The Showbiz Wizard

Celebrity's New Years Resolutions!

2012-01-06T05:13:00.000-08:00

As we cruise into 2012 (the middle of January already!), the new year brings hopes and wishes for better things in our lives. We often make personal commitments to ourselves called New Years resolutions. I'm sure some have already been broken but for some of us, our inner wishes and promises continue. For the third year, I've asked celebrities to share their New Years resolutions with us and here's what they said...

New York Giants legend LEONARD MARSHALL told me his resolution is" Don't be that guy in 2012". When I asked him what exactly does that mean, he said
"Bill Parcells used to always say to me when I retired "Don't be that guy who wished he could do more when the final whistle blows. Live life to the extreme in terms of whatever you're doing... Sex,love,kids,family,wife,or girlfriend. Go for it!" Sounds great to me Leonard!

Rock and Roll legend BONNIE BRAMLETT has a unique resolution "This coming year is the first year of RETIREMENT! Wow I mean dude! A
retired Rock Star??? Hahaha who ever heard of such a thing? I'm it! I MADE IT! My childhood dreams were fulfilled way beyond what I could even imagine. I made history! With the help of the rest of the world and now I need Y'all again Cause I Got A New Dream! I'm going to Hollywood to be Another "STAR". Only this time I'll be an "actor" and a helping hand to" retarded and challenged" Adults. I mean "helping hands on" like hugs and acting and singing classes. I know I can do it! Wish me help dear one!! Blessings on u and yours". Rock on Bonnie!

Actor BILL MUMY, best known as young Will on the classic TV show "Lost In Space" and a respected musician/songwriter, offered his short and to the point resolution "My resolution is to do the best I can and can the best I do." Spoken very well Will Robinson!

Some more celebrities also offered their wishes for 2012. Screen legend MAMIE VAN DOREN wishes "Peace for the world".
Legendary rock guitarist EARL SLICK got right to the point in a fun way "Have fun and kick ass!" Spoken like a true rocker!
Comedian SAL RICHARDS said "My resolution is not to make any resolutions any more because they don't work!"
Another rocker BILL CHAMPLIN (Chicago) also felt the same way "I stay away from resolutions because they never work! But it's the usual..eat less and exercise more kinda' stuff".
Veteran cabaret singer JULIE BUDD said very sweetly "Between you & Me..I don't have any...I just always resolute to be a good kid!" Forever young!

Former Yankees public relations director MARTY APPEL offered his earnest resolution "The passing of Steve Jobs touched many of us in a way we didn't anticipate. He really was a significant American figure who made lives better. I've been thinking about switching to an Apple computer for a long time, and in 2012, I resolve to make it happen. And when I do, I'll think about Steve."

American pop/rock singer and songwriter DWIGHT TWILLEY shared his humble resolution "In 2011 I lost some very dear friends. In 2012 my resolution is to treasure, appreciate & cherish the friends, family & loved ones still in my life. Perhaps along the way I can even teach myself to extend an extra tablespoon of warmth to the stranger on the street."
Happy new year everyone! I hope all of your wishes and resolutions come true and that the new year brings peace and prosperity to us all!

Part 2- The World's Most Famous Psychic's Predictions for 2012!

2011-12-29T05:06:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 more of the world's most famous psychic's predictions for 2012. Their uncanny ability and talent has amazed the world for many years and they are here to share their predictions with us once again!

MICHELLE WHITEDOVE is the first legitimate Medium to prove her supernatural abilities by being tested on American television. Filmed under strict FCC guidelines to guarantee authenticity, Lifetime TV named her America's #1 Psychic, awarding her this title of distinction after winning "America's Psychic Challenge", a competition series with demanding tests. As an expert in her field, Michelle has been interviewed by Matt Lauer on "The Today Show" and she's featured in the HBO Documentary "No One Dies In Lily Dale" which is airing worldwide. For 2012, Michelle predicts...

As we move throught the transitional period 2011-2016, we will continue to experience a cleansing. Much will be wiped away by a higher rate of Natural Catastrophic events: floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, cyclones and hurricanes I have been given the vision of three days of fire in the sky; all I know is this is needed to assist in this Ascension: to shift the Earth's vibration to a higher attunement.

There will be unnatural weather too. The world governments will be experimenting will our atmosphere and this will cause for many unprecedented cataclysmic Earth events disguised as Natural events. Sites for you>HAARP Project Alaska; EISCAT Norway; CERN Switzerland

Japan will continue to take more blows, earthquakes and tsunamis.

East Coast of the USA will experience another earthquake.

I see a major earthquake for Los Angeles.

Volcanic eruptions in Washington: Mount Saint Helen and Mount Rainer.

Yellowstone will erupt in 2012-2014.

Ellen DeGeneres's daytime talk show will continue to be a success. Ellen will go back to the stage and do comedy. I also see her getting offered a movie. Ellen and Portia de Rossi will go through a vitro fertilization to have children together. They are very much in love and a committed couple.

I see a bombing on Wall Street.

Occupy Wall Street has turned into Occupy All Streets. The peaceful protests will turn into riots and looting unless they come up with a Plan Of Action to create change.

China is waiting for the USA economy to collapse. They own us; they own our debt. They are waiting to take over the world and America too. They are preparing to rule the world with an Iron Fist. MAJOR PREDICTION: China has prepared Concentration Camp Condos, they are ready and waiting. China has built modern day concentration camp cities. They have already built 64 million apartments; they has these "ghost cities" ready and waiting to move international citizens (including US citizens) into these high-rise internment camps. Don't let the facade of these vacant modern looking cities fool you; this is a Communist country and these cities will be run by the military.

In 2012, the US economy will crash. Do not invest in the stock market. We are in a depression, not a recession. In the year 2000, I predicted the coming collapse of the World Financial Market and more in my book "She Talks With Angels" (available at AMAZON).

the US dollar will plummet in 2012.

Gold will go to $2800 an ounce in the next two years. Gold coins are still a safe investment. I would advise that you buy GOLD that is not registered.

The US Government has gone underground. The main location is Colorado Springs. There are facilities in Virginia too. The underground man made cities are preparing for mayhem and war. The Government is not for the people, it's for the one percent.

I see that there will be a solar flare that will knock out the power grids for a portion of the USA. It will take months to get the power functioning.

LADY GAGA: 2012 will be her biggest year yet. Please pray for her health. I see major health issues; lupus, exhaustion, chronic fatigue, dehydration and ultimately tragic death unless she changes the course she is on.

Now is the time to become more self-sufficient, steer away from materialism and instead invest in items to become self reliant: a clean water source, indoor gardening, outdoor crops, learn to bake, can and preserve foods.

To be spiritually self reliant is important too. Listen to your intuition, pray and be grateful, fine tune your meditation so that you are open to receive direct guidance from your Unseen Support Team.

PSYCHIC NIKKI is known all over the world and is based in Canada. Last year, she correctly predicted the deaths of Elizabeth Taylor and Amy Winehouse, the trouble in Syria, the protests on Wall Street and worldwide, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, etc...For 2012, Nikki predicts...

An earthquake in Mexico destroys most of Mexico City.

Major breakthroughs in the cure for breast cancer.

A giant earthquake in California.

Cyber hackers disrupt computers worldwide.

More solar flares disrupt communications worldwide.

Problems in Lebanon with possible attacks on Beirut or an uprising with Beirut on fire.

Animals wild and domestic attack people.

A theater in Dublin Ireland will burn to the ground.

Breakthroughs in birth defects through stem cell research.

Rob Kardashian will be having a reality show.

Another marriage and baby for Kim Kardashian.

Michael Buble gets acting roles in lots of movies.

Julia Roberts will be directing more and become a spokesperson for an international charity.

Danger for Sean Coombs.

Danger for Lady Gaga.

Actress Nila Kunis will be on the runway and become a fashion spokesperson for many brands, possibly her own.

William and Kate become parents to at least one child, possibly twins.

Ellen DeGeneres joins the army for one week.

Anderson Cooper gets nominated for an Emmy Award.

I see a fire at Anderson Cooper's house.

Meryl Streep gets nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the movie "Iron Lady T".

JOSEPHINE GHIRINGHELLI is a world renowned Psychic, Medium, Lecturer, Teacher, TV and Radio personality whose knowledge and gift has helped thousands of people from all walks of life. Ms. Ghiringhelli, has been teaching Psychic and Spiritual Development Classes for the last 20 years at varying locations including Hofstra University. Josephine works closely with her good friend John Edward on his site www.infinitequest.com. For 2012, Josephine predicts:

My strong feeling is that 2012 will be a very bitter sweet year, with the good comes strong waves of adversity!
I stated in last years predictions that the world will not come to an end. And I quote: "i have been asked over and over again about the 2012 Pole Shift, Mayan, I Ching and Nostradamus predictions, which is, that the world is going to end on December 21st, 2012. It is my belief that over the decade, specifically from when the Twin Towers came tumbling down, that something magical happened to us as a society. we opened up, we united in spirit, and we sent an energy out into the universe which changed the course of our destiny". So, as you can see, we are still here I am happy to say!

Chaos in Korean Government causes an uprising, breaking of barriers, significant changes caused by lack of necessities.

President Obama continues to struggle due to lack of support from within.

In 2012, universal health care policies will still be in disarray with no resolve in sight this year.

The European dollar will allow new countries within it's structure. A new era of cooperation.

A lot riding on China to hold the line in growth and stability. Midyear, additional stress put on China due the earthly disasters and natural occurrences on a mass level. Significant damage and death. This will cause economic problems for all, especially Europe.

Interest will turn to India and Arabian countries for new growth.

Oil will devalue overall, allowing for additional economic support.

The Stock Market on the US front will remain fairly stable. Economic growth will up the trend and the pressure will subside a little until mid summer. Fears of a faltering market will cause downturns, but all in all a fairly good start to 2012.

For most of 2012, interest rates will remain at an all time low. Invest in real estate if money allows but remember, this is not the time to sell.

I predict Seismic and volcanic activity in Northern Hemisphere areas like Greenland, Iceland, Alaska. This especially causes severe flooding. First activity late in winter February/March.

In Spring, early summer, there will be erosion of land and water will be rising in upper California, the northern coast, especially peninsula type land masses and island structures.

Talk shows will compete stronger than ever this year to come out on top but I feel many will be quick to fizzle.

Oprah has been giving much thought to making appearances in scattered specials; announcements will be made in early fall of 2012.

Britney Spears toys with the idea of having another child and continues to have consistency and strong love in her life. Good for you Britney! we are happy for you!

I worry about Barbara Walters. Her health may take a turn for the worse. Hang in there as you are loved by all!

Lindsay Lohan announces love in her life which brings her to a whole new level. Stay strong Lindsay and pave the way for all those watching you as a role model.

For more information on MICHELLE WHITEDOVE: http://michellewhitedove.com/

For more information on PSYCHIC NIKKI: http://psychicnikki.com/

For more information on JOSEPHIINE GHIRINGHELLI: http://www.josephinege.com/home.htm

World Famous Psychic's Predictions for 2012- Part 1

2011-12-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

As we approach the new year, thoughts about what is to come crosses everybody's mind at one time or another. For the second year, I am proud to bring you the predictions for 2012 from some of the world's top psychics. Let us see what the future has in store for us....

JANET RUSSELL is a well known Long Island based Intuitive/Spiritual Medium/psychic. She is also the host of one of New York’s top cable access shows, "Beyond the Unexplained" which appears nationwide and locally on Channel 20. Janet is known for her accuracy, honesty and on the mark readings. Janet's predictions for 2012 are:

More people will go to holistic healers; They have all the positive energies to heal. We will be taking more natural medications and no more medications from doctors.

More People will be forgiven for their loans and will be able to forgo foreclosures so they can get back on their feet.

We will be using solar energies instead of the old standby of gas and electric.

People are not going to want to get married anymore as it's easier to live together rather than go through all the hassles with divorce. The only ones that win are the attorneys.

The newspapers will be a thing or a memory of the past by 2015. I feel that the only way a person can see what is going on will via the computer.

I feel that one state will be open to alternative lifestyle and people will move to that state because they feel more comfortable.

People will be airing their dirty laundry on teleservices. This way they will have a constant audience.

There will be less children born in 2012. People will get pets as they are less care sadly.

And yes, the government will admit that we do have contact with other beings in other dimensions.

JOHN COHAN is universally known as "The Psychic To The Stars. He started as a child and his career has spanned more than four decades. His Exclusives and Yearly Predictions to Cindy Adams New York Post has been 25 years in a row.
"Catch A Falling Star" is the new tell all book written by Celebrity Psychic John Cohan. In 2011, John correctly predicted the collapse of Jennifer Lopez's marriage and the downfall of Charlie Sheen. For 2012, John predicts:

The toast of supper clubs Michael Feinstein and his main man Terrance divorce...Nasty settlement battle for the former lounge singer.

Sally Kirkland and ex Nick Nolte get back together much to the surprise of his current sweetie.

Gina Lollobrigida, still the Italian bombshell, will come to Broadway and be a big hit!

Bernadette Peters will finally get the right kind of Healing over the loss of her husband and then finds a soul mate.

Angelina and Brad do a new movie together and meet fair revues.

Former screen beauty Diane McBain gets a new book out of her life and it's a big hit.

Natalie Wood's mystery death gets cleared up when her celebrity seer/ex boyfriend tells what really happened.

Connie Stevens is back in the headlines with newly discovered links to O.J. Simpson from the last months of Nicole Brown Simpson's life.

Oprah's right hand gal Gayle King leaves the nest for another channel away from Oprah. Good results but it creates bitterness from Oprah. revenge is sweet will be Oprah's thoughts.

Jeff Conaway's death gets a new investigation and it looks like suicide was the real culprit.

Cabaret singer Tony DeSare involved with a scandal that puts a damper to an otherwise promising career.

Rita Cosby gets in hot water when it's discovered she broke a gag order during the Anna Nicole Smith legal battles. Happy news for Howard K. Stern.

Roberta Wallach (Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson's daughter-actress) starts a romance with a now married movie star.

Elizabeth Taylor's children search for the out of wedlock daughter she had. Norah is the child Elizabeth gave up.

Joely Fisher and hubby Chris going the direction of the divorce courts.

Harry Connick Jr. starts a wonderful cycle of big hits. Movies are around the corner!

Celebrity Psychic NANCY BRADLEY is an award winning author and writer of five books and over 600 articles worldwide. So far, 98.6% of Nancy's predictions for 2011 have come to pass, including Charlie Sheen's troubles and leaving "Two and a Half Men", the deaths of Elizabeth Taylor and Amy Winehouse, and ALL of the major earthquakes including the one in Japan. Nancy Bradley, known as the celebrities psychic because of her huge celebrity clientele, is one of the TOP TEN PSYCHICS IN THE WORLD. Among her many TV and radio appearances , she can be seen the 2nd Friday morning of every month on the Channel 31 CBS show "Good Day Sacramento". Here are Nancy's predictions for 2012:

As I stated last year, starting in 2011, these NEXT THREE YEARS will be known as the EARTHQUAKE YEARS, but will also be extreme weather patterns all across the world. Flooding, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters. Some of these above mentioned earthquakes have already expired, but those on this list are those that will HAPPEN AGAIN, and have further problems. Places that need to be aware of earthquake activity are: Canada, Australia, Philippines, Baja (Mexico), Cayman Islands, Columbia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Nicaragua,Fiji Islands, Peru, North and South Korea, Hawaii, Pakistan, Africa, Russia, Japan, Tonga, Taiwan, Turkey, Greece, Guam, England, Venezuela, China, Aleutian and Solomon Islands, Spain, ALL Indonesia in jeopardy, ALL Pacific Islands beware, Sumatra, New Zealand, Ecuador, Chili, Iran, Argentina and New Guinea. ALL these earthquakes are at LEAST 5.8, most over 6 or 7 points. IN THE USA, earthquakes will be felt in Southern California along the fault line, and in the desert areas. I would caution people living around the San Simeon area of California to be wary, and strangely, earthquakes of sizable capability will be felt in Illinois, Nevada, Colorado, Arkansas,m Oklahoma, Virginia, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, all places not known for earthquake activity.

The Euro debt crisis will continue to get worse and folks should be ready for some strange turns. A suggestion of a world currency will arise to much debate.

Be aware that the US and China will get into heightened tensions and the US and the world would be well advised to watch out for China and N. Korea possibly joining together for world dominance and nuclear capacity.

More interesting than whom will be President next election (which has not been determined by Universal forces yet), watch what happens with the people in line..President Obama, Romney and Gingrich.

Six more Hollywood icons will leave us in 2012, and two major music stars as well.

Pulling troops out of the mid-east is a good thing but it will not transpire as expected.

MORE major breakthroughs in stem cell research, both here and abroad.

About Lindsay Lohan, who thinks she is going to be on the straight and narrow?

More protests across the world and the US as well, sit ins, as people stand up. Much bloodshed.

A massive avalanche will deter how people are allowed into dangerous snow sporting areas.

Civil unrest in Russia. Fighting from within. Dangerous situation for the world at large as the Soviet government reacts to the mass protesting groups.

War on terror speeds up in 2012, and many threats to major U.S. cities, most notably New York. I do not see it as being completely successful, but damaging.

In the U.S., we should be extra cautious in watching bridges, tunnels, aqueducts, as well as water dams for chipping away, cracks and also terrorist plots.

Backlash from flu vaccines. Possible danger to health of those that have taken the vaccine.

all across the world there will be strange weather patterns with NO consistency as known in the past. Extreme cold where unusual, many measured snowfalls, rain heavy where no usual, drought in other areas, extreme weather and disruptions across the world. Harsh weather patterns that will make statistics get broken in 2012.

More aquatic ocean and lake animals make their way onto shore. Octopus, fish, etc...Also, as I told you last year, more species thought to be extinct are coming back, including those considered mystical (those that many thought never existed) are coming back.

Another death in the Michael Jackson family.

Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin square off against each other. Palin, as we know, is an animal abuser, both are prejudice prone, and both will be considered by those of intellect as dangerous should they become candidates running for major offices in our country. Both are worry-some if anyone were to believe in them.

Last year I told you that Borders Books would close. Another major bookstore will fold in 2012.

More scandal for Arnold Schwarzenegger. He abused his power in government and his personal life. He will be found out for more personal scandal. A book will be written about his life and it will not be pleasant.

Stocks plummet and then grow again throughout 2012. Don't sell and run scared, hold tight to what you can. Stem cell research will be the best buy for long term stocks.

Much bloodshed in Syria as well as most of the mid-east.

New thoughts about UFO activity unfolds with the finding of this new planet that could sustain life.

A shift in the equator will be discovered and will change some of the weather patterns for countries on it.

A major government cover-up will be exposed and will shed light on past events and reveal some conspiracies.

For more information on JANET RUSSELL: http://janetrussellpresents.com/

For more information on JOHN COHAN: http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Cohan/100000005552238

For more information on NANCY BRADLEY: www.nancybradley.org/

Introducing Singer/Songwriter VINCENT POAG!

2011-12-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in life, a man has dreams that often gets put on the back burner as education and a career demand full attention. For most, these dreams remain just what they are...dreams. For others, it comes to life down the road when the time is right. Vincent Poag is that person. A singer/songwriter, he has just put out his first CD aptly named "Circling Back" and his love of music shines through on this brilliant debut CD. Crafty lyrics, flowing melodic music and a voice that sounds very Dylanisc with a hint of Tom Waits, this is a CD that deserves more than just one listen to. I spoke to Vincent recently as his CD is starting to create a stir in the music industry....

MICK: You are originally from Long Island Vincent?
VINCENT: Yes, I grew up in Massapequa. I lived there until I went to college and now I've been living in Manhattan for quite a long time now. My whole family was from Long Island. I only have fond memories! I love Long Island! My father and his brothers had a hardware store in town and I kind of grew up in that store.
MICK: Does your family still live out here?
VINCENT: I do have some family that still lives on the Island but now we are kind of spread out. I come from a pretty large family. I still go out there quite a bit. On a beautiful day, it's a beautiful as anywhere in the world!
MICK: When did you write your first song?
VINCENT: A long time ago! I'm a 60 year old guy now! I started as a teenager writing songs.
MICK: After starting out as a musician, you left that behind to enter the business world. What type of career did you go into?
VINCENT: I always considered myself a pretty good song writer and that's the part of the music that I loved and had the most talent in. But I wasn't the most proficient musician so I couldn't really make a living as a studio musician or playing dates as a musician. So growing up in a business where my family always worked for themselves, eventually I knew I would just work for myself. I went into commercial real estate. I got tired of starving and used my creativity in a different way. It's worked out real well for me. But there was this part that I left behind musically. Once you move into the business side, it becomes harder to have that freedom to create as an artist.
MICK: While you were in that career, did you play or write at all?
VINCENT: I kept involved to a certain degree but kept it limited to family functions and things of that nature. I did write songs along the way. I've always loved music and all kinds of artists. I've always continued to appreciate the music.I felt that I left a piece of me behind and that is was something I should have continued.
MICK: In 2008, you did get back into music again. How did that come about?
VINCENT: My wife was insightful enough to get me guitar lessons with a local rocker by the name of Aric Carroll (who also records under the name Slim Francis). One thing led to another and I felt that I should start recording a lot of the songs that I've written or they were going to go with me! Aric set up a home studio and I recorded 15-20 songs over a couple of days. He suggested I bring in some musicians and this started to really percolate my creative juices in terms of what I could do with these songs. I've always been the kind of person that can't do things halfway. I have to give it my all or it's not worth doing. So musicians were brought in and I decided to see how much further I could take this. I eventually hooked up with arranger by the name of Cathy Sommer, who is a conductor. and we started to explore all kinds of orchestrations.
MICK: How did you hook up with Cathy?
VINCENT: My wife had a friend who had been involved with Broadway and had worked with her. I got her name and hooked up with her. It ended up being a very wonderful collaboration. She took me to places that i never thought I would go. For me to explore full orchestrations and make decisions around all kinds of instrumentation was wonderful. I'm really glad I had that opportunity and I'm very proud of the end result. The Christmas song is being played now. It's one of my favorites on the CD. It's a contemporary Christmas song and I think it has a poignant message. I hoping more people will listen to it! "The Stress Song" is another song that's a fun song. The song was actually written by Phil Stubbs from the Bahamas. He's a guy who has devoted his whole life to music. He has an incredible body of music. I happened to hear this song ten years ago out on Long Island being played by a Caribbean group. This was way before I ever planned to record a CD. I rewrote the song for one of my birthday parties, played it and had fun with it. It's one of my favorite songs so when I wanted to make my CD, I went down to the Bahamas to meet Phil and get permission to use the song with my changes to the lyrics. We ended up becoming very close friends. He's very famous down there and he's handcuffed by the limitations of the Bahamas. I kept his basic chorus but I changed the verses and the music to some degree. It's a fun song with a great message. The song got up to number 5 on the FM QB charts so I'm very pleased!
MICK: What inspires you?
VINCENT: I love being able to create a song from scratch. It comes painfully! Sometimes it just flows but other times it comes hard with the right words and the right music. But when you finish and you listen, it is so all inspiring! It's very hard to land sometimes particularly with the different arrangements but when you do, when you finish a song and you feel good about it, it inspires me and I hope it does other people as well.
MICK: Does it typically take you long to write a song?
VINCENT: It varies. Sometimes it's easier than others. At this stage in my life, I'm involved with so many things. I run a business and that takes up a lot of my time. Just being able to devote myself to the songs and focus is sometimes difficult. But I've learned to be patient. I've learned to trust myself and I don't settle. Unless I'm happy with it, I just keep going. I can't do things halfway and I won't release anything until it's to my liking and my satisfaction. I consider myself a songwriter and a singer by default because at this stage in the game, if I didn't sing my own songs, they weren't going to get done. I'm glad that I did finish the first album and I'm working on the second one now. I have a lot of great new songs that I'm very excited with!

We are very excited too!
To find more on Vincent, please go to: http://vincentpoag.com/
Vincent Poag - Circling Back
Buy the CD at CDBaby.com
Buy MP3's on iTunes!

Westbury Welcomes OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN!

2011-11-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

For more than four decades, OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN has captivated the world over with her talent, charm and numerous acts of humanitarianism. She is a fine actress in many hit movies, a four time Grammy Award winner and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Today, Olivia continues to record, appear in movies, and support her favorite charities. Her short December tour comes to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on December 8th. I was thrilled to speak with Olivia prior to the start of this tour!

MICK: I'm sure you've been very busy since last October with Breast Cancer Awareness month and your other projects. Did you get a chance to rest at all?
OLIVIA: I made a movie recently so I've been promoting that. I've always been an advocate of self exam and breast cancer awareness for a long time. I do get to rest when I can!
MICK: Please tell me about your first book "LivWise: Easy Recipes For A Healthy, Happy Life" (Murdoch Books) that was recently released in Australia!
OLIVIA: It's a cook book that will be coming out in America next year at some point. The money raised from the sale of the book will go to my cancer wellness center in Melbourne, Australia that will be opening next year as well. This book is a healthy look at eating and as I'm not a gourmet chef of any kind, I asked some friends to contribute to my book. Gaia Retreat & Spa is a spa that I'm a part owner in Australia. We have the most amazing chef and we have our own garden to grow amazing food. They contributed some recipes. Another friend of mine who contributed is Karen Inge, who is a nutritionist in Melbourne (which is where my hospital is). She will be advising us at the hospital. Another friend is Kristine Matheson who heals herself through food. She talks about growing your own sprout and things like that. I also include a few of my own recipes. They've made a really pretty book out of it and it did really well in Australia. We are hoping is does well in America too. Again, all of my money from the book goes to the hospital!
MICK: Your new CD "Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song" was produced by Phil Ramone. What was it like working with him?
OLIVIA: He's great! He's an old friend of mine. I've known him for a very long time. In fact, the first movie I ever made was a movie called "Tomorrow" in the 1960's. Phil was the musical director so I've known him since then! Its time we got to do an album together. This was done a number of years ago so this is a re release.
MICK: How did you choose the songs for the CD?
OLIVIA: It was all women that I've admired. Their songs or their singing affected me in some way so I picked all of the women whose songs that I loved.
MICK: In your amazing life, what would you consider your biggest thrill up to this point in your life?
OLIVIA: Having my daughter! Nothing compares to that!
MICK: And how is she doing?
OLIVIA: She doing quite well thank you!
MICK: Do you keep in touch with John Travolta?
OLIVIA: Yes we do keep in touch!
MICK: In 2007, your holiday recording “Christmas Wish” was a big hit. Is Christmas your favorite holiday?
OLIVIA: I do like Christmas because people do get together at that time of year. When I lived in Los Angeles, my house was the place where we would do a lot of the traditional things on holidays like Easter. I used to love Easter when my daughter was small because we would have all the kids over looking for Easter eggs. But Christmas is a lovely holiday because people make an effort to get together.
MICK: You and your husband John Easterling are very big on spreading the word about saving the rain forest. Have you seen more progress in this movement?
OLIVIA: It's hard to say. I think the more awareness and education, the more improvement will be and the word eventually gets to paths of people who really care. My husband is very optimistic about this and he believes there is change happening. I'd rather be on the edge of optimism because I think we can turn things around before its too late. My husband's company gets herbs from the Amazon rain forest and these herbs have amazing healing qualities. Most of our pharmaceuticals are based on research they done on these pharmaceutical plants. I think that when they realize if we lose the rain forest, we will lose all of these keys to healing. It is incredibly import to save!
MICK: How did you meet your husband?
OLIVIA: I met my husband about 18 years ago through my friends Nancy and Jim. They went to a health and wellness convention and he was demonstrating his herbs to people.
They took the herbs and felt so amazing that they went back the next day and became friends with him. Then they introduced me to him when I went to a talk about the rain forest. That was almost 19 years ago, right after I had breast cancer. I ended up giving him a puppy because he loved my dog so much. That dog just passed away last year. We were friends for a long time and then four years ago, he invited me to the rain forest and we fell in love!
MICK: 2012 already looks like a very busy year for you with the new movie and the new CD. What's coming after that?
OLIVIA: It's going to be a real incredible year because the first section of my hospital in Melbourne will open. The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre which is something I've been working to help raise money for the last eight years. The building is almost complete and we will be opening the first part of it in June. That's really exciting! The culmination of many years work! I'm also doing a tour in Australia with a symphony and we will be raising money for the hospital.
MICK: Which of today's artists do you like?
OLIVIA: Oh gosh there's so many talented people! I love Pink! I love Beyonce. There's so much talent out there, I'm always blown away! The standards of the singing and writing are just fantastic!
MICK: Do you still live in Australia?
OLIVIA: I have a place in Australia and my husband and I are based out of Florida now. I moved from California to Florida because that's where he is. That was a whole change of life but it's been wonderful.
MICK: Is there anybody you would still like to work with that you haven't worked with already?
OLIVIA: Yes tons of people! I'd like to work with Rod Stewart again sometime. We something together around 30 years ago. Of course you always want to sing with a Beatle so I'd love to sing with Paul McCartney. I'd also like to work with Eric Clapton. There's so many talented guys out there and some amazing girls too!
MICK: You are coming to Westbury on December 8th. What can your fans expect to hear?
OLIVIA: They will hear the songs they expect to hear from what I gather from my fan mail and when they write to me. They will hear my hits, plus I'll put a smattering of new things in like from the movie I just made. I do a new song for that so that will be in the show. I will probably do some Christmas songs because we are close to Christmas! And a song off of "Portraits". It will be a mixture of my whole career.

Olivia Newton John comes to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury
in Westbury NY on Thu, Dec 8, 2011 08:00 PM

For more on Olivia,
http://www.olivianewton-john.com/

CINDY FOX- The NAKED COWGIRL!

2011-11-15T05:32:00.000-08:00

The Naked Cowboy has been a New York City institution for many years. Now there is a sexy and feminine version of the cowboy and she is CINDY FOX, also known as The Naked Cowgirl! Cindy is quickly becoming very well known herself and you will be hearing much more from her in the very near future! I had the great pleasure to speak with Cindy recently...

MICK: How did it all begin for you as the Naked Cowgirl?
CINDY: Since I was in high school, I was a fitness trainer and personal trainer. I went to school to become a gym teacher. I got married, had three kids. When I got separated, I needed something to support myself. I went back to school for two years to become an Xray tech. At that point, I didn't know anything about a Naked Cowboy or anything like that. All I had time to do was go to school, study, training clients, teaching classes and taking care of three little kids. About eight years ago, I was working in a gym in Secaucus, NJ (which is where I grew up). I was on an elliptical machine with one of my clients and in between us was Robert Burck, who is the Naked Cowboy. At that point, I had never heard of him. She introduced us. We started to see each other often at the gym when we worked out and became friends. I eventually started dating him. I still had no idea what exactly he did by playing guitar in his underwear. I started asking people and went to Times Square to see what he did. I thought is was his way of getting attention to himself to become famous or become a rock star or something like that. We lived just thirteen minutes outside of New York City so I assumed only people from NYC and Secaucus knew who he was. After five months, I went to the Mardi Gras with him. We went down to Bourbon Street and he started doing his thing in his underwear. He was getting mobbed by people down there! That's when it hit me that he was famous! It was overwhelming to the magnitude of his celebrity. While we were there, I was wearing jeans and bought a cowboy hat. People would see me with him and say "How come you're not in underwear too?" or "Is this your Naked Cowgirl?". He would get hired to appear at places all over the world and I started wearing outfits that were cowgirlish. Not a bikini but little skirts or little tops. That started around seven years ago but only when we were out of the area. My children were young and my oldest son, who was 15 at the time, had a hard time dealing with me dating The Naked Cowboy. The people in my town loved Robert and they thought it was the coolest thing. My youngest son thought is was great. His friends thought is was cool. Robert always gave him money for stuff. My daughter thought it was cool just because her friends did. So the idea of doing anything remotely close to home was totally out of the question. I would only do it when we were out of state or out of the country. Eventually when we were in Tokyo, Japan, he was making an appearance for Japan's Match.com and while we were there, I asked him to teach me to play the guitar. So he showed me some chords. But it took a long time to learn. I was busy going to school, working all these jobs. There was a part of me that wanted to do it but it just wasn't realistic at that time. I was also involved with my fitness work, producing videos, choreographing, being featured in the videos. From Robert, I learned a lot about networking and marketing. Prior to me becoming the Naked Cowgirl, there were two others before me. There was this young free spirited girl who decided she would be the Cowgirl. She knew how to play the guitar and would be there in the summer. She got a ton of publicity and articles as the first Naked Cowgirl. But she would leave for the winter and come back in the summer. She got caught up in the whole party life in NYC and disappeared for two years. Then Sandy Kane, the second Naked Cowgirl, came into the picture. This all got me kind of angry because they knew I was out on the road as the Naked Cowgirl with the Naked Cowboy. Because The Naked Cowboy is trademarked, Robert's manager said the Naked Cowgirls would have to sign a licencing agreement if they wanted to make money with that.
Finally, I decided if I did this in Times Square, this would give me the publicity and recognition to help me with my fitness programs too. I would be the first, officially licenced Cowgirl. I knew I'd get a lot of heat from my kids. It was a slow start but that's how it all began.
MICK: Are you out there in the winter too?
CINDY: When I started going out there in Times Square last year, people would often ask me that. Sure enough, when winter came, the other girls were long gone as soon as the temperature dropped below 60. I wanted to prove this to people that I could do it, even if it was only for a brief time out in the cold. I would do this a few times a month throughout the winter. When we had that huge blizzard last year at Christmas time, I was sick as dog that whole day. I was just starting to feel a little better and we decided to go to Times Square for a few minutes and get a few pictures. Robert's manager and his wife were visiting NYC from Nashville and we told them to meet us in Times Square with a camera. Visibility was very bad as we drove in from New Jersey. We got there and it was brutal outside. Robert warned me because he's been out in that kind of weather. I went out there and they started taking the pictures. My fingers were frozen and I couldn't even hold the guitar pick. After about two minutes, which seemed like forever, I walked back to the garage. We got some great photos!
MICK: I saw you on CBS with the Pro Football picks. You did great!
CINDY: That was beginners luck! I stayed up cramming the night before like it was a final exam, trying to figure out who has injuries and what their stats were. I didn't want to look stupid going in there! So I just said what I knew and gave my own opinion. I got all of my picks right! That was amazing!
MICK: You have the new single out " Ride It Like A Cowgirl". It definitely sounds great! What kind of response are you getting from it so far?
CINDY: My manager Lori Michaels wrote and produced my song along with Giuseppe D. of "Hothead Productions". In the beginning, it wasn't doing that great because we only did a soft release on it. Lori wanted to make the Cowgirl dance a new sensation, something you will hear a weddings and other parties. Lori's choreographer, Courtney Lynch, put the whole dance together. It's very upbeat and hip hoppish! I think my biggest fans right now little kids because they just love the beat!
It was a slow year but like starting a business, it takes time and starts to snowball. I'm finally now at the point where everything is coming in with people wanting to come take photos, do interviews, a lot of charity events (which I'm all about doing). It's all great and fun!
MICK: Please tell me about Cindy Fox Fitness!
CINDY: It's my own company officially called Cindy Fox LLC. It's personal fitness training, whether it be in person or on videos. I have my own trademark which is a fox logo. I have that on tee shirts and different products. I work out of several gyms with my fitness training. I go to people's houses if it's worth it for me and not too far away. I do so many things that I try to schedule them back to back.
MICK: Do you and Robert work out together still?
CINDY: We do sometimes. My schedule is crazy and his is less crazy. He has more time in the day than anybody I know actually so he goes when he wants to. I teach the fitness classes and still work at the hospital so I go when I can.
MICK: What has been your biggest thrill so far as the Naked Cowgirl?
CINDY: Just being out there in a busy crowd is a rush. There are days where I've taught a class, went to the bank, cleaned my house and then head into the city. I could be so not in the mood to do this and feel like just staying home to relax. But by the time I leave the parking garage and walk to Times Square and the crowd starts coming around, I'm smiling for all of the photographs being taken and I'm in a great mood! You totally forget that you weren't in a good mood just before! One particular big moment happened with someone I did some networking with. He wanted to come to the city to meet me and get some photos with his family. He said his little daughter actually loved my song! He said his daughter was 3 years old and I forgot how much a small child is capable of knowing things. So when the day came, I was out there playing and they came up. It was him, his wife, a baby in the carriage and little Michelle. She was very shy and I started talking to her. I started singing my Cowgirl song to her and she really lightened up. She was in awe! Her dad said "You don't understand. She has about five songs on her CD player and you're song is one of them. You're right up there with Lady Gaga! She knows every single word to your song and plays it over and over!" My own kids don't even know my song! That moment is up there!
MICK: How long do you think you will be doing this?
CINDY: I don't know. There's a lot of possibilities with this. Robert has been doing it for 15 years now. There's been many times when he hasn't felt like being out there but he is consistent, no matter what weather. He prides himself on that. He gets booked for all kinds of appearances and they use his image for advertisements. He now has Naked Cowboy Oysters that's put out by Blue Island Shellfish Farms out on Long Island. So now most of the oysters pulled from the Long Island Sound are called Naked Cowboy Oysters. They are in restaurants all over the United States. That's just one example of residual income. The name will carry on.

