Say "Hi" to my Mom...

My mother had a special friendship with Russell Means in the early 1970s, working with the American Indian Movement (AIM). I know they're having one hell of a beautiful reunion up in heaven.

I'm in denial y'all

One of Earth's angel-voiced divas has lost her battle to cancer. I won't make any "Last Dance" comments.

"Heaven Knows" I love you Donna Summer!!!!

I'm sadder than you can possibly know...

"Don’t send me no distant salutations,

Or silly souvenirs from far away.

Don’t leave me alone in the twilight,

Twilight is the loneliest time of day.

Don’t put me in a frame upon the mantel,

For memories turn dusty, old, and grey.

Don’t leave me alone in the twilight,

Twilight is the loneliest time of day"

American music treasure and touchpoint of my growin'-up years, Levon Helm, lost his fight with cancer this morning in New York City.

I'm in total mourning y'all. I'll just be here in the corner listening to The Band and tearing up. You will be greatly missed sir.

But can we talk about this awesome photo to the right here, that I found online? Levon Helm with the wacky hat, sheepskin coat barely on his shoulders, holding a VOLLEYBALL?! I don't know, you guys. But I love it.

So long, for now Dick Clark

Dick Clark has passed away at the age of 82 after suffering a heart attack. It feels awful to say this, but for me, it seems like Clark had been taken away from us years ago when he had that major stroke that really took him out of commission. People will go on and on about American Bandstand and New Year's Rockin' Eve, but for me his greatest accomplishment was hosting and creating the Pyramid game show franchise.

You will be greatly missed Dick.

That voice! It will be missed.

A sampling some of my favorite Whitney Houston songs and performances - Damn, drugs are so fucking evil.


That turban! WERQ!



Why did I ever think Kevin Costner was hot in this movie?






Off her last album. God, I love her on this track. "...and I know just what to do..."

"She was the best dancer at St. Bernadette's...with the worst reputation."

Annette Charles passed away from complications due to cancer at the age of 63 on August 3, 2011. She played the fucking amazing Cha Cha DiGregorio in the film Grease, and planted herself firmly in my heart as the bitch I loved to hate. Charles also played a bunch of hottie boombalatti characters in a bunch of 70s television shows ranging from Emergency! to Barnaby Jones. And she had memorable roles in a couple of my favorite episodes of Bionic Woman and Banacek.

Truth - I used to get Annette Charles mixed up with Roz Kelly, another popular character actress from 70s television who was always getting typecast as a lady with a lot of T&A. Roz of course played Pinky Tuscadero on Happy Days, among other things. It was only a couple of years ago that I realized my error.

"A lock of hair...from her chest!" 

(Screenshots courtesy of clothesonfilm.com)

Annette Charles will be sorely missed. I think I'm going to do a little handjive in her and Cha Cha's honor.

Mike Starr finally loses battle against drugs

Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, lately back in the spotlight because of his stint on Celebrity Rehab 3 and Sober House, died yesterday in Utah. An autopsy report hasn't been released yet, but considering he was just arrested for drug possession a few weeks ago, chances are Starr overdosed.
It's so sad. Man, drugs are EVIL.
Although Mike Starr was a mess physically in recent years, I choose to remember him back when he was a hot, young, troubled soul back in the early/mid 90s.

So long dude.

A little more Jane...

I'm really going to miss her...

Another bad-ass big-busted babe that will be missed...

Today is the 4th anniversary of my dear mother's passing, and I am unbelievably depressed. I'm not sure why this year I'm feeling it in my bones more than last year. I should be getting over "it" by now shouldn't I? I guess I've been thinking about mortality a lot more over the past few months so her being gone seems more acute.

Jane Russell passed away last night. My mother LOVED Jane and thought she was one of the most beautiful actresses around. She thought of Jane Russell as the voluptous queen that all busty women should look up to. Of course my favorite thing that Russell ever did was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with of course Marilyn Monroe. As a kid, I never understood why all the men in the film were gaga over Marilyn. She was pretty of course, but how could you care about her when there was Jane?!

