Reader Suggestion
Chuck Jones Tribute
Chuck Jones Tribute
~ Mad Dog
Mad Dog's Home Page
Thanks (again), Mad Dog.
See It For Yourself
Sing Along With John Ashcroft
Sing Along With John Ashcroft
Reader Review
Fun Covers
By Dave Romm
A regular feature on Shockwave radio is Folk Songs for Yuppies, a show that entirely comprises television theme songs. From there, I developed a kick for playing covers of any song, preferably odd or unusual covers. While interesing covers can be found on many CDs, here are whole CDs that are nothing but familiar songs in unfamiliar venues..
Big Daddy is not hard to describe: They do contemporary songs in 50s doo-wop style. What's hard to describe is how good they are at it. I have a couple of tapes, but the CD Cutting Your Own Groove is one of my favorite albums of all time and contains my current favorite song. The Talking Heads version of Once In A Lifetime always seemed too good for the 80s. It took Big Daddy to sing it doo-wop in the style of Day-O to make the song really shine. Memory and The Greatest Love of All get over-the-top doo-wop styling that improves on the original, and doing Money For Nothing to Sixteen Tons is a fitting cover. Prince, Springsteen, Vanilla Ice, Paul Simon and more get the Big Daddy nod. Highly recommended. I don't know where you can get the CDs online, but Amazon has a Best Of Big Daddy which looks like a pretty good selection.
But, alas, Big Daddy wasn't successful enough... until The Benedictine Monks of Santa Domingo de Silos scored a big hit with Chant. Reforming briefly as the Benzedrine Monks of Santa Sominica, the former Big Daddy parodied the genre with the small CD Chantmania. Six cuts (really five plus a joke) are entirely unaccompanied plainsong. Since I started off collecting tv theme song covers, I'm especially fond of (Theme From) The Monkees, which is great. I once played Smells Like Teen Spirit to several teens, and one turned to the other, "Oh, is THAT what that line says!" Losing My Religion and Da Ya' Think I'm Sexy and We Will Rock You are fun and conceptual.
What could be more natural than a reggae band fronted by an Elvis impersonator doing Led Zeppelin songs? Dread Zeppelin may not quite match Page, Plant or Presley, but they have their moments. The Fun Sessions has several really good cuts including the Who's Baba O'Riley, Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water and a delicious treatment of the Beatles' Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End.
Another Country is a great excuse to talk about The Chieftains, one of my favorite Celtic bands for many years. Here, they travelled to Nashville and recorded such Irish favorites as Wabash Cannonball (with Ricky Skaggs), Goodnight Irene (with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson) and others with Bela Fleck and Chet Atkins and more. Not all the songs work, but all the songs played with enthusiasm and easy skill.
The Nick Atoms are a group that I was just introduced to this week, and sparked this particular set of reviews. They are a three-piece punk band that (mostly) covers tv and movie theme songs. Like a lot of punk, the quality of performance is superseded by the fact that they're doing it at all. Any band is okay with me that slashes out the themes to Doctor Who and Fireball XL-5 and Lost In Space (the good one) and others. They dress in futuristic robot costumes and bring 'atomizing' equipment on stage to try to explain what is is you're hearing. I'm not entirely sure if their CDs are available, but you can hear cuts on their web site and I suspect if you ask nicely (and send them a few bucks) they'll burn a CD just for you, and autograph it.
Dave Romm is a conceptual artist with a radio show and a web site and a very weird CD collection. He reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E here.
Thanks, Dave!
Alex's Entertainment Report
Cindy Crawford
Alex
Former supermodel Cindy Crawford sashayed back on to the catwalk on Monday for the first time in more than three years but soon said
she was glad she no longer had to do it full-time.
"That was really fun! It's like being a little girl playing dressing up," the model-turned-mother of two told Reuters after parading
three outfits for Roberto Cavalli's autumn/winter fashion show.
Crawford, famous for a mole on her lip and her glossy brown hair, returned to the catwalk as a personal favor to Cavalli.
"I just love his clothes. At home I wear jeans and a T-shirt so it doesn't matter if I get mucky with (my kids) Kaia and Presley but then I
put on a Cavalli top or trousers and feel like a sexy mum rather than a frumpy housewife," Crawford said.
Cindy Crawford
~~ Alex
Alex's Home Page
Music-Business Talk Radio!
