Master Index of Archived Threads


Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Frayed Knot Feb 09 2010 05:17 PM

Carole King - 68 Born Carol (no e) Klein in Brooklyn -- 2/9/42 If a songwriter can put up a resume where he/she gets writer or co-writer credits for any two of the following they've carved out a nice niche for themselves: * Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow * Chains * The Loco-Motion * Hey Girl * One Fine Day * Up on the Roof * Pleasant Valley Sunday * (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman Following that up string by turning the writing inward and merely putting out one of the monster albums of all time with 'Tapestry' and you're getting it done. Still in the music biz after 50 years, she's teaming with James Taylor on a tour this year.

Edgy DC Feb 09 2010 06:38 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Left only to guesswork, if you put "Daydream Believer" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" in front of me and told me to name which one was written by John Stewart and which by Carole King and Gerry Coffin, well, I'd get it wrong every time.

Frayed Knot Feb 20 2010 01:05 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

William Robinson Jr. - aka 'Smokey' is 70 (OK it was actually yesterday but I forgot to post it). Met Berry Gordy at age 18 and has been in the music biz ever since as a writer, singer, arranger, producer, executive.

Edgy DC Feb 20 2010 01:15 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Also the featured performer in this wunnerful video that shows what a great arrangement is made of cutting out different tracks to highlight different sections on each verse.

Frayed Knot Feb 24 2010 09:29 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

#60 for 'Lonesome George' aka 'The Delaware Destroyer', aka George Thorogood - guitarist and baseball fan.

metirish Feb 24 2010 09:38 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Mike Lowell - February 24, 1974 Eddie Murray - 54 Steve Jobs - 55 Abe Vigoda - 89

MFS62 Feb 24 2010 09:45 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

metirish wrote: Abe Vigoda - 89 If they didn't use a stunt double in that candy ad (where he gets crushed in a football game), then he must still be one tough hombre. Later

Ashie62 Feb 24 2010 10:40 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

MFS62 wrote: metirish wrote: Abe Vigoda - 89 If they didn't use a stunt double in that candy ad (where he gets crushed in a football game), then he must still be one tough hombre. Later Abe's website runs a banner "Yes, I'm still alive"

Chad Ochoseis Feb 25 2010 12:13 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

We missed his birthday on Monday, when he turned 92. Who is Don Pardo?

sharpie Mar 02 2010 11:58 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Lou Reed, 68.

MFS62 Mar 09 2010 09:44 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Didn't realize the Amazing Kreskin was still alive. He's 75. Missed his birthday back on Jan 12. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_ ... uture.html Later

Swan Swan H Mar 09 2010 12:29 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

I was catching up on the weekend newspapers this morning and noticed that Alan Sues of Laugh-In fame turned 84 on Sunday.

Frayed Knot Mar 09 2010 12:48 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

MFS62 wrote: Didn't realize the Amazing Kreskin was still alive. He's 75. Missed his birthday back on Jan 12. You might have missed his birthday but I bet he knows yours -- or at least could figure it out.

Edgy DC Mar 09 2010 01:39 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

We need a real birthday. Emmanuel Lewis turns 38 today.

Frayed Knot Mar 09 2010 01:52 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Edgy DC wrote: We need a real birthday. Emmanuel Lewis turns 38 today. 38?!? - doesn't look a bit over 3'6" to me.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 09 2010 01:57 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Edgy DC wrote: We need a real birthday. Emmanuel Lewis turns 38 today. Well, that's true inasmuch as he turned 38 today -- last year. He turns 39 today (born 1971).

Edgy DC Mar 11 2010 09:09 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Chuck Norris kicked the age of 70 in the face today.

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2010 09:28 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Mike Love - 69

Frayed Knot Mar 29 2010 04:31 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Walt "Clyde" Fraizer - 65 For those who weren't around when he played and maybe only know him from his announcer mode, it's tough to overstate how enormously popular he was in this town, maybe more so than any other NYC athlete in the last half-century or more. Mantle and Mays are arguable, although the divided loyalties of NYC baseball makes it tough for them to get the more universal appeal of Clyde. And, yes, I'd put him ahead of Namath.

Edgy DC Mar 29 2010 07:23 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Before there were Nike Air Jordans, there were Puma Clydes. There were a few different types of Adidas you might own back in 1978, but if you wore Pumas, you wore Clydes. The model was practically synonymous with the brand.

