Blues Not Just on the Bridge 2024

The month of festivals lasting from mid-August to mid-September (and even a bit beyond this year, due to at least one rain delay), continued Saturday with our 23rd annual Blues on the Bridge.  This free concert each September brings both local bands and talent who have performed with nationally known artists to downtown Binghamton, New York.

It seemed like things were so normal.   Well, maybe they are.  The new normal, that is.

But first, the good stuff.

This bridge, built in 1886 and currently only used by pedestrians, was the original bridge the concert was held on.  It's now held on a much sturdier bridge  

The signature statue at each annual concert.

Of course, free is not free.  This event takes a lot of fundraising and t-shirt sales (I proudly own several of the t-shirts from over the years), advertisers, and other promotions.  But we are so fortunate to have this September music fest.

People of all ages comes out.  The weather is usually great.

But then, the world intrudes. Today is the anniversary of a good friend's death and this year I'm missing her and my wisdom.

Yes, I know what she would say about my mood today.  She would tell me to put on my big girl panties and face the world, just like she did during her second and final battle with cancer.

But I also wonder what she would have thought about our current world.

Sunday, the second attempted assassination of a former President and current Presidential candidate in a little over two months.

A city of about 58,000 people in southwest Ohio continue to be terrorized by bomb threats against schools, a hospital, and a college, as the latest episode of what can happen when your city is in the bulls eye of social media, as memes continue to go viral.  I will not mention what the topic of discussion is but, if you don't live in the United States and haven't heard of Springfield, Ohio, you will quickly find out what is happening if you do a search.

Ukraine.  The Middle East. Other places at war.

And the more trivial.

The continued list of major league baseball players who played in my youth but are now dying, grows bigger.  Just think, this year - Bud Harrelson, Carl Erskine, Ken Holtzman, Jerry Grote, Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda,  And now, Eddie Kranepool, back on September 8. Like me, he was from the Bronx.  He played his entire major league career for the NY Mets.  He was only in high school when the Mets signed him.  18 years with the Mets, more than anyone other Mets player.  What amazes me is that I didn't even know he had died until about four days ago.  

I feel like I am getting older by the minute and, come to think of it, I am.

The September 15 death of Tito Jackson, founding member of the Jackson 5 and sibling of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, added to today's blue mood.  At least I found out about his death right away.

We can wish we lived in happier times, but happier times tend to be an illusion. 

We are at war with each other, and I thought it was appropriate to post a 2021 song from Tito Jackson, called Love One Another.

If only we took his advice.

Enough with the sadness.  Now, I'll take my friend's advice and start the day.

RIP James Earl Jones

 I am saddened - another great has passed away.

James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, Mufasa in the Lion King, and"This is CNN" passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

Here, a short tribute. I chose videos because....that voice.  But were you aware that Jones was a stutterer?  Or that he won three Tony' awards, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe, plus an honorary Academy Award (Oscar) making him an "EGOT".

Mufasa in The Lion King.  He was the only cast member to appear (so to speak) in both the original movie and the 2019 remake.

Jones voicing Darth Vader in various Star Wars movies.

James Earl Jones' speech in Field of Dreams.

This is...CNN.

May this talented actor rest in peace.

RIP Dave Loggins

Another rock and roll heaven induction is under way.

Dave Loggins, singer-songwriter, second cousin of country singer Kenny Loggins, and half of the duo Loggins and Messina, died July 10 at the age of 76. He died in a hospice in Nashville, Tennessee, but a cause of death was not given.

Here are some songs to remember Loggins by.

 

First, his 1974 hit, Please Come to Boston. 

Next, a beautiful song  - House At Pooh Corner.  This song was written by Kenny Loggins (see above), and was covered by Loggins and Messina in 1971.

Finally, a song written by Dave Loggins and recorded by Three Dog Night.  Here is the 1972 song Pieces of April.

 

Bonus track.  Kenny Loggins rerecorded the House at Pooh Corner song and added a verse in honor of his third son.  

RIP Dave Loggins.