''Samm Brown's For The Record''
''Samm Brown's For The Record'' on KPFK (one of 5 Pacifica stations) interviews a wide variety of movers & shakers in the music industry, including
publishers, managers, producers, attorneys, songwriters, recording artists and more, at 10pm (pst) on Tuesdays. Phone calls are taken, too!
Yes, it's online. For more information, see ''Samm Brown's For The Record''.
It uses a RealPlayer.
The co-host of ''Samm Brown's For The Record'' is an old pal,
John Braheny, author of the classic 'The Craft and Business of Songwriting', now updated and in its 2nd edition.
('The Craft and Business of Songwriting' was written on a Mac, but indexed by hand.)
Liked John's book ('The Craft and Business of Songwriting') so much that I donated copies to my
hometown high school and the local libraries, too.
From 'TBH Politoons'
Great Site!
Thanks, again, Tim!
(Saving 'Free Speech' for Wednesday)
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Started the evening with the CBS sitcoms, and an incredible barrage of election ads....the local stations
are making lots of $ tonight.
Saw parts of 'Crossing Jordan' (yes, I remember I said I'd never watch it again...), Wallace Shawn
was guesting, so I tried to just watch his segments.
Dave's in reruns all week, so maybe I'll get to bed earlier...LOL
Has anyone else seen 'Last Call' with Carson Daly? It's so bad I've taken to watching the late-late rerun
of the local news.
Tonight, Tuesday, it's all fresh on CBS with 'JAG', 'The Guardian',
and 'Judging Amy'.
NBC starts the night with a rerun 'Frasier', followed by a fresh slate, with 'Watching
Ellie', 'Frasier', 'Scrubs', and 'Dateline'.
It's also a fresh night at ABC, with 'Dharma & Greg', 'Spin City' (where Martin Sheen
does a guest shot), 'NYPD Blue', and 'Philly'.
The WB is rerun-ville with 'Gilmore Girls' and 'Smallville'.
Faux opens with a rerun 'That 70's Show', but the rest of the night, 'Undeclared' and '24' are
fresh.
UPN has a fresh night with 'Buffy', 'As If', and 'The Random Years'.
AMC has a special tonight explaining Alan Smithee. In the middle of the night/very early morning, there's one of my favorite guilty pleasures...'The Incredible
Two-Headed Transplant' - woo hoo - Bruce Dern, Pat Priest (Marilyn on 'The Munsters'), and Casey Kasem!
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Fun Link
'Cannot Find Server'
Cannot find server
Thanks, Marian, the grade school teacher (talk about a bunch of lucky kids!)
Standing By His Remarks
Aaron Sorkin
"The West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin said he was unsettled by the flap over his criticism of news coverage of the Bush administration but stands by his remarks.
"I didn't realize they'd be noticed quite as much as they have but I don't regret them," said Sorkin, whose show received Producers Guild of
America best drama series honors Sunday night.
While lauding President Bush's wartime performance, Sorkin said the media is "waving pompoms" instead of providing objective news coverage.
He cited as an example a special that aired Jan. 23 on his network, "The Bush White House: Inside the Real West Wing." Sorkin told The New Yorker
it was a "valentine to Bush" and said NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw "let it happen."
"There should be a difference between what NBC News does and what we do" on the series, Sorkin said in an interview. "And that night there
wasn't, except we have more interesting lighting."
Asked if he has any regrets about his remarks, Sorkin said: "If I do, it's because I'm a writer and I don't like people looking at what
I write through the filter of what I said in The New Yorker or what they believe my political position is .... I just like telling my stories."
Aaron Sorkin
Soaring to Record Ratings
'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'
Solid starts for the new edition of "Survivor" on CBS and comedy "Leap of Faith" on NBC were overshadowed Thursday by CBS' sophomore drama
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which soared to ratings highs.
According to national estimates from Nielsen, the total-viewer tally for "CSI" (28.74 million) surpassed its previous record by more than 3
million viewers, making the episode the most-watched of a CBS drama since "Murder, She Wrote" in February 1993.
In fact, with the exception of NBC's "ER" and four episodes of "Murder," no regularly scheduled drama on any network in the past 10 years has
drawn a larger audience than Thursday's "CSI."
