MICK KAHLER'S WORLD

Last weekend on my Facebook page I quoted an opening line to an old song.  It’s something I sometimes do when a tune is whirling around my coconut.  This time I posted the line “Well she’s all you’d ever want, she’s the kind I’d like to flaunt and take to dinner.” It’s the opening lyric to the Tom Jones oldie “She’s a Lady.”  Seemed innocent enough and some Facebook pals chimed in on how they like that song and Tom Jones.

However, one person replied to my post by saying, “One of the most sexist songs in history.”  Then this Facebook friend quoted the line ‘Well she’s never in the way, always something nice to say, she’s a lady.’ 

One slight phrase pulled from a song that’s fifty years old and it’s labeled ‘One of the most sexist songs in history.’  (Sigh) While I’m fine with people (myself included) being more ‘woke’ to sensitive issues and situations, this particular ‘sexist’ accusation is broke.  

One thing to note, Tom Jones did not write ‘She’s a Lady’ (it was penned by Paul Anka) but Tom did make it a hit, his highest charted single.

So, let’s check out the rest of the lyrics of “She’s a lady.”

Lines like, ‘She’s got style, she’s got grace, she’s a winner.’  I see nothing wrong here.  And to finish the ‘never in the way’ line, Jones sings “I can leave her on her own knowing she’s O.K. alone and there’s no messing.”  Hmm, sounds to me like this lady is independent, self-assured and totally together.  Nothing sexist there.

Then we move on to the words, “She never asks for very much and I don’t refuse her, always treat her with respect, I never would abuse her, what she’s got is hard to find and I don’t want to lose her, helped me build a mountain from a little pile of clay.”  Yeah, real sexism here, right?  Those lyrics pay tribute to someone who the singer treasures, honors and owes much of his success to.   (Another sigh)

Let’s go further in the song.  “But she knows what I’m about, she can take what I dish out and that’s not easy, but she knows me through and through and she knows just what to do and how to please me.”  Here we have lines with the singer admitting he can be difficult but she can take it “and that’s not easy.’ This lady has relationship skills and strength.  Again, I’m having trouble finding the sexism in words that pay homage to how special this woman is.

So, it is with good humor and a whimsical shake of my head, I reject that “She’s a Lady” is a sexist slur of a song.  Folks, we all need to think things through and take caution in what we label as bad or cancelled or banished as poison. Almost any set of lines can be cherry picked to meet an agenda. Nothing is going to be perfect and just because part of a song or a joke or anything else doesn’t precisely fit into today’s standards and expectations doesn’t mean it’s a total disgrace. So let’s try not to paint everything with such a broad brush.

With all this said, it is not lost on me that Tom Jones, (now 80 years old) has been one of the most prolific womanizers in music history.  The singer was married to his childhood sweetheart Linda for 59 years before she succumbed to a final battle of lung cancer in 2016.  For whatever reasons, Linda Jones tolerated her husband’s mega-infidelity and he loved her for that and more.  Tom’s wife’s death left him devastated and you would think he’s carrying some load of guilt for all his past indiscretions. 

Full disclosure- back in the summer of 1998 I saw Tom Jones in concert at Chicago’s Vic Theater. The guy was incredible, belting out two sets of rock and R&B with his band; he practically blew the roof off the joint. If given the chance to see him again, I would.

So now we separate the blatantly unfaithful singer Tom Jones from a fun tune released in 1971 that is NOT the most sexist song in the world.  And we leave it at that.  Again, my only request is that anyone who wants to express agenda-based ideas to a song, movie, joke or written piece, stay away from cherry picking & nit-picking and relax a little.  As the Eagles once sang, “Take it easy, don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.”  (I threw in that line because I know the person who posted Jones’ song was sexist HATES the Eagles.  LOL)

Next blog– Remembering songwriter Jim Steinman.

The other day I was in a store and over the P.A. I heard the old Moody Blues song “Tuesday Afternoon” being played.  Right away it brought back a great memory that made me smile broadly.  Some songs do that you know.

It was the summer of 1988 and The Moody Blues were playing a concert at Poplar Creek Music Theater and  while working at classic rock station 105.9 FM WCKG I was asked to host some listeners in one of the luxury boxes in the pavilion of the concert venue.  I jumped at the chance because not only were these great seats but the fridge in the luxury box was stocked with beer and snacks, plus we had a food and drink tab we could run up as we entertained our six listeners. 

