatles had never been to America, except George, who had a sister living in Illinois he visited the previous year. The Beatles, despite hearing of the record sales of ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' were still unsure of whether they would be accepted in America. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they had heard about the promotion and the building up of their popularity, but, this was America, the place they had dreamed of their entire lives of visiting and making it big. Why, indeed, did they need them there? Brian Epstein kept trying to assure them, but, the boys, cocky and confidant though they were, still were quite scared of what awaited them. Then, the pilot of the plane announced as they approached New York that a massive crowd was gathering. The Beatles thought someone else, maybe, the President, was landing at the same time. No, came the word back: there were thousands of teenagers waiting for THEM!!....... When the door opened and they stepped out of the plane on February 7, 1964, it was hard to tell if the incessant, air piercing scream was of the airplanes overhead or the crowd greeting them. Soon, it became apparent it was the crowd. Stunned, the boys marched down the ramp from the plane---- with Phil Spector and the Ronettes behind them--- and walked into America's arms. The giddiness on their faces was a look of happiness mixed with satisfaction of having their dreams come true. They waved to the crowds and posed for the reporters. Then, they went into the airport, where a press conference was pending. The New York reporters, hip to the fact that this could just be the gimmick for the moment, were geared to slam them. They knew pop stars were not very intelligent, so, they decided to go for the jugular with the band. But, these old pros had never encountered the Beatles. The band had been doing press conferences for the past year and had developed a brilliant way to conduct it: they treated a press conference like a comedy routine. All four of the lads were very funny, especially bad-boy Lennon, who never let anyone get the better of him, and answered the questions that the New York reporters tossed at them with grace and well-timed one-liners. Example: Reporter:'' Will you sing for us?'' John: ''No, we need money first!'' Reporter: ''Will you get a haircut while you are here?'' George:'' I had one yesterday.'' Reporter: ''What do you think of the drive to stamp out The Beatles in Detroit?'' Paul: ''We have a drive to stamp out Detroit!'' Reporter:'' What do you think of Beethoven?'' Ringo: ''I love him, especially his poems.'' Reporter: '' Why do the young fans act crazy about you?'' John: ''If we knew we would form another group and be managers.'' By now, the most hardened and cynical reporter had been charmed by them. Soon, [ too soon, lamented some reporters] they were whisked off-stage and sent by limo to their hotel rooms at the St. Regis. The poor hotel had booked them weeks earlier, not knowing what it was getting. Soon, hordes of teenagers were camped out, wailing their desire for the band. From the Friday they arrived, until the Monday they departed, the band was watched by thousands of fans in the bitter cold....... George Harrison had been feeling the effects of the flu for a few days. By Saturday morning, the 8th, he was running a high fever. While the other boys were out visiting New York and drumming up publicity--- with the now charmed New York press following them like their fans---- George Harrison was quite ill. There was some alarm about whether he would be able to perform on the Sullivan show the next day. All Saturday the nation was kept alert about George Harrison's flu. Finally, it was decided he would perform but watched closely. He also had, not disclosed to the public, a doctor shoot him up with vitamins and speed to get him on his feet. By the actual performance, he struggled through, barely able to play his guitar.......... That Sunday, the 9th, there were two shows the Beatles had planned for Sullivan. The first performance was taped in the afternoon, to be shown at a later date. The second was the live show in the evening. The ticket requests from the famous and non-famous was enormous. The little theater held about 700 seats. The ticket request number was about 50,000. The Beatles would headline the show [ among the other acts on the show was a young Davy Jones performing in the musical ''Oliver''. In time, he would be a ''Monkee'']. They would be first out of the gate and sing three songs. Then, mid-way through the show, the band would come back for two final numbers. The Beatles had decided to play their hits, like ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'', ''She Loves You'', ''I Saw Her Standing There'', and ''All My Loving'' Now that they were the hottest act in show business, all of their ''old'' music, which was less than a year old, was being released and hyped. All of these singles, which had bombed months earlier, were now hot sellers. The band also would include a cover of ''Till There Was You''. This song, from the musical, ''The Music Man'', was a calculated concession by the band to appeal to the older audience that was watching. At 8pm Eastern time, ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' went on the air. Families around the country and in Canada turned in. One benefit was that heavy snow had blanketed most of the country, so, people were watching TV rather than be outside. It was later estimated that the size of the audience was 75 million, about two-thirds of the viewing public. The show would go down in history as the most highly watched show television had ever had......... Standing backstage, the nervous and excited Beatles heard a peculiar thing in the introduction. Ed Sullivan had announced that Elvis Presley had sent the band a congratulatory telegram wishing the boys well on their performance. The Beatles were thrilled, because Elvis was their hero, the prime inspiration for them being in show business. It wasn't until years later that the band found out the Elvis did not know anything about the telegram. His manager, the huckster Colonel Tom Parker had sent it to cop a little publicity. In fact, as the Beatles later sadly found out, their old