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Showing posts from June, 2014

SHAUN WHITE IS NOT GOLDEN

Like many of Us We are fixed to the TV when the Olympics are here every 4 years and one or two personalities stand out that we tend to cheer for and most important admire. During the Winter Olympics the Young man with the crazy Red Hair and reckless abandonment who glided down the slopes in snowboarding event winning Olympic Gold Medals was someone I truly admired (UNTIL NOW).   Now that his snowboarding years are over he is touring as a guitarist in a band called  Bad Things.  It is a perfect name for what has become of him and the way he treats fans and an attitude that is holey than Thy. There were 3 of us waiting outside a small venue by his bus waiting to ask for an autograph and patiently stood there with our umbrellas in the rain. He came out of the bus  and walked quickly past us even with our requests for an autograph or just a picture which fell on deaf ears. Well we thought MAYBE he did not hear us. When he came back for sound check and in short ear range again we asked

THE GREAT GRACE SLICK

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  As I grew up in the 60's some of the greatest music was performed from some legendary Rock Groups who broke all barriers. Among my favorites were the Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin and JEFFERSON AIRPLANE which Developed into JEFFERSON STARSHIP. The lead singer was a sexy and moved with the music almost like an Angel.    Of Course I am talking about the one and only GRACE SLICK. She was one of the original female lead vocals who could belt out the gripping lyrics from Somebody to Love, Volunteers and my personal favorite LATHER. I had the pleasure seeing her in venues in New York and even at a Rock Festival in 1970 not to long after Woodstock. In those days I never realized that many would be approachable if you could find them and truthfully never thought I could. Now the years have gone by and Grace has taken up painting with emphasize on Alice in Wonderland themes. She was selling her art at a high class store so this might be the day that I thought I would never have again. My

The Tonight Show

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       The Tonight show hosted by JIMMY FALLON came to our town and along with it a huge fanfare. Fallon got his start on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and graduated to doing movies and then landed the Dream Job as Host of THE TONIGHT SHOW.     The genius behind choosing him as the host to follow Jay Leno should be rewarded handsomely by NBC . Fallon is a genuine as anything could be and I know now why he has a tremendous following rightfully so, have you ever heard a bad thing about Jimmy, EXACTLY! He exited his car and about 20 fans were waiting to shake his hand and catch a picture of this fine Young Talent. He never paused or hesitated when a fan asked for an autograph or to take a picture as I watched with a smile .  Watch for yourself

FUNKY

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This past weekend I had an opportunity to see some rockers of the yesterday and was able to meet one of my favorites MITCH RYDER . Mitch has been rocking for years since starting with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and I remember seeing him the first time in 1969. He was the headliner with POCO and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band where they performed in a Skating rink and the price was 3 dollars. Caught his show with GARY LEWIS who is as friendly as anyone could be and the others were not as personal.      Mark Farner the lead singer and guitarist of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD still believes that he is so much superior to everyone else and sells his autograph at the show for 10 dollars. Today he refused and ignored the request of signing his album that he made money off when I bought it several years ago. In fact I had 3 of them and I can assure you I will never listen to them again.  Chuck Negron was also there of THREE DOG NIGHT fame and in the Past has been one of the greatest when

JACKSON BROWNE

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 I have this before but Music always touches some part of your sole and there will always be a few of them that you remember a special moment when you hear them again no matter where you may be. I was driving yesterday and JACKSON BROWNEs Running on Empty came on the radio. Crazy as it may seem I was almost on empty and heading for the gas station. I always wanted to meet Jackson and he was playing at a local venue a couple of years ago. I went down early in hopes of getting an album or 2 signed for a dear friend who was always a big fan. I was able to get the attention of the Tour Manager and told him what I would like and told me , " He would be right back" I waited only for a few minutes and sure enough he returned and said" Jackson would like to meet You" Whoaaaa. He took be back in a waiting room and I just sat around for about 5 minutes and there he was. He shook my hand and told him what I did as a Physical Therapist   and before I knew it I was giving him

Ironic

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       On our many journeys we have the opportunity to meet some very special personalities and a story will arise that would make anyone smile. About a year ago the wonderful actress ALFRE WOODWARD was the guest narrator at Disney's annual CHRISTMAS PROCESSIONAL. She read the passages so wonderfully with the charm and grace she always delivers when you see her on the screen.  My wife and I were waiting hoping to have the chance of meeting her after the reading until we were approached by her assistant that she already left for dinner. She without saying anything noticed our disappointment and said "come with me".      We followed her to the restaurant on Disney property where she was dining and told us to wait a while and she would be out. Not a few moments later Ms. Woodard interrupted her dinner and came out to greet us. She was Wonderful. Took a few minutes and chatted with us , took a picture and signed a couple of photos and on another She told us "That

SWEET BABY FIRE & RAIN

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  JAMES TAYLOR has and will always be one of the most respected singers of our generation. His voice is so uncanny and anytime one heard a song that he was singing a smile always came to many of our faces. Taylor was playing at a local venue couple of years back and I thought I would share an interesting tidbit after just listening to SWEET BABY JAMES on the radio. He played to a full house and we always knew that he was a good singer but you had to get to him before he exited to his bus.    There were about 40 fans waiting in a roped off area hoping for a change to have an item mostly albums for him to sign. Inside the venue there was about 2000 fans listening to the legend perform all his great hits.  As the 40 of us were waiting he exited the stage door and started to sign for the 40 there stating "Only 3 each" and went up and than down and then up again signing more than the 3 that most had. A lot of us were true fans and most had at least 7 of his albums and he never he

FAN-TO-FRIEND

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 I have always been a private person and hold friendship as a special bond. Once in a blue Moon you can meet someone no matter if they are FAMOUS or not and feel like you can call them a friend almost immediately? Yesterday I met WILLIAM FORSYTHE who is famous for roles as Richie in Out for Justice, Kidnappers in Raising Arizona, and the Butcher in the Boardwalk Empire series. Now 2 years later (following Boardwalk Empire) I truly consider him a friend and am proud to call him that. We talked for some time about when he was young in New York and as a Cub Scout who was in the troop with one of my patients realizing again ( IT’s A SMALL WORLD). As I handed the phone to talk with him, his eyes light up immediately sharing some crazy adventures about different conversations previous which would be a separate interesting chapter of its own. Both of us smiled and he signed a picture without being a different person and then I knew that he too was a private and very sincere individual