Time Magazine writers Michael Duffy and Nancy Gibbs spoke about their just released book, “The Presidents Club,” at a Time Life luncheon. The book is about the really special relationship among the presidents which transcends political differences and stresses the individual and the office. The former presidents actually have a “clubhouse;” a place to stay just for them near the White House. This fraternity started in 1945 just after Harry Truman became president and, facing the aftermath of the second world war, reached out to longtime rival Herbert Hoover. This angered many FDR Democrats but Truman felt only Hoover as an ex President, and one who served in the office at the beginning of the Great Depression, could understand his situation.
Both Gibbs and Duffy presented wonderful photos of the presidents together as well as more fascinating and sometimes humorous history. One unlikely friendship that formed was between Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon which resulted in many late night conversations particularly about foreign policy. Mr. Nixon eventually wrote a letter to Mr. Clinton just before Nixon’s death in 1994 that moved Clinton so much that he reads it every year.
It is not all “peaches and cream” among the former presidents and the current one, no matter who the president happens to be. A deal between Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon produced its share of trouble and the tension between Truman and Eisenhower lasted for a decade plus from Ike’s landslide victory until the two went for a drink after the tragic death and funeral of John F. Kennedy.
Overall the well done presentation by Duffy and Gibbs provided tremendous insight, great stories, and humor that made me feel a tinge more pride and certainly some understanding of this incredible office. I truly look forward to reading The Presidents Club as history will come alive on its pages. Gibbs and Duffy really went “inside” with their determined research that yields great stories and tells part of the office’s and country’s incredible history.
The Presidents Club
Sadly, I have never been to a baseball game at Fenway Park but I did stand outside the venerable park one Sunday morning Halloween 1999. The Yankees had won a third World Series in 4 seasons, dispatching the Red Sox in a 5 game ALCS along the way. At that point, 81 years had passed since the last Red Sox World Series win. Hence my thoughts and memories were essentially about gallant Red Sox teams in 1967, 1975 and 1986 that lost the World Series in 7 games. I knew about the equally gallant 1946 team that also lost a World Series in 7 games and about near miss first place finishes in 1948 and 1972, the latter affected by an early season work stoppage. Most of all, I recalled the one game playoff loss to the Yankees in 1978.
Now after Red Sox World Series wins in 2004 and 2007 the history is not as heartbreaking and some of the near misses reflect well as to the positive history of the games there. Last week a tragedy of 1912, the lost lives of people aboard the Titanic, was recalled with much publicity. Often in the past, the association of the Red Sox World series failures and the corresponding years of Fenway Park opening and The Titanic tragedy were linked. Perhaps we have gained perspective on the importance and intensity of each.
In that spirit, recall Harry Brecheen who won 3 games for the Cardinals to help beat the Red Sox in the 1946 World Series and died in 2004 not long before the Red Sox won the World Series ending the 86 year Title drought. 86 and 1986, a number and year that recall how much Bob Murphy, the late dedicated Mets broadcaster, enjoyed returning to broadcast at Fenway during that 1986 World Series. Murphy, who also died in 2004, once broadcast for the Red Sox. Why did Danny Galehouse pitch the one game playoff vs the Indians in 1948 is a question that has echoed throughout baseball history especially when Mel Parnell, a tremendous Sox lefty, especially in Fenway, could have pitched. Recently, Mel Parnell died. Oh, did the Red Sox dissipate a great advantage to fail to make the baseball “tournament” last year. That means less than the two legitimate one game playoff losses including the great game of 1978 vs the rival Yankees. If the wild card had existed that game never would have been played.
Fenway Park
The music at the disco event, “Legends of Disco” was sensational. What great memories collectively flooded the crowd’s senses as such artists as “Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes,” Tavares, and the incredible Trampps performed their big hits and other songs as well. Deney Terrio, who co-hosted the event with Joe Causi, danced with many women, one at a time, on stage, between each act. As stated before Deney is still a great dancer and it was nice to see the “young” ladies up there with him.
