"The Valley of the Shadow of Death" by Kermit Alexander (2015)

 “The Valley of the Shadow of Death” is the story of pro football player Kermit Alexander and his struggle to find justice in the wake of the murder of his mother and nephews in Los Angeles in the late 1980’s. Not just a history of the crime itself, the book delves into the history of gangs in Los Angeles. The history and origins of the Crips and Bloods, along with the story of Tookie Williams, will hold you captive.

But the real meat of this book is in the way the author takes you through each pace of the investigation, explaining what it’s like to be the prime suspect in the case. That came about because it is standard procedure in homicide cases to look at those most closely connected to the victims. In Mr. Alexander’s case it could have been gambling debts that went unpaid; he was, after all, a pro football star. Even in the years before O.J. this was cause enough to suspect him. This has to be one of the hardest aspects of the case; being suspected of something as heinous as matricide.

Although he was cleared of any involvement this standard procedure poisoned his relationship with his family. Some of them actually believed he was responsible for the death of his own mother, something which he has never been able to overcome.

Working the streets “undercover” he provides the clues and names to the police, who seem to be too busy to really look into the killings deeply. His descriptions of this phase of his life are haunting, as he is consumed by his dual mission to find his mother’s killers and clear his own name.

Throughout the book he laments the lack of intact families as one of the chief causes for the many hurdles which still face the average African-American community today. And I agree with him whole heartedly; which is what made the ending of this story so perplexing to me.

After the trials and appeals are done; which took considerable time; Mr. Alexander re-ignites a relationship which began during the trials when he was in the throes of depression and self-loathing. He describes her only as “blonde haired”, never referring to her race at all, leading the reader to believe that she is a white woman.  They then embark on a visit to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake there. The woman becomes enraptured with a young child whose mother cannot afford to keep her family fed; let alone together.

Eventually, Mr. Alexander and his companion “adopt” all of the women’s five children and bring them back to the United States. I had a hard time with this; not the interracial relationship; but the splitting up of this Haitian women’s family in order to make one of their own. They went to the trouble of building a large addition to their home, and then whisked the children away from the biological mother. It seems to me that they could have taken the mother along; after all they did hire a nanny to help with the care of the children. I couldn’t help but think that the mother could’ve taken on that role.

I found it confusing that; in spite of his stated angst at the plight of the African-American family being torn asunder by economics; Mr. Alexander has taken an impoverished Haitian family apart. He imports the children to America, where there are already so many kids without a mother or father, especially in the African-American community. He has created a perfect world for himself, which he deserves; if only as a reward for the hell he has been through. But I can’t help thinking about that mother who had to sell her children to the African-American man with the blonde haired wife.

Still, this is an engrossing book which sheds much light on what it is like to be behind the headlines when you are both the victim and the suspect. I won’t tell you who killed his mother; or why. That’s one of the most engaging parts of this story; the why. And sometimes even “why” doesn’t really cut it….

The Removers" by Andrew Meredith (2014)

They tell me not to pick a book by its cover; but I keep on doing it anyway. Maybe I've just been lucky, but it seems to work out well for me. The first time it happened was when I read “Moby Dick”; the giant tail on the cover, flailing in the sea and swamping the small whaleboat, promised all kinds of excitement within. And the book delivered beautifully, so I've been doing it that way ever since. I was 11 at the time.

Now this is no Moby Dick; let’s get that straight right from the start. But it has a compelling quality to it which reveals itself as you find yourself turning the next page eagerly. It is the story of the a young man who was cheated out of a portion of his adolescence by his parent’s failed marriage; and it is also the story of how he allowed that loss to rob him of the ability to live and love for many years afterward.

After his father is fired from the university where he teaches; for “inappropriate” behavior with a female student; his marriage to the author’s mother crumbles. No one ever divulges the details of just what his father did; was it a physical relationship, or just becoming too familiar with someone? Or was it what today would be deemed as an “emotional” affair? Silence reigns supreme in his home. No questions are asked and no explanations offered.

Silence never really accomplished much in the way of resolving things; and so it goes with Andrew’s life. He is living among the ashes of what was once a secure home; his mother and father along with his sister were an average family until this one event rocked their world, crumbling its foundation. You have to wonder; as the author does; how solid that foundation was to begin with, and why neither parent seemed capable of even attempting to deal with the problem?

As his father finally settles into a job as a “remover”; someone who removes the body and takes it to the funeral home for final preparations; his son follows suit. As he learns the craft of cremation he draws analogies between his life and the work he performs. He finds that he has shut himself off from all emotions, building a wall which will never reach its full height. No wall could ever be high enough to keep his emotions from spilling out; nor could it ever be high enough to let other emotions in.

