Literary Giants - James Joyce

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was born February 2, 1882 in the Dublin suburb of Rathgar. His parents, John Joyce and Mary Murphy had 12 children, losing two of them to typhoid. When James was 5 they moved to Bray because his father was appointed as a local property tax collector.

When James was 9 he wrote the poem, “Et Tu Healy,” about the death of Charles Parnell. His father was angry about the treatment of Parnell and the failure to secure Home Rule for Ireland. He had the poem printed and sent a copy to the Vatican Library. Because of that he was suspended from work, began drinking and the family ended up in poverty.

James had been educated at a boarding school by Jesuits until his father could no longer pay the fees. He studied at home and briefly at the Christian Brothers school until he was offered a place in the Jesuits’ Belvedere College in 1893. The Jesuits hoped he would join the order but he rejected Catholicism at 16. Even then, he was strongly influenced by the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas and it would remain so throughout his life. In 1898 he started at the University College Dublin and studied the modern languages of English, French and Italian. He became active in theatrical and literary circles in the city. His first published work was an article on Ibsen’s New Drama.

After graduating he began to drink heavily. He eked out a living by reviewing books, teaching and singing as he was an accomplished tenor. In 1904 he met Nora Barnacle and would eventually elope with her. He spent 12 years teaching English, the last 10 were in Trieste. His son Giorgio was born there. They moved to Rome but ended up back in Trieste where his daughter Lucia was born in 1907. Here he had his first eye problems and went through more than a dozen surgeries for glaucoma.

In 1915 James moved to Zurich because he was a British Subject living in Austria-Hungary during WWI. It was here that he met Harriet Shaw Weaver who would become his patron. Over the next 25 years she gave him thousands of pounds so he could write instead of teaching.

In 1920 James went to Paris to see Ezra Pound for a week and ended up living there for 20 years. He went to Switzerland for more eye surgeries and his daughter Lucia was treated for schizophrenia. Lucia died in 1982. He was taken care of by Maria and Eugene Jolas. If it were not for their care and the financial support from Weaver he might never had finished his works and had them published. He returned to Zurich in late 1940, to get away from the Nazi occupation of France. January 11, 1941, he underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer. He improved the first day and then got worse despite several transfusions and fell into a coma. He woke up at 2 in the morning on the 13th and asked a nurse to call his wife and son and then slipped back into the coma. He died 15 minutes later without having seen them. He is buried in Fluntern Cemetery in Zurich. Nora died 10 years later and is buried at his side.

Among the works of James Joyce are; 3 novels including A Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man , Ulysses and his most famous Finnegan’s Wake; 1 play Exiles; 16 short stories; and 1 book of poetry, Chamber Music.

Literary Giants - Ken Kesey

Kenneth Elton Kesey was born September 17, 1935, in La Junta, Colorado. His parents, Frederick Kesey and Geneva Smith were dairy farmers and had one other son. His best known work was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestfinished in 1962 and later made into a motion picture with Jack Nicholson playing the lead role of R.P. McMurphy.

In 1946 the family moved to Springfield, Oregon and he attended Springfield High School and the University of Oregon. He was a champion wrestler in high school and college where he set long standing state records. In his junior year of college he eloped with his high school sweetheart and over the years they had three children. Kesey had another child with Carolyn Adams in 1966.

After college Kesey attended the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism. He graduated with a degree in speech and communication in 1957. In 1959 at Stanford University he enrolled in a creative writing program funded by a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship that he was awarded at the School of Journalism.

Kesey volunteered to take part in a drug study that was financed by the CIA and carried out at Menlo Park Veterans Hospital. They studied the effects of psychoactive drugs on people. The drugs included LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, cocaine, AMT and DMT. He continued to experiment with the drugs even after the study was completed. He wrote detailed accounts of the experiences throughout his use of the drugs. It was his role as a ‘guinea pig’ that inspired him to begin writing the manuscript that would eventually become One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

He worked the night shift at the hospital and spent time talking to the patients. Often, he was under the influence of drugs. He didn’t believe the patients were insane, only that they did not fit the mold as society expected. The book was an immediate success when it was published in 1962. The following year it was adapted into a successful stage play. In 1975 the screen adaptation was completed. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest won 5 academy awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Director, and Writing Adapted Screenplay.

During this time Kesey was known for throwing frequent parties and invariably some type of drug would find its way into the punch. Kesey had a run in with the law when he was arrested for possession of marijuana in 1965. He faked a suicide and fled to Mexico. When he returned 8 months later he was arrested and spent 5 months in the San Mateo County Jail. After he was released he returned to the family farm and spent the rest of his life there.

In 1997 Kesey suffered a stroke. He developed Diabetes and then had to have surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his liver in October, 2001. He never recovered from the operation and finally died on November 10, 2001. He was 66 years old.

He wrote several novels, collections of essays, collections of short stories, magazine articles and a couple of plays but none that were as successful as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Literary Giants - Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His parents, Edward Fitzgerald and Mollie McQuillan were middle class Irish Catholics. He went by Scott, the first of his two middle names. He was named after his famous uncle, Francis Scott Key who wrote the words to the US anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. The family spent time in Syracuse and Buffalo, New York but returned to St. Paul in 1908.

He attended St. Paul Academy until 1911. His first writing effort, a detective story, was published in the school newspaper when he was 12. He moved to Newman School in Hackensack, New Jersey until 1913 when he entered Princeton University. He wrote for the Princeton Triangle Club which was a kind of musical-comedy society. He submitted his first novel, and while the editor praised the writing, it was rejected. Fitzgerald was a poor student and ended up leaving Princeton to enlist in the US Army to fight in WWI, but the war ended shortly after that.

He met and fell in love with Zelda Sayre while he was at Camp Sheridan. They were engaged in 1919 and he moved to New York City to find work and start his life with Zelda. He was working at an advertising firm and writing short stories but Zelda didn’t feel that he would be able to support her so she broke off the engagement. He returned to St. Paul and finished This Side of Paradise about the post WWI flapper generation. It was accepted and published on March 26, 1920 and became one of the most popular books of the year. Scott and Zelda resumed their relationship and were married in New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Their only child, Frances Scott, was born on October 26, 1921 and was lovingly called Scottie.

