Saturday, December 22, 2007

From Johnny Mathis to MTV. Andy did his thing that night hanging out with Paige, and then there was Mancini overplaying the Pink Panther. I remember that when I was little I waited a whole hour to hear the Pink Panther played by Mancini on TV. And afterwards I thought the concert was so boring. I didn't like or get his music at the time. In this respect, I may not have grown much. I still don't care much for it, except for Peter Gunn. I never thought about it but Johnny Mathis is actually African American. I remember seeing him on TV when I was little. And because he was following the tradition of crooners, I guess I associated him with the likes of Sinatra and Martin, which makes me realize that I also did not think about the ethnicity of Sammy Davis Jr. I just saw him in the tux and thought he was cool, although I wondered why he was the only African American in the rat pack.

The politics of ethnicity are always complex, here's Sammy's background:

Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York to Elvera Sanchez, a dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr., an African-American entertainer. The couple were both dancers in vaudeville. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. During his lifetime Sammy Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan [1]. However, in his 2003 biography In Black and White, author Wil Haygood writes that Elvera Sanchez was not born in Puerto Rico, but instead in New York City, the daughter of Cuban Americans Marco Sanchez and Luisa Aguiar. Haygood, who conducted over 250 interviews for his biography [2], states that the reason Davis claimed he was Puerto Rican stemmed from fear that anti-Cuban backlash resulting from the Cuban Missile Crisis would hurt his record sales.[3] The author's claims have never been confirmed by the Davis's immediate family, and therefore continues to remain as speculation.

As to Mathis, his ethnicity is completely played down, even in Wikipedia:

Mathis was born fourth of seven children in Gilmer, Texas to Clem and Mildred Mathis. The family moved when he was young to San Francisco, California on Post Street, in the famous Fillmore district where he was raised. His father worked for a time in vaudeville, and when he saw the budding talent in his son, the elder Mathis bought an old upright piano for US$25 to encourage his efforts. Mathis began learning from his father songs and routines–his first song being, "My Blue Heaven."[2] Mathis started out singing and dancing for visitors at home, and later publicly, at school and church events.[3]

Not to mention his site:

The fourth of seven children, John Royce Mathis was born on September 30, 1935 in Gilmer, Texas to Clem and Mildred Mathis. As a small boy, the family moved to Post Street in San Francisco. It was there that he learned an appreciation of music from his father who taught him his first song, “My Blue Heaven”. At age eight, his father purchased an old upright piano for $25. When he brought it home, it wouldn't fit through the front door. So that evening, Johnny stayed up all night to watch his father dismantle the piano, get it into the small living room of their basement apartment and then reassemble it. Clem Mathis, who worked briefly as a musician back in Texas playing the piano and singing on stage, would continue to teach his son many songs and routines. Johnny had proven to be the most eager of the children to learn all about music. He sang in the church choir, school functions, community events, for visitors in their home as well as amateur shows in the San Francisco area.

The only hint you get in Wikipedia as well as Mathis's own site is this:

He was spotted by Helen Noga, owner of The Black Hawk club, at a jam session and she became his manager. In September 1955, after Noga landed Mathis a job singing weekends at Ann Dee’s 440 Club, she ruthlessly pursued jazz producer George Avakian, who she found out was on vacation in the Bay Area. Avakian came to see him sing, and sent the now famous telegram to Columbia Records: Have found phenomenal 19-year old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts.[3]

I do remember learning about Mathis's ethnicity in Wikipedia, but I guess his PR people changed his entry. Here's a quote from the African American Registry that actually includes his ethnicity as part of the bio:

September 30

Johnny Mathis
*This date marks the birth of Johnny Mathis in 1935. He is an African-American singer.

Born John Royce Mathis in Gilmer, TX., he was raised in San Francisco, CA., and is one of the last and most popular in a long line of traditional male vocalists who emerged before the rock-dominated 1960s. Johnny Mathis studied with an opera coach as a young boy, and was almost lured into the profession; his other inspirations were crossover jazz vocalists of the 1940s; Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine and Lena Horne. Mathis concentrated on romantic readings of jazz and pop standards.

