Sunday, January 7, 2024

The Sunday Comments ( 01 - 07 - 24 )

Wow!  This email made my day! …

After mentioning the other day that I hadn’t heard from Jay Siegel in a while, I got this …

Hi Kent –

Love reading your blog ... You are a “Wikipedia“ ... Keep it up! 

Jay (Wimoweh)


He's such a nice guy!  (kk)

Just read that Michael Bolton is recovering from holiday surgery to remove a brain tumor!

In a Facebook post Friday night (January 5th), Bolton said …

I want to start by wishing everyone a very happy and healthy new year!  I also want to share that 2023 ended up presenting me with some very unexpected challenges. Just before the holidays, it was discovered that I had a brain tumor, which required immediate surgery. Thanks to my incredible medical team, the surgery was a success. I am now recuperating at home and surrounded by the tremendous love and support of my family. For the next couple of months, I will be devoting my time and energy to my recovery which means I’ll have to take a temporary break from touring. It is always the hardest thing for me to ever disappoint my fans or postpone a show, but have no doubt I am working hard to accelerate my recovery and get back to performing soon. I am beyond grateful for all the love and support you have so generously shown me through the years. Know that I’m keeping your positive messages in my heart, and I’ll give you more updates as soon as I can.

Much love always, MB

We’ve lost Hutch!


Actor David Soul (who played Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson on the hit television series “Starsky and Hutch”) passed away this past week (January 4th.) 

I was always a fan of the show, as was my Dad and my brothers.  We would delay going out on Saturday Nights until after “Starsky and Hutch” had aired, often just first leaving the house after 10 pm do begin our night of carousing.  (Nowadays, I’m lucky if I’m still awake on the couch at 8:00!!!)

Prior to “Starsky and Hutch,” Soul was a regular on the television series “Here Come The Brides,” a show I never watched.  I also remember him creeping a number of people out with his role on the TV Mini-Series “Salem’s Lot.”  (Probably not as much as he creeped ME out the first time I heard him sing!!!)

Who would have EVER expected such a soft and tender voice to come from such a rugged tv character.  But David’s song “Don’t Give Up On Us” went all the way to #1 in 1977 on all three major charts.  (kk)

Elvis Presley scored his first Top 20 Hit since 1977 when Christmas sales, streaming and airplay pushed “Blue Christmas” into the #18 chart position on last week’s Hot 100 Chart in Billboard Magazine.

The Chart Beat article they ran to coincide with this event mentions that Elvis now has 49 Top 20 Hits on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart (once again overlooking the 22 Top 20 hits he had BEFORE the magazine changed the name of its chart.)

Doesn’t really matter ‘tho … that still would have only given him 71, which is a far cry below the 85 that Taylor Swift has already amassed … or the 133 notched by Top 20 leader Drake.

Still, it IS cool to see The King Of Rock And Roll back up in the upper echelon of pop music again!  (kk)

Billboard is also reporting that 99 new artists charted on The Hot 100 for the very first time in 2023 … so LOTS of new music out there to catch your ear again if you’re listening for it!  (kk)

From Tom Cuddy …

Looks Like He Made It: Barry Manilow at 80
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/barry-manilow-career-marriage-broadway-show-1235778440/

We watched Barry’s Christmas special, which wasn’t too bad … nice to see and hear him perform some of his big hits again … although today he looks like his entire face is made of plastic … he’s difficult to watch.  (kk)

The 1928 “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey Mouse entered into public domain last week …

Does this mean the first-ever Mickey Mouse HORROR MOVIE may be in the offing???

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/steamboat-willie-horror-film-mickey-mouse-public-domain-copyright-1235849861/?mc_cid=a9e689620c&mc_eid=f8f75f98ed

I love it when new readers find us … and then enjoy what they see!!!

Great page!

Loved reading the Last Kiss story.

Thank you!

Kandis Jordan 

 

Haven’t seen it?

Well then, here you go!

http://forgottenhits.com/last_kiss_the_incredible_convoluted_story_behind_this_1_classic_hit

 

Welcome aboard, Kandis!  Tell a friend or two!  (kk)

 

(Of course, after you’ve been here for a while, you become part of the gang!)

 

Witness below ...

 

>>>Can you imagine the eye-rolling from Shelley J Sweet-Tufano if she unexpectedly stopped just to say, “Hi,” to the Guys?!! (CB) ( which stands for “Cleaning Boy!” )

>>>LOL … ok, I really like this one!  While I’m doing my best to get the plates and cups into the dishwasher, Chuck is just standing by watching as HIS cup is clearly running over … so the look on “Sweet” Shelley’s face would have been quite a sight to behold indeed!  (kk)

 

 

Oh really???

And why am I not surprised that you would have had your door unlocked and hollered, "Come In!"

Shelley

 

And here’s a great way to kick of 2024 …

 

Billboard is celebrating 24 songs that peaked at #24 on their Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart … and it’s quite a list.  (They say over 250 songs can call #24 their peak position … this list represents some of the best and most-enduring tracks.)

 

Check it out … you’ll find The Beach Boys, The Moody Blues, Elton John, ELO, Joni Mitchell, Cheech and Chong (!), Billy Joel, Blondie, Stevie Wonder and many more.  (I think upon closer review, you’ll find that many of these hits have stood the test of time.)  kk

https://www.billboard.com/lists/number-24-hot-100-hits-2024/tuesday-afternoon-forever-afternoon-the-moody-blues/#recipient_hashed=fa7e92da6f6e66bffcf0bcbf863670c6eb37d7159eb4d0ea1e44fecd5ec87eeb&recipient_salt=3a1d6b09af3b92ad7e38f8327cf18febeb049fd1c9a251b66957a07d9375735c

 

And, speaking of Billy Joel, he has added a number of dates for appearances with Stevie Nicks.  (He’ll also be doing some shows with Sting … and a few solo shows as well.)  And you can bet his land round of Madison Square Garden dates will feature a Who’s Who List of Special Guest appearances.

 

Happily, Chicago is now on the list … Billy and Stevie will be appearing at Soldiers Field on Friday, June 21st.

 

Concert dates (he’s not calling it a tour!) announced for 2024 so far include:

 

January 11th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
January 24th – Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Dome
February 9th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
February 24th – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium (with Sting)
March 9th – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium (with Stevie Nicks)
March 28th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
April 13th – San Diego, CA – Petco Park (with Sting)
April 26th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
May 9th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
May 24th – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park*
June 8th  – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 21st – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field (with Stevie Nicks)*
July 12th – Denver, CO – Coors Field*
July 25th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
August 9th – Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Principality Stadium
September 27th – St. Louis, MO – Busch Field (with Sting)*

 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

1/7/64 - The Beatles record an appearance for the BBC Radio Program "Saturday Club."  They perform seven songs:  "All My Loving," "Money," "The Hippy Hippy Shake," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode" and "I Wanna Be Your Man."

The show won't be broadcast until February 15th, at which time The Beatles were here in America.

Also on 1/7 - Actor Nicholas Cage is born