Father and son on a Sunday afternoon, 1943. Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#fsa 8d19170)
Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in the United States. The movement to recognize fathers began in a West Virginia church in 1908. The sermon that day asked to remember 362 men who had perished in a mine explosion the previous December and many of the men were fathers. In 1909 Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington tried to establish an equivalent of Mother’s Day for male parents. She had been raised by a widower and believed the recognition was due. She promoted it so well to local churches, service organizations, and government officials that Washington State celebrated Father’s Day on June 19,1910. The movement to recognize fathers spread slowly but in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. Since then most states now recognize the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day but it is not a public holiday (neither is Mother’s Day).
Father’s Day is also celebrated in many countries. In Europe and most Spanish speaking countries it is celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day on March 19. St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers.
Way back in 1983, a little known all female band made their first national debut on American Bandstand. That show, which ran from 1956-1989, highlighted new musical acts along with current well-known artists. Over its long run, you saw all kinds of music, fashions that came and went, but often the same musicians would come back over and over again to perform on this show hosted by Dick Clark for its entire run. Rock and Roll was introduced nationally through this show and legions of fans who watched weekly. It was a show worth watching.
The Bangles had formed in 1981 (originally The Bangs but another group had that name) and were like many small bands struggling. From interviews of the band members, they played at many places early on having to pay people to dance (they bought them beer). Their first recording with the label Faulty Products end up disappointed as they folded. Another label bought it and released it. Somewhere along the line as they tried to get noticed locally Dick Clark heard of them. There first performance on American Bandstand can be seen here on YouTube.
Columbia Records issued their first album in 1984 titled All Over The Place. The album had hit songs such as “Hero Takes The Fall” and “Going Down to Liverpool.” The video for Liverpool had Leonard Nimoy (band member Susanna Hoffs knew his son) which garnered a lot of attention. Prince heard their music and was impressed by them. He offered them two songs and they decided on Manic Monday. When they first performed it for him, they apologized they didn’t have a harpsichord (heard on the recorded versions and sometimes in live concerts), he said it didn’t need it. And he was right.
When they recorded and released the song it became a hit rocketing them up to number 2 in the U.S. and other countries (a Prince song was number 1, which shows how powerful both artists were). No longer were The Bangles doing small clubs and events after that. Now they were major band with millions of fans and they were off touring the world performing just about everywhere. From the interviews, they were completely surprised at how liked they had become. As Dick Clark would say later when they returned to his show in 1986, The Bangles had gotten really positive reviews from fellow musicians and critics alike.
One of the hallmarks of really talented musicians are passion and enthusiasm. Growing up during the 1960’s, I was exposed to a lot of rock and roll (and I listened to a station that also played 1950’s music). My own family loved music (though not rock and roll) and listened to the many records of classical, opera, and soundtracks of Rodgers & Hammerstein performances. In school I learned how to play the clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet, and guitar. I learned that those who really loved music and let it flow were the ones that really had the best outcomes. Playing just so that you would pass was okay, but those who really had the passion to play their instrument made all the difference in the world. It was not just a guitar or violin, but something much, much more.
And so it is with The Bangles. They loved to play their music. This was not some band created in the sound lab, fine-tuned, and carefully rolled out by the record label. The women who made up The Bangles-Vicki Peterson, Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Michael Steele- loved what they were doing, And their enthusiasm shows in every performance they did. And every member had their voices in songs (despite what the media back then said, Susanna Hoffs was not the lead singer, each singer had songs they were lead on). Susanna Hoffs was often in the center simply because of her height and nothing more (you do not put shortest person off to the side, it just looks weird).
The Bangles did break up for a short time but reunited. However, touring had to slow since many of them married and had families. Susanna also started a solo career which has done well. She plays her own songs and sometimes does a Bangles favorite with just a guitar. And it is amazing how wonderful her voice is at age 64. She has not lost one beat and not slowed down at all. She has been married since 1993 to Jay Roach (who directed the Austin Powers movies) and has two grown boys now in the entertainment industry. She will, if the date I saw is correct, be soon celebrating 30 years of marriage. Which is remarkable in that marriages come and go in that world as one changes tissues. She noted recently on Twitter that every day she listens to a Prince song to thank him for Manic Monday. She also has a book coming out titled This Bird Has Flown coming out on 4 April 2023 and already has had positive feedback from early reviews.
And now Manic Monday from American Bandstand (May 10, 1986).