After trial and error; coupled with some heartbreak and a trip to the west coast; he finds himself back in the Philadelphia area where he was raised, living with his mother at the age of 27. As he continues to grow he learns about his ability to get beyond that wall and let things flow in and out. He finds answers to the unasked questions which have troubled him; and his father; for so many years.

This is a quickly read and yet deeply written book. The author had to dig deep to write this, and as such it is well worth the read. His conclusion is somewhat like my own; that in the final analysis we all carry our own water. And, as such, we need to be careful not to waste any by either splashing it on others; or using too much of it in an attempt to rinse ourselves of the past. But either way, that bucket of water is ours alone to carry.

"Take This Man" by Brando Skyhorse (2014)

The very first thing you need to know about this book is that the author is not an Indian, as his name would suggest. Neither is he Mexican, as his mother is. He is not really Filipino either, which is a shame because his real dad was. If you can wrap your mind around that then you are off to a good start in a very unique memoir that takes place in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles in the 1970’s and 80’s.

The author takes you on a journey through the dysfunctional world created by his Grandmother, who is Mexican; and his mother, a woman who has fashioned herself into an American-Indian. The problem is that she really believes this to be so. She has a child with a man from the Philippines. And then rejects him with the threat of having him deported because he is here illegally. And this is just the beginning.

Brando is raised within a whirlwind of new men his mother meets- 6 in all over the years- and each one becomes a possible father to the boy, only to fade away under the strain of dealing with his mother and grandmother. Or else they just leave on their own. These experiences with repeated hope and disappointment inform the man that Brando becomes.

This book will actually keep you engrossed, if only because you have never read a memoir like this before. There is no blatant physical or sexual abuse; just a succession of poor decisions by every adult in Brando’s young life. He is constantly on the verge of having the father he wants and needs so desperately, but never finds in the men his mother chooses.

I actually identified with the yo-yo type of existence the author lived due to my own mother’s long and severe illness. It’s hard to grow up when you are told one of your parents will be dead soon. And even harder when they don’t die, leaving you to experience the same pain over and over, each time loathing yourself for wishing it would finally happen and put an end to the anxiety. Of course this leaves you scarred and feeling guilty. And those feelings then claim whole parts of your life until you can find a way to deal with it. I’m one of the lucky ones; some never do.

After failed relationships and a move from Los Angeles to New York, the author; with the aid of time and distance; is able to gain some clarity on just what the hell happened to him while growing up. It took a long time, and was not an easy path, and in many ways the author still struggles to see what the meaning of it all has been.

Later in life he finds the family of his real father, where he is accepted by his half-brothers and sisters as an equal; a true sibling. After a journey of a lifetime the author finally gets his family and learns that love takes many different forms, and families come in many shapes and sizes. What counts most is the love.

This is a very different kind of memoir; it’s more of a search by the author to find out who he really is. And once he figures that out he still needs to assess the damage which has already been done. As the author’s mother used to say, “Well, at least it’s never boring.”

The Material World - Irony of Life

Have you heard the news today, oh boy? The George Harrison Memorial Tree, which was planted in his honor at the Griffith Observatory; located in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park; has died. Apparently it passed away last month but has just been announced last Monday by City Councilman Councilman Tom LaBonge.

The irony in the story is that the tree died as a result of an invasion of; you guessed it; beetles, the agricultural type. The irony of this is further compounded by the frantic effort to replace it. Mr. Harrison, who did not really believe in the impermanence of things material, would either amuse or bemuse him. The tree was planted in 2004.

The tree is a nice gesture and draws tourists. But a far better way to honor the former Beatle and all round musician/composer would be to have a look at the following video from 1990. At the time Romania had just come out of its darkest days under the brutal dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu.

Thousands of women were raped by the military and forced to carry the babies’ full term. Many of those children were infected with AIDS, as well as severe learning disabilities. Hospitals, when available, were primitive and lacking in everything. There were no schools for these children, who were all slated to become members of the Romanian dictators military. When freedom came the country was completely unprepared.

At the time, Olivia Harrison heard of the plight and visited the country. When she came back she got together with the other Beatle wives and formed the charity organization Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation. Quietly; ever so quietly, over the course of the last 24 years; Olivia Harrison; along with Barbara Bach, Yoko Ono and the now deceased Linda McCartney; made it financially possible for these children to survive and even excel.

In this following 1990 interview you will not only hear the story of how the charity came to be; but also about the Traveling Wilbury’s and their second album “Volume 3” which was released in 1990.

“Nobody’s Child” wasn’t on the original album but appears on the re-release. It’s an old American song by Cy Coben and Mel Foree; performed by Lonnie Donnegan. George had to call Joe Brown in London to get the lyrics. It was 5AM in London. They succeeded in getting half of them, and then wrote their own last verse.