Not (in Vain) #AtoZChallenge

 In blogging life, one can pre write a post but something comes up that you really want to talk about - this is one of those times.  My intended post for today will be published at a later date.

CONTENT WARNING - injuries, dying, death, organ donation.

Last week a man I know (not well but I know others who knew him better) started to walk across an intersection I, and many others, have crossed many times.  It's in front of a department store in downtown Binghamton, New York, an area with a lot of pedestrian traffic.

He never made it across.  He was hit by an SUV traveling in the other direction that made a left turn, hitting him.  The SUV left the scene at a high rate of speed, according to witnesses. The police caught up with the driver, a 17 year old boy, later that day.

The pedestrian arrived at the hospital with a severe brain injury and internal bleeding.  The hospital did what they could.  The family was summoned.

The next day, the pedestrian was declared brain dead.  He was only 45.   But, his story does not end there. 

Why?  Because he was also an organ donor.

I can not imagine what the pedestrian's family has gone through since they were notified of the accident.

I also never knew the process for what happens in a situation like this. What I found out, from someone who knew him better, is that the pedestrian (we'll call him the donor going forward) was kept on life support a couple of more days after he was declared brain dead.  

Then, when it was time, a special ceremony called an Honor Walk was held.   This ceremony is explained at length here, but basically, all available hospital personnel line up from the donor's room to an operating room, and the donor's family accompanies the donor to the operating room.  Special music or other honoring gestures can be requested by the donor's family.

His gifts from his untimely death in a hit and run accident might benefit more than one person.

My drivers license has the organ donation endorsement, because I made this decision years ago. It's an intensely personal decision.

If you are curious about religion and organ donation, and haven't made your decision yet, there is a lot of information online, including this discussion, that may help you.

One man's life was taken in a tragic accident, but his death will not be in vain.

May he rest in peace and may his family find peace in his final sacrifice.

"N" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Gardens, History, Art and The Unexpected.

Eulogy for a Polymath

I found out about his death nearly two weeks ago. A few times, I had started to blog about him and could not find the words to put down on the blank computer screen.  Finally, it's time.

I had read his blog for years.  I think I had been introduced to it, 10 or more years ago, through a blogging challenge.  We had also become Facebook friends.

He had gone into the hospital yet again and wrote about it on his blog.  He had been battling serious health issues for several years and blogged about them, one of many, many topics he blogged about.

His inventions and interests spanned (per his biography) the fields of kidney dialysis, colon electrolyte lavages, water reuse systems, and more.  He was an enrolled agent and blogged about tax matters, and also was a chemical engineer, among several career changes.  Self described as a polymath, I will call him one, too.

He blogged about civil rights 

He wrote about anti-Semitism.

He also loved music.  Here is one of his music posts.  I was honored to have him read, in turn, my Monday music posts.  

He loved wine.  He loved art, and collected art. 

He blogged about our duty to repair our world.  For him, it was a religious obligation.

He never hesitated to DM me on Facebook if I made a mistake in my blog.

Through his blog, I felt like I had come to know something about him.  I know few bloggers who shared as much about himself as he did.  Some of his blog posts, in all honesty (the scientific ones and the tax ones) were way above my head, but I looked at them, anyway.  He would have expected no less from me.  His was not a light and fluffy blog.  I learned from it.

Along all this, he loved his family and his children.  He was so proud of them.  One of the last interactions I had with Roy, in fact, was him sending me a copy of a book "One Bold Move a Day" written by one of his children.  I didn't ask for it.  He just did it.

Several days after he blogged about going into the hospital (for the last time, it turned out) I had a sinking feeling.  I've learned never to ignore that feeling.  I went online and, in mere seconds, found his obituary.  It wasn't hard.  Sadly, he had passed away a couple of days before I had that sinking feeling.

His earthly battles are over.

I miss his blog posts already.  

Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.  May your memory be for a blessing.

Every November 9

Part of this post was originally published in November of 2015.  A fellow blogger inspired me to rerun it with some changes and edits.

It is a common meme for bloggers to give advice to their younger selves.