Writing novels was Fitzgerald’s passion but after his first book was published he turned to writing short stories for The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s Weekly and Esquire magazines to supplement his income. Because of their luxurious lifestyle and Zelda’s medical care for schizophrenia, they were often in financial straits. He borrowed money from his editor and his longtime friend and agent Harold Ober. Further advances were refused and Fitzgerald severed ties with Ober and wrote an apologetic tribute to his support in the short story Financing Finnegan. On going financial problems interrupted the writing of his fourth novel and he started writing commercial short stories. Zelda’s fragile health continued to decline and in 1932 she was hospitalized. They eventually became estranged and she lived in mental institutions on the east coast. He was living with Hollywood gossip columnist, Sheilah Graham.

An alcoholic since his college days, Fitzgerald’s health was poor. He was believed to be bi-polar which was made worse by his drug use. In late 1940 he had two heart attacks. The second was a massive heart attack that took place in Sheilah Graham’s apartment while she watched over him. Fitzgerald died before he could finish The Love of the Last Tycoon. The manuscript, along with the notes and an outline for the remainder of the story, was edited by literary critic and friend, Edmund Wilson. It was published in 1941 as The Last Tycoon. In 1994 the book was reissued under its intended title.

Fitzgerald wrote five novels, the most popular being The Great Gatsby. He also wrote 8 Short Story Collections, 17 Short Stories (including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which was recently made into a movie starring Brad Pitt as the adult Benjamin), 1 play and essays. Zelda died in a hospital fire in 1948. The two are buried in the family plot in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Rockville, Maryland.

Literary Giants - Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Miller Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on July 21, 1899. His father, Clarence was a physician and his mother, Grace, gave voice and music lessons. Hemingway’s father instilled in him a love of the outdoor sports; camping in remote or isolated areas, hunting and fishing. These early experiences would always have a place in his heart and bring him comfort.

Hemingway graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1917. He showed superior skills both academically and athletically. He showed a particular talent in English classes and gained his first writing experience with the school’s newspaper and yearbook, later serving as editor. He boxed and played American football. He graduated in June, 1917, marking the end of his formal education.

He began his literary career as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star. It was a job he would give up after 6 months but the experience he gained with their writing style would influence him throughout his life.

Hemingway tried to join the army but his poor vision kept him out. He joined the Red Cross Ambulance Corps. The brutalities of war affected him deeply. He was wounded on July 8, 1918 ending that career. He was treated in Milan where he met and fell in love with his nurse. She was older and the relationship ended when he returned to the US and she stayed, getting involved with another soldier. It left an enduring mark on his psyche and provided inspiration for, and was fictionalized in, A Farewell to Arms.

Back in Oak Park Hemingway worked as a freelancer for the Toronto Star and married Hadley Richards. In December, 1921, they moved to Paris for the next 2 years. He would become involved in the American expatriate circle known as the Lost Generation. After a successful stint as a foreign correspondent he returned to Toronto, Canada where his first son Jack was born. Most of his work for the Star was published in the 1985 collection Dateline: Toronto.

In April, 1925 he met F. Scott Fitzgerald and they became close friends. It was rumored that they had an affair but there was never any evidence that either of them was homosexual. In 1927 he was divorced and married Pauline Pfeiffer and they moved to Key West, Florida. The following year his father committed suicide. In that same year his second son, Patrick, was born followed a few years later by Gregory, his third child.

A Farewell to Arms was published in 1929 and its success made Hemingway financially independent. He returned to Key West, Florida establishing his first American home. In his den on the upper floor of the converted garage he completed an estimated 70% of his life’s writing. The roller coaster of his life influenced and was often depicted in his stories. In 1940 he was divorced again and lost his beloved Key West home. A few weeks later he married Martha Gellhorn, a woman he had met and lived with while in Spain.

Hemingway took part in naval warfare in World War II. That was cut short and he went to Europe as a war correspondent for Collier’s magazine. After the war he spent time in Italy writing. Newly divorced, he married war correspondent Mary Welsh, whom he had met in 1944 while overseas.

The Old Man and the Sea was published in 1952 and was very successful. He earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. These awards took him to international recognition. Around this time Hemingway was on a safari and was involved in two successive plane crashes. He sustained multiple injuries including a major concussion causing a temporary loss of vision in one eye and hearing in one ear, paralysis of the spine, a crushed vertebra, ruptured liver, spleen and kidney, and first degree burns on his face, arm and leg. The extent of his injuries had some American newspapers reporting his death. The next month he sustained second degree burns on his legs, front torso, lips, left hand and right forearm leaving him in agony. After these injuries, he started drinking heavily which impeded his recovery. His blood pressure and cholesterol were extremely high and he suffered from aortal inflammation and depression.

Hemingway was given ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy), better known as shock treatments which caused memory loss and made his depression worse. In the spring of 1961 he attempted suicide and received ECT again. In a family sporadically plagued by suicide, Hemingway took his own life just three weeks before his 62nd birthday. On July 2, 1961, he put the butt of a shotgun on the floor, centered his forehead over it, and pulled both triggers.

During his life and after, he received many honors and tributes, writing numerous books, short stories, poems, papers and articles of which several were not published until after his death. Some of his best known works include The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Seas, In our Time, and For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. was born on December 8, 1925 in New York City. His father, Sammy Davis, Sr. was an entertainer and his mother, Elvera Sanchez was a tap dancer. Sammy's parents were both vaudeville dancers and as an infant he was raised by her paternal Grandmother. His parents separated when he was three years old and he went on tour with his dad. Davis learned his dance skills from his dad and Will Mastin who led the dance troupe his father worked in. The three of them became the Will Mastin Trio.

During his stint in the service he continued to be an entertainer, serving in the Special Services unit. When he was discharged he rejoined the Will Mastin dance act playing to audiences around Portland, Oregon. In 1959 Sammy became a member of the Rat Pack led by Frank Sinatra and originally included Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford and Shirley MacLaine. The fast living friends called themselves the Clan and then the Summit but the media has always referred to them as the Rat Pack.

Sammy was a headliner who packed the 'house' in Las Vegas for many years. In the 50's he and other black entertainers were allowed to perform on stage but were not allowed to stay at the hotels or to gamble in any of the casinos. As he gained recognition and stardom he refused to perform in places where black entertainers were being barred. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos.

Sammy was an actor, comedian, singer, dancer, impressionist and musician and combined these talents when entertaining in clubs and casinos. He was also a talented photographer who enjoyed taking pictures of his family and friends.

