Pop culture at its most disturbing
Last night, a fire destroyed the Coliseum Ballroom in Benld, Ill. The 85-plus year old building, located about an hour northeast of St. Louis, was steeped in history, culture and area folklore, with a little mystery and intrigue thrown in. Among the landmark’s claim to fame, it supposedly was haunted, and I went along with a local paranormal research group, …
I think Amy Winehouse has received too much media attention. So what kind of a hypocrite would devote a blog to her, you may be asking yourself. The answer is that I think her death yesterday brings up other questions concerning people’s fascination with celebrity and the media’s rush to capitalize on said obsession. On my personal Facebook page, I …
Yesterday in Canada, Cheap Trick brought the house down…literally. During a storm in Ottawa, the stage on which the legendary band was performing collapsed during its performance. No one in the band was hurt, thankfully, but early reports are five people, including crew, suffered minor injuries. See a news report on the event here. Vocalist Robin Zander said the band …
“Anyone who says money can’t buy happiness doesn’t know where to shop.” Eunice Wentworth “Lovey” Howell As a tribute to Sherwood Schwartz, producer of both Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967) and The Brady Bunch (1969-1974) who passed away yesterday at the age of 94, I wanted to share a few fun facts about both shows… * Gilligan’s Island only lasted three seasons …
Has anyone else noticed the trend over the last few years for television commercials to use old hit songs as jingles rather than coming up with original ones? I remember in the 1970s when Sunkist used the Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations for their extremely popular commercials. Even as a kid, I remember the controversy…people actually spent time discussing the ethical …
n 1957, 16-year-old John Lennon and 15-year-old Paul McCartney met up and began playing together in a band called the Quarrymen. And history was born. I know, I know…the influence and impact of The Beatles has been spouted ad nauseum, but they really were revolutionary in the scope of modern music. Even people who are not fans of the group’s …
40 years ago today, iconic rock star Jim Morrison died in Paris, France, contributing to the premature final chapter of an era of social, political and musical growth. In an age where true poetic singers/songwriters are in VERY short supply, Morrison, an Irish/Scottish whiskey-drinkin’ buffoon, remains an enigmatic figure, admired for his ability to combine avant-garde lyricism with the persona …
by