Today, 58 years after my mother died during the 1965 Northeast blackout, I would love nothing better to reach out to a 12 years old girl who had just been through one of the most traumatic nights of her life.  Me.

Back in 2015,  I blogged about a blackout, which affected some 30 million people in Canada and the Northeastern United States on November 9, 1965. (Note, some of the links in that post may be dead).  One of my commenters on that post asked if my Mom had died because of the blackout.  I don't think so, although it may indirectly have contributed.

My mother had not been feeling well that day, and had come close to calling my father at work and asking him to come home.  But she didn't.  As a result, when the lights went out about 5:27 pm, my father was on a New York City subway, one of some 800,000 riders in transit that evening.  He didn't get out on the street until about 10:30 pm.

My Dad had to wait on a long line for a pay phone to call home.   (If you are wondering why the phones worked, it was simple - these were true landlines, in 1965, and worked independently of the power grid.).

It was too late by the time he reached us. 

My father, eventually, did make it home.  Only as an adult, and later, as a mother, did I ever think of the trauma he went through that night and in the days and weeks later.  He had the added responsibility of having to raise me alone, in addition to losing the wife he loved.  

It's sobering to realize that most all of the adults I interacted with during the blackout (and the people in those historic pictures) are now dead or elderly.  

Today, it's still hard for me to blog about that night.  But one thing my Mom installed in me was my love of growing things.  Even though my Mom only had  the space on her apartment windowsill to grow her beloved houseplants, I still remember the trees in the housing project I grew up in.

Pictures taken October 26, 2023

I wonder if any of the trees in my childhood housing project (not these!) that witnessed the blackout are still alive.  I actually went on Google Maps yesterday to look at where I grew up, so long ago.

Returning to what the senior me would tell that 12 year old girl, it is simple:

"Dear 12 year old me, who spent years blaming herself for her mother's death, you were not responsible.  You can't put responsibility on yourself for your mother's illness, or the events of that night.  But children, and in many ways you were still a child on that night, think in ways different than those of adults.  One day, you will know that. "

Even now, it is hard for me to write about the events of that night and how they changed me forever.  Instead, I will turn to a book called Motherless Daughters - The Legacy of Loss by Hope Edelman. As it happens, the therapist I eventually saw in my 40's was herself a motherless daughter, and knew this book would help me.  In some ways, it was like the book had been written just for me.  In fact, it was written as a result of hundreds of interviews with motherless daughters.  Daughters like me.Ms. Edelman said, in the book:

“When a daughter loses a mother, the intervals between grief responses lengthen over time, but her longing never disappears. It always hovers at the edge of her awareness, prepared to surface at any time, in any place, in the least expected ways.”

In some ways, I envy those who have had their mothers all these years.  I never got to know my mother as an adult.  I suspect that my teen years would have been extremely stormy with her.  I sometimes wonder how different my life would have been.  Her hopes for me were not what I wanted to do with my life.

As Ms. Edelman also said:  “I truly believe that the death of my mother has made me the way I am today. I am a survivor, mentally strong, determined, strong willed, self-reliant, and independent. I also keep most of my pain, anger and feelings inside." It took me years to learn the lesson that sometimes you just have to reach out for help.  But still, I am a bit of an over planner - I tend to have plans A, B, C and D where others may be lucky to come up with a plan B.  I know this is a trait of motherless daughters.

I had a lawyer write my first will when I was in my 30's, before I even had a child.  How many women in their 30's write a will?

Getting back to what I would also say to the 12 year old me, how about this:  "You are a good person. Be good to yourself.  Be kind to yourself when you are feeling low. You can't control many things in life.  But you are stronger than you think.  You are capable of great things. Your life ahead will be full of adventure, happiness, but also more great sadness and hurt.  But you will get through it all."

 Sending love now to my 12 year old self.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

RIP Bob Barker

Another icon of my childhood has died  

Bob Barker, hosts of game shows and other shows (including 20 years of being the Master of Ceremonies at the Miss America and Miss Universe pageanta) spanning over 50 years and an animal rights activist, died today at the age of 99. He didn't retire from game show hosting until he was 88 years old

We thought he was timeless.