As was custom, I was also given a ticket for a friend or a date and the first person I thought to take was a buddy from my days working for the Elmhurst Park District.  He was a hard-working blue collar family man named Bernie.  Bernie, eight years my senior, was my crew leader during my first summer working for the EPD and we became good friends since.  I even vacationed with him, his wife Jan and their two young sons Chris and Alex one summer as we camped in the Rocky Mountains.

Bernie was a longtime fan of progressive rock groups like Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer but the Moody Blues were tops on his list.  He was thrilled at the prospect of this Monday night outing to see his favorite act and a fantastic time was had at an expertly performed concert.  We’d seen several other live shows together including The Who, Doobie Brothers and Men at Work but this concert was a biggie for my friend.

A few songs into their set, the Moody Blues started playing, (you guessed it) “Tuesday Afternoon” and Bernie really got caught up in the moment.  The whole crowd stood cheering, going nuts and my buddy turned to me with tears rolling down his cheeks.   Bernie put his arm around my shoulder and told me how much that song and this concert meant to him.   Outside of the time his mother was stricken with a heart attack, I’d never seen him so overcome with emotion. I too enjoyed the Moody Blues show but seeing my friend become so moved, THAT made the night for me!

Thanks to all my years in radio, I got plenty of friends and dates to join me at other shows and they too got off on such cool events.  I liked these outings a lot but seeing others get so taken up in what was going on was the real juice for me.  I often felt like Willy Wonka (the Gene Wilder version) when he opened his factory to guests so they could take in all of his candy wonders.  Me showing others the wonder of a live concert or other special happening was a total blast. What fun that was!

I’ll get around to writing about other special concert times with my friends, but that night with The Moody Blues deserved a first mention.   Bernie passed away a few years ago and while that’s a sad and serious drag, I’m sure glad we could share such a memorable night at Poplar Creek.  “If you’ll just come with me you’ll see the beauty of Tuesday afternoon.”

My time off from blogging takes a one week break.

Of all the Spring Breaks I’ve had as a teacher THIS one was the most looked forward to. I made the most of my time off which included the following:

Home Repairs– While I handle most basic maintenance jobs in my home, when it comes to real ‘fix-up jobs’, it’s best to turn to the experts. I follow Andy Griffith’s pleas to Aunt Bee when her old freezer went on the blink; “Call the man! Aunt Bee, just call the man!”

I had a plumber come out to clear the drain pipes in my kitchen.  Several decades of gunk and mess were excised.  What a relief! Then I hired a tree trimming service to prune my silver maple tree. That shade bearing behemoth had not been properly shaped in several years and it looks much better now. Finally, I tried lining up a carpenter to re-build my front stairs but the guy who was recommended to me had too much of a workload to take my business.  So, I’m looking for other help on that job.  I also did some major toss-outs of unused junk.  My home possessions are really becoming streamlined and it feels great to do that.

MOVIES- Despite being vaccinated for the COVID virus, I still don’t feel safe going to movie theatres so I caught up on some films via HBO, Netflix and Amazon Prime.

“Tina”– HBO brings us a detailed documentary on the legendary Tina Turner.  While you think you know her story from the biopic “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, there is much more to know in details.  “Tina” was as good as last year’s HBO doc on the Bee Gees.

“One Night in Miami”– On the same night when Cassius Clay (soon to be re-named Muhammad Ali) won the heavyweight title over Sonny Liston, he had a post-fight hang-out with NFL star Jim Brown, singer Sam Cooke & Malcom X.  It’s a fictional account of what COULD have been talked about.  The actors playing Clay (Eli Goree) and Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) are especially good in this one.

“Sound of Metal”- A punk rock drummer and recovering drug addict suffers sudden hearing loss and gets help from a special program for the deaf.  Oscar nominations are in for lead actor Riz Ahmed and supporting actor Paul Raci.  It’s a visual and auditory trip.  By the way, if someone ever makes a movie about protesting former NFL QB Colin Kaepernick, Riz Ahmed is dead ringer for Kaepernick and could play the lead.

