GEEZER MUSIC CLUB: A GREAT BLOG

For a few years now I have been following a great blog called the Geezer Music Club. I was drawn to the blog because I am an old geezer, and I like great music. The man behind the blog BG is a musical guru, and an all around great guy.

Unfortunately, this month he has had some health issues, and he is having heart surgery. Any thoughts or prayers would be appreciated, and check out his blog and leave him a get well message. He would appreciate it. His blog is a wealth of knowledge as well!

Get well soon friend...

GEEZER MUSIC CLUB

BORN ON THIS DAY: VINCENT PRICE

I think one of the greatest character actors of all-time was Vincent Price. I am only now discovering what a great talent he possessed. Today is his birthday, so it gives me an opportunity to research this prolific actor more. Price was born in St. Louis, Missouri on May 27th, 1911, the youngest of the four children of Vincent Leonard Price Sr. (July 30, 1871 — June 18, 1948), president of the National Candy Company, and his wife, Marguerite Cobb (née Wilcox) Price (October 28, 1874 — September 12, 1946). His grandfather, Vincent Clarence Price, invented "Dr. Price's Baking Powder", the first cream of tartar-based baking powder, and secured the family's fortune.

Price was of English descent and was a descendant of Peregrine White, the first White child born in Colonial Massachusetts, being born on the Mayflower while it was in the harbor of Massachusetts.Price had some Welsh ancestry as well.

Price attended the St. Louis Country Day School, as well as Milford Academy in Milford, Connecticut. In 1933, he graduated with a degree in art history from Yale University, where he worked on the campus humor magazine The Yale Record. After teaching for a year, he entered the University of London, intending to study for a master's degree in fine arts. Instead, he was drawn to the theater, first appearing on stage professionally in 1934. His acting career began in London in 1935, performing with Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre. In 1936, Price appeared as Prince Albert in the American production of Laurence Housman's play Victoria Regina, which starred Helen Hayes in the title role of Queen Victoria.

Price started out in films as a character actor. He made his film debut in 1938 with Service de Luxe and established himself in the film Laura(1944), opposite Gene Tierney, directed by Otto Preminger. He played Joseph Smith in the movie Brigham Young (1940) and William Gibbs McAdoo in Wilson (1944) as well as Bernadette's prosecutor, Vital Dutour, in The Song of Bernadette (1943), and as a pretentious priest in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944).

His first venture into the horror genre, for which he became famous, was in the 1939 Boris Karloff film Tower of London. The following year Price portrayed the title character in The Invisible Man Returns (a role he reprised in a vocal cameo at the end of the 1948 horror-comedy spoof Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein). This would be the start of Price's life long association with horror movies, but Vincent Price was so much more. He was never nominated for an acting award, but I happy to be able to look back on Vincent's legacy some 107 years after his birth....

COMING SOON: PERRY COMO ON PBS

MY MUSIC PRESENTS

Perry Como Classics:

‘Till the End of Time

For over 50 years, Perry Como ranked as one of America’s most successful and beloved entertainers. A big band singer in the late 1930s, a radio star in the 1940s and then a TV headliner in the 1950s and beyond, Perry was a warm and welcome presence in tens of millions of households for six decades, charting over 100 hit songs along the way.

Now, for the first time, a collection of Como’s biggest hits from long-lost and newly-restored episodes from his TV series and specials (1948 – 1988) — including rare color programs and more recently discovered footage — is being presented in Perry Como Classics: 'Till the End of Time which offers a fond look at a talent beloved both on and off the stage and screen.

Perry Como Classics: 'Till the End of Time premieres around the country the weekend of Saturday, June 2^nd.  Perry Como Classics: 'Till the End of Time is hosted by Peter Marshall and Nick Clooney and airs as part of the long-running MY MUSIC series of PBS fund-raising specials.

Here are selected clips from the special…

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pcj3poxn3938zrn/AACO4wyK0tQ-yX7mHznCSji9a?dl=0

Hit records such as “It’s Impossible,” “Catch A Falling Star,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Magic Moments,” “Round & Round,” “Home For The Holidays,” “And I Love You So,” “No Other Love,” “Hot Diggity” and dozens more made Perry Como the second most popular male singer of the 20th century on the record charts, ahead of Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra and just behind Bing Crosby.

Como was a television staple for over 40 years, beginning with his hosting duties in the late 1940s on “The Chesterfield Supper Club” through the early 1990s in series and specials that set the standard for variety programming, winning numerous Emmy Awards and other accolades while drawing devoted viewers around the globe.

