This guy has 20 years and MANY many dance moves on me!
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What Do Tupac Shakur, Kurt Cobain and the recently deceased Senator Robert Byrd All Have In Common?
1 JulAlthough they were from two different modern music genres, it’s clear that rapper Tupac Shakur and rocker Kurt Cobain have a bunch in common. Both artists gained fame at roughly the same time period, both have been credited as being big influence on those that followed and both died way too young.
Senator Robert Byrd wasn’t a rapper or a rocker. While he may have been influential, he certainly didn’t die too young. He was 92 and by all accounts lived a full life. Still, the senator does share music in common with Shakur and Cobain. In Byrd’s case, he played traditional bluegrass.
I didn’t know this till he passed, but in 1978, Byrd actually released a bluegrass album. So, I think you can see where this is going. Like with the death’s of Shakur and Cobain, record company executives saw the chance to make money and they’re not hesitating.
Byrd’s 1978 album is being reissued and so is following in the footsteps of Shakur and Cobain, the senator will soon have an album out despite the inconvenience of no longer being alive.
After all, life and music must go on!
Lady Gaga, Among Other Things, Has This 60s Music Icon Twisted!
26 Jun
If you love awkward moments not involving you as much as I do, then do I have a great heads up for you!
Here it is. If you ever and I mean EVER get a chance to watch or listen to 60’s dance craze icon Chubby Checker do an interview, do it! Stop whatever you’re doing and just pay attention to everyone Chubby says. The man is verifiably delusional and bitter as lemons in winter time.
Last night, I had nothing to do and nothing was on and I stumbled across Chubby doing a TV interview on some random local cable channel.
Here are the highlights:
Chubby is angry at Dick Clark. People say Dick Clark discovered Chubby. He sees it the other way around. His point is that Bandstand became a huge hit once Chubby started performing his massive hit on it. I think he has a point. But, he also thinks Dick Clark should always have him at any event he produces – any event! Bottom line is that Chubby expected Dick Clark to keep having him on Bandstand in the 70s and 80s and on despite musical tastes changing. I value loyalty too, but just not realistic here…
Chubby is pissed at Muhammad Ali and is willing to go there even though the man is struggling with Parkinson’s. Gutsy move, Chubby! Chubby claims that in the early 60s a young Ali, still know as Cassius Clay then, came to see Chubby for advice. Chubby says he encouraged Ali to make predictions about what round he’d knock people out in AND to brag that he was the greatest of all time to get more attention. Ali did both and the rest is history. Of course, Chubby got no credit as Ali, according to Chubby, never gave him any. Somehow I’m not believing Ali needed that much of a push to be outspoken and outrageous.
Chubby’s hair. It’s what he SHOULD be bitter about. It’s either (A) he’s still styling his hair with the same products from back in the early 60s OR (B) it’s the worst wig known to mankind. Either way, it’s fascinating!
Chubby has put the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on notice. If they don’t elect him soon, he’s not making it to the induction ceremony if he feels he’s too old. Actually, I’m with him on this one. He should be in. The Twist was the biggest dance craze ever and only song to chart #1 twice in two different years, plus he had several other hits that went on to be dance sensations too, like The Pony. Remember that one?
Speaking of dancing… When the host asked Chubby to tell him what he thought were the differences between his music and today’s. He told him NONE. Chubby said that when he see’s people dancing to Lady Gaga and the rest he sees them dancing to Chubby. Basically, he feels that he invented modern dance. Nice! Now I know who to blame. I thought it was Michael Jackson.
Chubby can’t get any respect from DJs. He doesn’t understand why Top 40 stations won’t play him. I do. He’s almost 70 and kids are listening!
Other cool Chubby facts. He’s been married to a former Miss World for over 40 years. Somewhere in there, he fathered a daughter out of another relationship who now plays in the WNBA and HE managed to STAY married. That’s a talent!
He had a #1 hit on the Billboard Dance Chart in 2008. Who knew?
And he’s launched a chocolate bar, The Checker Bar, in Europe. Of course, he’s bitter that no one in the US will distribute it yet. You knew there had to be a twist!
Lost Christmas Classic Finally Found!!
25 DecIt’s a Wonderful Life PLUS Fishbone = Lost Christmas Classic
Merry Christmas to all! And may you all have a good life!!
That Ain’t Right! Rock Stars Who Shouldn’t Play Guitar!
1 NovIt’s part of our human make up to be curious about the grass on the other side of the fence. Rock stars are no exception.
Guitar gods frequently yearn to be lead singers. And lead singers often can’t resist the temptation to strap on an axe. The catch is it seldom works.
Sure, there are double threats who can sing and play really well, but this post isn’t focused on them.
Instead, here’s some examples of lead singers who just don’t look right with a guitar. Not saying they can’t play. Just saying that they shouldn’t try. It simply doesn’t work.
Witness Madge looking pained as she struggles to strum.
Love Daltrey, but isn’t being Tommy enough for him?
Anyone believing Mick’s amp is plugged in? Shhhhhh. Don’t tell him anything!