“Promising Young Woman”- Another Oscar nominated film (for Actress Carey Mulligan along with Best Picture and Director). The trailer for this one makes you think it’s a trashy ‘woman gets revenge on men who take advantage of her when drunk’ story.  “PYW” goes WAY beyond that.  I really enjoyed the ride in this mind-bending film, which is an amalgam of “Fatal Attraction”, “Heathers” and “The Usual Suspects.”  In fact I liked it so much, I watched this film twice!

BOOK CLUB– While off, I read a whole 400 page book cover to cover. “Rock Me on the Water,” written by Ronald Brownstein does a remarkable job covering the cultural aspects and ramifications of movies, music, television and politics in the pivotal year of 1974 in Los Angeles.  One line from the start of the book notes how at that time in L.A. ‘you could throw a rock and easily hit a genius’ on the brink of a social or cultural breakthrough.

Finally, there was time for intermittent naps, some TV channel surfing and catching up with some friends on the phone.  I also worked on a load of half written blogs. Once they’re edited, I’ll get back to weekly postings. No hurry on that task.  

So, it was a good Spring Break but it’s great to be back online with my students.  Oh, and yes, ALL of us are counting down to less than three months before our summer vacation!

One of the stories in pop culture right now is the airing of the New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears.”  I have not yet seen this film but apparently Justin Timberlake has caught serious grief as they show his handling of his break-up with Britney some twenty plus years ago.

Timberlake felt such heat that he’s now offered a public apology not just for the way he mistreated Britney Spears but also to singer Janet Jackson after the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” stunt pulled during the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show.  At the time Janet was the recipient of more scorn than Justin, despite it being he who pulled at her top and exposed the infamous bare nipple.

Here’s part of Justin Timberlake’s public mea culpa.

“I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism,” he wrote on Instagram. “I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”

He went on to say more but the bottom line is all these years later, the former N’Sync star owned up to his poor behavior and actions. 

There’s plenty of apologies to be found in social media among celebrities, politicians and other folks in the public eye.  Most ‘I’m sorrys’ happen within a day after the sin is committed.  Now we’ve got retroactive situations like Timberlake’s that are being talked about. 

Another name to take criticism recently is David Letterman. Dave’s being slammed for a 2013 interview done with Lindsay Lohan as he pressed her about substance abuse issues.  Letterman made Lohan feel uncomfortable as he kept asking about her stints in rehab.  This interview happened eight years ago but now people are coming out and dissecting this tense show segment which at the time was not a buzzed about story.

PERMANENT RECORDS– Remember in grade school when we were told that everything we did would end up on our “permanent record”?  Thanks to video recordings and the 24 hour a day grapevine called social media, past incidents can come back to haunt anyone at any time.

 The “Me Too” movement certainly got many men to re-examine their past actions with women, some of which required retroactive apologies.  Three years ago, I carefully looked at my past. I was and still am confident that I committed no ‘Me Too’ sins.  As women who’ve known me personally and professionally would attest, I’ve been an alright guy.

HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE MISTREATMENT THAT I NEED TO OWN UP TO.  It was in the romance department when I was a senior in high school. The girl was Patty, a year older than me, very cute & sweet and we worked together at White Castle.  We spent the summer of ’78 being flirty with each other and kept in touch through mailed letters when she went away to college late that summer. 

That fall, Patty came home from school a couple of times for the weekend and we went out.  However, my side of letter writing back to her slowed up so she sent me a ‘What’s going on here?’ note.  I was cold and uncaring in my response to her and this boy-girl thing quickly died.  I knew Patty was way into me, more than I was into her, and I was a jerk.  Plain and simple. I’ve always been sorry for that.

 A couple of co-workers who stayed in touch with Patty chided me for leading her on.  They were right.  I last saw Patty in the Spring of ’79 when she stopped by the Castle to visit friends still working there.  She was polite in saying hi to me and I returned that with a sheepish greeting before slinking off to hide in the restroom until she left.

A few days after this meeting, I missed out on dating a girl at my high school who I really, really liked. She knew I wanted to ask her out and was receptive to that. But I waited too long to make my play and another guy moved in and shut me out.  I was disappointed and hurt. I then realized how Patty felt.  Too late Mick, you deserve what you get, paybacks are hell.