     

The song originally appeared on an album for the Romanian Angel Appeal which featured artists such as the Traveling Wilbury’s, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Guns N' Roses, Ringo Starr, and Elton John. Here is that interview;

You can also help by simply “liking” their Facebook page at;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romanian-Angel-Appeal/181235723048?sk=info

And tell your friends about them, too!

"This is the End" with Seth Rogen and James Franco (2013)

Get ready for one of the most off beat disaster films you will ever see. The film is something like a Cheech and Chong film crossed with “Animal House.” You might say the film is juvenile in nature and be right, but it sure is funny, in a belly laugh type of way.

Two friends meet in L.A. after a year apart with plans to party the time away. One is a rising star in the movie industry, eager to show his old friend the collection of writers and stars that comprise his new world. While at a party with all the ritzy set they go out and see the world is ending.

Spaceships, explosions, people being sucked up into the sky; everything which you can imagine in the worst low budget Hollywood disaster film is assembled here. And with great comic effect as the two go back to the party to warn their friends, only to be rebuffed by these materially possessed people. When they finally realize that the two are not kidding, it is too late.

As the world about them crumbles and goes up in flames the two are separated, with one going up and the other going down to the pits of hell. As they struggle to hold onto one another they are forced to make a decision; let go and save one of them, or be dragged down together.

They choose to say goodbye and as one is sucked upward into the light the beast below swallows his friend, belching fire. But then, just as with Jonah and the Whale, his friend is regurgitated form the belly of the beast; cast upward towards his friend in a shaft of light.

When the two are last seen they are spiraling upwards towards heaven and the light, presumably towards the great party in the sky. This is a very strange film, but funny as hell. Let me know if there is any deeper meaning to it, other than the analogy of Jonah and the Whale.

"The Unknown Love" by Raymond Chandler (1908)

We all know and love Raymond Chandler for his hard-boiled detective novels, featuring Philip Marlow, as well as his other “pulp fiction” type stories; and also his screenplays; for films like “Double Indemnity” and "The Big Sleep." But what I didn't know was that he once wrote poetry. He was only 17 when he wrote this one, which was published on December 19, 1908 in Chamber’s Journal, a magazine out of London at the time.

I was reading a biography of Mr. Chandler by Tom Williams (no relation) when I came across the first verse of the poem in the chapter about Mr. Chandler’s years in London. He went to school there for a time, and evidently wrote poetry as well.

This poem places an unknown woman on a pedestal, much as he would do in his later writings. Actually; according to Tom Williams; the poem holds all the elements of a Philip Marlowe story. There is a seductive, almost unknowable woman, and then a man, seemingly trapped by his own passion for her, in a relationship which is always doomed from the start. That’s pretty heavy stuff for a 17 year old.

Anyway, here it is; a Raymond Chandler poem. I got the text from a website which has all of his early poetry. It’s unpolished, and some would say not that good. No matter; I really like it.

“The Unknown Love”

When the evening sun is slanting,

When the crickets raise their chanting,

And the dewdrops lie a-twinkling on the grass,

As I climb the pathway slowly,

With a mien half proud, half lowly,

O'er the ground your feet have trod I gently pass.

Round the empty house I wander,

Where the ivy now is fonder

Of your memory than those long gone away;

And I feel a sweet affection

For the plant that lends protection

To the window whence you looked on me that day.

Was it love or recognition,

When you stormed my weak position

And made prisoner my heart for evermore?

For I felt I long had known you,

That I'd knelt before the throne you

Graced in Pharaoh's days or centuries before.

Though your face from me was hidden,

Yet the balm was not forbidden

On your coffin just to see the wreath I sent.

Though no word had passed between us,

Yet I felt that God had seen us

And had joined your heart to mine e'en as you went.

Let them talk of love and marriage,

Honeymoon and bridal carriage,

And the glitter of a wedding   la mode!

Could they understand the union

Of two hearts in dear communion

Who were strangers in the world of flesh and blood?

In my eyes the tears are welling

As I stand before your dwelling,

In my pilgrimage to where you lived, my fair.

And ere I return to duty

In this world of weary beauty,

To the stillness of the night I breathe my prayer:

When the last great trump has sounded,

When life's barque the point has rounded,

When the wheel of human progress is at rest,

My beloved, may I meet you,

With a lover's kiss to greet you,

Where you wait me in the gardens of the blest!

R. T. CHANDLER.

"L.A. '56" by Joel Engel (2012)

This book has it all. Los Angeles in the 1950’s was not a great place to be black, or Mexican. It was the City of the Angels, caught in the Devils Grip. Danny Galindo was a Hispanic Detective working for the LAPD at the time. He was only a handful of blacks and Mexicans on the force, which was known for its racism and brutality. Still, Danny Galindo was no ordinary man, and as the old saying goes, the cream always rises to the top. So it went with Danny Galindo.