"RIDE IT LIKE A COWGIRL" now on iTunes
www.nakedcowgirlfox.com
www.twitter.com/nakedcowgirlfox

FRAGMENTS FROM OLYMPUS- The Vision of NIKOLA TESLA

2011-09-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

Some have called him a mad scientist yet he is undeniably one of the greatest inventors of all time. Yet, as strange as it is, most people have never heard of Nikola Tesla. Now, 78 years after his death, a new film is being created to tell Tesla's amazing story and help save his famous laboratory Wardenclyffe. "Fragments From Olympus" is director Joseph Sikorski's and co writer Michael Calomino's labor of love, a project they've been working on for over 10 years. As the film is being developed, I had the great pleasure to speak with Joseph Sikorski about his fantastic film...

MICK: How did you get interested in Nikola Tesla in the first place?
JOSEPH: Over the years, I heard his name but never knew much about him. I used to go to the bookstore with my wife to browse the books and there was always some Tesla books in the discount section. What really fascinated me was this "death ray" that they said he invented. That's how i really got interested. I started reading about this "death ray" that the FBI believed he invented. I learned about the investigation into the "death ray" and was very interested in getting hold of the FBI documents. Each time at the bookstore, I would read a little more and finally had to buy it! I was shocked that I didn't know about him before and all the things he did that he didn't get credit for and how interesting his life was. It became a cause for me to bring him into the mainstream. He did not get credit for a lot of the things that people stole from him. A lot of people believed he was just eccentric or crazy. The sad part is that he was such an incredible genius on DaVinci's level or beyond that. He still has research that is very relevant today. We hope that a by product of this film will raise awareness of his research and continue it. Especially in the fields of alternative energy where he was a pioneer. Today, most people have never heard of Tesla or the just know of the rock band Tesla. The reason we have electric appliances in our homes is purely because of Tesla. Even radio, his most famous invention, the schools still teach that Marconi invented radio and it's such a travesty because the Supreme Court actually ruled in Tesla's favor and that Marconi violated 17 of Tesla's patents. Tesla really was the father of radio but the awards for radio are called the Marconi Awards. Schools teach that Marconi invented radio and that Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen invented X-rays. These people take credit for what Tesla did! Of course his crowning achievement was Wardenclyffe Tower which was right here on Long Island. He hoped to provide free wireless energy to the whole world. The Wardenclyffe property is in Shoreham. The building is still there though the famous tower is long gone. Tesla was funded by JP Morgan. He wanted Tesla to build a tower that would connect all the stock exchanges of the world but Tesla kept going over budget. Tesla knew it would connect all of the stock exchanges but it would also send free electricity to anyone with an antenna and a receiver. Morgan finally cut him off. He didn't agree with Tesla. His famous quote was "wireless energy- where do we put the meter?" Tesla's dream of free energy went down with the tower. The building is still there in Shoreham. It was designed by Stanford White, one of the world's most prominent architects. The building is in jeopardy. It is deteriorating. There's no public outcry for the property because most people have never heard of Tesla. We feel that if we can help raise awareness as to who Tesla was, then maybe they will see how valuable this piece of history is.
MICK: How long have you known Michael Calomino, your co-writer?
JOSEPH: We've been friends since high school! We both went to Lindenhurst High School here on Long Island. He's now in Pennsylvania. We talk frequently. The other person involved is Vic Elefante who is from the North Bellmore area. We have actor Leo Rossi (Analyze This, Halloween II) on board. When we first started pitching this, we were telling people that we could make a period piece with special effects for 3 million dollars. They said we couldn't do it. So we made this teaser for $700 to show them what we could do. We recently learned it was a semifinalist in International Movie Trailer Festival. It's great because we don't even have a finished film yet. We were competing with million dollar finished films! We are showing that we can do this film cheaper than a Hollywood production.
MICK: So you are basically just up to the script right now but you still haven't casted the film?
JOSEPH: Leo Rossi is on so we have him. We have some very interesting possibilities that are just waiting for us to get closer.
MICK: I saw your ad in The Long Island Press where you publicly asked Ralph Macchio to star in the film.
JOSEPH: Yes we did! We want to bring Tesla into the popular culture. There have been some excellent documentaries on him and some really good stuff on The History Channel. There's a great one on PBS called "Master Of Lightning". But most people still have never heard of Tesla. We want to make something that would spark an interest in science to the younger people and into popular culture to continue his research, save the Wardenclyffe property and vindicate his name. What we have is not a documentary and not a bio-pic which traditionally aren't very successful. What we have is a true life mystery thriller because of the element of "the Death Ray". The story begins with Tesla's death and the FBI invading his apartment and as they search for his papers and his information on 'the death ray', his life unfolds as they investigate this. This is all from real FBI documents they we were able to obtain. It's a mystery/adventure rather than just a bio-pic.
MICK: Have you met or spoken to any of Tesla's relatives?
JOSEPH: He doesn't have many relatives as he never married but he does have a nephew. I will get to meet him soon. The Tesla Science Center, the people who are trying to save Wardenclyffe, are doing a conference on wireless energy and invited us to be featured speakers there. William Terbo, Tesla's nephew, is going to be there too.
MICK: How do you envision Wardenclyffe in the coming years?
JOSEPH: Jane Alcorn is the person in charge there and what she envisions is fantastic. It would become the Tesla Science Center and Museum. It would be part history of Tesla, part working science center. The building would be restored and hopefully we can continue his research. Right now, it's a vacant piece of land deteriorating. This is the last remaining lab of Tesla's in the whole world so this is a worldwide attraction. In fact, in Serbia (Tesla was from Serbia) they are trying to build a replica of Tesla's tower over there. We have the actual property and building right here!
MICK: Are there any thoughts about reconstructing the tower here?
JOSEPH: I did speak to Jane about that possibility, at least as a monument. There are some zoning concerns. It would have to be a scaled down version unless some zoning laws were changed. When the film is done, that will bring some attention to it.
Wardenclyffe really could be a fantastic thing. A boom to a repressed economic area out there. There's a lot of good reasons to save the property. The fact that Stanford White designed the building is alone a great reason. The building is rotting there since the 1980's. After Tesla died, the building was used for a number of things. It was even a pickle factory at one time! Then the Peerless Photo Plant came in, They were owned by AGFA who was owned by the Bayer Corporation. They took it over and poured a lot of their photo chemicals down the well there. Because of that, there had to be a land cleanup. That probably saved the property from being sold a long time ago. A blessing in disguise! The cleanup has been done for six months now.
MICK: What is your time frame as far as completing the movie?
JOSEPH: I'd like to be shooting in the Spring of 2012. Things are starting to happen. Financially, we have some big investors waiting to see who we get on board and many small investors who want to be involved.
MICK: Are you working on any other projects besides "Fragments From Olympus"?
JOSEPH: No, this my sole focus right now and bringing attention to Wardencliffe.
MICK: Tesla worked for Thomas Edison at one time, didn't he?
JOSEPH: Yes he did. Tesla designed a motor that was able to run on AC power using magnetic fields. He designed the whole system of AC power, not just the motor but the whole polyphase system which included transformers to step the power up and down. He got the idea for this alternative current motor so someone got him an introduction to go work for Edison. He went to work for Edison and he told Edison that he invented the impossible..a motor that will run on AC power. Edison was all DC power and didn't want anything to do with it because he had so much invested in the DC system. Tesla saw problems with Edison's system and it's dynamos. Edison said if Tesla could get them working up to 100% efficiency, that would mean fifty thousand dollars for him. Tesla saw this as a chance to build his own lab and get a footing as a scientist. He worked night and day constantly. While he was doing this, he won several patents for automation. Finally, he fixed Edison's problem. When he went to collect his money, Edison said "Apparently you don't understand American sense of humor". Tesla quit and couldn't get any work for a while. He had just come from Croatia, had no money and the only work he could find was digging ditches.
That all started the "war of the currents". Alternate current is much more efficient and that's what we use today. With Edison's DC power, you needed a plant every mile or so. You also needed copper cable which was around a foot thick. You couldn't regulate the power either. Tesla's polyphase system could be regulated and could send power for hundreds of miles. Westinghouse backed Tesla but eventually had to back out because the battle against Edison had cost a small fortune. Here's a guy who gave everything and didn't get credit for anything! He died penniless in a hotel. Hopefully, this movie will teach people about Tesla, continue his research into alternative energy and turn Wardenclyffe into a world famous museum and research center.

For more information on "Fragments From Olympus" and Wardencliffe

www.FragmentsFromOlympus.com

http://www.teslasociety.com/wardenclyffe2.htm

Pop Artist OCEAN CLARK!

2011-09-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ocean Clark is truly one of today's most prolific artists. His vibrant and richly colored paintings capture classic celebrities in a style that is pop and unique. "As an artist I feel it is my duty to bring new insight and inspiration to people by using my talents to demonstrate the beauty and awe of the imagination".
Clark is coming to the Imagine Art Gallery in Port Jefferson, NY on Saturday, September 10th when his show opens up there. I had a great conversation with Ocean from his New Jersey studio...

MICK: I read that you come from an artistic family!
OCEAN: Yes I do! Both of my parents had scholarships to art school but neither of them went because they had kids. They were very artistic. They're both retired now and still doing artistic things. I've got 13 brothers and sisters, all of whom are artists.
MICK: Where were you born?
OCEAN: I was born in Tillamook, Oregon. I live in New Jersey now.
MICK: I also read that you got your start in New Orleans!
OCEAN: I spent five years in Florida going to art school but I really didn't develop my craft until I spent eight years in New Orleans as a street artist. You put yourself out there when you're a street artist because you have a thousand people passing by and looking to see what you're working on. I did my paintings right there on the street. You get insulted if they sucked and you get better real fast!
MICK: It's been written that you paint with both hands. Is that literally or is that with a brush?
OCEAN: I use brushes but I do use both hands. My left hand doesn't really know what it's doing. It's mainly for show but my left hand smears paint around. The right hand does the portrait type stuff and detailed stuff. I was actually left handed when I was born but in third grade, I had a teacher tell me that I should switch to right hand because everything was made for right handed people. I still do some things left handed but most everything is done right handed.
MICK: Do you use photographs when you paint?
OCEAN: Yes, I always have some kind of photo reference I'm looking at.
MICK: I notice that classic rock stars and classic movie stars are favorite subjects of yours to paint. Have you always liked old time movies and classic rock?
OCEAN: When I was growing up, my parents were pretty strict about wasting time with TV. We never even had a TV when I was growing up. They were very health conscience and focused on raising kids. They were smart with their health too. Even when we had a TV later on when I was a teenager, we weren't allowed to watch regular cable. We watched classic black and white movies. Mainly because they didn't want us sitting in front of a TV for five hours a day. Most families these days use it as a babysitter. We were all smart and creative. We got out in the world and played rather than sit in front of a TV. Because of that, the things I am into today are much older than I am. I do a lot of the classic movie stars because that's what I grew up on. Classic rock too because my parents were always playing it. I wasn't one to rebel against my parents because they were creative types and they let us do what we wanted pretty much. If I were to rebel against them I would have become an accountant!
MICK: Writers often have writers block where it takes time to get in the mood to write. Do you ever get painters block?
OCEAN: Yes I do. I have some tricks for getting past that. One of the tricks I don't do much anymore. I used to set up a canvas beside my bed before I go to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I'd force myself to finish it before I get out of bed. It's usually a small blank canvas, like 16" x 20", and I would sit there and work on it until it was finished every morning. I wouldn't allow myself to even go to the bathroom, eat breakfast or have coffee. They were usually very crappy paintings because I was in a hurry. Once a month I would show my morning work. I'd show them like they were my best work and never let anyone know that they were your quick sketches that you hate! It encourages you to get better. For the artist block, it encourages you to paint even when you don't feel like it. You wake up and you start painting. It's in the back of your mind and you're constantly thinking about it. I've got canvases in every room, even the bathroom. No matter what I'm doing, I can be working on a painting. I have paints and brushes in every single room in my house. Also, I don't let myself become stunted by that desire for everything to be your best. I don't judge myself. I just try to push a paint brush around for 8-10 hours a day. If I do that, I can pay my bills. Once in a while, the painting will be my best without even trying!
MICK: Do you work on more than one painting at the same time?
OCEAN: Yes, sometimes I will have 100! I have at least a dozen that I'm working on at the same time. Right now, I have around 40 paintings that I'm working on that are not finished yet.
MICK: How long would it take to basically finish a painting?
OCEAN: Some only take a couple hours while some have taken only 15 minutes! On average, I would say around eight hours. One long day! The better ones might take a week but those are rare. I've got 30,000 hours of practice into it! For me to do a painting, I really don't have to think that hard about it. I can splatter paint and cover a canvas in a lot less time than someone who has only a couple thousand hours into it. I've done it so much that it's beyond the conscience thought. It a subconscious thing when I'm moving brushes around!
MICK: Do you use acrylics or oils?
OCEAN: Always acrylics. Acrylics are more permanent. Oils are a fluid and they never completely dry. Dust sticks to them, acid sticks to them, smoke and toxic sticks to them. They start to fade after five to ten years. They are probably 10% more faded than they were when you first painted it. In 100 years, they're practically gone. You look at old paintings and they are all oil paintings. Acrylics weren't invented until 1954. Oil paints are inferior. Comparing oils to acrylics is like comparing a horse and buggy to a Ferrari! You can't do anything with oils that you can do with acrylics. It's arguable but that's how I feel.
MICK: Do you ever use watercolors?
OCEAN: I play with watercolors once in a while. I still do a lot of outdoor shows so if I'm doing watercolors, I mix them with acrylic so that they're more permanent. Watercolors can be lifted up again and if it rains outdoors, the show is in trouble!Even with oils, your paintings can get damaged. For my acrylics, I put a couple layers of glaze over the top that makes it real waterproof. The glaze also has ultraviolet protective layer in it to protect it from the sun. My paintings will still be beautiful in 100 years. When you look at them in a gallery, you will understand and see that they're brighter than other paintings beside them. That's because I use the best quality materials and I'm not worried about the cost of things. I use $400 a gallon paint. It's better and my finished product looks better! I could use $10 a gallon house paint but it won't look as pretty. In ten years, it won't look the same at all.
MICK: Which artists do you admire?
OCEAN: I admire artists like Picasso for the simplicity of his style. It's like going back to childhood and just having fun with it. I loved his work. I admire other artists for their marketability than business sense. Peter Max for example. I don't necessarily love his work. Some of his older 70's stuff was beautiful. I lot of his new stuff is like scribbles on canvas. The way he markets himself is genius! He does 100,000 prints and calls them all original. He sells over 100 million dollars worth of work a year. That's pretty impressive!
MICK: Are you looking forward to your show at the Imagine Gallery in Port Jefferson this coming weekend?
OCEAN: Absolutely! I always have a good time out there. The people in that neighborhood are like family to me. They treat me real good!
MICK: What's ahead for Ocean Clark?
OCEAN: I will continue painting a lot. I'm planning on moving to the beach somewhere but haven't completely decided just where yet. After this show, I have one more show in New Jersey. Then I will be packing up. I have a ranch rented just north of Los Angeles that I'm moving to for the winter. I don't want to have to spend another winter in New Jersey. This ranch is amazing. It has a beach, horses, a stream running through it, deep washtubs in the bathrooms! I'm really looking forward to it! Last winter, my power went out in my studio. It's an old 130 year old factory. I have a really great space but the landlord didn't pay for the problem when a transformer blew in the building. We had no power for two weeks. It was below freezing the whole time. I couldn't stop painting so I painted with gloves on. My fingers were frozen. I actually broke one of my fingers. The paint doesn't dry right and moves to slow because it's too cold. It was ridiculous. This winter, I will be somewhere more tropical!

Come this Saturday to meet OCEAN CLARK and see his amazing work!

Imagine Gallery Presents Ocean Clark
and Laura Bochet
Saturday September 10, 2011
Artist Reception: 6 to 9 PM
Imagine Gallery
35 Chandler Square
Port Jefferson NY 11777
631-509-5340

http://www.imaginegallery.ifp3.com/
www.oceanclark.com

The Legendary JOHNNY MATHIS!

2011-07-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

He is truly one of the greatest singers in the world and a living legend. Johnny Mathis has been performimg for over 55 years now and he is still going strong! His unique vocals have captured audiences, young and old, worldwide and he is always in style, regardless of whatever the current popular music may be. Johnny returns once again to Westbury this coming weekend and I had the absolute pleasure to speak with him from his California home...
MICK: How do you like appearing in the round at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury?
JOHNNY: I've been there for so many years and it's one of my favorite venues. You're close to the people, everybody gets a nice view and the acoustics are wonderful. The only problem sometimes is that we have to put the orchestra to one side of the stage. I used to work with the orchestra on the stage with me but it was kind of cumbersome because I couldn't do anything but stand there! Over the years, I've seen the demise of all the other venues with seats in the round across the country. The NYCB Theatre at Westbury is one of the best and I'm glad it's still around.
MICK: Your latest album " Let It Be Me- Mathis In Nashville" sounds fantastic. Is this your first country album?
JOHNNY: That's right. Over the years, I've done a few songs that I guess you could call country. My dad was a wonderful singer and piano player. He's from Texas. Those country songs were the first songs I heard. My dad was my mentor when I started singing. I just love singing them.
MICK: When you record a song, do you ever get that inner feeling that you know it will be a hit?
JOHNNY: Oh no. Over the years, some of my biggest hits I kind of just brushed off and said they weren't dynamic enough or its not this or that. Of course you never never know. The idea is to try to get yourself in position in the business where you can record a lot of stuff and see what happens!
MICK: You've had nine very successful Christmas albums. Is Christmas your favorite holiday?
JOHNNY: Yes it is! My mom and dad raised seven children on domestic wages. Christmas time was very special for us. The mood was already there. The music was a big part of Christmas. I always sang in a lot of choirs. We were always going down to the local department stores singing Christmas carols. My mom and dad were professional cooks so they made Christmas a very special time for us with the foods that they prepared. Over the years, I've sang Christmas music and it's been a very big part of my life. I'm so happy we've had such great success with my Christmas music that I've recorded through the years!
MICK: Are your other siblings in the music industry?
JOHNNY: A couple of my brothers were. My brother Ralph still performs with his wife. They perform all over. My youngest brother Mike is very ill. He was a wonderful musician but he's not able to play anymore. My sisters never got involved. They were great dancers! I can't dance! They were one up on me in that regard. My dad influenced the whole family with his music.
MICK: As an athlete, you've had some great successes in your life including competing in the Olympic trials and in golf, getting six holes in ones! What do you personally consider you're greatest athletic achievement?
JOHNNY: I don't think there's too much athleticism concerned with golf but its a passion for me. It gives me an opportunity to socialize, which sometimes can be very difficult in a business like I am as I'm constantly performing! Golf is my social activity as well as a nice walk in the park. I think my biggest accomplishment was when I was on the track and field team when I was high jumping. I got to participate with some pretty extraordinary athletes. I cut my athletic career short by singing. But one of my best friends is basketball great Bill Russell. Bill and I went to separate universities and we ran track together, worked out together. We are still really good friends! That was really one of the athletic highlights of my career getting to know Bill and follow his career as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
MICK: I guess you still golf a lot?
JOHNNY: I do! I golf at least five times a week and I get a chance to play with a lot of wonderful athletes. I get to reminisce and talk about the old times of running track and field.
MICK: What are your favorite golf courses?
JOHNNY: I play Riviera Golf Course which is quite famous. I some of the other great country clubs throughout Southern California. Of course, right around the corner from Westbury is the famous Black Course at Bethpage. I do go over there and play once in a while!
MICK: What is your favorite song?
JOHNNY: I think "Misty" is about as close as I can come to picking a favorite song.
MICK: Do you play any musical instruments?
JOHNNY: No I don't!
MICK: Besides Westbury, what are your other favorite venues to play?
JOHNNY: Several of my favorite venues are concert halls. I just finished playing a wonderful concert hall called " Davies Symphony Hall" in San Fransisco. Most of these concert halls are named after people who pay the money to build them. I was there for a wonderful concert in my home town a couple of weeks ago. In another month, I will be working in another fabulous concert hall in Dallas "Meyerson Symphony Center". Those places are built for music so the acoustics are extraordinary. Of course being a singer, acoustics is one of the most important things in my life.
MICK: Do you have any fond memories of coming to Long Island?
JOHNNY: When I started singing, I went to New York when I was 19 and started recording. I remember I sang at a place called The Shell House on Long Island many, many years ago. It's probably not there anymore. I remember I was by myself. I had to rehearse the orchestra and work the lights from my microphone at the same time I was singing. That was the most extraordinary experience of my life.
MICK: When you are home, who do you listen to?
JOHNNY: Right now, I'm listening to a group of songs that are all Puccini opera by some of my favorite vocal icons like Leontyne Price, Beverly Sills, Richard Tucker, Pavarotti, etc...Of course, I love Brazilian music. I just sat down at my computer last night and ordered some Brazilian music. There's a guy I work out with at the local gym who's from Brazil. His name is Carlinhos Brown. I did not know about him until I started working out with him at the gym. He is one of the most extraordinary musicians in the world. I was so happy to meet him and hear his music. I think he is perhaps the most famous musician in Brazil now.
MICK: So you just came across Carlinhos by accident!
JOHNNY: I came across him in a gym! I saw this extraordinary man on the running machine with dreadlocks down to his ankles! He didn't speak much English but he was recording the soundtrack to the movie called "Rio' which has been out recently. I looked up some of the recordings he had done. He's recorded with people like Sergio Mendes, whom I made a Brazilian album with. I am now fascinated by Calinhos and his Brazilian music. I love to learn songs in different languages, especially in Portuguese- the way the Brazilians sing Portuguese. It goes over well on stage too!
MICK: Are you working on anything new right now?
JOHNNY: As far as my stage performances go, I'm always changing things around. The recordings kind of come when they come. I depend a lot on people in the industry that I've worked with over the years who come in and out of my life on many occasions. They are the ones who call me up and say "Hey John! what do you think about doing this?" and before I know it, I'm hooked up with them and I'm back in the studio making some recordings. That's how the recordings go now these days.
MICK: When all is said and done, how would you like to be remembered?
JOHNNY: I've always thought that if you were a nice person, that was the nicest thing anyone could say about you. Even though you have all these unbelievable opportunities over the years to be heard and be seen, I think it's a wonderful attribute if after all of your successes and extraordinary life that people think of you as a nice person!

Johnny truly is a nice person! You can catch him this weekend at
NYCB Theatre at Westbury NY Saturday 7/30/2011 8:00 PM
and Sunday 7/31/2011 8:00 PM

For more on Johnny Mathis: http://www.johnnymathis.com/

Best Selling Author Dr. Carole Lieberman- The Media Psychiatrist

2011-07-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

She's a three time Emmy Award winner, best selling author and you've seen her on all of the talk shows. Dr. Carole Lieberman is world famous as the "Media Psychiatrist" with a star star studded Beverly Hills practice and is highly respected among her peers. Her latest book "Bad Girls: Why Men Love Them & How Good Girls Can Learn Their Secrets" is a huge success and it has led Dr. Carole on a fantastic journey to London in hopes of obtaining a very unique piece of memorabilia! I recently enjoyed speaking with Dr. Carole from her Beverly Hills home.....

MICK: Please tell me how and why you went to London to bid on Kate Middleton's sexy see-through dress?
DR. CAROLE: Kate Middleton had got engaged to Prince William right around the same time my book " Bad Girls: Why Men Love Them and How Good Girls Can Learn Their Secrets" came out in November. I've been doing a lot of media interviews and I would talk about how Kate was the quintessential good girl who used bad girl secrets to catch her prince! I gave some examples and one of these secrets was wearing this sexy see-through dress at the fashion show that she knew Prince William was going to be at. They were both at the same school. That dress was actually supposed to be a skirt and she wore it over her underwear. It was a combination of being really beautiful, having a good body and sauntering down the runway. It wasn't that she was just beautiful and had a good body, it was she had the audacity to wear this in a Scottish school parading in her underwear essentially. It was this confidence and audacity that attracted Prince William. It got him to turn to his friend and say "Wow, she is hot!". At that moment, it went from being, in his eyes, a friend to being a love interest. She was this great example that showed women that they can catch their own prince. In my book, the last chapter is "Bad girls secrets to a man's heart". That is a distillation of stories from the rest of the book. I interviewed over 100 men and put the best bad girl stories in the book. In between the chapters in the book, there's the twelve chapters about each type of bad girl. Within each chapter, I have 3 or 4 real stories from men on the dating front talking about their experiences with that particular bad girl. When men read it, they are warned about the kind of things the bad girls do to catch them or trap them. Good girls can read it from a different point of view where they can see the secrets the bad girls use to catch these men. The last chapter is a distillation of the things that kept coming up again and again in these stories. So Kate Middleton is essentially a good girl who used bad girl secrets. Pippa Middleton is a bad girl! Kate represented, and by extension of her sexy dress, how good girls can catch their own prince! That's why I went to London to bid on the dress because I wanted it as a tangible proof that good girls can catch their own prince. I was outbid because there was no way I going to pay $125,000 for the dress. I did bid on it. Before I went to London, it was estimated that the high bid would be $16,000. I thought that was within reason. Of course, things change!
That was the last item up for bid. I was committed to bid on it. By the time I started to bid on it, the bidding was up to 28,500 lbs., which is like $65,000! After coming all that way, I did place a bid! After that, it went through the roof. I realized that somebody would probably outbid me so I had a plan B. I would bid on items from the Duchess of Windsor because she was the quintessential bad girl who conduced her man to give up the throne. I wound up with three lace boudoir jackets and one shocking pink nightgown was a jacket. I had to fight tooth and nail to get those!
MICK: What was the theme of the auction?
DR. CAROLE: All together it was vintage high fashion clothing. There were about 300 items from various years, not all royalty items. There was clothing, jewelry, pocketbooks. The last items were 3 dresses from Princess Diana and the last thing was Kate's dress. It was quite exciting. Before I went to London, my publicist sent out press releases about my quest so there had been some things in the news before I went. There were tons of press both days. They all wanted to know why this woman from Los Angeles had come to London to bid on Kate's dress! The people there were really nice except for the person bidding against me! There were about 300 people at the auction with about 50 press people behind them to see would would win the coveted items. There was one person bidding against me for the Duchess's items and I was determined to win the auction after coming all the way to London! I would not go home empty handed! So now I have the Duchess's bad girl things!
This was all for the same reason that I wrote the book. In general, it was to help men and women get the love they deserve. For men, beware of bad girls. For good girls, it was to even the playing field so they would not lose their men to bad girls and that they can catch their own prince! So it's all tied in together!
MICK: Something for everyone!
DR. CAROLE: Yes that's right! I have this test for women in the first chapter of the book called "The Bad Girls Test" for women and "The Sitting Duck Test" for men. In the bad girl's test, you go from being a good girl to being a man eater depending on how many things you check off. For each type of bad girl, I explain what has made them that way. I also explain what makes men attracted to them. There are psychological roots for all of these things. It's not only for good girls or for bad girls who want to reform or recovering bad girls. What makes a bad girl bad is feeling that she's not lovable. It starts off with having a dysfunctional relationship with her father that makes her feel unlovable. She grows up and is attracted to bad boys who continue to make her feel unlovable. At some point, she takes her heart off her sleeve ,hardens it and decides to go after men for these other reasons and that's the 12 different types I describe in my book.
MICK: Do you the rights to Kate's dress?
DR. CAROLE: When I was in London, I became friends with Charlotte Todd, the designer of the dress. I asked her if she could make me a replica! I did this before I was outbid. So I did wind up with the only replica/prototype of the limited edition of manufactured copies of the dress. I became the U.S. ambassador of the dress! The only place you can get this dress in the United States is from my website. I'm looking to be placing it in certain boutiques. When I speak and do my "How To Catch a Prince Tour" lectures, the dress will be sold there.
MICK: How is the book doing?
DR. CAROLE: It's doing pretty well!
MICK: I also saw that one of the schools you attended with the University of Stony Brook here on Long Island. Did you live on Long Island?
DR. CAROLE: I lived at the dorms when I went to college there. I was born in the Bronx, grew up in Flushing and Forest Hills. When I went to Stony Brook, we lived in Forest Hills at the time.
MICK: You are one the the world's top forensic psychiatrists. How often are you called to court to testify?
DR. CAROLE: I usually have about 10 cases, in different stages, going on at the same time. A lot of cases will settle before they reach court. In one stage I'm reading the records and examining the parties involved in the law suits. Or I'm writing a report. Then there's the deposition and then there's the trial, if it gets that far. Most cases are in California but I've testified in a number of different states.
MICK: Who are your favorite celebrities?
DR. CAROLE: I usually get called on to analyze all the things the celebrities are doing wrong! In the book, for each of the types of bad girls, I name celebrity examples for each of the types. Whether they are real people like Angelina Jolie being a husband stealer or fictional characters. For example, I use the characters from "Sex In The City". I suppose I would have to say Kate Middleton as my favorite celebrity at this point!
MICK: What do you do to unwind?
DR. CAROLE: Besides writing, talking and trying to help people, my other passion is horseback riding. I have a horse. I started riding when I was in camp as a kid. I continued when I was in Stony Brook. There was a physical education class on horse riding and I took it for two semesters. I ride like three or four times a week and allow myself that luxury and even compete too!
MICK: Are you are superstitious person?
DR. CAROLE: Sometimes I am. For the Millennium, I went to the Amazon in Peru and on this trip, we communed with Shamans. That was like a fine line between superstition and spiritual stuff. One day recently, I was eating Chinese food and for the first time in my life, I got a fortune cookie that didn't have a fortune in it! I don't know if you would call that superstitious but it seemed rather foreboding! So I demanded the waiter to bring me another fortune cookie!
MICK: You've been called the Dr. Freud of modern times by your peers. How do you feel about that?
DR. CAROLE: I actually studied with Anna Freud in my last year of residency at NYU Bellevue. I was chief resident and so for my last year, I went to London for four months. I did research at the The Maudsley Hospital [a British psychiatric hospital in South London] but the main reason I went there was because I wanted to study with Anna Freud. That was an amazing experience. Reading Sigmund Freud's interpretations of dreams is what got me to become a psychiatrist. I had decided I wanted to be a doctor when I was around eight years old but when I was a teenager, I read Freud's interpretation of dreams and that really resonated with me. I respect him for his theories and the legacy and changes he left.
MICK: You've written best selling books on bad girls and bad boys (Bad Boys: Why We Love Them, How to Live with Them and When to Leave Them),. What's next?
DR. CAROLE: There was a book in between called "Coping With Terrorism" and that was published in London. In 2006, American publishers didn't believe that enough people would buy a book on coping with terrorism. Today, so many people are in denial and because Bin Laden has been killed, its helping people stay in denial. Terrorists are not to stop trying to destroy America. So two things are next for me. I want to bring bad boys back with a new edition so I can use more current bad boys as examples. I also want to have "Coping With Terrorism" published in America because I really feel passionate about that. We really haven't recovered from 9/11 and we aren't dealing well with the ongoing news we hear about terrorism.
We are putting our heads in the sand in denial and it's costing us psychologically. A good example is the obesity crisis. There are many factors for this but the main factor is that people are trying to comfort themselves with food because of being rattled from this ingoing threat and the aftermath of 9/11. We are not talking about it and we don't want to admit out loud that we are still scared. We are coping badly by drinking to much, eating to much and various malfunctions. We really have to learn how to cope better. So besides helping people find love, I'm helping people how to survive war!

For more on Dr. Carole Lieberman...http://www.drcarole.com/

http://www.badgirlsbook.com/

Creedence Clearwater Revisted's Drummer DOUG "COSMO" CLIFFORD

2011-07-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

There is probably not a truer American rock and roll band than Creedence Clearwater Revival. Combining rhythm and blues, country and a dash of soul, CCR paved a blazing trail right into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When the band broke up, the members went their seperate ways. Years later, CCR's rhythm section of bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford formed a new band Creedence Clearwater Revisited. They continue the legacy today with a stellar lineup that does the utmost justice to CCR's hallowed music. I had the great pleasure to speak with Doug Clifford recently from his home in Nevada....