It also attracted a bigger crowd than an original "ER" airing later in the evening (24.90 million). This means that for the first time since
"ER's" premiere month in September 1994, the medical drama will not rank as the most-watched drama for a week in which it aired an original
episode (although it's still the week's top drama in adults 18-49 -- 12.1 rating/31 share vs a series record for 10.5/24 for "CSI").
'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'
Producers Guild Of America
'Moulin Rouge' Wins!
The colorful Nicole Kidman musical "Moulin Rouge" received a much-needed Oscar boost on Sunday when an influential group of
Hollywood producers named it the best picture of the year.
In the last 12 years the Producers Guild of America has handed out the prize, nine have gone on to win best picture at the Academy
Awards, including "Gladiator" in 2001 and "American Beauty" in 2000.
The award is important for "Moulin Rouge," which had been considered a laggard in the race for Hollywood's top honors, in part because
its Australian mastermind Baz Luhrmann did not receive an Oscar nod for direction.
Producers Guild Of America
She's ''Very Young''
Britney Spears
Britney Spears isn't the hottest pop tart on the planet because of her erudition. When Foxnews.com's Roger Freidman ran into
Spears and her boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, at a recent party, he asked the *NSYNC-er if his band identified more with The
Beatles or the Rolling Stones. "Beatles, Beatles, Beatles!" burbled Timberlake. Friedman joked, "Does this mean Britney is Yoko
Ono?" Spears responded, "Who?" Friedman: "You're probably more Linda McCartney." A dumbfounded Spears drawled, "I'm sorry. I'm very young."
Britney Spears
1 Story, 2 Versions
Version 1
President Bush and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle found rare common ground Sunday night in Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," which had
them clapping and swaying along with a roomful of politicians in black tie.
"If you're feeling it, let it out!" Wonder commanded his audience, which also included Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne,
Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, top Bush aides Karen Hughes
and Andy Card, and a battery of lawmakers like Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott.
"Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer hosted the gala, gently mocking Bush's recent call to two years' volunteerism by telling his audience
that attendance counted for two hours.
Magician David Copperfield recruited Daschle for a trick involving a disappearing duck, then brought him up a second time to replay the stunt
in slow motion, with "Chariots of Fire" as the soundtrack.
Alas, Grammer told Lott, "he cannot make the Senate Democratic majority disappear."
Version 1
Version 2
Singer Stevie Wonder led an all-star line-up entertaining President Bush and leading politicians in a Washington gala to showcase
American pop culture at the legendary Ford's Theater on Sunday.
At the annual benefit, Bush sat front and center in the cozy theater, just below the balcony where President Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated at the end of the Civil War.
The annual gala hosted by NBC's "Frasier" star, Kelsey Grammar, featured David Copperfield, who brought Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle into his magic act, and actor John Spencer of NBC's "The West Wing," who praised Bush for his leadership in the war on terrorism.
Version 2
Why Not 'Shepherd Pie'?
'Cybill Sandwich'?
Cybill Shepherd has boasted on British TV about having group sex. The ex-"Moonlighting" star, 52, revealed on the "So Graham Norton"
show that she'd been the filling in a "Cybill sandwich" more than once. "It was great the first time, not as good the second," declared
Shepherd, who detailed other amorous exploits - including her affair with Elvis Presley - in her memoir, "Cybill Disobedience."
'Cybill Sandwich'?
Kicking Ass In Japan
LOTR
Japanese moviegoers were spoiled for heavyweight choice this past weekend with the release of "Monsters, Inc." and "The Lord of the
Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."
Despite its lengthy running time, "Rings" ramshackled the competition to pull about $10 million in two days. The total, which includes
$1.5 million from the previous weekend's sneaks, wasn't enough to beat boy wizard "Harry Potter's" boffo $11 million
Japanese premiere, which also included sneaks. "Lord" is now ringing up overseas receipts of $465 million.
The Japanese also warmly welcomed "Monsters, Inc.," which pulled an estimated $4 million over the two-day weekend, on course to beat
"Dinosaur" and set a new record for a non-Japanese animated feature. The total box office is double "Shrek's" opening weekend and 35% more
than "Toy Story 2." "Monsters" joins an elite club of Disney-produced animated features including "The Lion King," "Aladdin," "Toy Story 2"
and "Tarzan" to earn more than $400 million in worldwide box office.
LOTR
Thanks To Fud
Hear The 'Trifecta' Statement
Read the transcript, & hear the quote, too!
