19 Feet to Stardom

For those who have not seen the Academy Award winning documentary, 20 Feet From Stardom, the story of a few of the great background singers who contributed to many of the most popular recordings of our time, hopefully this will encourage you to do so. For those who have seen the film, here is some further research intended to move these wonderfully talented women just a bit closer to the recognition they all so richly deserve. 

William Blake; A divine child

“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.” - William Blake

     

The real reason Eric Cantor paid the price

Before his march to become "King of the Jews and You Too" was so unceremoniously interrupted, soon to be former Congressman and House majority leader, Eric Cantor (R-Va), had a website encouraging readers to post public comments.*  I accepted this gracious invitation, fully expecting that, in the land of the dissident and the free, my comment would be posted.

The magical moments of The Lovin' Spoonful

The Lovin' Spoonful were just a wee bit to the dinky-dorky side of the divide to ever be considered truly groovy and were never the most exciting or innovative band to come down the pike, but for a few moments in the 1960's they helped us believe in magic. 

Anne Frank's indefatigable spirit

Anne Frank June 12, 1929 - March (?) 1945. 

On her thirteenth birthday, June 12, 1942 Anne Frank’s father gave her a blank diary. She began writing in it immediately while in hiding with her family from the Nazis.  Her writings chronicle her life and those of her family, their hopes, dreams and yearnings, written largely in the form of letters to imaginary friends.  The last entry is August 1, 1944 when she was barely 15.  The following day, she was arrested and transported to a concentration camp where she died in March, 1945. She remains perhaps the most famous of the millions of holocaust victims, not merely because her diaries were found (they were later returned to her father, a camp survivor), and published in 1947, but because of the grace with which she wrote, her indomitable spirit and indefatigable belief in the basic good within us all.

  What follows is a selection from Anne Frank’s 

Diary of a Young Girl.

When I Rode the Western Plains

From the Doctor's first slap on the ass, most of us learn from the School of Hard Knocks. 
A chosen few are born on the Street of Dreams. 
Some dive onto the Bourbon Street beat while others linger on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. 
Me? Well shucks. Guess'n I l'arned what I know'ed out on the prairies, up in the mountains and down in the gullies of mah television screen whare ah l'arned it all from these hombres who show'd this tenderfoot the ropes, when I rode the Western Plains.