MICK: Do you prefer to be called Doug or Cosmo?
DOUG: Either one! i was first called Cosmo in college. My nickname came out of nowhere and kind of stuck like dog poop on a shoe! Everybody in the band calls me Cos or Cosmo, including my longtime friend Stu Cook. It's lasted a long time. We had a nice big album out of it [Cosmo's Factory]!
MICK: When did you first start playing drums?
DOUG: I started playing when I was 13.
MICK: How did the band come up with the name Creedence Clearwater Revival?
DOUG: We were originally called The Golliwogs and we didn't name ourselves that. We hated it. What made it even worse was the uniforms we had to wear because of our manager. We fired him. We had three pages of names. Credence Newball was one of them. He was a black janitor that worked with Tom [Fogarty]. Creedence of course means truth and honesty. Clearwater was an Olympia Beer commercial and also a key word for ecology at that time. We were thinking of that before anyone else; and Revival was a revival of ourselves, no more goofy outfits and no more goofy manager. That's it!
MICK: Is Stu Cook your oldest friend?
DOUG: Yes, we known each other for 53 years now!
MICK: Creedence Clearwater Revival was one of the headliners at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. What was the band's reaction to not being included on the soundtrack album?
DOUG: That was John Fogarty's call. He didn't think we did good enough and we all did. He was the band's manager at the time and it was a bad management decision. A real bad one. We are finally in there now after 40 years on the bonus tracks. I'm very proud of everything we did and under the circumstances, I think everyone did a good job.
MICK: What is your favorite Creedence song?
DOUG: "Born On The Bayou".
MICK: In 1993, when CCR was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, John Fogarty refused to play with you and Stu at the induction ceremony concert. What exactly happened that night?
DOUG: Nothing happened! We didn't play! We went there expecting to play. Nobody told us. There was a conspiracy going on. John was rehearsing with Springsteen and the other big shots for a month. John told the Hall of Fame not to tell us. It was pretty ugly. It was very wrong. You always look for the positive and I think, unknowing at the time, it planted the seeds for Creedence Clearwater Revisited. This is our seventeenth year with the project!
MICK: Longer than your time with CCR!
DOUG: By over 4 times!
MICK: Is there still bitterness between you and John Fogarty?
DOUG: Yes there is! He's carrying it. I don't know why. He made all these bad business decisions like not being in the Woodstock movie and not taking a 10% of the record company for a new royalty rate. We still have an entry level rate based on wholesale. That's pitiful. He did a terrible job as a manager and did a great job as a creative person. He insisted on doing the management and when we needed a real pro, he lost more than anybody. He still doesn't own his songs. It couldn't have been worse on that side and it couldn't have been better on the other side.
MICK: How did you find John Tristao, the lead singer for Creedence Clearwater Revisited?
DOUG: The guy is great! We networked and told everybody that we knew in the business what our plan was and asked for ideas. An old friend of his who works for one of the guitar string companies, put his name in. We contacted him and asked him to pick an acoustic guitar and sing. We had five songs and these had to be done without any accompaniment. I think we had ten singers and four of them passed the first audition, including John. Out of the last four, John was the last one and we knew we had our guy. He's also very funny and a natural showman. We love him!
MICK: Creedence Clearwater Revisited released an album 'Recollection" in 1997. It went platinum! Will there be another record in the near future?
DOUG: No but there might be some additions to "Recollection". Our name kind of paints us into a corner where we can't go outside of the band or do any original material or anything that wasn't done by Creedence. There still some beautiful little gems and nuggets in the catalog. We work the songs up in sound check. So we have a few we will be laying down and then putting out a single CD with half of the songs coming from "Recollection" which were all hits and the other half will be the songs we are working on. Not sure when its coming out but it will be in the mix!
MICK: What drummers do you admire?
DOUG: My mentor and favorite drummer, who has long since passed, is Al Jackson Jr. from Booker T. and the MG's. What most people don't realize is that they weren't just an instrumental band doing "Green Onions" and the like. They were the house band for Stax so they played on all the hits from people like Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, etc... They were just an awesome band. A quartet as we were too. We tried to model ourselves after them. We took them on the road with us and did 31 dates in America. I became good friends with Al. He gave me some pretty good advise during those years. While I was actually playing drums he was a mentor. The guy that inspired me to play drums was the great Gene Krupa from Tommy Dorsey's Band. I saw a television special when I was 12 and it was all about him. After that, I knew what I wanted to do! And do it on rock and roll records!
MICK: Aren't you a Viet Nam veteran Doug?
DOUG: I'm not a Viet Nam veteran. I was in the United States Coast Guard during that time period in the Coast Guard Reserve. I had an awesome deal. There was a two year waiting list to get in. I was going to be drafted by the Army in two weeks as i already had got the notice. I was recruited as a football player to play on the west coast for the United States Coast Guard. We were an undefeated championship team! I led the league in interceptions in that position. Fate!
MICK: John Fogarty was in the service at the same time with you, right?
DOUG: He was in the Army Reserve in Richmond, California. That was one city away from our hometown which was maybe five miles. We weren't in the war. We were both very fortunate to have got past that hurdle.
MICK: What do you do in your leisure time?
DOUG: I spend time with my family. I have 3 grandchildren. I just had my third a few days ago! I'm a family guy. Play a little golf. I used to play a lot but I'm playing less and less. I live on two golf courses. I winter in Scottsdale Arizona and then eight months in Reno-Tahoe area. I need to get back to my golf game! It's something that I am missing!
MICK: Are there any new bands that you like today?
DOUG: There probably are. I will hear something on the radio or on TV and I will like it. But I usually miss whoever the band is. I like the old stuff. I like country. There's some pretty good songwriters in Nashville. The drummers are playing some pretty cool parts as opposed to just the basic of things. The rhythm sections in country now are more pop than country. I find that an interesting transition.

You can see Creedence Clearwater Revisited, along with Three Dog Night, at NYCB Theatre in Westbury
Sunday, July 17, 2011 8:00 PM
For more on CCV: www.creedence-revisited.com/

Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds!

2011-06-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

For over three decades, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have evolved from being a straight blues band into a very diversified American music band that still incorporates a very distinctive and powerful sound. Kim Wilson is the lead vocalist/harmonica player and also the group's founder. Now on a big American tour, Kim took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me about the group and his life today....

MICK: You started out working with some of the world's greatest blues players, people like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. What was it like working with those legends?
KIM: There's nothing to compare to it. It's kind of like being with friends and playing basketball with Michael Jordon! Jimmy Rogers was the greatest. I played with everybody! I was a young kid when I got started. When I was 18 years old, I played with Eddie Taylor, Albert Collins, Lowell Pulson, Peewee Crayton, Luther Tucker, I met George Smith, John Lee Hooker, played with Johnny Shines back then. A who's who of blues! It was a dream.
MICK: How did you meet Jimmy Vaughn?
KIM: I was on a trip down to Texas. This gal offered me some gigs down there. I was playing for her boyfriend at the time and he was playing with Lowell Pulson back then. She had told him about me. This was around 1972. I had made a few recordings and Willie Dixon was my manager at the time. Dixon gave me over to Bill Dison, who was Jimmy Reeds' manager. He funded a recording session for me and I made a single. I sent it down to her and she loved it. I had never been on an airplane before! I was in Minneapolis at the time and I didn't want to be there. It was really cold there. I had just come from California and wanted to leave. I went down there but it didn't pan out. But I did meet Jimmy Vaughn at that time. He called me an we got together. The rest is history!
MICK: When Jimmy left the band in 1989, was there any anamosity?
KIM: Not at all.
MICK: You are the only original member left in the band, right Kim?
KIM: That's right!
MICK: As the old members left the band, was it hard to find good replacements?
KIM: No it wasn't! It's a pretty good gig to have. You get a lot of time if you are a soloist, you get to bring songs to the table. There's a lot of things you get with this gig. You get to play blues if you want to but you can also push the envelope if you want to. It's really up to the people in the band on how creative they want to be. The guys I have now are very original. It's been a blessing for me. It's very stimulating for me. I get to write a lot of stuff and sing a lot of stuff.
MICK: I see you have a very busy tour schedule this year.
KIM: They're still piling it on too! I'm happy about that. I'm not complaining.
MICK: You have your Blues Allstars touring South America too!
KIM: I have that and I have the Blues Allstars doing other things. Another tour in the Fall. I have both things going at the same time. The lion's share of it goes to the Thunderbirds obviously. I've got this great new agency that really stepped it up for us. A lot of really good things are happening. We were just in the studio recently in Austin and cut some new tracks. Adding to what we already have but we retracked a few things. It's a very cool atmosphere to be in right now. I hope everybody feels the same way I do! For me, to keep things fresh at this stage of my life, it's not easy. There's a lot of good players out there. I've had almost all of them! For me to really get my jollies, I have to see some creation going on. I'm proud to say I've got some guys here who are great players. I've kind of gone back a step in a way and gone forward at the same time. I'm playing a lot of blues in the set now and all of the other stuff I like as well. I never have a set list. I just call the songs off on the spot as we do the show. I tailor the set to the audience every night that we play.
MICK: So it's never the same each night?
KIM: Never
MICK: When do you expect to release the new album?
KIM: That's a good question! This year for sure. It's a work in progress. We have the advantage of doing this without a label and taking our time to finish it. We've been able to come back and buff it out some more. We've had a chance to play some of the tracks live for a long time. So now we can just walk in and track it in one or two takes. That's what we did on a couple of them. We had a session out here in LA that we felt wasn't the ideal thing. We felt there was some work to be done on the existing tracks we had. We've got them honed down now. It's cost a little bit of money but it's better than putting out a record where you're kicking yourself in the ass. It's going to be a really cool record.
MICK: What are some of your favorite venues to play?
KIM: I used to love The Ritz in New York. I really enjoyed The Bottom Line. I enjoy playing BB Kings now! I think that's a great room. I think that New York is famous for those kinds of rooms. I wish some of them still existed. I remember going to see Jimmy McGriff and King Crawford over at The Blue Note. That's still there. Then there's Max's Kansas City. New York is such a great place to play. There's not much happening out in LA right now. Of course you can still go to the large venues like Universal. Right now the cycle is down in all the big cities. There's some stuff happening in San Fransisco and Chicago now. Those are the cities you always look forward to. There's never been much happening down in Texas. That's why you go out on the road! Austin is the only place in Texas where there's anything remotely going on. Austin has always bragged about it's music scene but they dont really back it up.
MICK: How many harmonicas do you own?
KIM: Enough to get through a night! I happen to own a lot because I don't buy them off the rack. I have them worked on for me. I don't throw harmionicas away anymore. I send them back and they redo them for me. This guy Joe Filisko in Joliet, Illinois. He redoes them for me. He is a genius. I used to throw them all away after they broke down. I have many 60 to 100. Not really sure. They all keep going back and every now and then I get a new batch! There's nothing like a Filisko Harmonica!
MICK: Which harp players do you admire?
KIM: Almost all of them are dead! Little Walter, Big Walter, both Sonnyboys, George Harmonica Smith. James Cotton is a really great friend of mine and was a huge influence on me in a lot of ways. Jimmy Reed, Lazy Lester is a very good friend of mine. Snooky Pryor, Junior Wells, Junior Parker, Slim Harpo. I listened to all of them. There's people like Whispering Smith and Billy Bizer. These are people you don't even know! Most people will never know these people! I'm a really big fan of this jazz guy Mike Turk in Boston. He's a great harmonica player. I love Larry Adler, Toots Thielmans. I'm stubbling upon people all the time that I haven't heard. I'm just a fan of the instrument. I'm a fan of music. I like all music that's cool!
MICK: What do you like to do when you're not touring?
KIM: I play sports. I like to play basketball, go to the gym and work out. I like to go fishing out in the ocean which hasn't been good the last couple of years. I like to ride a bike and play a little golf. I have over 25,000 songs on my computer that I listen to. That's more songs than most people have in their record collections. I just put them on shuffle!
MICK: Are you religious?
KIM: I love gospel music. I am religious. I'm not one of these born again people and like to think I'm a spititual person. Of course I was taught to believe in God. Had my doubts in the past but you go back and say you're sorry. God is somebody to talk to and converse with! You have to start by saying "Listen, I'm not doing this because I want something!". There's lots of times you can thatnk God just for a beautiful day. I live out here in California and have a lot to be thankful for. Everyday is beautiful. I get to travel all over the world, I've played with some of the greatest musicians that ever lived. I've done a lot of cool stuff and it's far from over! I think I'm doing my coolest stuff right now!
MICK: What would be one word that would describe you?
KIM: Relentless!
MICK: What do you see down the road for The Fabulous Thunderbirds?
KIM: All good! I see no reason why we can't have commercial success again. I'm hoping there's going to be a rennescence here of the player. I can see it happening slowly. When I was a kid, that's all I was into was the players. If it were dance music, there had to be players involved with it as well. Before I got into blues, I was into Stax, Motown, Atlantic. I liked the soul music. I had the players in my mind because I started playing with I was very young. I stopped doing it to play athletics. When I got back into playing music again when I was 17, I already had that mindset. Over the years I came to realize that it's ok to have technical ability if you can deliver it. You have to be able to move people.

Kim and his band The Fabulous Thunderbirds continue to move people who come to see them perform! Upcoming shows include...
6/20/2011 B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill New York, New York

7/10/2011 North Fork Theater at Westbury Westbury, L.I., NY
with Dickey Betts!

Here's Lucie!

2011-06-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

We came to know and love her as the daughter of America's favorite couple, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. We also knew them as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy" in the early days of television. Lucie Arnaz became a huge star in her own right, from her beginnings on the "Here's Lucy " show to her exceptional career as a singer and dancer. Lucie brings her new show "Latin Roots" to the Landmark Theater in Port Washington this Saturday. I was thrilled to speak with Lucie the other evening from her home in Connecticut...

MICK: Please tell me about your show "Latin Roots" coming to the Landmark On Main Street in Port Washington on Saturday, June 18th.
LUCIE: For ten years, I've been trying to put together this Latin Roots show that I've been dreaming about. After my last Cd a few years ago, I thought my next was going to be Latin music and what inspired me to go into the concert business to begin with, which was my father's music. A year ago in January, I got this opportunity to do a tribute to his music based on his original arrangements which is housed at the Library of Congress. We did the show here in New York for Lyric and Lyricists as we opened their 40th season with it. It was a huge success for five nights. Then we were invited down to the big Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami Beach to do it last July. My brother [Desi Arnaz Jr.] was in it with me, Raúl Esparza sang a lot of my father's numbers, Valarie Pettiford danced in it with two other dancers, and a fifteen piece orchestra. The show is called "Babalu". It was spectacular! Simultaneously, as I was directing and producing this show as a tribute to my dad, I was also producing a Latin Roots Cd. They both came out on the same weekend! I am so happy with this music and this type of Cd. It's contemporary music with a Latin flair. I have a song my father wrote, I have Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer and some new stuff. The show I'm bringing to Port Washington is all focused on that. It rocks and it's very sassy and it's kind of sentimental. It's a labor of love and a Valentine for my dad!
MICK: Is this show at the Landmark different from your Babalu show?
LUCIE: The Babalu show had a much bigger orchestra and had the original Desi Arnaz orchestration with his charts from the Desi Arnaz Band. But some of the songs are the same just with a smaller trio. The Babalu Show was five people and two dancers. This show is just me! I can't do the Babalu show alone and I can't do it for cheap! It cost me a lot more money to take that out!
MICK: I read that as a child, you had an early appearance on the "I Love Lucy" show. Do you have any recollection of that?
LUCIE: I have no recollection of that and there's a good reason for that! It was a misprint that somebody put in a book a long time ago. I believed it my whole life! TV Land finally started running the entire "I Love Lucy" shows without any of the cuts or edits for commercials. I couldn't wait to finally see the episode that they told me that both my brother and I were on. It was the final "I Love Lucy" episode where there's a statue out in the park and Lucy is pretending to be the statue. There's a crowd scene and I was always told that me and my brother were in this scene. I looked and sure enough, there's my brother but that's not me! It's some other girl! So that was just an assumption on somebody's part. However, I guess I could say I was in the original 'I Love Lucy" show because my mother was pregnant with me when they did the original pilot!
MICK: Keith Thibodeaux played Little Ricky on "I Love Lucy". Were you friends with him?
LUCIE: Very good friends! I thought he was my brother for the longest time! He practically grew up in our house. He's lived in Jackson, Mississippi for the better part of his life. Desi and Keith were the best of friends. Keith was around 4 years older than Desi but growing up, they were best friends. He virtually was the inspiration for my brother to learn how to play the drums. Keith went everywhere with us. They grew up and went their separate ways. Keith had a little rock band and Desi had Dino, Desi and Billy. That was the only connection. Years later, Desi is watching a talk show and realizes Keith is on the show. Meanwhile, my brother had got married to this lovely lady named Amy Bargiel who was a ballerina and ran a ballet company. So he's watching this talk show and sees Keith and his wife who's a ballerina and runs a ballet company! Desi says "Hey Amy, come in here! There's my friend Keith who played Little Ricky! He got married to a ballerina who runs a ballet company too!"
Amy looks and says "Oh yea! She was my room mate in college!" What are the chances of that? Strange things happen in this world!
MICK: What is your fondest memory of your mom and dad. I know there must be many but is there one that really sticks out?
LUCIE: That's almost an impossible question. But guess the one that i would choose, at this moment, would be the last time I put the phone up to my father's ear so that my mother could talk to him and they told each other how much they loved each other.
MICK: Your costar on "Here's Lucy" was veteran character actor Gale Gordon. I know he was with your mom throughout her entire TV career. What was he like?
LUCIE: He was one of the nicest, funniest, dearest men on the planet. I think I only knew two people in the sixty years I've been on this earth that were genuinely nice to everybody and that talented...that was Gale Gordon and Jimmy Durante. He was truly unique and I learned so much from him about how to be professional, to come prepared and keep a good spirit about you. He was the best guy to work with. I'm sure that's why my mother depended on him for so many years. She always knew that whatever you gave him, he could always knock it out of the park.
MICK: You've done numerous stage plays. Do you have a favorite role?
LUCIE: I do have a few. "Lost In Yonkers" was a thrill, one of Neil Simon's best works ever. He won the Pulitzer for it. It's a cathartic, riveting, dark and funny play. I had the wonderful part of Bella. I also loved the fact that I could tap dance with Tommy Tune in "My One and Only". That was a huge undertaking. I had just had my third baby when I went into rehearsals for that. To learn that amount of dancing was a big triumph. That was fun, fun, fun! "They're Playing Our Song" was a pretty perfect show too! It was my first Broadway show. I've had so many parts! I loved "Annie Get Your Gun" and "The Witches Of Eastwick". "Seesaw" was the very first National tour I ever did with Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields music, Michael Bennett directing. That was extremely memorable.
MICK: Are you close with your brother?
LUCIE: Yes! Not physically because he's out in Nevada and I live in Connecticut. We try to get together as often as we can. We're having another family reunion on what would have been my mother's 100th birthday this year. Every Ball of the Ball family comes together. Desi and I will be there with our kids. We've had a wonderful time doing the Babalu Show together. That was great fun!
MICK: Is the family reunion going to be in Jamestown, New York?
LUCIE: We were thinking about going to Jamestown because there's all kinds of festivities there this year. My Aunt Cleo, who was my mother's cousin but really raised as her sister and was also executive producer of "Here's Lucy", is one of two matriarchs left. The other is Zoe. Zoe gets around pretty good for 93 but Cleo not so much. So everybody is going to Cleo in Northern, California!
MICK: are you involved with the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown?
LUCIE: Yes as much as I possibly can! I was on the board of directors there for over five years and created the place. It's a lot to be a board member. I'm also a board member of The American Theater Wing here in New York. Between my concerts and that, directing, producing, editing and writing..it's just too many things. They went through some great changes up there! They have a brand new, very savvy, very smart young creative and artistic executive directer who is doing a fabulous job at the Center. They've come up with some stuff that I think my mother would be very proud of. The original idea that we had, that was sidetracked by the previous administration, was to have a festival of comedy called for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Support comedy into the future! Teach it, find it, honor it, award it! Also, they are creating the first ever "Comedy Hall of Fame" which is being named after Lucy and Desi. That's all happening this year! We support them 100 percent!
MICK: Up until this point in your career, what would you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
LUCIE: I would have to say winning an Emmy Award for directing and producing "The Lucy and Desi Home Movie". That was a cathartic experience to create. I worked on it for four years and you never know what you have. You just follow your heart and make what you think is right, not a trash piece. To be awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Documentary was pretty thrilling. It's hard to beat that!
MICK: Is there anything else you would like to accomplish? You've accomplished so much in your career!
LUCIE: Everything! I have lots to do yet! I'm dancing as fast as I can! I have lots more Cd's I want to make, books I want to write, about ten documentaries I want to make. I have three Broadway shows in the hopper that my husband Larry and I want to produce. I won't live long enough to do all of this so I have to work fast! I've got plenty left to do!

See Lucie Arnaz this Saturday, June 18th at 8pm in "Latin Roots"
The Landmark Theater, 232 Main St., Port Washington (516) 767-6444

For more on Lucie....www.luciearnaz.com

Get Ready For ReadyIN 10!

2011-06-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

There's a new band on the horizon and I'm sure you will be hearing a lot about them very soon. Based in Babylon, "ReadyIn 10" is more than ready to take the world by storm with their unique style of songwriting, musicianship and the lead singing of Sal Nastasi. I had the great pleasure to chat with Sal the other evening...

MICK: Your new CD "31 Strong " sounds great! I've been listening to it quite a bit. How is the CD doing so far?
SAL: It's going really well! We are getting a lot more downloads from this CD than from our previous CD "Face The World". "Face The World" has been around a lot longer but this one is picking up a lot faster.
MICK: The band is very reminiscent of Bon Jovi. I say that in a very positive way. Have other people told you that?
SAL: We hear that all the time. I'm a Bon Jovi fan and I know my voice sounds a little like his. I don't take that as a bad thing. I like Bon Jovi and I buy tickets when they come around.

MICK: How did you guys all get together?
SAL: Marc Viola (the guitar player) and I have known each other for a long time. Our parents are good friends. We were in search of a bass player and we found Mike Elefante, who was playing with another band. We auditioned for a drummer and that's how we found Mike Moore. Our current lineup has been together for three years now!

MICK: Is it true you came up with the name "Ready In 10" from a Chinese menu?

SAL: Yes, that really is true! We booked our first show in February 2005 at The Bitter End in NYC. The venue needed to make a flyer so they asked for the name of the band. Quickly, I looked down at a Chinese menu and thought "ready in 10" sounded cool so we went with it!

MICK: How did you come up with the name of your current CD "31 Strong"?

SAL: 31 Strong is address where our studio is. It's the place where we hang out and everything happens!

MICK: I see that the band did quite a few charity events last year. Are there more planned for this year?

SAL: We are always doing charity events. Right now, we are trying to get together with Wounded Warrior and any other veteran's charities. We just recorded a new song called "Freedom's Cry". We put it up on I-Tunes a few weeks ago and we are going to donate all of the money we make from the downloads of that song from now until September 11 to all sorts of different veterans charities. The song was written by our drummer Mike Moore's uncle, who is a veteran. He wrote the song six or seven years ago and he thought I would sound great singing it. I was messing around with it and I recorded it. It actually came out pretty good! So the CD is out and we are pretty excited about it!

MICK: "Ready In 10" has been announced as the official band for this year's Marcum Workplace Challenge to be held at Jones Beach State Park on July 26, 2011. What exactly is that?

SAL: Workplace Challenge does events all over the world. Originally, Chase was the sponsor but now Marcum does it now. They get many local businesses and companies on Long Island to compete in a 3.5 mile road race at Jones Beach. They do it every year. At least 10 thousand people compete and it's a really nice event. Our band was asked to play this year. A couple of years ago, I sang the National Anthem at this event which was very cool.

MICK: Speaking of the National Anthem, you were also chosen to sing it at the Long Island Ducks home opener this year! How did that go?

SAL: It was great! A little chilly that night but it was great! They had a nice sized crowd that evening.

MICK: Are you a baseball fan?

SAL: Yes I am! I don't really follow the Ducks that closely but I do go to a few of their games. I'm actually a big Mets fan!

MICK: It seems that the band has a close relationship with the New York Jets. Are you doing anything with the team this year?

SAL: I'm not sure if anyone is is the offices right now because of the strike but I assume we will be doing something with the team. I usually sing one National Anthem a year for the Jets. At the end of the season last year, I wrote a theme song for the team. They seemed to have liked it. I sent it to them two days before they lost their last playoff game. I'm hoping they pay some attention to that this year. The song came out great. It's called "Jets Fans Get Up" and you can actually see it on YouTube.

MICK: How long does it take you to write a song?

SAL: Well, that particular song is kind of cool. We played in Times Square at a Jets rally on the Thursday before that big playoff game. Steve Overmyer, who is the award-winning field reporter for Jets Post Game Live and Jets Nation on SNY, came up to me and told me the Jets needed a song. "I don't know how fast you can write one but if you get me a song as soon as possible, I know the Jets are looking for one". So for the next two days, i kept thinking about it. On Saturday morning, I got! I locked myself in my basement, wrote it in two hours, recorded it, did a little video, and got it over to Steve. He said they really liked it! Then the Jets lost the game to the Steelers so that ended the season. So hopefully this year they pick up on it again!
MICK: You've opened up for some pretty big bands such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Fall Out Boy, Incubus, Poison, and Lifehouse.
What was your most memorable opening show?
SAL: It has to be the first one. We opened for Fall Out Boy. That show wasn't on the big stage at Jones Beach. It was on the concourse stage. The place was packed. People just came rushing over to our stage and that was very cool. That was the first time we played in a venue that size with so many people around that we didn't know.
MICK: Who are your influences musically?
SAL: Personally, I listen to everything. From The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, to basically whatever is on the radio. I listen to 101.9 WXRP. Alternative rock and classic rock. I've always been a big Zeppelin fan.
MICK: What's on the agenda for 2011?
SAL: We are probably going to put out a live CD within the next few months. Things from a few different shows that we've recorded in the last year or so. Hopefully it will be out later this year or early next year. We just want to keep playing a lot. The writing is very important to us but we aren't constantly writing. Mark and I are the main song writers in the band. Mike Elefante, our bass player, writes some of the music as well. We don't pressure ourselves writing so when we get a bunch of songs written, that's when we put out another CD. Right now, we are in the performance mode. We want to tour and play as much as we can. We all love being on stage, playing together and traveling together. We are all great friends! Just play, play, play and hopefully there's a CD in there somewhere too!

For more on ReadyIn 10, please go to readyin10.com

Songwriter Extraordinaire JIMMY WEBB!

2011-05-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

He is quite arguably one of the greatest American songwriters in the last 50 years with hits like "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", " Up Up and Away", "MacArthur Park", "The Worst That Could Happen", etc...Jimmy Webb's string of hits made his catalog of songs rank second in total airplay only to the songs of Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

Today, Jimmy is still going strong with no signs of slowing down! I spoke with him as he prepares for next weekend's Port Jefferson show before embarking on a much anticipated Australian tour...

MICK: How many Grammy Awards have you won?
JIMMY: I have three of them. I've been associated with a lot more. My songs have won Grammy Awards for other people but those three are mine!
MICK: How did you meet Glen Campbell?
JIMMY: I actually met him in a recording studio after we had a couple hits together. We were doing a commercial for General Motors. I was pretty excited about meeting him as I walked in. Of course I knew exactly what he looked like because he was on television every week. He was tuning his guitar and looked up and I walked up to him. I stuck out my hand and said "Hello Mr. Campbell". He looked up and said 'When are you getting a haircut?" My hair was down to my shoulders. That was pretty much the substance of our relationship over the years. He was politically different in another ballpark than I was. We overcame our differences and we managed to make a lot of fantastic music together. We've been close friends for a long time.
MICK: Do you still keep in touch with him?
JIMMY: Of course! Glen's part of the family!
MICK: How was Richard Harris chosen to sing "MacArthur Park"?
JIMMY: He wasn't really chosen. We were hanging out in Los Angeles working on an anti war type protest rally kind of thing. He and I got used to hanging out after the show around the piano, have a few beers, sing some Irish songs and talk. I got to know him well even before I saw the movie "Camelot". I went and saw 'Camelot" and he did a nice job singing in the film.
At some point I said "We should make a record together". He telegraphed me from London a few weeks later and said "dear jimmy webb...come up and make record...love richard". Very short telegraph. It was my first trip out of the country. I got on a 707 and went over there. We were committed to making an album. We just ran across "MacArthur Park" in a pile of songs. He liked it and wanted to do it. He stood up and smacked the piano and said' I'll have that one Jimmy Webb and make a hit out of it!" We were just playing around and having fun and something really wonderful came from it.
MICK: Was his version of "MacArthur Park" your favorite? I know it was recorded by many people.
JIMMY: His version is definitely my favorite.
MICK: You were recently elected Chairman of the Board of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. What exactly are your duties as the chairman?
JIMMY: I have the great privilege presiding over the annual gala where we induct our new members into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. This year we have Leon Russell, Garth Brooks, Billy Steinberg and a few others going in. It's the show of the year! The hottest ticket in New York! We are having Hal David accept an award for excellence for the last ten years of shepherding the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Our ultimate goal is to create a building somewhere so we can honor all of the great men and women where they deserve to be honored, people like Jerome Kern, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, etc...We are looking forward to it. I don't know if I will be able to do it but I will give it a hell of a try.
MICK: When you write a song, what comes first for you, the music or the words?
JIMMY: There is no rule. Traditionally in the generations that preceded me, in duos like Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart, Rogers always wrote the tunes first and Hart put the words to the music. When Rogers started working with Oscar Hammerstein, Hammerstein wrote the words first and Richard Rogers put the music to the words. In our generation, starting with singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, in some degree the British invasion, the tendency from that point on has been to write the lyrics first and the music later. I've done it every way you can think of.
MICK; You will be appearing in Port Jefferson at First United Methodist Church on May 28th. What can your fans expect to hear?
JIMMY: It's an entertaining evening. I play and sing. A lot of the stuff is very well known material, hit material. There's some lesser known songs that I talk about that had distinctive and distinguished careers with artists like Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, Nancy Griffith. I talk quite a bit about my relationship with Mr. Sinatra. It's anecdotal stuff. It's not somber by any means, it's a very light hearted evening to make people feel better and leave in a great mood. Sometimes I even get them to sing along with me! Anybody who wants their money back I will personally refund it! It's never happened yet but I personally stand behind that guarantee!

MICK: How long have you lived on Long Island?

JIMMY: My wife Laura and I have lived in Bayville for the last six years.

MICK: Are you excited about your upcoming Australia tour?

JIMMY: I'm always excited about going down there. It's an extraordinary, kind of kookie upside down land full of crazy animals. Great people who are very much like Americans. To me, the whole country itself is very close to a younger version of America of 50 years ago. There's a lot of wide open spaces. In the north there's beautiful jungles and beaches. Take the Daintree National Forrest for instance. There were 15 original flowers in the world. Flowers are relatively recent developments in the world of botany, say in the last 2-3 million years. Thirteen of those original flowers still grow in the Daintree Nation Forrest. So you can go there and see the original flowers. That's pretty cool. My wife and I have gone snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. There's places that I play there almost as much as some places I play in the United States. There's a wonderful club in Sidney called "The Basement" that I can't wait to get back to. It's like home base to me. We go as far west as Perth and Fremantle. That's a six hour flight from Australia's east coast. The people are very accepting and grateful.

MICK: Your newest album is "Just Across The River". Do you have anything new coming up?

JIMMY: The record company has asked me to go ahead and do part two of 'just Across The River" because the current one is very successful. It actually landed on the charts. It was comfortably up on the charts which is pretty good for an old geezer like me! I'm also working kind of quietly on another Broadway show. I don't really talk about it much because I think it's bad luck. I'm also trifling around with my memoirs too. A lot of my shows are based on anecdotal material and people always come up and say I should write some of those stories down before it's too late. That's an inspiring comment "do it before it's too late". I'm working on that! I may be starting some projects with my wife, perhaps something for PBS. Experimenting with some ideas in the education field. I'd love to do more with that because the government is cutting back farther and farther on the school programs. We are having less music in our schools and our children growing up without understanding what music is. That's a big thing to take out of a person's life. My wife and I have agreed that it is something we want to address. I'm also vice chairman of the ASCAP Organization. I stay busy and I'm definitely not bored! Sometimes I'm plum tuckered to tell the truth! But I'm still writing music and very much enjoying performing. My voice is stronger than it's ever been in my life. I've been very fortunate to have really bloomed later rather than earlier as a vocalist. I see no reason to quit. There's no expiration date on a career in music. Someone like Louis Armstrong is my idol! I want to be just like Louis Armstrong when I grow up!

MICK: Who do you like listening to?

JIMMY: I'd say that 80% of the music I listen to is classical music. When I'm in the studio, I listen to what I'm recording. I have some favorite singers and writers like Sarah McGloughlin whom I like very much. Every once in a while I will hear something that turns me on but I'm not hooked into any of the new music in a significant way. I like Radiohead and think they are really striving to create original things. I still love Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, and the Beatles. I love the big bands too! I listen to Jonathan Schwartz on the weekends. I'm not the band of the week kind of guy. I not that crazy about Lady Gaga. I've listened to a couple tracks. Maybe one of these days she'll be one of my favorites. But so far it's touch and go with Lady Gaga. I like musical stuff. I like tunes and lyrics and all that old fashioned stuff. I'm hopelessly mired in the traditional craft of songwriting. If someone is not doing a good job songwriting, I'm probably not going to be listening closely.

MICK: Are any of your children musically inclined?

JIMMY: All of them! Two years in November, I was touring with my five sons. I have five sons and a daughter. She's at Berkley now. They are all musical. The three oldest boys are professional musicians who play and sing extremely well. They were all out on the road backing me. We did 15 dates in England and had a blast. It cost a fortune but it was a blast! For the lucky few that got to see us, it was pretty inspiring to see a family like that together on the bandstand. It was one of the best feelings I've had in my life. I'm trying to work it out so we can go out and do it again. They're rockers and play guitars! Our drummer was Cal Campbell, Glen's son! He's a monster of a drummer. My oldest son Chris and second oldest son Jamie are both working on solo albums. I'm also getting ready to go in and do another solo album. I guess it will be a while before we get the band together again. That was really one of the high points in my life. You can't have awards that make you feel as good as that makes you feel!