On November 19, 1954 Sammy was involved in an automobile accident that almost killed him. He lost his left eye as a result of the accident and wore a patch for several months until he was fitted with a glass eye which he wore the rest of his life. Davis died in Beverly Hills, California on May 16, 1990 of complications from throat cancer. It was reported that he could have been saved but refused the surgery that would have taken his voice. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery next to his father and Will Mastin, a trio even in death.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series - Skip James

From a son of a servant mother and a bootlegging father turn religion, Nehemiah Curtis James, more commonly known as Skip James life was a 360 event with the blues weaved all the way through. Skip was born in 1902 in Mississippi. Segregation was still in full swing as well as prohibition. Compared to many blues artist, Skip had a tad bit better of an upbringing then most black kids of the times since his mother worked for a wealthy family, however, it still did not come without its share of up’s and downs. Skips father left him at the tender age of five, escaping from the law some say where others say he was running from the IRS. Skips father would re-enter his life two more times, the first time when he was 14 when his mother tried reuniting with him, and then again, when Skip was in his early 30’s. Both reunions were huge turning points in Skip’s life.

At the age 10, Skip’s mom got him a guitar. Henry Stuckey, age 15 at the time, taught Skip how to play the guitar by teaching him the well-known eight bar staple “Drunken Spree”. It was only two years later when Skip would come into contact with his father again when his mother moved them to Sidon, where his father resided at the time. His mom’s 2-year attempt to reunite with his father failed and at the age of 14 Skip ran away from home to return a year later. Skip tried school only to drop out, however did pick up some piano skills from his aunt.

James composed his first song “Illinois Blues” while working on a construction camp. After a series of different jobs in construction and lumber camps, James moved to Arkansas and began working as a lumber grader. It was there that he met up with a well known pimp of the times, Will Crabtree. Crabtree was an excellent pianist who taught young James how to play as well as how to work the women. James continue his fast paced lifestyle of working as a pianist and working the women to support his new interest in having a flashy wardrobe. This worked well for him for a while, but after a dispute with one of the women he had been hustling, James made fast tracks back to his home state.

By this time prohibition had gone to the way side and James started bootlegging to continue to sport the lifestyle he had become accustomed to. The return home was good for James, as he began to play the guitar again and dabble in singing the blues. He quickly picked up his own style of playing the guitar that he coined “cross note tuning” which was a mix of the three finger pick as done by Charlie Patton, Mississippi Hurt, and Bo Carter, in a e-minor tone. This style got him noticed by Paramount Records that lead to James having 26 singles recorded. James may have recorded many more ground braking blues had it not been for the 30-year furlough he took when he found religion with his father. He did not re-enter the music world again until the early 60’s. Skip James died from cancer only 5 years after re-entering the blues world at the age of 67.

Betting on the Horses - Online Gambling

There are only three forms of online gambling in the United States that are legal. The first is fantasy sports, which are games where players build their own team that competes against other teams based on the statistics generated by the real individual players or teams of a professional sport. Some of the more popular sports are baseball, football, soccer, basketball, golf, and auto racing. The second is online lotteries which are games involving the drawing of lots for a prize. Last is horse and harness racing, which is self-explanatory.

The Federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act put a stop to all kinds of online gambling. The root of the problem was the money that was being transferred from a bank to an online gambling site. Gamblers have to upload funds to the online gambling company to make bets or play games and then they cash out their winnings. The U.S. banks prohibit the use of their credit and debit cards for the purpose of internet gambling. Because of this, some of the international sites have discontinued their service to U.S. residents.

Online gambling still goes on today, gamblers just use offshore accounts to get their money where it is needed so they can play. Billions of dollars are spent on gambling every year. It’s reminiscent of prohibition. When you take something away that is popular with many people, they are going to find a way around the law.

It is estimated that online poker and casino games alone could generate up to twelve billion dollars in the U.S. It was also concluded that the U.S. market would, at some point, legalize gambling because of the tax dollars it stands to gain. Betfair, which is a U.K. based internet-gambling company, is betting on it. They want to introduce the Facebook generation to the horseracing. Facebook is a social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. Facebook is available in over fifty countries.

In January, Betfair bought American TV Games Network, which is an online horse race betting company. The price tag was a staggering $50 million, mainly because TVG has its own television channel that broadcasts horseracing to 32 million households in the U.S. Because horseracing is legal in the U.S. Betfair is focused solely on it. However, they believe that other forms of gambling will become legal in the U.S. and when they do, Betfair will be ready to expand and include them

California Approves Off Track Betting Sites

In an effort to pump new blood into the struggling horse racing industry California legislators have approved new off track betting sites. The approved counties include Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura. There will be fifteen new Off Track Betting (OTB) wagering sites. Last year horse races in California drew wagers of $4.4 billion.

The first of these new sites is the Commerce Casino located at 6131 Telegraph Road in Commerce, California, and it will serve as a test model to gauge the success of the initiative during these trying economic times. The Racebook at Commerce opened in July of 2009 and features mini satellite wagering from California and Eastern United States race tracks. There are 26 television screens available for viewing the races so every one is guaranteed to get a good seat.

State and gaming officials are hopeful that the Commerce will be the first of forty-five new ‘mini satellite’ sites that will be allowed to take up residence in not only casinos but also sports bars, card clubs and other gathering spots. These will be in addition to the 34 betting facilities already in operation at racetracks, tribal casinos and fairgrounds.

Under the new law, approved businesses can file an application with the California Horse Racing Board for one of the 45 new sites to be granted across the state. Fifteen of these sites reside in each of three racing zones. The new sites have to be located at least twenty miles from any existing satellite wagering facility unless they have permission from the operators of that site.

It is possible that people who patronize the racetracks will take their business to the OTB sites. The larger, more popular racetracks including Hollywood, Del Mar, and Santa Anna will benefit in the long run because they will collect a share of every bet placed at the OTB sites on all races run at their respective parks. There is also the possibility that people who have never been to a racetrack would take the opportunity to check out the action at the casino’s where they already do business.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series - Willie Dixon

William James “Willie” Dixon was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 1, 1915. His mother habitually tried to turn everything she said into rhymes and Willie quickly followed suit and carried the habit into his poems and song writings. He first heard the blues at age 12 while he served time on a prison farm for stealing fixtures from a house that had been torn down. He served a second stint the following year for being a vagabond. He learned how to sing harmony from Leo Phelps who was a local carpenter. Phelps had a gospel quartet, the Jubilee Singers, and Dixon sang bass. Dixon wrote poems and often made them into songs, some of which he sold to local music groups.