hero Presley despised them...... The big moment arrived. Ed Sullivan, dressed smartly, as always, in a conservative suit for his conservative audience, announced the main attraction. He started by saying how the city had never seen excitement like this. Then, winding up his delivery like a master of ceremonies in a circus, he exclaimed, ''And, here they are!! The Beatles!'' The TV screen was then switched to an image of a vast stage with four little men on it. The camera slowly came in on them, as did tens of millions of people across North America...... What the people saw was a revolution brewing in front of their eyes. The Baby Boomer generation, the biggest in human history, was seeing themselves represented. The soundtrack to this generation was off and running as these four young men started with ''All My Loving.'' A seed began to grow in the psyche of a generation that would soon flower in trying to take over the world. A similar seed was being planted in the souls of men and women who now saw their destiny in music. From Bruce Springsteen to David Crosby to Jimi Hendrix to Janis Joplin, aspiring musicians around the country now saw what they must do. It was a call to arms for these men and women to pick up the spirit of the times and follow your dreams in music, as these four young men were doing. Not only the music struck a chord, but, the whole idea of doing music as a way of life was sent shining across the television image right into the hearts and minds of these people. The Beatles would be their standard bearers, the inspiration to form a band and make the music that was seething in their DNA........ As the boys went from song to song onstage, a most remarkable display was happening in the audience. The girls in the audience were shrieking their lungs out at the band. This was nothing new to the lads, but, to the American and Canadian audiences it was a stunner. Girls were literally losing control of themselves wailing out at the band. The Sullivan people cut back and forth between the stage and the seats. The energy and excitement rocked the tiny theater, never seeing pandemonium like this again......Truth be said, the performance the band gave that night on the Ed Sullivan Show was not that great. It was good, and, it did what it was expected to do: introduce the band to the biggest audience in the world. But, in terms of musical ability, the Beatles had more glorious moments onstage in their career. Again, though, it served its purpose. Introduction, and more importantly, impact. It was the Perfect Storm of the melding of a generation and its musical and social leaders...... After their fifth and final song, the Beatles were called over by Sullivan to take one last bow for the people watching in the theater, and at home. Screams of joy were heard that night, in the theater, and across the vast continent. The Beatles and Ed Sullivan had, unknown to them that night, made history in these less than fifteen minutes combined of network exposure. A historical moment was just made, forever cemented in the people who were watching........ The fallout afterwords was obvious. Not only the huge viewing numbers, but, the impact on the public. The next day, Monday the 10th, boys in school started growing their hair long and forward like the band. It could be said that long hair started growing during the performance that night, never to go away. The girls also talked about the band, but, in more loving ways. Every girl had a ''favorite Beatle.'' It was a surprise to everyone that the most popular member of the band in America was not the cute Paul, but, Ringo. Perhaps, it was the ugly duckling theory. He was everyone's little puppy that you hugged....... Fashion, hair styles, language, musical influence, all changed from that night. Soon, other areas in show business and Madison Avenue would ride along the wave that was ''Beatlemania''. And, in doing so, would set the future course of how a person lived their everyday lives. How you ''did your own thing'' and tried to better the world. Protesting the evils of government, and being on the better side of a moral and ethical cause. Be-ins, bed-ins, protesting against unfairness in society, can all be traced to that famous Sunday night........ Finally, the music influence. Even the music casual music fan cannot deny the Beatles influence. Every band or artist that has followed in their wake from the early 1960's on owes a tremendous debt to them. Long after the band broke up in 1970, the flames of their red-hot passions still burned brightly. From the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, to the bands of today, feel their fingerprints. No other musical entity from the 20th Century comes close to the magnitude of the Beatles. Yes, Sinatra and Presley had their power, but, in terms of a long term legacy, the Beatles look down from the mountain at what they harvested..... It is fifty years later. Long-gone are the screams and the massive riots that the band received. Their music still is alive and kicking, even if John and George are long gone. The Beatles music still sells more now than almost any new band in existence. I see the Beatle shirts and hear the music playing at the school I work at. They have the real chance of being forever played, long after Paul and Ringo and the rest of us have gone. Of course, they broke up at the top of their musical inventiveness and never reunited. That, in terms of a musical legacy, is the best you can do. By going out on top, they never got old and made bad music. They remain supreme in the publics mind....... The theater that housed ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' now houses '' The Late Show With David Letterman''. Dave, for over twenty years now, has made his magic memories and special moments. But, I would imagine, when his show is over, and the last light is turned off for the night, ghosts from the past are still roaming around. Ghosts of sweet times and times forever gone. Somewhere, in that vast theater, there are four young, fresh-faced Englishmen. They are playing the music sent down to them from Heaven, to be unleashed on a grateful people. There are echoes of screams. The Beatles are young and full of life......... And, so are the rest of us.......

