HAPPY BIRTHDAY WE LOVE YOU!
KIM AND LESLEY
5.30.2009
5.29.2009
THE GLASS CASTLE: GREAT RETRO BOOK!
Growing up in a similar time as this author there were some similarities to my own childhood in this book. Of course my parents weren't as alcoholic or neglectful. But the wildness and runnign the streets and making up war games in the woods I think we all did. We ran a lot wilder as kids in the 60's than kids do now.
They say it was a safer time in history but really it wasn't. There were pedophiles and creepies running rampant in neighborhoods back then too. Child crimes just weren't publicized in the media like they are now thankfully to keep our children more protected.
Our kids are so protected that we don't allow them to run free like we did. To ride off on bike ride adventures miles away from our homes. To play night games of kick the can and hide and seek. We had kid "gangs" that hung out after dark around the street light poles and though we did get into a lot of mischief we stayed just short of being truly criminal.
This book comes very close to some of the wilder things we did as kids in the 60's. I loved this book and read it over two times. I highly advise you to read Jeanette's unvarnished story of her
excentric (neglected) childhood and eventual escape to a successful life.
After all you need to know what bad really is before you can really find good...
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
Buy this book!
5.28.2009
ROD "THE MOD" STEWART
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 ) is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London , England
With his distinctive raspy voice, Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and early '70s with The Jeff Beck Group and then Faces. He launched his solo career in 1969 with his debut album An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (US: The Rod Stewart Album). His work with The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces proved to be influential on the formation of the heavy metal and punk rock genres, respectively. Both bands were also pioneers of blues-rock.
With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has achieved numerous solo hit singles worldwide, most notably in the UK, where he has garnered six consecutive number one albums and his tally of 62 hit singles include 31 that reached the top 10, six of which gained the number one position. He has also had 16 top ten singles in the USA
In 1969 I discovered Rod Stewart. Visiting Michigan from Jacksonville Alabama, I heard a song at a friend's home that had the most unique voice I had ever heard in my young teen life. Scrambling to find the album cover I found a treasure trove of Rod with the Faces and Rod just launched a new album solo. They were both out of this world and my life was changed forever. Begged my mother to drive me to the record store (only place to buy records back then) and I bought the Yellow Album
Then I bought Gasoline Alley and then grabbed the album that featured Maggie May Rod's biggest hit, Every Picture Tells a Story.
Playing the records over and over until my grandmother lost her mind became my new obsession. Love every song on every one of these records.
Rod was "The Mod" because had the coolest "mod" hair cut and was the most stylish of the British Invaders. He ws totally different looking and sounding than any other rock singer of the day. I couldn't wait to take these records back to Alabams for my friends to hear.
When I got home I discovered that my friends had all discovered Elton John and Creedance Clearwater Revival. Though I kind of liked them too, for my money my first crush on a rocker was directed squarely toward Rod "The Mod" Stewart. All my babysitting money went to Rod too.
Happy as I am for Rod's continued success singing standards etc. I fell out of love when Rod launched into Disco territory Hot Legs and such weren't very good and I lost all interest after that time.
I really wanted a video of Ooh La La with the Faces or Rod singing Gasoline Alley. I did find GA sung with no music... boring and lot's of covers of Ooh La La boring.
But I did find a gem to share with young retro viewers and turn back time with my peers.
Here is Young Rod "Sailing" in action.
Couldn't resist showing you guys this video of Rod surprising Jeff Beck on stage
5.27.2009
JOSE FELICIANO: LIGHT MY FIRE
"Light My Fire" by the Doors was one of the biggest hits of the 60's and it was a hot song sung by the ever so hot Jim Morrison. My favorite version was a much slower and in my opinion even hotter that Jim's
Jose Feliciano's version of "Light My Fire" still sounds as fresh today as the first time I ever heard him play acoustic guitar and sing this song....
From Jose's WEBSITE
Jose was born blind, to humble beginnings on September 10, 1945, in Lares, Puerto Rico. One of eleven boys, his love affair with music began at the age of three when he first accompanied his uncle on a tin cracker can. When he was five, his family immigrated to New York City. Young Jose learned to play the concertina at age six, using a handful of records as his teacher. At eight, he performed for his classmates at PS 57, and at nine, performed at The Puerto Rican Theater in the Bronx. Venturing beyond the accordion, he taught himself to play the guitar with undaunted determination and again, with nothing but records as his teacher, practicing for as many as 14 hours a day. Exposed to the rock-n-roll of the 50's, Jose was then inspired to sing.
At 17, Jose quit school. His father was not working at the time and he needed to help his family. He played in coffee houses in Greenwich Village and for his salary -- as was customary during that time period in small clubs -- they'd "pass the hat". He played his first professional engagement that same year in Detroit, Michigan. (Of Course Detroit!)
5.17.2009
CASINO: THE TRUE PLAYERS
One of my top 5 favorite movies of all time is Casino. Guess Marty Scorsese and I go way back. Most people know the true back story behind Goodfellas and the fictional similarities to real life characters in The Godfather but most know little about the real people in Casino. I thought I would add a bit from the internet on the real players in CASINO. This Slots LV casino review will help you learn all you need about playing slots and testing your luck at an online casino.
Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal (Ace Rothstein Robert DeNiro part)
Read the great book Casino by Nicolas Pileggi who also wrote Wiseguy.