Andy was referring to his show on MTV called Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes, which started in 1986. There was another show in 1982 called Andy Warhol TV, also for MTV. The line up of celebrities for 1987 looked really good. The last show focused on Andy's Memorial Mass:

EPISODE 3
(ca. February 1987)

Victor Love
Ian McKellen
Bo Diddley

Moto-Fashion by Michael Schmidt and Anita Martire
Schmidt models: Grace Nemergut, Raphael and Thomas H. Street
Martire models: Ralph Scibelli and Barb Carboy
Motorcycles: Pilar Limosner, Sally Randall, Hugh Mackie, Dimitri Turin and Willard

The Fleshtones
Saqqara Dogs with Ruby Ray and Bond Bergland
The Tunnel nightclub with Rudolf (club director), Thomas Leeser (co-owner) and Carla Steiner (bartender & singer)
Regina Beukes (violinist)
Miriam Bendahan including fashion show with models Jennifer Hamden and Gabriela G.
Suzanne Lanza
Robert Longo with clip from the New Order Bizarre Love Triangle music video directed by Longo
The Mudd Club (footage from 1979)
Brook Larsen of B. Larsen Frames, Inc. (The company that took over the Mudd Club premises)

Scene from the Josep Papp presents The Opera at the Academy production of The Magic Flute with Jeffrey W. Reynolds (Tamino), Susan Hanson (Pamina) and Eric Fraad (Director) and interviews with: Heather Watts (principal dancer), Michael Torke and Jack Soto (principal dancer)

Bobbi Humphrey
Ian McKellan
Wall to Wall (singing Tuff Luck)

EPISODE 4
(1987)

Debbie Harry
Nick Rhodes
Bryan Adams
Ric Ocasek and Andy Warhol visit the new Factory premises at the old Con Edison building
Phoebe Cates
Diane Brill
Susan Hess
Charlie Clough (artist)
Stephen Sprouse with models Ariane, Michael McGale, Salvatore Xverb, Katherine Hammond, Suzanne, Nick Camen.
Parish Fashions

Amatuer Night at the Apollo featuring: Emanon Johnson (The Baby Beat Box), Ralph Cooper Sr. (host), Howard B. Sims, Sr. (Sandman), Phyllis Yvonne Stickley (comic), Audra Cassell (dancer), Herman Johnson (lead guitarist), Betty Du Chantier (singer), Ralph Cooper II, Latasha Spencer (The Gospel Princess)

The Palladium nightclub
Area nightclub
Andy's Screentest
Antonia (actress)
Randall Krebs (model/actor)
John O'Leary (pastor
Tyler K. Smith (artist)

EPISODE 5
(1987)

100 Boots by Eleanor Antin (conceptual artist)
Hipsway (band) with Grahame Skinner, Pim Jones and Harry Travers

Dial M for Model (fringe show) with L.K. Aubrey (producer), Stephen Pell (drag), Peter Kwaloff, John Epperson, Edgar Oliver and Janis Wilcoff

Broadway Babes/Dudes of 1987 segment with David Leigh (fashion), Paul Shaffer, Tommy Tune and Liliane Montevecchi

Julie Brown
The Ramones
Konk (band)
Elizabeth Cannon (fashion)
Paul Lekakis sings Boom Boom
Michelangelo Signorile
John Sex
Courtney Love
Robbi Nevil

Andy Warhol's Memorial Mass with Brigid Berlin reading from the Book of Wisdom and testimony by John Richardson and Yoko Ono and various shots of attendees including David Hockney.

How could Andy know how serious his gallbladder attack was? Based on his diary entry, it sounded to me that he had problems because he sat funny during the TV show shoot. Here's info on gallbladder attacks (I'm impressed that gallbladder attacks have their own website). Based on the information I found, Andy may have been too thin, and that made him prone to gallbladder problems:

What are the symptoms of a gallbladder attack?