Father and son on a Sunday afternoon, 1943. Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#fsa 8d19170)
Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in the United States. The movement to recognize fathers began in a West Virginia church in 1908. The sermon that day asked to remember 362 men who had perished in a mine explosion the previous December and many of the men were fathers. In 1909 Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington tried to establish an equivalent of Mother’s Day for male parents. She had been raised by a widower and believed the recognition was due. She promoted it so well to local churches, service organizations, and government officials that Washington State celebrated Father’s Day on June 19,1910. The movement to recognize fathers spread slowly but in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. Since then most states now recognize the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day but it is not a public holiday (neither is Mother’s Day).
Father’s Day is also celebrated in many countries. In Europe and most Spanish speaking countries it is celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day on March 19. St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers.
Father and son on a Sunday afternoon, 1943. Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#fsa 8d19170)
Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in the United States. The movement to recognize fathers began in a West Virginia church in 1908. The sermon that day asked to remember 362 men who had perished in a mine explosion the previous December and many of the men were fathers. In 1909 Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington tried to establish an equivalent of Mother’s Day for male parents. She had been raised by a widower and believed the recognition was due. She promoted it so well to local churches, service organizations, and government officials that Washington State celebrated Father’s Day on June 19,1910. The movement to recognize fathers spread slowly but in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. Since then most states now recognize the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day but it is not a public holiday (neither is Mother’s Day).
Father’s Day is also celebrated in many countries. In Europe and most Spanish speaking countries it is celebrated on St. Joseph’s Day on March 19. St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers.
While post-Titanic, Browne went on to become known as one of the most important Irish photographers of the early 20th-century, documenting everything from the rigors of daily country life to the European trenches of World War I, he didn’t have the means to pay for the high cost of developing all of his film. So when the current owner of Lough Eske Castle (who also owns the Titanic Hotel Belfast) purchased a set of Browne’s old trunks at auction a few years back, he found inside numerous rolls of undeveloped film—which, now processed and remastered, form the basis for the largest private collection of Father Browne images.
After over a hundred years of stories and legends of page, stage and film, the ship continues to captivate generations, particularly travelers eager to visit the cities that figure prominently in Titanic’s story. Situated in both Europe and North America, here are some major sites for the Titanic enthusiast to visit during their travels.
Hobbies are great things to have. They help us from being bored and sitting around the television or the computer all day. Traditional ones like stamp or coin collecting sometimes lead to bigger things. Or in the case of John Siggins of the UK to turn a shed into a replica of Titanic’s dining room. Siggins, who works as as railroad engineer, has been working on this project for many years. It began when he got a blanket once owned by a Titanic survivor given when boarding Carpathia. That started him acquiring items from Titanic’s sister ship Olympic. And then slowly converting his shed into a dining room and cabin. He has been doing this for 25 years. Done by hand, he has put up wood panels, chairs, and collected dining sets to make it look authentic. “It’s history. I buy it all because it’s close to my heart. And this is how I want to see it.” And from the picture in the news article, well worth the effort.
Mike Arkus writing in the Huffington Post details a recent visit to Halifax. Halifax has a rich maritime history and of course connected deeply to the Cunard line (Samuel Cunard was born there). His article jabs at the touristy nature of Halifax but does have lots of interesting places to visit. Of course visiting Fairview Cemetery is where many Titanic victims are buried. And the once unknown child now has a name: Sidney Leslie Goodwin.
When you own stocks like Premier Exhibitions (NASDAQ:PRXI), it does not take much to send the stock down. Latest news was not great so the stock tumbled to 73 cents. A year ago it was $1.69. But declining revenues and uncertainty about when the Titanic collection will ever be sold has done its work. Today it actually bounced up to 76 cents before settling back down to closing at 74 cents. I hope no one put their pension money in this stock.
We are under water restrictions here and just about everywhere in California. More dire if you live on Catalina Island, where water is really precious. They have a small desalinization plant that provides only a small fraction of their needs, which comes from two reservoirs that are now looking quite grim. Tourists flock to the island but now restaurants and hotels have to tell customers not to take long showers. Ask for water with your meal and it comes bottled. To conserve water many places are using plastic ware for everyday eating. And hotels now have to start sending laundry to the mainland, which is not cheap.
