New this week in ’70: July 18

(Above: a beautiful night for baseball.) July 18, 1970 It's a slow period in the headlines, with only a couple of stories to share. On July 16, the Elks Club voted near-unanimously to remain an all-white organization. The official rules for membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, as it is formally called … Continue reading New this week in ’70: July 18

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New this week in ’70: July 11

(Above: Guys, this game doesn't count.) July 11, 1970 It's the day after "whites only" schools lose their tax-exempt status. This is not a foreign dispatch; this is a story from the United States, where ten thousand such schools, ranging from kindergarten all the way up through college, remain in existence years after Brown v … Continue reading New this week in ’70: July 11

Rest in peace, The Great Daryl Nathan: “Freaky Freaky Girl” (circa 1996)

Word circulated on social media today that Daryl Q. Nathan passed away in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 22 at the age of 54. That sentence, by itself, tells a story. But that story is incomplete. Anyone who spent time in and around Grand Rapids in the 1990s was aware of The Great Daryl Nathan. … Continue reading Rest in peace, The Great Daryl Nathan: “Freaky Freaky Girl” (circa 1996)

Rest in peace, Johnny Mandel: “Suicide is Painless” (1970)

Award-winning composer Johnny Mandel passed away on Monday at the age of 94. A classically-trained musician, Mandel was responsible for a wide variety of movie soundtrack music. His first notable work was 1958's I Want to Live!, which earned him three Grammy nominations. Mandel was no stranger to the Grammys; he was nominated for a … Continue reading Rest in peace, Johnny Mandel: “Suicide is Painless” (1970)

Rest in peace, Benny Mardones: “Into the Night” (1980)

(Above: Benny Mardones. Credit: Billboard/Getty Images) Billboard magazine is reporting the death of pop singer/songwriter Benny Mardones today at the age of 73 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Mardones was born in Cleveland in 1946. His musical career began after serving in the Vietnam War when he moved to New York City and … Continue reading Rest in peace, Benny Mardones: “Into the Night” (1980)