This is also one of those stories that almost escaped being written down. The author, Joel Engel, became sidetracked with many other projects over the years, but this story always hung in the back of his mind. He began to write it all up in 1990, but then became sidetracked again when he was called upon to work; pro-bono; on a rape case in which the man was innocent, and Mr. Engel, along with a team of lawyers, worked successfully to free him. During that time, he became aware of the many similarities in the mishandling of the latter case to that of the earlier one from 1956. This was the catalyst which moved Mr. Engel to finish writing this book. That case almost sent an innocent man to his death for crimes he did not commit. That the man was a former police officer was no help to him at all in 1956. He escaped the ultimate penalty only through the hard work of Detective Galindo at a time when minority officers were mere tokens.

In the summer of 1956 there was someone roaming the lover’s lanes of the Los Angeles area impersonating a police officer. He was a big man, and black. His usual way of operating involved a phony police badge and a flashlight, which he used as props to separate young couples he found necking in cars. Posing as a police officer he would order the young man to get in his car; an old Desoto; and then drive him a distance away before letting him out. He would then return to the woman and rape her.

The attacks escalated and soon came to involve a handgun as one of the props. The rapist, Willie Fields, bought the gun from a friend who was a World War Two combat veteran and had taken the German luger pistol from a dead Nazi. It was clear to Detective Galindo that the criminal was becoming more bold and daring in his crimes, and that only a short time existed before he graduated to murdering his victims.

Detective Danny Galindo was an unusual man for the LAPD in the 1950’s. As a Mexican-American he was tolerated by his colleagues, but never encouraged. In spite of that he continued to move forward in his career, even helping Jack Webb with the television series “Dragnet.” If you are a fan of the original TV show then you will recall that many times Joe Friday was always telling someone to give certain cases to another Detective, sating, “Give it to Galindo.”  This was an inside joke between the two men who had formed an unlikely friendship. That their friendship would help to solve this case was probably the furthest thing from Detective Galindo’s mind as he struggled with the crimes.

Complicating matters is the fact that former Police Officer Todd Roark is charged with the crimes committed by Willie Fields. And as far as the top brass are concerned, they have their man. So, unless the rapist strikes again, Todd Roark is going to take the fall for these crimes.

Meantime, Danny Galindo has met with the victim of Willie’s first attempted rape, a young white woman named Margie. From her he is able to draw the strength he needs to close this case. But, at the same time, he is falling in love with her; and she with him. If this were to become apparent to anybody in the Department; or even out of it; Danny’s career would be ruined.

The incident which brought Willie Fields to justice was a sting operation involving 12 units of two officers apiece perking in lover’s lanes waiting to be attacked. With the help of the Universal Studios make up department, half of the officers are outfitted as women and sent to various parts of the city to wait an attack. They didn’t have to wait too long.

After about 10 days of stakeouts, and at about the time when even Detective Galindo is ready to call it quits, Willie Fields attempts to attack Galindo and the woman officer he is parked with. A chase ensues and the suspect gets way. But, as worked up as he is, he cannot go home and almost immediately attacks another decoy officer nearby. He is finally captured and sent to prison.

The author has taken the time show how justice isn’t always justice, by following up on what happened to the main characters in the investigation. Willie Fields, the rapist, ended up serving two years for multiple rapes, robberies and assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. While in jail he took carpentry lessons and was gainfully employed as a carpenter until his death. He married and had a family.

Todd Roark, on the other hand, was the victim of not only Willie Fields and a corrupt, racist justice system; he was also the victim of his former wife, who never told his daughter that he was cleared of the rape charges against him. She did not learn the truth until her father had already passed away, with his daughter never forgiving him for something he hadn’t done in the first place.

Danny Galindo was the real winner in the whole story. He went on to work the Manson case, and also married Margie and together they raised a family. This is a quickly read book which calls attention to our perceptions versus reality, as well as the way times have changed since the events depicted in the narrative. I can’t wait to see this one made into a movie.

"A Better Life" with Demian Bichir (2011)

Carlos Galindo, played by Demian Bichir, is an illegal immigrant living in Los Angeles with his son José, played by José Julián. The boy’s mother deserted the family soon after arriving in the United States. She wanted more out of her new life than Carlos was able to initially provide. So, she left him to raise the boy on his own, in the minefield that is Los Angeles. When Carlos’ boss (another illegal) decides to sell his truck and move back to Mexico with the money he has earned here; Carlos is faced with the option of buying the truck, or looking for more work by the day; standing on the corners.

After several days of trying to find employment, Carlos manages to borrow $12,000 dollars from his sister in order to buy the truck from his old boss. The risks are great. As an illegal he faces arrest and deportation at every turn in his daily life. If he is caught, he will lose the truck to the authorities, as well as the ability to reimburse his sister for the money she has lent him without her husband’s knowledge.