You can catch Jimmy Webb in concert this Saturday, May 28 @ 8:00pm

First United Methodist Church in Port Jefferson http://www.gpjac.org/

For more on Jimmy Webb: www.jimmywebb.com

A chat with Navy SEAL Lt. GARY S

2011-05-11T05:05:00.000-07:00

Lieutenant Gary S is a highly decorated 21 year veteran Navy SEAL whose battles were not only fought overseas but also in United States courtrooms. He is also a freelance writer whose current children's book "Never Far Apart" is a heartwarming story that helps children cope with seperation from a military parent. Gary's next project is a book that details his military exploits and quest to gain custody of a son taken away to Israel by his ex wife. It's not often you get to speak to a true American warrior but I did!

MICK: When did you join the Navy?
GARY: I joined back in 1986.
MICK: How were you chosen to become a SEAL?
GARY: I actually wasn't chosen contrary to popular belief. No one is ever invited to become a SEAL. I joined the Navy just for that reason. There were no Navy SEAL movies back then. Most people didn't know what a Navy SEAL was although most had heard of the Navy frogmen, which dated back to World War II. I had heard about it from a friend. I joined and went to boot camp and then went to Navy Corp School, which is where you go to become a medic in the Navy. I then went to field training. At that time, it was considered the toughest training in the world and I'm sure it still is. Everything fell into place after that.
MICK: How long did it take you to train to become a SEAL?
GARY: Initial training was six months. After that, it was another six months of intense training which was also an additional vetting period. You must pass certain tests after that six month period. That is when guys in the team get a chance to see who you really are outside of the rigorous training environment.
MICK: What was it like going into Afghanistan as one of the first military troops after 9/11?
GARY: It was pretty interesting for me. At that point, I had done my first ten years in the military as an enlisted member of the field teams. At around the eleven year period, I actually got a commission. I went to college on my own on my off duty hours. I worked my way up through the ranks of the SEAL teams and ultimately became an officer. 9/11 happened shortly after I became an officer. I had just been relocated by the military from the East Coast to the West Coast. They were looking for young officers to go over there. Initially I was working in our joint operations center and was able to work my way into many operations. I had a lot of passion in me and wanted to go over there after 9/11. My heart bled for the families of people lost in New York.
MICK: When did you first get married?
GARY: I'm divorced from my first wife. I married an Israeli whom I met on my first deployment in the field teams in late 1987. We got married and waited about 10 years before we decided to have a child together. She came with me to California when I was transferred from Virginia. Subsequently, I was told I would be deployed right away. I hadn't bought a home in San Diego yet at that point and had no choice but to put her and him on a flight to Israel to stay with her family until I returned from Afghanistan. Unfortunately, she never came back. If I had realized I had any marital problems back then, obviously I never would have put them on that plane.
MICK: Is that something that happens often in the military?
GARY: It happens a lot more than people realize. Unfortunately for me, there were no laws back then to say what she had done was wrong which was parental child abduction. I was flown to Sacramento, California by Sen. Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside) and Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego) to testify before the California State Senate. My case was ultimately sent up to Washington DC. It took about six years but it finally resulted in the amending of the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act which protected service members from things like credit card debt and problems with rent. It was more financially orientated. It protected soldiers until they returned from deployment. It was hard to get attention on my case. Back then, there were around 1000 service members that had cases like mine. In my case, they couldn't declare parental child abduction because I was the one who put them on the plane. To this day, I haven't got any formal visitation or custody of my son over in Israel. I fly over there a couple times a year and it's very costly, around eight to ten thousand dollars visiting him. The first six years, my visits entailed sitting next to him in school all day and that was pretty much all the time I got with him. My attorney at the time told me I needed to take a parenting class on base and get a parenting class certificate. If my ex wife ever came back to the United States with him, we would try to go for full custody for a temporary period until it went through the legal system the appropriate way. I actually ended up marrying the teacher of the parenting class! We ended up having four children together in our first four years of marriage!

MICK: Please tell me about your children's book "Never Far Apart".
GARY: After she left with him, I didn't have a lot of communication with him and still don't. He doesn't speak English. Whatever little English he was exposed to kind of faded away. It was difficult over the years to communicate with him when I went to visit him. I really worked hard to maintain that relationship. The book was my way of letting him know that no matter how far away he was, we are never far apart. I've always got him right here in my heart. There's a lullaby in the back of the book called "SS Rock-a bye" which i used to hum to him when I put him to bed at night. For the book, I finally put the words down. This book is actually the first in a series of five. My current wife wants me to write one for all of the children. So now I'm writing books for military children.
MICK: You also have a new book that's almost ready to be published.
GARY: Yes, I'm working on my first book for grownups. It's my memoirs about places I've gone, things I've done in the field teams. It's very different from most field books as it's not specific to any war or conflict. I've been in pretty much everything that's happened in the last 20 years in one way or another. My book pretty much lets other people into the mind of one specific Navy SEAL with my political beliefs and theories of my own. It talks about our way of life in the United States and offers some common sense solutions to a lot of the problems facing the nation now.
MICK: You were a SEAL for 21 years and you are now retired. Is there an age limit to the length of being a SEAL or a mandatory retirement?
GARY: I'm sure there is eventually a limit but I've seen officers stand for over 30 years. Normal retirement can be anywhere between 20 and 30 years. I got out when I did because of all the legal proceedings I was going through here in California, Virginia and Israel. I had three attorneys all working at the same time to help me out. They could only do so much because there were no laws in place back then. I was up through the night talking to attorneys in different time zones and it got to the point where it was impossible to balance my personal life with my military life. I ended up being unable to find any employment in Southern California that paid what I needed. I went back to work in Iraq providing diplomatic protection to the U.S, ambassador Ryan Crocker in my first year of retirement. It was a very interesting period for me. I was still able to serve my country in some capacity.
MICK: The big thing in the news lately is the Team Six of the Navy Seals taking out Osama Bin Laden. What are the different levels of SEALs?
GARY: All of the SEAL teams are a great bunch of guys. Once guys have paid their price of doing a cruise or two, they put you through another rigorous period of training. They are usually a more mature leveled individual over there and that's primarily because they've already traveled the world and made a name for themselves. They take a little more time to think before reacting. The Team Six is considered our best of the best.
MICK: What kind of job are you doing now?

GARY: I work in anti piracy operations basically hunting pirates over off the east coast of Africa, the Indian Ocean and up into the Persian Gulf. I'm getting older now so in this position I'm in now, I wait for them to come to me if they want trouble. I really enjoy the job. I'm gone away a lot and I'm also home a lot. MICK: How is it with the pirates over there? Is it getting any better?

GARY: The U.S. military is stepping up operations over there. Our arms have been tied as we have guys spread out all over in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, etc...We are spread thin in the military. That's why there's a lot of private contracting companies trying to pick up the void and help out where they can. When I was working under the Department of State in Iraq protecting Ambassador Crocker, you would hear among civilian communities and blogging sites horrible bad mouthing of contractors. I always thought it was very interesting that most contractors were guys that had spent at least 10 years in the military or were retired military. The week before they became contractors they were heroes to the country. Then when they become contractors, they were called war mongers and mercenaries which was utterly untrue. I think 45-50% of the wars are in Afghanistan and Iraq were being fought by security contractors of some form. There were guys helping with electrical, plumbing, building structures or behind guns shooting. They are all just as American as they were when they were on active duty. It's all kinds of people, men and women, who love honestly their country and want to contribute after they leave the military. They're not taking money from any foreign government.

MICK: What do see in the future for yourself?

GARY: I'd love to get a normal job here in Southern California and come home to my wife and kids every night. But there's not a whole lot of security work out here that pays what I require with five children and living in Southern California. So I will keep doing what I'm doing. I will keep writing my book and the other children's books. I don't expect that to pay the bills today but maybe it will when I'm 65! I'm also a lyricist and have a lot of children's songs for military children. I've written a lot of country music lyrics.

MICK: Is there anything else you would like to mention?

GARY: Yes, on my current job, we will deliver US aid to Africa with an entire ship full of rice and grain. Most of the time, these people don't even realize that this is from the United States of America. There are people back here who have lost their homes and their jobs and basically getting kicked out in the street. But their tax dollars are going to buy this rice and grain for Africans who need it which is a great thing. The problem is that the grain is usually purchased in some other country. The US government will buy it from places like Russia or Australia, put it on a foreign ship that was built in China and run by Indian and Filipino crews. They will deliver it to the East African Shore countries and the people there don't realize it is coming from the United States because there's no sign or anything. It's all foreign flagged vessels delivering it. You have to wonder how we are winning friends and influencing people when they don't even know it's coming from us. We help out the country we buy the grain from, we help the country that builds the ships, we help out the Indians and Filipino crew members on the ship and we help out the Africans that are getting the grain. We should somehow let these people know that this is coming from the United States of America!

For more information on Gary's book "Never Far Apart":

http:/neverfarapartseries.com/aboutbook.htm

MELBA MOORE is Back!

2011-04-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

Melba Moore personifies the term Broadway legend through her class and unparalleled career that has reaped a Tony Award, 4 Grammy nominations and a best new artist award in 1971. She continues to forge ahead with new music and a long awaited return to New York when she makes her debut at The Cafe Carlyle now through May 7. I spoke to the very gracious Melba prior to her opening night...

MICK: It's a thrill to have you coming back to New York again with "Forever Moore" at the Carlyle Hotel. What are your thoughts on this engagement?
MELBA: Momentous! It's such progress for me as I keep moving toward the goals I want to achieve in my career. I feel so ready and comfortable, excited and proud! I feel like I'm cute and pretty too!
MICK: What can your fans expect to hear?
MELBA: I'm going to do a combination of things that have become natural for me to do. I've discovered over these 40 plus years that I'm kind of a potpourri of things, not just one! Many times an artist will try to do a variety of things just for the sake of it but I am a variety! I will be doing songs from the great American songbook that everybody loves but my own personal rendition of them. Songs like "Blue Skys" by Irving Berlin. I will be doing songs from the Broadway shows that I starred in like "Hair" and "Purlie". I would love to have done "I Dreamed A Dream" from "Les Miserables" but I'm finding I don't have enough time in the show.
MICK: Have you finished your new album yet?
MELBA: No I have not. I have three songs so far. I debuted the title song which is called "Love Is". That is available on my website, I-Tunes and Amazon.com.
MICK: I know your new album is on your new label A'Moore Entertainment which you share with your daughter Charli Huggins.
Is she a singer also?
MELBA: No, she likes the business aspect. She wants to do the executive part of it. It's our project together!
MICK: Please tell me about the Melba Moore Foundation For Children.
MELBA: I started that for abandoned and abused kids back in the 90's when there was a crack epidemic with moms who were high on drugs and infected with AIDS. They would go to hospitals and have babies and abandoning them there. That's how I got involved. I volunteered at hospitals to take care of some of the abandoned babies. I realized more had to be done. I started the foundation to help get placement for the children and get more people involved. I went on the board of Hale House to learn about the issues and how to deal with them. Mother Hale had be dealing with orphans and abandoned children for many years.
MICK: Who are your heroes?
MELBA: I'm Catholic so Mother Teresa is definitely one of my heroes! Another is my patron St. Francis. Also St. Anthony and St. Clare, all of whom came from wealthy families and gave their money to the church. If I get very, very wealthy I will do the same thing!
MICK: You've had many great accomplishments in your illustrious career. Is there something you would still like to accomplish?
MELBA: I want to finish what I started! To do much more Broadway theater and get much more involved in film and television.
MICK: Are there any new movies on the horizon? I know your latest film was "The Fighting Temptations".
MELBA: Yes, that was a few years ago. Right now I am sticking to live music and performances because it's a centerpiece for me that spawns on to other things. That will be my focus!
MICK: Are there any Broadway shows on the horizon?
MELBA: I feel that there will be. There have been some things offered to me that I really don't want to do. I have a couple ideas that I'd like to co-produce.
MICK: I also read that you are a born again Christian but you told me you are a Catholic also.
MELBA: That's not also, it's the same thing! There are so many denominations and thank God in America we have lots of varieties. But I like to say one thing here as a blooming expert in the field. Catholicism is not a denomination; it's the first church! All of the others spawned from it. They are denominations or offshoots from it. The Catholic Church is the church Jesus started. So if you are going to be born again, that's where you will be born again. I think it come from the direct imperious of outburst of the Holy Spirit on different sections of people. I have had that experience so I am born again in that sense!
MICK: Have ever experienced any miracles in your life?
MELBA: I'm sure I have. I think I am a miracle in a sense. I think that what I am now is so unusual for a person to have these kinds of chances to start again to build and flourish a career at this late stage. That will have to speak for itself. I am not the same person I was before and that's a miracle. But it's not something that happens over night. A miracle in progress!
MICK: Will you be doing any new Christian music?
MELBA: Absolutely! I have people submitting things to me now! As a matter of fact, one of the Clark sisters [the Clark Sisters are very famous Christian singers out of Detroit] is writing something for me. A few other people are creating some original Gospel music for me. Shirley Murdock is very well known in the Christian field. She was known in the secular field for a huge 1986 R&B hit "As We Lay". She's also an incredible song writer and producer along with her husband Dale DeGroat. They will be writing some things for me.

MICK: What are your long range plans?

MELBA: I don't have a long range plan except not to fall back into the ditch any more. It's so hard to get back up. I want to keep consistent, keep growing to be top quality at what I'm doing. Maybe one of the long range goals would be to get to the point where I have a consistent body of comedic theatrical work. I like humor and comedy and have a natural gift for that. I haven't had a chance to show it off except for "Purlie" on Broadway. I didn't know what I was doing and got a Tony Award for it! That gave me an idea that I should really make a focus out of that.

Melba Moore appears through May 7 at the Cafe Carlyle, 35 East 76 Street, Manhattan, NY (212-744-1600)

the carlyle.com/entertainment.cfm.

http://www.melbamoore.com/

RICH SIRGIOVANNI and The GRIMPS!!!

2011-04-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

It's not often that a man has a dream that involves all of his passions and through hard work and determination, it becomes a reality. You might even call it magical. Rich Sirgiovanni is that man and he is on the verge of something quite incredible. His creation of a new cartoon called "The Grimps" is about to take the world by storm. I recently had the good fortune to speak to Rich about his fascinating life and his great new adventure.....

MICK: Are you originally from New York?
RICH: Yes, I was born and still live in Queens!
MICK: I see on your Facebook that you were very involved with music when you were younger.
RICH: I've been playing drums and singing since I was around 14 years old. Back in the late 70's, I played in Max's Kansas City, CBGB's, Great Gildersleeves, quite a few clubs on Long Island. I played in copy bands and original bands. Manhattan was the place to feature all the original music in those days.
MICK: How did you get into the advertising industry?
RICH: I graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1979. I got into advertising because it was one of those careers where when you got out of school, you could hopefully find a regular job while you pursued other things and in my case, it was cartooning. I took plenty of advertising courses and went in that direction where I made a good living for many years. Having a music background allowed me to work in recording studios and write musical jingles.
MICK: I know that "Gotta Go To Mo's", the Modell's jingle, is probably your most famous jingle you created. Did you have any idea that it would be so big? Everybody knows that!
RICH: When we came up with that idea, it was something fresh for Modell's. A new direction. We knew there was something special about it. It was catchy to everyone who heard it when we broke the campaign. By no means did anyone think that people would still being using it now 15 years later! That was an exciting thing to work on!
MICK: Please tell me about "The Trolls".
RICH: "The Trolls" was the original name of my of my current project "The Grimps". Two months ago, I changed the name of the project because I found out that Dreamworks is coming out with a movie called "Good Luck Trolls". They did the story with the family of the person who created the Troll dolls in the 60's. The story line is about the Troll Dolls. My idea is completely different. I went through all of my proper copyrights and felt it would be too confusing. So I created a new word called "Grimps" which is a combination of gruesome and impish. So that is the new title of the project and the show!
MICK: I saw that for "The Grimps", you have some amazing people lined up for the voices of the characters.
RICH: Yes, for the voice overs, we already have committed Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits, Eric Burdon from the Animals, Todd Rundgren, Mickey Dolenz from the Monkees, Keith Emerson from ELP, etc... I've met with most of them and they are all committed to being part of the project. We are also in the works of talking to other hopefuls like Ringo Starr, Meatloaf, Debbie Harry, even Jack Black!
MICK: Are they going to do just the voices or will they do the music also?
RICH: At this point, they will doing just the voices of the characters. Part of the plan with the Grimps is that the show is going to present original rock and roll music. Kind of the same theory as The Monkees back in the 60's. We will create new original songs from a wide variety of songwriters and try to create a completely different sound. The basic sound of The Grimps will be that of an original rock and roll band. Part of the concept is something that is very cool and will tie in the generations is to have a lot of rock icons involved in the show. The children are the primary audience but this will also attract the parents and definitely the grand parents. The show is a subtle tribute to the history of rock and roll also. All of the characters that I've named come from different people from rock and roll. For instance, the four main Grimps are Winston (from John Lennon's middle name), Moony (from Keith Moon), Mac (obviously from Paul McCartney) and Emerson (from Keith Emerson). We have other characters that are also named after rock people. A knight and a dragon are secondary characters who were with the Grimps when they were cursed in the storyline are named Billy and Shears. The evil wizard is named Specter. The fan club for the Grimps is run by Cynthia, Patty and Maureen (named after the Beatles wives). I tried to take a lot of these subtleties and maybe just the people from our generation will know or appreciate it and it may go over the heads of the kids but it really doesn't matter. When my oldest son was five, the biggest thing in cartoons was the Teenage Mutant Turtles. All the kids knew Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael as turtles, not as Renaissance painters! I took that same kind of concept in developing my characters.
MICK: Is "The Grimps" going to be a TV show or a feature film?
RICH: We are hoping for TV. When we go out to California next month to start pitching the Grimps, we have some meetings scheduled with some motion picture companies. It would be fantastic if it could go in both directions. I have some very interesting people involved with this working with me.
MICK: So what stage are you in now? Are the cartoons still being talked about or have they actually been created already?
RICH: We are right at the stage where we can present this to the networks. A presentation video has been made. Pilot episodes have been written. The characters have been developed. We are just putting the finishing touches on it. Even the music aspect is pretty interesting. My musical producer is Ron Dante! Ron is working with me as the musical production supervisor. The theme song, which was just finished and recorded in Los Angeles last week, is titled "We're The Grimps". It was written by Ron Dante and Freddy Cannon (who had the hit 'Palisades Park"). It is a very cool, upbeat introduction of the show and the characters. Simple lyrics for the kids to remember and very bouncy! We are also developing a three song demo of the actual sound of the Grimps. My idea is to produce good original rock music that will be presented by this cartoon rock and roll band. Ron Dante is writing some of the initial songs with Andrew Gold, another legendary performer and songwriter.
At the same time we go to the networks, we will also be going to record companies to present the concept of this. We are really trying to develop a sound that is very upbeat, contemporary and unique; not Juvenal even though it is for a cartoon show. We are right at the point where we are ready to show the world what we've got!
MICK: Sounds like you have some heavy hitters with you!
RICH: I'm also working with another gentleman, who is representing me, by the name of Ron Alexenberg. He is the former president of CBS Records and worked under Clive Davis many years ago. Ron is responsible for signing Meatloaf, Boston, Michael Jackson's solo career, etc...the list is endless with the people he has worked with. He is very involved in this project, both on the music end and the television end. Everything seems to be falling into place nicely. The next step is to see if the guys in the suits out there like it!
MICK: When is this going to be presented to them?
RICH: Sometime in early May, June the latest.
MICK: Do you have any other projects that you would like to share with us?
RICH: No. This thing has absorbed most of my time right now. I've put all of my concentration in it. I'm the creator and the illustrator of it. Developing characters and working behind the scenes, especially with the music. It's what I've really been involved with for the past two years. I've kept all of my focus on that.
MICK: How is the advertising industry doing these days?
RICH: It's been slow and soft. I've always worked with small and medium sized businesses, not only on Long Island but in the tri-state area. The economy the last few years has slowed things down quite a bit. You have to knock on more doors than you ever did before. People are very cautious with there money which I can understand.
MICK: Are there any future plans for new musical ventures after this?
RICH: I still play drums and sing. I hope that as this is being developed I will be more involved on a level of music with the Grimps. Once we get it launched, I will be busier than I ever have been which will be a lot of fun. I will get to have my hands in everything I always loved. When I decided to create this idea, I wanted to combine my passions which are rock and roll, cartooning and writing. That's how I developed this idea which is about 4 kids with a little magic and mystery. The storyline goes back 500 years ago where these 4 characters were minstrels and they were very popular in those days. An evil wizard, who is jealous of their celebrity, puts a curse on them and turns them into these little grimps to be thrown into the Forest for eternity. One of their other friends, who was also transformed, is also a wizard. After 500 years, he comes along and figures out a spell to transform them back to humans. But there are two glitches to it. One is that they only go back to being humans from sunset to sunrise. The other is they are still small. The ongoing quest is he will always be looking how to make the reversal of the curse permanent. In the meantime, they can come back to being humans and since they were great musicians who have been hanging around for 500 years hidden from society, they come out and become a pop rock group called "The Grimps". It's the trials and tribulations of being a rock band and having the secret that they turn back into these ugly little monsters in the daytime, that dual life they have to live with. That storyline gave me the ability to combine music and have something cool for kids.

The 4th Annual Sound Success For ALS Benefit Show

2011-04-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 10, 2011, I will be hosting the 4th Annual Sound Success For ALS Benefit Show at Ollie's Point in Amityville, NY. Proceeds from the admission price ($20 at the door) and the raffle items will be donated to the Stony Brook University Medical Center's Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence.

This year's show will feature five nationally known bands with many legendary performers. The show itself will be themed on George Harrison's Concert For Bangladesh, which took place 40 years ago! Each band will play at least one Harrison song or something from one of the performers at that classic event. Among those appearing includes: Maura Kennedy whose debut solo CD "Parade of Echoes" was a big hit last year. She will be performing in honor of Eric Lowen, who has ALS,of the famed songwriting duo Lowen and Novarro.

Nelson Klondike will be making their debut at this event. The band features Lex Marchesi, former lead singer and guitarist of Fotomaker!

The Roast Beef Curtains, a great new band from Long Island. They are rapidly gaining a huge fan base and played the famed Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee last year! Now we have them with us this Sunday!

The Cryers are one of America's premier independent bands coming in from New Jersey. The are well known across the country and often back up many well known rockers including Joey Molland from Badfinger, Terry Sylvester from the Hollies, Billy J. Kramer, and many more. We are proud to have them come to our benefit!!

Shannon is recognized as the world's most famous Beatles artist. Her paintings are in many museums and establishments. Paul McCartney even owns some of Shannon's pieces. Shannon is also an accomplished musician who has written over 1000 songs. She is coming to the benefit with her all star band that includes drummer Steve Holley from Wings, Ian Lloyd from Stories ("Brother Louie" #1, 1973) , Pete Santora (Beatlemania), and a host of other world class musicians.

Special guest is Grammy winner/recording engineer Dennis Ferrante!

Other special guests will be stopping by. Among them are Miss Senior America Gail King and TV Host Donna Drake. Watch for some surprises!!!

Please come and support a great cause and enjoy some great music too!

If you would like to simply make a donation, please make checks payable to:

The Stony Brook Foundation.

You can mail them to me and I will hand them in with the proceeds from the show. Thank you very much and see you at the show!!

Mick Du Russel

214 Ave. A

Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

Ollie's Point 140 Merrick Road, Amityville, NY 11701

Located on thee corner of Merrick Rd and Rte 110.

For more info, please call Mick at 631-335-8886

A Chat With Screen Legend DEBBIE REYNOLDS!

2011-03-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

She has been called "America's Sweetheart" in the peak of her career which has spanned six decades. Debbie Reynolds is a living legend from Hollywood's golden age and at age 78 (she will be 79 on April 1st!), she continues to perform throughout the country to the amazement of her cherished fans. I had the great honor to chat with Debbie from her California home just the other day!

MICK: Please tell me about your upcoming show at the Tilles Center on the campus of C.W. Post in Brookville, Long Island on April 8th!

DEBBIE: I call it a variety show! It's a concert show filled with music and dancing. I do impressions of Barbara Streisand, Marlene Dietrich and Mae West; I do a lot of comedy and also bring my film clips of "Singing In The Rain", "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", "The Tender Trap" with Sinatra. I sing with each of these movie clips too. We do music from Stephen Sondheim, Gershwin and all of those great songs and standards that I loved and grew up with. I do a little bit of everything because the people are coming out to see you and you take them out of their problems in their life for the time that they are seeing the show. I don't do politics and I don't do religion! I try to keep it as light as possible! I do another section of out takes of mistakes from classic films of Bette Davis,Jimmy Stewart and Humphrey Bogart and all the greats. This is all from my collection of memorabilia. I have a very large film library!

MICK: You grew up in Burbank, California, right next door to Hollywood. Who were your favorite movie stars when you were growing up?

DEBBIE: I loved the musicals! I loved Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly! I went to the movies every weekend in the 40's. There were a lot of comedies and musicals and I kind of grew up on them. I loved Jimmy Stewart and Erroll Flynn too!

MICK: I see on your website that you are auctioning off your incredible movie memorabilia collection in June, the largest private collection in the world.

DEBBIE: Yes, I've given up after all these years. I just can't seem to get it done [a movie museum] and the Academy doesn't seem to care. I can't get enough backing people to care about the building of a museum. It's not good economical times. So I'm going to have a big auction in June and another one in December.

MICK: Are you going to keep anything?

DEBBIE: No I'm going to see everything!

MICK: In your extensive collection, what is your most special piece?

DEBBIE: I have Marilyn Monroe's white subway dress, Barbara Streisand's gold dress from 'Hello Dolly", Hepburn's black Aztec dress. I have virtually every star from every Academy Award winning movie! Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Groucho and Harpo Marx. I have the best private collection in the world!

MICK: When was the last time you spoke top Elizabeth Taylor?

DEBBIE: I spoke to her about five weeks ago when she was quite ill. She was trying to get better but there was just no ability to get better. Her back was so severe and her pain was great. They couldn't find any way to help her.

MICK: Did you have a favorite costar?

DEBBIE: I think my favorite costar was Jimmy Stewart. I loved working with him. I also loved Glenn Ford. We had wonderful fun together. I had a great time working with Dick Van Dyke. I really enjoyed everybody! I never did meet someone that I didn't like! I loved them all!

MICK: I read one of your quotes that said " "Singing In The Rain" and childbirth are two of the hardest things I ever did in my life". Why was "Singing In The Rain" hard?

DEBBIE: I was just referring to the one number that was called "Good Morning" where we go over the couch. First of all, I was not a dancer! I had to learn how to dance and keep up with Gene Kelly and Donald O"Connor. That was enormously difficult for a seventeen year old who never danced before to have that challenge! That was a very hard number and Gene was a brilliant dancer. He made me work very hard and I did! I had blood in my shoes! We didn't have any Saturday or Sunday off where we could just pass out for the day. We worked from six in the morning until eleven at night.

MICK: Are you religious?

DEBBIE: Yes, I'm very religious!

MICK: Have you ever had any miracles happen in your life?

DEBBIE: It's a miracle I'm still alive! The fact that I've survived all my bad marriages is a miracle! I'm very happy I got through childbirth alive.

MICK: You've had numerous successes and awards in your illustrious career. What would you consider your biggest achievement?

DEBBIE: For "The Unsinkable Molly Brown', I was nominated for an Academy Award. I worked very hard and I loved that movie. I thought I did an excellent job in that picture.

MICK: What are your upcoming plans?

DEBBIE: To continue doing my shows until I drop dead! I'm going to be just like George Burns and stay on the stage until I drop dead and have myself stuffed like Roy Rogers' horse Trigger! That's the joke on how I'm ending my career. I want to perform as long as I can!

MICK: How would you like to be remembered?

DEBBIE: I'd like to be remembered as a person who cared about other people and was a good mother and a good friend. That's good enough!

You can see more on Debbie at: http://debbiereynolds.com

An Evening With Debbie Reynolds at The Tilles Center Concert Hall in Brookvale, NY, on Friday, April 8th at 8:00PM. Tickets available at Ticketmaster and the Tilles Center box office.

Long Island's own Country Star LISA MATASSA!

2011-03-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Long Island has been a hot bed for talent in all genres of the entertainment industry for many years. Now there is a new star emerging in the country music world and she is Long Island's own LISA MATASSA whose new album "Me Time" is being released on March 31st! I had the great pleasure to speak with Lisa as she prepares to the new album's launch...

MICK: Where did you grow up?

LISA: I grew up here and in Florida. I was here until I was about eight years old and then my family moved down to Fort Lauderdale. I was there for around seven years and then we moved back to New York when I was in the tenth grade. Franklin Square to be exact! Now I live in Plainview!

MICK: Do you come from a musical family?

LISA: My mom used to sing when she was younger in a do-wop group where she did background harmonies. My grandmother on my father's side was an opera singer. I studied opera when I was 8-9 years old for about five years. So my beginning career in music was in opera! From there, I started doing the pop and rock.

MICK: You started out as Lysa Lynn and you some great success with dance music hits. Did that success hold you back from the music you really loved?

LISA: In a way it did but at that particular time in my life, being Lysa Lynn actually gave me the stage to get my name out there and get my feet wet in the business in a recording artist aspect. I was willing to do whatever type of music it was. I was willing to sing different types of music if I had to. But I loved every minute of it! My fifteen minutes of fame was great!

MICK: Did you always like country music?

LISA: Always! I grew up listening to artists like Loretta Lynn and Elvis Presley. I loved the story telling that country music has. As a woman, I think women can relate to country music more. I've always been a rock and roller at heart too. It's the best of both worlds! But country music always sat so well with me. A lot of producers I've worked with over the years always told me I had some type of sound in my voice that lends to country music. At that point in my life, that was not what was happening in music. The timing and the music has changed today. There's a lot more country outside of Nashville. It's really making a great insurgence here on Long Island.

MICK: You have a new country EP coming out called "Me Time". Please tell me more about that!

LISA: "Me Time" is a compilation of what I call a genre of music called Long Island country. It is a mix of New York rock and roll and a little new country. The songs are about my life in general, especially the title song "Me Time".. That's my life in about three and a half minutes! When I first heard it, I thought this song is perfect! There's so many women out there who are wives and mothers trying to do it all, they can actually relate to this song. It's a fun fun album! I think a lot of people will enjoy it!

MICK: Do you write your own music?

LISA: Yes I do! Some of the songs on this album I co wrote as well as through other musicians who have written for me. Great song writers are on this record like Joey Sykes and Don Rollins who wrote "It's Five O'clock Somewhere". for Alan Jackson. Don and I co wrote five songs together on the album.

MICK: You recorded the album at Richie Cannata's Cove City Studios. Was Richie involved with the album?

LISA: We had a relationship with Richie in the past back when I was Lysa Lynn. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. A great musician and a great mentor and friend. He liked the fact that when we went into his studio, we used live musicians! We actually took the cover off this old grand piano and put in a real drum kit. A lot of music today is done electronically. When we came in there with a full band, it was like a breath of fresh air for Richie!

MICK: You're married with two teenagers. Are they musically inclined?

LISA: Yes they are! My son is thirteen and he is a great drummer! My daughter, who will be sixteen, has such a beautiful voice. She is actually doing the school play "Grease", one play I never got a chance to do in high school!
MICK: How do you handle being a wife, a mother and a country music star star all at the same time?
LISA: It's hard but I have the support from my whole family. If I didn't have the support from my husband, my kids and my immediate family, I don't know if I could do this. Family comes first in my life. The fact that they love what I do and they are so supportive and believe in me means so much. They want me to succeed and live that dream because they know in my life it was unfinished business. I always felt I needed to do something further with my music. I feel a connection to people when I sing live and when I write. I have a great relationship and connection with my kids and husband. To share that with people through my music is something I wanted to do for a long time.
MICK: Have you performed yet at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville yet?
LISA: Not yet! Thats's on my bucket list! That would be awesome!
MICK: Will you be touring this year?
LISA: We do have plans to be touring. Once this record is released on March 31st, there's a lot of radio tours we will be going on. We are going to get out as much as we can especially in the Tri-state area and Long Island in particular.
MICK: What are your thoughts on Long Island's newest country radio station WJVC 96.1 FM?
LISA: I think it's about time! It's such a perfect marriage! We are all on the same page and we just love the new brand of country music that's hitting Long Island and New York in general. They are so supportive of my new record and will be bringing it in the forefront on March 31st when my album is released. They will be broadcasting live from the official record release and video Premiere Event with me at the Carlyle at The Palace in Plainview NY. It's very exciting!
MICK: Who do you listen to now?
LISA: I listen to all kinds of music. I listen to mainly country music right now... artists like Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift is so talented, Sara Evans is incredible, Keith Urban, Trace Adkins I absolutely love! You will see me flipping over the dial from The Highway on Sirius to Hair Nation! I listen to Bon Jovi, Poison, Aerosmith!! I flip back and forth between those two stations. Right now, I listen to WJVC 96.1FM on the radio when I'm in the car as long as I can get the reception in Nassau County! Or as long as the kids aren't playing with the radio in the car!!

See more about Lisa at http://www.lisamatassa.com/

2011 ROCK and ROLL HOF INDUCTION CEREMONY!

2011-03-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

On Monday evening, March 14th, the world of rock united in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for the 26th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions. This year's class was an eclectic group of legends who came to join the elite membership of rock's hallowed Hall. Those inductees included Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Darlene Love, Leon Russell, Tom Waits, Art Rupe and Jac Holzman.
John Densmore of the Doors was there to induct Electra Records founder Jac Holzman. Densmore looked like a Confederate general with the long gray jacket and gray hair tied back. Very personable with the press, he seemed to be having a great time. Neil Diamond was dressed in his usual black, a true class act. He said he just flew in from Australia, where he is on tour, and would be flying back the following day. "I would not miss this for the world" Neil told the press. Elton John was there to induct Leon Russell. Elton did all of the talking while the two sat together in the press room. Leon looked like he was in a hypnotic state and showed virtually no emotion at all. I guess his music did the talkin' already! Stray Cat Lee Rocker was there with his beautiful wife Debbie. Lloyd Price was there to induct Art Rupe, founder of Specialty Records. Lloyd is one cool guy. He said he currently manages Icon Food Brands, which makes a line of primarily Southern-style foods, including Lawdy Miss Clawdy food products, ranging from canned greens to sweet potato cookies. He also said he is an avid bowler his whole life and carries a 214 average and even has six 300 games under his belt!! Incredible! Darlene Love was ever so gracious about her induction and gave a real heartfelt induction speech. She is one incredible lady and it's great she finally received her due. Bette Midler was very happy to be there to induct Darlene. Bette is just full of personality that just spreads throughout the room. John Legend was there to induct Dr. John. Legend looked sharp as nails in his perfectly fitted suit. He is not only a great singer but very articulate as well. Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack) was dressed in a purple suit with beads, a fancy cane and feathers. One of the photographers whispered to me that he looked just like a pimp! So when someone asked Dr. John about his unusual shoes, he said he got them in a pimp shop! It drew a lot of laughs! Alice Cooper (real name: Vincent Furnier) was his typical theatrical self complete with full makeup, a bloodied shirt and a large boa constrictor snake! His band sounded just great, all veterans from Cooper's early days. They were backed by a chorus of school children who were also in makeup!! Cooper said they were thrilled to finally be in the Hall and they just might be the first rock band kicked out of the Hall!! Joking of course!! They were inducted by another hard rocker Rob Zombie!
Those who chose not to meet the press were Tom Waits, Neil Young and Paul Simon. Among those who were present included Bruce Springstein, Michael Douglass and his wife Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael J. Fox, John McEnroe, Dr. Oz and John Mayer.
Next year's inductions will go back to Cleveland, as they do every third year.

