Another Anniversary, Another Opening Act Story

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It seems that I’ve got dates spread out all over the calendar that commemorate something. Maybe it’s having been married three times and feeling compelled to remember all sorts of dates, though it might also be my own anality that’s to blame. Whatever, today is the 36th anniversary of my first wedding, an event attended […]



First Anniversary

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It was during this week a year ago that I began my weekly gig as a ward volunteer at the Marie Curie Hospice. My most important function, at least as I’ve seen it, is when I’m not serving them lunch or tea, to talk to them if they’re able to respond, and to help them […]



HE’S Not Dead, but His Career Is on Life-Support

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In the late summer of 1979, we’d signed with ICM (International Creative Management) for representation, then the second largest agency in Hollywood, behind William Morris. We were meeting with the head of the concert division, and he just asked us about our availability sometime in the following month. He was being kind of coy then […]



What was I doing 10 years ago? Oh yeah….

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November 20, 2004, and I was about to put in the final piece of the puzzle to my plan to leave America and live in UK full time. It had all begun at Jongleurs Comedy Club in Bow, East London, on Saturday, April 5, 2003. I was closing the show that night, and should remember […]



By Request — The Flamingo Guitar Saga

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No really, someone from the Midwest who happened to see the first Pee Wee Herman show when he was seven has been curious about my flamingo guitar ever since. So dude, this is for you, but it may be of interest to others as well. Back in the mid 70’s, when Rick & Ruby were […]



“It’s My Birthday, It’s My Birthday, I’m-ma Spend My Money”

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In my haste to avoid thinking of The Beatles’ songs either about birthdays or the number 64, I settled on this goofy Will.i.am song from a few months ago, and it got so stuck in my head for the ensuing hour that I started thinking of the Beatles, but even doing that, the only other […]



Not Gloating, but Wow anyway!

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Actually the reason not to gloat about the team I’ve loved and followed for 44 years and who has won the World Series three of the last five years is they did it without any help from me. Sure I cheered them on, while having to explain to virtually everyone around here the unlikelihood of […]



Another Dead Person, Another Story

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Actually, this is not completely about the person in particular. I just read that Tim Hauser, the founder of the Manhattan Transfer, died Thursday at the age of 72. OK, Name Drop away, but for a brief time in 1980, Rick & Ruby and the Transfer totally connected, and in various shifts, all four of […]



No One Died This Week, Except Me, a little

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That’s not totally true, just no one I knew personally. I certainly admired the work of Jan Hooks, a great improvisational comic actress, and that of Paul Revere, leader of one of the most underrated 60’s bands, both of whom have passed on in the last couple weeks. But I’d never met either of them, […]



And now, a name drop about a LIVING celebrity!

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So Bill Murray turned 64 this week. How did I know that? Facebook reminded me, and even suggested I send Bill a gift! I am currently Facebook friends with Bill Murray, Russell Brand, Christopher Lloyd, and baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, but these connections are probably made or approved by some personal assistant who’s […]