Barker hosted the game show Truth or Consequences for 18 years and The Price is Right for 35 more years.  

But he was so much more.  When things went wrong, he was always in control.

He was trained as a Navy fighter pilot in World War II.  This article details more about his military career. 

One of many news tributes to Barker. 

Finally, I had to include this famous scene from the movie Happy Gilmore where Adam Sadler (playing Happy Gilmore) and Bob Barker play together in a charity golf tournament that doesn't end well for one of them.  How could I not? 

I will end this short tribute to Bob Barker with his famous ending to each episode of The Price is Right.

Rest in peace, Bob Barker.  You made the world a better place.

 

Sad Thoughts and Irish Whiskey Salmon

Sad thoughts and Irish Whiskey Salmon.  What a combination.

I was getting ready to publish my Saturday post, which was going to discuss a wonderful recipe my spouse made for St. Patrick's Day dinner. (Long story, but the traditional corned beef, cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, and potatoes are waiting for tomorrow.)

Then I opened up Facebook and saw the news that someone I had known through the blogging world (and a Facebook friend) passed away after a short illness.

I didn't know her exact age but I suspect she was at least 15 years younger than I am.  Those are the kinds of deaths, especially when unexpected, that tend to stun me a lot more than some others. 

I didn't know her in the non-virtual world, but, reading her Facebook page and comments from family and friends (and remembering some of the posts in a blog she wrote about caregiving) I am sad that I didn't.

May she rest in peace and may family and friends receive comfort though the memories they have of her.

And now, the topic I was going to blog about today.  Looking for a simple Friday night recipe (for my spouse, not me!) I found this.   Here's salmon marinated in Irish whiskey, honey, cider vinegar, thyme and lemon zest, then baked.  The recipe is in the link.

Turns out this must be a popular dish - there were a number of these recipes online.

The result?

It was delicious.  The whiskey gave it an interesting flavor, one that I wouldn't have guessed.  For two people, we halved the recipe and only had to buy one miniature bottle of whiskey.  We had the other ingredients.

So, a strange combination, these two topics, but they are both part of life.

The Chain is Broken

When I heard the news, I was immediately in shock.

Fleetwood Mac singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Christine McVie died yesterday of unknown causes ("a short illness").  She was 79.

Rock and roll heaven is filling up, and for some reason, this latest death hit me harder than some.   The songs of Fleetwood Mac were part of the playlist of my life.

On Twitter yesterday, a Stevie Nicks fan site posted this:  "The chain is broken today" (this is an explanation).

Here are several of McVie songs.

From 1977, Don't Stop.  Such a positive song.

From 1982, Hold Me.  

1987's Everywhere.

Finally, a bonus song, a song co-written by Christine McVie with the other four members of Fleetwood Mac - The Chain.

But now, time and illness have finally broken the chain that endured through all the tumult Fleetwood Mac went through in all their years together and apart.

Rest in peace, Christine McVie.

Scarecrow Winners and a Call for Justice #WordlessWednesday

The winners of the 2022 Scarecrow contest have been announced.  I've blogged about the contest several times over the years, and this year there were more entrants than ever.  I'd like to ask that you scroll to the end before you go because one of these winners has a backstory.

The Winner - Face the Sunshine.  Broome DDSO Riverside Art Program

Second Place - Venus "Crow" Trap. Team DSS

Third Place - Bubble Bubble I'm in Trouble. Berkshire Farm Center & Services for Youth

Fourth Place - America’s Past Time.  Smith

Almost all of these were entered by non-profit groups.  But, for the fifth place prize, this never should have been an entry.  Aliza Spencer should be alive and well and enjoying life as a 7th grader at East Middle School in Binghamton instead of being a victim of violence being paid tribute to by a scarecrow erected by friends.

This display is called " Friends of Aliza Spencer" and it calls out for justice for a then 12 year old girl who was shot while walking in a Binghamton neighborhood on April 21, 2022.  She died at the hospital.