As Carlos is facing these obstacles, his son is facing challenges of his own at school, where the pressures to “man up” and join a gang are weighing heavily upon him. He has little respect for his father’s values, considering him to be akin to a beggar, while the gangs take what they want.

When Carlos’ truck is stolen, his son uses his knowledge of the streets and barrios of South Central Los Angeles to help his father locate the stolen vehicle. Together, they are successful and recover the vehicle, only to be pulled over in a traffic stop which will change their lives forever.

Deported for his illegal status, Carlos is sent back to Mexico without Jose, who is now living with Carlos’ sister. But blood ties are never thin, and Carlos finds himself locked in a cycle, attempting to enter the United States again, in order to raise his son.

This is a very moving film, highlighting the dilemma faced by so many illegal immigrants today. Caught between the law and the lure of the gangs, their road is a hard one. This is an excellent film.

"He Walked By Night" with Richard Basehart and Jack Webb

This is the film that gave birth to the TV series "Dragnet" with Jack Webb. He even has a small part in this movie. The opening sequence of the TV show, with the Los Angeles Police Station and the voice over, are identical.

The film takes place in Los Angeles, shot on locations around the city, and involves a criminal named Erwin Walker, a brilliant thief and somewhat of a sociopath. The real kicker here is that this is a true story.

At the close of World War Two, Erwin Walker is baffling the police all over Los Angeles as they search for a group of thieves. They are wasting their time. There is only one thief, and that is Mr. Walker, played in the film by Richard Basehart. By altering his modus operandi with each crime, he is able to lead the entire Police Department on a chase that has no apparent conclusion. Until one night, when Mr. Walker makes a mistake, resulting in his fatally shooting a Los Angeles Police Officer.

The investigation becomes a "Dragnet", as the police hunt to find the killer. The investigation leads the two detectives, Sgt. Chuck Jones (Scott Brady) and Marty Brennan (Roy Roberts) to an electronics dealer named Paul Reeves, who is able to put a face to the suspect. With no name to work on, the detectives embark on an exhausting, old fashioned manhunt, knocking on doors and rounding up all the usual suspects.

Released in 1948, only one year after the case was solved, this movie was a real shocker at the time. Richard Basehart, who later on would portray the Captain on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", was never in better form as an actor. His part is played with all the guile and cunning one would expect from the real Mr. Walker.

Mr. Walker's preferred means of escape was through the vast system of Los Angeles' storm drains, which he used to great advantage in alluding the police. The scenes shot inside these tunnels are reminiscent of the sewer scenes in Orson Welles' "The Third Man", which was released the following year, in 1949. One can't help but wonder if Mr. Welles' effort was influenced by the true life crimes of Mr. Walker, or the film about them.

With it's slow moving and methodical pace, this movie is immediately identifiable as the genesis for the later TV show "Dragnet", which first aired in 1952 and made Jack Webb a star.

"The Hilliker Curse - A Memoir" by James Ellroy

If I were to tell you that James Ellroy, the celebrated and widely read mystery writer, used to be a Peeping Tom, a drunk, and a fantasy stalker of women you might label me crazy. And until I read this remarkable memoir by Mr. Ellroy, if you had told me these things I would have thought the same of you. But it’s all here, in black and white, written by the master of mystery himself.

James Ellroy, like so many of us, has lived a secret life for the past 50 years. We all carry demons. His parents divorced when he was very young, and at first he lived with his mother. His father was a “man about town” type who had numerous girlfriends. This is one of the things that lead to Mr. Ellroy’s parents becoming divorced.

As bad as his father may have been, his mother was no angel either. She drank to excess and gave herself to different men. All of this would affect the author deeply as he struggled through his earliest, and most impressionable, years. He is at once repulsed by, and attracted to, his mother.

As the result of an argument one night when he was about 10, he expressed his wish to go and live with his father. His mother struck him for this slight, and that set the author to wishing his mother were dead. Three months later she was murdered. Mr. Ellroy then goes to live with his father. But the effects of the divorce and murder, along with the guilt brought about by wishing his mother dead would go on to haunt, and shape Mr. Ellroy for years to come. Her name was Jean Hilliker.

Deftly taking the reader through the world of Los Angeles during the early 60’s and then on to New York and the whole country, Mr. Ellroy traces his career through the fantasies he entertained while struggling to find his niche. At one point he even breaks into houses just to touch and feel the belongings of the women he sees, but feels that he can never possess.

How he comes to terms with all of these demons and emerges as one of the most beloved of mystery writers is a story that only the author can tell. The things that lurk inside, and that drive us all, are unique to the individual. The struggle is not. This is a very courageous and honest book which explores the darkest parts of Mr. Ellroy’s life. I cannot imagine the courage it took to write it. On the other hand I cannot imagine the pain that he carried secretly for so long.

