Terrific gifts for boomers - Click the pic for more information:
The Chairman of the Board
It was August, 1969... I was taking my girlfriend, Peggy Rose, to our
first concert together; Blood Sweat and Tears (BST) was scheduled to
play at the majestic outdoor arena, Blossom Music Center, near
Cleveland. We arrived at seven o'clock with a blanket, jackets, and
plenty of enthusiasm. Our "seat" was about half way up the
hill; the blanket came in real handy. At around 8:10, it was getting
dark and the lead-in group began their act. It ended at 8:20. Ten
minutes later BST was supposed to begin; but the stage was dark and
empty. At nine, the lead-in group came out and did their act again.
It ended at 9:10; it was the same act. Apparently, their repertoire was
limited to three mediocre songs. Mercifully, the world never heard from
them again.
At 9:15, the guy in back of us spilled his ice chest; ice water flows
downhill... fast. This would be tough to explain to Peggy's parents.
At 9:30, an announcer explained that BST was in a traffic jam near
the airport. At 9:50, they were a mere three miles away.
When BST finally arrived, at around 10:25, they apologized and said
that since we had waited so long, they would play for as long as we
wanted them to. Sadly, BST's repertoire was not much broader than that
of their lead-in group. We had heard enough by 10:45. This date with
Peggy was thoroughly underwhelming.
Two weeks later I took her to see Bill Cosby. Peggy had been a big fan
of BST, but had barely heard of Bill Cosby. I told her that this time
we were going to see a professional. At exactly 8 o'clock the lights
dimmed and Dr. William H. Cosby walked on stage, made a few laughs,
and then introduced, Odetta, his lead-in singer. He didn't have to do
that; but he did. By 8:25 Bill Cosby was back on stage again. He
performed for nearly two hours. He was terrific. Not one profanity, not
a single insult; just pure comedy. ("Noah; how long can you tread
water?") He is simply a true entertainer. He set the standard.
I went to a lot of concerts over the next fifteen years; some were OK,
some were not. But I don't remember any that met the standard.
Somewhere along the way, I lost Peggy. In the meantime, I had several
other girlfriends; some were OK, some were not. (Don't ask; at that
stage in my life, there was no standard for women.)
In 1984, the Super Bowl came to Tampa. No I didn't have tickets, but the
big game also attracted... Frank Sinatra. By this time, Mr. Sinatra
was past his prime (heck, perhaps I was, too), but something told me I
should see him perform while I had a chance. My date was Phyllis Wall,
who had little interest in "the old geezer"; I took her kicking and
screaming. (Come on... it's just a metaphor.)
We arrived a tad late, and I didn't hear the lead-in act announced; his
name wasn't mentioned in the program; in fact, there was no
program. But this guy was terrific! He could do things with a set of
drums I never imagined. Just marvelous. ...Buddy Rich; it was
amazing.
Then the lights dimmed and an announcer said... "Ladies and
gentlemen... Frank Sinatra." And out he walked. Just a spotlight, a
small orchestra, a stage, and a microphone. He looked out at all of
us, smiled, and with one gesture, with one turn of the head, but
without ever opening his mouth, he said, "OK, folks; you're mine now;
all mine. I gottcha', and I'm going to keep you for as long as I
want." And that is exactly what he did.
I don't know how he did it; I don't know exactly what he did. There
were no laser lights, no fancy effects, no majestic backdrop, no
40-foot speakers, no backup singers, not even a mosh pit. It was just
Sinatra.
Excuse me. "Just Sinatra" is an oxymoron. He was honest, pure, and
thoroughly mesmerizing. It is something that does not translate to the
radio, television, or to a CD. There was just something about
seeing him perform in person. And what is amazing is that he had been
doing this all around the world for fifty years; and he would continue
to do so for another decade.
When he came to the finale, he had to do the intro to "New York, New
York" three times before we would let him continue. Mind you, we were
not a bunch of teenyboppers; we were mostly over thirty; even Phyllis.
But there was just something about him that was pure magic. Phyllis
had a new hero; sadly, it was not I.
Yeah, I lost Phyllis, too; it's the story of my life. But that Saturday
evening, I saw the performance of a lifetime; without a doubt, the
entertainer of the century.
Frank Sinatra.
The Boomer Essays - On Being a Boomer:
Personal Stories of the Chicowitz:
Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History
A Trip to the Dentist
The Chicowitz Gets Dumped - Again!
Just Shoot Me!
He Sleeps with the Fishes
My Little Girl, Princess
Why am I Still Single?
The Plastic Surgery Saga
Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House... Not!