Gallbladder attacks can be both very painful and frightening. It is easy to understand why so many people opt for gallbladder surgery after experiencing even one gallbladder attack. But there are both natural supplements and natural foods that can manage gallbladder disease to help prevent both surgery and the discomfort of gallbladder colic.

DID YOU KNOW...
that lack of fat in your diet can also bring on a gallbladder attack?

Fats are important but it's the right fats that count. If you are in pain now, try the beet recipe which calls for some flax oil.

Research shows that a balanced diet high in cis unsaturated fats (essential fatty acids) may reduce risk of gallstones, especially in men.(1)

Symptoms may include one or more of the following: chest pain in the right side (caused by stones in the bile duct or inflammation or swelling of the gallbladder itself). Nausea or queasiness, vomiting and gas are frequent. There may or may not be belching or burping. The gall bladder, which sits just below the rib cage to the right of the stomach, is very tender to touch. It can be so painful that it takes your breath away.

You may not be able to walk without bending over. Sometimes the pain radiates through to the back shoulder blade on the right side or in the middle between the shoulder blades. This is pain from the gallbladder being referred to the back of the shoulder. This back shoulder blade chest pain is one of the most common yet unknown symptoms of a gallbladder disorder. This can come and go or be constant. It may be sharp, excruciating or dull. It may also occur especially at night.

A gallbladder attack will typically last for one to four hours.

Is this gallbladder pain or what else could it be?

Pain in the right side of the chest or in the upper right quadrant (area) of the body can be due to more than gallbladder problems. The differential diagnosis should be done by examination and questioning by your doctor. If the pain is severe, tests may be done to rule out stomach, pancreas, liver or gallbladder. If you have come to this site, you have some suspicion yourself that your gallbladder is involved. The questionnaire provided for you is a helpful indicator since additional gallbladder symptoms help to confirm your suspicions. Pain alone is not usually enough. If the pain is located mid-center beneath the rib cage, this can also be gallbladder related. Appendicitis pain can also be referred to the mid-center.

What casues gallbladder attacks?

The pain can come from a stone making its way down the biliary duct (or bile tube) toward the (duodenum) small intestine. It can also be caused by a back up of bile in the gallbladder (with or without stones) that causes it to swell from fullness causing discomfort. Or it can come from an infected gallbladder itself that becomes inflammed (cholecystitis).

Alba Clemente looks great twenty years after Andy's entry. She must have been stunning when Andy hung out with her. She still is. And Andy took nude pictures of her! Lucky. She's beautiful. Francesco ain't looking bad either.

I did a search on Debra Winger and I found a website with pictures of her as Wonder Woman. I missed that one (when the hell did she play that role?). I mean, for me, there has always been only one Wonder Woman: Lynda Carter. I can't help but think that Debra looks like she's dressed for Halloween. I loved her in the Sheltering Sky. Tops down my favorite Bertolucci Film.

There's a Wonder Woman film scheduled for 2009. And there were some talks about a film in 2001 as well. Can you imagine Mariah Carey as Wonder Woman? She looks so thin in her website, by the way. I know she does not look like that now, although she would have in 2001. And what about Bullock? That's even worse. Unless the film was a comedy: In January 2001, producer Joel Silver approached Todd Alcott to write a Wonder Woman screenplay, with Silver Pictures backing the project.[26] Early gossip linked actresses such as Mariah Carey, Sandra Bullock, and Catherine Zeta-Jones to the role of Wonder Woman.[27] Leonard Goldberg, speaking in a May 2001 interview, named Sandra Bullock as a strong candidate for the project.[28] Bullock claimed that she was approached for the role, while Lucy Lawless and Chyna both expressed interest. Lawless indicted that she would be more interested if Wonder Woman was portrayed as a "flawed hero."[29] The screenplay then went through various drafts written by Alcott, Jon Cohen, Becky Johnston, and Philip Levens.[30] By August 2003, Levens was replaced by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis.[31]

