1/31/11
Wild At Heart
It looks like they are predicting a big storm to come through the Detroit area starting Tuesday night. Make sure you are prepared because nothing is worse than being stuck in the snow and not being able to get out which is why I always carried a shovel in the back of my truck and extra mittens.
It was a sad week for music lovers starting with the passing away of Detroit native Gladys Horton at the age of 66. Gladys grew up in Inkster and in her teens started the Casinyets and later at the age of 16, the Marvelettes. She got the lead vocal job after Georgia Dobbin’s father forbade her to sing in nightclubs. The group went on to hit is big with songs like "Please Mr. Postman", "Beechwood 4-5789" and my favorite "Don't Mess With Bill". She left the group in 1967.
Today was with the death of five-time Oscar-winning composer John Barry, who wrote music for a dozen James Bond films and developed the twanging guitar riff in the suave spy's theme music. He wrote music for “Dr No”, "Goldfinger," "From Russia with Love," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," "Diamonds are Forever," "The Man with the Golden Gun," "Moonraker," "Octopussy," "A View to a Kill" and "The Living Daylights". Other films included “Dancing With Wolves”, "Robin and Marian," "Somewhere in Time," "The Cotton Club," "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Howard the Duck". Despite his classic scores, Barry was also an innovator, being one of the first to employ synthesizers in a film score (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) and to make wide use of pop artists and songs (Midnight Cowboy).
Despite those passings, there are some good shows coming up this week:
Tuesday (2/01) – tapes n’ tapes @ Blind Pig
Wednesday (2/02) – Decemberists @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Friday (2/04) – The Spinners and Stylistics @ Caesar’s Windsor, the Americana sounds of Hoots and Hellmouth @ the Ark
Saturday (2/05) – jam band Umphrey’s McGee @ Fillmore, Foxy Shazam @ Crofoot, Macpodz @ Magic Stick
I’m working on a few things right now for future blogs so have a good week and stay warm.