Kay Starr - Wheel of Fortune

I can never recall a time in my life when there was no music. When I was a child my parents always had music playing on the radio at home, and even in the car. The first four records I can recall hearing are Patti Page doing "Tennessee Waltz", Bette Hutton doing "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief", Frankie Laine doing "Cool, Clear Water" and Kay Starr doing "Wheel of Fortune." I still listen to these recordings on a regular basis. They are part of who I am.

Today is Kay Starr's birthday. She's 88 years young. And she always will be young, thanks to the recordings and films she has given us over the years. Here she is, singing "Wheel of Fortune" on The Wayne Newton Show in the 1960's. This is a short, 1 minute 30 second version of the recording, which runs about 3 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Es-UJepFQ

Born in Oklahoma in 1922, her father was full blooded Iroquois, and her mother was Irish. When the family moved to Dallas during the Depression, her mother began raising chickens in the back yard to supplement the family's income. Each day after school, Ms. Starr would go out back and feed the chickens while singing to them. Her Aunt Nora convinced Kay's mother to enter her into a singing contest on the radio in Dallas. She was well received and became known as "The Kid." Whenever a request for a ballad came in the band leader would say, "Let the kid do it."

Her first big break came in 1937 when Joe Venuti came to Memphis. The bandleader had a contract that required him to have a girl singer, which he did not. His manager heard Kay on the radio and they approached her family about her making an appearance with the band. For the next two years she would tour with the band each summer.

In 1939 she was hired by the Bob Crosby Orchestra for a short time. Her next move was to the Glenn Miller Orchestra. It was while singing with them that she made her first recordings.

Finishing high school in Memphis in 1942, she moved to L.A. and joined Charlie Barnet's Band to replace Lena Horne. Those were some big shoes to fill for a 20 year old! But fill them she did. In 1945 she became ill with pneumonia and lost her voice. Facing a serious operation which could have resulted in the loss of her singing abilities, she chose to treat the vocal chords and refrain from singing for 6 months. When she returned, her voice was fuller and more husky.

This began her nightclub years in L.A. while recording for Capitol Records, where she performed alongside of such legendary artists as Peggy Lee, Jo Stafford and Margaret Whiting. But her biggest break was yet to come.

Late at night on January 17th, 1952 she was awakened by a phone call summoning her to the studio to record a rush release of "Wheel of Fortune." This was her first Gold record and went on to become the #2 song on the charts in 1952. In 1955 she switched labels to RCA where she finally got the chance to show off her wide range of styles, singing everything from "pop" to jazz.

Returning to Capitol in 1959 she went on to record jazz, pop and even a country album through the 1970's. At that time she cut back on appearances in order to spend time with her family.

By the time the late 1980's rolled around, Ms. Starr had teamed up with Helen O'Connell and Margaret Whiting to tour in the musical revue "3 Girls." In 1993 she toured with Pat Boone, and in 1997 released her first "live" recording, the well received album "Live at Freddy's."

When her recording of "Wheel of Fortune" found it's way into the film "L.A. Confidential" in 1997, a police drama set in 1950's Los Angeles based on true events, her career hit another level. Millions more have now become acquainted with this multi talented singer. I am always amazed at the people who approach me in parking lots when they hear "Wheel of Fortune" coming from my speakers. They range in age from fans in their 80's, down to people in their 20's, who are familiar with her only through the movie soundtrack.

But for me, when I listen to this recording, I am back in Brooklyn, watching the turntable spin as I sing along to this wonderful recording. Happy Birthday to you, Ms. Starr.

Forty Two

It has been 42 years since Robert Kennedy was killed in Los Angeles. He was 42 years old. So much has been written about that night and his subsequent death that there is little to add.

I was 13 and a half when Kennedy was shot. Coming, as it did, on the heels of Martin Luther King's murder, 8 weeks earlier, it was one of those events that leaves you changed in some measure. There is a loss of confidence and security in all that surrounds you.

In the years between 1962, when I received my first transistor radio, and the end of the decade, I got most of my news and music through a flesh colored apparatus known then as the "earphone." They came with the radio. And every night when I went to bed I put the radio beneath my pillow and the "earphone" in my ear. With the lights out and the music on I traveled far and wide in search of that indefineable "something." And sometimes I'd get it. The night of June 4th was one of those nights.

Just past 3 AM in the early morning hours of June 5th, I was listening to WMCA Radio 56 (560 on the AM dial) when the news broke that Robert Kennedy had been shot at the Ambassador Hotel in L.A. No one was awake. Even back then I was a lousy sleeper, frequently keeping the radio turned on beneath my pillow all night, waking at intervals to check on the news, or search for a favorite song.

