Happy new year, friends.
Hope last night's revels didn't leave you suffering this morning!
Here's
Natalie Cole passed away
late Thursday evening at Cedars Sinai Hospital in LA as the result of
ongoing health issues, according to a statement from her family.
“Natalie fought a
fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity,
strength and honor. Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly
missed and remain UNFORGETTABLE in our hearts forever,” read the
statement from her son Robert Yancy and sisters Timolin and Casey
Cole.
Cole had battled drug
problems and hepatitis, and underwent a kidney transplant in May 2009
Cole started her career as
an R&B singer, but earned her greatest success with the 1991
release of “Unforgettable ... With Love,” which paid tribute to
her father with reworked versions of some of his best-known songs,
mixing in her voice with her father's. The album sold some 14 million
copies and won six Grammys, including album of the year as well
record and song of the year for the title track duet.
In her 2000 autobiography,
Angel on My Shoulder, she discussed her battle with heroin, crack
cocaine and alcohol addiction, and had spent six months in rehab.
“I think that I am a
walking testimony to you can have scars,” Cole once told People
magazine. “You can go through turbulent times and still have
victory in your life.”
I finally made it out to
see Star Wars: The Force Awakens yesterday and I was impressed with
the job JJ Abrams did- and thank goodness they got some talented
scriptwriters.
I mean, George Lucas was
quite skilled with action sequences- but the dialogue? Egads.
Anyway- some other
observations:
 |
| Me, as the movie started. |
- Back in 2010, Star Wars:
The Phantom Menace was rereleased in 3D as a part of a plan to bring
all (then) six of the movies to that format. Once Disney bought
Lucasfilm later that same year. Disney should ressurect those plans-
starting with Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the
Jedi (and do the others, too, just for consistency)- because I saw it
in 3D and, damn, that was fun.
- I understand the need to
have a “dire” threat, but I think it's time to retire the Death
Star idea. Surely Lawrence Kasdan had something better up his sleeve?
- Though I really needed
to pee as Rey was climbing those steps, I would been happy to watch
another half hour, easy.
 |
| Pictured: Not the theater I was in. |
- Any theater that reuses
the 3D glasses from audience to audience sucks. Every pair I tried
were smudged- and the flimsy plastic film used for the lenses
precluded cleaning them. I finally found a pair that had the smudges
limited to the edges, but grrr...
- Though I knew it wasn't
going to be there (because, hey- it was a different company in
charge), but it was still weird not to hear the Fox Fanfare before
that unmistakable theme song.
- I cried a little- but
not where you might think (no spoilers here). No, I had some leakage
at the very beginning, as I recalled seeing the original with my late
father- and how much we both enjoyed it- and experiencing a bit of
melancholy.
- I'm eagerly awaiting
Part VIII.
As Rod Stewart sang,
tonight's the night. Join me for the 2016 premiere of Saturday Night
Karaoke, live and loud at The Iron Horse Tavern, coming up at 10pm.
Another famous offspring
passed away on the last day of last year- Lester “Rusty” G. Paul,
son of the legendary Les Paul, died at age 74.
The Les Paul Foundation
confirmed the news yesterday and said the younger Paul's death
followed a long fight with diabetes.
He was the older of Les
Paul's two sons with wife Virginia Webb, and worked alongside his
father to spread the family’s contributions to music- performing
around the United States with his own Rusty Paul Band and was an
experienced sound engineer. He also performed often at New York
City’s Iridium Jazz Club, at a regular Monday night gig that his
father had held down for decades.
Birthdays today include:
Chick Churchill of Ten Years After; Ricky Van Shelton; TiaCarrere; and Doug Robb of Hoobastank. #MusicalBirthdays