Perry Como Classics: 'Till the End of Time features the singer singing duets with Dean Martin, The McGuire Sisters, Lena Horne, Carol Burnett, Bing Crosby and The Lennon Sisters plus there are warm remembrances from celebrities like Carol Burnett, Regis Philbin, Jay Leno, Kathy Lennon (of The Lennon Sisters), Leonard Maltin, Richard Carpenter, Debby Boone and Steve Tyrell. 

Perry Como Classics: 'Till the End of Time features these performances: 

·         “Till The End Of Time” - #1 (1945)

·          “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” - #2 (1947)

·         “Some Enchanted Evening” - #1 (1949)

·          “No Other Love” - #1 (1953)

·         “Temptation” - #1 (1945)

·         “Prisoner Of Love” - #1 (1946)

·         “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes” - #1 (1952)

·          “Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity)” - #1 (1956)

·          “Round & Round” - #1 (1957)

·         “Magic Moments” - #4 (1957)

·         “(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays” - #8 (1954)

·          “And I Love You So” - #1 (1973)

·         “Catch A Falling Star” - #1 (1958)

·         “It’s Impossible” - #10 (1970)

Underwriters: Public Television Viewers and PBS

Executive Producer: TJ Lubinsky

HEALTHWATCH: JOANNE WOODWARD UPDATE

Alzheimer's Disease has robbed actress Joanne Woodward of her fondest memories while her family feuds over her billion dollar estate.

Sadly, Joanne Woodward's health is slipping quickly due to the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease. Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman were inseparable from 1958 until 2008, when Newman passed away at the age of 83 from cancer. They met in 1958, according to Life & Times of Hollywood, when they co-starred in the classic film "The Long, Hot Summer."

Today, it’s reported that 88-year-old Woodward has all memories of Paul from her fight with Alzheimer's Disease. Newman left his billions to his wife and charities but gave just $5 million to each of his children. A source close to the family was quoted as saying her "health is rapidly deteriorating, and only once in a while states that she used to be married to someone handsome."

Shortly after Newman passed in 2008, Woodward started to first exhibit signs of Alzheimer's. The couple’s daughters began noticing that their mother was frequently disoriented. The disease grew worse, and she now requires 24-7 care. She rarely speaks and seldom recognizes her children or grandchildren.

Early in the disease, Woodward's daughters were having their mother treated during a drug trial at Yale University's Adler Geriatric Assessment Center. But, now the family feels that at this point the disease has reached the point of no return and that Joanne will soon be reaching her end.This is not the only sad news for the Newman/Woodward children.

Woodward’s illness has precipitated a family battle other over Newman's billion-dollar estate. Just before his death, he gave each of his five daughters, three with Woodward and two from his first marriage, $5 million each for their inheritance. Newman believed that his children were all successful and didn’t need the family money. The majority of his estate was left to Joanne and various charities.

Newman's children are apparently not happy with their father's decision. They’re concerned about whether Joanne included them in her will. They think she could leave them nothing and donate the billion-dollar estate to charity. There’s no word on what Woodward decided to do with the estate, but some speculate that the five Newman children are fighting over the cash and could contest their mom’s will after her death...

SOURCE

FORGOTTEN ONES: JOHNNY "SCAT" DAVIS

I knew the name Johnnie Scat Davis from his introduction of the song "Hooray For Hollywood" but I didn't know much else about him. I don't think many people do in general. Born  John Gustave Davis in Brazil, Indiana, into a family of musicians on April 11, 1910, Davis developed an interest in music during his childhood. He learned to play the trumpet and by the age of 13 was performing with his grandfather's band. After graduating from high school he worked as a musician for several orchestras, including theater orchestras in nearby Terre Haute, Indiana such as Paul Johnson's orchestra and the Leo Baxter Orchestra. Art Davis, his younger brother, also worked for Leo Baxter. Davis himself learned to play the trumpet at an early age and joined his grandfather's band when he was only 13.

