Tennis Quiz: [French Open starts next week.] 1) Who won the
men’s and women’s titles at the 2005 Australian Open? 2)
Before Roger Federer won three grand slam titles in 2004, who
was the last male to do so? 3) Who was the last male to win the
grand slam? 4) Who was the last female to win the grand slam?
Answers below.
Red Sox Pop Quiz: The other day, Manny Ramirez hit his 400th
career homer. Name the other four who hit their 400th in a Red
Sox uniform. Answer below.
Kris Kristofferson
Recently, Kris Kristofferson was formally inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame award (officially a 2004 entrant)
and he was to be honored at Tuesday’s Academy of Country
Music Awards Show (though I was at U2 and didn’t see this
personally). Anyway, it’s a good excuse to reprise a story I did
on Kristofferson years ago.
—
You all know why the editor has this site, don”t you? So I can
educate myself on history or events of the day, with the goal
being to drag you all along for the ride. I bring this up because I
certainly don’t pretend to know all when it comes to the music
industry and in glancing through some books the other day I
happened upon Kristofferson and, frankly, I had forgotten what a
huge force he was in the country songwriting field.
Briefly, Kris was born in Brownsville, TX, 1936. Son of a
two-star Air Force general, he was an excellent athlete (football
and soccer) and Rhodes Scholar. At Oxford he studied William
Blake. Afterwards, however, he ended up in the army where he
became a captain and crack helicopter pilot. Kris also had one
hell of a good time.
“I nearly ended up destroying myself,” he said of this period. “I
was drinking all the time, doing all kinds of reckless things. I
totaled two cars and had four motorcycle accidents.”
In 1965, though, just two weeks before he was scheduled to teach
English Lit at West Point, Kris resigned his commission to take
up songwriting in Nashville. He had always had an interest in
music, growing up mostly with country influences, and now he
was stepping out on his own.
And for about five years it was rough. He held a variety of odd
jobs, including work for an extended spell as a night janitor at
Columbia studios while tending bar during the day. But through
both jobs he was able to make some music contacts and develop
his songwriting skills at the same time. As to the latter, he finally
convinced the great Roger Miller (now there was an underrated
star), with help from Johnny Cash, to record “Me And Bobby
McGee.” [Busted flat in Baton Rouge / Headin’ for the trains /
Feelin’ just as faded as my jeans.] It was a big hit and by
1971 was also a #1 Billboard smash for Janis Joplin. [Kris and
Janis were romantically involved, if you catch my drift.
Actually, they shared a lot of stuff.]
Then in 1970 Kristofferson burst into superstardom. Ray Price
recorded “For The Good Times” (as I”ve probably commented
before, simply one of the best tunes ever) while Sammi Smith
lent her voice to Kris’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night.”
Price and Smith both won Grammies, as did Kristofferson for
writing “Help Me….” The two tunes were revolutionary in that
they were racy (“Help Me….” embraced one night stands), but
because they were poetic Kris got away with it. The approach
opened Nashville’s conservative doors to songwriters from all
over the country.
In 1970 the New York Times ran an article touting Kristofferson
as “the hottest thing in Nashville right now – and if you”re hot in
Nashville, man, you’re hot everywhere.” He was more of a
superstar as a songwriter than many of the performers were.
Johnny Cash featured him on his television show and Cash had a
#1 country hit with Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming
Down.”
Of course what makes Kris’s success all the more amazing was
that he continued his partying ways. [Which is why, in spite of
his leftist views, Kris Kristofferson will some day have a bronze
statue in the Bar Chat Hall of Fame.] But, alas, after a few years
of incredible fame he decided to give Hollywood a try and his
music career was never the same. Sure, he had two #1 Country
singles that he recorded, first, “Why Me,” and later as part of the
Highwaymen (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Johnny
Cash) the hit “Highwayman.” And during his marriage to Rita
Coolidge the two captured a few Grammies for their duets, but
his concert performances were judged to be erratic and one
would have thought that after the awesome start to his career he
would have achieved more success.
Lastly, there is one incident in which he was involved that gained
him some notoriety. On October 3, 1992, Sinead O”Connor
appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and proceeded to make a
total ass of herself, particularly when she ripped up a picture of
the pope. The audience, and producer Lorne Michaels, was
stunned by her behavior.