Random Thoughts: January 2014

Last week at the school I work at, we had a safety drill for the staff. This actually is a law signed by Governor Quinn requiring all schools to go through this procedure. Basically, it is what to do and how to act if an intruder invades your environment. It was non-mandatory for some of the staff but I'm glad I went. As we were involved in this exercise of caution and safety, we all got word of yet another shooting, this one at Purdue University. This left one student dead. As we all shook our heads in sadness and horror, I made the comment that these things seem to be happening on a frightening average of once a month. A few days later, another shooting happened at another school. I amended my statement and said that now we are averaging one a week. Sadly, the next day, we had the shooting at the mall in Baltimore. Now, we seem to be averaging one a day. The extraordinary part is we have reached such an immune and acceptance of these killings that many news organizations did not put the shooting in Baltimore at the top of the news. It was buried after the lead about our Arctic weather. Now, bad weather certainly is important. However, it is common in these parts this time of the year. A public shooting now rates below this for some outlets. The death of human beings, lives being taken away from them in a flash of gunfire, is not as important as sending some poor schmuck reporter out in the cold to stand beside the Kennedy Expressway and tell us how terrible it is outside. I don't need the news to inform me that the weather is dangerous. I pretty much figured that theory out at an early age. But, the shocking death of innocent people, whose only crime was going to a public place to do some shopping, is brushed aside like it is a normal thing. Well, in this world we have created today, maybe, it is........ And, about this Arctic cold weather. A few weeks ago, I pointed out in a post of Facebook that people need to chill out [ sorry] and go with the fact that we get this type of weather every year. If you don't like it, I bellowed, leave and don't come back. I still feel this way, but, I must amend my original bellicose behavior. The weather we have been receiving the last several weeks does not qualify as winter. Winter should be of the vein of ''walking in a winter wonderland'' feeling. You know, some snow, with temperatures in the low 20's and teens. It is not the nicest of weather but it is what we have been trained to live in during this darkest month of January. However, this shit we have been receiving the last few weeks is not weather. It is an Unholy Horror sent down by the Gods. Record cold and school and work closings have been happening. Frostbite is at an alarming rate, along with people being found frozen to death. You know who I really feel sorry for? Animals that live outside in this. I know some have a protective DNA that humans do not have to stave off this killer cold. But, most do not. I feel bad for the rabbits and other little creatures. Hopefully, we will get through this soon. As I write these words, I just got a message saying the school I work at is closed tomorrow because of inclement weather....... I used to be a fan of the legendary radio team of Steve Dahl and Garry Meier. They were pioneers in free association radio, the first reality show for radio. They lived their lives as an open book from 1979 until 1993, gaining fame and fortune and trailblazing the radio landscape for later personalities like Howard Stern and your favorite current morning drive-time duo. It was no-holds barred radio, with Dahl living his life and anxieties for the world to see, and, Meier, as the comic foil for Dahl's misadventures. Every morning or afternoon, depending on what station they were on, millions of people in Chicago-- and competitors in other markets--- turned into the soap opera that was the ''Steve &Garry Show''. Comic gold was often mined in these broadcasts. Their influence in the culture was enormous. I heard people say things that came from the show, while these same people were stating how much they hated this show. That was the crux of Dahl and Meier--- you either hated them or loved them. When they split up bitterly in 1993, it was a public falling out that took many years to heal. The Dahl camp blamed the breakup on Meier's new wife, Cindy. It was said that she held a ''Yoko'' type of control over Meier. The Meier camp blamed Dahl's alcoholism [ Steve was one of the great drinkers in Chicago history] for the breakup. Either way, it cause much bitterness and public sniping as the sides were drawn. After a dozen years, a thaw in their feud appeared when Meier showed up unannounced at a live broadcast that Dahl was doing at the Air and Water Show. He came on, surprising Dahl. Immediately, they went into their comic gold. It was if they had not been separated by bitterness and bad feelings and took up right where they left off. Soon, word spread out around Chicago that they had reunited and the media swarmed in. The usual questions were asked like if they were gonna get back together