"An Evening of Old Time Radio"

My friends Johnny and Helen Holmes, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, are the focus of a feature story in today's Burlington County (NJ) Times.

The story concerns their ongoing Old-Time Radio presentations at Mount Holly's Daily Grind coffee house.  They've appeared at The Daily Grind every other month since the fall of 2012--and another presentation will take place this Friday evening, from 6:30 to 9.  This week's event will feature three episodes of Jack Benny's radio program; the episodes are from the nineteen thirties, forties, and fifties.

Here is the link to the Burlington County Times feature:

http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/life-style/local-feature/he-likes-that-old-time-radio/article_08308fa4-0110-59c8-9b1c-28c9baa06966.html

Here, too, are the Facebook links for The Daily Grind, and for Johnny and Helen Holmes's "Evening of Old Time Radio" page.

https://www.facebook.com/TheDailyGrindNJ

https://www.facebook.com/AnEveningOfOldTimeRadio

Sid Caesar

I'm saddened to learn of the passing of the great comedian and actor Sid Caesar.  He died today, at 91.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/arts/television/sid-caesar-comic-who-blazed-tv-trail-dies-at-91.html

Here's an amazon link for the very interesting and enjoyable autobiography, now out-of-print, that he wrote  (with Bill Davidson) in the early 1980s, Where Have I Been?  The book, of course, covers his work on the landmark early television program Your Show of Shows.

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Have-I-Been-Autobiography/dp/0517547945/

Another memoir, Caesar's Hours (written with Eddy Friedfeld),  was published in 2003.  Here's the amazon link for the paperback edition of the book, which was released in 2005:

http://www.amazon.com/Caesars-Hours-Life-Comedy-Laughter/dp/1586482831/

In the audience, at "The Ed Sullivan Show"

One of the many wonderful moments of The Beatles' first appearance on Ed Sullivan's TV program, fifty years ago Sunday night, concerned a young girl in the audience;  I've enjoyed, for years, this part of the broadcast.  

One of the show's cameras focused upon the girl for several seconds, and it captured what was clearly her utter joy in watching The Fab Four.  She was seen while The Beatles performed "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and for a fraction of a second, before the cameras turned elsewhere, she gestured, with her hands--as if, it appeared, she were playing the drums, along with Ringo Starr.

I learned, last week--via a CBS Evening News story by reporter Anthony Mason--a little about her. She was 13 years old, at the time, and her name is Andrea Tebbets.  Here is the link to the CBS story:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-beatles-fan-recalls-the-bands-american-debut-and-her-tiny-part-of-their-history/

From "Rolling Stone": the 100 Greatest Beatles Songs

From a September, 2011 issue of the magazine:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rolling-stone-presents-the-100-greatest-beatles-songs-20110919

"It's About TV"

My appreciation to Mitchell Hadley, who writes the very enjoyable blog "It's About TV."  His December 31st post includes some very kind comments about my book: 

http://www.itsabouttv.com/2013/12/raging-against-machine.html

Snooky Lanson, and Lucky Strike

This is a Lucky Strike advertisement from the early 1950s. It features Snooky Lanson, one of the singing stars of Your Hit Parade, on NBC-TV.  (The Hit Parade was often referred to as The Lucky Strike Hit Parade, because of its Lucky Strike sponsorship.)

The ad is from a Metropolitan Opera playbill/program.

Morgan White, Jr., and "The Morgan Show"

I am so delighted to make note of the following:  that my friend Morgan White, Jr.--the Boston-based trivia expert, entertainer, author, and radio host--is starting a new talk show on Boston's WBZ Radio.  It is called The Morgan Show, and will air Saturday nights--beginning tomorrow--from 10 p.m.-midnight.  I hope you'll tune in!

http://boston.cbslocal.com/station/wbz-news-radio/

www.morganwhitejr.com