Donna Summer art courtesy the great Alvaro Arts May 17 2012 - the death of one of the great voices of the past 5 decades was silenced by cancer and I was absolutely heartbroken. When she passed, it was a total shock because her illness wasn’t public knowledge. Donna Summer was one of my musical … Continue reading Legacy: Donna Summer – Last Dance
Category: R.I.P.
Legacy: Adam West
As an adult, it’s easy to poke fun at the cheesiness of Adam West and the original “Batman” TV show - after all, I doubt the show took itself seriously; it reveled in its kitschiness. But for millions of adult men and women, West’s tongue-in-cheek portrayal (of a far-darker original source material) remains comfort food, … Continue reading Legacy: Adam West
Legacy: Joan Rivers, Exit Laughing
If there was a god, it's apparent that he/she has no sense of humor. Still recovering from the loss of comic god Robin Williams only three weeks ago, another comedy giant has left the building. Joan Rivers is gone. After a routine throat procedure, she stopped breathing and was taken to Mount Sinai hospital. After … Continue reading Legacy: Joan Rivers, Exit Laughing
Legacy: Elaine Stritch Everybody Rise!
How do you mourn a legend who’s lived more than you and me combined? At the ripe old age of 89, the great Elaine Stritch has taken her final bows. To see her in a show was to expect the expected AND unexpected, and to bear witness Broadway royalty non pareil. I'm thrilled, delighted, and … Continue reading Legacy: Elaine Stritch Everybody Rise!
Music Box: Happy Birthday, Phoebe Snow
The idea was noble, the benefit, beyond worthwhile, the execution a little cheesy in hindsight, but back in 1995, Lincoln Center staged a concert reading of “The Wizard Of Oz In Concert: Dreams Come True” to benefit the CDF (Children’s Defense Fund), the child advocacy group whose motto of No Child Left Behind defined their … Continue reading Music Box: Happy Birthday, Phoebe Snow
Legacy: Casey Kasem
More than 500 Sunday mornings of my pre-to-teen years were spent with my ears glued to the radio from 8am-12pm listening to Casey Kasem's American Top 40. It was a weekly ritual; while my mother and sisters were downstairs in the kitchen starting Sunday's afternoon dinner (the scent of sausages frying in the pan wafted … Continue reading Legacy: Casey Kasem
Legacy: Jimmy Scott, The Voice of an Angel 1925 – 2014
"The Voice Of An Angel" has become such an insipid cliche that it surpasses pure ludicrousness. But, if heaven actually existed (yeah, yeah, I know), and if there were such entities as angels, and if those angels were actually able to bless us in song, I always hoped that they would sound like Jimmy Scott. … Continue reading Legacy: Jimmy Scott, The Voice of an Angel 1925 – 2014
