Ralphland

We lost another legend today, coincidentally just a few days after losing the legend who discovered her. Etta James was an icon, a legend who sang her heart out and always left her fans wanting more.

While her natural talents would have been discovered eventually, it is only appropriate that she was discovered by another talent who would become a legend himself. We’re certain that Mr. Otis is now lining up gigs for his brightest star, Miss Etta James.

Rest in Peace, Etta James.

“When I look out at the people and they look at me and they’re smiling, then I know that I’m loved. That is the time when I have no worries, no problems. ”

-Etta James (1938-2012)

Rest in Peace, Johnny Otis – a Rock & Roll, Doo Wop and Soul icon!

He discovered Etta James, Hank Ballard & Jackie Wilson, sang “Willie and the Hand Jive”, wrote one of my favorite songs (Every Beat of My Heart, recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips) and always put on one hell of a show.

I was lucky to see him & his band play an awesome set in Berkeley, his hometown for many years. He will be missed.

The NFL has lost a true legend- Al Davis. Al Davis contributed greatly to the success of both his beloved Raiders and the NFL as a whole. The NFL that we know and take for granted today was brought about because of Al Davis’ contributions.

Al Davis not only built a team, he built a legacy with some of the most devoted fans in any league. He often gave misfits their chance to shine; and they often rewarded him with Super Bowl wins and unprecedented success.

Al Davis was often maligned by his critics who sought to belittle his achievements by painting him, his team and its fans as insane or bizarre. Mr. Davis always stayed above the fray and proved himself right where it counted; on the field.

The newly corporate NFL will certainly miss a maverick like Al, who always seemed to go his own way. No NFL owner was more committed to his team, his fans and the game. His death is a huge loss for the league and the fans and he will be sorely missed.

Steve Jobs was more than just a tech company CEO- he was a true visionary. He had a knack for looking into the future and trusting his instincts to create what people wanted before they knew they wanted it.

Just ten years ago, I owned no Apple products at all. My cellular phone was just used for emergency calls and my portable music collection was whatever I could fit into a Case Logic CD holder. I wouldn’t have dreamed that I could one day carry all of my music with me or that I could stay in touch with work in California even when I was in Florida. But Steve Jobs dreamed big and anticipated that we would want to enjoy our music wherever we went and stay in touch no matter where we were.

Ray Bradbury once said that Walt Disney had a knack for dreaming up things we didn’t think we needed, bringing them to life, then showing us that we indeed needed them all along. Steve Jobs was definitely cut from the same cloth. Not only were Walt and Steve both visionaries who constantly looked to the future, they both left the world a better place than it was before them and sadly, way before we were ready to see them go.

Long after the devices that Mr. Jobs dreamed up are mere memories, his spirit will live on in the work of the people he has inspired. And that will be his biggest legacy. I think this quote from an old Apple advertisement sums it all up best:

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes….. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

When it came to Motown duets, nobody wrote them better than Ashford & Simpson. From “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” to “Your Precious Love”, this song writing team knew how to make Motown stars like Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell have huge hits.

Sadly, we have lost half of this talented duo today. Nick Ashford has passed away at the age of 70. We can take comfort in the fact that his beautiful music will be with us forever. Rest in Peace, Mr. Ashford, and thank you for sharing your talent with the world.

Rest in Peace, Betty Taylor- Disney Legend and Disneyland’s first Sluefoot Sue.

“The Welcome mat is out today- at the Golden Horseshoe Cafe.”

-Sung by Betty Taylor in the Golden Horseshoe at Disneyland, U.S.A.

Rest in Peace, Disney Legend and Disneyland’s Clown Prince Wally Boag.

“There was a curious place in Frontierland—the Golden Horseshoe, a saloon with a stage, finely decorated with the golden luster of an Opry house. The place was curious because it was free. All you had to do was stand in line, and in a few minutes, you were taken inside and treated to a very big show. There was a small band, waitresses in 1890s garb, some racy can-can dancers, a singer, and something I had never seen before: a live comedian in front of a live audience. The comedian’s name was Wally Boag, and when he came onstage, I and every other member of the audience laughed ourselves silly.”

-Steve Martin

Rest in peace, Ms. Dolores Fuller- Elvis songwriter and Ed Wood movie star.

“Should I let him continue to wear girls clothing, or should I put my foot down?”

-Dolores Fuller in Ed Wood’s “Glen or Glenda?”

“Give! Remember to always give. This is the thing that will make you grow.”

-Elizabeth Taylor, 1932-2011

We lost another legend today as Leslie Nielsen has passed away at the age of 84. Leslie’s career was unusual in that he became more popular in his later years, primarily due to him finally getting the sort of roles he seemed born to play- comedic ones. From the time he arrived in Hollywood until 1980, Mr. Nielsen was pretty much given only dramatic roles. In 1980, however, all of that changed. The Zucker Brothers, along with Jim Abrahams, cast Mr. Nielsen in the role that would change his life, that of Doctor Rumack in the comedy classic Airplane! a film that spoofed the increasingly over dramatic disaster films that had become popular in the 1970s, a trend which began with The Poseidon Adventure, which coincidentally starred Mr. Nielsen himself.

Despite playing nothing but dramatic roles up until then, things changed for Mr. Nielsen in a big way and he ended up playing nothing but comedic roles from then on. He even got another opportunity to play a legendary role- that of Frank Drebin, a bumbling police officer who never did anything right, yet always won out in the end. Leslie always made us laugh and was always a bright spot in any film he was in, regardless of its quality.

Losing such an iconic comedic actor is especially sad, considering how Mr. Nielsen was as nice in person as he was on the screen. My cousin once wrote to him and he replied back with a signed picture; a picture that is valued to this day as a reminder of a class act who valued his fans as much as we valued him. So we honor Mr. Nielsen not only as a legend, but as someone who gave us so many happy moments and fun times. I have to admit that my sense of humor was partially shaped by Mr. Nielsen; I still recall watching The Naked Gun for the first time and thinking it was the funniest thing I had ever seen; that is, until I finally caught Airplane!, the original Police Squad and many more of Mr. Nielsen’s now classic films. Rest in Peace, Mr. Nielsen and thank you for the laughs!