Rado Watches. I haven't worn a watch in a while, since I got my first cell phone in 2000. Yeah, bulky that thing was. Now they're much smaller and appear to do everything for you but make love. I'm sure they'll figure that one out soon as well--like an android that follows you around or something, in a bad sci-fi novel. I like cell-phones because they fit in my back pocket; even my first one did, so I guess it was not so bulky. I think the Blackberry rules. I don't have one, and I only know a couple of people in San Diego and Los Angeles that own one. I was in NYC last week and I saw a lot of them when riding the subway--people typing away. Then at dinner, one of my hosts pulled hers out to check the time, I believe, and she told us that she also had an iphone, but that she didn't like it because it was not friendly for long nails. She added that she met a designer from Apple, who had worked on the iphone, and she expressed her disappointment to her. The Apple designer told her, that she had actually cut her nails to be able to use the phone properly. And my host said, "I don't think most people will cut their nails. They should redesign it."

Most people I know don't wear a watch. The thing for me is more about money and practicality, why have two things that tell you the time? I remember when I wore one, I was always worried that the battery would die. And eventually, I would be ten minutes late everywhere.

Liberace did die in 1987, just a couple of weeks before Andy.

Andy working hard taking porn pictures. Here's what I found about his porn material:

Apparently there's a virus worm that redirect online uses to porn sites,

'Warhol' porn worm warning

'Fifteen minutes of fame' for malicious script
William Eazel, vnunet.com 14 Feb 2002
ADVERTISEMENT

A 'Warhol' worm is terrorising users of Microsoft's Instant Messenger, and directing them to a porn site featuring malicious script.

Here's a blog commentary on Andy's Interviews. Andy talks a bit about porn,

Warhol on the routine of the interview genre:

“Interviews are like sitting in those Ford machines at the World’s Fair that toured you around while someone spoke a commentary; I always feel that my words are coming from behind me, not from me. The interviewer should just tell me the words he wants me to say and I’ll repeat them after him. I think that would be so great because I’m so empty I just can’t think of anything to say.” (”Andy Warhol:My True Story”, by Gretchen Berg)

Warhol, being interviewed interviewed by Tape Recording magazine, on his first impressions after using the new video recording technology:

Tape Recording (TR): How will video tape affect home movies?

Warhol: It will replace home movies …

TR: Have you recorded from a television set with the video recorder?

Warhol: Yes. This is so great. We’ve done it both direct and form the screen. Even the pictures from the screen are terrific …

TR: What else can people do with their home video recorders?

Warhol: Make the best pornography movies. It’s going to be so great.

TR: You think Mr. and Mrs. America will …

Warhol: Yes. And they’ll have their friends in to show them.

TR: Any other things you like about the video recorder?

Warhol: Oh, yes. You can spy on people with it, too. I believe in television. It’s going to take over from movies. … (”Pop Goes the Videotape: an Underground Interview with Andy Warhol,” by Richard Ekstract)

Nothing on getting caught or anything really juicy, though.

Diary of a pornstar. There's a movie with that title actually. Andy taking porn pictures led me to do the search. I also found an actual blog entry by the same name. Here's a snippet:

Somehow it's already monday again. i don't mean that in a kind of cutesy-poo eye-roll t.g.i.f. coffee mug where-did-the-weekend-go-oh-i-know-what-you-mean, work camaraderie kind of way. i mean, honestly. where is my life going? these days it all seems to roll out faster than i can keep up with it. before i know it, my apartment's strewn with clothes and everything i planned to get done this weekend has been pushed off to next weekend and it's time to go sit at my desk again.

I read the whole thing and found nothing exciting. At the end he refers to the "entertainment industry." I don't know if this means the porn industry. but it's missing some juice to live up to the entry title.

Manson. One thing that I find odd is his relationship to the Beatles and the music industry:

Manson was an unemployed ex-convict, who had spent half his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses. In the subsequent period before the murders, he situated himself on the periphery of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly through a chance association with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. After Manson was charged with the crimes, recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially; a number of artists have covered his songs in the decades since.

And he has a fan club:
http://www.charlesmansonfanclub.com/