He headed to Chicago in 1936. Because of his size, he took up boxing. He was 6 foot 6 inches and weighed 250 pounds. He was so good that in 1937 he won the novice division of the Illinois State Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship. He turned pro but left boxing after only four fights because his manager was cheating him out of his money. He worked briefly as a sparring partner to Joe Louis. It was at the boxing gym where he met Leonard “Baby Doo” Caston who was the major influence in getting Dixon to pursue a music career. Caston built Dixon’s first bass out of a tin can and one string. Because Dixon sang bass, playing the bass instrument came easily. He also learned to play the guitar.

Dixon performed with Baby Doo and together they formed the Five Breezes group. They blended blues, jazz, and vocal harmonies. This success was cut short because when he was drafted he refused to go, claiming he was a conscientious objector. He spent the next ten months in prison. After the war, he formed the group Four Jumps of Jive. Dixon then rejoined pianist Caston in 1945, forming the Big Three Trio with guitarist Bernardo Dennis and went on to record for Columbia Records. After a year, Ollie Crawford replaced Dennis.

In 1948 Dixon signed as a recording artist with Chess Records but ended up performing less and getting into the business end of Chess. By 1951, he was working as a producer, A&R talent scout, session musician, and staff songwriter. Although his years there were less than perfect for him, his output and major influence was enormous.

Dixon also worked as a producer for Checker Records where he worked with such greats as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, and Bo Diddley among others. He performed on many of Chuck Berry’s early recordings further proving his link between the blues and rock and roll.

Dixon is remembered mainly as a songwriter as he wrote around 500 compositions. The biggest boost to his song-writing career happened after he cornered Muddy Waters at a Chicago Club in the men’s room and taught him the hard circumstances and boastful lyrics of Hoochie Coochie Man. Muddy’s voice added a tough bravado to the song. It was a classic case of the right singer, singing the right song at the right time. Some of his other hit songs include Little Red Rooster, Evil, Spoonful, Back Door Man, I Just Want to Make Love to You, I Ain’t Superstitious, My Babe, Wang Dang Doodle and Bring It On Home.

Later in life Dixon became an ambassador of the blues and a vocal advocate for its practitioners by founding the Blues Heaven Foundation. It worked to preserve the blues legacy and to secure copyrights and royalties for blues musicians who were exploited in the past. Dixon put it like this, “The blues are the roots, and the other musics are the fruits. It’s better keeping the roots alive, because it means better fruits from now on. The blues are the roots of all American Music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues.”

Heart failure claimed the life of Willie Dixon on January 29, 1992 in Burbank, California. He is buried in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. Following his death he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the ‘early influences’ category in 1994.

Some Blues you Just Have to Hear Series – Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters reminds me of the Mississippi River after a heavy rain as the water is rushing muddy and very powerful; however, the Muddy Waters I am referring to is none other then the Father of Chicago Blues, McKinley Morganfield, more famously known as Muddy Waters.

Muddy waters was born as McKinley Morganfield back in 1913 or 1914, or 1915, as there is much debate as to when Muddy was actually born. Born into a sharecropper family in Issaquena County, Mississippi, Muddy’s mother died when he was only 5 years old leaving his grandmother, Della Grant to raise him. He had been dubbed Muddy at an early age because he loved to play in the mud. He later added Water to “Muddy” and finally ended up calling himself “Muddy Waters”.

Like most blues artists, he started out playing the harmonica but switched to the guitar. By the age of seventeen, he was playing the guitar at parties imitating two popular blues artists, Son House and Robert Johnson.

In 1940, Waters moved to Chicago but a year later found himself back in Mississippi. In the early 1940’s Waters ran a juke joint complete with gambling, moonshine, and a jukebox, where he often performed himself. In 1943 he went back to Chicago with the hopes of become a full time musician. He drove a truck, worked in a factory during the day, and performed at night. A leading bluesman, Big Bill Broonzy, helped Waters break into the business by allowing him to be the opening act for his shows. In 1945, Waters received his first electric guitar, which allowed him to be heard over the noise of the audience.

The first few times Waters recorded music it wasn’t released. The first recording was for Columbia and later for Aristocrat, which was a new label run by Leonard and Phil Chess. In 1948 two hits, “I Can’t Be Satisfied” and “I Feel Like Going Home” accelerated his popularity in the clubs. Aristocrat changed their name to “Rollin’ Stone” which was a Waters smash hit directed by Chess.

The Chess brothers tried to keep Waters from using his own musicians but by September 1953, they gave up trying. With Waters playing second guitar and singing he was joined by Little Walter Jacobs on the harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elga Edmonds on drums, and Otis Spann on piano. Bassist and songwriter Willie Dixon helped too. The group recorded a series of classics including ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’, and ‘I’m Ready.’ These songs were not his usual style but they were so extraordinary that it helped him to break out of the local mold and made him a national star.

By 1954, Waters was at the top of his career. His singing had taken on a shouting quality and the band’s music resembled a throbbing rhythm. As members of his band left for solo careers Waters’ style went with them and continued to evolve. Waters was forced to replace his band members with various studio musicians and some of the magic was lost.

In 1958, he shocked the audiences in England. Patrons, expecting to hear folksy blues, were bombarded with Muddy’s booming loud electric guitar and a deafening beat. At the 1960, Newport Jazz Festival, Muddy’s performance was recorded and released as his first live album. Although it was a hit he was saddened by the fact that his own race were turning their backs on his style of music even though it had the white audience looking at the blues with a new respect. Waters’ sound literally electrified the Delta blues.

On November 25, 1976, Muddy Waters performed at The Bands farewell concert in San Francisco. The following year Waters signed on the Blue Sky label (a Columbia Records subsidiary), and was off and running again with an LP Hard Again. Johnny Winter had convinced Blue Sky to Sign Waters, and he produced his final four albums including Hard Again, ¬I’m Ready, King Bee ¬ and Muddy “Mississippi” Waters – Live.

His influence was notable across a multitude of music types including the blues, rhythm and blues, rock n roll, folk, jazz and country. Because of ill health Waters’ last public performance took place in Florida in the fall of 1982 when he sat in with Eric Clapton’s band during a Clapton concert.

Waters received six Grammy Awards and five Blues Foundation Awards. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed four of his songs in the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Muddy Waters died quietly in his sleep on April 30, 1983 at his home in Westmont, Illinois.

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr., A sad day indeed..