Two weeks later, O’Connor appeared in Madison Square Garden
as part of a 30th anniversary tribute to Bob Dylan. She was
supposed to perform “I Believe In You” but when she was
booed rather vociferously by the audience, she launched into
“War,” whereupon she eventually had to exit in tears [Sinead
isn’t as bright as her press clippings would have you believe,
know what I’m sayin’?]. It was at that moment that
Kristofferson, one of the performers and emcees of the evening,
stepped forward and said in support of her, “Don’t let the
bastards get you down!” [Sources: “VH-1 Rock Stars
Encyclopedia,” “The Encyclopedia of Country Music (Paul
Kingsbury),” and “Country Music: The Encyclopedia (Irwin
Stambler)”]
Oh, what the heck…time for another look at the lyrics to…
“Sunday Morning Comin’ Down”. [#1 country for Johnny Cash,
1970]
Well I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head, that didn’t hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad,
So I had one more for dessert.
Then I fumbled in my closet through my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt.
Then I washed my face and combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day.
I’d smoked my mind the night before
With cigarettes and the songs I’d been pickin’
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Playin’ with a can that he was kicking.
Then I walked across the street
And caught the Sunday smell of someone’s fryin’ chicken
And it took me back to somethin’
That I’d lost somewhere, somehow along the way.
Chorus:
On a Sunday morning sidewalk
I’m wishing Lord that I was stoned
‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday
That makes a body feel alone.
And there’s nothin’ short of dyin’
That’s half as lonesome as the sound
Of a sleepin’ city sidewalk
And Sunday mornin’ comin’ down.
In the park I saw a daddy
With a laughin’ little girl who he was swingin’
And I stopped beside a Sunday school
And listened to the songs they were singin’.
Then I headed down the street
And somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin’
And it echoed thru the canyon
Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday.
Repeat Chorus….all together now!
—
Geezuz….that song is depressing. Let’s try another one.
“For the Good Times” [#1 Country / #11 Pop for Ray Price,
1970]
Don’t look so sad, I know it’s over
But life goes on and this old world will keep on turning
Let’s just be glad we had some time to spend together
There’s no need to watch the bridges that we’re burning.
Chorus:
Lay your head upon my pillow
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine
Hear the whisper of the rain drops flowing soft against the
window
And make believe you love me one more time
For the good times.
I’ll get along, you’ll find another
And I’ll be here if you should find you ever need me
Don’t say a word about tomorrow or forever
There’ll be time enough for sadness when you leave me.
Repeat Chorus.
Yikes, that one’s depressing too, come to think of it. Goodness
gracious. Our buddy Kris must have been really hammered and
in the dumps when he penned these two. We better move along.
Stuff
–So I went to my first U2 concert last night at the Meadowlands.
I’ve always been a fan and I’m even more so today. Super show.
I have communicated with a few friends since and this band
really has a devoted following. My friend LT and I sat in the fan
club section and those around us have traveled all over to see
Bono and Co.
By the way, LT is also my fiancé. Your editor is finally engaged,
at age 47. And I have to thank her big time for not putting up a
stink when I went to Beirut, and for finding the U2 tickets!!!!
“In the name, of love…….”
–Jordan Rane wrote a piece in the Los Angeles Times the other
day on the explorer Norman Vaughan. Talk about an incredible
man. Vaughan, who turns 100 on December 19, is the last
surviving member of Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s 1928 expedition
to Antarctica.
On his birthday, Vaughan plans to scale Mt. Vaughan, a 10,302-
foot mountain in Antarctica that Byrd named after him. Since
he’s in a wheelchair, the plan is for about six guides to hoist him
up the route. If he makes it, it would be just the second time this
isolated peak has ever been climbed, the first being Vaughan
himself just 11 years ago right before his 89th birthday.
Vaughan has a business card that has his philosophy on the front:
“Dream Big and Dare to Fail.” On the back he lists a few of his
accomplishments, including taking 209 sled dogs and 17 drivers
to the Battle of the Bulge. He also gave Pope John Paul II a
dogsled ride in 1981.
But after reading the article on Vaughan I realized I forgot just
who was who in the race for the Poles. I figure one or two of
you forgot also.
Roald Amundson: first to reach South Pole on Dec. 14, 1911;
35 days before Robert Scott, who tragically found out he was
second and then perished with his party on the return journey just
11 miles from safety. Doh!
Robert Peary was the first to reach the North Pole, April 1909.
For his part, Byrd made five expeditions of Antarctica and he
claimed to be the first to fly over both the North Pole (1926) and
the South Pole (1929).
[But if you want a great story, catch one of the PBS programs on
Sir Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic adventures. NOVA has
the best documentary….bearing the Bar Chat Seal of Approval!]
–Mark R. tells me the latest on the Philly sports talk shows is
that Donovan McNabb is an Uncle Tom for parroting the party
line (i.e., ownership’s), but that doesn’t make Donovan a bad
person. After all, he simply said a player should honor his
contract. As for Terrell Owens, the target of Donovan and
everyone else’s criticism because he wants to renegotiate a
contract signed just last year, word is he definitely won’t be back
with the Eagles this year.
