His name may not be familiar, but you have heard Ken Nordine’s soothing, rich baritone. Maybe it was on Word Jazz, the weekly show he hosted on Chicago Public Radio for over forty years. Perhaps it was on a commercial for Taster’s Choice Coffee, Levi Jeans, Flair Pens, Kraft Caramels or Gallo Wine. Maybe you …
Jani Lane conquered the local music scenes in Cleveland, Orlando and Los Angeles before breaking out with Warrant, the popular glam-metal band. With Jani’s songs and charismatic persona, Warrant scored big with four Top 40 hits in 1989. Their debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich went double platinum. Warrant’s follow-up album Cherry Pie, also …
Before Captain Robert K. Morgan flew his first of 25 missions in the massive Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress, he decided the aircraft needed a more familiar nickname. He chose “Little One,” the pet name he had for his sweetheart, Margaret Polk, back in Memphis, Tennessee. Morgan and his copilot Jim Verinis saw the John Wayne – Joan …
If you’re going to believe a made-up story about a strong and inspiring woman during the Revolutionary War, forget the one about Betsy Ross. Here’s the story of Nancy Hart. According to various accounts, Nancy Hart and her husband Benjamin lived near Savannah, Georgia with their eight children. Nancy was a strong and resourceful woman, …
As a teen, Roger Charlery was a fan of punk rock and was the drummer in the punk band Nam Nam Boys. He began a friendship with second wave ska band The Beat… and by friendship, I mean Roger would crash their gig, storm the stage and begin “toasting” (a form of rapping originating in …
George and Ira Gershwin wrote the character “Bess” in their opera “Porgy and Bess” with popular contralto Etta Moton Barnett in mind. When she was approached to play the role, the singer was firm about refusing to sing the “N” word that was prominent throughout the libretto. The Gershwins honored her conviction and deleted the …
At 11 years old, Elizabeth Cotten scraped together three dollars and seventy-five cents and purchased a guitar from Sears & Roebuck. It was a right-handed model, so the young, aspiring musician turned it upside-down to play, as she was left handed. She developed her own unorthodox playing style, using her fingers to play bass lines …
How could you not love Katherine Helmond? Every character she portrayed was a delight, even if they were quirky and odd. But that’s what Katherine brought to her characters. And that’s what made them endearing. And that is the mark of an accomplished actor. She was a staple on television, with roles on the sitcoms …
You may not recognize Bradley Bolke, but you certainly know his voice. Through the 1960s and the 70s, Bradley provided the voice for some of the most popular and beloved characters of a generation…. my generation. He voiced the antagonistic “Ghostly Trio” (all three of ’em!) on the Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons. He voiced …
In this generation In this lovin’ time In this generation We will make the world shine I never got to meet Peter Tork, but I did see The Monkees live in concert in 2013, on their first post-Davy Jones tour. I did, however, meet Davy Jones in 2011.