The world has had a great loss. Today, Walter Cronkite, best known as the anchor for the CBS Evening News, has died. Viewers considered him ‘the most trusted man in America’ because of his years of experience and the kindness he always showed everyone.

Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, November 4, 1916. When he was ten, his family moved to Houston, Texas. Even in high school Walter had a nose for the news as he edited their newspaper. While attending the University of Texas at Austin he worked on the Daily Texan newspaper. He dropped out of college in 1935 and became a reporter of news and sports.

His first broadcasting job was as a radio announcer. He joined the United Press in 1937 and would become one of the American reporters in World War II. He was one of eight journalists chosen by the US Army Air Forces to fly bombing raids over Germany in a B-17 Flying Fortress. He also landed in a glider with the 101st Airborne and covered the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he covered the Nuremberg trials where prominent members of the political, military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany were prosecuted after being defeated. Cronkite served as the United Press main reporter in Moscow for 2 years.

Cronkite was recruited by Edward R. Murrow (famous for radio broadcasts of WW II) for CBS News in 1950. On July 7, 1952, the term ‘anchor’ was used to describe Cronkite’s role at both the Democratic and Republican Nation Conventions (marking the first televised convention coverage) as well as the presidential election that followed.

For four years, starting in 1953, Cronkite hosted the CBS program ‘You Are There’ which was a reenactment of historical events presented as a news report. He also hosted ‘The Twentieth Century’, a documentary series about important historical events of the century which consisted of mostly newsreel footage and interviews.

Cronkite took over as the anchorman of the CBS Evening News on April 16, 1962. One of Cronkite’s trademarks was ending the CBS Evening News with the phrase “…And that’s the way it is,” followed by the date. For most of his 20 years as anchor, he was the ‘predominant news voice in America.”

Some of the famous events he covered included the Cuban missile crises, the JFK assassination, the Vietnam War, D Day + 20 with General Dwight Eisenhower, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the death of former president LBJ. and the Watergate scandal. His final day as anchor was March 6, 1981 and he was succeeded by Dan Rather. Cronkite received numerous awards and honors during his life time.

After his retirement he remained busy doing voiceovers, narratives, hosting TV specials, writing a syndicated opinion column and working as a political activist among other things. One of Cronkite’s proudest achievements was his coverage of the space program. NASA gave Cronkite a moon rock which he in turn presented to the University of Texas at Austin.

Cronkite was married for nearly 65 years to Betsy and remained with her until her death on March 16, 2005. They had 3 children and 4 grandchildren. He died on July 17, 2009 at his home in New York City at the age of 92. He is believed to have died from cerebral vascular disease. Rest in peace Walter. You will always be remembered as one hell of a man!

Here is a taste of this great man. Walter's beginning coverage of the 1979 nucular meltdown at Three Mile Island.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series - Eddie James Son House

Eddie James “Son” House, Jr. was born in Riverton, Mississippi on March 21, 1902, the middle of three brothers. Around 1909 his parents separated and his mother and the three boys moved to Tallulah, Louisiana. House picked cotton as a teenager and by the age of 15 was preaching sermons in the Baptist Church. By the time he was 20, he was the pastor of a small country church south of Lyon. He left the church to follow a woman (10 years his senior) with whom he had been having an affair.

House was a self-taught guitarist who furthered his ability with the help of a little known local musician named James McCoy. He was inspired by the slide guitar work of Willie Wilson. He developed quickly as a guitarist and within a year was playing with Delta musician Rube Lacy.

In 1928 during a party House shot and killed a man, claiming self-defense, after the man shot him in the leg. He was sentenced to 15 years at Parchman Farm Prison but was released after just 2 years when a Clarksdale judge re-examined the case. The judge advised him to leave the area and he moved to Lula where he met bluesman Charley Patton. In 1930 Patton, House, Willie Brown (guitarist) and Louise Johnson (pianist) gathered in Grafton, Wisconsin for a recording session with Paramount Records.

House continued playing solo and with Brown and Patton (died in 1934) during the thirties. After moving to Robinsonville, Mississippi, he met a young Robert Johnson. After Johnson learned to play the guitar, he began playing with House and Brown, picking up some of their styles. In 1941 House, Brown, Joe Martin, and Leroy Williams were recorded by folklorist Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. House did not make another commercial record until the “blues revival of the 1960s.

In 1943, House moved to Rochester, New York and worked for the New York Central Railroad. He worked outside of music for sixteen years. In the early and mid 1960s he started playing again. That led to touring and more recording. Among the artists who were influenced by him were Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, and Robert Nighthawk.

From the early 1970s, House was plagued by ill health. His playing became infrequent and then stopped all together in 1974. He moved to Detroit, Michigan and lived out the rest of his life. Son House died on October 19, 1988 from cancer of the larynx. He was buried at the Mt. Hazel Cemetery and members of the Detroit Blues Society held benefit concerts to raise money to put a fitting monument on his grave.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series - Charlie Patton

In Southern Mississippi in April 1891, Charlie Patton was born to sharecropper parents. When he was nine years old his family moved to the Will Dockery Plantation located in the Delta. The Mississippi Delta is a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, the Mississippi River on the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The Delta is famous for its fertile soil and extreme poverty making it the ideal location for sharecroppers.

Henry Sloan was an African American musician who moved to the Delta area around the same time as the Patton’s. Although Sloan is considered one of the earliest performers in the history of Delta Blues he never recorded any music. His claim to fame is that he tutored Charlie Patton on the guitar in the ways of the blues. Charlie dogged his every step and played the blues with him for several years.

It was said that Patton defined the life of a bluesman. He had an earthy voice many considered course and it was attributed to hard times and harder living. He drank and smoked excessively. It’s not known for sure but it thought that he had eight wives. He moved around a lot and never stayed in one spot long. He even spent a short time in jail.

Patton made his first recording in June of 1929 for the Paramount label. He recorded fourteen songs for them, all recorded on 78’s. His first session was so successful that he was invited back just four months later and recorded an additional twenty eight tunes.

He played the slide guitar too making it a popular instrument in the playing of the blues. Patton is at the top of the list in blues history. He influenced the style of the blues and the performers in the succeeding generation. Performers that can trace their blues style back to Patton include Son House, Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson. It’s even been suggested that Patton may have been the first rock and roller. He was a real ham while performing on stage, playing the guitar loud and rough while holding it between his knees or behind his back. He jumped around, tapping the body of the guitar or using the back of his guitar as a drum.