Fast forward nine years.  I was producing morning radio at WCKG FM and one of Chicago’s many P.R. reps brought in an on-air guest.  I knew this rep casually and while she and I talked and shared about our backgrounds I learned we both knew Patty from White Castle.  This P.R. rep was pals with Patty in high school and still stayed in touch with her!

I mentioned I wasn’t nice to her longtime friend and felt bad for my actions.  Then this exchange happened.

Me– “So how’s Patty doing these days?”

P.R. Rep– “She’s happily married and has a little boy.”

Me- ”That’s great to hear. (laughing) Apparently she got over me!”

P.R. Rep– “Maybe. Patty named her son ‘Mickey.’

Whoa!  O.K. then.

I have no idea where Patty is today. There’s no need to search her out.  Still, if I ever saw her again, I would state my most sincere apology.  

And if it’s any consolation to her, when it comes to relationships with women, I’ve had more misses than hits.  Sometimes I wonder if I’m still paying penance for being a careless clod to a nice young lady all those years ago.

Permanent record folks.  Always keep that in mind and act accordingly.

Readers, I’ve got about 20 blogs written that aren’t time sensitive, but I’m going to take some time off from editing and posting them.  There’s other writing I want to focus on.   See you on down the line.

Valentine’s Day is this Sunday.  Here’s part 2 of my favorite loved up movie couples.

ALBERT BROOKS & MERYL STREEP IN “DEFENDING YOUR LIFE.”  Brooks meets his potential paramour Streep at a post death weigh station called Judgment City.  They bond, share their pasts and wonder where their eternal lives may be headed.

WILL FERRELL & MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL- “STRANGER THAN FICTION.” Easily my favorite Will Ferrell movie as he plays a straightlaced IRS auditor who has to investigate Gyllenhaal’s past income tax issues.  She hates him until he shows there’s more to him than just a money counting government official.  This is one of those great moments I can’t get enough of.

JIMMY FALLON & DREW BARRYMORE- “FEVER PITCH.”  Fallon’s movie career hasn’t been much to note but his portrayal of Ben the school teacher & Red Sox fanatic who boldly falls for Barrymore’s ‘Lindsey’ a corporate climber is funny and poignant.  This clip is when they take a second stab at a date after a not so good first outing when Lindsey suffered from food poisoning.

TOM HANKS & ROBIN WRIGHT- “FORREST GUMP.”  Forrest always said he and Jenny (Wright) went together “like peas and carrots.”   It just took years for her to understand that.  My favorite scene is when Jenny tells Forrest she wished she could’ve been with him during his many travels and he says she was.  Forrest always thought about his girl.  (Sniff)  Here’s the clip when Forrest makes a first proposal to his girl. 

ROBERT DUVALL & TESS HARPER- “TENDER MERCIES”- If this movie isn’t my favorite of all time, it’s definitely in the top 3.  Duvall is Mac Sledge, a rundown and out alcoholic country singer who finds redemption from the patience and kindness of a widowed single mother, Rosa Lee. (Harper) Unlike many male-female romance movies, Mac’s marriage proposal isn’t the climax of this great film.

Next Sunday is Valentine’s Day. While not paying much attention to that Hallmark holiday I have pondered about couples’ relationships in movies.  Everyone has their favorites; ranging from Bogart and Bacall in “Key Largo” to Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in “Sleepless in Seattle” to Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in “Brokeback Mountain” or any other loved up pairs.  

Some of my favorite onscreen romances are a little offbeat, some may be right in your wheelhouse.  No matter, here’s Round One of my picks.

BILL MURRAY & OLIVIA WILLIAMS IN “RUSHMORE.”  Murray plays a soon to be divorced restless millionaire who isn’t the most surefooted Romeo.  Olivia Williams plays a widowed prep school teacher who’s also a little slow on the love uptake.  It’s a shy and awkward pairing as seen in this clip.

KEVIN COSTNER & SUSAN SARANDON IN “BULL DURHAM.”  Well traveled minor league ballplayer goes to bat with baseball fanatic/groupie.  The classic scene is when Costner’s ‘Crash Davis’ states his beliefs to Sarandon’s Annie Wilkes, including appreciation for “Long slow, deep, soft wet kisses that last 3 days.” However, I prefer the cat and mouse play these two characters have a couple of days after that scene.