I had a chance to talk with some of the artists, actually telling “The Blue Notes” that Kentucky, which went on to win an 8th Basketball title, had won by 8 points vs Louisville. The group members were so gracious in posing for pictures and talking with the fans. They opened the show and sounded great. “The Love I Lost,” my personal favorite song by the group, really set the tone for a great evening.
Finally, I had a chance to briefly interview the fabulous Earl Young of The Trampps, who was so gracious as he talked of missing Jimmy Ellis, the Trampps long time lead singer, who died in the last month. Young called performing in New York, especially without Ellis, a really emotional experience. He founded the group at age 32 in 1972 and is 72 now. We all should move nearly as well now, no less at 72 years old. He is a truly gracious man, really great with the fans and cognizant of their importance. He truly understands his situation. Earl actually sang a line of “Disco Inferno” with me and far more important, The Trampps brought the house down with mega hit, “Disco Inferno” on stage.
Deney Terrio
There was a stirring tribute to singer Davy Jones at B.B.Kings that truly moved the crowd to laughter, tears, and of course to their cell phones/cameras to perhaps save the moment. Jones is best known as a singer with “The Monkees,” and two “Monkees” performed near the end, first Peter Tork and then Micky Dolenz (no e in Davy or Micky but with Peter and Mike Nesmith, the latter who broke from the group, never to return, but had truly kind words about Davy).
Two of Davy’s four daughters, Annabel and Talia, were on stage at various moments and performed admirably. Each waited after the performance which ended around midnight and was over three hours in duration to sign and pose for pictures. Both Annabel and Talia are adorable women, who spoke passionately about their father. They really went “overtime” to comfort fans and told them how much that affection for their father was appreciated.
Davy Jones was in Oliver on Broadway, playing “The Artful Dodger” and coincidentally appeared with members of the cast on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 when the country stopped and watched The Beatles for the first time. Two years later, The Monkees burst on the scene, a fictional band, a garage band if you will, composed of four guys who wanted to be The Beatles. While no one has matched The Beatles, The Monkees had extraordinary success and the night was a fitting tribute to a great talent and person in Davy Jones.
The crowd which was treated to a rendition of “Everybody Loves Somebody” by Deana Martin and tributes to Davy from Tommy James and Gene Cornish really had a great time. Deana, one of Dean Martin’s seven children talked of how she was Dean’s daughter but also Davy Jones’ girlfriend. Both Dean and Davy liked horses and really got along well. Deana joined Annabel, Talia, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and the wonderful band that played with Davy for so long on stage for the big finale. The song was “Daydream Believer” and the song provided a rousing end to a great evening.
Davy Jones
The NHL playoffs begin this week with the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers as the top seeds in each conference. Those teams met in the 1994 Finals with the Rangers winning in 7 games. That was the Rangers first title in 54 years. Vancouver, which lost another final in 7 games last year (that to the Boston Bruins, who won their first title in 39 years) are in their 41st season and are still seeking their first Stanley Cup Title.
By the way, their first season was 1970-1971 so this should be their 42nd season but unlike the NBA which is playing its second partial season, the NHL had no season in 2004-2005. No team from Canada has won the Stanley Cup since 1993 and only Vancouver and east 7 seed, Ottawa, among the seven Canadian teams made the playoffs this season. The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs both failed to make the playoffs. The once mighty Canadiens, who won an incredible 15 titles in 24 seasons from (1956-1979) have won but two since then. Meanwhile Toronto has not won the Cup nor made the Finals since 1967, the last year before expansion.The Leafs have missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons.
Stanley Cup
Kentucky University won its 8th NCAA Basketball Title winning both its Final Four games by eight points. The Kentucky/Kansas final featured two teams that have won 7 of the 8 NCAA Tournaments contested in years ending in 8. Kentucky won in 1948, 1958, 1978, and 1998 while Kansas took the title in 1988 and 2008.(UCLA won the other “8” year title in 1968). Finally, the last six Kentucky Titles have been followed by New York Yankees’ Titles while in 1948 when Kentucky won its first title, the Yankees had won the 1947 World Series but the Cleveland Indians won the World Series in 1948 but have not won it since.