RIP John Barry

I've already tweeted about my heavy heart in hearing Sunday evening that one of my favorite movie music composers, John Barry, had died of a heart attack at the age of 77. Barry composed many of my all-time favorite film scores. He, along with Ennio Morricone, was much loved by my mother, who appreciated movie scores, and what the music actually did for and to the film more than anyone I've ever known.
She passed this appreciation on to me at a fairly early age; so I was the dorky kid who was buying the Somewhere In Time soundtrack album in the Classical section of the Tower Records store, while all of my friends were buying the latest Duran Duran and Cure albums. Don't get me wrong, I was just as much into the new wave music, but when I wanted to daydream in my room or when I was writing my little short stories and living in my own fantasy world in my head, I would always turn on the John Barry music.

My favorite of the Barry scores may be the music he wrote for the cheesetastic film Somewhere In Time. The main theme evokes such emotion; love, loss, memory, longing, joy. It's so beautiful.
The most well-known John Barry music is probably all of the James Bond movie themes he composed in the 1960s and early 70s. And of course his Oscar and Grammy winning top ten hit "Born Free".
One of his Oscar score wins was for another favorite of mine, the music from Out of Africa. Barry's score and Meryl Streep are the only good things about that bloated film.

If you're interested in listening to some of John Barry's movie scores, I recommend downloading the album "Moviola". Rest in peace dear sir. I hope my mother gets to meet you up in heaven.

We'll always have "Campus Man"

You guys! John Dye just died! I never watched that drecky show Touched By An Angel, so I really don't know anything about Dye's career in the 1990s. But when I was 16 I had the biggest crush on him.
Well, it was really a crush on his character Todd Barrett from the cheesetastic groundbreaking film "Campus Man" (which believe it or not was based on a true story of an Arizona State student who sold a beefcake calendar featuring a bunch of his jock friends in the early 80s to help pay his tuition).

I loved Todd Barrett. He was my totally dreamy ideal of what a "college guy" was. Smart, ambitious, not overly athletic but not schlubby, funny, cute but not agressively so, awesome feathered John Taylor-esque hair.
I was super disappointed when I finally got to college and figured out that the dudes around me weren't going to live up to that expectation. Anyway, John Dye I hope you're up there in heaven getting touched, kissed and whatever else by the angels.

 

Don't have the time or the inclination to try and find an out-of-print copy of Campus Man to watch?

Have no fear, this "lady" (I assume) has taken the time to capture really crappy screen shots and give a SCENE BY SCENE recap of the entire movie. It's just like being there.

Awww Leslie, you'll always be my bachelor...

By the time the movie Airplane! and the tv show Police Squad came along in the late 70s to establish actor Leslie Nielsen as a comedic juggernaut, I had already been in love with him for years.
See there was this little movie called Tammy and The Bachelor, starring one Debbie Reynolds, that had been brought into my life by my grandmother Kay who adored all things Debbie. The first time I ever watched it with her, my grandmother whispered in my ear about 5 minutes into the film, "You're about to see the most gorgeous man this side of your grandpa." And into the frame came the beguiling face of Leslie Nielsen. "Leslie?!" I asked incredulously, "what kind of name is that for a boy?" But wisely my grandmother told me to just forget about his name and enjoy the movie (and the view). And that I did. My crush was born.

Later it grew as he became the silver-fox funny man of my dreams. And then Dorothy had to go and marry him on the Golden Girls,...never mind that's a story/rant for another time.
Suffice to say, you will be sorely missed Mr. Nielsen.

"Book 'em, Dano!"

Sadly, James MacArthur passed away yesterday. Did you know that he was the adopted son of acting legend Helen Hayes?! I had no idea until last night. He also was an accomplished flamenco guitar player. Who knew? Well Dano, you will be missed. Scott Caan is doing a great job walking in your shoes however.







Also, this gives me an excuse to post my favorite picture of Jack Lord, who passed away over 12(!) years ago -

Now tell me, who else do you know that could ROCK a pink-banded panama hat? Thank you.

"And if you threw a party, and invited everyone you knew..."

"...you would see the biggest gift would be from me, and the card inside would say, Thank You For Being A Friend!"

