Book Review: Ben Hogan -- An American Life
I first learned about Ben Hogan watching the Golf Channel. Oh, I'd heard his name before but other than that, I knew next to nothing...
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- Dec 4, 2022
- 5 min
An Encyclopedia of Los Angeles
“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl...
- Sep 15, 2022
- 11 min
Eric Clapton--a tribute
Who knew? While the Beatles (raised on American Rock 'n' Roll) were perfecting their sound in the waterfront clubs of Hamburg, Germany,...
- Sep 15, 2022
- 5 min
Roger McGuinn—an appreciation
My two sons were surprised. None of their high schools friends had ever heard of the Byrds. They’d heard of the Beatles—of course—and...
- Sep 8, 2022
- 3 min
What Everyone Needs Most
When I was 12-years old, my brother brought home from the library “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Judging by...
- Aug 22, 2022
- 8 min
Frank Sinatra: My Way
Frank Sinatra was famous for “My Way”— the song and what it said about him. Music was personal for Sinatra. It was the one thing in his...
- Aug 21, 2022
- 3 min
The Three-Minute Mozart
Beatles' producer George Martin called him "The Three-Minute Mozart". He was referring to Paul McCartney, of course, and to his gift for...
- Aug 16, 2022
- 2 min
Mr. Tambourine Man
How does he do it? Joan Baez wanted to know. How does Bob Dylan write such folk classics as “Masters Of War” and “Only A Pawn In Their...
- Aug 6, 2022
- 6 min
The Fifth Beatle
Back in the mid-sixties, when the Beatles were hot, it seemed everyone was claiming to be "The Fifth Beatle"; in New York City, a popular...
- Aug 6, 2022
- 7 min
Universal Pictures’ Frankenstein Monster, an appreciation
There’s Frankenstein and there’s Frankenstein. There is a difference. There’s the classic Frankenstein movies of Universal Pictures,...
- Aug 4, 2022
- 4 min
One of the Wonders of Major League Baseball--Vin Scully
If you love baseball, and were lucky enough to have lived in Los Angeles some time in the past 60 years, then you are familiar with one...
- Aug 4, 2022
- 8 min
The Girl Who Loved Jazz
How can you not love a girl who adores the Beatles, gets Frank Sinatra, loves Jazz, and who enjoys sitting under the stars at the...
- Aug 4, 2022
- 5 min
From Liverpool to London to the World Stage, The Beatles Redefined What it Means to be a Pop Star
Over half a century ago, the Beatles made their American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show (February 9, 1964). In one memorable evening they...
- Jul 2, 2022
- 4 min
A Tale of Two Bands
This is a story of two successful pop/rock bands, one was English and the other was American. Despite being from different nations,...
- Mar 9, 2022
- 3 min
John Lennon's three Odes to Love.
John Lennon was a child of the street, a tough guy who, as a youth, seldom backed down from a fight. But he had a sensitive side, too,...
- Mar 9, 2022
- 2 min
One of the Wonders of Pop Music – Ray Charles
Throughout the 1950s, Ray Charles scored big on the rhythm-and-blues chart, and closed out the decade with a number-one hit single, his...
- Mar 9, 2022
- 2 min
One of the Wonders of Pop Music – "Answer Me, My Love."
The song opens with a sunburst of orchestra and full-pitched choir, like the opening of heaven itself. The song is "Answer Me, My Love"....
- Mar 9, 2022
- 3 min
Abbey Road – Paul McCartney's First Solo Album
Is ABBEY ROAD Paul McCartney's first solo album? In some circles such talk might be thought of as crass, even blasphemous. But consider...
- Mar 9, 2022
- 3 min
Let it Be – The Documentary
There are two things you need to know about the Beatles: (1) they didn't give a hoot about what people thought of them, and (2) all that...
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