RICHARD PRICE BETTER THAN FICTION BY RONALD SKLAR If Richard Price’s life story were made into a movie, you would accuse the joint of being too far-fetched. But, as the old cliché goes, truth is stranger than fiction. Price came up in a Bronx housing project, but his gift for writing gained him entrance into the … Continue reading
Five for FIGHTING It’s not EASY by Jay S. JACOBS Remember when popular music could actually say something? A tune was a mirror that we held up to our world. The lyrics were humorous or tragic or whimsical or heartbreakingly sincere. Songs spoke of love, war, relationships, politics, lust, and death. They would climb the heights or plunge the depths. John Ondrasik, the lead singer and songwriter of Five for … Continue reading
Toby Lightman Devils and an Angel by Jay S. Jacobs The music biz is always hungrily searching for the next big thing. They’re trying to find an artist that has the talent and the vibe and the chops to make a huge splash in the choppy waters of popular culture. It should be someone who has … Continue reading
joe mantegna one of us by jay s. jacobs When Joe Mantegna was a student at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, he would to pick up a play and turn the page that listed the original cast. It always fascinated him. Who originated these roles? What did they do later? Did they become a star … Continue reading
Jill Hennessy crossing Jill by Jay S. Jacobs Copyright ©2004 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: February 27, 2004. When the 2003 television season started, fans of the popular forensic drama Crossing Jordan were surprised to find the show was not on NBC’s schedule. Many asked if the show been canceled. How could that be? The show … Continue reading
fountains of wayne bright future in record sales by jay s. Jacobs When the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences released their 2004 Grammy nominations, Fountains of Wayne were one of the acts nominated as Best New Artist. This must have surprised the members of the band, who were under the impression that they’d been playing together for over a decade. They believed … Continue reading
the BANGLES some things that THEY SAID by jay S. JACOBS It’s funny how things change in the world. For example, the last time the Bangles released a new album, George Bush was in the White House, we had a bad economy and there were troops in Iraq trying to get to Saddam Hussein. Hey, wait a second… … Continue reading
James Pickens, Jr. Into The Lyon’s Den by Jay S. Jacobs Every year, TV Guide does a special issue called “The Best Show You’re Not Watching.” In it, they champion a TV series that has fine acting, excellent writing and good production values, but somehow has not seemed to attract a huge audience. Sometimes the honor has … Continue reading
JOSS STONE SOUL SISTER by Jay S. Jacobs You can’t help but notice the voice. It is strong, sensuous, assured. It soars to a crescendo or sighs to a whisper. It flat-out belts a soulful, joyful noise that reaches for the heavens and tries to box with God. Yet it doesn’t fall victim to the showiness … Continue reading
Tom Verica American Dad by Ronald Sklar Tom Verica stars as family patriarch Jack Pryor on the NBC sleeper hit American Dreams. The role calls for the strong silent type: a challenge which is not always as appreciated as it should be in a medium that often displays the dad as the house fool. Here, Verica … Continue reading
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