Remember Him?

     He came from the north country. Minnesota to be exact. Born in Duluth on May 26, 1941.

     His paternal grandparents, Zigman and Anna Zimmerman, immigrated to America from Odessa, after the anti-Semitic pogroms in Russia in 1905; his material grandparents came from Lithuania. His parents, Abram and Beatrice, were part of a close-knit Jewish community in Duluth, until Abram contracted polio and the family moved to a small town in the iron-ore producing Mesabi Range, 80-some miles northwest of Duluth.

      In high school he played in several bands, imitating Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Once, when his band performed "Rock 'n Roll is Here to Stay" at a high school talent show, the principle cut off the microphone claiming the band was too loud. In his senior year, using the name Elston Gunnn (yes, 3 n's), he earned $15 a night  -- but only for a couple of nights -- playing piano with fellow teenager and aspiring rock musician Bobby Vee.

University of Minnesota

     He graduated from high school in 1959, moved to Minneapolis and enrolled at the University of Minnesota. He started playing at a local coffeehouse called Ten O'Clock Scholar, where his interest in rock 'n roll expanded to folk music. He was influenced by Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams, later recalling, "The thing about rock 'n roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough ... There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms, but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph ... much deeper feelings."

     At the end of his freshman year he dropped out of college, and a few months later decided to travel to New York City to see if he could meet his musical idol Woodie Guthrie. He arrived in New York, decamped in Greenwich Village, then journeyed out to a hospital in New Jersey where he succeeded in meeting the folk legend who at the time was seriously ill from Huntington's disease. The young man, just 20 years old, vowed to become Guthrie's greatest disciple.

     Those of you who know your rock 'n roll history probably already know who this iconic singer/songwriter is. Soon the whole world would know, as he began to play and sing in Greenwich Village clubs, and hang out with fellow folksingers Dave Van Ronk, Odetta, the Clancy Brothers, Joan Baez.

     In 1962 he released his first album, consisting mostly of covers of standard folk tunes. The record landed with a thud, selling only 5000 copies and barely breaking even. Then using the name Bob Landy he contributed to a blues album, and as Tedham Porterhouse he played harmonica on a record for Ramblin' Jack Elliott, another disciple of Woodie Guthrie.

     His second album was released in May 1963, and this time his record featured original songs, including "Blowin' in the Wind" and "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall." The album was called The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and proved a breakthrough of historic proportions.

50 years ago

     Some critics were put off by the rough edge of Bob Dylan's voice, but he found many admirers among his contemporaries, including The Beatles, and soon many musical acts were begging to record his songs, from Peter, Paul and Mary to the Byrds and the Beatles themselves.

     Bob Dylan's third album, The Times They Are a-Changin' reflected a more political side of the songwriter, and then in 1965 he stunned the music world at the Newport Jazz Festival by bringing out an electric guitar. He released Bringing It All Back Home, which featured recordings with electronic instruments, and then he put out a single "Like a Rolling Stone," which proved to be his biggest hit and was ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as the Number 1 "Greatest Song of All Time."

     There's lots more to the Bob Dylan story, of course. There are several books out by and about Bob Dylan, including Dylan's own memoir Chronicles: Volume One, and the definitive book on his early career, No Direction Home by New York Times critic Robert Shelton. In 2005 movie director Martin Scorsese produced a Dylan documentary, again focusing on his early years and also called No Direction Home.

     And yes, Bob Dylan is still alive and well and touring. If you want to go see for yourself, he's appearing this weekend in Charleston, SC, and St. Augustine, FL, and again in June in Palm Beach, Tampa, Atlanta and Nashville. For his complete tour dates go to his website bobdylan.com.

     Meantime, here's Dylan in Madison Square Garden at the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, singing "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" from his breakthrough album of 50 years ago.

Life-or-Death Question

     While on vacation I read about a woman named Susan Spencer-Wendel, a former reporter for the Palm Beach Post who, at age 44, found out she had ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. The illness causes your nerves to die off, progressing inevitably, from muscle to muscle, until you're paralyzed and you eventually die. There is no cure, no effective treatment. It is a death sentence, and a horrible one at that.

      Spencer-Wendel has a website and a facebook page. And she's written a book, Until I Say Good-Bye, published last month. According to amazon, everyone loves this book. It chronicles her journey as she first notices a weakness in her left hand, then goes to see several doctors, stays in denial for a whole year; and finally gets her official diagnosis. She contemplates suicide, but determines to live instead, and follow her dreams. (For a different experience, see my previous post The Night Visitor.)

     How could anyone not like her book? Well, I read it, and it turns out that the author dreams mostly about traveling, and bores us (or me at least) with extensive accounts of trips to Alaska, Hungary, California, Cyprus, and who knows where else.