(quoting)
'' And we've got a job to do at home, as well. You know, I was campaigning in Chicago and somebody asked me, is there ever any time where the budget might have to go into deficit? I said only if we were at war or had a national emergency or were in recession. (Laughter.) Little did I realize we'd get the trifecta. (Laughter.) But we're fine. ''
Scroll down 31 paragraphs to read it for yourself.
Hear The 'Trifecta' Quote Here.
Many Thanks, to Fud, a loyal bartcopper : )
CBS Documentary Screened
TV Special
CBS' two-hour documentary on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks contains virtually no graphic footage of injuries but is filled with
earthy language responding to the day's horror.
The network will air the documentary, with never-before-seen footage shot from inside the World Trade Center that day, on Sunday.
CBS screened a copy for reporters Monday night.
There's only one scene where blood was visible, from a cut on the face of a firefighter seen catching his breath after the towers' collapse.
The Naudets, who were on the scene because they were shooting a film about a rookie firefighter, said they decided on their own not to shoot
any gory video. Jules Naudet, who was in the lobby of the World Trade Center, said he saw two women on fire but instinctively kept his camera away.
The documentary contains numerous expletives, perhaps an unprecedented amount for network television. It starts at the first scene of
an airplane flying into the building: Several firefighters gaze up in horror and say, "Holy (expletive)."
Narrator Robert De Niro warns viewers of the language in the film's opening. CBS executives conceded it was a much-discussed issue.
TV Special
Name Change For Edwin Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Space great Edwin Aldrin has legally changed his first name to "Buzz." Aldrin thinks it may have been his destiny to be mankind's
second moonwalker because his mother's name was Marion Moon. "As we went to the moon, nobody ever kidded me about my mother's name,"
he tells Webster Hall curator Baird Jones. "That is just not the kind of joke astronauts make. They don't kid about someone's mother under any conditions" …
Buzz Aldrin
Who's Sorry Now?
Russell Crowe
Actor Russell Crowe has apologized for the tongue-lashing he gave a British television producer who cut a chunk of his 'Best Actor'
acceptance speech from a delayed British awards show broadcast.
The New Zealand-born star, who shoved and cursed Malcolm Gerrie at a party after the British Academy Film Awards in London last Sunday,
apologized to the producer in a weekend telephone call, a spokesman for Gerrie's production company told Reuters Monday.
Crowe, whose angry outburst after the BAFTA's -- Britain's equivalent of the Oscars (news - web sites) -- was reminiscent of his
"Gladiator" role, even offered to buy Gerrie a drink on his next visit to London.
He also apologized to Gerrie's family for the press intrusion after the incident. "He asked if he could make up for the door-stepping
and spoke for 15 minutes to Malcolm's son, Oliver, who was thrilled," the spokesman said.
Russell Crowe
Explaining Her Name
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Johnson didn't pick the name Whoopi.
"It picked me," the actress now known as Whoopi Goldberg explained while accepting the American Film Institute's Star Award
during the eighth annual U.S. Comedy Festival on Saturday.
"I get gassy," Goldberg said.
She recalled a friend telling her, "You're like a whoopee cushion."
The name stuck but her career didn't really take off until, at the suggestion of her mother, she added Goldberg.
"I don't look like Halle Berry. But chances are, she's going to end up looking like me," Goldberg said.
Whoopi Goldberg
Loves Movie Matinees
Elton John
If you can't see Elton John in concert, the next best thing may be to try and get him at an afternoon matinee.
The singer tells People magazine that when he's on tour he like to relax by going to the mall or to the movies. He says
he considers it a luxury to go the movies in America at one o'clock in the afternoon.
Just don't look for him at the gym. John admits he gains weight easily so he travels with a tennis pro. He finds the gym boring.
Elton John
Wanted To Film 'LOTR'
The Beatles
The Beatles thought to film 'The Lord of the Rings' 30 years ago.
The band's film producer, Denis O'Dell tells the Times of London that Paul McCartney would have played Frodo and John Lennon would
have been the wizard Gandalf. Ringo Starr and George Harrison would have had roles too, although they were not specified.
He says that the band ran into a problem with finding a director. David Lean was interested but was caught up in filming 'Ryan's
Daughter.' Stanley Kubrick said that the books were unfilmable.
O'Dell says that the group had thought about an album surrounding the film.
