Pophistory: music, movies, history, and life.
Some people noticed that a current episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm contained a reference to filmmaker Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, etc.). And others laughed at the episode’s references to Pinkberry frozen dessert, “chat-n-cuts,” and “pig parking.” But few caught that the Harlin conversation on the show also referenced the 1970s television and music stars, … Continue reading “Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Hudson Brothers?”
Director Martin Scorsese once claimed that the first fifteen minutes of the movie Taxi Driver (1976) were inspired by Van Morrison’s album Astral Weeks (1968). How is this violent movie connected to one of the most beautiful albums of all time? Sources About the Connection One of the main sources for the link is the … Continue reading “Did you Know Taxi Driver Was Inspired by Astral Weeks?”
We celebrate the birthday of Willie Nelson’s, who was born during the final minutes of April 29, 1933 (so that his birthday is sometimes reported as April 30) in Abbott, Texas. One of my favorite Willie Nelson CDs is Across the Borderline, which was produced by Don Was. The CD was released in 1993, during … Continue reading “Graceland: Happy Birthday Willie Nelson!”
Today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill passed by the state legislature abolishing the death penalty in the state. He also commuted the death sentences of the fifteen Illinois inmates on death row to life in prison. The law takes effect July 1 and will make Illinois the sixteenth state without the death penalty. … Continue reading “Illinois Abolishes Death Penalty: Steve Earle’s Over Yonder”
Chimesfreedom wishes you a happy and healthy new year with this post about a Pulitzer-Prize winning book interpreted indirectly through song, leaving you with a question to ask yourself every day throughout the new year. Although Tim McGraw is not one of my favorite singers, there are times when popular artists record a song that … Continue reading “Life Lessons – From a Pulitzer-Prize Winner, a Country Star, and an American Idol”