again. Both Steve and Garry laughed it off and said, lets see. For about four hours, it was good feelings and good times. When the show was over, the two old partners shook hands and went their separate ways. Both stated that they were open to working together again, but, it has never happened. I write this because something has been sticking in my craw for a couple of months. In November, Steve and Garry were inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame in Chicago. Broadcasters all over the world have been enshrined here, it is like the Baseball Hall Of Fame for radio people. According to Dahl, he reached out to Meier and asked that they go up and accept the award as a team. Meier never returned his phone calls. After much back and forth thought, Steve declined to attend the ceremonies. Garry, however, went. And, in a move that stunned the audience, mentioned eleven people who were instrumental in him receiving this honor. Not once did he mention Steve Dahl. True, their feud seems to have sadly revived, but, I thought it was completely classless of Meier to not mention the one person who helped him the most in his career. Without Steve Dahl, Garry Meier would just be another faceless disc jockey roaming the country. Dahl opened up the whole world of celebrity and fortune to Meier, which ultimately led to Meier meeting his wife. To not mention the biggest influence in your professional life seemed petty to me...... Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend. Even people who do not like football enjoy this day and the gathering with family and friends. It has become an unofficial holiday. Two very good teams will play, Seattle and Denver, and it should be back and forth. I saw a poll recently that 50% of the population considers itself at least a casual fan. Football has long replaced baseball as the National Pastime. And, rightly so. Your favorite team plays once a week. You plan your Sundays around watching it, sometimes with friends, sometimes in bars with new bar friends, sometimes in the privacy of your home. And, if you can scrape together a couple of hundred bucks, you can go to the game personally. However you watch football, it is the only sport that crosses all ethnic and gender lines. Everybody watches the Bears on Sundays. And, usually, you have another team you root for. Fantasy football, once a hobby, now is in every area of life. Housewives bet side by side along with Vegas oddsmakers. Football has become the sport where families gather together and have tasty snacks and even more tastier beverages to consume. It is the fun sport, the sport of the blue-collar and the rich man. The only negative about this game on Sunday is that it will be the last football game until the players put on pads in July. So, enjoy the game and the eating of ''bad'' food. And, go Broncos!!!!!

The Blues Brothers

In the summer and fall of 1979, there was a sharp presence around Chicago. It was a whirlwind of frantic activity, mixed with the excitement of fun being created. This kind of energy had never been seen in the city because The Old Man, Richard J. Daley, had decreed that this type of behavior would not darken his beloved city. You see, some network in the 1960's had shown the audacity to have a show set in Chicago. That was fine with the mayor, for he was the cheerleader of all things that were good in Chicago. But, this show, now lost to history, had the nerve to show a Chicago police officer taking a bribe!!! A corrupt cop on the mob payroll!!! Well, Mayor Daley was so horrified that he firmly rejected any further attempt by that evil and vile Hollywood to show his city in any kind of light, good or bad. Therefore, while he was alive, the city of Chicago did not have any TV or movies made here. The Old Man was steady fast in his resolve, a feeling that lasted until his last breath in 1976. By 1979, Chicago had a new mayor, Jane Byrne, who saw the opportunity, and, most importantly, the riches, in opening up the city to Hollywood again. She approved the first movie that came calling. It was the movie that created all of the whirlwind and havoc in that magical summer and fall of 1979. It was the story of two down-and-out blues musicians named after the music they loved. Joliet Jake Blues and his brother Elwood, The Blues Brothers....... The genesis of this act actually came from the first meeting of its principals. It was 1973 and Dan Aykroyd, a most versatile and talented performer at the tender age of 21, was backstage at his gig at the Toronto branch of the famous ''Second City'' theater. Dan and his fellow performers, John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Eugene Levy, were preparing to go finish the show with the nightly improv set when, suddenly, the backdoor of the stage came flying open, and, according to Aykroyd, an enormous force of nature walked through the door among the whirling snow in the background. This was the man they had all heard of in the cast but had never met. His name was Belushi, John Belushi, age 24, a walking genius of unbridled talent and energy.  