I can't believe our beloved Betty White is the last Golden Girl. To quote Hawkeye from Last of The Mohicans - "Stay alive no matter what occurs!" Betty, we can't lose you!

Whatchu talkin' bout'?

I'm kind of devastated to hear about Gary Coleman dying of a brain hemorrhage this morning. The guy just could NOT. Catch. A break. I hope he and Dana Plato are hanging out in the afterlife shaking their heads in disbelief that Conrad Bain (Mr. Drummond) outlived them both.

Lena Horne, and other beautiful women

My grandmother Kay Jackson knew Lena Horne back in the 1940s and 50s, and was actually often mistaken for her. They did look incredibly alike. My grandmother would tell me stories about the few times that she got to hang out with Ms. Horne and about how they would laugh over the doppellganger effect. My mother looked a little like Lena as well (see below); and what my family and Lena Horne had the most in common were their beautiful singing voices. Losing Lena Horne this week almost feels like I'm losing my mom and grandmother all over again. I only hope that these three wonderful, amazing and gorgeous women are up in heaven right now; singing show tunes and laughing. And maybe watching over me.

More Julia Sugarbaker memories...

I tried to find my favorite Designing Women clip from the vacation episode where they all go to the cabin in the woods and Daddy Jones dances with Julia Sugarbaker to "When We Get Behind Closed Doors" but these two awesome clips will have to do:

Not just whistlin' Dixie...

I've lost another pivotal tv icon from youth. Damn, I'll miss Julia Sugarbaker something fierce!



I can't believe Dixie Carter has passed away. I knew that her husband, actor Hal Holbrook had been ill, but Dixie always seemed so healthy. My mom even had Dixie Carter's yoga videos that she put out in the early 90s. Losing Carter makes me think about my mom a lot. Okay, off to watch more Designing Women clips.

"Hello Angels."

An actor that was a huge part of my childhood passed away yesterday. He had battled cancer for the past year but he was also 92 so maybe it was his time anyway.
I grew up with John Forsythe's voice in my living room for over a decade. John Forsythe played Blake Carrington the patriarch on the seminal 80s tv drama Dynasty, and was of course the voice of Charlie, the rich, never-seen boss on one of my all-time favorite television programs, Charlie's Angels.
He will be dearly missed. Also, WHAT is Joan Collins wearing in the photo below? An embossed electric blue leather coat dress? Also? I'm fairly certain that I owned that exact teal, polka-dotted, shoulder padded, turtleneck dress that Linda Evans is sporting.

The Lost Boy

80s teen actor Corey Haim was found dead this morning in his mom's North Hollywood home. And even though we could all see this end coming for awhile, the actuality of his passing makes me sadder than I would've expected.



Corey Haim was the first celebrity crush that I had the was my same age. You see, all of my other fantasy boyfriends as a pre-teen/teen were "older guys"; men like Andy Gibb, Julian Sands, James Spader, and Paul Weller. And Jason Patric of course. See it was the mid 80s, and there was this little movie called Solarbabies? Heard of it? I had a huge crush on Patric and was super excited when The Lost Boys came out.

I knew the cute dorky kid from Lucas was going to be in the movie too but I didn't think much about him. That was until I was sitting in the theater watching the film for the first time and fell in love with Corey Haim. I loved the character of Sam. He was funny, cute, loyal, slightly nerdy, had an awesome dog, was a cool dresser.
Okay, Sam was gay right?
I always thought so. He was kind of prissy and cared too much about his appearance. He took bubble baths. My crush on him was really my first experience at being a fag-hag.
But it also cemented my love of Corey Haim. We were the same age; he could really relate to what I was going through etc. ** cough** Ahem.


Anyway, as years passed and Haim dated people I hated like Alyssa Milano and Victoria Beckham my crush on him quickly dissipated. But everytime I catch The Lost Boys on cable I still get that little tug on my heart for Corey Haim. And for Jason Patric and his weird breathy voice. Oh, my heart also flutters for my longtime crush Billy Wirth (who by the fawking way is 48 gawddam years old! Jeezus...).

I hope you're in a happier and safer place Corey.