As of today, no arrests have been made.  On October 31,  at a neighborhood memorial, candy was left for Halloween in her memory. A billboard has been erected to try to get the investigation some leads.

This is #WordlessWednesday and indeed, there are no words.   May Aliza rest in peace.  And may my next post be happier.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Seven Years

It's been seven years.  Seven years ago today, your journey on Earth ended. 

I had visited you, with my spouse, four days before. 

Life has gone on since.  One of your granddaughters married in the past year.  Another one is having her engagement party tomorrow.

I hope you don't know what has been going on here in the United States.  It would distress you so, I know.  Your parents were Holocaust survivors and good people.  You spent part of your life as an elementary school teacher.  You loved children so.

Today, I went to a local music festival.  I think you would have enjoyed it.

This was the 20th annual (in 21 years - one year cancelled due to COVID) Blues on the Bridge, a free concert event featuring local bands from the Binghamton, New York area.  Ironically, it was you (and your mother) who brought me to Binghamton for a short visit, back in 1972.

I never suspected I would spend much of my adult life here.  Life takes people in strange directions.

Let's pay a short visit to the festival (more tomorrow). 

Since I used to work a few blocks from here, I knew there was a flower garden a few hundred steps away. 

Ah, there it is!  You would have loved this pollinator garden.

The first group scheduled to perform did a cover of the iconic "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield.  They felt it was important that the festival goers hear the song.  Written by Steven Stills, the song did not begin as a protest song, but it's thought to be just that by many today.

I think the song is timeless. In the years since, it has been covered by so many artists. Some of the lyrics apply just as easily applies to our times today.

So, today, friend, I am thinking of you just as I do every September 17.  One day, the cancer that took you from us will be conquered.  But can we conquer ourselves, our drive to hate the "other", some of our impulses?

For What It's Worth.

 

Back When Time Was Endless Part 2

When we are young, our lives stretch out before us (unless we've already tasted mortality through illness or accident).  Time is endless.

When you are near 70 years old, the ticking of mortality gets louder each day.

Two deaths of people I knew in one week.

The first one was expected; in fact, he passed away the day I blogged about him.  His loved ones and colleagues had time to prepare.  That doesn't make it easier.  It just makes it different than the second one.

The second one was a shock to us who knew her.  She was someone working for my employer, well liked. My interactions with her were limited but she was always helpful.  Her promotions were well deserved.

She was 20 years younger than me.  

She worked a full day and then later that day, her life partner found her when he came home. She had moved on to wherever we go after death.  Without warning.  Without a chance to say goodbye.

She will be buried later today.

We all cope with death in different ways.  For many of us, it's another wake up call to the ticking clock of mortality.

It's also a reminder that we need to look around us and experience the beauty around us, because time is not endless.  So I turn to my flowers.

I'll also share a couple of photographs of my beloved flowers. Day lilies can be symbols of forgetting in some cultures - forgetting about pain and sorrow and trying to live in the moment.

As I blogged this in my back yard last night, a male Northern cardinal flies, landed and sat on a fence feet from me.  His bright red crest was held high; his black mask a beautiful contrast against his red body. He chirped at me and then left.

I know the symbolism of the cardinal.  Many consider them visitors from heaven, gifts from the deceased.

At this time, we don't know what took our co worker from us.  We just know there's another void in our lives.

But there is also hope, and renewal.

May the family, friends, and close co workers of these two people find peace in the coming days and weeks.

Please, look around you today, and see the beauty.

RIP Vangelis

I found out Friday that composer Vangelis, of Chariots of Fire fame, died on May 17 in France.  He was 79 and the cause of death was heart failure.  Thank you, John of The Sound of One Hand Typing, for the information.

Vangelis, whose birth name was Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, was born in Greece and grew up in Athens.  He showed an interest in music at age four and started performing his own music at age six. 

He didn't do well at traditional music lessons as he wanted to experiment with music.