In February of 1934, Patton had his last recording session in New York City. That was just two months before his death on April 28, 1934. He is buried in Holly Ridge, Mississippi and his major role in developing the Delta Blues is noted on his tomb stone. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 1980.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series - Robert Johnson

Robert Leroy Johnson was among the most famous of the Mississippi Delta blues musicians. He was born on May 8, 1911 in Hazelhurst, Mississippi to Julia Major Dodds and Noah Johnson. Because they were not married he had his mother’s name, Dodds. His stepfather changed his name to match his, and he used Spencer until his late adolescence when he took the name of his birth father, even though he had never met him. He spent much of his early life in the northern delta region while his parents lived and worked on plantations and then lived in levee camps during construction of the levees.

The family spent four years in Memphis and at the age of seven his stepfather sent him to the Abbay and Leatherman Plantation near Robinsonville, Mississippi. There he learned how to play the Jew’s harp and the harmonica and started hanging around the older blues musicians. Johnson occasionally played with Willie Brown and his partner Charlie Patton. In 1930 Son House was released from Parchman Farm Prison where he served time for killing a man that he claimed was self defense. Johnson was so impressed by House’s guitar playing that he gave up his harmonica and took up the guitar.

He returned to Hazelhurst, married and kept practicing his guitar and learning new songs. He started imitating Ike Zinnerman, a local guitarist. Several months later he returned to Robinsonville playing a combination of shuffling rhythms and slide guitar leads that outshone other musicians. Some believed that he traded his soul for his new found musical ability. He was a traveler and played in many places including taverns, speakeasies, levee camps, and even coal yards. He traveled the Midwest, East Coast and Canada.

Johnson’s first recording was in San Antonio, Texas in November, 1936 and included the songs “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom”, “Sweet Home Chicago”, “Cross Road Blues” and Walkin’ Blues” as well as many others. His second recording was in Dallas, Texas in June, 1937. There were a total of twenty nine songs recorded during those two sessions.

His popularity grew quickly after the recordings. His success and his life were cut short after he died on August 16, 1938 from poison at the young age of 27. His music style and original songs have influenced such musicians as Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. Johnson was ranked fifth in the Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He is also an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series – John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker, although a blues man, gave blues a different style, he brought the boogie into blues. Who loved him; everyone loved him. He was the inspiration for many rockers such as the Rolling Stones and White Stripes. Born in 1917 in Clarksdale Mississippi, Hooker began singing in his church.

Hooker’s early beginnings started like many of the other Mississippi Delta blues artist, being a son of a Baptist preacher/sharecropper, with 10 siblings of meager belongings. Hooker did not go to a public school, rather was taught in his home by mother. He grew up illiterate. His first introduction to music was the spiritual music that was played religiously. His father (William Hooker) and mother (Minnie Ramsey) divorced when hooker was 4 years old. His mother got married a year later to a blues singer, William Moore. Moore was the one that taught Hooker how to play the guitar as well as Moore’s friends Charlie Patton, and Blind Lemon Jefferson.

In the early 30’s at the age of 15, Hooker ran away from home, never to look back again. His first destination was Memphis Tennessee, however his luck as a blues artists didn’t pan out as well as he would have liked and he moved on to Cincinnati where he played for a while with a group called the Fairfield Four. Still not making the money he wanted, Hooker found himself drawn to Detroit in the late 40’s due to the work availability in the auto industry for Ford Motors. It was in Detroit where Hooker finally felt at home with his blues style and began to make a name for himself. “Boogie Chillen” was Hookers first hit single. Back in the 50’s, when Hooker started making a name for himself in the Blues Industry, blacks were still paid pennies compared to white artist. Contracts made it impossible for artist to pick up extra recordings so due to the meager earnings hooker was receiving; he would record songs under various aliases like “John Lee Booker”, “Johnny Hooker”, and “Johnny Cooker”.

Hooker went on to record over 100 albums, open the nightclub “John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom Room”, located in the Fillmore District of San Francisco, and received many awards from having his own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame to the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. John Lee Hooker left us at the age of 83. He passed away after taking ill in 2001 however he left behind eight children, 19 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren, one nephew and an amazing blues music legacy.

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series: Howling Wolf

Howling Wolf almost sounds like a name that would be given to an X-Men like Wolverine, a primal force of nature to be reckoned with, however it is a nickname that was given to one Chester Arthur Burnett. As the story goes, Chester was born back in 1910 in Mississippi. His parents worked on a plantation and Chester was raised with 5 other siblings. Growing up, Chester’s grandfather used to tell his grandchildren stories about the wolves in Mississippi. It is said that because of the stories of the wolves his grandpa told, whenever Chester got scared he would run “howling” through the house thus earning him the nick name “Howling Wolf” by his mother.

Maybe it was due to all the howling as a child that gave “howling Wolf” that deep harsh bluesy voice that his fans fell in love with. Regardless of how he came about his voice, between that and his ability to make people feel his words through his harmonica and guitar, few could match his onstage charisma and showmanship.

Wolf didn’t get into the Blues world early in life as most. He received his first guitar at 18 and although he played around with his guitar and had great idols in his life to mirror and learn from, it would not be until his late 30’s before he really put any serious thought into performing. Prior to that Wolf served in the Army during World War 1 and then spent the remainder of this time as a farmer. After his father’s death in 49, Wolf began to take the Blues more seriously. Wolf didn’t read music yet wrote the majority of his works. He played the songs in how the song felt to him. Without sheet music, when using back up p[layers or playing with other artist, Wolf would have to demonstrate what he was looking for until the players “got” it.

Chester Arthur Burnett a.k.a. Howling Wolf, died on January 10, 1976 at the young age of 65 due to kidney disease. Wolf made it in the Blues industry, and made it big, even with his late start. A book about Howling Wolf “Moanin’ at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howling Wolf” by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman was awarded the Blues Hall of Fame Classic of Blues Literature Award in 2008. Annually, since 1996, the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point Mississippi holds a Howlin’ Wolf Blues Festival.

Now for a little Howling Wolf to bring back the yester years ~

Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series –Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy and B.B. King were both superstars of all times in blues music being the inspiration for other artist such as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

In my previous blog I talked about BB King, today I want to share with you George Buddy Guy. Buddy was another child born to a sharecropper back in 1936 in Louisiana, back when segregation was still in full swing. Buddy’s parents tried to keep as much of the reality of the segregation from Buddy and his other four siblings while growing up and always encouraged them to be the best they could be, regardless of their skin color. He used examples throughout Buddy’s life such as Jackie Robinson, and Joe Louis whom both made names for themselves regardless of their skin.

