Rudolph, Walt & More
RIP Rudolph Eisley, 84, the elder brother of the group that shot to fame in 1959 with the release of Shout, which rose to only #47 but which had staying power, eventually reaching gold status, and is played at parties to this day. It was covered by Lulu, The Shangri-Las, Joey Dee and the Starliters, Tommy James and the Shondells and The Beatles, and has been featured in several movies and TV shows. Born in Cincinnati in 1939, Rudolph was known for wearing hats and fur-attired clothing and for carrying a cane. He sang background on the group’s second hit Twist and Shout, which rose to #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was also covered by the Beatles and by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes and Salt-N-Pepa. This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) hit #12 in ’66, and was later covered by Rod Stewart. The group’s biggest hit came in ’69, It’s Your Thing, which climbed to #2 and won a Grammy as Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The men were also honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Rudolph left the business in 1989 but returned for reunions. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. I was fortunate to see the group perform at a Murray the K rock n roll show in the early ‘60’s, which I mention in an essay in Curious Sicilian. My friends and I marveled at how they were able to jump from a piano onto their knees, which is nonsense, of course, urban legend. Thank you, Sir.
RIP NFL FB Walt Garrison, 79, member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Born in Denton, he also played high school basketball and baseball. Originally a LB, he was moved to fullback at Oklahoma St. (The Cowboys). He led the Big Eight in rushing as a junior and was second the next year. He was selected by Dallas in the fifth round of the 1966 draft and played for them until 1974. He was a member of the Super Bowl VI champions. He had 5680 total yards and scored 39 TDs. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’72. During off-seasons, he performed in rodeo. A knee injury he suffered while steer wrestling in 1975 ended his football career. He then became a spokesman for businesses and established the Walt Garrison Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. He was a father of two. Well done, Sir.
Attention Jewish customers, headline from nypost.com: “Starbucks workers union voices ‘solidarity with Palestine’ after Hamas attack.”
There are jokers and then there are self-parodists. Headline from foxbusiness.com: “Autoworker union president who donned ‘eat the rich’ shirt is in top 5% of earners.”
A great day at the floating book shop. My thanks to the gentleman who enjoyed Billionths of a Lifetime and returned to buy Vito’s Day, Curious Sicilian, Adjustments and Exchanges; and to the one who bought a Physics textbook and Monster High Diaries by Nessi Monstrata; and to my Constant Benefactress, who purchased Smoke in Mirrors by Jayne Ann Krentz. I am blessed.