He had been a star in Chicago at the ''Second City''   [among many brilliant impressions, John did a flawless Mayor Richard J. Daley]. They knew he had moved to New York to star in the ''National Lampoon'' show ''Lemmings'' and was now the director of the ''National Lampoon Radio Hour''. Belushi was in Toronto scouting talent for the ''Radio Hour'' and had heard about this extraordinary cast of talented people. After a quick introduction, Belushi joined the cast onstage for the improv set. Afterwords, the cast went to a bar that Aykroyd ran, an illegal bootleg joint. While all of the cast mingled well, both Belushi and Aykroyd sensed a special and immediate kinship with each other. It was if two long-lost brothers had been reunited at last. As they sat at the bar throwing back shots of the bootleg booze, a deep and lasting friendship was forged. And, while they talked of their lives, Aykroyd would play the music he loved. Blues music. Belushi had never really gotten into the blues, he was a rock and roll fan. But, sitting there listening to the sounds of the blues--- of people down-and-out, victims of life's cruelty---- a new musical bond was formed. That night they made the decision that someday down the line, if they ever worked together, they would put together a band for themselves, celebrating the blues......... Then came ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1975. Gilda, John, and Dan were all hired for the show, which would revolutionize comedy. During the course of the show, Belushi and Aykroyd's friendship deepened. And, that dream of the musical group finally came to fruition. It started in early 1976 as ''The Bees'', a silly running bit that the cast hated. But, John and Dan had convinced their producer, Lorne Michaels, to let them sing a blues number on the show. Lorne said fine, but, you must wear the Bee costumes. After much arguing, the boys finally agreed. They went on the show and sang the old blues number, ''King Bee''. The performance was a fun bit which really did not show much in terms of musical ability. But, it was a start and the audience loved them. For the next couple of years, John and Dan would warm up the studio audience before the show. Finally, in April of 1978, the Blues Brothers were the musical guests on the show. It was a warm response. The host of the evening, Steve Martin, was so impressed by his friends performance that he suggested that the Blues Brothers open for him when he played the Universal Amphitheater in September of 1978. John and Dan agreed and then a deal with made with Atlantic Records to record the band and release the recording as a live album........ No one expected the magic that came out of those nights. The Blues Brothers--- which included some of the finest musicians alive, such as, Steve Cropper, Donald ''Duck'' Dunn, Matt ''Guitar'' Murphy, and Paul Shaffer---- blew the roof off the building. All of Hollywood showed up and was instantly captivated by the raw energy and fun the band displayed. The recording of the album, named ''A Briefcase Full Of Blues'', was released in December of 1978. It quickly shot to the top of the charts and rested at Number 1. John Belushi, riding high with his film ''Animal House', and the enormous success of ''Saturday Night Live'', and now, the Blues Brothers, was the hottest performer in show business. So, in early 1979, Universal came begging Belushi and Aykroyd for a film of the Blues Brothers. They signed up the director from ''Animal House'', John Landis, to helm it and a summer 1979 date was selected to begin filming. It didn't matter to the studio if no script was available. Or, a budget. The studio just wanted John and Dan to make the movie. Chicago was chosen to be the place to film it......... Anyone who was old enough at the time and lived in Chicago remembers this movie being filmed. It was a big news story at the time. Everyone seemed to be talking about this movie and the action that was being generated. There were reports of them driving an old car through the Daley Center, wreaking havoc [ The Old Man must have really hated that wherever he was ] and the bizarre sight of a big helicopter dropping a car several hundred feet. The Blues Brothers were running the city and the crazy antics being filmed also spilled over into real-life. There were constant stories of Belushi and Aykroyd being spotted at this place and that spot. They were jumping onstage with bands and hailing police cars as taxis. The city was an open playground for the boys and they sure used it for their fun. Director Landis remembers going to Wrigley Field with Belushi. He said it was like walking with Mussolini in Rome. The crowds would part for him. And, Belushi, the hometown hero who had made good, reveled in all of the attention. He was a good-hearted man who was the life of any party. But, for him, he did not know how to turn the party off and go home to bed. His cocaine addiction, which would later kill him, became rampant during this time. As there were the scenes they were shooting of cars piling up, there were also the stories piling up about his nocturnal