I’m on the fence on The King. It’s clear he actually played a little when he started out in the Sun Records days. By the Vegas years though, the guitar had transitioned to mainly prop status. I wouldn’t bet against this one being made out of paper mache.
Happy November!
Nirvana & Rick Astley Duet!! (Video!)
22 JulYou gotta see this to believe it.
It actually works well together. Like chocolate and peanut butter….
Sorry To Bring The Party Down, But Let Al Sharpton Have His Kids Share A Bed With Michael Jackson! And other MJ Thoughts!
8 JulToday, we said goodbye to Michael Jackson. Again.
Yes, the coverage has been nonstop and I do mean it that way. But, also, I think in a sense we said goodbye to Michael Jackson a looooooong time ago.
Despite what Al Sharpton thinks or what we’re told he endured, Michael Jackson was odd. Long ago his behavior verved off into the kind of territory that all his friends at today’s memorial should have challenged.
Leaving aside the very real possibility that Michael Jackson hurt kids, at the very least, by his own admission, Jackson engaged in conduct that was indefensible. Can you think of another adult male that people would actually bother trying to defend if he admitted to having other people’s kids routinely sleep in his bed? I can’t.
The deification of Michael Jackson is of course ridiculous. He was a terrific entertainer and a pop icon who will long be remembered. He did not, however, save the world. The closest he got was writing “Man In The Mirror” in which he urged us to look inward to bring change to this planet.
Good advice. He should have heeded it more strongly too.
I understand that people are hurting and some of them actually even knew Michael Jackson. I wish nothing but peace and comfort to his children, family and friends, I really do.
Still, I can’t help but point out some of the hypocrisy at today’s ceremony.
First off, Al Sharpton. I think his telling Jackson’s kids that there was nothing strange about their daddy was understandable if he was only trying to make them feel better. But come on. Jackson was strange. He did strange things. There’s simply no disputing that. Would Al Sharpton let his kids have a sleepover at Jackson’s house were he still alive? I’m guessing not.
A lot of the tone of people’s comments had to do with ALL that he endured. First off, once Michael Jackson was an adult, he brought ALL of that on himself. Nothing bothers me more than people who are driven to seek fame only to complain about its horrible downside.
It’s not like Michael pulled a Greta Garbo. He didn’t leave the spotlight. His own friends will tell you he was a genius at self-promotion. Just before he died, in fact, we all know he was rehearsing for a 50 night stand in London.
So which is it? Did Michael want to be famous or was it all too much for him? I’m betting on the first option.
Finally, people speak about Jackson’s childhood and how much he had to go through that a kid just should have to deal with. I don’t dispute any of that. From what we hear, Jackson did have a pretty crummy childhood and was forced to grow up way too soon. So, what would that lead us to believe?
Hmmmm…. Perhaps children are best left out of the spotlight. Jackson, in his own wacky way, seemed to understand that keeping his own kids out of the public eye by having them wear masks.
So, who do you get to sing at the memorial? Some 12 year old singing sensation from the UK.
And the cycle goes on…
Shocking Footage Of Reporter Beating Michael Jackson Fan!
3 JulIs it me or was reporter Steve Ryan the aggressor here?
And what was he thinking? The guy he’s pushing around was one big boy!
David Carradine And Michael Hutchence Commiserate In The Afterlife!
6 Jun
First of all let’s state this right up top. My condolences to the family and friends of David Carradine. Loss is never easy or funny.
The circumstance of death and the back story are of course another story. David Carradine’s unfortunate death reminded me of what I said about Michael Hutchence’s death a few years back.
I must have hit on something because a friend of mine emailed earlier today referencing the comments I’d made when the INXS frontman died a little over 11 years ago. Like Carradine’s family now, at the time of Hutchence’s death, his relatives and friends were adamant that he had NOT committed suicide. Their theory was autoerotic asphyxiation.
If you don’t know what autoerotic asphyxiation is I’m not taking time to explain it here. I’m sure it’s out there on the internet somewhere. Let’s just say it’s for people who have just had it with run of the mill self-gratification.
But anyway, my reaction to Hutchence’s family fighting against suicide theories in favor of their explanation was a complete inability to understand their logic.
What I told anyone how’d listen to me go on about this (and trust me I did go on) was the following… Should I ever become a public figure who goes on to die a suspicious death that could be suicide or autoerotic asphyxiation, push the suicide theory. Push suicide REALLY hard.
Here’s why… As an accomplished actor like David Carradine or a charasmatic lead singer like Michael Hutchence, I would rather people think that I was too fragile, too sensitive, too pure, too creative for this earth and I’d just given all that I could, rather than I simply couldn’t stop touching myself.
I like to set small goals as I travel through this life. One of them is to not die in an embarrassing enough way to make the papers. With any luck and some self control, I just might achieve that one.
As for Carradine and Hutchence, I hope they’re resting in peace, all their cares and worries behind them and maybe even enjoying a chuckle together over this post.
PS – Let me hear from you. If you were in their shoes, would you want people to think it was suicide or AA?
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