Kentucky University
Traditional college basketball powers, Kentucky and Kansas Universities will meet in the NCAA Basketball Title game on Monday night April 2nd. Kentucky is coached by John Calipari, who is seeking his first national title in this his 4th “Final Four” appearance. Kentucky has won 7 titles while Kansas has won 3, the last under current coach Bill Self in 2008. In that game, Kansas got a late regulation time 3 point shot from Mario Chalmers to force overtime. Then Kansas eased in the overtime winning vs Memphis which was coached by John Calipari.
Kansas is (3-5) in championship games: the most famous a 3 overtime loss to North Carolina in 1957. That Kansas team featured Wilt Chamberlain and it was the first of many painful losses for a Chamberlain team. Kentucky is (7-3) in Title games, winning 3 Titles in 4 seasons from (1948-1951) and also losing to UCLA in John Wooden’s last game in 1975. That was Wooden’s 10th Title all within 12 seasons (1964-1975) and that is by far the most titles for any coach. Kentucky’s legendary coach Adolf “Baron” Rupp and current Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski are tied for second with 4 titles each. All 3 previous Kansas titles came in presidential election years, (1952, 1988 and 2008). This is,NCAA Basketball, of course, a presidential election year. Kentucky is favored by 6 points in this the first title tilt between these two basketball giants.
Bill Self
John Calipari
It was a quite an evening at the Hammerstein Ballroom on March 31, 2012 when WCBS-FM presented “The Legends of Disco,” which was co-hosted by dance legend Deney Terrio and WCBS-FM’s own Joe Causi. Both did great jobs, and, by the way, Terrio’s dancing ability is still “off the charts” great.
Causi was masterful as a co-host blending stories, personal favorites, humor and doing all the thank you’s and promotions in a way that did not deter from the music one bit. He is a true professional and was great to talk with after the event. (He told me his nephew Anthony Causi is a photographer with The New York Post.)
Joe truly had a great time mixing and moving some great acts and interacting with Terrio. At one point, Terrio revealed he was from Revere, Massachusetts near Boston only to be chided in fun by Causi.
It was a festive event: people “going back in time,” dancing, and having fun. Causi, “Brooklyn’s own,” talked of 86th street in Brooklyn and “Saturday Night Fever.” His stories and pacing contributed mightily to a great show and evening.
We will have much more on the music and chats/interviews I had with Deney Terrio and others.
Denny Terrio, Joe Causi, Nile Rodgers
A Saturday night at home alone (reminds me of high school but that is another story) and I watched “The Goodbye Girl” which was part of TCM’s “The Essentials.” The movie was great, Drew Barrymore is improving as the incomparable Robert Osborne’s co host, and I noticed some interesting things near the end, and as a reward for watching the credits. Near the end of the movie, Marsha Mason’s Paula says to Richard Dreyfuss’ Elliott, “If you ever win an Academy Award” and in “real life,” Dreyfuss did win the Academy Award for the “Goodbye Girl.”
While watching the closing credits to the “Goodbye Girl,” I noticed the name Carrie White as part of the makeup team. The movie “Carrie,” is about a fictional Carrie White and her telekinetic powers. That movie hit the screens about the same time. The real Carrie White has always been and continues to be a well known stylist and hairdresser to Hollywood insiders.
The Goodbye Girl
I went to the first taping of the new TV-webcast show, “There,” which is a title based on “if you can make it there” (NY). It featured three talented, relatively unknown talents and is hosted by the man who plays guitar in the park, David Ippolito. The banter between host and guests was excellent. Check the Ippolito website (www.thatguitarman.com) for information on how and when to watch the show. It is a great idea, showcasing new talent worldwide.
NYC
Andy B Sports 