Our House - Part 2
Our House - Part 3: Reclaiming the Past
Middle Age and the Mazdamobile
Down for the Count
That Dirty Dancing
Contemplations on the Hereafter
Tool Time with the Chicowitz
The Chicowitz Goes Country
Born to be Screwed
Mr. Brownthumb
The Mixer - A Singles Story
Crab Cakes
Midlife Crisis:
The Defining Moment
The Saga Continues
Fighting Back
The Straight Scoop
In December, Traditions of Christmas:
1997: The Christmas Tree
1998: Remembrance.... and Friends
1999: Christmas Cards
2001: Songs & Stories
2002: The Gift of Giving
2003: Decorating the Tree
2004: The Christmas Pin
2005: The Making of the Christmas Card
2006: Christmas on a Toothpick
2007: The Paper Route Years
Merry Christmas, Y'all
Hershel's Wish List: 2004
The "A" List
Teach, Preach & Nag:
Courage and Class: Tony Snow
The New American Dream
A Grateful Heart
Things We'll Learn
The Death of a Friend
The Age of Non-Responsibility
"Thank You": Another Dying Phrase
The Saturday Night Live "Curse"
The Boomers, the Xers and Beyond
Rules, Boundaries and Consequences
It's for the Children
"American Beauty" - an American Nightmare
Of Values and Legacies
School Violence: Lessons from the Past
The Boomer Lyrics are with Us Everywhere
Everybody's Got a Story
Power to the Boomers
My Kingdom for a Plain Burger
Perception is Reality?
Oh Woe is Us!
It's Soooooo Hard
Take Care of Yourself
Public Service
The Universal Apology
The Leader of the Band
Travels with Princess:
A Camping We Will Go
A Camping We Did Go
Travels with Princess - Part 1
Travels with Princess - Part 2
Me and You and a Dog Named Princess
Savannah: Midnight in the Garden
Time to Think
On Top of Old Smoky
The Fall Leaves and Such
A View from Hurricane Alley:
The Big Scare
Before the Storm
After the Storm
Katrina:
Intemperate Thoughts
Information Misload
Wet Dream
Election 2004:
JF Kerry: Just the Facts
A Discussion of the Issues
The Election 2004 Quiz
Find a Bush Lie -- Collect $5,000
Talking Dirty in Washington
I Believe - The George W. Bush Edition
Inside John Kerry
Why Character Matters - Part Umpteen
Reporting for Duty
Is it Safe Yet?
Why We/They Hate Bush
Ronald Reagan: Hard-Wired Decency
What I Am
Nov. 8: Post-Mortem
Election 2006:
I Believe -- the Election 2006 Edition
A Civil Debate
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A Boomer Remembers...:
The 60s: Life was Sweeter
The New American Dream
Another Side of the Greatest Generation
Where has all the Music Gone?
Memories of the Sock Hop
Remembering the Chairman of the Board
Restless in Seattle
The New Math
We Are Not One Boomer
"And Here's to You, Joe DiMaggio"
The Days of Summers Past
The Seeds of Character
A Letter to a Teacher
I Want a Clark Bar!
When Music was Fun
Decoration Day - The Measure of Sacrifice
11/22/63: We Remember
Flashback: The Y2K Hysteria
When the Music had Words
Ronald Reagan: Hard-Wired Decency
The Great Carsoni
Love Songs of the Chicowitz
Do You Remember These?
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N -- We're on Vacation!
A Watergate Success Story
Straight Talk on Social Issues:
Money 101: Incentive
Health Care: Solutions
Dr. Jack - A Man for Our Times
Misplaced Outrage: The Imus Affair
Global Warming Warning
Sin Offsets
Immigration: Good Fences
July, 2006: The Price of Freedom
Oh, Woe is Babs!
"Fair and Balanced"?
Lower Education
Boomer Retirement: "Hell No, We Won't Go!"
Social Security for Dummies
Feelings over Facts
Talking Down the Economy
The Little Red Hen
The Singles' Journal: Marriage
The Shadow IRS
The Dumbing Down of America
The Next, Great Entitlement
Voting Our way to Fairness
Straight Talk on Energy
We are Losing the Culture War
A Taxpayers' Bill of Rights
The Greedy Hand Extends its Reach
My Kingdom for a Candidate
Another Hat in the Toilet
We Have Met the Enemy
I'm From the Government & I'm Here to Help You
B. Clinton: The Case Against the President
B. Clinton: The Case For the President
Charlton Heston: The Culture War
Head Start: The Difference between Red and Blue
Labor Day - The Entrepreneur
It's Lonely at the Top
Kids on Drugs
Roe v. Wade Reality
Stem Cell 101
Vietnam: From a Distance
Iraq: Another Vietnam - ?
Mostly, Just Silly Stuff:
Sin Offsets
Menopause: Just for Laughs
The Fat Tax
Cell Phones & Other Crimes & Misdemeanors
Like Father, Like Son
Where Have You Gone, Walter Cronkite?
A Dire Warning to all Boomers
An Aging Boomer's Final Call to Action
BoomerSpeak
"American Pie": a Fresh Interpretation
Hail to Thee, My Alma Mater
Rock On!
The BBHQ Exam Story
Great Quotations
The $2.5 Million Pyramid
I Double-Dare You!
The Terrorist Attack of 2001:
The Best of Times
Showing Your Patriotism
"All We are Saaaaaaaa-ying..."
2004: Is it Safe Yet?
The Chicowitz on Iraq:
Politics for Dummies - Part I
Peace in Our Time
Yankee Go Home!
Bullhorn Responsibility
Blood for Oil!
Why We Fight
They Said - Part 1
They Said - Part 2
Why They're Wrong
** There's even more: The BBHQ Archives **
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The BBHQ Album of the Month
is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD),"
by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert
last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This
album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of
the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the
concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison
Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a
must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you?
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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Click here for more information,
or here to visit the BBHQ
Library.
Copyright © 1998-2003 Baby Boomer HeadQuarters (BBHQ) All rights reserved.
rev. 07/08/01
