Both ‘Believer’ songs written by Neil Diamond, fact fans.
I actually used to be a believer in that so-called fact myself. But Daydream Believer was written by some guy from The Kingston Trio.
And, yeah, before I formally researched the authorship, I thought it sounded like a Neil Diamond tune. But that coulda been because I was biased by my pre-existing belief that he was the writer.
(I think Diamond's authorship of I'm A Believer somehow got urban-legended into his having written all the songs used on the show, and that's the version I heard.)
Elton John tweeted "Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn't be who I am today." Never thought about it, really, but I guess I can see the stylstic genealogy.
I'd see Iggy Pop more as a musical descendant of Jerry Lee Lewis, even though he wasn't a pianist. Granted, this could be partly because when Lewis played my hometown in the late 80s, he performed Wild Child, which had recently been a hit for Iggy. Lewis introduced the number by saying he liked Iggy's version.
And the first time I ever heard The Cramps' What's Inside A Girl, I assumed it was intended as a Jerry Lee Lewis tribute. Though, again, not a piano-heavy song.
Lewis caused a lot of controversy, and had a tour here (UK) cancelled when he turned up with a wife who was only 13. He claimed she was 15, which would still have been illegal and below the age of consent.
Apparently under the law of where they'd got married, that would have been lawful, if it hadn't been for the embarrassing fact that the wedding took place before his divorce from his preceding wife had fully taken effect.
Lewis caused a lot of controversy, and had a tour here (UK) cancelled when he turned up with a wife who was only 13. He claimed she was 15, which would still have been illegal and below the age of consent.
Apparently under the law of where they'd got married, that would have been lawful, if it hadn't been for the embarrassing fact that the wedding took place before his divorce from his preceding wife had fully taken effect.
YouTube still has an interview of Jerry and Myra arriving back in the US after their unceremonious departure from the UK.
Myra wrote two autobiographical books, one of which was made into the 1980s Jerry Lee biopic with Dennis Quaid. The other one was published just a few years ago. While the woman has had an interesting life, I'm curious how you'd manage to wring two separate books out of it.
I wonder if the funeral will be officiated by his cousin Jimmy Swaggart, who I seem to recall was the one who rescued Jerry Lee from the pills back in the 1980s. (Can you imagine Lewis publically having a Johnny Cash-style born-again experience?)
Lewis caused a lot of controversy, and had a tour here (UK) cancelled when he turned up with a wife who was only 13. He claimed she was 15, which would still have been illegal and below the age of consent.
Apparently under the law of where they'd got married, that would have been lawful, if it hadn't been for the embarrassing fact that the wedding took place before his divorce from his preceding wife had fully taken effect.
It is still the case that some states have a lower age for marriage of 12.
Lewis caused a lot of controversy, and had a tour here (UK) cancelled when he turned up with a wife who was only 13. He claimed she was 15, which would still have been illegal and below the age of consent.
Apparently under the law of where they'd got married, that would have been lawful, if it hadn't been for the embarrassing fact that the wedding took place before his divorce from his preceding wife had fully taken effect.
It is still the case that some states have a lower age for marriage of 12.
Sort of. No state actually has a minimum of 12. In most states, the minimum age (with parental/guardian consent, court approval or emancipation) is 17 or 16. In two states it’s 15.
There are a handful of states (California is one) that don’t have minimum age, but do require parental/guardian consent, court approval or both for anyone under 18. It’s possible that a 12-year-old could get consent/approval to marry in one of those states, but I don’t know whether or how often it actually happens.
That's a good point. Maybe I was thinking of when they killed off his character, which must have been ages ago - I haven't watched East Enders for about 20 years.
Surprised it hasn't been posted here but perhaps that's down to Ship demographics - Kevin Conroy has died at the age of 66. Conroy was a very famous voice actor best known as the voice of Batman, starting with Batman: The Animated Series in the early 90s and continuing with the majority of DC animated features, through to the Arkham video games. He was very much *the* voice of Batman for a generation, and found a whole new audience via the Arkham games. It feels very wrong to now have a world with the Joker (Mark Hamill has played the Joker opposite Conroy from the start - and played him to perfection) but without Batman.