Franks's Very Cool Website is HERE
For much of his professional life, the Chicago-born and casino-bred, Rosenthal has been the country's top handicapper. He was one of a handful of men who literally set the line for thousands of bookmakers from coast to coast.
During the 1970s and early eighties, Rosenthal ran four Las Vegas casinos simultaneously, including the world-famous Stardust Hotel and Casino. Rosenthal is also credited with creating the first Race & Sportsbook (Parlor) in Las Vegas.
Frank and Geri (GInger) Rosenthal
Geri Rosenthal and Tony Spilotro
Anthony Spilotro, Protégé of Mad Sam DeStefano made his bones in 1962 when he put small time burglar Billy McCarthy's head in a vise and cranked it tighter and tighter until one of his eyes popped out. “The Ant” Later became the outfits man in Vegas and Basis for the Nicky Santurro character played by Joe Pesci in the movie Casino he would also eventually whack Mad Sam.
Wife of Las Vegas sports handicapper, Frank Rosenthal. Born Geraldine "Geri" McGee, she met Anthony Spilotro, the best friend of Frank Rosenthal, at a gambling convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where she began an affair with him. She made her living as a "chip girl" (a good looking woman who hustled gamblers for a chip or two in exchange for temporary companionship) and as a part time topless dancer and occasional prostitute, hanging around the high rolling gamblers in the casinos, where she would move from gambler to gambler. Anthony Spilotro, who introduced Frank to Geri, and soon they were were a couple.
Geri and Ace
Though Ant and his brother died a horrible beating death and Geri died young from a suspected hot dose of heroin. Frank died at age 79 while living in south Florida.
Frank states on his website that the torture scene in the movie was accurate. Yuck! Read more on his website. How exciting Frank had the great promoter sense to build a fabulous website before he died.
5.15.2009
20TH CENTURY BOY: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MARC BOLAN
I have been in a Marc Bolan mood for a week! Don't know what brought him into my mind. Guess Marc is reaching into my dreams and asking for a post on RetroK.
He was, of course, the first Glam Rocker but he preferred Cosmic Rocker. Cosmic he was... Gorgeous looking rocker and what a stage performer he was! As much as I love David Bowie, Marc did it first and did it hotter and sexier... I wanted him to be my boy for sure...
Marc Bolan born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977 was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and poet. He was the lead singer of the band T. Rex and was one of the pioneers of the glam rock movement of the 1970s.
Bolan died at the age of 29 in a car crash two weeks before his 30th birthday. In 1997, a memorial stone and bust of Bolan, Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine, was unveiled at the site where he died in Barnes, London. As a member of T. Rex, Bolan will posthumously be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
No one before or since has created a sound, an image, and genre all his own. His tragic car accident and early death at age 30 froze his music in time forever.
Bolan was a self-made pop icon, and one of the original Glam Rock stars in England. Born Marc Feld, he had a brief career as a superstar with his band T-Rex but was eventually reduced to hosting a Children's TV series.
On the night of September 16, 1977, Marc had dinner with his love Gloria Jones, with whom he had a 2-year-old son Rolan. After much merriment, Gloria got behind the wheel of her purple Mini 1275 GT (license plate FOX 66IL) to drive Marc and herself home.
This was about 4am. Shortly thereafter, the Mini-Cooper was traveling on Queens Ride, at the southern edge of Barnes Common, south London. The Mini left the road as it crossed a hump-backed bridge, shot through the fence, and smashed into a sycamore tree. Marc's side took the impact, and he was thrown into the back of the car and killed instantly. Gloria was unconscious but alive.
5.11.2009
1960's BIGGEST SCANDALS : ELIZABETH TAYLOR
Mike Todd and Elizabeth Taylor
Just 3 days after Ms Taylor divorced Michael Wilding who was way too old for her and possible gay, she married movie producer Mike Todd in Acapulco. Todd was 24 years her senior, but Taylor acknowledges that of all her marriages, this was her happiest. The couple had a daughter, Elizabeth "Liza" Todd in August of that year.
Michael Todd was HOT! Also Hot tempered, determined and exciting. What girl wouldn't fall for such a man as producer Mike Todd. Tragically he was killed in a plane crash and Mike's good friend Eddie Fisher consoled the sorrow filled young widow.
On the rebound and still probably full of grief she married Eddie Fisher. His wife Debbie Reynolds was let with two small children and humiliated world wide.
Eddie did Debbie a favor in our book...
Eddie Fisher and Liz
As you can tell by this picture Liz just "wasn't that into him." Grief does strange things to a person's emotional system. Hollywood turned their back on La Liz and the world felt sorry for poor Debbie.
In 1963, she became the highest paid movie star up until that time when she accepted $1 million to play the title role in the lavish production of Cleopatra for 20th Century Fox.
It was during the filming of that movie that she worked for the first time with future husband Richard Burton, who played Mark Antony. Movie magazines had a field day when Taylor and Burton began an affair during filming; both stars were married to other people at the time. But Oh my my Liz and Dick!!!
These two did chew up the scenery in Cleopatra but it was worth every penny to watch their love story unfold onscreen. I still love watching that film just to see their scenes. Let's see... Eddie Fisher?? or Richard Burton?? No choice there! There were never two hotter starts to grace our movie screens and never will be.
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