partying. He was spinning out of control and no one around him that loved him--- his wife, Judy, Dan Aykroyd--- could stop him. The same manic comic energy that made him a star was starting to bring him down in his personal life. It wasn't until after filming stopped that he made the effort to kick drugs. And, he did succeed, for a while. But, addiction never really goes away. It hides in the corner of your soul, awaiting a dark moment to spring forward again. It did for this great comedy giant and sweet man in 1982....... The plot of ''The Blues Brothers'' isn't really that much. Two orphan men return to the orphanage where they grew up and learn that it is about to close due to unpaid taxes. The brothers decide to reunite their old band and make enough money to pay off the debt. This plotline goes back to the Mickey Rooney--Judy Garland musicals of the thirties and forties [ ''Hey, kids, lets put on a show!'']. But, the plot is not important in this movie. It is just an excuse to take us from one musical number to another. And, these numbers are quite exceptional. Start with the boys visiting a church to get some spirit. The pastor, the Reverend Cleophus James, is played by James Brown. After some verbal words to the faithful, Ole James gets into the music. Suddenly, the music starts blasting, the congregation feels the Spirit Of The Lord, and there is joyous dancing and singing spreading through the church. The Blues Brothers eventually see the light and join in, with Belushi doing flips down the aisle, and Aykroyd doing his two-step dance, like a football player running through the tires at practice. This is the part in the movie when the boys get the idea to reunite the band. The first half of the flick is the brothers gathering the old band back together. Along the way, they manage to piss off the police, the American Nazi Party, and a white trash country and western band. These moments are all played with wonderful comic invention. They drive through a shopping mall, drive the Nazis off the bridge they are spewing their hate from, and, in the best comic scene in the movie, play a dive bar that only has plays ''both types of music: country and western''. Theyhave to immediately ditch their set music and come up with country music to please the hostile crowd. This segues into two hilarious versions of songs, ''Rawhide'', and ''Stand By Your Man'', [ a man in the crowd cries into his beer during this ]. Intercut with these comic gems is the central part of the movie: the music. The movie was designed by Belushi, Aykroyd, and Landis to showcase the great R&B music that was slowing fading away. With an enormous audience out there for them, the three creators of this movie decided to have such established stars such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and Ray Charles perform, hoping to restart their sagging careers. And, it did. All of the black performers testify that the success of this movie gave them a second career. It is plain to see why while watching this movie. Aretha, James, Brother Ray and Cab are all electrifying in their numbers. Aretha blows the movie away with her song ''Think''. Ray Charles sings the chestnut fun dance number, ''Shake Your Tailfeather''. And, Cab brings out his biggest hit from the Cotton Club era, ''Minnie The Moocher''. All of these numbers were revelations for the audience that came to see Belushi and Aykroyd. These audiences, mostly white, were exposed to the great music that they did not know existed. And, from this movie on, white audiences have kept the blues alive by visiting the numerous blues clubs around the city and around the world. Sadly, black audiences have moved away fro this music and embraced the vile sounds of rap....... When the movie was released in June of 1980, the reviews were mostly pans. Many white critics were indignant that two white performers were, they felt, denigrating the black music in the movie. These simple-minded critics failed to see that the movie was celebrating this golden music. The black artists in the movie stated this forcefully.Thankfully, the movie was a big box office hit here and around the world. In Australia, it has become such a cult movie that on Friday nights, there are midnight showings of the movie where people show up in full costume as Jake and Elwood and recite the lines of the movie in tandem with it playing........ The final analysis of this movie is its impact on the culture. Blues music continues to bounce off the walls of clubs all around the planet, as men and women sing of their pain of lost love and broken dreams. But, blues is also good dance music, a celebration of life. ''The Blues Brothers'' movie and act helped give this music the shot in the arm it deserved. It still rankles me that John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd have not gotten the proper respect that is due to them. They helped reinvent a cultural source of pride, while spreading out to all different colors and ethnic groups..... And, to think, it all started in a bootleg bar in Toronto when two comic geniuses met for the first time......