     But there is one very affecting episode, when she takes her daughter Marina to New York to attend a friend's wedding. Mother and daughter visit Kleinfeld's, the fancy wedding store featured on the TV program "Say Yes to the Dress." Marina is only 14. But the young teenager is game to try on a wedding dress -- and show herself off as the bride her mother will never get to see.

     One other item caught my eye. At one point Spencer-Wendel makes the statement: "When I think of which role is worse -- to be the spouse dying or the spouse surviving -- I think it's the latter. The survivor will experience the same grief, will live the grief of the children, then must assume the responsibilities and slog on."

     I know my reaction to her point of view. What's yours? Maybe it's different depending on whether you're a man or a woman, since most women expect to outlive their husband, watch him die, and then live on as a widow. It's a natural part of life for a woman, not usually for a man (although my own dad outlived my mother by two years -- but he's the exception that proves the rule).

     Admittedly it's a distressing subject, but I'd be interested to hear what you think. I remember my mother, who admittedly had health problems later in life, wanted to be the first to go. And she was. My father raged against the dying of the light -- even at age 91 he desperately wanted to keep living and couldn't believe he had a fatal disease.

     Anyway, Susan Spencer-Wendel is one brave woman, as is her husband John as well as their three children. There's much to admire about her. And from now on, every morning when I wake up, I will thank God, the Universe and the Fates that I don't have ALS.

    

    

New Movies for Grownups

    Remember last year's Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the movie that put the senior audience on the map? B and I recently saw another one, also, called Hope Springs with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, about a long-married couple trying to put some zest back in their relationship. It wasn't as good as Marigold. But it did get a good performance out of Steve Carell as the marriage counselor.

     Now I came across an article in USA Today called "A Perfect 10 for Boomers" -- dubbed 10 Summer Films NOT About Superheroes on their website -- recommending a whole list of upcoming movies geared to the older audience. Since you may not have seen the article (as I've noted before, it seems the only time anyone sees USA Today is when they're traveling) I thought I'd pass on the suggesions.

     The article actually comes up with 11 new movies directed toward the more mature audience, starting with The Big Wedding, which opens today, Friday.

     The movie features an all-star cast including Robert DeNiro, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried and Susan Sarandon. The plot revolves around a long-divorced couple (DeNiro and Keaton) who pretend to still be married as their family reunites for a wedding.

     It sounds like it could be a fun romantic comedy if you like DeNiro, Keaton and the others. Personally, I've liked Susan Sarandon ever since I saw her in 1975 prancing around in her underpants for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Oh, and I don't mind Katherine Heigl either.

     One of the movies that sounds promising to me is Now You See Me, coming out at the end of May. The plot sounds a little weird -- an FBI agent enlists some magic to stop a bank robbery -- but the movie stars two actors I like:  Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo.

     Fans of the 2010 movie Red might like Red 2, with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirrin and Anthony Hopkins, coming out late in July. And I, myself, am still a Woody Allen fan, despite his checkered career (not to mention his checkered personal life), and so I'm looking forward to Blue Jasmine starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin and featuring the new hip comedian Louis C. K. The Woody Allen movie also hits the multiplex in July.

     But don't rely on my recommendations. Go take a look at the Summer Films article on the USA Today website and make out your movie plans for the summer.

Where Am I Now?

     Anyone who saw my last post has figured out that I'm taking a little R&R in the Carolinas. We came for the beach, but unfortunately the weather has not been cooperating. It's been cool and cloudy -- okay for walking on the beach, but not for sitting on the beach. Swimming? Forget about it. ("This is highly unusual," everyone keeps telling us. "It's supposed to be summer by now.")

     So yesterday we decided to go to see the historic city that's only about an hour's drive from where we're staying. Can you figure out where we went? Remember, we came to the Carolinas. But, careful ... it's a trick question.

 

In case you can't see it, that's a Pirate House

You thought I was kidding. I think that's a real pirate!

A cobblestone street leads down to the river

There's a modern suspension bridge

And a modern convention center

Historic River Street

We went to Huey's, a Cajun restaurant, but it's surely not New Orleans

The famous Cotton Exchange

It's a city of squares, this is Johnson Square

 

City Hall

     So what do you think? Can you figure out what city this is? It's an historic city. On a river. We're vacationing in the Carolinas. But as I told you, there's a trick. So, it's . . . 

Where's Tom Sightings?

     I'm taking a little vacation. (Hey, I'm retired, I can go on vacation whenever I want!). I'll give you one guess where I'm going ...

     I'm not leaving until tomorrow. But, "In my mind, I'm already gone . . . ."