In his late teens, Buddy started working as a custodian at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Buddy played the guitar when time allowed in blues bands. (Buddy Guy had a serious case of stage freight when he first started making public appearances. It took him quite sometime to conquer this fear and even throughout his whole career, Buddy would get an occasional twinge. Never before out of the state of Louisiana, Buddy decided to move to Chicago after a friend of his returned from a trip there and told him how he knew he would fare well there playing the guitar in the evening and working during the day. Buddy was more interested in working in Chicago rather then playing. It was only secondary to the thought of doubled income he could make working in Chicago as a custodian. The added benefit to Buddy in regards to his move was to see some of the blues greats play. Little did he know it wouldn’t be long when he would be playing right along side of some of the blues greats such as Muddy Waters and Otis Rush.

Guy’s success didn’t take right off, not at least in the style he would have rather played in. Guy’s did make some records under Chess label; however, it was not the style of music he necessarily wanted to record. It wasn’t until the later years of his career and a couple record label later that Guy was able to play how he always wanted to, and what he is known for today, a showman, provocative guitarist and commanding vocalist with just the right touch of the wild side that even make hard core rockers admire him.

Even after opening a blues club in Chicago back in 89, the Buddy Guy’s Legends, a very popular nightclub, Guy still manages to perform at the age of 73, with the same commanding presentation he has always had. Stayed tuned for more great blues artists you must hear. Until then, some Buddy Guy for your listening pleasure..

Some Blues You Just Have to Hear Series - BB King

Riley B. King, otherwise known as B.B. King to the blues world was one of the strongest influences that helped keep the roots of the Mississippi Delta Blue alive. B.B. King was born in 1925 in Indianola Mississippi. Riley grew up a hard life. His parent’s, tenant farmers, separated when riley was very young. His mom did the best she could to bring Riley up. They attended church where Riley got his first taste of the gospel choir. This was the root beginnings of Riley’s love for the blues music and guitar. After his mothers early demise, Riley at the age of 9 pretty much raised himself. His aunt played a partial role when she could in trying to keep Riley on the straight and narrow. Her love of blues and jazz kept Riley coming back to her throughout his young years to listen to the collection of records she had. At the age of 12, Riley began to play the guitar and started performing on street corners as an early teen to make some money to survive.

Some of Riley’s inspiration he received to play the blues was from artist such as Lonnie Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, T-Bone Walker, and Bukka White. Bukka White was Riley’s cousin and played a huge role in Riley’s decision to try to take his act on the road. After training under his cousin White, at the age of 21, Riley hitchhiked to Memphis Tennessee and within three years, developed a nice gig playing in clubs and even having some records made. It was also in Memphis that Riley began DJ’ing on the radio. His DJ’ing is where he earned his nickname, B.B. King. He began announcing himself on the radio station as Beale Street Blues Boy, which was later shortened to Blues Boy then to B.B.

B.B. King continued to make a huge name for himself in the Blue’s Industry as well as the music world as a whole. He and “Lucille”, a name he began giving all of his guitars early on in his music career, literally came from what most would consider dirt poor, and rose to the cream of the crop. (Lucille was a woman in BB Kings early career where an incident ensued over a fight for Lucille resulting in a fire where BB almost lost his guitar to the fire over this woman.)

By 1952, B.B. made it to the top of the Billboard Charts for rhythm and blues with his song “Three O’clock Blues”. From then on it was just one hit after another, for six decades and 50 albums later. B.B. is known for his strong guitar tone and his smoky deep vocals in his smooth mix of the traditional blues with a dash of country guitar tone. On the more risky side of B.B. Riley King, it has been reported that he was quite the ladies man in his career singing the blues. B.B. was married twice, both times ending in divorce due to his demanding career, however it has also been said that B.B. fathered 15 children by different women as well as in just one single year, had 341 one-night-stands! I can see where that could make for quite a bit of material for some blues music.

King of Pop Laid to Rest

Today, July 7, 2009, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was laid to rest. It was a somber day for family, friends and fans alike. It has been reported that live coverage of the memorial service was viewed by millions. The service was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Eight thousand seven hundred and fifty fans acquired a pair of tickets allowing a whopping seventeen thousand five hundred fans to be among the estimated 19,500 mourners to attend the service. Among the celebrities that took part in the service were Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Lionel Richie to name just a few. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III were in attendance as well as basketball greats Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

Several thousand fans crowded around the outside of the building to pay their final respects to this legend. Coverage of the memorial services was carried by virtually all major networks and was simultaneously shown in 85 theaters across the United States. Jackson’s rose covered casket was carried into the Staples center by his brothers Tito, Jackie, Randy and Jermaine. All of the pall bearers wore gold ties and a single sequined white glove, a trademark of the King of Pop. The Jackson family received a standing ovation as they walked into the center. Michael’s three children, Paris 11, Prince Michael I, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7, sat surrounded and sheltered by the family.

The Jackson family along with all of those who took part in the service gathered on the stage for a final tribute and sang We Are the World which Jackson and Lionel Richie co-wrote. The service was packed with music and tributes to Jackson lasted more than two hours.

The service this afternoon was brought to a tearful conclusion when Paris, Michael’s eleven year old daughter who has never spoken in public said her final good bye to her dad. She said, “I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And, I just wanted to say I love him so much.” Having said this, she burst into tears and was consoled by her aunt, Janet.

Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop, is finally at rest.

Horse Race Betting - Statistics, Heart or Gut Instinct

There are people who love to bet on the horses. They all have their own way of determining which horse to bet on. There are those who only consider the statistics to help them find profitable betting angles. They look at the past wins for sure but also study the trainers, jockeys and the blood line of each horse. They study the finish position and the amount that has been paid out when the horse raced before. These betters usually get and study the tip sheets where past performances are outlined. The tip sheets are prepared by professional handicappers. Some people always bet on the favorite because they traditionally win about a third of the time. The only drawback with betting the favorite is that a lot of people bet that way. Because of that fact the return could be relatively safe but the pay out is usually small.

There are those betters who just love a particular horse. They don’t care about how the horse has performed in the past or what the tip sheets have to say about them. They could care less about the odds. They may like the way the horse looks or walks. They may appreciate the liveliness of the animal or may actually feel sorry for him because he is the long shot. It might be that they have a soft spot for the jockey or just like the way the horse and jockey look together. Because it is based on feelings rather than statistics its outcome is doubtful but the better will not be daunted by that. He bets for the love of betting.

