Lama wrote:
<< Mister Armstrong was not always revered in his middle age, even in his own
hometown (New Orleans), and sadly, he vowed never to return there. >>
Hi, Jim:
I know you weren't there with my family on Sunday nights when we gathered
around the Philco and watched Ed Sullivan introducing Louis as "America's
Ambassador." Admittedly, this was towards the end of Satchmo's life, and I
shouldn't have spoken about his middle years in my earlier post because I
wasn't alive at that time. But I *was* in Paris in the summer of 1971 on the
day he died. I was 18 years old and it was my first day ever in France. All
the newspapers proclaimed "Louis Est Mort" in large, mournful headlines
accompanied by smiling photographs of the man and his horn. I'll never forget
how upset the people -- and I -- were that day. I loved Louis from the first
time I ever saw him on TV -- such a wonderful spirit, such unique music. I
know he had critics throughout his career, often for political reasons -- but
God love him, he just kept plugging away. And unlike Sammy Davis, Jr., he
never did anything truly awful, like publicly hugging Nixon or anything.
As for Sinatra, well, the Chairman of the Board was Cher long before Cher
danced for the money they'd throw. The parallels are incredible: They both
began their careers as teen idols, then separated from their mentors, married
Greg Allman, and became Academy Award-winning actors. What are the chances of
all that happening twice in anyone's lifetime? Give Cher credit though, she
has refrained from doing something stupid like recording a creepy love duet
with her daughter -- who, coincidentally, is also known for wearing boots.
You said that you thought that Judy Garland died before middle age, but I
believe she died in either 1968 or 1969, at the age of 48, making her middle
aged if she had any intention at all of living to be 96. Her death, by the
way, is considered one of the reasons for the Stonewall riots in NYC -- the
beginning of gay liberation, which of course eventually spread all across the
world and lead to the creation of Wally K in Argentina, my soiled dove.
As for Ella, it's a little known fact that the sweet woman never meant to do
any scat singing at all until Judy Garland pointed out to her how much Mel
Torme's eyes looked like Eggs Benedict, and that just scared the hell out of
the poor thing. Doo doo soot wee wee whee ooh doot doot!
And the rest is history.
Good night,
--Bob
