In honor of Pierre Cardin‘s 92nd birthday today I found a red beach ball, climbed inside, threw a white astronaut helmet on my head and some white Go-Go boots on my legs, and then I skedaddled right on over to The Four Seasons to meet my gayest friend on earth, Merton (you don’t pronounce the “n”) for …
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VIEWER WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS TONS OF AMAZING PHOTOS. VIEW WITH CAUTION IF GLamour MAKES YOU DIZZY!!! Elton John, who may have started it all With a new album slated for release in early September, my life will now focus on live performance so I can spread the word and build up my …
Continue reading “Performers and Designers: A True Marriage of Passion and Practicality”
Michael Jackson (1958-2009) Five years ago today, pop superstar Michael Jackson left this earth at just 50. Some people said, “Good riddance! He was a ___ and a _____!” But if, like me, you revered him, and grew up with him, and marveled at his extraordinary talent, then you gasped, shook your head, and …
Happy Birthday, Cyndi Lauper! Guess who’s having fun today? That’s right, it’s Cyndi Lauper’s 61st birthday! An icon to feminists everywhere, “Girls just wanna have fun!” Cyndi boldly declared when she hit the music scene in the early 80s– the subtext being, “girls just wanna have fun like boys do— without having to explain it …
Today marks the 20th death-a-versary of the great composer/conductor/arranger, Henry Mancini. If you’ve ever seen the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, then you’re familiar with Henry Mancini, even if you didn’t know it. If you’ve ever seen The Pink Panther (either the TV cartoon or the movies), then you’re familiar with Henry Mancini even if you didn’t …
Continue reading “Henry Mancini and my brush with Peter Gunn”
Judy Garland Oh, glorious Judy Garland!!!! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Today would’ve been the uber-talented Judy Garland’s 92nd birthday. Of course, most of us first fell in love with her when she was still a teenager starring inThe Wizard of Oz. Even though Garland’s light was …
Nancy Sinatra Today marks the 74th birthday of the fierce, feisty singer Nancy Sinatra, daughter of everyone’s favorite crooner: Frank. Now those are some good genes!!! Nancy made a name for herself with her signature hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, (three cheers for go go boots!) and went on to record a long …
I’ll confess: when I first heard that today was Michelle Phillips’ 70th birthday, my reaction was, “Who is Michelle Phillips?” I turned to Wikipedia (how did we live without it?) and discovered that she was the fresh flower child from The Mama’s & the Papas, those folksters from the 60s who made such a lasting …
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Today would’ve been the 88th birthday of the blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe. Her early death in 1962 at the tender age of 36 cut her career as an entertainer short and left her feverish fans reeling. Still, she made a whopping 30 films and left a mark on Hollywood with her exquisite beauty, sizzling …
Today marks what would have been the 97th birthday of Johh F. Kennedy had he not been assassinated. But he was assassinated, and an entire nation went into mourning. During this sad time, there was one person everyone watched — one person who, in addition to setting the standard for how to grieve with …
I always hear a little starting gun go off in my head on Memorial Day. Well, first I hear a voice saying, “Ladies, take your marks” … and then I hear the “bang!” Just what does that “bang!” announce the start of? For some, it may be a race to the beach; for …
Continue reading “High heels/Low heels/No heels: How Do The Ladies Do It?”
A friend invited me to see Cher last Saturday night at The Meadowlands. I didn’t really want to go. I was supposed to be out of town and had long been looking forward to the weekend getaway. I also thought, Isn’t Cher like 100 years old already? Do I really have to watch her …
Dad in his Air Force uniform I’m from a military family: my grandfather fought in WW1 as an infantry man, one uncle was a naval officer in WW2, another was in Korea in the air force, and my father, who also served in the Air Force, made a career as a professor of military history. One of …
Continue reading “Three cheers for the red, white and blue!”
Earlier this week we celebrated the birthday of Burt Bacharach: songwriter extraordinaire, ivory tickler and bona fide charmer who’s still swingin’ at 86! His first-ever job was accompanist for sizzling femme fatale Marlene Dietrich – who, in her autobiography, fessed up to falling head over heels for him during the four years they performed together. …
Is it finally Tuesday again? Yes, siree! The wait is over. So make sure you’re home with a tall glass of whatever it is you like to drink at 9pm (no judgements– Milk of Magnesia or a Bourbon are all good in my book!) and tune in to The Rose Note! It’s super easy. …
The one and only Satchmo! 50 years ago TODAY, the great jazz trumpeter and singer, Louis Armstrong, hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Hello Dolly,” making him the oldest artist to hit that spot at the age of 62. It was 1964. His first big solo hit was “St. Louis Blues,” a …
Continue reading “Staying Power: What Makes a Music Career Last?”
It’s true!! I’m hosting my very own radio program thanks to radio legend, Jonathan Schwartz, and the super good folks at WNYC! I’ll be “on air” every Tuesday night at 9pm, waxing rhapsodic (but briefly) between tracks and tapping my toes to a super swingin’ set list. You know who I’ll be “turning”: Ella, Frank, Peggy, …
Audrey Hepburn: celebrated beauty, celebrated humanitarian, celebrated fashion icon— the list could go on and on. One of the few things Audrey Hepburn was not celebrated for was her singing. Though she was clearly not a great vocalist, producers didn’t seem to mind. Look! There she is– singing away in Funny Face, My Fair …
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Oh, Ann-Margret! Why do you delight me so? I’m going to tell you all a little secret: I got the tickle of a lifetime when The Jazz Times music critic wrote “Rose goes stiletto to stiletto with Ann-Margret.” Of course as a fellow redhead, I’ve always gravitated towards Ann Margaret’s distinctive style. But it is as a …
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Spring has finally sprung! At last we’ve made it to Spring!! For some, this means Kleenex and Claritin, but for singers, it seems to be a great opportunity for them to “jazz” up their costumes. So, how do bold ladies celebrate the season? Below are some of my favorite shots of singers incorporating …
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