Catching up after some (self-imposed) shore leave....
Those who don't follow Canadian cinema will probably have missed Robbie Coltrane in Perfectly Normal (1990) in which he played Alonzo Turner, a chef on the lam. It's a hilarious film which combines restaurants, crossdressing, opera, hockey, and beer. The which is to say that it's very Canadian. I urge you to seek it out.
George W. Bush advisor/speechwriter and Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson has died. He's the one who coined the phrase "the soft bigotry of low expectations" in the context of justifying cuts to social programs and helped formulate the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive war.
Just saw that the German writer, cultural critic and translator Hans Magnus Enzensberger has died at 93, somebody who had considerable influence on many European thinkers and and writers from Günter Grass to WG Sebald.
"Culture is a little like dropping an Alka-Seltzer into a glass -- you don't see it, but somehow it does something."
Just heard that Doddie Weir has died Announced just before kickoff in the England v South Africa match.
So sad. He lived in a parish I served, and was a force of nature and a force for good, even then, before his MND. What he accomplished after he became ill is even more remarkable.
Inspirational in the way he faced his diagnosis, in the thousands of lives he touched and the money he raised for research.
An impressive figure at 6'6", he'll always be remembered in the words of legendary commentator Bill McLaren as "on the charge like a mad giraffe.
Baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry died yesterday, age 84. He had a reputation for throwing an illegal "spitball" but was only ejected for doing that once.
Comments
I actually used to be a believer in that so-called fact myself. But Daydream Believer was written by some guy from The Kingston Trio.
And, yeah, before I formally researched the authorship, I thought it sounded like a Neil Diamond tune. But that coulda been because I was biased by my pre-existing belief that he was the writer.
(I think Diamond's authorship of I'm A Believer somehow got urban-legended into his having written all the songs used on the show, and that's the version I heard.)
Most of them. I had mentally filed Lewis in the "already dead" category for some reason.
And the first time I ever heard The Cramps' What's Inside A Girl, I assumed it was intended as a Jerry Lee Lewis tribute. Though, again, not a piano-heavy song.
"isn't", because Iggy Pop is still alive, and apparently still working.
Apparently under the law of where they'd got married, that would have been lawful, if it hadn't been for the embarrassing fact that the wedding took place before his divorce from his preceding wife had fully taken effect.
YouTube still has an interview of Jerry and Myra arriving back in the US after their unceremonious departure from the UK.
Myra wrote two autobiographical books, one of which was made into the 1980s Jerry Lee biopic with Dennis Quaid. The other one was published just a few years ago. While the woman has had an interesting life, I'm curious how you'd manage to wring two separate books out of it.
I wonder if the funeral will be officiated by his cousin Jimmy Swaggart, who I seem to recall was the one who rescued Jerry Lee from the pills back in the 1980s. (Can you imagine Lewis publically having a Johnny Cash-style born-again experience?)
It is still the case that some states have a lower age for marriage of 12.
There are a handful of states (California is one) that don’t have minimum age, but do require parental/guardian consent, court approval or both for anyone under 18. It’s possible that a 12-year-old could get consent/approval to marry in one of those states, but I don’t know whether or how often it actually happens.
Ding Dong!
Sad , but 98 is a decent innings.
I'm fairly sure he'd have been on my "been dead for years" pile.
Funnily enough, I knew he was still about, but I thought Bill Treacher had popped off years ago.
Catching up after some (self-imposed) shore leave....
Those who don't follow Canadian cinema will probably have missed Robbie Coltrane in Perfectly Normal (1990) in which he played Alonzo Turner, a chef on the lam. It's a hilarious film which combines restaurants, crossdressing, opera, hockey, and beer. The which is to say that it's very Canadian. I urge you to seek it out.
"Culture is a little like dropping an Alka-Seltzer into a glass -- you don't see it, but somehow it does something."
I’ll remember her name.
An impressive figure at 6'6", he'll always be remembered in the words of legendary commentator Bill McLaren as "on the charge like a mad giraffe.
I served as one of her Wardens at the Parish of Portland.