Miss New York CLAIRE BUFFIE!

2011-02-22T05:20:00.000-08:00

Beauty, talent and ingenuity don't always go hand in hand but in Claire Buffie, these traits can't be more evident! Claire is Miss New York 2010 and she is the first Miss America contestant in the 90 year history of the pageant to run on a gay rights platform. Having placed 12th in the Miss America Pageant, she keeps a very busy schedule throughout the state as her charming and inviting personality makes her much in demand for various functions and activities. Claire took a break to speak with me recently about her amazing life...

MICK: Congratulations on your great success in the Miss America Pageant! Can you tell me about your amazing experience?
CLAIRE: The whole thing was just surreal! I went to the Miss America Pageant two years ago just to watch Katie Stam and she actually won Miss America that year. The next year I went to watch her give up her title. So I've been around the pageant for the last few years but on the other side, in the audience. So to be a part in it this was was completely surreal!
MICK: What was the hardest part of the competition?
CLAIRE: Just the subjectivity in general. That's your biggest competitor. You prepare and prepare for months! For me, it was essentially a process of four years with the prior six months of extreme preparation for it. You work very hard, you do so much work in your community and grow so much as a person. The title of Miss America is the subjective opinion of seven strangers who get to you for about 14-15 minutes. That, in relative to the entire year with all the work you've done, is a difficult thing. That subjectivity you have no control over.
MICK: Do you feel that your stand on the gay rights platform hindered your chances in the pageant at all?
CLAIRE: Not at all. In fact, that is what actually catapulted me into the finals because it was an America's Choice vote. America choose who they wanted to be the finalists. That's how I made it into the top 15. That just shows that my platform is something that related to people on a National scale more than just my city or state.
MICK: How can girls from Long Island get involved in the Miss New York competition?
CLAIRE: We have a new local on Long Island. We actually have two titles we will be giving out this year. One is Miss New York and the other will be Miss Long Island County. Once the girl is crowned, she will become either Miss Nassau or Suffolk County based on the county she lives in. The pageant is going to be on Sunday, March 26th at Hewlett High School in Woodmere. You can check out the details at missnyorg.com and that's the Miss New York website where you can find more information on the local. You can also stay in touch on my blog which is missny2010.blogspot.com. I will be posting things since this is a new local pageant We actually just got confirmation on the high school for the pageant.
MICK: You are originally from Indiana and you placed second in the 2008 Miss Indiana contest. What are the regulations as far as competing in a different state other than the one you came from?
CLAIRE: You must have six months residency based on full time employment, your university or college, or your actual residency. When I came to New York, the way I qualified for my residency was based on my apartment lease. You have to be in the city at least six months before you compete for your local and you have to maintain that residency through the state pageant that year. Last year I was new to it all. This year, I had a couple years under my belt and lots of New York taxes and rent that is already out of my pocket! The Miss America Organization is a scholarship organization so a lot of girls compete where they go to school. My first year that I competed in Indiana, the girl who was giving up her title was actually from Texas but she went to the Indiana University School of Music. In New York, it's unique in that sense. This year, we had 20 contestants. Ten were from the New York City area and ten were from thee rest of the state. Seven out of those twenty were not born in New York! It's because New York is a place girls come to go to school or for their dreams in their careers.

MICK: What are your duties as Miss New York?
CLAIRE: Before Miss New York, I was doing a lot with my platform. I do a lot of personal appearances and engagements on behalf of my platform "Straight For Equality: Lets Talk" and also Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) where I'm on the board. I work with Marriage Equality in New York. After the Miss America Pageant, I've been doing a lot of schools. I did a fair amount of schools before Miss America but now is when my full tour really launches.
MICK: You have a photography business also. Please tell me about that!
CLAIRE: I started my photography business in 2005 and it is focused in commercial photography. I do head shots for actors and dancers and I do weddings too. I was actually a graphic design major in college so I also do web design and graphic design as well. My passion is definitely in photography. Although I don't do too much dance photography, that is my most exciting thing to photograph. The hard part is just finding that access to the dance companies and the magazines that pay to have you photograph the dancers!
MICK: I also see that you work for Apple! What is your job function there?
CLAIRE: I did work for Apple until November of 2010. I had to quit Apple because of the work I was doing with Miss New York was taking up my entire schedule. I was a family room specialist there so essentially I was a genius for small devices like IPods, IPads and IPhones. I also taught people how to use their computers in a one to one program.
MICK: And you know how to fix IPods also right?
CLAIRE: Yes I do!
MICK: Do you have any other hobbies?
CLAIRE: I love to travel and I love to cook. I think those two things go hand in hand being that I love to travel and eat! I played tennis growing up and still enjoy playing with my dad when I go back to Indianapolis.
MICK: How do you like living in New York City?
CLAIRE: I love it! I've known since I was in sixth grade that I would move to New York. I chose to do my internships during college in New York rather than going to school in New York. I still wanted to have that all American college experience so I did that in the Midwest. When I competed for Miss Indiana in 2008, I knew it would be a win win situation for me. Either I was going to win Miss Indiana and stay in Indiana for the year or I would be going to New York immediately after the pageant, which is what happened.
MICK: What is on your agenda for 2011?
CLAIRE: I have four months left of being Miss New York and I really want to take full advantage of that. I'm traveling a lot. Since Miss America, my platform has made a really big splash so I've been booked all over New York, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas as well. Based on those next four months, I want to see where those opportunities take me. In my future, past Miss New York, I want to continue in my photography business. I will definitely be doing consulting for interview preparation and public speaking. I feel that my design skills really support my public speaking.
MICK: What words of advise can you give future Miss New York contestants?
CLAIRE: I will give the same advise that I gave to Katie Stand. Katie was Miss America in 2009 and Miss Indiana in 2008. She was actually my first runner up in her first local at Miss Central Indiana. She was a little bummed about that as anyone would be getting close and not winning the title. She asked me for advise. I told her you have to go into the pageant with the confidence that you can win but the humility that only one girl wins. Also with the self respect and self love that you don't have anything to prove to anyone else, that you are already doing enough just by getting on that stage. That takes a lot of courage, especially for the first time in a local. I gave her that friendly advise and then crowned her in my old local. She beat me in Miss Indiana and then went on to win Miss America.

Miss Nassau/Suffolk County and Miss Southern NY Pageants
Official preliminary competitions to Miss New York in the Miss America Organization
Sunday March 27, 2011 at 2:00
GW Hewlett-Woodmere High School
Hewlett, NY
www.missnyorg.com
Email Paul Brown paul@missnyorg.com for application and information

Compete in Interview (10 Minutes), Swimsuit, Evening Gown, Talent (90sec), and On-Stage Question.
Over $1,000 in scholarships will be awarded with chance to represent Long Island at the 2011 Miss New York State Pageant

You can find out more about Claire at: http://www.clairebuffie.com/

Ripe Art Gallery's Cherie Via!

2011-02-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

She is talented, pretty, spunky, intelligent and has one of the coolest art galleries around! Cherie Via is the owner of Ripe Art Gallery, located at 67A Broadway in Greenlawn NY. Ripe is also the home to an expert frame shop, folk art gifts and handmade jewelry. Cherie's superb taste flourishes throughout the gallery and wraps it's unique essence on all who enter it's doors. I had the great pleasure to speak with Cherie just days before her big annual Valentine's Day Show "Through Rose Colored Glasses" opens...

MICK: How long has The Ripe Art Gallery been open?
CHERIE: I have been in this location [Greenlawn] for almost five years now but I've been Ripe Art Gallery for seven years. The business started as a house painting business. I used to work with a full female crew and we would do whole apartment jobs. We would get hired for a week while somebody was on vacation and we would repaint an entire apartment or a whole floor of a house. When they returned from their vacation, the whole place was painted and put back together. I got a lot of jobs because we were all females and customers just assumed that women are cleaner as painters! Then I scaled down on my staff and started doing more high end feux finishing and working with decorators. At that point, I needed a location because my paint was freezing in my garage. At that time I was also doing custom framing for my painting clients. So I got my first location in Northport which lasted about four months and I outgrew that location very quickly. Then I took a location in Huntington for one year and that's where I started showing art. I did several gallery shows there and it was a real small space.
I literally had to move out all of my tools and stuff, do the gallery show, then move it all back in. I was only open Wednesday nights and Saturdays! I couldn't afford Huntington so I found this place in Greenlawn and it was the perfect price and the perfect layout! I was still house painting when I moved in there. That lasted for about one year. In June of the first year at Greenlawn, the painting business came to a standstill. No work was coming in. That's when I really started paying attention to the gallery, being there full time and taking on more framing jobs. And that all leads me up to where I am right now!

MICK: How did you come up with the name "Ripe Art Gallery"?
CHERRIE: I was trying to come up with a name using my name in it's title. My last name is Via and I couldn't come up with anything that sounded good. So my boyfriend at the time suggested I use my first name, Cherie. But since it looks like Cherry, it sounded a little risque to use. Then he suggested Ripe Cherry. I said wait....Ripe! I immediately envisioned a sticker on an avocado. That was it! Ripe Art! I went to a graphic designer to make my logo and told her to think avocado sticker. I started collecting avocado stickers from avocados in the grocery store. That's how it came about!

MICK: Are you an artist also?
CHERIE: Yes I am! I am a "mother taught" artist! My mother was an artist and our dining room was her studio. My father would get mad at her a couple times a year and say "We want to eat in here!" She would have to clear off the dining room table, we would eat, and then she would put all of her things back. My mother was very talented but also very shy about it. I was actually a trained musician. The reason I came to Long Island is that I got a teaching job in Levittown teaching high school band for five years. After four years, I became unhappy and left after five years. I then went to work in a book store and that's when I started painting! After I got another job at a frame shop, my boss encouraged me to start selling my paintings. It was all small, folk art style paintings and they started to sell!

MICK: You have a wide variety of shows at Ripe. What are some of your more memorable shows?
CHERIE: The Valentine's Day show every year is memorable. This year is my fifth one. This show is always huge and brings in tons of artists. People really get excited about this one! Another great show was Mike Stanko. I felt really proud to have somebody of his caliber have a show at my gallery. A couple of years ago I showed Ray Lamantia. He's a painter from Bay Shore who is very technically advanced. He does photo realist paintings. When he was interested in showing at my gallery, I was also very flattered. I constantly feel flattered because the caliber of artists who are willing to show in my space keeps getting better and better. I feel that the fingers of Ripe Art Gallery keep reaching out further to the west as well as the east. With the economy the way it is and galleries closing, I feel very fortunate not to have succumbed to the economic times.

MICK: Can we talk about the alcohol incident?
CHERIE: Yes, I am ready to discuss the alcohol incident now that it's all over. It's completely over as of January 11th. It's been totally dismissed out of the court. My attorney found that the verbiage of the law does not actually state what art galleries are or aren't allow to do. There is nothing in the law about art galleries. There is very little in the law about serving alcohol as a refreshment and giving it away. Basically the law says a lot about selling it. Since I have never sold it, my attorney put together 30 objections to the case and was prepared to subpoena the first cops who came to last year's Valentine's Day Show. They were two uniformed policemen who didn't know what to do. They wrote a police report and that was that. The undercover cops who showed up in April never showed up for the court date and gave very incorrect information as far as what I was facing. I actually walked into a courtroom of DWI's and drug arrests and was very thankful brought an attorney with me. My attorney did not charge me for this and I had two court appearances. By the time I got to the second, the DA decided it just wasn't worth taking to trial. The judge dismissed the case under the terms that I kept my nose clean for six months. So I decided it wasn't worth it to have alcohol anymore as this whole fiasco could happen again. For over a year now, this has not affected my business at all. Now I'm serving soda which is sort of a treat to people these days as most don't drink soda anymore. I have candy, get them hopped up on Twinkies, Funny Bones and stuff they don't normally buy. It's really working out for me. Still selling art without the booze! I also have a speakeasy gallery in the back room which is an "invite only" gallery. I've been showing tattoo artists who show their personal work. It's exciting because most people are coming in getting pieces commissioned to put on their body. So to see what a tattoo artist wants to create is very interesting. Both shows I've had back there so far have been wildly successful. The last show I did we sold everything but one piece. People like coming to these shows because by invite only, this makes them feel special. I'm building a clientele who wants to be invited and know when they are being invited through the back door, they are coming to something very special. These events are not publicized. If you don't have a card in your hand, you can't come in. So I'm continuing to book that space more.

MICK: What are the future plans for Ripe?

CHERIE: Going forward, I want to continue doing what I am doing and potentially make a living at this. If I get to the point where I am paying myself, that would make me feel like a success. What I make now basically pays for my lifestyle which is not extravagant at all! I'm very happy I haven't starved yet or my dog hasn't starved yet! Right now, I'm redesigning the website. We are going towards E Commerce so that my artists whom I represent will now be available to a larger market through our website. I'm also in the process of promoting myself as the Rock Star Framer, which is a niche that I don't know anyone has taken. Ultimately I'd like to get to the point if you want to get the Rock Star Framer, you must make an appointment. They would get a special service when they come to see me with special designs...the whole experience from the Rock Star Framer! And then I'm thinking about taking the Rock Star Framer on tour! Go to other cities, showing the artists I represent and building it into a musical theme as well. Maybe picking a bar and having a couple musical artists play as well as show art. That would be fun!! I'm a single girl and I have my whole life involved in this. The website will be up and running with several artist pages in about a month.

MICK: The Valentine's Show opens this Monday evening (Feb. 14th). When is the deadline to submit pieces?

CHERIE: Ideally Saturday. I put it out as Friday the 11th as the deadline but I will still take last minute pieces on the 12th. There's still plenty of room. I expect anywhere from 40 to 70 artists. Last year I had around 60 artists. The year before I had 70. It fills up quickly and of course it fills up at the last minute. Everybody shows up on Friday!<

Ripeartgal.com will be up and running very soon!
Ripe Art Gallery, 67A Broadway, Greenlawn, NY (631) 239-1805
Please come to "Through Rose Colored Glasses", Ripe Art Gallery's Annual Valentine's Day Group Show! Opening reception is Monday, February 14th, 2011 from 6-9pm. Running through Saturday, February 26th, 2011.
Gallery hours:
Mon: closed
Tues-Thur: 11am-6pm
Fri: 2pm-8pm
Sat: 11am-5pm
Sun: closed

The Animals HILTON VALENTINE!

2011-02-01T05:35:00.000-08:00

He is one of the original wild men of rock and roll, often found ripping off his shirt and getting down on the ground wailing away on his guitar back in the early 60's. Hilton Valentine went on to become the guitarist for the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Animals. His guitar riff that opens "House Of The Rising Sun" was voted number 29 on the top 100 guitar riffs of all time! He continues to play, though no longer the wild man! I had the great pleasure to speak with Hilton from his Connecticut home...

MICK: Is it true that "House Of The Rising Sun" was recorded in one take?
HILTON: Yes it was!
MICK: Do you still have the Gretsch Tennessean guitar that you used on that classic song?
HILTON: No I don't. I can't even remember what happened to it. I don't have any of my old guitars.
MICK: In 1964, the Animals appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show". What was that experience like for you and the band?
HILTON: It was a strange experience. It was strange for us to be going on a show that had such a variety of acts. I think there was an elephant there when we were on! And there was that Topo Gigio guy. It was the first time we were on this kind of family orientated situation. There was a feeling amongst us that once we had done The Ed Sullivan Show, that was breaking us into America. That was the show that did it for everybody.

MICK: I know The Animals toured with Chuck Berry early on. What was that like touring with the father of rock and roll?

HILTON: That was amazing. That was the first tour that the Animals ever did in England. We had "Baby Let Me Take You Home" which was our first single that was released in England and because of that, we got to go on the Chuck Berry tour. At that time, there was always five or six acts that were on the bill that went around in a Greyhound Bus kind of thing. We went from city to city in England. The fact that we were working with one of our idols was just amazing!

MICK: And he's still playing today too!

HILTON: He probably still just travels with his guitar and arrives at whichever gig and there's always a band set up for him. He just plugs in, runs through a few songs, goes off to get something to eat, comes back to do the show and then off he goes!

MICK: When the band dissolved in 1966, was there any bitterness among the band members?

HILTON: No, I don't think so. It was all quite amicable.

MICK: Are you still friends with the guys from the band today?

HILTON: Well I wouldn't say I was friends with Alan Price. I'm sort of friends with Eric [Burden]. I saw him about two years ago. We toured together for a couple of years which ended two years ago. I'm not really friends with John Steele.

MICK: You have a new CD coming out this spring?

HILTON: Yes! It's called "Skiffledog On Coburg Street". Coburg Street is where I grew up in my hometown of North Shields, England, which is beside Newcastle. There's a lot of skiffle songs on the album. It was basically relearning those old songs again and singing them, which is what I used to do when I was 13 or 14. There's some original stuff as well.

MICK: Is this an acoustic album?

HILTON: Yes it is!

MICK: Will you be touring this year?

HILTON: As soon as the album is mixed and mastered and pressed! We are doing a gig in Bordentown, New Jersey on March 19th at a place called "The Record Collector". And on April 30th, we will be at The Keeney Memorial Cultural Center in Wethersfield CT. This is the gig with Nick Frasco, the artist who drew the Skiffledog for our last album. An evening of art and music!

MICK: Are there any plans for an Animals reunion?

HILTON: No. The Animals bass player Chas Chandler passed away a few years ago. I can't see the band getting together with a different bass player.

MICK: What are your long range plans, looking past the spring release of your new CD?

HILTON: I just want to get out and start promoting this CD and keep it going. Hopefully I will do another one in a couple of years!

You can find out more about Hilton Valentine on his website

http://www.hiltonvalentine.com/

The Archies RON DANTE!

2011-01-26T05:19:00.000-08:00

He sang a handful of number one singles in the 1960's but nobody knew his name! As the lead singer of the fictional group "The Archies", Ron Dante was their voice for five years with hits like "Sugar, Sugar" and "Jingle Jangle". At the same time with the Cuff Links, he scored another big hit with "Tracy". Ron has been busy ever since recording, producing some major artists, touring and still going strong to this day! I spoke to Ron from his California home prior to his upcoming concerts in New York...

MICK: Last week when we were scheduled to talk, your good friend Don Kirshner passed away. How long have you known him?
RON: I went to his funeral last week in Florida. I've known him since I was 16 years old. He signed me to my first publishing contract and really gave me my start into the music business. I learned so much at his publishing company which was an incredible place. I walked into the office and there was Neil Sedaka, Tony Orlando, Carole King..some of the greatest song writers ever! It was an incredible time! They walked me in and I stayed there for three years in the beginning and I went back after five years in the late 60's.
MICK: Was that in the Brill Building?
RON: No, we were actually across the street at 1650 Broadway. Today, the building is the Winter Garden Theater. It was full of managers and agents! it was just as busy as the Brill Building. I spent most of my time going back and forth between those two buildings over my career.
MICK: What was it like in the Brill Building back then?
RON: It was a beautiful building with great entrance ways! It was a long hallway with big golden elevators at the end of the hallway. The hallway echoed so there would be people or a group singing and they didn't chase you then. I remember talking to Pul Simon once and we discussed how we started our careers. He said "I used to take the elevator to the top of the building and walk down every flight and stop in every publisher, agent and record company's office trying to get a deal." He said it was easier to walk down than it was to walk up!
MICK: I interviewed Tommy James recently and he told me about his days at Roulette Records. I know early in your career, your band The Detergents were on that label too. Did you have any trouble with Roulette's owner Morris Levy?
RON: I didn't have any trouble with Morris Levy. He was a very outgoing, big gruff guy. I liked him. He was really interesting because he was very up front about making money. He said "You're not going to make that much money from these records. I will show you the books. We have two sets anyway". He was a big guy and he was laughing and he was happy to have us on the label. We sold over one million records for him. He said " You guys just go out on the road, you kids will make a lot of money". I was only 19 at the time with the Detergents. It was a great experience. Me and my two buddies, Danny Jordan and Tommy Wynn, made a good living for a couple years from the first album. We toured with Dick Clark and did every TV show at the time including Hullabaloo, Shindig, Dick Clark. Morris was a great guy. Kind of a lovable, Damon Runyon type of character.
MICK: Did you know Roulette was Mafia related back then?
RON: I felt it! Coming from an Italian family and knowing about mob being involved in a lot of things. I had heard the rumors about Roulette, especially when Morris said " We are going to put your record in every jukebox in America". I remember thinking who controlled jukeboxes in America! And it was true! Every city we played in, our record was in those jukeboxes!
MICK: When "Sugar, Sugar" was the number one song in America in 1969 and you also had "Tracy" in the top ten at the same time, were you upset that you received no credit as the voice singing those hits?
RON: I was kind of used to being in the background. I was a studio singer at the time. I did tons of demos for people (some famous songs), jingles, commercials you would heard every day on the radio..Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, suntan lotions..you name it. I was the king of the tenors in those years. I signed on to be anonymous with The Archies and The Cuff Links. It was a little frustrating when "Sugar, Sugar" was number one and "Tracy" was number five! Don Kirshner , at that time, promised me that I would do a solo album and he would do the biggest advertising campaign connecting me with the hits that I had. He did exactly that! He came through on his promise!
MICK: You worked with Barry Manilow for many years. Are there any plans to work with him again?
RON: I've been helping him with his last four or five albums..those decade albums he put out 50's, 60's, 70's. I asked me to help him with vocals. I did it as a favor since he's learned all my production tricks, he doesn't need me anymore as a co-producer. We are still friends. We just finished up an album called "Fifteen Minutes" which is about fame. He wrote every song on there and I helped him do vocals and backgrounds on that. So we still do some work together and we've remained friends since 1973. I took him away from Bette Midler and I had him record a solo album. By 1974, "Mandy" hit and the rest is history. We did 10 albums together as producer and co-producer.
MICK: You were also the publisher of "The Paris Revue", the famous literary magazine from 1978 to 1985. How did you get that position?
RON: It was actually a freak accident. In Manhattan, my next door neighbor was the famous writer George Plimpton, who was also the editor of 'The Paris Revue". One day, he had a fire in his apartment. His wife was waxing her eyebrows and started a fire! We ran in and helped her get out. She had a young baby at the time that we helped also. George came home and we struck up a friendship! He had a great pool table and we used to play pool every Sunday. He would talk about the publishing business and I would talk about the music business and show business in general. He said to me once "Can I do something in show business?" I said "Sure George, why don't you do some commercials. So I helped him get some jobs like being a spokesman for Disney, the Daily News, The New York Times. He got into movies. He was in the movie "Reds" with Warren Beatty. He got a lot of work! Then he once said "The Paris Revue has been around for 30 years and we have no more financing to publish and it's a great magazine". I volunteered to become the publisher! It was great because we kept the magazine alive for those years. Got to interview some great writers and up and coming writers. It was a pleasure to get involved in that area of literature. My music business is very narrow with the people you meet. With the magazine, I got to meet people like Norman Mailer, Jackie Onassis, Teddy Kennedy...they would all come to George's parties as he was friends with everyone! He was quite a guy, God rest his soul!
MICK: You produced to big hits on Broadway "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Children Of A Lesser God". Was that a big challenge for you?
RON: Not really, especially "Ain't Misbehavin" as it was music based. A friend of mine who has a TV show called "The Actor's Studio" James Lipton called me one day and asked if I'd be interested in reading a script for a show that the Schubert's are interested in and needed a third partner. He sent me the script about a black street gang called "The Mighty Gents". Morgan Freeman was in it and a few up and coming people. I jumped on it and worked on it. The next year, James called me up and said to go over to the Manhattan Theater Club and see this little five piece thing called 'Ain't Misbehavin". I saw it and said "I'm in". I saw Nell Carter, Andre DeShields and these other fabulous actors. I love the music of Fats Waller and the whole Fats Waller catalog. I helped it get to Broadway and became one of the major producers of the show. It ran three years and every ten years we take it out again.
I knew what to do with a musical. The following year we got involved with "Children Of A Lesser God" which many of my friends said nobody wants to see a show about deaf people. I told them it is a beautiful show and sure enough it won a Tony Award. It became a beautiful film with Marlee Matlin!
MICK: Are there any plans to do more work on Broadway?
RON: I'm developing a few new properties. One is based on the song "Rhinestone Cowboy". My friend Larry Weiss wrote that one. He's developing a script based on his song and the story of the song. I think we have a good chance with "Rhinestone Cowboy".
MICK: You've written hundreds, maybe thousands of songs. Do you have a favorite?
RON: I've written for a lot of people but I've never written a hit song. I've always been the writer of the B-sides. My favorite people to write for are Johnny Mathis, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Bobby Vee. Gene Pitney is one of my favorites. I wrote one song called "Objects of Gold", a Gene Pitney and Bonny Vee song. They both recorded it and I recorded it. That's one of my favorites.
MICK: What do you do when you're not doing music?
RON: I go to movies, Broadway shows, go to the beach, the mountains. The thing I enjoy the most is being involved with something musically. I also love to sing live. Once a month I try to go out and do some shows. Singing has brought me everything as a singer, background singer, commercial singer. I've been very fortunate to do this my whole career.
MICK: Are there any of today's artists that you like?
RON: I like Michael Buble, Josh Grobin. I like the guys who sing the songs. I'm a big fan of groups like Train and country artists like Shania Twain, Faith Hill. Garth Brooks is one of my favorites. It's tough to do what I do and take time to listen to other artists. You don't want to copy. It washes over you and you don't know you are using it in your own production. I have to be careful on what I listen to and how much of it I listen to. I want my music to spring from my insides and touches my heart.
MICK: What are your future plans?
RON: To continue making music. I'm working on a children's project called "Shushybye" which will be on PBS. It's for toddlers ages 1-4 years old. It's wonderful area where you can make great natural sounding songs that appeal to the kids. I will probably tour some more this year. My latest project is I'm recording and producing the legendary Steve Lawrence. Steve is still singing beautifully and I've just completed the first six cuts on him. I'm shopping a deal for him and it will probably be out this spring! Who knows who will come after him! He's the last of the Rat Pack, he has great stories and he's one of the nicest people I've ever worked with!

Ron Dante is among the legendary performers in "Back To The 60's" at the Queensboro Performing Arts Center this Sat. Jan. 29 at 8:00PM.
For more information about this event and other upcoming shows, call the QPAC Box Office at 718-631-6311; tickets are available online at www.visitqpac.org.
Appearing with Ron are Sonny Geraci of “The Outsiders” (and “Climax”) who turned-out four Top 40 hits and is best known for Time Won’t Let Me, Precious & Few and Bend Me, Shape Me. Dennis Tufano of “The Buckinghams” also had many hits, including the chart-topping Kind of a Drag in 1967, as well as Don’t You Care, Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song), Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and Susan. Joining this exclusive group is the band Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods, who will bring down the house with their gold disc record, Billy Don’t Be A Hero, as well as Who Do You Think You Are, The Heartbreak Kid and more. These timeless songs will be featured along with tributes to Elvis, Buddy Holly and the Beatles.
The same show will be at BB Kings in NYC this Sunday Jan. 30 at 7:30PM.
http://www.bbkingblues.com/index.php
Find more on Ron Dante at: http://www.rondante.com/

ODDS and ENDS on LI......

2011-01-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some tidbits of information that you may like!!!
Watch for Long Island's own STEVE GUTTENBERG, TED DANSON and TOM SELLECK to be reunited once more in "Three Men and a Bride" in 2012, 24 years after their smash hit "Three Men and a Baby".....Levittown's KEVIN COVAIS, a fifth season American Idol finalist, is keeping very busy these days! He is co-starring with KURT RUSSELL in a football drama called "Touchback" to be released later this year; he just finished a small role in "Men In Black III" to be released next year; and he is taking theater classes in NYC and looking to record some demo tracks within the next few months! Go Chicken Little go!!!.....Peter Sloggatt, publisher/managing editor of Long Islander Newspapers, is handling public relations for the new Paramount Theater in Huntington, formally the IMAC. The theater is currently being renovated with completion expected in 2012. The Paramount will have 1666 seats, more than double that of the old IMAC, and the stage will be retractable to accommodate all kinds of entertainment. Live Nation will be doing the programing! It should be nothing short of awesome!....JIM FAITH reports that there are no plans for concerts at the Brookhaven Amphitheater this year due to politics and politicians. Expect more to come on this matter. Jim also says the Great South Bay Music Festival is coming along great and there will be some big names on the bill. The Great South Bay Music Festival will be held at Shorefront Park, Patchogue, New York on July 15, 16, 17, 2011. Also, The Long Island Music Hall of Fame will have a fund raiser on April 3rd at the Port Jefferson Village Center with some surprise guests!...Longtime Long Island resident RITCHIE BLACKMORE, who was instrumental in the Rock Aid Armenia Project, was just awarded `Honorary Medal of the Prime Minister of Armenia’.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the charity in which classic rock stars from all over the world gathered to contribute their talents on to Ritchie's classic anthem Smoke on the Water . All proceeds were donated to the Armenian Earthquake victims.....Look for new releases from YES, JOURNEY, THE CARS, THE STEVE MILLER BAND, BLONDIE, PAUL SIMON and JOE WALSH (Jeff Lynn is producing!).... JUDAS PRIEST will begin a long farewell tour...Possible tours from THE WHO and THE ROLLING STONES...Reunions for classic rock bands THE ZOMBIES, THE CARS and TOTO....Possible but not certain reunions for PINK FLOYD and BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD....SAMMY HAGAR will publish his autobiography....What do BOB DYLAN, JOAN BAEZ, PAUL SIMON, ART GARFUNKEL, DAVID CROSBY, CHARLIE WATTS, DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS and MIKE LOVE have in common? They all turn 70 this year!!...Congratulations to Syosett's NATALIE PORTMAN on her Academy Award nomination for best actress in "The Black Swan" and also to MELISSA LEO on her nomination for Best Supporting Actress in "The Fighter". Melissa spent her childhood in East Hampton where her parents still live!!

ROCKAPELLA'S SCOTT LEONARD!

2011-01-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

Acappella is defined as choral singing without instrumental accompaniment. When you combine "rock" and "acappella", you get a very unique and versatile combination called Rockapella, one of the best modern acappella groups of our time. Rockapella has been together for over 25 years while putting out 16 successful albums. Their world tour stops in Bay Shore this friday evening at the Boulton Center. I had the good fortune to speak to Scott Leonard, the band's high tenor, about their tour and their new album "Bang"....
MICK: "Bang" Is Rockapella's latest album, the first since 2002. Why so long between albums?
SCOTT: We did do a live album in 2004. I was busy with other projects. Had a couple solo records come out. I guess we were in a transition going into the lineup we have now which I feel is the best we've ever had. This is an all original album, the first since the mid 90's. The thing about Rockapella, playing live the audience always gets it and I'm not sure we ever captured that on a record yet. There is always something missing. This album comes close because it's a more different approach than it has been in the past. Very polished with an engineer. It really captures the energy of Rockapella without being overproduced.
MICK: Is the album out now?
SCOTT: Yes, it came out in October. It was just available digitally through I Tunes but now the CD is out, just like the old days!
MICK: When you recorded "Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego", did you have any idea how popular it would become?
SCOTT: No, we really didn't. I thought I'd only be doing this for a few years. It didn't start out big as it was on PBS. The producing was so good and the creative team was so good. There wasn't anything else like it on TV for kids and their families. The learning and geographical aspect really stuck and lasted for a lot of years. It was our first national exposure. Before that, we all had day jobs. It really was a platform from which we were able to make a career and see the world!
MICK: Being that Rockapella uses no musical instruments, when you write a song, do you use an instrument and what exactly is the process?
SCOTT: I use the piano. Writing a song is like writing any song. There's chords and a melody. The difference is that when arranging for Rockapella, it is similar to a band as there is a bass with drums with guys doing it with there mouth. There is a melody like any song has. The other two guys fill in creatively so the people don't miss the rhythm guitars and other instruments. It's a craft I've been doing for over 2o years and it's like breathing for me now! It's very unique to use just these five elements and keep it interesting. It's like a puzzle where you try to melt the inspiration musically from your heart with your brain. It's a mathematical creative challenge that I enjoy.
MICK: I've read that after working in Japan for 2 years in the 1980's, you became fluent in Japanese. How hard was that language to learn?
SCOTT: I sang with a Japanese band over there so I was kind of immersed backstage in Japanese, which is the best way to do it! The best way is to be thrust into the atmosphere where that language is all around you. That is a fascinating country, especially for a guy who grew up in Indiana. To this day, Japan is like a second home to me. We go there on tour every year. We also go to Germany a lot and I am from German ancestry so I took an interest in their language. After a while, I was able to do a show over there in German. It shows the people that you care when you learn their language. We not just ugly Americans!
MICK: Has Rockapella ever recorded a song in Japanese?
SCOTT: Yes we have! When we were doing Carmen San Diego, we were offered a deal here to do kids records for some big companies. But we had original music. I had just recorded a record in Japan and I hooked up my record company with Rockapella. Japan had never been exposed to contemporary acapella. The way Rockapella did it really caught on in Japan to the extent that they had an American Japanese Idol Show with all acapella groups and it was a number one show! The music on the radio over there wasn't as regimented as it is here so they would play our music along with all kids of other music. Our first hits over there were English versions of there own hits over there. We did a Christmas song where I sang in Japanese.
MICK: I've read that Stevie Wonder was a big influence on you. Have you ever performed with him?
SCOTT: I've never even met him! He is probably the reason I got into music. I just love the way he sings and I've tried to emulate that. Beyond the singing, his creative juices were so into me. His is our generation's or century's Mozart. His music seems like it has always existed and he just plucked it out of the air and it is perfect! And I've always been fascinated by the great lyricists from Cole Porter to Johnny Mercer to Stephen Sondheim. I love how they transfer that intellect and importance on the words into pop music. Somewhere between Stevie and Stephen is my approach to writing original music.
MICK: Do you keep in touch with former members of Rockapella?
SCOTT: Yes, all the time! Sean, who was one of the first guys in Carmen San Diego and is the godfather of Rockapella as far as I'm concerned, I hear from all the time. He has his own band and is very active in the music world. Elliott has a jazz trio and I hear from him a few times a year. Berry does a lot of voice overs as he has a very deep voice. He was the voice of Tony the Tiger! He is doing well. Everybody is still in touch and friendly. Kevin Wright, who had replaced Sean, retired a year ago. As each guy retires, you lose some of the personality and whatever he added to the band. But we get to hand pick from the stellar talent that is perfect for that slot. So you lose some of the original recipe but technically, Rockapella has never been better than it is right now.
MICK: What would you consider your most memorable moment?
SCOTT: In the first year that we did Carmen San Diego, we did a Whoopi Goldberg HBO special, we did Madison Square Garden with Billy Joel, we did a Taco Bell commercial, we did the Tonight Show on New Year's Eve! This was when Jay Leno had just taken over for Johnny Carson. I remember being behind that curtain on the show and that moment really sticks in my brain.
MICK: What is your favorite Holiday song?
SCOTT: I love Christmas songs. In the beginning, Rockapella was three Jews and me! Japan equates Christmas music with acapella music so we did a Christmas album. I really like the Chipmunk Song and we do that song now in a newer funky version.
MICK: Are any of your children musically inclined?
SCOTT: They really are! My son, who is a senior in high school this year, is going to pursue a career in percussion as he's a percussion major. He has a band and wants to go for the whole thing. My daughter is an incredibly gifted dancer and singer. She's 11 and just getting her feet wet. My wife was a dancer at Disney World when I was singing there so I don't think there's any hope for our children to go any other way!
MICK: What's happening in 2011 for Rockapella and yourself?
SCOTT: We want to do a new Christmas record. We will be promoting "Bang" around the world. There is a new Rockapella cruise this month. We will be touring Europe and Asia again. We've been speaking with the Boston Pops and will be doing the holidays with them this year. That's a thrill for me as I grew up with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. If I'm with the Boston Pops and they do "Sleigh ride", I just might have to retire after that happens! That's still in negotiations.