Lastly, there are those enthusiasts who place their bets using good old gut instinct. Maybe they notice an edge the horse might be exhibiting. Maybe they think it is the horse’s lucky day. It could have been a voice in their head telling them to take the chance or something he read or saw that struck him. Maybe it was just a coincidence that led him to a particular horse and/or jockey. They may not even understand the bet themselves; they only know they have to place it.

No matter what technique is used, horse betting is a past time enjoyed by many. Most will tell you that it is not the win or loss that brings the excitement, but the running of the race. How do you bet - gut, heart, or statistics?

Women and the Blues

The 1920s was the era of the female blues singer starring Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Memphis Minnie, Sippie Wallace, and many more. Their inspirations ranged from the world of gospel, vaudeville, and jazz music. These blues singers never failed to sell out a venue regardless of its setting and their blues are still alive amongst us today. Although a hot tickets item in the 20’s, come the 30’s, the fan base for female blues singers fell to the weigh side, however their impact remained later paving the inspiration for other singers such as Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, and Bonnie Raitt just to name a few.

Ida Cox was born in Toccoa, Georgia and made her first public appearance belting out the blues in minstrel shows when she traveled with the White and Clark’s Black & Tan Minstrels. She sang with several other minstrel shows and it was where she met and married a trumpeter by the name of Adler Cox. After his death, she married Eugene Williams and had a daughter, Helen. After her divorce from Williams, she married Jesse Crump, a pianist. Together they wrote songs. He managed her career and even played on some of her records. By the time Ida Cox started her professional career in 1923 she had already been singing in theaters for 13 years. She signed with Paramount Records and recorded 78 songs over the ensuing 6 years. It was the beginning of a career that would last until her final recording in 1961. What brought Cox to the forefront was her ability to write lyrics that her southern women counterparts could relate to regarding struggles of poor hard times, love, and love lost. She appeared regularly in shows until she had a stroke in 1944. It stopped her touring but not her singing career. Cox not only sang the blues but also dabbled in comedy, hotel management, and acting but also was and will forever be known best for her bluesy voice and her commanding stage presence.

Bessie Smith was considered the “Empress of the Blues” and probably the most famous of the female blues singers. She had the highest record sales of any female blues singer of the time. Smith had a strong and powerful vocal, which demanded attention and got just that.

Ma Rainey was considered the “Mother of the Blues” with her blues carrying a southern country flavor that sang to the hearts of poor Southern African Americans of the times. Ma Rainey was a groundbreaking teacher for her younger counterparts Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, Marcia Ball, and Bonnie Raitt; however, she was a hard act for them to follow. Her costuming alone was that of a diva decked out in sequined gowns dripping in jewelry and her make up quite extravagant for a black woman of the times.

When Memphis Minnie took a stage, she also demanded attention through her vocals, tone, and voice. Minnie set a twist on the stage of early female blues artist toting along her six-string strumming out music that made many of her male counterparts green with envy of her skills. Moreover, Sippie Wallace the sweet “Texas Nightingale” made her impact on the jazz and blues world for seven decades.

The women of the blues, although gone, will never be forgotten for the impact they made on the Blues Industry.

Censored, Banned or Challenged Books

In this modern day of ‘anything goes’ it is hard to believe that there are still books being censored, banned or challenged. The list is longer than you can imagine. Some of the books are so controversial that it is understandable that someone would object to them. My guess is that for every book written there is at least one person who would find something in the book that they did not care for.

Some of the books I have read and enjoyed and I have to wonder what that says about me. I recently watched the movie “Bridge to Terabithia” based on the book by Katherine Patterson. It didn’t make me think of Satanism, but that was the objection listed. The Harry Potter series of books made the list also for the use of magic and because Harry stood up to authority figures. Some people might think that an admirable trait.

Would it surprise you to know that the 1969 American Heritage Dictionary was on that list because it contained 39 objectionable words that were considered slang? Shockingly, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was said to be indecent, objectionable and obscene. Was there something that I missed?

The Color Purple was a Pulitzer Prize winning novel and was made into a much acclaimed movie. It was banned all over the world for graphic violence and sexuality. Surely the people who objected to all of these books are not watching TV today!

There are, of course, books on the list that were totally understandable to me. Fanny Hill, written in 1749 was banned because of blunt sexual descriptions. The funny thing there was the author left out the worst things so he wouldn’t be sent to jail after the book was published. Lolita reflected moral disintegration. Portnoy’s Complaint made the hit list too for being sexually explicit. I thought it was rather funny.

While it is true that there are books out there that should not be read by children or even some teens, I think most adults can and would put down any book they found objectionable without being told to do so.

The Sport of Horse Racing

People have been racing horses since the animal was first domesticated around 4500 BC. I believe it is human nature to make a sporting event out of every possible scenario. I can see it now. As soon as there were two domesticated horses, the owners started bragging about his horse being the best and fastest. Words had as little meaning then as they do now. It had to have been a ‘put your money where your mouth is and show me that your horse is faster than mine’ kind of situation. Thus we had the beginning of betting on the ponies.

Horse racing was and is a sport to be appreciated by everyone. Kings as well as common people owned horses and used them for work and/or sport whichever fulfilled their need and held their interest at the time. In the beginning the horses were used for dual purposes but today’s race horses have ancestors that were bred and cross bred purely for their size and speed.

The nomadic tribesman of Central Asia are credited for domesticating the first horses and I believe they had no idea that they were beginning and enabling a sport that would last and flourish for nearly ten thousand years.

Horse racing evolved into a professional sport in the early seventeen hundreds. As the horse racing grew and aged, it became necessary to set up undisputable rules to regulate the sport. Each new race track had to be built according to specific standards and had to be approved before racing was allowed. Rules were put into place for Jockey’s as well, one of the more commonly known ones is in regards to jockey's personal weight. Many think that jockey's have a height restriction, however there is no regulation in place for that, it is just that the majority of jockey are short in stature.

Millions of people attend horse races every year and bet billions of dollars on their favorite horses. New comers and shrewd old timers bet not only on the horse most favored to win, but also on the long shot who will return the largest purse. It is legal to bet on horse racing in most parts of the world, including the United States. If you are planning on taking a little trip around any area that houses a horse track, you may just want to stop in and see what all the hype is about. Lay a few dollars down and give your luck a try.