CBS Sunday Morning recently featured a story about singer-songwriter-actor Glen Hansard. In the segment, Hansard talks about his life, his time busking on the streets of Dublin, and his success with the movie Once (2006), which is now a Broadway play.
The segment features both touching moments — such as Hansard discussing his former relationship with his Once co-star Markéta Irglová — and funny touches, like a scene in a Dublin pub where Hansard’s grade school principal discusses telling a 13-year-old Hansard it was okay to drop out of school to pursue his music career. 2016 Update: The video is no longer available for embedding, but you may watch some of the segment on YouTube.
Below is another clip of an interview with Hansard that was done for The Busking Project.
What is your favorite song by Glen Hansard? Leave your two cents in the comments.
A John Denver Tribute album, The Music is You, is being released April 2. The album features such artists as Train (“Sunshine on My Shoulder”), Dave Matthews (“Take Me to Tomorrow”), Kathleen Edwards (“All of My Memories”), Lucinda Williams (“This Old Guitar”), Mary Chapin Carpenter (“I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado”), Amos Lee (“Some Days are Diamonds”), Allen Stone (“Rocky Mountain High”), and Emmylou Harris with Brandi Carlile (“Take Me Home, Country Roads”), among several others. The new album is a nice combination of Denver’s hits with some of his lesser known songs.
It is hard to believe that John Denver’s death in a plane crash occurred 15 years ago. If he were still around to hear the new album, he would be 69 years old right now. Although I doubt anyone else can record the definitive version of a John Denver song besides Denver (although Peter, Paul, and Mary came close many years ago), the new album is an interesting collection and it is great that today’s artists are making Denver’s music relevant for a new generation. Among the tracks, I particularly like the version of “Darcy Farrow” by Josh Ritter and Barnstar! If you wish to hear more, for now you can listen to the whole album streaming on NPR.
What is your favorite John Denver song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On March 27, 1973, Marlon Brando won the Best Actor Academy Award for The Godfather (1972) and became the second person in history to turn down the Best Actor Oscar. Like George C. Scott a few years earlier, Brando was a no-show for his award. But Brando sent a replacement to make a political statement and to officially reject the award during the telecast.
Sacheen Littlefeather’s Appearance for Brando
The night before the Oscars, Brando told the Academy he was sending Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. But when Littlefeather took the stage, she walked past Roger Moore holding the Oscar.
Littlefeather then explained that Brando was refusing the award. Brando, who was active in a number of social causes, declined the award to protest the portrayal of Native Americans in films.
Watching Littlefeather’s speech today, I realized I had forgotten how polite the speech was. From her respect of the time limit, to her apology, to her reference to the “very generous award,” her speech contrasts greatly with the few boos you hear in the audience.
I also forgot that the applause outnumbered the boos. Reportedly, she had planned to read Brando’s long statement but Oscar officials told her beforehand she only had 60 seconds. So Littlefeather improvised quite well, even mentioning recent events at Wounded Knee.
Some critics later claimed that Littlefeather, who was born with the name Marie Cruz, was not Native American. But her father was from the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes. She has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows and is still active in the Native American community.
Some articles report that Littlefeather read “part” of Brando’s speech. But in looking at the text, it appears to me she merely did the best one could to summarize his main point in the short time.
She captured Brando’s attempt to be polite in his unread remarks. In the unread portion, Brando explained that he did not attend because he thought he was of better use if he were at Wounded Knee. His written speech closed:
“I would hope that those who are listening would not look upon this as a rude intrusion, but as an earnest effort to focus attention on an issue that might very well determine whether or not this country has the right to say from this point forward we believe in the inalienable rights of all people to remain free and independent on lands that have supported their life beyond living memory. Thank you for your kindness and your courtesy to Miss Littlefeather. Thank you and good night.”
Brando’s Appearance on “The Dick Cavett Show”
Brando appeared on The Dick Cavett Show not long after he refused the Oscar. In the first few minutes, you can tell that the audience had no problem with his decision to refuse the Oscar for a principle in which he believed.