Baby, Its Cold Outside

Since we are in the teeth of winter now, with its obscene cold and hazardous snow, I thought I would give some friendly advice on ways to beat the cold. If we live here [ and, we do, by choice ] then we have to suck up the hardship and move forward!! If that bullshit is not to your liking, then try good, old-fashioned whining and complaining. We are good at that........ The first thing you should do on a day like this is to call in sick to work. If you are like me and have weather days built into your job it is not necessary to do this much. But, people in the real world--- of which I was one for many years--- have to be a little more creative when contemplating going out in this bad weather. Sudden illness, always a threat, strikes the human with swift precision. A few sneezes can develop into a cold and then something more serious. Surely, you, as a dedicated worker and loyal employee, do not want to inflict your fellow co-workers with a dreaded cold. You are a humanist [ possibly, the last among us] and you want to suffer your sickness in the privacy of your own home. That is nice of you. I would give you a raise for being so thoughtful in these trying times...... If you are not genuinely sick, tell them anyway that you are. Fuck work!! What good are you to them anyway on a day like this? You would be forced to go into your job and that could create tension and bad feelings. Being the humanist that you are, that would go against your natural order as improving as a human being. Being forced to go to work on days like this makes a personality adjustment that is just plain bad. You will be resentful, bitter, snap at people, and the unhappiness will spread to those around. Fortunately, this is how I normally feel at work on good weather days, so I know what I am talking about. Therefore, staying at home after calling in sick is beneficial to not only yourself, but, your beloved company also. You supreme humanist, you!!!!.......... After the sick call, you should do the natural reward of staying home from work: roll over and get some more sleep. On cold days like this, pulling the covers over you is a wonderful feeling because you are warm and safe. And, you are not going out into the world like your fool friends and family to their jobs........ Oh, I forgot!!! Call or text your friends that you are staying home. This is imperative!!! After you have had your extra hour of sleep [ sadly, I must confess, you will only be able to pick up an hour of sleep because your body is used to getting up at the regular time] you must contact these people. After all, being the humanist that you are, you want the best for them. You want them happy and healthy. How happy will they be getting dressed and going out into this horror of bad weather? Their best interests are your best interests, so show them the light of staying home. Oh, you may encounter those nervous nellies who never call in sick when they aren't sick. Those people need to be watched because they actually enjoy working. No normal human being likes to work, it goes against our built-in whining and complaining that our Forefathers fought for our right to do. Override these silly workaholics with common sense and a little bullying. Why would you want to go outside on days like this?, ask them. If they give you some baloney about responsibility and pride in their work I would drop them as friends and call the police immediately. These people are a genuine threat to society......... After you have convinced the loyal non-workers to call in sick, get out of bed and roam your home. Never once get the feeling that you will do something productive today. You are sick, after all, so, of course, you are not gonna clean the house or go do laundry!!! The dust will be there tomorrow, awaiting the cloth to wipe away. And, the pile of dirty clothes won't be getting bigger because you won't be wearing fresh clothes today. This is a no-shower day. Just pick up some sweats and the old T-shirt that is tearing apart and you look fine. In terms of being lazy, that is the ''GQ Look''. You have convinced your friends to come over [ this day off being your idea, your friends should pay homage to your genius thinking and come to your home] so, who needs to dress up for friends who are soon gonna be farting and smoking in your house. A poker game is a nice alternative to daytime TV. Get one going. You must have one of your friends bring the essentials on a day like this. Alcohol and pizza are human staples for bad weather. As soon as they come through the door, the beer is opened and the pizza is being devoured. What? Did you think you were eat healthy on a day like this, or drink mineral water? No!!! Haven't you been following my advice closely? This day is a celebration of bad habits, like laziness and gluttony. Relax!!! Since Mother Nature is kicking us all in the sack we have a ready answer: you're gonna kick out the jams and go crazy!!!! I won't even bother bringing up exercising on a day like this. Those people are sadists........... If you don't like poker---- and, truth be told, I don't---- then a movie or sports event will suffice. You must watch a classic, though. ''The Godfather'' movies are always most welcome on any day, but are really applauded on bad weather days when you are ''sick''. But, I will leave it up to you and your tastes among the group. Hey, you have earned this day off, so, be my guest and entertain yourselves.......... There is a great alternative to having your beloved friends come over. That is having sex on a day like this. Convince your better half to call into work. You will be surprised on how good the sex is when you are lying to your boss about your health state. The sex has a winsome naughtiness to it, a sense that the Devil in you put one over on The Man. Your partner will be delighted by this devilish streak inside the humanist, so, the house will be rockin!!!!.......... You will end the day most restful and filled with good cheer. You gave your soul a break from your work. Applaud your efforts and take a bow. The only downside is that you have to go to work tomorrow. Now, if you really sold your illness to Boss Nasty, then you might be able to pinch another day off. If this is the case, reward your second day off with sleep. Sometimes, a day off can be most tiring.......