JON FAVREAU & HEATHER GRAHAM IN “SWINGERS.”  Another awkward relationship picks up a bit after Mike, an aspiring comedian, swing dances in a club with Lorraine then makes a play with self-deprecating style. 

DEMETRI MARTIN & GILLIAN JACOBS IN “DEAN.” Dean is a cartoonist on a trip to L.A.  He’s coping with the passing of his mother, a broken engagement and a strained relationship with his father and Nicky is cute enough to peak Dean’s interest.  The only clip I could land was the movie’s trailer.  Nicky is the blonde who calls Dean out on his awkward fall at a party.  There’s also a slow growing love thing happening between Dean’s widower father played by Kevin Kline and his realtor. (Mary Steenburgen) 

If you haven’t seen this low-key film, check it out on demand, it’s worth your 4 dollars.

SALLY FIELD & JAMES GARNER IN “MURPHY’S ROMANCE.”  James Garner earned an Oscar nomination as the quietly wise widower Murphy who guides Field’s ‘Emma’ through the changes she’s made in her life but doesn’t press harder than he needs to.  Here’s the trailer to the 80’s romantic comedy.

NEXT BLOG– One more round of on screen romances.

It’s all subjective to personal tastes and interpretations but here are some more fine versions of songs first done by other artists.

MARY CHAPIIN CARPENTER- “The Bug”- In 1991 Dire Straits’ leader Mark Knopfler wrote and recorded this song for the band’s last studio effort “On Every Street.”  A year later, Mary Chapin Carpenter covered the track for her fine “Come On, Come On” album as she even scored a top 20 hit on the country charts with it.  Knopfler and his band creep and hop through this one just fine but forgive my sexism here, I think this song sounds better when a woman is telling us “Sometimes you’re the Louisville Slugger sometimes you’re the ball.”  

BRUCE HORNSBY- “Jack Straw”- Grateful Dead members Bob Weir & Robert Hunter put this one to vinyl in 1972, and semi-based it on John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”  Bruce Hornsby and his band The Range recorded the adventures of Mr. Straw for a Grateful Dead tribute album titled “Deadicated.  The Dead’s track is so sparse and bleak and that’s why I prefer Hornsby’s rendition which I first heard him play live in the summer of 1991. It takes a minute to chug out of the rail yard and then you’re locked into the story.  Funny enough, for years Bruce was a guest keyboard player at numerous Grateful Dead concerts.  

MARIAH CAREY- “I’ll be There.”   The Jackson Five’s original 1970 recording of this classic is high in tone and sweet in spirit.  Mariah Carey equals Michael Jackson on the lead by adding soul to this love song and Trey Lorenz takes over brother Jermaine’s part in it.  This was from a 1992 MTV Unplugged special.  Just the “woo woos” in Carey’s playing of this gives me chills.

TRAVIS TRITT- “Sometimes She Forgets.”  Originally written and recorded by the great Steve Earle, Travis Tritt does this heart tugging cut supreme justice. Tritt said he put this song to a rhythm similar to the Eagles “Tequila Sunrise.”

I’ve seen him cover this tune and Earle’s “Copperhead Road” in concert.  Back in my country radio days I hung with the Georgia born Tritt a couple of times and got to tell him he’s the only person outside of Steve Earle who should be allowed to sing Steve Earle songs.  Travis laughed and liked that. 

NEXT BLOG- Favorite on screen romances, Part 1.

I’ve always enjoyed listening to singers’ and band recordings of songs that were established hits for other artists.  Known as ‘Cover Songs,’ sometimes they’re awful, sometimes they’re pretty good and every once in awhile a they can be better than the original.  This is all subjective and I know some people feel the ‘original’ is always the best and no other version of a song should be given any credence.  I think that’s closed mind thinking but then again what do I know?

Anyway, here’s a first sampling of cover songs that I appreciate at least as much as the original and maybe even more.  Again, everyone hears things differently but here’s my take.

ROLLING STONES- “Just My Imagination.”  Covering a classic Temptations hit takes some real ‘stones’ and while this may sound blasphemous, I actually like the Stones’ version better.  The Temptations’ recording of it was sad and self-pitying. But Mick Jagger and company sped this one up a bit and put more soul into the song about longing for that special girl. 