Roaming the dial from one end to the next at nighttime brought in some extraordinary places. I would jot down the names of the cities and the names of the stations. Addressing the postcards to the stations in such faraway places as Colorado, I would inform them that I had received their signals in New York City and at what time. I usually got back a postcard thanking me for listening. I had dozens of these and considered myself somewhat akin to the early radio listeners and the crystal headsets they wore.

But this event was so astounding, so mesmerizing. In the dark everything is magnified, senses are enlarged and the mind's eye gives sharp focus to the words being spoken. It was that way this night as I lay there listening to the reports coming in.

All through the next day I watched and waited with the rest of the world to see if Robert Kennedy would pull through. There was no way I was going to sleep that next night. This was a drama that had to be seen through until the end. And that end came sometime around 4:30 AM when Joeseph Mankiewicz tearfully announced the death of Robert Kennedy. The rest is history.

The world has changed in dramatic ways since those days. The ways in which we receive our news 24/7 has brought the world closer in some measure. But I will always remember, and even long for, the days when I got my news through the "office" beneath my pillow, flesh colored "earphones" in place, searching for the next "big thing."

"Cheech and Chong-The Unauthorized Autobiography" by Tommy Chong

I never thought I would even read this book. It has stared at me from the shelves of several libraries for almost 2 years now and I have kept on passing it over. Couldn't be good. Couldn't be worth reading. Boy, was I wrong!

This is one of the most well written and entertaining autobiographies that I have read in quite awhile. If you are expecting, as I did, a rehashing of old Cheech and Chong bits, with not too much substance in between, forget this book. It's not for you.

But if you are looking for a true life story that spans the 1950's through the 1980's and takes you from Calgary, Vancouver to Detroit and the Second City Comedy days and then on to the rest of the world- this is your book.

Whatever preconceived notions you might have about Cheech and Chong need to be checked at the door before you begin to read. This is the story of Tommy Chong, a Chinese-Canadian-Black Man who plays jazz guitar. Turned on by a Chinese jazz musician to marijuana he begins a musical journey that leads him to the world wide fame he imagined while growing up.

Along the way he performs and tours with the Supremes, T. Bone Walker (the Blind Man Chittlin' skit comes from a memorable night when Mr. Chong shared a bill with him), The Temptations and Berry Gordy himself. He even mentors Joe Jackson when The Jackson Five receive their first contract from Motown. Along the way he jams in London with Jimi Hendrix on bass. This guy has really been around.

In 1967 he was a member of Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. They recorded for Gordy Records, a subsidiary of Motown. They had several minor hits, among them "Malinda" and "Does Your Mama Know About Me?" The latter was written by Tommy Chong.

By 1969 when he met Richard Cheech Marin, Tommy was on his third marraige. Rae Dawn Chong is his oldest daughter. Although some of the stories here do end up as the basis for the comedy duos sketches, the book is more a history of the changes taking place in show business during the early 1960's. Mr. Chong does an incredible job of relating the Canadian club scene of the era and how it came to cross with the American entertainment of the time.

Influenced by comedians such as Lenny Bruce and especially Redd Foxx, he begins to veer away from music and is drawn toward the comedy of Second City in Detroit and the comedy clubs of Los Angeles.

Tommy Chong was a Canadian trying to get into the United States and obtain a "Green Card" at the same time Richard Marin was trying to get into Canada to avoid the draft. Through a series of misadventures they meet in Canada in 1969. Mr. Chong is by this time an accomplished musician and an Improvisational Comedian. He is looking for someone to play off of when he meets Cheech.

After a few false starts things really take off for them. A meeting with Lou Adler at A&M Records lands them $1,000 apiece and a tape recorder to make demos with. Before the day was over they had recorded the first sketch of the album that would make them famous. By the next morning Lou Adler had the "Dave's Not Here" bit sent to every major radio station in the country. The phones were ringing off the hook with requests to play it again and again. "Big Bamboo" had arrived.

There is also a little mystery being played out in this book. In the beginning Mr. Chong recounts sitting in an airport with his wife Shelby when Cheech passes by. Mr. Chong makes no effort to greet him, wondering instead why he does not "have the urge to reach up and grab him, as I would have a few years before..... why did I just watch as he passed by? ...What caused the rift that has seperated us for more than 20 years?"

I'm no spoiler so you will have to read the book to find out the answer. As for me,this was such a good read that I'm going out to get a copy of Mr. Chongs first book, "The I Chong."

"The Girl In Alfred Hitchcock's Shower" by Robert Graysmith

From the author of “The Laughing Gorilla” comes another mind blowing saga of true crime. In his usual style Mr. Graysmith takes us on a journey of intrigue and suspense.

In 1946 Ed Gains mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage. This seemingly inconsequential death would set in motion a series of events that would range from the writing of a short story to the making of the blockbuster movie “Psycho” and at least one copycat serial killer. Having one of the victims turn out to be Marli Renfro, Janet Leigh’s double in the infamous shower scene, only makes this book more fascinating. Ms. Renfro was a self proclaimed “nudist” and would appear in Francis Ford Coppola’s first film “Tonight for Sure.”

