LE FOU: I understand that Charles Trenet has died at the age of 87. Who's he? Good question. He wrote "La Mer", which was translated to "Beyond the Sea", which became a hit for Bobby Darin. I'm fairly sure that Johnny Mathis was well acquainted with his songs as well. I've got a videotape called "An Evening in Paris" which features Johnny Mathis as an opening act (get that) for Charles Trenet at a nightclub in Paris. At the end of his section of the show, Mathis gives Mr. Trenet a pretty good French kiss, too...you know, the kind that takes both cheeks. Mais alors, il faut faire les choses francaises quand on y est en Paris, n'estce pas?
PARDON ME?! According to a story in the Knoxville, Tennessee news, the wife of one of the men ex-President Clinton pardoned as a going-away present is an accomplished songwriter! In fact, a quick trip to ASCAP's search engine reveals that Denise Rich's songs seem to have been picked up by a lot of R&B and gospel artists. But what's puzzling is that the article states that even Johnny Mathis has done a song of hers. Either her song credits at ASCAP are incomplete or they're wrong. I'm guessing the former is true. I wonder which song it is? Hmmmm...
HALF.COM: One of the best discoveries I've made lately is the website Half.com, where it is possible to find brand new hardcover books for less than half of their retail list price. This is not an auction site...the price you see is the price you pay! Good news: they have a nice group of sellers who have Johnny Mathis CDs for sale. The prices are excellent, the condition of the CDs and their containers vary. Go with the ones in Like new or still in shrinkwrap, and it's hard to beat that deal! Beware: some sellers won't ship overseas, so ask first.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: It is with great sadness that I must report the loss of another great radio station. KGTO 1050 in Tulsa is no more. A not-that-powerful station, on sunny days we here in Oklahoma could still pick up the great classic songs of the pre-rock era, including the occasional Johnny Mathis "greatest hit" or later song. It's another nail in the coffin for the music of the classic singers. Radio stations like KGTO are changing to more profitable formats all over the country. Even the college stations aren't as eclectic as they used to be. After a while, I'm afraid they'll just be no more! And not everyone has a computer or can afford the extra line or DSL to keep the NetRadio or Yahoo Broadcast on all day. Please support your classic radio station and its sponsors if you can.
In related news, it looks like Napster may soon be a fond memory as well. In the meantime, even after the court ruling, people are still sharing the music not only there, but the other peer-to-peer sites. I've noticed quite a few Mathis mp3s. If you have the means to listen to these (not to mention the patience to download them) it's a great source. I'm a little turned off by the fact that you can't listen to them unless you're at not just A computer, but YOUR computer, the one on which it was downloaded. There's no way to move the darn things (without a several hundred dollar investment)! At any rate, I hope the people can find another way to keep the music playing that will make everybody happy.
WE'LL SOON FIND OUT: whether Live By Request will rebroadcast the Johnny Mathis special and release the video to the public, or whether we've been lied to again. This should have been done three months ago...why they continue to drag their feet on easy money is a mystery to me.
MATHIS IN CONCERT: The Westbury Music Fair shows are about a week away now. Good news: two NEW dates have been added for Westbury for the summer: July 20th & 21st. And believe it or not, tickets are on sale NOW online via Ticketmaster for these new dates. Call the venue or visit their main website for more information.
Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster for the Fort Wayne, Indiana show. Prices are what I'd call "moderate to high", considering it's being held in a sports arena! I guess the $75 is for the box seats, and the $33 ones are the bleachers. Click here for seating chart/more info.
Tickets have been on sale for the shows in Fort Lauderdale (April 13 and 14) since December, and the prices are reasonable. Click here for more information.
The late shows at Caesar's Atlantic City are on sale now. At $60, it's a fairly hefty price. The shows are set for April 27 and 28th. Tickets for the Nashville Symphony concert in Antioch (June 14) will be on sale online March 11!
I understand there'll be quite a few fan-clubbers at the shows at the Silver Legacy Casino in Reno, Nevada. Tickets are on sale, prices are $50, $44, and $30; call (800) 687-8733 for details or use the online form.
I see future dates in: Buffalo, New York; Hyannis (Kennedy country) and Beverly (north of Salem), Massachussetts, and Cerritos (a 45-year old suburb of Los Angeles) and Palm Desert (it IS in the desert), California. Sorry, no Canadian or other foreign dates that I can see.
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