MILEY CYRUS- “Jolene.”  So many singers have covered this Dolly Parton written standard both in concert and in recording studios.  Dolly’s version still ranks as the best one but Miley, who is Dolly’s real-life goddaughter, does a damn good stab at this one.  When you take away her goofy ways with the body filled with tattoos, the bawdy talk about sex and drugs and her tongue always hanging out of her mouth like a dog waiting for its supper, Miley Cyrus is a really good singer.  While she may fight it, I think Miley’s true forte is in singing country classics like “Jolene.”

THE SEARCHERS- “Switchboard Susan.”  Pub rocker Mickey Jupp wrote and recorded this as a gritty country roadhouse hop.  It’s not what you’d call a “hit” but the track earned more attention when Nick Lowe recorded a punkier styled take for his “Labor of Lust” album. Yet my favorite version of “Switchboard Susan” was done by The Searchers. They recorded it as a harmonized and folksy unplugged rendition.  I’ve often said some younger artist should take a stab at recording this 70’s tune but in our modern times I’m betting many listeners would ask “What the hell is a switchboard operator?”

TOM PETTY- “Feel a Whole Lot Better”-   Tom Petty grew up idolizing the recordings of The Byrds.  Years later he even went on to produce solo work for Byrd man Roger McGuinn.  However, when Petty released his own solo effort, “Full Moon Fever” he tossed in a great cover of this Byrds song.  Side by side, Tom’s version has a brighter and much fuller sound to it.   And yes, I dare say it’s better than the original record.

NEXT BLOG– Appreciation for an under-appreciated singer.

It’s good to be back from my blogging break.

January 18^th, 2021.  That date marks the fifth anniversary since Eagles founder Glenn Frey died at the way too young age of 67. He passed after being hospitalized for months with a myriad of health issues.  As Frey’s longtime friend and fellow Detroit native Bob Seger said, the doctors “fought like hell” to save him.  Eagles manager Irving Azoff had eight of the best physicians in their fields of expertise working to help Glenn but he couldn’t survive the triple threat of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.

I learned of Frey’s passing as a late breaking item on Lester Holt’s NBC Nightly News program.  The music world had just lost David Bowie at age sixty-nine ten days before and now this.  Three months later Prince would also succumb.  What a crap year that was!

I’m a lifetime Eagles fan (with apologies to The Dude from “The Big Lebowski”) and this was one of those celebrity deaths that hit me pretty hard.  Glenn was a very funny guy with a dry wit, saying lines like “I’m from Detroit, where ‘mother’ is half a word.”  Ha!  Glenn used to refer to his first wife, then his ex, as “Plaintiff.’ 

When recording with the Eagles, Glenn Frey was known as “The Lone Arranger” since he would spend long hours in the studio working by himself to set music parts and tracks up just right. I love his line that, “Perfection is not an accident” and often quote it myself.  Looking back on my twenty years as a radio producer, I was a bit of a lone arranger myself.  Working most pre-show hours alone at the station looking for and setting up bits, highlighting news clippings for my co-workers and coming up with ideas for the show.  Glenn Frey and I were kindred spirits in that way.  Add to that, Glenn often said his favorite Eagles song was also my personal favorite, “One of These Nights.”

Here’s an excerpt from my still in the works memoir “Raised on the Radio” as I fondly remember Glenn Frey.  This goes back to 1992 when I was working for Q-101 and the Murphy in the Morning Show.

 Glenn Frey came to the station when in town to play in a charity golf outing and promote his “Strange Weather” album. I grew up on Eagles music and was cautiously eager to meet him. I knew of all the strife within the band before they stopped working together in 1980 and wasn’t sure how he’d be with us. In the past, all members of the Eagles were very leery of and hesitant to talk to the media. It turns out Glenn was an excellent guest with us; maybe no longer being in the band put him in a good mood.  One caller asked about the intestinal health struggles Frey dealt for years with and he openly talked about those problems. 

One thing I noticed was the cadence in which Glenn spoke during his interview with Murphy. He was clear and deliberate in his conversation but with an engaging style.  I tend to talk in a similar manner so I identified with and liked the former Eagle from the start.