Ashie62 Mar 30 2010 06:50 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Frayed Knot wrote: Walt "Clyde" Fraizer - 65 For those who weren't around when he played and maybe only know him from his announcer mode, it's tough to overstate how enormously popular he was in this town, maybe more so than any other NYC athlete in the last half-century or more. Mantle and Mays are arguable, although the divided loyalties of NYC baseball makes it tough for them to get the more universal appeal of Clyde. And, yes, I'd put him ahead of Namath. I'm mostly with you here but I don't know about the Joe Willie part. To me that is a close call.

Ashie62 Mar 30 2010 06:54 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

3/30/2010 Jon Astin hits 80 today and Ohio State & Ex-Knick Jerry Lucas hits 70

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2010 07:19 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Ashie62 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Walt "Clyde" Fraizer - 65 For those who weren't around when he played and maybe only know him from his announcer mode, it's tough to overstate how enormously popular he was in this town, maybe more so than any other NYC athlete in the last half-century or more. Mantle and Mays are arguable, although the divided loyalties of NYC baseball makes it tough for them to get the more universal appeal of Clyde. And, yes, I'd put him ahead of Namath. I'm mostly with you here but I don't know about the Joe Willie part. To me that is a close call. It's close, and it's certainly a matter of opinion. My take is that Namath, in addition to have to deal with the two-team/split loyalty thing in NYC, also wasn't popular with some of the more conservative elements in the 1960s, some of whom not only didn't take to the whole long hair thing but also saw him as the forerunner of the spoiled athlete who gets a ton of money up front and thereafter is more concerned with style than substance. Hell, I think Favre has several threatened retirements to go before he catches up to where Joe Willie was by the time he was 30. IOW, the whole anti-establishment thing that made him so popular with big chunks of NYC sports fans of a certain age didn't fly so well with others. On the other hand, everyone seemed to like Fraizer. Kids liked him, their parents liked him, black guys liked him, white guys liked him, women LOVED him, plus both basketball traditionalists as well as those who liked a bit more flair in the game found lots to like in him. Even the wild hair and fashion choices, ones that were every bit as outrageous (if not more so) as the llama coats and whatnot worm by Namath, seemed to be accepted as something that was pure Clyde and therefore added to his image rather than being seen as part of some act designed solely to attract attention. He also did all this in a town with a great basketball tradition and in an era just before the sports' problems started mushrooming. And, oh yeah, he had a better career than Namath. JWM had a great peak but also a pretty short one.

Ashie62 Mar 30 2010 09:16 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

I pretty much agree with you. Both were exciting. Namath might have had the bigger "moment" but Clyde had a longer career and in retirement never asked Suzy Kolber to kiss him. I have been told that at industry events all eyes turn to Namath when he comes in. I have a friend who is a Raidernation person who is pissed that Stabler is not in the HOF and Namath is. Stabler's numbers are undeniably better but I just counter with "but Namath won the game." Then he shrugs and we grill more food.

Frayed Knot Mar 31 2010 05:12 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Gordie Howe - 82 And it seems like he only retired like 5 or 6 years ago .... oh wait, I think he did. Bet he could still lace 'em up and then put someone into the boards.

Edgy DC Mar 31 2010 07:02 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

MFS62 Apr 01 2010 10:38 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Frayed Knot wrote: Bet he could still lace 'em up and then put someone into the boards. I met Gordie at a business breakfast a few years ago. I told him that I remembered watching him play and asked for his thoughts about his famous run-in with Rangers defenseman "Leapin" Looie Fontanato. He said, "He tried to slice off my ear, so I broke his nose". Incidentally, his wife was also there. The wife of rough and tough Gordie was maybe 5' tall and 100 pounds, max. But she led him around like a puppy, and he obediently followed her every command. Later

Frayed Knot Apr 13 2010 11:11 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Al Green - 64 I used to listen to a radio program that ran early Sunday mornings (like 7 AM) partly because I was often up anyway for softball games but it was also appointment listening for a while there as it was only during odd time-slots like that where a DJ could still pick his own music even as the rest of the week got increasingly more strictly programmed (where have you gone Jim Monaghan?). Anyway, DJ Jim used to lead off the show each week with an Al Green tune - always referring to him as "the real Reverend Al" - both because Green is an ordained minister in whatever branch of Protestant church he serves and as a none-too-subtle swipe at Rev Al Sharpton who was just then starting to generate of a lot of his rabble-rousing publicity. Frequently the leadoff song of choice was this one, only one of the great pop tunes of all time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COiIC3A0ROM

Benjamin Grimm Apr 13 2010 11:14 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Yesterday David Letterman turned 63. I've been watching him since he was 35, which considerably younger than I am now.

Willets Point Apr 13 2010 11:20 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Great interview with Al Green on this episode of "To The Best Our Knowledge" where he talks about the sacred and profane aspects of his music: http://www.wpr.org/book/081019A.cfm.