As a young man, the artist we know as Vangelis formed some bands and also scored some Greek movies.  He changed his name to Vangelis, meaning "angel that brings good news" and eventually moved out of Greece. His last album was released last year. 

I discovered that Vangelis did a lot more than Chariots of Fire - in fact he had 23 solo albums released during his lifetime and many other works in collaboration with others.

I want to bring you two songs from the 1981 Chariots of Fire soundtrack, which won an Academy Award for best original score and is beloved by millions.  First, the title song, from the opening scene. This song was originally was called "Titles".

Chariots of Fire.

The second song is  a hymn called Jerusalem.  That song, which closes out the movie,  will be instantly familiar to anyone who has ever lived in England.  The words come from a poem written in 1804 by William Blake, a poet and painter.  The music was written in 1916 by Sir Hubert Parry during World War I.

Here's the story of the song.

Another musical great has left us.  RIP. 

Want more music?  Join me and other music lovers for Music Moves Me (and we welcome new participants, too).  My post will go live just after midnight Monday, Eastern Daylight Time.

RIP Taylor Hawkins

 Over the weekend, another inductee into Rock and Roll Heaven joined, with the sudden death of Foo Fighter's drummer Taylor Hawkins.  He died Friday in Bogotá , Columbia, at the age of 50. Investigations into cause of death are ongoing at this time.

Because I already had my Monday Music Moves Me post written, I am going to do a short tribute to Hawkins today.  

Here are a couple of live performances that highlight Hawkins' talents on the drums.

This live performance of Stacked Actors includes a great drum solo.

Here, Hawkins proves he can also sing, which he does when John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page join the Foo Fighters to perform the Led Zeppelin classic Rock and Roll.  (David Grohl is on drums for this song.)

Taylor Hawkins, RIP.

Paradise by the CD Light

We've lost so many greats in the past couple of weeks, and rock n'roll heaven has received some new inductees.  One of the latest is Marvin (later changed to Michael) Lee Aday, who went professionally by a childhood nickname, Meat Loaf.  I'll get to him in a moment.

One of my Facebook friends, Onyx, commenting on all the recent deaths, posted this:

"Meatloaf, Louie Anderson, Bob Saget, Betty White, I’m reading all these posts from fellow actors/musicians and they all describe them lovingly, big hearts, kind, funny, nice guys, humanitarian, loving, great to work with, amazing.

Now, were these people perfect? Not by a long shot! Had flaws, did things that hurt others occasionally, had some regrets? Of course! But here is my point, not one person has mentioned any of those things, instead they mention, the love, the humor, the impact, the music, the light in the darkness.

The point is, those things we think disqualify us in life, those things we beat ourselves up over, those mistakes we fear will linger……at the end of our lives, what will matter is how we loved. It’s okay to make mistakes and be flawed just love others and make them feel like they matter. That’s the legacy these people left. It’s the legacy we can all leave."

We are all human.  We've all done things which are wrong. We've sometimes wronged others.  None of us are perfect, but if we have given much more love than we have received, and improved our world even a little, we have lived a good life.  

The greatest compliments we can pay another person comes within their lifetime, but many times the compliments come after the person died.

Tomorrow, I will be participating in Music Moves Me, a Monday music group. Our theme for tomorrow will be "Pick songs that pay a compliment to your readers, for National Compliments Day."

Since I already wrote tomorrow's post, I want to feature, for my Sunday post, a short tribute to the singer/actor Meat Loaf, who died Thursday at the age of 74.  

 This obituary will give you some facts about his life and accomplishments.

Here are two of his greatest hits. First, "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" from his 1977 album "Bat Out of Hell". I can still remember the first time I heard this song, and I thought "This song is something special!" It wasn't just because I was a Yankees fan from around 1961-1965, and the song has some clips from the late Yankees shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzutto.  Holy cow!  It also has Todd Rundgren on guitar and two members of  the E Street band on drums, and keyboard/piano.

The song is sung by a man (as an adult) who makes a vow in the heat of teenaged passion and lives up to it despite all the pain it causes. What could have been a cheap few minutes is turned into something much more, especially when we hear from the girlfriend, who stops Meat Loaf as he rounds third base with her voice.  And what a duet results. The part was sung by Ellen Foley on the recording, and Karla DeVito in concert.