Lawns are looking bleak these days except if it is a city park or owned by government. Most people have to cut back watering to one or two days a week. Neighbors are being asked to snitch on neighbors who are watering too much. Being green is not so good these days and a green lawn brings attention. Unless it is artificial which some in my area have chosen to do. Quite a lot have simply taken out the greenery and replaced them with rock gardens, wood chips, or drought resistant plants. And a byproduct of this drought is that many areas look more dirtier than usual. Sidewalks in front of homes are not being washed off as before. The city still does power washing certain areas like the downtown area (they and all cities got an exemption from the water restrictions). BART still power washes on Saturday mornings around the San Bruno station.
To close out this Friday Musings, here is a music video from Susanna Hoffs off her November Sun album. Fans of Hoffs will be surprised at how good she looks. Sorry guys, but she has been married to Jay Roach since 1993 and has two boys. The other lady in the video is also the lovely and talented Rosanna Arquette. Have a nice Friday everyone.
When most people think of the song We Belong they naturally think of Pat Benatar. Her rendition is powerful and out of this world. Less known is a cover that The Bangles did. It is on the album Keep the Light Alive – Celebrating the Music of Lowen & Navarro but was also used by Walt Disney for Sleeping Beauty video. It really is a wonderful rendition of a great song and using it with the visuals of Sleeping Beauty adds a whole new dimension. Enjoy and have a happy Sunday everyone.
Here is a nice song for a Friday. It is a live performance by Susanna Hoffs and the song Always Enough is from her album Someday. Have a nice weekend everyone.
1. Premier Exhibitions, which bills itself as “a leading presenter of museum-quality touring exhibitions around the world” has announced its first quarter earnings for 2014. Bad news for shareholders. Total revenue was down by 22% compared to last year at this time. Gross profits decreased as well. Average attendance at exhibitions were down and ticket prices decreased by 9.6%. Hurricane Sandy shut down the South Street Seaport in New York City which impacted income. Some new exhibitions being planned: exhibition featuring characters from movie Ice Age and an artifact based one called City of Pompeii, Italy. As for the Titanic artifact sale, this is what was announced:
The previously announced group of individuals (the “Consortium”) that entered into a non-binding letter of intent with the Company on October 15, 2012 to affect a purchase of the stock of RMS Titanic, Inc. remains active. While the Consortium, which is based in the Hampton Roads region of southeast Virginia, has made progress in aligning the necessary resources, the effort is not complete. Given the amount of time that has passed since the LOI was signed, the Company has decided to pursue other strategic alternatives to maximize the value of the Titanic assets in parallel with continued discussions with the Consortium.
In other words, thanks for the interest but we are moving on. Give us a call if you get the money.
2. Marshall Weiss, editor of The Dayton Jewish Observer, was recently awarded The Jacob Rader Marcus Award for Journalistic Excellence in American Jewish History for an article series called “Kosher Titanic – and other Jewish Connections to the Ill-fated Liner.”
The series included stories about a Jewish survivor who returned to Manchester, England, to open a kosher butcher shop; the burial of Jewish survivors at Halifax, and a Jewish baby boy separated from his mother on the night of the sinking, and then reunited with her on the Carpathia. The series was picked up by most major Jewish newspapers across the U.S., and on the Times of Israel website in 2012.
3. Titanic shows up at county fairs and summer events in different ways. Cardboard regattas (or other similar floatable ideas) take place with awards for the most creative and dramatic sinking. Sometimes it shows up as a 12-foot replica at the Sullivan County Fair in Indiana. Rob Overton is an EMT by trade by got fascinated by Titanic when it was found in 1985. He first built a 40 inch model but he did not like it. So using original drawings he made a 12-foot replica which now can be seen at the county fair. While he has other items in his Titanic exhibit, the replica is the centerpiece.
4. Titanic musicals are popular too from news reports I have been reading. Titanic: The Musical performing at the Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center in Middletown, PA has got some very good reviews.
5. Back in the 1980’s The Bangles were a hot group with four talented female singers. Some of their more popular songs were Manic Monday, Walk Like An Egyptian, Going Down To Liverpool, Hero Takes A Fall, and Eternal Flame. They broke up in the early 1990’s but reunited again around the start of the new century. A recent album Sweetheart of the Sun brings them back to their roots. Their talent has not dimmed over the years and are strong as ever. Susanna Hoffs (incorrectly called the lead singer even though everyone sang in their albums) has some excellent solo work as well. Her album Someday is well worth listening too. Some people wondered if she was any good outside of The Bangles and this album ought to settle any doubts. She is undeniably talented and the range of songs prove it. One song, Picture Me, is a video on Vevo (and can be seen on YouTube).