You can catch Rockapella this Friday, January 07 at 8:00PM at YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts
37 West Main Street, Bay Shore, NY 11706 http://www.boultoncenter.org/
For more information on Rockapella....http://www.rockapella.com/

CELEBRITY'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS!

2011-01-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

As we enter 2011, we look ahead to a new beginning and often set goals or resolutions for ourselves. Some are attainable and some just just crazy but it's always a lot of fun. It with great pleasure that for the second year in a row, I bring you my celebrity New Year's resolutions!!

AUDREY QUINN is an American actress/model, TV spokespersonality and writer. For 2011, Audrey says "My New Year's Determination (I do not think the word Resolution works..lol) is to meet the love of my life and to experience as much bliss in my life as possible! This would be fabulous and it's about time too!"

Our favorite folk singer CAROLINE DOCTOROW says "My New Year's resolution is to learn to sing so that the sound of my voice evokes the history of folk music and all it's artists, somehow all rolled up into one sound. My own sound! This will always be a work in progress, and will always be what I am working towards!"

Legendary jazz singer BOBBY CALDWELL'S resolution was "To get my wife a new bulldog puppy". [She already got the puppy!]

Our favorite artist MIKE STANKO says "My resolution this New Year will be the same as it has been in years past. I hope this year brings plenty of good people, good art and good music my way. After losing so many family and friends, some at a very young age, I truly appreciate the everyday things and I only want the best things for all people. Karen, my wife, my soul and my truly biggest inspiration, and I wish everyone a warm, loving and peaceful year and hope everyday is colorful!"

Nassau County Executive EDWARD P. MANGANO says "My New Year's resolution is to attract even more film and television production shoots to Nassau County so that we can continue to create jobs and generate revenue for the local economy".

WABC's Eyewitness reporter, the beautiful LAUREN GLASSBERG says "I'd like to burn off all of the food I eat while shooting my "Neighborhood Eats" segments!"

Pure Jazz Radio's RICH KEITH says " This coming year I'm basically looking to have a more positive outlook on things. Also to be more tolerant of people...even if they like "smooth jazz"!"

American singer and actress GLORIA LORING says "To keep learning more about singing and my voice...and to be more patient!"
The gorgeous Publisher and Editor NADA MARJANOVICH says "I'm not one who usually makes New Year's resolutions, but have definitely made it a goal to work less in the coming year (80 hour weeks instead of 100 hours...lol) and focus a little more on completing personal writing projects."

Last, but surely not least, is legendary comedian DAVID BRENNER who vows "When we're young and naive, we make long lists such as "This year I am going to go through college, meet a great woman, get married, have two children, make a few million, travel, buy a house and a yacht, maybe become an astronaut". When we get older, we are more realistic and my resolutions that we know for certain we can keep- Mine for 2011 is "I am not going to slap a giraffe on it's ass!"

As your humble writer and interviewer on SpotOnLi.com, my resolution is to bring you more interesting interviews and articles, lose some weight, get more organized and to translate my interviews into Japanese and Swahili! Only kidding!!!

May all of our resolutions find success in our lives and if they don't, there's always next year!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

World Famous Psychic's Predictions for 2011- Part 2

2010-12-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

In the second part of predictions for 2011, four more of our world famous psychics look into the future to give us their visions of what they foresee in the new year!

Psychic JOSEPHINE GHIRINGHELLI

Josephine is a Long Island based, world renowned psychic, medium, lecturer whose knowledge and gift has helped thousands of people from all walks of life. She has been the resident psychic with the renowned “Morning Radio host Phathead from WMJC FM [94.3.)" Ms. Ghiringhelli, has been teaching PSYCHIC AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES for the last 20 years at varying locations. She now teaches at the Enchanting Cottage in Bluepoint, New York. This is what she sees for 2011...

I have been asked over and over again about the 2012 Pole Shift-Mayan, I Ching and Nostradamus predictions, which is that the world is going to end on December 21st, 2012. My prediction, I am happy to say, is that the world is NOT going to end. All is subject to change based on other factors as I will further explain along the way in my predictions.

I believe that over the last decade, specifically from when the Twin Towers came tumbling down, that something very magical happened to us as a society. we opened up, we united in spirit, and we sent an energy out into the universe which changed the course of our destiny.

I see no end to this war in the year 2011. With that said, slowly, little by little..I do see troops coming home. Continue to send lots of love and light to our courageous servicemen and women, it does help!

President Obama continues struggling internally while maintaining a cool exterior. I see a health scare for him around mid year with a short term hospitalization.

Health care continues to stay in a confused state of affairs. Although I see many changes to the overall health care policies, dismay will continue throughout the year

The first lady Michelle Obama continues to be a strong force behind the scenes. However on a lighter note, her fashion sense will set the tone for strong fashion statements this year.

In the first three or four months there will be a rapid rise in stocks and bonds. Invest wisely and watch your money grow!

Lindsay Lohan continues to struggle in her battle with addiction. I feel an opportunity of love enters into her life which can make or break her long time battle. I hope she makes the right decision. He is a keeper, good luck Lindsay!

Britney Spears has a bright year ahead of her. Career opportunities find their way to her and happiness allows her to feel joy once again. I also feel thoughts of having another child has been on her mind.

Oprah Winfrey, after 25 years, disclosed to Barbara Walters that she is scared going into her new venture. She is frightened that Own Productions may not be as successful as Harpo Productions. I feel the people will pull back a bit at first but then very quickly get past the change and respond in a positive way. Ultimately, her new show will be a success.

JOHN COHAN- Psychic To The Stars

....John is a world famous for his predictions and his celebrity clients that reads like a who's who in Hollywood. He has made numerous radio and TV appearances and his new book "Catch A Falling Star" was recently published. John offered these predictions for 2011...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes will break up...She leaves the religion he has.

Angelina Jolie has a breakdown. Needs to leave film making a while to get better.

Comebacks for Connie Francis, Jeff Conaway, Lana Wood and Ryan O'Neal!

PSYCHIC-MEDIUM MARIE

...Marie is quickly becoming is premier psychic medium in both Long Island and New York State. She is internationally recognized with gifts that leave her fans breathless. Her visions for 2011 include....

As I am typing this, I keep typing 2001 and I realize it and change it to 2011. There is a connection between these two years. I have a fear in me and cannot explain to people how to prepare for such a large scale event while the terrorists use a small devise. Prepare for a small nuclear attack in Washington (especially), New York (especially), Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Dallas. The government agencies should not only use their watch lists but also look for anyone nervous looking and be ready for something that looks ordinary but is not. I don't care for being politically correct because I am for defending ourselves any way we can. People in these areas should be on their guard at all times in 2011. I am seeing multiple attacks. Similar to the 9/11 hit on the Twin Towers. The US is not strong enough defensively to counter this attack. People are asleep at the wheel. The recent attempt in Maryland was a practice run. I hear the word "tryout".

I am being told about an earthquake in Havana/Honduras/Hawaii not sure which of these places but I am hearing the H sound. These are the ones I saw first for April or May 2011. I am leaning towards Honduras- they should brace for another quake.

I see a problem with the stock exchange. I am being shown a dramatic drop - a huge drop going further than the previous recent drops. Perhaps computer stops and limits are going to be bypassed or will fail, because I am being shown a drop to almost zero and then the market stabilizes at a very low level. When I say zero, a it may not be literally zero but may be a way to show a significant drop. the likes of which we haven't seen in our lifetimes. After this drop,the market will stay at this low level for some time and then start to creep up..

The economy is very week. weaker than the government and the press is reporting. It is very fragile and will not be able to withstand much of the battering (which is another form of terrorism).

I see a tropical tree swaying in strong winds or a storm. I interpret this to mean: death or destruction will bring significant change. Unpredictable forces and religion are the basis for this destruction. People have to put their feelings aside and determine how they want to deal with the terrorism and whoever is behind it. Right now, the "weather" cannot be controlled. It will cause destruction and death until one energy can guide the planet. Weather in this vision is equated to terrorism

PSYCHIC MARY ROSE.....Mary Rose is very familiar to the New York public through appearances on news channels like Inside Edition, Court TV due to the high profile cases of the Katie Beers, Eve Brown case, the Patrick J. McNeill which involved the finding of the missing god nephew of Cardinal O'Connor of Manhattan's St. Patrick's Cathedral which was filmed for Court TV episode number 451 titled "Sign of the Cross" which aired April 26, 2006, and many other cases as well. The FBI, government agencies and police often ask her for assistance in unsolved murders and missing people. Mary is a resident of Bay Shore, New York. Here are Mary's predictions for the coming year....

There will be stronger high seas in 2011 causing more disastrous levels to major cruise lines.
Heavy industrial construction jobs to open up in mid March.
A multitude of foreclosures will be given money to help people stay in there homes.
Chase Bank will have trouble. I see it restructuring. Bank of America and Citibank see improvement by March.
I see a major revamping of Social Security. Retirement age will be moved from 65 to a higher number.
The new health system will not work.
There will be a change in the power industry, specifically LIPA. Steve Levy will be responsible for implementing a new method of clean power.
Foreign travel will get very restricted. A closer look will be paid to Canada's borders in regard to US Homeland Security.
Big adjustments to school boards as far as finances are concerned in the upper echelon. I see a huge overhaul coming.
Swiss bank accounts to be thoroughly investigated.
Any and all communications will be more intensely monitored by Homeland Security.
Major upheaval in the Senate. We will lose some senior senators.
There will be a lot of long range missile activity as we approach 2012. Most will be concentrated in the Asian Nation area drawing us into it in 2012.
Homeland security will get beefed up big time. People will resent it but they are incorrect as it is for their own good.
The public needs to become more personal with the banks and branch personnel rather than doing most business on the internet
The equity of small security firms will increase as each is asked by Homeland Security to join them due to their expertise in that field.
The United States should beware of all types of security theft..even extending itself into the space program.
Abnormal weather patterns in 2011. Forecasters should not underestimate. They would be better to overestimate.
Upcoming Federal investigations into pharmaceutical companies and the FDA for approving drugs that are now in multiple lawsuits for their side effects.
Broadway is in for a big change. There will be less shows per week per theater in order to conserve and preserve our theater district.

For more info on MARY ROSE...www,maryrosepsychicastrologercourttv.com
For more info on PSYCHIC MARIE...www.PsychicMediumMarie.com
For more info on Psychic JOSEPHINEHIRINGHELLI...http://www.josephinege.com/home.htm
JOHN COHAN can be found at http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Cohan/100000005552238
His book "Catch A Falling Star" can be found in bookstores and Amazon.com

World's Best Psychic's Predictions for 2011!

2010-12-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

As a new year is about to begin, we often wonder what the future has in store for us and the world. Some people have the unusual gift to foresee the future with incredible success. It with great pleasure that I had some of the world's top psychics give me their predictions for 2011. In the first of two parts, here is what our favorite psychics predict.....

JANET RUSSELL is a Long Island based psychic/medium/spiritual advisor and also a TV host on one of New York's top cable access shows, the psychic program "Beyond The Unexplained" which appears nationwide and locally on Channel 20. Janet predicts......
We will be told that we do have other living specimens on other planets. I feel that they are already aware but afraid to tell us.
People will be taxed when they get married more than twice. Most end up divorced again.
Parents that do not take responsibility for their children's bad habits ( causing problems in neighborhoods, disrupting schools, etc) will get large fines and may be sent to jail. If they want children, they need to care for them.
More reality shows with real people showing what really happens in a dysfunctional home and what alcohol and drugs do to children that are born from those addictions.
Atlantis will rise again; Many diseases will be cured due to the plants in the ocean.
We will have a universal medical coverage.
More people will go to holistic doctors for healings (It works!)
There will be another blackout, first in the eastern states and then in the west.
It will be found that many children are misdiagnosed with ADHD so that schools can get more funding.
Many illegal immigrants will be deported to their countries and their countries will be liable for the taxes that they have not paid in the United States.
Many more people will stop smoking. Cigarettes will double in price and only the wealthy can afford them.

Celebrity Psychic NANCY BRADLEY is an award winning author and writer of five books and over 600 articles worldwide. She is considered one of the top ten psychics in the world. holding that title for over fifteen years. She is tested three times a year for accuracy and consistency and maintains the highest accuracy in the world. Living in California, she is originally from Long Island. Nancy predicts....
A famous rock star will not have a long life and in fact die shortly.
Much more will be coming forward about UFO's and honesty in what the government knows under the Obama administration.
Lindsay Lohan could commit more drug and alcohol fueled offences. We hope she is not still out of touch with reality and still thinking she can still get away with anything. Her life is in danger. Her father will be looked upon as the one using his daughter for publicity.
Likely health issues for Burt Reynolds, Liz Taylor, Nathan Lane, Lauren Bacall and Tommy Lee Jones.
More species thought to be extinct or mystical (having never thought to be real) are coming back. This includes the Unicorn which is already making a comeback on the planet. Many species will be coming forth from the sea.
Another death in the Michael Jackson family.

One of TVs Housewives of New Jersey Show will file for divorce within the next year or two. At least one will be investigated for mob connections. One Housewife of New York Show, who left the series for her own show, will also divorce within 3 years and come back to the show.

Mel Gibson will make another mistake. His life in the movies is on the line. Suicidal tendencies could be there and he would be well advised to seek counseling. Temper issues and bigotry could be the core, he a victim himself of things in his past. We pray for him not harm to himself or others.

Job market improvement around June or July, then another plummet. California in big trouble. Look for major crime, looting, fires and theft as lay-offs in law enforcement and fire prevention is understaffed. Schwarzenegger will go down as the worst Governor of California ever. Jerry Brown has his work cut out for him and will suffer a health issue.

JEFFREY WANDS is the author of 'the Psychic In You", appears frequently on national television, is a popular guest on radio shows across the country and hosts his own weekly radio call-in program "Psychic Sundays" on WALK 97.5 FM. His flourishing psychic practice regularly has a waiting list of up to a year for a reading, and his personal appearances benefit WALK For Women Breast Cancer Fund, which are always sold out events. He lives in Port Washington with his wife and sons. Jeffrey predicts....

San Francisco will experience a significant earthquake during the period of April-May.

Alaska will experience a series of minor earthquakes.

The Alaskan pipeline will have an incident of sabotage before May.

Iran will experience an attack in February during which a nuclear power plant is taken out.

Bad year health wise for former Presidents.

Scandal around Mayor Bloomberg in NYC.

Amelia Erhart's body is found in January in the South Pacific.

Sylvester Stallone has a bad health year.

George Clooney gets married and becomes a father.

Economy at a 3.5 percent pace.

Real estate rebounds in the end of 2011.

Oil reaches $130 a barrel.

Danger in the sky over Washington in February. Two planes collide.

NIKKI-Psychic to the Stars is based in Toronto Canada and is one of Canada's top psychics. . She is known all over the world. Some of her clients include well known movie stars, politicians, people from the sports world and business world and the world of entertainment. Nikki predicts...

North Korea and South Korea go to war.......A gold rush in Hawaii.......The world's first brain transplant.....A powerful earthquake rocks Chicago.

The worst landslides in California history destroys a thousand homes.

A terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty....The Mona Lisa painting is stolen.

The movie "The Black Swan" will be nominated for an Oscar.

Natalie Portman will be nominated for an Oscar.

The TV series "Boardwalk Empire" will win lots of Emmy Awards.

Rosie O'Donnell will make a comeback....Tiger Woods has to be careful of planes....

Taylor Swift has to be careful of planes and cars...Kim Kardashian has baby and marriage...

Snookie from the Jersey Shore has to watch out for an injury.

For more on Janet Russell...http://www.janetrussellpresents.com/

For more on Nancy Bradley...http://www.nancybradley.org/

For more on Jeffrey Wands...http://jeffreywands.com/site/

For more on Nikki....http://psychicnikki.com/

ELLIOTT MURPHY COMES HOME

2010-11-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

He is not a superstar in the world of rock and roll but he is truly one of it's unsung heroes. Elliot Murphy has carved a nice place for himself not only in music but in the literary world as well. The multi talented and articulate Long Island native continues writing and recording songs 37 years after his first record"Aquashow" in 1973. His current tour is bringing him back to his homeland. I had a great conversation with Elliott from his home in France the other day...

MICK: Congratulations on your new CD. I see that your son Gaspard is the producer!
ELLIOTT: Yes he is! It's actually coming out in January here and in Europe.

MICK: Is your son still in college here in New York?
ELLIOTT: Yes he goes to Purchase College up in Westchester.

MICK: What memories do you have about growing up here on Long Island?
ELLIOTT: Oh there's many! I suppose it was very different when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's. We went to Jones Beach in the summer and Eisenhower Park. I won the New York State Battle of the Bands there in 1966. It was a pretty typical American, suburban upbringing. Spent a lot of time in the car listening to the radio. One big difference was that there was so much great music on the radio back then. I can still remember the DJ's Murray the K, Cousin Brucie in the 50's and early 60's. Later on, it was WLIR with Dennis McNamara..did quite a few shows for them myself! It was mostly good memories for sure. It was so close to the city too. The city was this huge spotlight that I wanted to get close to. Garden City, where I grew up, was only 40 minutes away! Once I got old enough, I spent a lot of time in Greenwich Village.

MICK: Does any of your family still live here?
ELLIOTT: Yes, most of my family is there. My mother lives in the city. She's 85 years old. My brother Matthew also lives in the city. He's also a tour manager, most lately with Steve Martin and his bluegrass music tour. My sister, who is an artist, lives out in Amagansett.

MICK: How long have you lived in France and why did you move there?
ELLIOTT: I moved to France twenty years ago in 1989. I moved there for a couple reasons. I first came here in 1971 before I ever recorded. That trip to Europe changed my life. I went to Amsterdam, Belgium, Brussels, Paris and then down to Rome where I did a bit part in Federico Felinni's movie 'Roma". I was singing on the streets all over and it kind of released whatever creative juices that were inside me. Somewhere deep in my heart I always wanted to come back. Then, the mind followed the heart. My career always did better in Europe than in the States although in the early 70's I did get quite a bit of airplay. I came over here doing shows in the late 70's and was amazed at the response from the public and the critics. In the late 80's, I was almost exclusively touring in Europe. Finally in 1989, I made the move here.

MICK: You've been called a road warrior because you do over 100 shows a year. Is touring still a thrill for you?
ELLIOTT: Touring is still a thrill! I don't do as many as 100 anymore. That was about five years ago. When you do 100 shows a year, that almost like 200 days on the road, either coming home from a show or going to a show. We still do around 70-75 shows a year now. It is still thrilling for me. I tour mainly in Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Scandinavia. Those countries are still exotic to me even though I've been here so long. If I was still going to Cleveland instead of going to Barcelona, I don't know if the thrill would be the same! I'm sure the audience would be just as great as my audiences everywhere are wonderful. The traveling is so much part of the formula.. 8 hours for two hours on the stage. That little element, still in Europe and still exotic, keeps it interesting for me.

MICK: Up to this point, what would you say is your most memorable moment?
ELLIOTT: Wow, there's been so many. I would have to say, it was about four years ago, Bruce Springstein was playing at the Parc de Princes in Paris, France (a big outdoor arena with about 60000 people). He had invited me onstage to sing with him a number of times as we've been friends since we both put out our first albums at the same time. We were reviewed together in Rolling Stone Magazine and been friends since then. I was backstage with Bruce and he said "Why don't you come up tonight to sing something with me!". 'How bout doing "Born To Run"". I said that's a tough one as that song is like a symphony. My son Gaspard was sitting right next to me and he said "Dad, I know all of the chords to that song and I'll teach it to you". Bruce said "You know that song? Ok, then you're coming up onstage too!" So there we were, both of us, on stage singing "Born To Run" in front of 60000 people at the encore of Bruce's show which is like all hell has broken loose. That was pretty memorable!

MICK: Why do you feel that your music has encountered commercial resistance here in the United States?
ELLIOTT: There are so many elements in the answer to that question. It's hard to focus on just one. Early in my career, I didn't have good luck in finding the right management. I jumped from record company to record company, manager to manager. I couldn't get in a situation that gave me a chance to build some sense of consistency. So that was just kind of bad luck. I think I didn't put as much emphasis on playing live as I do now. Over the last 10-15 years, I've enjoyed playing live more than ever. I was probably impatient thinking my career should have been moving faster than it was where in retrospect, when I look back, it was doing just fine. All of those early albums made it to the low numbers of the charts somewhere and I should have been happy with that and been out there playing more. If I could do it over, I would concentrate more on playing live and really bring the music to my fans instead of depending on the record companies and radio play to do it.

MICK: I love your quote " Literature is my religion but rock and roll is my addiction". Who are your favorite authors?

ELLIOTT: I'd have to say F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby" has always had a special place in my heart and takes place on Long Island. I used to ride around those North Shore areas and see those huge mansions. I also loved Jack Kerouac with his vision of America and how he described it. Just beautiful. John Steinbeck for his social conscience. Also authors as diverse as Graham Greene, the English writer. Elmore Leonard is one of my favorite writers.

MICK: Are we going to see any new literature from yourself in 2011?

ELLIOTT: I've been working on a book for a while. I had a novel come out a few years ago in France called "Poetic Justice", a western. It hasn't been published in English yet. I'd like to make that happen. I'm always writing. The reason I said 'Literature is my religion but music is my addiction" is that I need that kind of solitude and quietness and the way writing kind of centers me and then I still love the excitement and thrill of rock and roll. I really do need the both!

MICK: You've been writing and recording for over thirty years. Is there anything you still want to accomplish?

ELLIOTT: Oh there's so much! Just by nature, any artist is unsatisfied. Every album, when I listen back to it, I think I should have done this or done that and next time I'll do it better. A few things I wanted to accomplish I've already done. I wanted to do a double album and I did that with "Strings of the Storm". I wanted to do a blues album and I did that with " Murphy Gets Muddy". I would like to do an album of covers, songs that were real essential to me when I first started playing guitar at 12 or 13 years old. That's kind of next on my list.

MICK: I know Jann Klose has opened for you on some shows. Will he be joining you for any of your local shows here?

ELLIOTT: Not on this tour. Jann is on his own tour right now. With Jann, we were playing in wider markets like Washington, Philadelphia, Boston. These six dates are all centered around New York. With my shows, since it's so rare for me to come to America, I like to do long shows..a good two hours. Sometimes when you have an opening act as great as Jann is, it cuts away the time a bit. I've had some people come to my shows and say they've been waiting 35 years to see me live! So I figure I have to give them more than a sixty minute show! I love to play long shows. We just get going after the first hour!

MICK: When writing a song, whats comes first..the music or the words?

ELLIOTT: In the beginning they came together and that was miraculous. My brain and my body were so in tune with each other because the music is more of the physical part and the words are the mental part. More often than not, I'm writing words and then the music comes after. Very often times the first verse is like a chorus or a phrase with the music. Once I get that, it's one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration to finish the song.

MICK: When are you most creative, morning or night?

ELLIOTT: With music, it's the night. With writing, it's the morning! Opposite ends of the spectrum!

MICK: What are your New Year's Resolutions for 2011?

ELLIOTT: Try to be nicer to my band! Sometimes after a long day of traveling you can find yourself pretty hard to deal with. I have a great band. These guys are all from Normandy in France. Olivier Durand , who is my incredible guitarist, has been with me for 16 years. He is a treat to travel with too. He does to the acoustic guitar that Jimi Hendrix did to the electric guitar. He is really phenomenal! Other resolutions are what I ask for every year..to stay in the moment, appreciate what I've done and what I've given, and try to move forward the best I can!

Elliott continues to move forward in our direction with these upcoming shows....

Sat. Dec 4th Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY
Dec.5th House Concert, Ringwood, New Jersey
Dec. 8th Turning Point, Piermont, NY
Dec. 9th Record Collector, Bordentown, NJ
Dec. 11th Rockwood Stage 2, New York City, USA
Dec. 12th Watercolor Cafe, Larchmont, NY

http://www.elliottmurphy.com/

A Thanksgiving Story

2010-11-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves a parade and I am no exception to that proverbial rule. Since childhood, the pageantry of the passing floats, marching bands and the whole extravaganza captured my imagination. And there was no greater parade than the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. As a child, I always made sure to wake up very early so I didn't miss one minute of grandest parade of them all. Even on TV, those giant balloons were breathtaking. It's always been a tradition for me even after all these years!
Last year. I decided to finally take the trip into New York City and see the legendary parade in person. My son Mikey, who was 20 at the time, was anxious to go with me. So on Thanksgiving morning, around 4:30am, we made our way to the railroad station and caught a packed train to the Big Apple. Once we arrived, the sun had just risen and there was magic in the air. The temperature was a balmy 55 degrees. Everybody hustling and bustling towards the parade route. We walked a few blocks up Sixth Avenue until we found a less crowded corner. That would be an ideal place to see the parade!
Soon, the sidewalks began to fill with a multitude of anticipating parade watchers of all ages. Old and young, families and couples from all over. The excitement was beginning to build. Happy people and smiles were all around!
We had our space right in front of the crowd and anxiously awaited big event. Next to us was a young couple. He was from Bellmore, Long Island and she was visiting from Texas. Really nice people. They said they were waiting for the friend to join them shortly. As they scanned the crowd, they saw their friend across the avenue. Crossing the street, the friend arrived with her young son. She was a pretty blond woman and her son appeared to be around 4 years old and looked exactly like Ralphie from the classic Christmas movie "A Christmas Story". Blond haired also with big black glasses. We soon found out that this little boy's name was Tommy.
The parade began and it was indeed fabulous! Clowns and marching bands went past us just a few feet away! Tommy was awe struck as gigantic balloons passed by and towered over him. A contingent of police officers were in the street watching the crowd and making sure everything went well. The main police officer was a middle aged, burly Irishman, Officer Kelly, who noticed little Tommy watching the parade. "What is your name little boy?" asked the jolly policeman. "Tommy" replied the young mom "and today is his birthday too!" The policeman thought that was just great and loudly announced to the crowd "Listen everybody! Today is Tommy's birthday! Everybody sing happy birthday to Tommy!". With that, the people in that whole section of the crowd began to sing! They yelled and cheered for Tommy as the parade passed by. He was obviously embarrassed but definitely happy. Then Officer Kelly took Tommy by the hand and brought him several feet into the street to stand next to him. Now he was practically part of the parade! As the bands and the various clowns went by, they would come close to Tommy to slap him five or sprinkle him with confetti. Tommy was elated. You could tell he was having the time of his life. When the huge balloons of Sponge Bob and Shrek passed by, Tommy just looked straight up and couldn't believe he was this close to his cartoon friends. I'm sure he thought this must be a dream!
As the parade was nearing to an end, we said goodbye to our new friends and wished them a Happy Thanksgiving. Tommy and his mom soon disappeared into the crowd as we walked back to the train station. It was truly a great day so far for me and my son and turkey dinner was only a few hours away. I'm sure little Tommy told everybody at home about his amazing day. He probably still had some confetti in his blond hair. It just may have been the best time in his brief life so far! But Tommy may only find out how special his day really was is when he goes to his next parade. Happy Thanksgiving Tommy wherever you are.

A Chat with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson

2010-11-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

For decades, he has been the minstrel of rock and roll while leading his band Jethro Tull with his masterful flute playing, articulate song writing and powerful vocals. Ian Anderson is still going strong after 4o years with Jethro Tull, still touring and thrilling audiences of all ages. Today, Ian is in the midst of a solo tour that comes to Westbury on Wednesday, November 24th. Recently, I had a nice conversation with Ian while on a break between gigs...

MICK: How is the tour going?
IAN: We are more than half through a year's worth of touring at the moment having just started the second leg. Playing some nice little theaters including some places we haven't played before. A mixture of some familiar sights and few new experiences.

MICK: I've heard that you wrote some new songs for this tour. Is this something you normally do when you go on tour?
IAN: I think it's pretty common going back to the very beginning of Jethro Tull to do some new material on stage. Of course not every concert and every tour. Quite frequently we try out some new material on stage live before we record it in the studio which is a useful and challenging experience, certainly for the musicians. Particularly at a Jethro Tull show there are expectations of a certain kind of music. It's always risky for the artist but to me it's important as it takes me back to the beginnings of performing live in front of an audience. Think about it in the context of when we first time we came to play in America and pretty much everything we played was unfamiliar to the audience. It puts us back in that less comfortable zone where we actually have to win people over.

MICK: How is this solo tour different from a Jethro Tull tour?
IAN: All of my solo tours, whether it be acoustic shows, orchestral shows, string quartet shows, Christmas shows, are different in one crucial way which is they give me the opportunity to go a little deeper into the Jethro Tull catalog to explore some less known pieces of music. I also do some of the better known pieces of music with perhaps different arrangements and a different slant on the music. Seventy percent of it is Jethro Tull repertoire and the balance is made up of some solo album tracks, three or four new songs, a couple of classic pieces of music. A mixture with most of the emphasis on the Jethro Tull catalog. Some of it more obscure, songs you wouldn't hear on classic rock radio every day.

MICK: You still enjoy touring?
IAN: It's what I set out to do when I left school. It's my job and my passion so I do enjoy it.

MICK: Is Westbury the last stop on this tour?
IAN: Yes it is

MICK: Will there be any new Jethro Tull albums in the near future?
IAN: Nothing has been scheduled, no.

MICK: How many flutes do you own?
IAN: I guess around ten. There's probably four or five flutes I won that I wouldn't take out of the house being that they are more valuable and hand made. I would not risk taking them on tour because of the great likelihood of damage, theft, loss and there's a certain degree of stress from temperature. The ones I take on tour are essentially ones that I can probably replace in any major city. I'm not going to take a hand made, gold flute on tour! Nor would i send one into space! I have a flute currently waiting on the international space station for a flute player astronaut to play when she gets there next month. That is not an expensive flute because I might not see it again. I'm told it will come back to me! NASA doesn't like to lose astronauts and flutes!

MICK: You have a very unique style of playing the flute while standing on one leg. When did you start playing that way?
IAN: In late February, 1968. I used to play harmonica while standing on one leg so when I began playing the flute in the early months of 1968, I played it standing on one leg also. It was something that media noticed about Jethro Tull in the early days. It got talked up a bit more than perhaps it deserves. It's sort of a trademark that stuck from the early days.

MICK: In 1989, Jethro Tull won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. What are your thoughts on that? They say it was one of the biggest upsets in Grammy history.
IAN: It was a peer group award from 6000 voting members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. They have different categories and that particular year, there was a new category for Best Hard Rock/ Metal Act. For some reason, our record company put us in. We were nominated among other bands in that category and that in itself was strange and unlikely. When it came to people casting their votes, the 6000 voting members probably thought Jethro Tull has been around a long time and they haven't won a Grammy so lets give them a pat on the head! Metallica was the favorite to win and when we won, it created a little fiery amongst the audience and the pundits at the time. It wasn't something to get carried away about. Nice to have but it doesn't impact upon me hugely the fact that I have a Grammy or don't have a Grammy. Or even if Jethro Tull is or isn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or any of things kind of measuring sticks of palpable success. It's nice to have that kind of symbol of success but it's doesn't rate anywhere remotely rewarding as standing in front of an audience and feeling their pleasurable response. That's the thing that most musicians would put at the top of their list of accolades.

MICK: What are some of your favorite venues?
IAN: A number of them that are particularly ancient places that I've played. Amphitheaters around the world that are maybe a few thousand years old. Those are quite memorable places. Of course, when you're outdoors in these amphitheaters, they tend to have easy acoustics to work with. They are ancient and relevant of history and culture, an easier thing to get excited about than playing in some concrete sports hall. That's my least favorite..playing in some multi purpose concrete buildings not designed for music.

MICK: Who do you enjoy listening to?
IAN: Mainly folk music from different parts of the world. I've always been an acoustic musician and listened to acoustic music. It's always been my main interest whether it was jazz or blues, western folk music or classical music. I've always found acoustic music rewarding and exciting to play as a musician. Having long been associated with a band that's considered at least on the periphery of rock music with electric instruments, it's not my natural preference. On this tour, it's half and half between electric music and acoustic music.