The Beatles & LOTR
Headlining The Essence Festival
Alicia Keys
Keys will join Luther Vandross, Gerald Levert, India.Arie and comedian Cedric the Entertainer on the Superdome's main stage for
opening night on July 4. Other performers scheduled for the three-day event include Mary J. Blige, the Isley Brothers featuring
Ronald Isley, Faith Evans, comedian Steve Harvey, Al Green, Angie Stone and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.
Besides the main stage performances, the Superdome has four "superlounge" stages set up in its hallways where an eclectic mix of
hip-hop, blues, funk and world music will be featured.
Last year, Essence and city officials announced an agreement to keep the festival in New Orleans for at least five more years.
Houston, Atlanta and Orlando, Fla., courted Essence Entertainment, which produces the festival along with Festival Productions Inc.
'Essence Festival' Line Up
Essence Festival Web site
Guesting On ''Alias''
Roger Moore
Actor Roger Moore, the retired James Bond, is stretching his acting muscles, taking a turn as a flamboyant gay man in his next film.
Moore, 74, hopes his appearance in "Boat Trip" with Cuba Gooding Jr., to be released this summer, "will make the audience raise
their eyebrows a little bit."
Moore's role on the March 10 episode of "Alias" will be more familiar to fans. He plays British spy Edward Poole, the head of an
intelligence agency that the double agent played by Jennifer Garner infiltrates.
"I think they were trying to drum up a little news that I might still be alive," Moore said in Monday's edition of TV Guide.
Roger Moore
Special Guest - Greg Palast - 16 March
Erin Hart
Saturday, March 16th at 10pm PST, Greg Palast visits with 710 KIRO-Seattle talk show host Erin Hart,
and discusses his new book on globalization, ''The Best Democracy Money Can Buy''.
For more details, visit Erin's fan page (courtesy of 14Dem), http://www.erinistas.com/, or to join her mailing list, drop a
note to erinistas@aol.com.
Or drop me a note at one of the addy's below....after all, I am Erin's 'LA Producer'.
Side Show At SFO
Kevin Meaney
A stand-up comedian was arrested after he allegedly got into a loud argument and a scuffle with a National Guardsman at San Francisco International Airport.
Kevin Meaney, 45, allegedly grabbed the soldier's loaded M-16 rifle with both hands and got into a shoving match with him Sunday
after airport authorities repeatedly asked the comedian to stop videotaping checkpoint security procedures, authorities said.
The altercation occurred at an American Airlines security checkpoint where Meaney was videotaping the operations. It has been against
federal law to videotape such activities since the Sept. 11 attacks.
When security officers asked to pat search Meaney's wife, she told them she had nothing to hide and exposed her bra. She was not
arrested. Meaney was being held Sunday at San Mateo County Jail. He lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Toluca Lake. A woman who
answered the phone at his residence Monday said he was unavailable for comment.
Meaney appeared in the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks, and starred in the CBS sitcom "Uncle Buck." Meaney was scheduled to appear this
weekend in Toronto with Jerry Seinfeld.
Kevin Meaney
Great Site!
The Worried Shrimp
Got a note from The Worried Shrimp , and he has a new series ready...
Marc always has something interesting. : )
Bought Out By Warner Music Group
Tommy Boy Records
Warner Music Group bought out its joint venture with Tommy Boy Records for an estimated $8 million to $9 million, giving it the rights to all
of the dance music label's past releases and some future releases, the two companies said on Monday.
The termination of the 50-50 joint venture, which ends a 15 year association between the two labels, gives AOL Time Warner -owned Warner Music
control over a back catalog that includes such hip hop stars as Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature and Coolio.
Warner, whose roster includes Madonna, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott, will also retain the rights to future releases by a dozen Tommy Boy artists, like De La Soul and Everlast.
Tommy Boy will continue as an independent label headed by founder Tom Silverman with a roster of nine artists including Sneaker Pimps, Masters At Work and others.
Warner Music has been one of the worst performing units of AOL Time Warner and has been trying to boost its performance against a backdrop of lagging sales
throughout the music industry. Warner Music executives declined to comment.
Tommy Boy Records
Billboard In Piccadilly Circus
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono is hoping to give peace a chance in Piccadilly Circus, one of London's top tourist sites.
The widow of former Beatle John Lennon has paid an estimated $213,300 to have the words of his most famous song emblazoned on a billboard:
"Imagine all the people living life in peace."