Frayed Knot Apr 13 2010 02:37 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

MFS62 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Bet he could still lace 'em up and then put someone into the boards. I met Gordie at a business breakfast a few years ago. I told him that I remembered watching him play and asked for his thoughts about his famous run-in with Rangers defenseman "Leapin" Looie Fontanato. He said, "He tried to slice off my ear, so I broke his nose". Incidentally, his wife was also there. The wife of rough and tough Gordie was maybe 5' tall and 100 pounds, max. But she led him around like a puppy, and he obediently followed her every command. Yeah, Coleen Howe - who died last year after a lengthy illness- was known in NHL circles as a tough lady. Hockey players, particularly in Gordie's early days, were treated even worse than baseball players of the same pre-union era were, and even the stars needed the summer jobs to sustain them between seasons and had the same kind of take-it-or-shove-it contract pressure from mgmt. And in the era when agents of any kind were shunned - and female agents virtually unheard of - she acted as agent for her husband's career and got him a salary more commensurate with his superstar status. She later handled negotiations for her two hockey-playing sons as well.

Frayed Knot May 13 2010 02:56 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Stevie Wonder - 60 It may seem like he's already been around forever but that's only because he has -- charting songs at 13 and singing LIKE THIS at 16 By a few years later he had busted free of Motown's constraints and was writing, producing, and arranging most of his own stuff and sometimes playing all the instruments.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 13 2010 03:01 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

It's strange, but I never really knew how good a singer he was until I started watching one American Idol wannabee after another -- no matter how vocally good otherwise -- crash and burn when trying to do any of his songs.

Edgy DC May 13 2010 03:03 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

-A cog in the Motown hit machine in the sixties; -Out on his own, playing, composing, singing, and producing some of the most searing pop music of the seventies; -Watering his damn self down with synthesizers and sentimentality in the eighties; -And all but completely missing from the public eye for the last 20 years.

Frayed Knot May 13 2010 04:27 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

It's strange, but I never really knew how good a singer he was until I started watching one American Idol wannabee after another -- no matter how vocally good otherwise -- crash and burn when trying to do any of his songs. I was even going to mention in my post that let's see some of those Idol punks try to match just the vocal part of what he was doing while still a teenager. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFLCGPXS ... playnext=1 (about 19 there) Fortunately I never saw an Idol night while they were doing Stevie. And all but completely missing from the public eye for the last 20 years. Not exactly missing as he does seem to show up at just about every benefit, tribute, or other large gathering. But, yeah, not a lot of new stuff if that's what you mean. Also 60 today: Bobby Valentine Sounds like 5/13/50 did more than its fair share.

Edgy DC May 19 2010 10:16 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Pete Townsend: 65 and still alive.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 19 2010 10:25 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Edgy DC wrote: Pete Townsend: 65 and still alive. Still pleading, bleeding, leading, winding, whining and trying.

Frayed Knot May 24 2010 09:43 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Bob Dylan - 69

Fman99 May 24 2010 10:07 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Frayed Knot wrote: Bob Dylan - 69 I don't believe in Zimmerman. I just believe in me. There's a cafe/restaurant in Woodstock, New York that I used to go to when I was in high school and living in the area, called the Tinker Street Cafe. I believe that Dylan lived there for a time in the early/mid 60's, while writing "Another Side of Bob Dylan" and "Bringing it All Back Home." If you go in the men's room there are these griffito-tags above one of the urinals. "Bob Dylan pissed here." and "Keith Richards farted here."

Frayed Knot May 26 2010 01:54 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Levon Helm - 70 Unlike in Spinal Tap, this drummer is a survivor; of a lot of years on the road and of throat cancer.

sharpie May 26 2010 02:21 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

I don't believe in Zimmerman. I just believe in me. There's a cafe/restaurant in Woodstock, New York that I used to go to when I was in high school and living in the area, called the Tinker Street Cafe. I believe that Dylan lived there for a time in the early/mid 60's, while writing "Another Side of Bob Dylan" and "Bringing it All Back Home." If you go in the men's room there are these griffito-tags above one of the urinals. "Bob Dylan pissed here." and "Keith Richards farted here." Actually, he lived there a bit later, during the "John Wesley Harding"/"Self Portrait"/"New Morning"/"Basement Tapes" period.