MICK: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time other than music?
IAN: I don't have a lot of spare time but when I do, it's just very simple domestic pleasures. I like to take my cats for a walk.

MICK: Do you have a favorite Jethro Tull song?
IAN: It tends to vary from time to time. Perhaps the songs "Budapest", "Songs From the Wood", "Aqualung", "Locomotive Breath" are four that generally sit on top of my list.

MICK: Which of today's artists do you like?
IAN: Anyone whose name I can remember which reduces it to approximately zero. I've never been a listener of contemporary pop and rock music. It's not something I've ever done much of. You could probably play me something and I wouldn't know if it was from yesterday or five years ago. I can only comment on things that are more folk oriented. Among today's relatively new folk artists I like Seth Lakeman, the English guitar player/ violinist /singer/ song writer. I've played with him a couple of times.

MICK: Do you have any fond memories of performing here on Long Island?
IAN: I have lots of memories. I wouldn't say they were all particularly fond because many of them did have to do with playing in arenas or places not so conducive to easy music. We've also played in a few theaters like Westbury from time to time. Those are the more memorable and enjoyable ones. I'm a theater guy and I like something that has a theatrical feel with dressing rooms backstage. It has the conventional layout of the concert hall or the theater. It's always been my preference. When I first started playing in theaters in 1969, I finally felt that I had arrived in a place that felt like home. I didn't like playing in clubs with the noise, the smell of beer, sweat, not something that i enjoy at all.

MICK: You are a survivor of Deep Vein Thrombosis. What exactly is that?
IAN: It's a blood clot usually caused by inactivity following physical accidents. It's something that can strike people like athletes, skiers, football players, folks that have lower limb injuries. Especially for those who travel for a period of time because a blood clot can form in a vein in the leg and build up to a dangerous level. It can break loose and travel to the heart or brain and it can kill you. I tore my ACL anterior cruciate ligament in 1996 in South America when I was on tour. I was flying every day following that physical injury and somewhere along the line I got the blood clot. It wasn't diagnosed until I got to Australia some weeks later. It got a little tense for a week or two.

MICK: Do you still own salmon farms?
IAN: No I don't. That was about ten years ago I gradually got out of the farming and processing business at a time when it reached a level, to me personally, rather beyond the cottage industry that it began as. I felt that I had to make a decision between staying with a major commitment in time, energy and finances to something that would reduce my stoke to play music when I get older. So i made a decision to sell, lease, merge my companies with some regret but it was actually a lucky break. In the last three years, the economy has suffered greatly and one of the major companies that I sold to actually closed it's doors last summer. I was very sad to see it fold. I was very lucky to get out of it when I did.

MICK: What are your long range plans?

IAN: Well they're not fishing or golf! I'm probably the "die with my boots on" kind of guy. I'd like to continue to be a formidable musician but not at the scale or intensity that I do at the moment. I think it would be nice to carry on doing stuff as long as possible two or three days a week rather than six.

MICK: Will there be a Jethro Tull tour anytime soon?

IAN: Not this year because we finished doing Jethro Tull in September. We were on the road from end of February until September and now I'm doing solo tours the rest of the year. Next year, Jethro Tull will be touring Russia, Australia and the USA in June on the West Coast and through Canada since we were on the East Coast in June of this year.

Ian Anderson will be performing at the Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, in Westbury, on November 24, at 8 PM. Tickets are $62.45. Call TicketMaster for more info and visit http://www.livenation.com.

Introducing JANN KLOSE!

2010-11-10T05:32:00.000-08:00

Jann Klose is a world class musician that you will be hearing a lot about in the very near future. An accomplished singer/songwriter, his latest release "Reverie" is gaining lots of attention worldwide and it is critically acclaimed. The German born troubadour now makes his home here in New York and that is where I spoke to the up and coming star...

MICK: On your new CD, how did you come up with the album title "Reverie"?
JANN: While thinking about titles, the thoughts of a beautiful dream and how that kind of sums things up. I didn't like the idea of having a song title being the album title so I was looking for something that would loop it together better. So the idea of dreaming is something I had thought about a lot. That state of being in between sleep and being awake. That's how the record felt to me.

MICK: How long did it take you to record the album?
JANN: Overall, it took around 3 months. It was 8 or 9 studio sessions.

MICK: Your songs are very full with horns and strings among other instruments. Did you do all of the arranging?
JANN: I did most of the arranging. On the string section in "Beautiful Dream" I did together with my violinist Leah Potteiger. The cello part in "Question of the Heart" was arranged by Chris Marolf. Those are the two that the band members worked on directly. Everything else I arranged.

MICK: You've worked with some amazing people including Roger McGuinn, Roseann Cash and Les Paul among others. How did you meet the great Les Paul?
JANN: I met Les through radio host Joey Reynolds. I met Joey when I did his show and we became friends. One Monday evening, he said "Let's go down to the Iridium", where Les Paul played every Monday evening, "and I'll introduce you to him". So Joey goes up on stage and does some comedy and said he brought a friend from Germany with him, then called me up on stage! I joined Les and we played "Summertime" and it was extraordinary! He has an amazing band, probably one of the best I've heard. They still do that gig on Monday nights at he Iridium with a guest star each week.

MICK: Tell me about the "People's Record Project". How is the funding for the new record going?
JANN: It actually just started. We have the website up, we've got the domain name and will be sending out letters within the next few weeks. We first did this with my current CD "Reverie". I was able to partially fund it and I sent out letters to a few people and mentioned it in emails. This time, we wanted to expand it to our entire fan base and on Facebook.

MICK: You make your home here in New York now. How long have you been here?
JANN: Almost ten years!

MICK: I've also read that you've lived on three different continents. Where is your favorite place to live?
JANN: I love New York City. New York is the best! I love having a home here. There's great things about all three including Europe and Africa. I still have to go back to Africa where I spent my childhood. Ironically, my little sister is in Capetown right now in South Africa. My father is in Kenya. They don't live there but they go there. My half sister lives and works in Capetown.
My other sister is visiting her. My dad goes there to just hang out as he is retired. I'm kind of jealous!! But one day I will go back to Africa when the possibility arises.

MICK: On Saturday, December 4th, you will be appearing at KJ Farrrell's in Bellmore, Long Ilsand. Have you appeared on Long Island before?
JANN: I've played Stephen's Talkhouse a few times in Amagansett. I've also played KJ Farrell's a couple of times. It wasn't a full blown gig like this one when I'm playing with some friends of mine. There's a group out there called "Wonderous Stories" and they are good friends of mine. They heard me open for "Renaissance" a year ago on their 40th anniversary tour. Kenny Forgione, who is the leader of Wonderous Stories, invited me to sing with them and a bunch of their friends at BB King's in NYC for a Bangladesh tribute show that they've done for three years in a row now. We've stayed in touch and I often sit in with them. Great guys and I love what they play, classic rock albums that I'm in love with.

MICK: Who were your influences when you were growing up?
JANN: It started with African music, In Southern Africa, my parents were really into safaris, traveling and African culture. They took all of us kids with them everywhere so we saw a lot of African performances, dancing, singing including the musical "Corporate Warrior" which I fell in love with as a kid. I also listened to a lot of American music because American music was very popular in South Africa though we were a little bit behind there. We would still get some of the syndicated programs like American top 40 shows. I would basically listen to the radio too and start taping any songs that I liked. Everything from Iggy Pop to the Beatles, Abba to Crosby Stills and Nash. It was mainly melodies that I would go for.

MICK: Who do you enjoy listening to now?
JANN: I've been listening to Pete Seeger lately. I interviewed him in January for a documentary I'm working on. I've been listening to the Shins a lot, the new Robert Plant and the new Tom Jones records. Those are really good. There are some Arabic singers I'm into now. There's a new compilation CD put out on Peter Gabriel's label "Real World" that has some real cool stuff on it.

MICK: Is there anybody you would like to collaborate with?
JANN: It would be great to do a song with David Crosby. I've already met his former colleague Roger McGuinn. Paul McCartney would another great talent to do something with.

MICK: What do you do in your spare time?

JANN: There's no a whole lot of spare time right now being out on the road again. Honestly, I really enjoy not doing anything. The last few years were so crazy. We did around 100 shows each year. I was carrying on a long distance relationship and I was traveling four hours to that. I was practically living in my car. This year, I did a music video and I moved and bought a co-op. So all of that took up a lot of time and when I didn't have to do anything, I enjoyed not doing anything!

MICK: What are your plans for 2011?

JANN: A new record, a single and a video. Then I want to do another album which I'm excited about. We haven't recorded anything for it yet but the songs are pretty much done. With "Reverie", the pickup has been gradual. The music business functions very differently now from how it used to. You can get a lot more life out of a record and you have to work it a lot harder. It's hard to put a record out every year if you have a small team of people like myself. We just found out that I have a song playing on MTV's "Cribs" show. I never found out until I got my royalty statement! It was a lovely surprise!

Jann will be appearing this coming Saturday, Dec. 4th here on Long Ilsand

ROCKCANROLL, THE NON-PROFIT HUNGER AND RELIEF ORGANIZATION, ON HAND FOR DEBUT OF K.J. FARRELLS' SINGER SONGWRITER NIGHT, DECEMBER 4 (Singer-songwriters Danny Langdon, Gretchen Witt, Jann Klose, and Kristin Diable will sing for your neighbor's supper)

(Bellmore, NY) RockCANroll will be listening to some thoughtful music, and collecting healthy and nutritious non-perishable food items at K.J. FARRELLS' first singer-songwriter night on Saturday, December 4, starting at 7 PM. K.J. FARRELLS is located at 242 Pettit Ave., in Bellmore, NY. The phone number is 516-804-9925 and the venue's web site ishttp://www.kjfarrells.com. Some of the best singer-songwriters around will be performing: Danny Langdon, Gretchen Witt, Jann Klose, and Kristin Diable. Tickets are $10. Tickets can be bought online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/136841 or at the door.

http://jannklose.com/

WHATEVER BECAME OF...RICHARD LAMPARSKI?

2010-11-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, when I was a kid, I had a keen interest in old movies and the classic actors and actresses from the bygone era. When I came across this fascinating book 'Whatever Became Of...", I was thrilled to see many of the old time greats that were still living profiled in the book. The author, Richard Lamparski, tracked down these lost celebrities and told us what happened to them. His autographed photos in the book got me writing to the stars and building my own collection that I still have to this day. My first autograph, thanks to Richard's book, was actor Buster Crabbe, Flash Gordon in the movies!

Well, I tracked down Richard Lamparski and we had a really nice chat recently...

MICK: When and where were you born?
RICHARD: I was born in Detroit 78 years ago last month. I was there until I was 19. When I got out of school, I worked for a year and a half at Saks Fifth Avenue in the men's department. I saved my money, quit my job and took a night flight (for $99) to Hollywood. I never went back! I got a job delivering teletypes at CBS Columbia Square. That's not Television City, it was the radio network at Tower and Sunset Blvd. From there, I became a press agent for The Ice Capades. After that, I went to channel 5 television in Los Angeles which was owned by Paramount Pictures. I was there for 2-3 years. Then briefly I was an associate producer for NBC working on a series of pilots. That lasted for about six months. I moved to New York on my birthday in 1960 and attempted to get "Whatever Became Of.." together as a project. I had a terrible time with that. Eventually I got an agreement with radio station WBAI to broadcast the show and from that I got a book contract.

MICK: What year did the radio show go on?
RICHARD: March of 1965. It lasted for over 8 years.

MICK: How did you choose the celebrities that you profiled?
RICHARD: In the beginning, it was anybody I could think of that was available in New York. I had no budget for traveling. Over the years, I had made a list of people I wanted to contact. I had the idea from back in the 1950's. In those days, there was no interest in old movies. In the 1960's, kids started having festivals of black and white films, films from the 30's and 40's. If I saw a celebrity on the street, I'd write down there name and see if they were in the telephone directory. Often, people who knew me also knew I was interested in this. They would say "I saw this person at the A&P or I met this person at the library. Do you know what they are doing now?" I made notes of this. So when I went to the program director at the radio station, they wanted to know who I would have on. I gave him a list of about 20 people. 'These people have agreed to see you?" "Yes" I replied because they tentatively had. So I was told to proceed. The publicity director took my list and sent out a press release. The only call they got was from The New York Times and wanted to know if this was a joke. After hearing that I'd been in touch with Jack Pearl, Dagmar Godowsky, Larry "Buster" Crabbe and so forth, they asked me to do a feature about what I'm doing. I did and it ran in the Sunday New York Times. Several publishers contacted me and eventually got one to take it as a book. It wasn't easy. Many of the publishers wanted to know what kind of idea was this! They didn't get it but I thought it was a very simple idea. One publisher said if we forgot about these people, why do we care about what happened to them! I laughed. I eventually signed a contract that was nothing big. The was no enthusiasm from the publisher or the editor in chief.
When it came out, book stores started ordering it much to my editor's surprise. Radio shows and TV shows were slightly interested. Then the Today Show called. From that moment on, I had a very different reception from my publisher. My first interview was with Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs. It just took off from there.

MICK: Who was the first celebrity you profiled?
RICHARD: I started before I had the program and these interviews were never aired to begin with. Upton Sinclair was one of my first. Vicki Baum who wrote 'Grand Hotel" and Gale Sondergaard were others.

MICK: You wrote 11 "whatever Became Of..." books, each profiling 100 celebrities from the past. Did you have any favorites out of the 1100 you interviewed?
RICHARD: That's kind of impossible to say because some were my favorites because they gave me sensational interviews. For some of them, as soon as they opened their door, we clicked! We became friends! Buckwheat's (from the Little Rascals) son just called me because I knew his dad. He wanted to write a book about growing up as the son of Buckwheat! I put him in touch with my publisher. For others, we just had a chemistry between us. There were very few that i ever had a problem with and usually the problem was that they were drunk. Then I'd have to go back for the interview. It usually worked out well. The only time I really had a problem, though it didn't come over in the interview, was Buffalo Bob Smith. I went to his house in New Rochelle, New York for the interview. He had a liquor store but was retired at that time. Everything went fine but right in the middle of it, his son came into the room to get a book or something, and he just chewed his son out something fierce! 'What's the matter with you!! There's an interview going on in here!!" It was totally uncalled for. For a child entertainer to abuse his son that way was terrible. There was another one. Silent movie star cowboy Ken Maynard. I went to his residence with my assistant who was black. He always took the pictures for me. Maynard lived in a trailer in a trailer park. When he opened the door, he said "he can't come in here" meaning my assistant. He was very abusive. A terrible pathetic old man. He was totally drunk and couldn't get anything out of him.

MICK: Do you plan on writing any more 'Whatever Became Of..." books?
RICHARD: No I don't think there's any market for it. Interest evaporated over night. When the last one came out, I did my usual round of publicity and no one said 'when is the next one coming?". I had no intention of writing another anyway. No shows were asking to see me. Programs that I did 3-4 times a year for many years had no interest. I really didn't mind it at all.
I'd done it all by then There were very few people I didn't get to. I had no regrets at all

MICK: Do you think the internet has anything to do with that?
RICHARD: No, twenty one years ago the internet was not that prominent. It would not have affected my book buyers.

MICK: Are you working on any other books?
RICHARD: Yes it's called "Hanging Out In Hollywood" that will probably be out late next year. It's a collection of 12 stories about people I've encountered.

MICK: I've read that in 1986, Crown Publishers arranged a party for every personality profiled in your "Whatever Became Of..." books. Had did that go?
RICHARD: There's a lengthy story on the party with lots of pictures in my next book. Some really nice photographs of the stars as they arrived. I was astonished that Lila Leeds came. No one had seen her since she was arrested but she came! It was a wonderful party. Lots of fun. It was at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

MICK: Is there anyone that you wanted to interview and you couldn't?
RICHARD: Alger Hiss. He considered to have dinner with me but he didn't want to be recorded or interviewed. He was a very charming dinner companion. I wanted to interview Greta Nissen. When Howard Hughes shot "Hell's Angels", the original blond bombshell was Greta Nissen, a Norwegian actress. But when he decided to re-shoot it as a talkie, he dropped her because of her heavy accent and choose Jean Harlow instead. Ben Lyon told me the real reason was that Harlow had bigger breasts.
But Greta was married to a very rich man who was envious of her career and wouldn't let me get to her. The were some others but most turned me down because of poor health.

MICK: It sounds like, overall, you had a great time finding these celebrities!
RICHARD: I had a very untroubled career thoroughly. I got to meet people I would not have dreamed I could ever meet. I met Ish Kabibble! I met Tokyo Rose! Brenda Frazier! Walter Cronkite never met Brenda Frazier or Tokyo Rose. The nicest thing about that was I met these people in their homes. I never knew what to expect. Several people had terrible fights with their spouses when I was there. I thought that was funny.

MICK: Did you go to the homes of all the stars you profiled?
RICHARD: In most cases yes. Even when I did radio, I tried to do the interview in their homes. Nobody was doing that. I think it added a lot to the program. I would tell them "Pretend this is television and take us through your house and tell us what it looks like". When I was on a radio station in Detroit, I got the nicest compliment ever. There was a man waiting to go on the air after me. He was the food and wine critic for Esquire Magazine. On a commercial break, he told me he lived in New York and he heard me there. He said 'When you take us for a tour of the homes, it's very vivid for me". As I was leaving, the radio host called me to the side and said "Do you realize what that man just said to you?" "Yes, it was a very nice compliment" I replied. "He is blind Richard!" said the host. I didn't see it because he was seated and I didn't see his white cane. I was very struck by that. And he choose the word "vivid" !

MICK: How long did it take you to complete one volume of "Whatever Became Of..?
RICHARD: Usually about one year. It was hard to judge the time because by the time I finished and turned the book in, i was well into the next book already. To me, the books all run together. I could tell the interest was waning because every year I went to Europe and did people for England and the continent. I could tell my readers weren't really interested in those people. These were people who had gone to movies and the matinee when they were kids. That's what they were reliving. That's not what is was for me. To me, it was meeting celebrities that very few people ever got to meet. Like Baby Sandy! The only interview she ever gave was to me. She had no recollection of her career because she was so young. So she never granted another interview. I thought I would do one or two books and have a nice career in radio, never dreaming it would be eleven books!

MICK: How long have you lived in California?
RICHARD: I lived here in the 1950's. I moved back here in 1972 because I bought a St. Bernard dog and the St. Bernard and Manhattan wasn't very convenient. I bought a house and she eventually died. I decided I didn't want to continue with the series so I moved to Santa Barbara. You could say I'm semi retired. I've only written a few books since I've been here.

"Whatever Became Of..." books can be found on Amazon.com

Richard's latest books "Manhattan Diary" and "Hollywood Diary" can be ordered at

BearManor Media
P O Box 1129
Duncan, OK 73534-1129
Phone: 580-252-3547 (Sandy Grabman)

Author/Photographer Victoria Jennings Mitchell

2010-10-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

It's been said that dreams are the seedlings to reality. Victoria Jennings Mitchell has followed her dreams and they are as real as the sky is blue. She is a mother, photographer, writer, musical agent, spiritual healer and all around great person!
Her first book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" has just been published and it is getting rave reviews from all over the world. Her brilliant photographs capture the essence of the great rock stars whom she has crossed paths with. I had the great pleasure to speak with Victoria late one evening as her day was finally winding down...

MICK: Your new book is fantastic. When did you decide to write this book? It's your first book too, right?
VICTORIA: Yes, it's my first book. I decided to do this book about 20 years ago when I took all of those photographs. I knew someday I would write this book.

MICK: I saw in your book that it all began for you when you photographed rock star Jon Butcher.
VICTORIA: I had seen Jon play many times. When I started photography school, the first thing I wanted to do was take his pictures. I contacted him and he readily agreed to let me pictures. I took photos of him several times when he did shows up in Providence, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. After that, I photographed Stevie Ray Vaughn.

MICK: That's what I wanted to ask you about next. You got some great shots with him. What was he like?
VICTORIA: Stevie was awesome. I miss him. I cried for a week when he died. I had talked to his publicist, Charles Comer, many times and he was such a nice man. He arranger for me to shoot Stevie in Gardner, Massachusetts at an outdoor venue there. I was able to spend about an hour with Stevie. He told everything that was going on. I really commend him. He was truly on a good road and he was so talented, a really nice guy. Right before he died, I was suppose to photograph him the following week. Also, something very strange happened at the show where I photographed him. It was an outdoor venue and backstage, one of the supporting metal beams crashed down and snapped the neck right off of his guitar. It was the famous guitar that he used all the time. I was back there taking pictures and I saw this happen. I wondered if this was some type of weird omen or something. He got it fixed before the following show. But that was really strange. A year later, he died.

MICK: In your book, there's also a picture of you with Merv Griffin.
VICTORIA: Yes, he owned the radio station that I worked at in Providence. He was cool. A very smart man for sure. He had just bought the radio station and I approached him with my portfolio and told him I'd love to be the station's photographer. He was so impressed that they hired me right on the spot. I stayed with them for almost four years. Had a lot of fun and worked very hard too!

MICK: One thing that stands out in front of your book, in the dedication, you state that a portion of the proceeds was going to go to the victims and the families of the tragic fire that killed 100 people at The Station Night Club, in Providence. Did you know people who were there that night?
VICTORIA: Yes, one of my friends from the radio station, Dr. Metal, died in the fire. It was terrible. I found, within the last year, that the victims and their families ended up getting millions of dollars. They filed a law suit and they won. There was also a lot of benefits. I was unable to come up to help out because of family obligations down here.

MICK: I know you are also writing a children's book.
VICTORIA: That's right. It's being published right now. The publisher brought it to the Beijing Book Expo and it was purchased, along with other children's books from Eloquent Books in NY, to sell the books in Chinese. I still retain the rights to my book here but that's just for the rights in China. I heard that it sold and they are making us wait so I'm very excited. We should know very soon!

MICK: For the children's book, are you using photographs or illustrations?
VICTORIA: I'm using illustrations. I have several illustrators. I used my daughter Ariel as the model for my old friends book when she was 5 years old. I'm having another illustrator do my next book and my mom, who is also an artist, will do my third book.

MICK: I've read that you home school your children?
VICTORIA: Yes I do! Actually, we are unschoolers. Home schooling is when you sit down and do school at home. We don't do that. We don't use a set curriculum, we use everything for their learning...classes, CD Roms, computers, life in general. It's geared towards what they want to learn and are interested in. It's continuing learning; learning from the inside out, not the outside in.

MICK: So that is recognized by the state?
VICTORIA: It sure is. There are unschoolers all over the world. I wanted to do this even before I had children. It is basically non-forced learning.

MICK: Do you still photograph rock stars?
VICTORIA: Not at the moment. I've done some local band photos. My next book, that I'm halfway done with, is spiritual book with uplifting poems and photos. It's going to be called "Divinity On Earth". I have most of the photos for it already and I've written some poems and will also include some scripture.

MICK: Who is on your wish list to be photographed?
VICTORIA: I'd love to photograph Sting! I'd also love to photograph royalty. I've always admired royalty and their way of life. These people are not stressed about money. They used to be like tyrants for centuries but now I can see that they are more spiritual. I have several friends who have royal blood and I can see first hand how they live and what they feel. I am also descended from royalty! My great grand mother was Polish royalty. We are actually trying to find the rest of the family. She came here during their revolution by herself to Ellis Island and met my great grandfather. Shortly after, that got married! She was the matriarch of our family and died when I was very young. Her name was Anna Olactz.

MICK: What else inspires you?
VICTORIA: Talented people. People who have gone through a lot in their life and overcome it. People who use whatever talent they have and make the most out of it. People who help other people. I love Mother Theresa and I actually have rosary beads that were blessed by her. She inspires me with my healing work. I want to open a spiritual center here.

MICK: What's involved with the spiritual healing?
VICTORIA: It's spiritual energy healing. Energy travels through me. I've known since I was young that I was suppose to do this. About ten years ago it hit me and I began to start healing people. All types of healing, physical and spiritual. I take the negative energy out and replace it with healing energy and then let the body do the rest. I love helping people.

MICK: You've photographed hundreds of rock stars. Have any of them ever given you a hard time?
VICTORIA: No, they were basically all nice. I've had trouble with audience members but never the bands or entertainers. Once at a Black Crows concert, I was actually hit in the face by this drunk guy. The place was packed and I was taking some shots. I wasn't there long at all and this guy kept pushing me and then hit me. That's the only trouble I ever had.

MICK: You moved from Rhode Island to Florida. Why did you move?
VICTORIA: I was sick of the cold. I always knew that at some point in my life I would end up in Florida. I love it here and I loved it in Providence too. If I could transplant Providence down here, it would be ideal! Providence is a very artistic, cultural city.

MICK: I know you work with a great new musician named Pete Munroe and he has a new CD out. How are things going with that?
VICTORIA: Yes, the CD is out but we are going to add to it. I put it up on a place called RadioReddit.com. It's a radio station online and they also have a record company. I'm actually thinking about having a radio show on there. I would interview local musicians and bands and that would help them get recognition. I'd also take photographs of them too.

MICK: Do you have anything you would like to tell your fans and your future fans?
VICTORIA: I'd like everybody to buy my book! That's how I support my family and how the spiritual center will come to be. If anyone would like to be involved with that, I would definitely love that. I have my hand in a lot of things because we are only here for a short time. I want to have fun and help people. I can see that spiritual center in my head every day. My uncle, who is actually a well known architect, is going to help me with the blue prints. It is really going to happen. I thank God every day, even when things don't always go as planned. I'm very thankful for all that has happened and will be happening!

Victoria can be reached at:
http://www.myspace.com/rockstarsofthe80s...
http://www.myspace.com/healermom1

Her book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" can be bought on Amazon.com
Autographed copies are also available upon request
It's been said that dreams are the seedlings to reality. Victoria Jennings Mitchell has followed her dreams and they are as real as the sky is blue. She is a mother, photographer, writer, musical agent, spiritual healer and all around great person!
Her first book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" has just been published and it is getting rave reviews from all over the world. Her brilliant photographs capture the essence of the great rock stars whom she has crossed paths with. I had the great pleasure to speak with Victoria late one evening as her day was finally winding down...

MICK: Your new book is fantastic. When did you decide to write this book? It's your first book too, right?
VICTORIA: Yes, it's my first book. I decided to do this book about 20 years ago when I took all of those photographs. I knew someday I would write this book.

MICK: I saw in your book that it all began for you when you photographed rock star Jon Butcher.
VICTORIA: I had seen Jon play many times. When I started photography school, the first thing I wanted to do was take his pictures. I contacted him and he readily agreed to let me pictures. I took photos of him several times when he did shows up in Providence, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. After that, I photographed Stevie Ray Vaughn.

MICK: That's what I wanted to ask you about next. You got some great shots with him. What was he like?
VICTORIA: Stevie was awesome. I miss him. I cried for a week when he died. I had talked to his publicist, Charles Comer, many times and he was such a nice man. He arranger for me to shoot Stevie in Gardner, Massachusetts at an outdoor venue there. I was able to spend about an hour with Stevie. He told everything that was going on. I really commend him. He was truly on a good road and he was so talented, a really nice guy. Right before he died, I was suppose to photograph him the following week. Also, something very strange happened at the show where I photographed him. It was an outdoor venue and backstage, one of the supporting metal beams crashed down and snapped the neck right off of his guitar. It was the famous guitar that he used all the time. I was back there taking pictures and I saw this happen. I wondered if this was some type of weird omen or something. He got it fixed before the following show. But that was really strange. A year later, he died.

MICK: In your book, there's also a picture of you with Merv Griffin.
VICTORIA: Yes, he owned the radio station that I worked at in Providence. He was cool. A very smart man for sure. He had just bought the radio station and I approached him with my portfolio and told him I'd love to be the station's photographer. He was so impressed that the program director hired me right on the spot. I stayed with them for almost four years. Had a lot of fun and worked very hard too!

MICK: One thing that stands out in front of your book, in the dedication, you state that a portion of the proceeds was going to go to the victims and the families of the tragic fire that killed 100 people at The Station Night Club, in Providence. Did you know people who were there that night?
VICTORIA: Yes, one of my friends from the radio station, Dr. Metal, died in the fire. It was terrible. I found, within the last year, that the victims and their families ended up getting millions of dollars. They filed a law suit and they won. There was also a lot of benefits. I was unable to come up to help out because of family obligations down here.

MICK: I know you are also writing a children's book.
VICTORIA: That's right. It's being published right now. The publisher brought it to the Beijing Book Expo and it was purchased, along with other children's books from Eloquent Books in NY, to sell the books in Chinese. I still retain the rights to my book here but that's just for the rights in China. I heard that it sold and they are making us wait so I'm very excited. We should know very soon!

MICK: For the children's book, are you using photographs or illustrations?
VICTORIA: I'm using illustrations. I have several illustrators. I used my daughter Ariel as the model for my old friends book when she was 5 years old. I'm having another illustrator do my next book and my mom, who is also an artist, will do my third book.

MICK: I've read that you home school your children?
VICTORIA: Yes I do! Actually, we are unschoolers. Home schooling is when you sit down and do school at home. We don't do that. We don't use a set curriculum, we use everything for their learning...classes, CD Roms, computers, life in general. It's geared towards what they want to learn and are interested in. It's continuing learning; learning from the inside out, not the outside in.

MICK: So that is recognized by the state?
VICTORIA: It sure is. There are unschoolers all over the world. I wanted to do this even before I had children. It is basically non-forced learning.

MICK: Do you still photograph rock stars?
VICTORIA: Not at the moment. I've done some local band photos. My next book, that I'm halfway done with, is spiritual book with uplifting poems and photos. It's going to be called "Divinity On Earth". I have most of the photos for it already and I've written some poems and will also include some scripture.

MICK: Who is on your wish list to be photographed?
VICTORIA: I'd love to photograph Sting! I'd also love to photograph royalty. I've always admired royalty and their way of life. These people are not stressed about money. They used to be like tyrants for centuries but now I can see that they are more spiritual. I have several friends who have royal blood and I can see first hand how they live and what they feel. I am also descended from royalty! My great grand mother was Polish royalty. We are actually trying to find the rest of the family. She came here during their revolution by herself to Ellis Island and met my great grandfather. Shortly after, that got married! She was the matriarch of our family and died when I was very young. Her name was Anna Olactz.

MICK: What else inspires you?
VICTORIA: Talented people. People who have gone through a lot in their life and overcome it. People who use whatever talent they have and make the most out of it. People who help other people. I love Mother Theresa and I actually have rosary beads that were blessed by her. She inspires me with my healing work. I want to open a spiritual center here.

MICK: What's involved with the spiritual healing?
VICTORIA: It's spiritual energy healing. Healing energy travels through me. I've known since I was young that I was suppose to do this. About ten years ago it hit me and I began to start healing people. All types of healing, physical and spiritual. I take the negative energy out and replace it with healing energy and then let the body do the rest. I love helping people.

MICK: You've photographed hundreds of rock stars. Have any of them ever given you a hard time?
VICTORIA: No, they were basically all nice. I've had trouble with audience members but never the bands or entertainers. Once at a Black Crows concert, I was actually hit in the face by this drunk guy. The place was packed and I was taking some shots. I wasn't there long at all and this guy kept pushing me and then hit me. That's the only trouble I ever had.

MICK: You moved from Rhode Island to Florida. Why did you move?
VICTORIA: I was sick of the cold. I always knew that at some point in my life I would end up in Florida. I love it here and I loved it in Providence too. If I could transplant Providence down here, it would be ideal! Providence is a very artistic, cultural city.

MICK: I know you work with a great new musician named Pete Munroe and he has a new CD out. How are things going with that?
VICTORIA: Yes, the CD is out but we are going to add to it. I put it up on a place called RadioReddit.com. It's a radio station online and they also have a record company. I'm actually thinking about having a radio show on there. I would interview local musicians and bands and that would help them get recognition. I'd also take photographs of them too.

MICK: Do you have anything you would like to tell your fans and your future fans?
VICTORIA: I'd like everybody to buy my book! That's how I support my family and how the spiritual center will come to be. If anyone would like to be involved with that, I would definitely love that. I have my hand in a lot of things because we are only here for a short time. I want to have fun and help people. I can see that spiritual center in my head every day. My uncle, who is actually a well known architect, is going to help me with the blue prints. It is really going to happen. I thank God every day, even when things don't always go as planned. I'm very thankful for all that has happened and will be happening!

Victoria can be reached at:
http://www.myspace.com/rockstarsofthe80s...
www.facebook.com/victoriajenningsmitchell

Her book "Rock Stars of the 80's and 90's" can be bought on Amazon.com
Autographed copies are also available upon request

LOUIS PRIMA JR. keeps Dad's music alive!

2010-10-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

His father was known as 'The King Of Swing" and his exuberant personality and musicianship captivated audiences around the world for over 50 years. Louis Prima was truly unique. Though he passed away over 30 years ago, his legend continues to grow. Today, his son Louis Prima Jr. carries on the torch, keeping his fathers music alive and gaining new fans worldwide. A talented performer in his own right, Louis Jr has his own band, the Witnesses, and Dad would sure be proud! Prior to his upcoming East Coast gigs, I spoke with Louis Jr about his dad's music and his own music too....

MICK: You started out as a rock singer with moderate success. What made you want to go back and do your father's music?

LOUIS: When grunge hit rock and roll, I kind of gave up on the music business. I didn't like the depression trend or whatever was happening to it so I gave up on the music for quite a few years. Like any good stage person, I really loved being on stage. The only other music I could think to do that made me happy is my father's music, which was the obvious choice I suppose.

MICK: What was your dad like as a father?

LOUIS: He was exactly the way he was on stage in real life. He was a lot of fun, liked to laugh, liked to have a good time. He was kind to people, gentle to people. We had a good time together. I spent a lot of time with him. He taught me how to play golf, took me to rehearsals, recording studios and out on the town. He was a real fun guy!

MICK: Do you keep in touch with Keely Smith?

LOUIS: Unfortunately no. There's a little bit of bad blood between her and my mom [ Gia Maione; Smith was Prima 's 4th wife]. We actually don't talk at all. I saw her at jazz fest in New Orleans, the first time I was ever in the same room as her.

MICK: Does your sister Lena still perform?

LOUIS: Yes she does. She's actually performing in the area now.

MICK: Tell me about your band The Witnesses.

LOUIS: When I put this together, I didn't want to be hiring musicians out of town. I wanted to have a band like my father had. Guys that are dedicated to the music and enjoy what they are doing. It's been a process to find the right bunch of guys. I've got them now. They're fantastic !