"I first put the billboard in Time Square -- it's still up there -- and then in Tokyo with the same message in Japanese and English.
I wanted it in London because it's a city that I have a special love for and fond memories of."
Yoko Ono
They Want You To $pend More
Di$ney
The Walt Disney Co. is looking to develop its current theme parks into multiple-attraction "clusters" that can share resources
and stand alone as vacation hubs that will draw travelers for longer stays, the division's chief said on Monday.
That "cluster" approach is evident in Disney's recent park developments, which include the opening of a second park in Tokyo and the
scheduled opening of a second park later this month near Paris. Disney also opened its California Adventure park last
year next to its oldest park, Disneyland.
"The vacationer who stays multiple days spends proportionately more money than the day-trip visitor on other ancillary items like food and merchandise, he said.
Disney
Seemed Like A No-Brainer To Me
Jeff Davis Hwy
A state Senate committee on Monday killed a proposal to rename Jefferson Davis Highway after a black Union soldier who settled in Washington.
"It's pretty disgusting," groused Democratic Rep. Hans Dunshee, who sponsored the bill to rename the highway for William P. Stewart.
A small stone marker near the Canadian border dedicates the highway in honor of Davis, president of the Confederacy. A group called
the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed it there in 1939, part of an effort to create a national Jefferson Davis highway.
Dunshee noticed the marker as he was returning from a kayaking trip earlier this year.
The House passed the measure unanimously. But the bill died when the Senate Transportation Committee failed to pass it out by a Monday deadline.
"It's not a priority for me," said Democratic Sen. Georgia Gardner, vice chairwoman on the Transportation Committee. The marker is in Blaine, her hometown.
Jeff Davis Hwy
Health Warning For Dick?
'The Answer Man'
Ed Rosenthal
To generations of marijuana enthusiasts, Ed Rosenthal is the answer man, his mind brimming with information on how to grow the world's best buds.
To the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Rosenthal is just a big drug dealer.
Caught in a struggle between federal and state authorities who have been at odds since California and other states legalized
medical marijuana, Rosenthal freely admits he was growing the 600 pot plants that agents seized from an Oakland warehouse on Feb. 12.
The DEA also raided the Harm Reduction Center, a medical marijuana club in San Francisco, and arrested its director, Richard Watts, along with another
alleged supplier, James Halloran of Oakland. Halloran also pleaded innocent Monday. Watts is awaiting arraignment. The U.S. Attorney's office won't
comment on the case. But Richard Meyer, spokesman for the DEA in San Francisco, said Rosenthal and the other defendants simply were breaking the law.
The self-taught expert in botany spends much of his time in his garden, tending to his orchids, pineapples, olive trees, and dozens of other legal plants.
Lately, he's used that expertise in a radio talk show on Berkeley's KPFA-FM, talking up how pot can help people deal with chronic illnesses,
AIDS or other painful conditions.
"If I don't help them, it will be a sin of omission," he said.
Ed Rosenthal
On the Net:
Rosenthal site
DEA site
Ashes Finally Laid To Rest
William Saroyan
Twenty years after his death, the ashes of writer William Saroyan were laid to rest in the town that inspired his stories.
The burial Sunday came amid Fresno's first Saroyan Festival - held to honor the author, playwright and the city's most famous native son.
Half of Saroyan's ashes were sent to Armenia after he died in 1981 at age 72, and the other half had been sitting in obscurity on a
Fresno chapel's shelf.
Saroyan's son, Aram, and daughter, Lucy, attended the burial service at a grave near railroad tracks on the outskirts of town. His children,
who have spent years trying to reconcile their father's life and legend, listened with a handful of his old friends and dignitaries as a
priest from the First Armenian Presbyterian Church prayed over a black granite headstone.
Saroyan was a struggling writer before getting a break in 1934 with the publication of his story "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze."
He won the Pulitzer Prize for his play "The Time of Your Life," but rejected it because the play was "no more great than anything else I have ever written."
In 1943, he was awarded a writing Oscar for "The Human Comedy."
Aram Saroyan said it was fitting that his father's remains come to rest in Ararat Cemetery, where he used to wander in the rain, talking to the headstones.
William Saroyan
Saroyan Festival
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BETTY BOWERS Cooks!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
BartCop TV!
From BartCop
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
Special Bonus From BartCop
