Sunday, August 11, 2013

Eydie Gorme aka Edith Gormezano

Pop singer -- via the New York Times. She and her husband and co-warbler Steve Lawrence were the epitome of cheesy Vegasness to our ungrateful, callow generation. However, she was a superb stylist, technically flawless and able to sell a song, to really connect emotionally with her audience -- a talent that is pretty rare. If both their performing talents were mocked at the time as cliches, it's only because they came at the very end of the singer-interpreter boom that dominated pop music until rock 'n' roll came along -- 1942-1963. She was a Spanish-language diva; and she was hip to herself -- she and Steve did a killer cover of "Black Hole Sun," which you can listen to below.







Berthold Beitz

Industrialist who saved many during the Holocaust -- via the New York Times.

Kerry Strayer

Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader -- via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.



Guillermo Alvarez Guedes

Comedian and radio host -- via the Huffington Post.



John Graves

Writer -- via the New York Times.

Graciana Silva aka La Negra Graciana

Singer and harpist -- via unomasuno.com.mx.







Thursday, August 8, 2013

Karen Black aka Karen Blanche Ziegler

One of the iconic film actreses of the '60s and '70s: singer and songwriter; screenwriter -- via the L.A. Times. Her slightly cock-eyed, slatternly sexual affect aided her in any number of memorable and peculiar film roles, including work in "Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces," the 1974 "Great Gatsby," "Airport 1975 (in which she flew the plane!), "Trilogy of Terror," "Nashville," and "Burnt Offerings." No one could scream like Karen!





Cosmo Allegretti

Actor and puppeteer; best known as the man behind Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose on "Captain Kangaroo" -- via the New York Times. He also played Grandfather Clock and Dancing Bear! And Dennis the Painter.