I've got a girl singer with me now , Sarah Spiegel. We are putting on a really good show. It's one thing to just do the music but I want people to remember what it was like live, the energy, the fun. What they produced in their live show, we are trying to put that in ours. I'm very fortunate to have the guys I have now. We're really having a great time!

MICK: Is there anybody in your band from your dad's old band?

LOUIS: No, unfortunately there's not to many of them left.

MICK: Do you play the East coast often?
LOUIS: We haven't been back east in about two years. We always get a great reception, especially with the well to do Italian community out there. They come out in droves! Aside from playing in my home town of Las Vegas, New York and New Orleans are my favorite places to go.

MICK: It must have been a great thrill for you to see your dad get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

LOUIS: My management team and myself had an accidental meeting with somebody who really pushed this thing forward. Doing my father's music is to maintain and protect his legacy and get him some of the respect that he deserves, not just as an entertainer but as a musician and what he gave to the world for 50 years. This was a major step for sure. It was a grueling process but the team worked very hard and we were fortunate to have the help of Ricardo Montalban's son-in-law, Gil Smith ( he operates the Montalban Theater in Hollywood), kind of helped us along. Another cat by the name of Brian Sayre out in Hollywood helps us out also. We got it done! It was a fantastic day, fantastic reception and turnout. It's times like that you get to appreciate exactly how they loved him and his music.

MICK: Do you have a favorite song of your dad's?

LOUIS: Yes I do! Now that I have a dedicated band, we are going through the catalog and running new songs. My favorite arrangement's of his was "Them Their Eye/ Old Man River" a medley from the "King Of Clubs" album. that's probably my all time favorite. We just added " Five Months, Two Weeks and Two Days" to our repertoire. That is my favorite song right now. It's fun to perform and it truly demonstrates the power of the band that I have, showmanship wise.

MICK: Do you throw in new songs every now and then?

LOUIS: Yes, there's a wealth of material. My father always played what was popular. He took other people's songs that were popular and twisted them his own way. We eventually want to do that too and of course some original material. We are constantly adding things. when we come to New York, it's not the same show you saw last time. I'd love to play every single song every night but we mix it up good and play things different every show.

MICK: There's another singer who does your father's music by the name of Ron Gelato. Are you familiar with him?

LOUIS: I've heard the name but I've never been fortunate to hear him or see him.

MICK: There's been word that a motion picture about your dad's life is being made. What's happening with that?

LOUIS: My mother Gia Maione is the executor of the Louis Prima estate. She has passionately protected it and made it grow. We are constantly in talks with several different movie studios as well as Broadway shows. It's a matter of finding the right mix and people who are willing to tell the correct story. Whether good or bad, we want to make sure that this isn't one person's version of what happened. Richie Valens had a pretty good career but Louis Prima was around for 50 years, there's a lot to touch on. We'll eventually get it done, hopefully sooner than later.

We need the right team and the right script. The politics of Hollywood play into it but it's something I want to see done and it will get done!

MICK: Don't you have a new recording coming out?

LOUIS: We are, hopefully, going to be in the studio in November and December. We have Ron Dante, who was the Archies and produced many of Barry Manilow's hits and some of Cher's hits, on board. We are currently in talks with Capital Records to be in the same studio that my father recorded in. If that happens to fall through, we have couple of other people on board because I'm anxious to get recorded and getting something out there as well.

MICK: When you perform at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center on October 24th, you are sharing the bill with Dean Martin's youngest song Ricci Martin. Have you worked with him before?

LOUIS: I've never worked with him before and I'm very excited to do this. We talked quite a few times leading up to this. It's a very interesting pairing because my father was on stage with Dean Martin many times. We may actually share video footage of him and Dean Martin on stage. To close the show, Ricci and I will be doing a number together.

MICK: What are your future plans?

LOUIS: Besides the recording, they are finally going to put a statue up of my father on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I believe that's happening on December 4th. Also, in cooperation with Binion's Hotel here in Las Vegas, David Berman and Big Daddy Carlos, we are putting on a birthday party for my father December 7th. He would have turned 100 years old. We putting on a show, also in cooperation with the Veterans of Pearl Harbor. We'll be back east again in January at Feinstein's at the Hotel Regency in New York. We will be in New Orleans at the end of the month. We are also shopping for a home base here in Las Vegas so we can have a place we can call home. As long as I'm working, I'm happy!

Louis Prima Jr. brings his famous father's music to life this weekend, Oct 24th at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside, NY. at 5pm. 718-631-6311

-0http://louisprimajr.com/5

Actor BURT YOUNG the Artist!

2010-10-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Burt Young is truly a man for all seasons. Academy Award nominated Actor, artist, writer, playwright, he does it all with style and dignity. Best known for his role as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law Paulie in all of the "Rocky" films, Burt has appeared in over 70 films and show no signs of slowing down. His artwork is in collections all over the world and enjoys painting practically everyday. I spoke with Burt recently just after his art show at the Nassau County Museum of Fine Art opened on Oct. 1st...

MICK: How long have you been painting?

BURT: Forever! When I was 12, I won a New York City art department contest. I did a painting about playgrounds or bicycle safety. I've painted my whole life.

MICK: Does it take you long to complete a painting?

BURT: Usually not. I'm usually pretty crazed and I'm painting all night long.

MICK: I know you use acrylic paints. Do you use any other mediums?

BURT: Yes i do! I use oils and ink. Sometimes I combine acrylic and oil.

MICK: How long have you had your art studio in Port Washington?

BURT: I've been here about 3 years now.

MICK: Do you paint when you're working on a film?

BURT: Yes, sometimes right in the hotel room. I was staying in the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia and I did a couple of splendid paintings in the bath tub!

MICK: You are an accomplished painter, actor and author. What do you like doing the best..acting, painting or writing?

BURT: It's all communication whether you're a musician or a poet, there's thread through it all. Writing makes me feel bright sometimes when I make something that makes a little sense. Acting satisfies me sensually. I get lost. When I get used to doing the work, I'm riding high day and night. Painting does the same thing. I have more control over my own elements. I'm not worried about editors or directors, it's just all of me.

MICK: Do you have more shows coming up in the near future?

BURT: I have two coming up at a galleries in Manhattan. I keep a lot of my work here in Port Washington.

MICK: I was really impressed with your paintings at your art show in the Nassau County Museum of Art. It's the first time I've seen your work in person!

BURT: Thank you Mick. Sometimes I even impress myself!

MICK: As an artist, which artists do you admire?

BURT: I like the impressionists, the fellows who invented from inside out! When you go back, you can't help but admire Michelangelo, Rembrandt. People like Renoir and Monet saw with their eyes but they told you what their stomach was feeling. I sort of get that feeling very well.

MICK: Do you have any new films lined up?

BURT: Yes, I'm just finishing a movie called "The Win Win". It's a good movie with Paul Giamatti, a wonderful guy and a wonderful actor. A top group of actors. It's for Fox.

MICK: Any more plans to work again with Sylvester Stallone?

BURT: I would love to! I was so pleased to hang out with him on "Rocky Balboa". The guy is just a force! He carries everything from producing, directing, starring. He was just unstoppable. That was 17 years after the last Rocky movie! To me, in my opinion, "Rocky Balboa" was a flop. But 17 years to come back, that was so exciting! He wrote clear and clean and he performed that way too. It was a pleasure hanging out with him on the last one.

MICK: Do you keep in contact with him?
BURT: Oh yea. Actors are funny people. We either see each other by accident or when we have an assignment. I'm not really a Hollywood guy. I hang out in the old neighborhood and with my girlfriend. I'm not too "actorish". I've never been that way.

MICK: You've worked with many directors. Do you have a favorite?
BURT: Yes, I have favorites for different reasons. Sam Peckinpah was a crazy friend of mine. I think I did four or five movies with him. Close to being a genius. Robert Aldrich is another stand up guy that carried a team with him for 20 years or so. Same editor, same cinematographer. Many many directors I appreciated. I never really had a problem. I usually just do it my way though I'm not like a bully, usually with thought and knowing. I always feel that an actor, if he does the right homework, should know more about that character than the author. I think that's my responsibility to get the premise of what the author is feeling. Hopefully, my own research will take me deeper than where the writer was going. I have to make that person honest or even dishonest.

MICK: Do you still have your restaurant in the Bronx?
BURT: We closed three years ago. Not out of necessity, the two old guys that were really the heart of it were in the 70's and they just had enough. They wanted to get out of the kitchen and years there. It was a good place and good friends there.

MICK: Are you a sports fan?
BURT: Yes! I like the Yankees. What a team! A great bunch of players from top to bottom. And you can see they're having fun too. I love boxing too.

MICK: Do you have a favorite boxer?
BURT: I've got many! My good friend is Muhammad Ali. Once, I did an exhibition and did three rounds with him. I used to move around pretty good. That's how we became friends! Mike Tyson is a friend. I feel that he just might have been the best fighter ever. He was something else. I think he was a stronger version of Jack Dempsey.

MICK: Are you a religious man?
BURT: I believe that something made us. I don't know if I listen to man's religion to much. It's like politics, Republicans or Democrats, everybody that stands on a pedestal usually has self indulgence in mind. I do believe in an overall supreme being. Look, we all have pieces of Mussolini, pieces of everybody because nothing ever leaves the atmosphere. So it may be just a touch of one atom that's in us,. We are all regurgitated and recycled. I don't think I have any memory of that,, it would be nice if I did! When I get old I will start getting more religious.

MICK: What is your favorite time of the year?
BURT: I like Christmas! I like winter. I like the elements, I like rain. I like something that gives me a challenge to get out of the house. California was pretty tepid to me. I raised my kid there but I'd rather be in New York City .

MICK: How long have you lived on Long Island?

BURT: I've lived here about three and a half years. I chased my girlfriend out here!

MICK: What are your future plans?

BURT: I have a one character play that I wrote. It's called "Artist Found In Port Washington Flats". It's a one man show and I'm trying to see if I'm full of baloney or if it has some merit for an audience. I'm just testing it's wings now!

MICK: Is this something you will be doing locally?

BURT: I will do it all over the world if it works. It's 90 minutes uninterrupted. I will keep me sharp, that's for sure!

You can see Burt Young's fantastic paintings: Friday October 1, 2010 - Saturday January 15, 2011 from 11:00am - 4:45pm

Nassau County Museum of Fine Art

One Museum Drive
Roslyn Harbor, New York 11576

516.484.9338

www.burtyoungartandfilm.com

Tommy James comes to Westbury!

2010-10-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

He is a living legend. His name is synonymous with hit songs from the late 1960s. In 1968-69, Tommy James and the Shondells sold more singles records (45's) than any artist in the world including the Beatles. His life has been one great roller coaster ride as he details in his new best selling book "Me, the Mob and the Music" . Today, Tommy James's star continues to blaze a celestral trail across the musical sky and will shine even brighter in the very near future! I had a real nice conversation with Tommy this week when he called me from his New Jersey home...

MICK: Your new book came out in February of this year. How is it doing so far?
TOMMY: It's doing great! It's in its sixth printing and I am frankly amazed at the response to this from the media and the fans. I've never been an author before so, this is really amazing to me. It's being turned into a movie and a Broadway show! I am flabbergasted by the whole thing!

MICK: How's that going with the play and the movie?
TOMMY: We are right on schedule. It's going to be brought to Broadway through the Nederlander family who owns 9 Broadway theaters and about 1000 theaters throughout the country. They are one of the oldest theatrical families. I just flipped out when I heard they were producing the show themselves. The Broadway show and the movie are being developed simultaneous. My guess is that the play will be out just ahead of the movie because of the time involved in each project. The movie is being produced by Barry Rosen and Mary Gleason. We will be making an announcement very shortly about the directors as we are talking to three directors right now.

MICK: Do you have anybody in mind that you would like to play you in the film?
TOMMY: Yes, I get asked this a lot. There's probably going to be two actors needed because of the amount of time involved. One of the actors being seriously looked at as the older Tommy James is Val Kilmer. He is a great actor and a good friend. He did a great job a few years ago as Jim Morrison. I'd be very honored for him to do it.

MICK: This is all very thrilling to say the least!
TOMMY: This is a project that's been a long time in the works. It was very therapeutic to get this out of my system. I've been wanting to tell this story for many years now. The book is called 'Me, The Mob and the Music" and it's really an autobiography with about two thirds of it devoted to my crazy, tumultuous and very dangerous at times relationship with Roulette Records. The reason why it was so dangerous was because Roulette Records, in addition to being a functioning record company (and a good one), was also a front for the Genovese crime family in New York. Of course none of us knew that at the time. We found out incrementally. It's quite a story. We started this project eight years ago, Martin Fitzpatrick and I. We were going to call it "Crimson and Clover" and we were going to write a nice music book abouts hits and writing songs. After we got about a third of the way into it, we realized that if didn't tell the whole Roulette story which really was the story, that we were cheating ourselves and everybody else. I was very uncomfortable writing it back then because some of these guys walking around. So we put it on the shelf for a couple years and got involved with other things. Finally, when the last of the Roulette regulars passed away, I felt is was safe to finish the book. It took us three more years to finish entirely and we got the deal from Simon and Schuster, which was very flattering as they are usually doing Presidential memoirs and things like that. Almost immediately after that came offers for the movie. The third thing was the Broadway show. I am very thankful for the response from the public and the media.

MICK: Are you still involved with the Democratic Party?
TOMMY: No, that was 1968 you are talking about. We were out on the road for almost the entire Presidential campaign with Hubert Humphrey. That was quite an experience. He [Humphrey} ended up doing the liner notes for the Crimson and Clover album! A lot happened out on that campaign that had to do with the music business. When we went out on the Humphrey campaign in August of 1968, it was all singles acts on the radio. There was us, the Rascals, The Association, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, etc... When we got back 90 days later, it was all albums! There was Blood Sweat and Tears, Led Zeppelin, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker. The whole industry had turned upside down! This was as a result of the "Sgt Pepper" album a few months before that made so much money for Capital Records. All of the record companies suddenly went for albums. We knew that if we were to continue, it would have to be albums and that was something Roulette had never done. They weren't an album label and we weren't either! We were basically a creation of top 40 radio. So we knew we were going to have to produce or own product, write our own songs completely, do album design and all the rest. Thankfully, we were working on a tune called "Crimson and Clover". That record allowed us to make the jump from AM top 40 singles to FM progressive album rock. I don't think there was another single that we worked on that would have done that in one shot. So that happened on the Humphrey campaign and he got involved in the album and doing the liner notes!

MICK: Are there any more plans to record again with the original Shondells? I know you did reunite once in 2007.
TOMMY: Yes, we did the last track on our Christmas album! The touring group I've been playing with now have been together for 25 years. I feel like Captain Kirk with two generations of Shondells! The original Shondells are from Pittsburgh so we are back in the studio doing music for the movie! We will probably do an album. The first track we did is going to be used in the closing credits for the movie. It's a very new, kind of different version of "I Think We're Alone Now". It's done acoustically with no drums, very surreal and slow. Totally different from the original record. The last scene in the movie is when Morris Levy dies, the head of the record company. "I Think We're Alone Now" completely changes the meaning of the lyrics in the film.

MICK: Do you still enjoy touring?
TOMMY: Oh yeah! We are out on the road probably eight months out of the year. If anybody would like to come to our website tommyjames.com, you can see where we are. We are winding things down now this year. Right now, we are doing the book tour which is basically going out to selected cities and talking bout the book in bookstores and so forth. At the same time we are doing the music dates so it's been a very hectic year. The next couple of years are going to be even more hectic.

MICK: Out of all your songs, do you have a favorite?
TOMMY: A lot of the hits probably. I think I'd have to say "Crystal Blue Persuasion". That is probably my favorite out of all the hits we've had. There's lots of other songs that were on albums that I really love but of the singles, I'd have to say "Crystal
Blue Persuasion". It was one of the hardest records we ever made. It doesn't sound like it but it was. When we went into the studio, it was that magic summer of 1969. It went number one right around the weekend of Woodstock. It's deeply ingrained in my mind. What happened was we went into the studio and completely over produced it. We had a full set of drums, three guitars, etc... The production smothered the song. When we got done with it, we said "this isn't the song that we wrote". So we started taking things out. Over the next four to five weeks, we unproduced the record by pulling things out. When we were done, we had a bongo drum, a conga, a flamenco guitar and an organ. That was it! That became "Crystal Blue Persuasion". I know that if we left it the original way, it wouldn't have fit. Plus, the song was all about us becoming Christians at that time.
There was no talk of being politically correct at that time because the phrase did not exist! Each song we did was sort of snap shots of where we were at that time.

MICK: Do you have any new music coming out soon?
TOMMY: Yes we do as a matter of fact! We have just released, first in Europe and imported here, the latest studio album called "Hold The Fire" and that includes our DVD in one package. Two discs in one package. We have our own label
We just put together a beautiful international deal together. we are also releasing here on our label in the United States which is independently distributed. We also have our 40 year package out which is all of the singles from 1966 through 2006. It's 40 years of consecutive singles. Our last album "Hold The Fire" had three top five adult contemporary hits. One of them actually went to number one called "Love Words", forty years to the week that "Hanky Panky" went to number one. I really feel like a complete circle has been made!
I didn't mean to get heavily into the music, I wanted to tell you the Roulette story which is a totally true story. We weren't able to tell it until now. Virtually none of the fans knew what Roulette was. Our first hit record was "Hanky Panky" and it sort of exploded out of Pittsburgh as a bootleg two years after we made the original record. When we first came to New York, we were thrilled because we got a yes from everybody. Got a yes from Columbia, got a yes from Epic, RCA, Atlantic, Kama Sutra Records. The last place we took the record to was Roulette. We weren't expecting much from them and didn't know much about them. The next morning, the phone started ringing at the hotel we were staying at in midtown Manhattan. One by one, all of the record labels that had said yes the day before suddenly said they would have to pass. I said "What do you mean? I thought we had a deal!" Jerry Wexler at Atlantic leveled with us. He told us that Morris Levy, the head of Roulette Records, had called all of the record companies and scared them off. He said "This is my record! Back off!!" They did! So we apparently were going to be with Roulette Records. Gradually we learned who we were dealing with. The head of the Genovese family was Tommy Eboli, who was Morris Levy's partner. He was up in Morris's office all the time. Roulette was used for everything from a social club to illegal bank accounts, money laundering and God knows what else was going on. There were some very scary moments up there. But I'll tell you one thing, they actually needed us. If we had gone to one of the corporate labels, like Columbia or RCA, especially with a record like "Hanky Panky", we would have been handed to an in house producer and got lost in the numbers. We would have been a one hit wonder. Roulette hadn't had a hit in about three years so they gave us everything we wanted except royalty money. Getting paid was impossible. We were making money from other directions like BMI, the road, commercials. We were going to be making mechanical royalties. That's the way is was at Roulette. It was like making a deal with the devil...do we interrupt all of the success and take them to court and place our lives in their hands or do we just go along. We decided to go along. But I will say this...the fact that we didn't go to a corporate label and went to Roulette, from a creative standpoint was the best thing we could have done. They left us alone and allowed us to morph into whatever we could become. There's no way we would have got an education like that with any other record company. It was a real trade off there and I feel we made the right decision.

MICK: When you were with Roulette, Morris Levy kept all of your gold records in his office. Do you have them all now?
TOMMY: Yes I do!! I had to steal them off his wall, that's how cheap he was. That is a true story.

MICK: Is organized crime still involved in the music industry that you know of?
TOMMY: Roulette was kind of the ground zero for all that stuff. It's not like it used to be. It's like Las Vegas, mobsters aren't really running it anymore. They were involved heavily in all aspects of the entertainment business. Roulette was financed and put together by Morris and his buddies. There were several other labels that were heavily involved with mob stuff. There's not nearly as much today as there once was.

MICK: Who do you listen to now?
TOMMY: I listen to a lot of smooth jazz to be perfectly honest! I don't listen to a lot of rock and roll anymore although I love to play rock and roll. For example, I will listen to Lady Gaga. She's made some great records! The problem today is radio. Chart active radio doesn't exist anymore. There's never been more hunger for music but there's almost no way, other tan the internet, to get new music in front of the fans. The problem is there's so many more fans than there are ways on the internet to do it. It's almost by chance that you hear something new that you like. Although that's growing, it certainly has not taken the place of what used to be normal radio and retail. That's changing but not as fast as it would have needed to save the industry. It's a brave new world we are into! I feel that once high definition TV is really a part of our life, which is the combination of computer technology and television technology, the whole industry will turn to television or what's left of it. Not like MTV; there will probably be a Sony channel, a Warner channel. Your TV will be like your Ipod. We will probably have video radio, networks of them. Trade papers will come back online and on TV. There will probably be charts based on the music you download on television.

MICK: This is a question I usually ask songwriters. For you, what comes first..the words or the music?

TOMMY: I've actually done it both ways. A lot of times I will see a title, something that just catches my eye. I've taken titles off of matchbook covers! "Mony Mony" was a sign Mutual Of New York! That's true! Sometime I'll come up with a riff on guitar that I like, three, four chords that I really like to repeat over and over. It gets into my mind and I will write the lyrics around the music, winding the song around the music. All of my methods have changed. You have to do it when you are really awake. There's a window for me from about 10am until around 2pm when I'm really alive and awake. When I start writing, the song tells me where it wants to go. You sort of get like that when you write a lot by yourself. If you have to think too hard, chances are when you play it for somebody, it's going to come out like a grind. Sometimes a beautiful thought will evoke a song. I have to be perceptive all the time because you never know when that next song is going to hit you!

MICK: Do you still live in New York?

TOMMY: I live in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. I lived in New York for almost ten years. I needed a squirrel and trees real bad. Here, you are close enough to New York where you can kind of treat it like a theme park and far enough away to have a squirrel in your yard! I' m close to the airports.

MICK: Are there any musicians you would like to work with or collaborate with?

TOMMY: There's lots of people I'd love to work with. I spend a lot of time with my players. We are very tight musically and personally. I love writing with my guys. One of the fellows, Jimmy Wizner, has been with me since 'I Think We're Alone Now" as an arranger. He's also a great producer and orchestrator. I'm still making music with the original Shondells! I dig meeting new people and making music with them because it takes you to another place. I'm a big experimenter. I love putting jazz in pop! Over the last few years. I've become very bored with the normal rock and roll chords on guitar. It's hard to explain. So many songs have been written on the same chord. I start sticking in a jazz chord or an inverted chord, chords and grooves I've never used before. I love playing around with drum machines. You constantly have to update yourself.

MICK: Do you still get lots of fan mail?

TOMMY: Yes I do! A lot of it is email now. The website is so great for communicating with people worldwide. It's just as easy now to have fans in Germany as it is to have fans in California! The book is being released overseas. The sales over there are astounding just off of Amazon alone!

MICK: Do you have any regrets?

TOMMY: Lots of them! I wrote about a lot of them in the book. One of the things about writing an autobiography is that you have to tell on yourself or it boring real quick. I would have loved to have had a bigger family. But you can only be in one place at a time. I would have liked to have spent more time with my son. I would have been a much better business man if I could do it over again. We were kind of floundering from one record to the next. But with all the craziness that went on, we ended up with 23 gold singles and around 110 million records sold. The good Lord has been very good to me in spite of a lot of failings and things I'm not proud of. I am very thankful!

You can see Tommy James and the Shondells on Saturday, Oct. 16th at the Capital One Theater at Westbury, Long Island, NY. Showtime is 8pm.

Learn more about Tommy at https://www.tommyjames.com/

'Me, The Mob and The Music" can be bought on Amazon, Tommy's website or most book stores. It is truly a great book that will keep you spellbound!

LEGEND TERRY REID COMES TO MIRELLE"S!

2010-09-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

He is one of rock and roll's most unheralded superstars despite a career that has rivaled some the greatest rockers of all time. In 1968, Aretha Franklin said "The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Terry Reid are the best England had to offer".
Terry Reid, affectionately known as Superlungs, is without a doubt one of the greatest voices to come out of Great Britain. He turned down the lead singer job for Led Zeppelin and referred a friend Robert Plant. He opened tours for The Rolling Stones and Cream, including their farewell tour, played the Isle of White Festival in 1969 and Glastonbury in 1970. His songs have been covered by Cheap Trick, Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Hollies, and Marianne Faithful. A True legend to say the least. Terry is playing Mirelle's in Westbury this Friday evening. I had the great pleasure to speak with Terry as he arrived on Long Island...

MICK: Is this a long tour that your on now?
TERRY: It really has been, We haven't stopped for like four or five weeks now. We just came back from England two days ago and we were all over the place..Liverpool, Sheffield, Scotland. We played at Ronnie Scott's for 3 nights in London. It was fantastic! The band was really kicking. We finished that leg of the tour and now we're back to do BB Kings on 9/22, Mirelle's this Friday 9/24, Union Hall in Brooklyn on 9/25 and The Turning Point in Piermont NY on 9/26.

MICK: You're playing MIRELLE'S in Westbury, Long Island this Friday evening. Did you ever play Long Island earlier in your career?
TERRY: Yes, we did The Action House in Island Park. We did a bunch of different things out there on the Island.

MICK: What's one of your favorite venues that you played in?
TERRY: That's hard to say. Madison Square Garden was a bit of a dousy! It's not the favorite necessarily, it's just awe inspiring. Ronnie Scott's in London has become a favorite lately. I've been doing that venue for five years now. It's such a nice, warm room. We've had some great shows there. The last three we did there were totally sold out.

MICK: Are there any artists you would like to play with or collaborate with?
TERRY: I'm not really sure! I keep bumping into different people. We're doing a gig at The Turning Point and at the early show, a good friend of mine, JD Souther, is opening the show. He's one of my favorite writers and we are really good friends. Thats going to be interesting! Maybe we will get together on something! There's a couple of his things that I do and one in particular I do in my set. He played it for me one time and I turned it around into an R&B Otis Redding thing from a country thing. JD said "I never quite thought of it that way!" So we have two versions now!

MICK: Are there plans for a new album?
TERRY: Oh yes! I've been working on it for the last several months on and off. I keep going out and doing some gigs and now I have to get back to it. I've got some really good things that we've put down so far! One thing I've been working on quite a lot is 'Seed of Memory" which is based in the second World War. It's a story about the Phoenix from ashes. I wrote this years ago and some friends of mine including Dr. Dre and some people out on the west coast picked up on it . So I've re-recorded it in a whole funk fashion, hip hop thing . There's Bishop Lamont doing a whole talking blues on top of it. It's like a rap or poetic thing about Afghanistan and Iraq and whats going on. We're going to do this for the USO and our boys out there. I streamed it to them and we got like 5000 hits. They loved it. We are trying to put a whole group of us together to get out to our troops.

MICK: You mentioned World War II. Is it true you have a keen interest in the war?
TERRY: Yes, a big interest. I have a lot of memorabilia, books, videos, etc... My mother's brother was in 46 missions as a tail gunner. I think you'll find most English guys from my era had somebody in it. We were all born just after the war. I've met numerous people here in the United states that were in the WW II theater too.

MICK: Do you have any hobbies besides music?
TERRY: Yes cooking and all sorts of stuff. No real big hobbies just working on this new album!

MICK: Are any of your children musically inclined?
TERRY: I have four daughters and one of my daughters, Holly, sings very well. She's gone into modeling and she's doing very well with that. You never push people to do what you do yourself. But she can really sing! At some point, she may turn around and pursue it!

MICK: Are you still living in California?
TERRY: Yes, I live out in Palm Dessert which is near Indian Wells. It's down near the Mexican border. It's very pretty out there!

MICK: Out of all the songs you've written, do you have a favorite?
TERRY: Well it changes. You revisit tunes. "Seed of Memory" has become a big thing I've been working on. There was another tune called "Rogue Wave" and I started playing the song again on this tour. You never know if a tune is going to stand up. But this one I'm starting to really like again.

MICK: When you're writing a song, what comes first..the words or the music?
TERRY: It's the emotion basically in a sense that I have a feeling for something. The emotion transmits itself into your hands. Thematically, a chord sequence will emerge. If the emotion feels right, then the words come naturally. There's a lot of songs where I will have a phrase and those ones seem to take forever to do because the emotion is not exactly honest with the phrase. So the music comes first and then everything else rolls.

MICK: What advise would you give to an up and coming singer today?
TERRY: I do this on a regular basis. It goes along with all the years of warnings and watch out for this and that. This is not what it says on the paper! It looks like that but don't believe it! And never try to sue somebody for an amount of money thats going to cost you five times as much and that you will never get. And it will drive you crazy! Just stick to your guns and play what you want to play yourself.

Don't miss Terry Reid this Friday, Sept. 24, appearing at MIRELLE'S, 170 Post Ave Westbury NY 11590 516.404.6490
Show starts at 9pm with opening act Frank Latorre w/The Kingbees

www.terryreid.com

STEELY DAN'S DENNY DIAS at ROCK CON this weekend!

2010-07-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, a young Long Island musician placed an ad in the Village Voice looking for a keyboard player and a bass player to join his band. Among those who responded was Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. They went to to become meticulous, edgy and ultimate cool band Steely Dan. And the rest is history! Denny Dias was that young Long Island musician who went on to become a world class guitarist and founding member of Steely Dan. This weekend, Denny will be appearing at "ROCK CON: Weekend of 100 Rock Stars" at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel and Conference Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
I had the great pleasure to speak to Denny from his California home just days before his trip back east...

MICK: What was it like for you growing up on Long Island?
DENNY: I grew up in Hicksville. I went to junior high school and high school there. We had some good people. Actually played in a battle of the bands opposite another Hicksville musician Billy Joel. A few other guys I graduated with were in a band that included drummer Mitch Mitchell who plyed with Jimi Hendrix.

MICK: Do you still have relatives on Long Island?
DENNY: No, my family is from Philadelphia. I have one cousin who lives in Manhattan. I haven't been back to the New York City area since 2000.

MICK: When Steely Dan first started out, did you guys play any clubs on Long Island?
DENNY: No we never played any Long Island clubs. We did rehearse in my living room in Hicksville.

MICK: It's been documented that you met Donald Fagan and Walter Becker through an ad in The Village Voice. How did you meet Jeff "Skunk" Baxter [another original Steely Dan member]?
DENNY: They [Fagan and Becker] found him. They got together with Gary Katz and called me from California so I drove across country to join them. They already had a record released "Dallas". So I didn't meet Baxter until I went to California.

MICK: Do you keep in touch with Jeff Baxter?
DENNY: I run into him every once in a while. It's not often though.

MICK: Donald Fagan and Walter Becker seemed like they were perfectionists with there music. Did you think it was hard for some musicians to work for them?
DENNY: It's hard for every musician to work for them.

MICK: I always thought that "Aja" was one of the best albums I ever heard, even to this day. What was it like to work on this masterpiece?
DENNY: You got your little piece, learned it well and go in to perform it. You don't hear the whole thing until it's done.

MICK: This weekend, you are appearing at ROCK CON, the first annual Weekend Of 100 Rock Stars" set to take place at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center in East Rutherford, NJ on July 30 – August 1 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Is this the first time you've done something like this?
DENNY: Yes and I'm very excited about it. I know that I will be playing on Sunday at 5:00pm with some of the other guests appearing. Monday I head into Manhattan to play at BB Kings with Spanky and Our Gang.

MICK: Do you have a favorite Steely Dan song that you worked on?
DENNY: It's hard to say. I have some favorite songs that I didn't work on! I guess my favorite solo would be the one on "Green Earrings".

MICK: Do you keep in touch with Fagan and Becker?
DENNY: I haven't seen them sinse the 90's. They played in Los Angeles and I joined them on stage for a few songs. That was fun.

MICK: Who were your heroes when you were growing up?
DENNY: I was always partial to Miles Davis. I thought he was the coolest! There's some good players today but there's nobody of the stature of Miles Davis. Him and John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk were the best. When I saw Thelonious Monk at Queens College, that was really something quite amazing!

MICK: Are you working on any musical projects now?
DENNY: No, not really. I work a full time job. I program computers for a living now. Been doing that for around twenty years.

MICK: What are your future plans?
DENNY: Well, I'm just trying to keep my job!

MICK: Are you ever going to do anything more as far as music goes?
DENNY: It depends. I have a lot of songs that I've written. If we can do something with Spanky, get some songs on a record, maybe something will eventually happen. In the meantime, doing a thing like this is more of an expense than anything else. We are all paying our own way to get there. It's not like the gig is going to support the trip. You can only do that a couple of times a year. So who knows, maybe we will record some music and see what happens.

The Summer's most anticipated festival for music fans and collectors is expected to draw thousands of attendees who will meet, enjoy concerts by, listen to interviews with, and actually hang out with musicians, singers, pop personalities and rock icons from all eras of rock & roll. Along with the live concert performances, meet & greets, and question & answer sessions, there will be panel discussions, rare film screenings, photo ops, a music & memorabliia marketplace, and much more.

The seemingly endless guest list represents 50 years of great music and memories, with such names as Denny Dias, Johnny Winter, Little Anthony, Beach Boys Founding Member Al Jardine, Tommy James, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Randy Jones of The Village People, Marty Balin of Jefferson Starship, Gene Cornish of The Rascals, Paul Cotton of Poco, Andy Kim, Billy Hinsche of Dino Desi & Billy, Walter Egan, Phil "Fang" Volk of Paul Revere & The Raiders, Spanky & Our Gang, Paul Petersen, Ron Dante of The Archies and many more.

Although most of the guest artists will be present the entire weekend, there is a different schedule of events planned for all three days. The highlight of each evening is expected to be the last two hours of the event, when all the stars get to sing or play their hits - and jam on the songs of their fellow singers and musicians - in the hotel's Grand Ballroom Main Stage. Additionally, Friday night will feature the National Rock Icon Awards Ceremony Presentations (the RCIA's), which will not only honor the legends, acknowledge music accomplishments, but also recognize fan favorites.
Themes for the Weekend include "LENNON LEGACY," with special guests from The Beatles' history, "ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAMERS," "THE GREAT GIRL GROUPS REUNION," "HORROR ROCKERS REUNION" and the "BUBBLEGUM REUNION."
A rock event like this is long-overdue. Celebrate 50 years of rock history live.
Complete info is online at www.RockFanFest.com, and the complete list of guests is available at: http://www.nationalrockcon.com/Artists.htm.
Tickets are $20-$40 with special "Gold," "Silver" and "Platinum" weekend packages available.
For any further info, call (203) 795-4737.
What: ROCK CON: Weekend of 100 Rock Stars
Where: Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center, 2 Meadowlands Plaza, East Rutherford, NJ
Hours: Friday, July 30 2010 5pm-11pm, Saturday, July 31 2010 Noon-10pm, Sunday, August 1 2010 Noon-9pm