The other song for today is "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" from his 1993 album "Bat Out of Hell II" but I'm going with a live version. People have been wondering what "that" is since 1993. 

I hope you will join me again tomorrow for more music.

Just Like Ronnie Sang #MusicMovesMe

Rock and roll heaven has two new inductees. 

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly.  Her co-hosts are: Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, and me. 

We'd love more music lovers to join us.  It's easy! All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video (there must be a music video).

Each month, except December, we have a guest conductor. For January, our guest conductor is our very own Cathy at Curious as a Cathy.

Cathy has chosen the theme for this week:  You Pick.

Ronnie Spector, born Veronica Bennett, passed away January 12, from cancer, at the age of 78.

I am saddened by the passing of still another piece of my early childhood.  Along with her sister and a cousin, she formed a group called The Ronettes in 1957.  They became famous for beehive hairdos, heavy eye makeup, tight clothing and may have been the original "bad girls" of rock n'roll.  But soon they were on the way to fame.  In 1963, they auditioned for the late infamous record producer Phil Spector, who signed them (and, eventually, married Veronica Bennett).

Their first album, released in 1964, produced five hits on the Billboard charts.  Here are three:

Be My Baby. 

Baby, I Love You, from the same album. 

 

Walking in the Rain.

Ronnie divorced from Phil in 1974 after enduring unbelievable abuse from her husband.  Her ex husband ended up in prison for a murder he committed in 2003.

Ronnie's cover (with the E Street Band) of Billy Joel's Say Goodbye to Hollywood.

In 1986, she sang as the featured vocalist with singer Eddie Money on a song "Take Me Home Tonight" where she responds to Eddie's "Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang" by singing  "Be my little baby, baby my darling...."

 I never got to see Ronnie Spector, but I did see Eddie Money in concert once.

The other inductee is Fred Parris of the doo-wop group The Five Satins, who died Thursday, at the age of 85.  Fred Parris was the co-founder of this group and the writer of their big hit "In The Still of the Night".  

The song was recorded in the basement of a church in New Haven, Connecticut and charted in 1956.  It charte again in 1960 and 1961.  It's since been covered by many artists and was featured in at least two movies.  Rolling Stone magazine named the song as one of its Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

RIP Ronnie and Fred.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next Monday, same time, same place, for another episode of Music Moves Me!

First Tributes of 2022

This first week of 2022 was such a sad week in the world of entertainment.  I'm paying tribute with music, and invite you to join me tomorrow for my normal Music Moves Me post.

Three of the highlights:

We lost actor Sidney Poitier Thursday evening at the age of 94.  Many of his films explored race relations, a topic that is, sadly, still way too relevant in our world of 2022.  His many movies included two greats from 1967, "In the Heat of the Night" and "Guess Whose Coming to Dinner".  As a director, his accomplishments included the comedy "Stir Crazy", which starred Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.

One of his best loved movies was "To Sir With Love" (also from 1967), where he played a man who took a job in a tough London school when he couldn't get a job using his engineering degree. Scottish singer Lulu sang the theme song "To Sir with Love",  which became a #1 hit, and one of my favorite songs of that year.

We also lost lyricist Marilyn Bergman, half of a songwriting team with her husband Alan, at the age of 93.  She wrote or co wrote lyrics to many acclaimed songs, including these two well known songs:

The Way We Were, originally sung by Barbra Streisand in the 1973 movie of the same name, won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1974.

The Windmills Of Your Mind from the 1968 movie "The Thomas Crown Affair", also won an Oscar for Best Original Song.  Just listen to these lyrics:  how many round objects are mentioned?  Thank you, You Tube, for showing me this.

Finally, actress Joan Copeland died January 4 at the age of 99. She would have turned 100 in June.  This is Joan singing "Old Man" in 1970 in the musical Two by Two.  

