Enough of the '2016 was awful' meme

-
Director/Producer/Writer Mel Brooks plants one on George Michael in 1985.
Michael died at age 53 on 25 December, 2016
Image from the Whamerica page
Carrie Fisher died at age 60 on 27 December, 2016
From Pinterest page

Just like some on this planet, I'm a tad tired about the "2016 was s*it" meme. Enough already! It's a coincidence that a collection of uber-talented famous folks passed away this year with both George Michael and actor Carrie Fisher during the last week of the year. One Facebook Friend observed that with the smattering of media outlets these days, we're going to see more humans become famous. Thus, we will probably always see multiple famous people pass away in any given year. Certainly we had an unprecedented U.S. presidential year and tragedies in Orlando, Paris and Berlin. Those are stories that could happen at any time, anywhere and any year. It almost sounds somewhat childish and paranoid to scream about how terrible a given year has been. Let's not be so superstitious. Do not get me wrong because I feel that so much of my adolescents and early adulthood 'heroes' are all going away and yes, it's depressing, but in the end, what can any of us do about it? We have no control over it and let's face it, no one gets out of here alive. With that said, I'm sharing the late George Michael's cover of Queen's "Somebody to Love" which should continue to exist on YouTube here:


George Michael - cover of Queen's "Somebody To Love (live rehearsal)"



Here are some of my other favorite videos from the artists who departed in 2016:

David Bowie - "Ashes to Ashes (live)"



Prince - "Paisley Park"



Leonard Cohen - "Light As A Breeze (live)"



Comments

Post a Comment

Most viewed

Condos. Cutting-edge restaurants. Trendy shopping.

-
There’s a whole other side to Orlando beside the massive Disney World in nearby Lake Buena Vista. If the ordinary Disney trip doesn’t interest you this year, try an extraordinary visit to Orlando and its neighborhoods. You’ll quickly learn that the area is full of historic districts and ethnic diversity. (more)
Read more

Take time out for Virginia’s Shenandoah region

-
About 30 years ago my family made a classic 1970s trek to Washington, D.C. Even though the sights and sounds of D.C. left an impression on me, it was the trip through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley that introduced me to the region’s natural beauty. Dressed in our blue “Virginia Is For Lovers” T-shirts (which I kept for several years after), we rolled down the windows of our spacious Oldsmobile to take in the scenery. Click here for the full story.
Read more

Flashback: Billy Joel's Sax Player (Mark Rivera profile-March 2007)

-
It is 2:30 in the afternoon at Midtown Atlanta's Four Seasons Hotel and Mark Rivera is pacing his hotel suite bursting with ideas. The task of keeping up with Rivera's thoughts is daunting to say the least. The words explode from him like a Fourth of July fireworks show on steroids. From stories of working with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel and most notably -- becoming Billy Joel's ever-conspicuous sax player/backup vocalist, Rivera is on a big, white, puffy cloud every time he conjures up those legendary memories. Who wouldn't be? The challenge for Rivera on this balmy late-February afternoon is to fit those anecdotes and personal thoughts on the future and state of the world into a half-hour conversation which must conclude before he boards a bus to Birmingham for his role in that evening's Billy Joel show. Indeed Rivera will be back in his Atlanta hotel room in about 48 hours, but there will be no time for follow-up questions. He will be handling
Read more