Robert Bloch was home in Wisconsin for vacation in November 1954. He was a writer who would go on to write several stories that Alfred Hitchcock would use on his TV show “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

Opening his morning paper that day, Mr. Bloch read of a murder in the nearby town of Plainfield. A woman was found, decapitated and hanging in a barn. She had been eviscerated, and then hung, like a deer. In the house, investigators found belts made of nipples and pots made from skulls.

A man named Ed Gains was questioned and charged with several counts of homicide. His mother had been ill and when she died he nailed her room shut and began his descent into mental illness. His mother fixation morphed into an obsession with the bodies of dead women. He began, with the help of a friend, to dig up the graves of local women. The bodies would be mutilated and whole skins were taken to be used as costumes while dancing about. This was the genesis for Mr. Bloch’s short story “Psycho.” He would sell it in 1959 for $750 to a “True Detective” type magazine.

Alfred Hitchcock was, in 1959, looking about for his next subject. His secretary presented him with the magazine article and the race was on to acquire the rights.Being a big name like Alfred Hitchcock makes it necessary at times to use a “straw” buyer in order not to be overcharged. In this case the rights for the film were purchased for a mere $7,500. After taxes, Mr. Bloch would only ever see $5,000 for his story.

Meantime, in Los Angeles, Sonny Busch, almost a double of Anthony Perkins, lived with his mother about 8 miles from the set of “Psycho” and less than 1 mile from Ms. Renfro’s apartment. He was living with his mother on a temporary basis and she was becoming increasingly concerned with his erratic behavior. Several women had been murdered in the area recently and Sonny was a suspect in what became known as “The Bouncing Ball” strangulations.

After seeing "Psycho" he begins a murderous rampage. Over the Labor Day weekend alone, after seeing "Psycho", he kills several women who remind him of "Mother."

As usual with Mr. Graysmith, it is necessary to keep a close eye on all of the details in this true life murder mystery. You will be shocked at the ending.

Ms. Renfro was murdered in 1988 by a serial killer who had all the mental problems faced by the fictional Norman Bates in “Psycho.” The man who killed her was a handyman named Kenneth Dean Hunt. His mental illness also included a "mother fixation." In March of 2001 he was finally convicted of the strangulation deaths of 2 women in their own homes.

At times the book can be a bit confusing as you attempt to put all the pieces in their proper place. But when all is said and done, Mr. Graysmith has given us another compelling story of true life murder.

The only question that remains unanswered is this- Does life imitate art? Or does art imitate life?

"L.A. Noir" by John Buntin

This book is a real page turner. Los Angeles has a very colorful and sordid history. From the 1920's through the 1960's is like one big film noir story.

In this book Mr. Buntin explores that history and the characters involved in the making of the legend that Los Angeles has become. This story involves Bugsy Seigel, Mickey Cohen, Clark Clifford, Billy Graham and a host of others. The Billy Graham-Mickey Cohen connection is truly amazing all by itself. The whole book is one long narrative of how crime, vice, politics and religion play such a large role in our daily lives. In this case the connection of these forces shaped the direction of a major city.

If you have ever seen the movie "LA Confidential" you will be amazed at how much of that movie was taken from real life. "Bloody Christmas" really did happen in 1951 Los Angeles. This was a time when people left bottles of whiskey on the corner for the police to pick up for the annual holiday bash at Central Division.

Illegal wiretapping, beatings, prostitution and gambling are the mainstays of Organized Crime and Los Angeles is determined to keep Organized Crime out of the city. They had their own "Combination" going and wanted no competition. The battle was on for control of the city and its' criminal enterprises.

With the advent of the Kefauver Committee in the 1950's Robert Kennedy enters upon the scene as counsel for the hearings. This role helps pave the way for his brother John's Presidential run in 1960. And Los Angeles would be the site of that years Democratic Convention. It is also the city where Robert Kennedy would be killed in 1968 at the height of his own Presidential campaign.

There is a scene in the movie "Mulholland Falls" in which Nick Nolte and his fellow detectives take an out of town hood and throw him off a cliff. If it seemed far fetched in the film- it wasn't. In real life it actually happened- more than once.

The book is gritty and carries the tension of the struggle between law enforcement and the Mob on every page. The personal peculiarities of Mickey Cohen and his henchman make dramatic and sometimes amusing reading.

The book is extensive and follows the history of crime in Los Angeles from the 1930's through the racially charged times of the Watts Riots in 1965 and beyond. It is well written and has an extensive bibliography. And through this book I have learned that Mickey Cohen wrote an autobiography. You can be sure I will be reading that one!