In the clip, he discusses his Oscar decision starting around the 6:30 mark. And he elaborates on how different ethnic groups are portrayed on television.
George C. Scott’s Rejection of His Oscar
In 1971, two years before Littlefeather took the stage for Brando, George C. Scott rejected his Best Actor Oscar for Patton (1970) because of his dislike for the awards. But on the night of the awards, Patton‘s producer accepted Scott’s award from presenter Goldie Hawn.
While Scott claimed he was at home watching a hockey game during the ceremony, he rejected the award because he did not like the idea of acting as a contest. He had stated years earlier that the Oscars are “a beauty contest in a slaughterhouse.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, George C. Scott’s Oscar ended up on display at the Virginia Military Academy Museum in Lexington, Virgina. It was placed there out of recognition of the man Scott portrayed onscreen, General George S. Patton.
What Happened to Brando’s Oscar?
Marlon Brando passed away in 2004, and I am not sure what happened to Brando’s Oscar. Some websites claim that it was just put back in the pile and given to someone else. Others claim it is in a vault somewhere waiting in case his estate decides to pick it up. Some report that Roger Moore took it home for a short time and that eventually it was given as a replacement for a damaged one owned by Charlie Chaplin. Another source claims it ended up with an unnamed person and that Brando wanted it back at some point.
I like to think that Brando’s Oscar is off somewhere fighting for justice.
Would you have booed or applauded if you were in the audience that night? Leave your two cents in the comments?
At the age of 23, Elvis Presley went into the U.S. Army in March 25, 1958, thus suspending his promising career that had already altered the music landscape.
On December 20, 1957, Elvis was drafted while he was celebrating Christmas at Graceland, and three months later on March 25, the 23-year-old Elvis went into the U.S. Army. During his time in the Army, Presley served as a member of two armor battalions, first completing basic and advanced training with Company A, 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas until September 1958.
Starting in October 1958, Presley served in Germany until March 2, 1960, as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor. It was during this time in Germany that he met the young teenager Priscilla Beaulieu, who would become his wife. Elvis left active duty on March 5, 1960 and received his discharge from the Army Reserve on March 23, 1964.
This newsreel has the story of the induction.
There were some downsides to these Army years. It was during this period that Elvis began abusing prescription drugs, a practice that would later lead to his death. As Elvis went into the Army, many wondered how his absence would affect his career.
When Presley returned from the Army, he showed he could still generate pop hits like “It’s Now or Never.” Additionally, he would return to making movies, but he was an adult and further away from his teenage rebel rock and roll years.
Although Presley would still make great music after his army years, the music scene had changed during the short time he was gone. In addition to the loss of Elvis during those years, Chuck Berry fell into trouble with the law, Little Richard joined the ministry, Jerry Lee Lewis lost his popularity when he married his young cousin, and Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly died in a plane crash in Iowa in early 1959.
While the survivors of those years would resurrect their careers to varying degrees, American music was never again like it was before the date in 1958 when Elvis went into the U.S. Army..
Do you remember when Elvis went into the Army? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On September 9, 1971, the day John Lennon’s album Imagine was released, journalist and radio personality Howard Smith had one of several conversations with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The conversations in their St. Regis Hotel room in New York City covered a variety of topics.
In this newly released excerpt prepared for Salon, Lennon and Ono talk about their relationship during this interview that precedes a later period of separation. Both Lennon and Ono respond to questions such as whether it is possible for people to be “too close.”
Of course, much of the conversation also drifts into the other Beatles. In particular, Lennon discusses how his song “How Do You Sleep?” on his new album is a response to Paul McCartney’s song about him, “Too Many People” from Ram (1971). [2019 Update: Unfortunately, the excerpt is no longer available online but below is what is apparently the complete interview.]
Salon has an interesting article on the background about how the tape was found, as well as other information about the recordings.
What do you think is the most interesting part of the Lennon-Yoko interview? Leave your two cents in the comments.
CBS Sunday Morning recently featured a story about singer-songwriter-actor Glen Hansard. In the segment, Hansard talks about his life, his time busking on the streets of Dublin, and his success with the movie Once (2006), which is now a Broadway play.
