Labor Day Woes It’s strange how an unfortunate event can sometimes cause one to ponder the more enjoyable aspects of life. Because of a recent incident, I rediscovered my coveted Frankie Laine collection. Iowa, along with much of the Midwest, received torrential rains during the weekend before and days after Labor Day. My wife, Marlene, […]
This July, we Iowans lost our beloved former governor, Robert Ray. Ray was governor from 1969 to 1983. He was very popular among the people of Iowa. I work at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Almost 20 years ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to meet and be photographed with this […]
It is no secret that I love the music of Frankie Laine. I also had a wonderful friendship with him. I always surmised that Frankie thought I was kind of special because he seemed always a bit amused by the fact that this young kid idolized him. Whatever his feelings were regarding me, he was […]
As I sit here, I wonder what more I can write about the great Frankie Laine. It seems I have written everything I know about him. I have included snippets from my book, Reaching for a Star, and my own personal recollections about the times I have spent with Frankie. I have detailed my vast […]
1986 The year 1986 was a dreadful year for me. My youngest brother, Scott, was killed in an auto accident in June. Then our mother, Helen, died of cancer in October. Scott was only 25, and Mom was just 50. During this time, I was playing in a band that was working seven nights a […]
“I know that man is capable of great deeds. But if he isn’t capable of great emotion, well, he leaves me cold.” ― Albert Camus, philosopher, author, playwright Writing about Frankie Laine’s singing style, including his emotional conveyance of a song, is nothing new for me. This feeling and intensity that Frankie displayed in every […]
Laine by Numbers An Era of Gold People have varying tastes in musical entertainment. This is especially true these days. There are so many genres of music. During the years after the 19th century to the mid-20th century, there was classical, spiritual, inspirational, ragtime, jazz, swing, western swing, popular, country, doo-op, and rock and roll […]
My dad always admired Frankie Laine’s singing. He told me that his favorite singers were Mario Lanza, Frankie Laine, Teresa Brewer, and Patti Page. I was always proud of the fact that my dad lived long enough to see me in photographs with Frankie Laine and Patti Page. And he knew all about my personal […]
Brrrr, it’s been cold here in the Midwest! I live in Iowa, and we have been experiencing an Arctic cold snap since the end of December. Ironically, as far as this writing is concerned, the cold snap we have been experiencing was named “Frankie.” Winter storm Frankie was the sixth storm named by the Weather […]
When I think of Christmas, I think of love—God’s love when He bestowed a great gift upon the earth—His Son. I include the love of family, home, and livelihood. Christmas is a time for love. Music is the best way to express all this Christmas love. Christmas Music Someone once asked Frankie Laine why he […]