In 1925 he went to work for Jack O'Grady's Varsity Entertainers at the Grand Opera House in Terre Haute, arranging high school classes around the band's schedule. For the next couple of years Davis worked for various local orchestras, including those of Paul Johnson and Leo Baxter. He counted among his friends future bandleader Claude Thornhill. After graduating from high school in 1928 Davis worked in Jimmy Joy's Louisville-based orchestra then spent time with Sammy Watkins in Cleveland before joining Austin Wylie in New York, where he reunited with Thornhill. In 1933 he went to work for Red Nichols at the Park Central Hotel. He also led his own trio during this period and recorded several numbers. From the mid-1930s he worked with Fred Waring as a musician and vocalist, and his success during this time led him to Hollywood.

He appeared in his first film in 1937, and the same year appeared in the film Hollywood Hotel, where he introduced the Johnny Mercer song "Hooray for Hollywood". His lively rendition became popular and became closely associated with the film industry. He appeared in fifteen films including Campus Cinderella (1938), Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938), Brother Rat (1938), Mr Chump (1938), A Child Is Born (1939) and Sarong Girl (1943).

Davis continued to work in the music industry throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and spent several years in Detroit, Michigan where he was a popular television performer. In 1959 a King LP was issued by Johnnie called "Here's Lookin' Atcha.These" sides probably come from the Universal sessions. The album is a real mixed bag, part dixieland, part swing, part R&B. It even has some organ on some sides, a nice touch. Johnnie's horn is featured very nicely on most selections. (The album is instrumental.) Despite the odd mixture of tunes, the album shows Johnnie's abilities as a jazzman and leader. The dixie tunes have a unique front line of trumpet, clarinet and baritone sax. This album is well worth seeking out on Ebay or in second hand shops. 

In the 60's Johnnie settled in Arlington,Texas with his wife Martha and daughters, Nancy and Judy. He played local dates and took bands to Vegas, Reno and Tahoe for regular appearances. John was playing mostly bass trumpet. He was having some chop trouble, but he sounds good on Basin St. and So Long Dearie. His singing is delightful and he is a fine emcee.He eventually settled in Texas, and died in Pecos from a heart attack during a hunting trip on October 28, 1983. Do yourself a favor and dig out a recording by Johnny Davis, you will be amazed and realize that he should not be forgotten...

RIP: MARGOT KIDDER

Margot Kidder, who famously played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in 1978's "Superman," died on Sunday at the age of 69.

The actress passed away at her home in Montana, a spokesperson at Franzen-Davis funeral home in Livingston, Montana, confirmed  on Monday. Her cause of death is unknown at this point.

Kidder went on to portray her iconic character in the film's three sequels "Superman II," "Superman III" and "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" and continued acting in the decades since her breakout role.

The Canadian actress also appeared in "The Amityville Horror," "Black Christmas" and TV series "Boston Common." 

Kidder suffered a widely-publicized manic breakdown in April of 1996, which led to her being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After a computer virus caused her to permanently lose years worth of drafts of her autobiography, Kidder disappeared for days before being found in a distressed state after reportedly being raped. She was placed in psychiatric care and later said in 2007 that she hadn't had a serious manic episode in over a decade.

The actress was married and divorced three times and shared her only daughter, Maggie McGaune, with first husband, novelist Thomas McGuane. She was also romantically connected with Steven Spielberg, former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau (father to current PM Justin Trudeau) and Richard Pryor.

Kidder appeared on Broadway in The Vagina Monologues in December 2002, and toured with the show for two years. After this, she appeared on Robson Arms, a Canadian sitcom set in an apartment block in Vancouver's west end. She played a quirky neighbor of the main cast members. She also had a cameo in Rich Hall's Election Special on BBC Four. In 2006, Kidder played Jenny Schecter's mother Sandy Ziskin on The L Word, a repressed Jewish woman coming to terms with her daughter's sexuality. In 2007, Kidder began appearing on the television series Brothers and Sisters, playing Emily Craft. In 2004, Kidder briefly returned to the Superman franchise in two episodes of the television series Smallville, as Bridgette Crosby, an emissary of Dr. Swann (played by her Superman co-star, Christopher Reeve).

She portrayed an embattled guidance counselor in the 2008 gay-themed mystery film On the Other Hand, Death, as well as a supporting role as Laurie Strode's therapist, in Rob Zombie's Halloween II (2009). In 2015 Kidder won an Emmy award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for her performance in R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour. Kidder's last movie appearance was in last year's The Neighborhood, a Canadian drama film...

PAST OBITS: LAVERNE ANDREWS

In my opinion the Andrews Sisters were the greatest singing trio of all-time. Laverne Andrews was the most quiet of the sisters, but I believe she was the most beautiful. Here is her sad obituary from the Desert Sun of May 9, 1967. It's hard to be it was 41 years ago...