When it came time to record a couple of promos for the show, Glenn carefully looked over my typed lines in the production room. I asked if there were any problems and was told no, it was good copy.  He was just measuring everything out to make sure he gave good reads.   So yes, I’ve recorded in a studio with an Eagle.

Months after visiting us at Q-101, I saw Glenn and his touring band play a concert at the Vic Theater. He did his solo hits and Eagles classics. Backstage after the show, again he was affable and a pleasure to spend a few minutes with. I also made points with my date as he gladly took pictures and signed an autograph for her. 

The intestinal problems Glenn Frey was so open to discuss on the air ended up being part of what ended his life in January of 2016. Those issues along with rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia did him in at the young age of sixty-seven.  A number of celebrities I met over the years have since died but Glenn’s passing was a tough one to take in. He was great with me in 1992 and I was thrilled to have seen the Eagles in concert a couple years later. 

I also admired Glenn Frey’s solo music. From the Chuck Berry styled rock and roll of “Party Town” (a song that never got its proper due) to the sax and horns Memphis sound of “The One You Love” and the Al Green influenced “True Love.” The acting he did in “Wiseguy” and “Miami Vice” along with soundtrack work for those shows was aces as was his role as the tough negotiating Arizona Cardinals general manager in “Jerry Maguire.”  

Over the years the Eagles have had their share of detractors; many citing Frey and Don Henley for being difficult and greedy rock stars. Still, I choose to look past those stories and appreciate the music they brought us. Glenn’s hassles within the band be damned, he was first rate in my book and always will be. Rest in peace, Glenn Lewis Frey.

NEXT BLOG- Good re-makes of popular songs.

What can be said about the year 2020 that hasn’t already been covered, righteously bemoaned and suffered through a billion times over?  Let’s just say nobody will ever forget this long hard trip around the sun.  

While we all look to a better year in 2021 there’s a long road to hoe with avoiding that bastard virus, treating those stricken by it and awaiting the mass distribution of the vaccines.  Plus, there’s the hope of many more businesses re—opening and jobs recovered.    Everyone still needs to be vigilant & patient; that’s a tough to do combination.

For me, as much as missing the 2020 swim season at East End Pool really hurt, I knew it was for the best.  Ditto with the lack of movies in theaters and just being out with friends in ‘normal’ ways.  I’ve always been a very patient person (a trait inherited from my father) but this year dipped deep into that well of putting up with things. I got even stronger in my will to ‘calmly hang in there.’

There are other positives gleaned from 2020.  The remote teaching of students was a major adjustment but I grew from it, developing technical skills I used to resist. In my end of school year employee evaluation, I got high marks for joining the 21^st century with Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Meets, Google Classroom and other platforms that make me a better teacher.

In October when our class assignments were changed, I had to say a temporary ‘goodbye’ to several students in exchange for other pupils.  On our last day together one of my more distant and harder to teach kids asked in a hopeful tone, “Mr. Mick, will you be my teacher again someday?”  That got me.         

FOR A SONG- Just before the Pandemic kicked in, me and my parody partner Al Flash came up with a music video focused on south side girls.  The WGN Morning News show liked it so much they asked us to sing it live at their annual St. Patrick’s Day remote broadcast.  A few days later that event got scotched thanks to the virus.

The COVID virus greased up the creative juices in me and Al.  We had several Pandemic related music videos aired on the WGN Morning News. And late in the year we added Al’s lovely and much more talented daughter Michelle to our production of parodies.  She makes Al & I look like the ham & egg singers we are.

Writing wise I worked to be shorter with my blog lengths, keeping most posts under a thousand words. Offering my ideas and thoughts at mickkahler.com is something I do for myself but some others seem to like what I have to say.  I appreciate all the kind words and the constructive criticisms too.

I’m going to take a few weeks writing break and get back to posting new blogs in mid-January.  Until then, I hope you all have as good a holiday season as you can, given the current state of our world.  Make good choices, stay strong & safe and a year from now we’ll hopefully have a better year to reflect on.

I doubt anyone captured the mood and winsome hopes of us all in the Pandemic era better than Luke Combs in this song.

Finally, I’ll close off with timely dialog from Tom Hanks.