Frayed Knot May 30 2010 10:22 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Jerry West - 72 Actually this was Friday but I forgot to mention it then. And I didn't want to just let him sip by because ... well because has anyone else has as good a career in one sport as West? A star HS player, a star college player, and an Olympic gold medalist. Then a #2 draft pick in the NBA with a 14-year career and 14 AS appearances and eventually one of the NBA's "50 greatest" player team. He then coached for 3 seasons before moving on to become a top GM virtually ever since, doing things like somehow stealing Kobe Bryant via a draft day deal. Oh yeah, and the NBA uses you as their logo.

Rockin' Doc May 30 2010 11:31 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Some interesting facts regarding the life of Jerry West from his his humble beginnings in Chelyan, WV which I pass through often when visiting my wife's family. His is life is truly a rags to riches testimonial of the virtues of hardwork and determination. Jerry Alan West was born into a poor household in Chelyan, West Virginia. West was a shy, introverted boy, who grew up in a poor family and whose father was so drained after work that he could not play with his children. He was so small and frail that he needed vitamin injections from his doctor and was kept apart from children’s sports, to prevent him from getting seriously hurt. Growing up, his main distraction was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. West spent years shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud in the backyard, his mother’s lashes when he came home hours late for dinner, and playing with gloves when the ground was covered with snow. He was named All-State from 1953–56 and then All-American in 1956 when he was named West Virginia Player of the Year, becoming the state’s first high-school player to score more than 900 points in a season, averaging 32.2 points per game. West led East Bank High School to a state championship on March 24 of 1956, prompting East Bank High School to change its name to “West Bank High School” every year on March 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy. As a rookie pro with the LA Lakers, West felt odd in his new environment. He was a loner. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname “Tweety Bird”, and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as “Zeke from Cabin Creek”. Combine a deadly jump shot, tenacious defense, obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win, and you’ve got Jerry West, one of the greatest guards in NBA history. During his 14-year playing career with the L.A. Lakers, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball. He was the third player in league history to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). He was an All-Star every year of his career and led Los Angeles to the NBA Finals nine times.

Frayed Knot Jul 07 2010 06:14 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Richard Starkey - 70

TransMonk Jul 16 2010 11:14 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

I can't believe Stewart Copeland is 58. Damn.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 16 2010 11:22 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Stink by the way has a frightening new album where he does orchestral arrangements of your Police favorites. The samples on iTunes will make you vomit.

Edgy DC Jul 16 2010 11:32 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

TransMonk wrote: I can't believe Stewart Copeland is 58. Damn. That's what happens when a band takes two decades off so their vocalist can make the most DAMAGING MUSIC IN THE UNIVERSE.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 16 2010 11:34 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Bassist, too! And I'd say, "punishing" is more accurate than "damaging." I'm not scarred by "Fields of Gold," but it does make me feel like I'm passing concrete through my colon.

Frayed Knot Jul 26 2010 08:59 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Michael Phillip Jagger - 67

Frayed Knot Aug 05 2010 07:55 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Neil Armstrong - 80 He could be - and probably should be - the most famous person in America. He steadfastly chooses not to be.

Edgy DC Aug 05 2010 08:47 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

I wonder how much Lance embarasses him.

Frayed Knot Aug 18 2010 11:33 AM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Rafer Johnson - 75 Held the unofficial title of 'World's Greatest Athlete' after winning the Decathlon gold medal in the 1960 games in Rome (also a silver in 1956) in a grueling duel against Taiwan's C.K. Yang, who also happened to be Johnson's friend, UCLA teammate, and training partner. Also played basketball for John Wooden at UCLA Was supposed to act as the Ethiopian slave who duels against Kirk Douglas's 'Spartacus' except that the stuffed shirts threatened him with the loss of his amateur athletic status if he did. Later, as a friend and advisor of sorts to Robert Kennedy, was at the Ambassador Hotel and wrestled the gun out of Sirhan Sirhan's hand following the shooting, including absent-mindedly walking around with it in his own pocket for a time afterward before realizing that it was there. Still involved in youth track & field, he's long been one of the class acts in sports.

Willets Point Aug 18 2010 12:42 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

He carried the torch into LA Coliseum at the 1984 Olympics IIRC.

Edgy DC Aug 18 2010 01:34 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Travis Bickle also turned 67 yesterday.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 18 2010 01:37 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

DeNiro, not Hinckley, right?

Frayed Knot Aug 18 2010 01:53 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Willets Point wrote: He carried the torch into LA Coliseum at the 1984 Olympics IIRC. Yup DeNiro, not Hinckley, right? Yes, DeNiro

MFS62 Sep 06 2010 12:25 PM Re: Alive and Kicking -- Celeb Birthdays

Roger Sprung. You may not recognize the name, but you'll probably recognize his sound: http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/ ... 646577.php Later