Month: February 2017
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Celebrating Joe Esposito
My friend Joe Esposito died last November but the celebration of his life took place in Los Angeles last Sunday. I couldn’t be there but Bruce Allen went, and thought it to be in his words, “outstanding”. Among the many luminaries attending: Wink Martindale and his wife Sandy, Ann-Margret, Priscilla Presley, and former Elvis assistant…
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Al Jarreau, 1940-2017
Of all the celebrities I have interviewed over the years, one of the most generous and most talented was Al Jarreau, who died today at 76. Al recently retired from touring after 50 years on the road. He was a seven-time Grammy winner, and he could sing pop as well as jazz. He wrote the…
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New Michael Bublé Video – I Believe In You
These lyrics are significant: they connect with the situation Michael, his wife Luisana and both families are going through while they focus on their son Noah’s recovery. As a father I know how important words can be to a child, words such as “I am proud of you. I love you and I believe in you.”…
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Roy Orbison Interview, 1986
Roy Orbison was signed by Sun Records in 1956, but his greatest success came with Monument Records in the early 1960’s. Between 1960 and 1964, 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top 40, including Only the Lonely, Crying, and Oh, Pretty Woman. Friend and business partner Les Vogt and I became good friends with Roy over the years and he appeared in Vancouver…
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Thank You, Smokey Robinson!
I worked with Smokey Robinson many times over the years. I kidded him once that his blue eyes came from my side of the family. My daughters Kellie and Sheri adored him as did my wife Carole. This photo with Carole and my kids was taken at the Red Robinson Show Theatre after a sterling production by Smokey. What a special memory…
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The Day The Music Died – February 3, 1959
It has been almost 60 years since the bulletin came across the wire February 3, 1959 that Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens had died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. This was the first great tragedy of the rock and roll era. The irony, for me, was that…
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Dean Torrence interview, 1986
Jan Berry and Dean Torrence were a couple of California boys who produced many hits together. Dean credits Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys for arranging and writing many of their songs. They pioneered the surfing sound with the 1963 Wilson-penned hit Surf City. It went to the top of the charts that year, and…