Copeland worked on Broadway for some 60 years and was also known for her work in the soap opera field (The Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns) and television dramas (appearances in NYPD Blue, Law and Order, ER, and others)

RIP to them all.

Dr. Sam

Too many years ago, my late next door neighbor of many years was walking when he suddenly didn't feel too well.  Up ahead was a doctor's office.  

He went in.

The doctor dropped everything, examined him, and told him the news.

"If I don't do a bypass on you immediately, you will be dead in a few days."

The doctor was a cardiologist.  My neighbor underwent the procedure and lived many more years under the care of Dr. Abdelazim, the doctor he came to know as "Dr. Sam".  He loved to tell the story of how Dr. Sam saved his life.

In turn, when I started having heart palpitations that literally stopped me if I was walking, I came under his care for a time. (My issue ended up being something that normally wasn't serious.)  My spouse also was under his care for a time.  Dr. Abdelazim said to my spouse, "You aren't a race car anymore.  You are a vintage car.  Slow down."

Dr. Sam was..shall we say, a little flamboyant?  He was also a pioneer who brought modern cardiology into our community.  He was definitely one of a kind, and one of the most caring men you could ever know.  Our community was the richer for him having picked our community for where he would practice.

Here is his obituary.  I invite you to read it.  We can all strive to make a difference in others' lives.  Dr. Sam did just that.

Dr. Sam died earlier this week after a long struggle with Alzheimers.

He was not Jewish, but I think the Jewish expression of sympathy fits here:  May his memory be for a blessing.

Mourning The Living

Today, I look in the shadows.

This won't be a light hearted post but let me lighten it with a photo from this fall.

Today was the birthday of a Facebook friend, someone I don't know in real life.

Nowadays, when I get a birthday notification (or, on LinkedIn, an anniversary of employment notification) of someone I don't keep in contact with personally, I inch into it.  I look at their page.

Are they employed?

Have they abandoned the social media platform?

Or, worst of all, are they seriously ill or are no longer in a place where social media exists?

And then, if I ascertain they are alive, there is one more step.  I don't even want to admit it, but I have to do this, just to preserve my sanity.

If they've posted in the last year or so, and I just haven't seen those posts, I look to see if their recent posts are toxic.  If they've gone to a place I don't want to follow.  If...if...if....

A post by minister John Pavlovitz I read today spoke to my heart. It's true, some of his posts may not be what you want to hear, but they all deserve a good read and this one, I think, speaks to all of us.

It's called "A Funeral for the Living".

I think we've all attended those funerals, whether we know it or not.  We all are the walking wounded.  This pandemic has affected us all in ways that we won't be able to realize until we are able to look back.

Because, this pandemic will end.  All pandemics do end, even the one that may have killed hundreds of millions of people.

But what will be left of us?

RIP Mike Nesmith

It's time to don my rock n'roll mourning clothes once again, as a music great entered The Great Gig in the Sky yesterday.

Mike Nesmith, singer/guitarist/songwriter for the Monkees, passed away yesterday at the age of 78 from heart failure.  The death was not unexpected by people close to him.

He was loved by all Monkees fans.

Fun fact, his mother invented Liquid Paper, the liquid that made the life of office typists like me more bearable before the invention of computers and easy corrections.  I would never go back to the days of typewriters, carbon paper and correction fluid.

Another fun fact, Mike originated the idea for the first music video program, something called Pop Clips, which eventually morphed into MTV. 

Another venture was Elephant Parts, designed to be a collection of skits and music videos, back before their was a home for them.

Today, let's listen to a small selection of Mike Nesmith or Monkees songs.

Different Drum, written by Nesmith in 1964, covered famously by Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys.

A Medley of Mike Nesmith songs. 

The rest of these are Monkees songs featuring Mike.

Daydream Believer, from 1968, written by John Stewart of the Kingston Trio and later covered by Ann Murray.

Pleasant Valley Sunday, from 1967 (this song was co written by Carole King). 

RIP, Mike Nesmith.

I'll have one more song by the Monkees on my Monday Music Moves Me post.  Join me then for some more good music!