One of the hardest experiences in my life is losing someone I love or respect. Entertainers are hard because they are markers for my own life. How old was I when I watched that show or what was happening to me when I watched that movie? Certain entertainers are like part of my life, they are like extended family. Earlier this year we lost Whitney Houston, and Donna Summer. I loved to dance when I was young and go to clubs in Portland, Oregon. One of the best disco's of the late 70's and early 80's was The Embers. Donna Summers' Last Dance and MacArthur Park blaring out of speakers, and the disco ball sparkling overhead. Later Whitney Houston's How Will I know? Losing them in part is like losing a part of my family. I will not forget Robin Gibb my favorite Bee Gees brother.
As I have grown and moved through life I have added new interests, science fiction being a big one. Ray Bradbury died in June, he was know for Fahrenheit 451 and the Martian Chronicles, classics in the Sci- fi world. A guilty pleasure for me the last few years was Desperate Housewives, I loved Kathryn Joosten who did a great death bed scene in the series finale. She perished for real a couple of weeks later.
For those of you who are old enough to remember The Andy Griffith Show, Goober died this year, how many afternoons I spent watching reruns of the show with Goober(George Lindsey) down at the filing station in Mayberry. Definitely a more innocent time, where there was one town drunk Otis, who they carefully let sleep off his booze in the unlocked Jail cell.
Lets not forget Dick Clark, from American Bandstand. Sock hopping teenagers dancing to the latest tunes on TV. I know many will remember him from the $25,000 Pyramid or New Year's Eve show. For me he will always be American Bandstand, interviewing Davy Jones of the Monkees who also passed this year. Davy was my boy band crush at 11. Don Cornelius from Soul Train left us early. I loved to dance to Soul Train and the R and B music on that show. The R and B of the 1970's was some of the very best. Along with with them went Jonathon Frid from Dark Shadows, a show I ran home to watch each afternoon, the first vampire soap opera. Then my senior came the sweathogs, from Welcome Back Kotter, that show started John Travolta's rise to fame. This year Robert Hegyes who played Epstein passed. I guess there will no more notes to Mr. Kotter signed "from Epstein's mother" that he was famous for.
I just rediscovered Ben Gazarra in Run for Your Life last year, on the METV channel, only to lose him all over again. METV also reminded of My Three Sons, another rediscovered childhood treasure. Don Grady passed recently. He played Rob and went from squeaky voice adolescence to married father of triplets on the show. Not to be forgotten music legends Johnny Otis and Etta James also passed.
What started this nostalgic journey for me was the passing of Nora Ephron. I first became acquainted with her at 4 years sober, in my first real grown up relationship. It was in a darken theater, where I watched and fell in love during "Sleepless in Seattle". It was a perfect movie to me, Meg Ryan, and Tom Hanks in a great love story, that included another great love story (An Affair to Remember), and great old music. It was after that I came to enjoy "When Harry Met Sally". The latest movie of hers I loved was Julie and Julia. I thought is was heart warming, and endearing.
So to all these people that I loved and shared my existence on this rock with, thank you. As Bob Hope would say, "Thanks for the memories", and I add, thanks for bringing me joy, laughter, romance and memories that will carry me the rest of my life.
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