–I have a few readers in the UK and I have to admit, Premier
League football fans, the final standings reiterated how the rich
get richer in this sport. Out of 20 teams:
1. Chelsea…29-1-8 (ties)…95 points
2. Arsenal…25-5-8……….83
3. ManU…..22-5-11………77
4. Everton…18-13-7………61
But in case you didn’t know, my fellow Americans, one of the
great things about the football leagues in England (I’m not sure
about the other countries) is that the bottom three teams in the
standings each year are dropped and the top three from the
division below the Premier League move up. So this year’s
losers are Crystal Palace, Norwich, and Southampton. Fans of
these are drowning their sorrows as I write.
Well, imagine if we did this with some of our sports leagues here
in the States? Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks would be
history (replaced by the likes of the Continental Basketball
Association’s Dakota Wizards). It would certainly make for a
little excitement at the end of the regular season for the poor-
boys, don’t you think?
–This is sad. Jack Nicklaus announced on Monday that the
British Open will be the last official tournament of his golf
career. “I don’t consider myself competitive anymore.” It’s
been a very rough year for the Nicklaus family with the
accidental drowning death of his son Steve’s child.
–According to a Life magazine survey of the Great American
Weekend, 55% of Americans spend more of their Saturdays and
Sundays doing things they have to do – instead of things they
want to do. Among the other findings, as reported by the New
York Daily News:
“Although men crave their spouses’ company (and not just for
the sex), more women than men just want to be left alone.”
“Drinkers have more fun than nondrinkers.” [But they might not
remember anything.]
“Most Americans say they don’t want to spend their weekends
watching TV or movies – but wind up doing just that.”
“Eating junk food is the biggest guilty pleasure on weekends,
especially for women.” [Me? I’m back to Salmon Sunday,
though I snuck in Mahi Mahi this past one.]
–Johnny Mac wants to pay homage once again to the Houston
Astros’ Craig Biggio.
“Biggio remains one of the under-appreciated (nationally, at
least) stars in the game. I mean here was a guy who won gold
gloves and made All-Star squads at 2nd base. Then Houston
signed Jeff Kent and Biggio went to center. Then they trade for
Carlos Beltran and Biggio goes to left. Then Kent and Beltran
both leave; Biggio goes back to 2nd. In an era when stars switch
teams with regularity, he has been a lifer in Houston and has
always put his team and the game first. He even gets paid well
under market value for a player of his caliber.”
Yes, Johnny, I think you’ve just made your case for Biggio’s
inclusion in the Bar Chat Hall of Fame, to be built at a site yet to
be determined.
–There is a definite pattern for this column. I criticize a player
and the individual immediately gets hot. This happened recently
when I blasted the Mets Mike Piazza and he proceed to hit 3
homers the next two games. And the other day I said Rafael
Palmeiro was finished and the very next game he went 4 for 5
with 5 RBI. For my next act………
–The White Sox’ Jon Garland is now 8-0. Florida’s Dontrelle
Willis, though, lost his first and is 7-1.
–Roger Clemens is making waves that he’d like to return to the
Yankees because Houston is struggling. What a jerk.
–Played golf today and it was the worst round I’ve had in years.
Not real good for the ego, know what I’m sayin’?
–Update: The other day I mentioned that Marquette University
changed its nickname to the Gold because they didn’t want to
retain the Golden Eagles, nor could they go back to the one
before that, the Warriors, for reasons of political correctness.
So as former Marquette, now NBA, star Dwayne Wade told
ESPN, “I don’t know about that one. Marquette Gold. The
Gold! The Gold?”
Well, students and alumni didn’t buy the new moniker and now
the trustees will select another one by July 1. What an
embarrassment.
–Big article in New York Times on Wednesday concerning
pitchers and steroids. It’s a lot more prevalent than many once
thought. No surprise here….see Roger Clemens and his
stupendous performance in the twilight of his career.
Top 3 songs for the week of 5/18/74: #1 “The Streak” (Ray
Stevens) #2 “Dancing Machine” (The Jackson 5) #3 “The
Entertainer” (Marvin Hamlisch)
Tennis Quiz Answers: 1) Winners of 2005 Australian Open:
Marat Safin and Serena Williams. 2) Three grand slam titles:
Mats Wilander (Australia, French, U.S.), 1988…last to do so
prior to Roger Federer in 2004. 3) Last male to win grand slam:
Rod Laver, 1969. 4) Last female to win grand slam: Steffi Graf,
1988. [Laver is the only one to capture the slam twice.]
Red Sox Pop Quiz Answer: The other four who hit their 400th
career homer in a Red Sox uniform are Andre Dawson (1993),
Carl Yastrzemski (1979), Ted Williams (1956), and Jimmie Foxx
(1938). I thought you might miss Dawson. I would have.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