Laverne Andrews Dies After Lengthy Illness

HOLLYWOOD (UPI)- Death! | broke up the Andrews Sisters! for the last time Monday.

Laverne, 51, died, apparently of cancer complicated by pneumonia. Louis A. Rogers, her husband of 19 years, was at her bedside in their West Los Angeles home when death claimed the eldest member of the renowned vocal trio. Patti and Maxene interrupted their Lake Tahoe engagement to fly home for the funeral which was being arranged today. 

Laverne’s illness forced her out of the trio about a year ago. The career of the Andrews Sisters was long and stormy. The trio got its first professional booking in the late 1920s in a Chicago vaudeville show. They rose to the top of the music world with a succession of hits during the 1930s and 1940s but their business harmony was out of tune much of the time. The sisters formed a corporation from which they drew equal salaries but after several sisterly squabbles they dissolved the corporation and broke up the act several times. But each time they patched things up and began singing again. Their first hit record was “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen.” Other popular favorites among the 900 records that sold fiO million copies were “Rum and , Coca Cola,” “Beer Barrel ; Polka,” “Patience and Forti tude,” “Don’t Sit Under the  Apple Tree.” “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” and “Pennsylvania i Polka.” The Andrews Sisters appeared  in 17 motion pictures, including!; “Buck Privates,” “In the : Navy,” “Swingtime Johnny,” : and “Follow the Boys.” 

 The act broke up in 1953 over money and other causes; Patti complained that Maxene and Laverne treated her like a baby. They feuded among (themselves for two and one-half years, then announced in 1955 the Andrews Sisters were back in business. They cut new albums of some of their old hits and some new songs.)

They made several television appearances, one of the most memorable of which featured the Andrews Sisters singing the hits of The Supremes and the modern trio returning the compliment by vocalizing in their own rock style the standards of Patti, Maxene and Laverne. “It wasn’t just wanting to sing together again,” Laverne said in explaining the reuniting of the trio again, “the public never wanted us to break up.” She said they received 2.000 letters after one of their television appearances. Patti, Maxene and Laverne had come a long way from Minneapolis, where they were born...

GUEST REVIEW: RHYTHM ON THE RIVER

Today would have been Bing Crosby's 115th birthday, so I wanted to take a look at a Bing film. Guest reviewer Bruce Kogan is back to take a look at the forgotten 1940 musical gem - Rhythm On The River..

Poor Basil Rathbone, an egotistical composer who's lost his muse. He's been faking it for some time, buying his lyrics and his music from various sources. Trouble is that two of the sources (Bing Crosby music) and (Mary Martin words) happen to meet and fall in love. And then they discover what they've been doing. Complications ensue, but all is righted at the end.

Crosby and Martin sing terrifically. Mary had signed a Paramount contract and also at the same time doubled as a regular on Crosby's Kraft Music Hall Radio Show. For reasons I don't understand, movie audiences didn't take to her, so she went back to Broadway and did One Touch of Venus in 1944 and stayed there.

Basil Rathbone in one of the few times he played comedy does it very well. His ego is constantly being deflated by sidekick Oscar Levant and again I'm surprised they didn't do more films together.

As in most of Crosby's Paramount vehicles, no big production numbers, but the title tune being done as an impromptu jam session in a pawn shop is cinematic gold. It shows what great rhythm Bing had. Good job by all.

Billy Wilder is co-credited for the story, and his unsentimental touch is noticeable in this quite original tale of ghostwriting songwriters who both work for burnt-out music legend Oliver Courtney. The obvious misunderstandings are gotten out of the way quite quickly, thank heaven, and what remains is a witty and breezy concoction with some fine songs (and some more forgettable ones).

Crosby at his most charming, a great turn by Broadway legend Mary Martin and Basil Rathbone and Oscar Levant providing most of the cynical barbs (Levant is in rare form and his quips haven't dated at all). Martin's singing gives hope and question to the ironic fact that she never scored in movies, given four years to try and make it at Paramount before giving up and returning to Broadway where she had greater luck. Crosby is his easy going self as usual, dropping deadpan lines like a dog with a bone after realizing that nothing else remained to gnaw on. A delightful surprise, and recommended for all fans of the genre.

A surprisingly original plot and great entertainment...

BRUCE'S RATING: 9 OUT OF 10
MY RATING: 9 OUT OF 10