THE SAD DEPARTURE OF RICHARD BELZER ON SVU
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
By: G.H. Harding
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Liza Minnelli
MORE QUEEN --- On April 20th 1992, Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon, the surviving members of Queen, took to the stage at Wembley Stadium for the start of one of the biggest events in rock history, which the band had organized to pay tribute to their former colleague – the incomparable Freddie Mercury. Queen were joined by some of the greatest musical talent in the world to celebrate Freddie’s life and work and to increase public awareness of AIDS, the disease that had prematurely ended his life the previous year.
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (Eagle Rock Entertainment) features many Queen classics in unique performances including: “Bohemian Rhapsody," “Hammer To Fall," “Crazy Little Thing Called Love," “Radio Ga Ga," “I Want To Break Free," “Under Pressure," “Somebody To Love," “We Will Rock You," “We Are The Champions” and many more.
Special guests include David Bowie, Gary Cherone, Roger Daltrey, Def Leppard, Joe Elliott, Extreme, Bob Geldof, Guns ‘n’ Roses, James Hetfield, Ian Hunter, Tony Iommi, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Metallica, George Michael, Liza Minnelli, Robert Plant, Mick Ronson, Axl Rose, Seal, Slash, Lisa Stansfield, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Young & Zucchero.
Some of the performances just literally jump off the screen; but, I think my favorites are “All The Young Dudes,” featuring Bowie (who wrote it), Ian Hunter (who performed it with his then-band Mott the Hoople), and Mick Ronson; who, for all you Bowie-philes, was the original guitarist on the record. Also, Bowie’s stunning duet with an angelic Annie Lennox ("Under Pressure") was impressive as well.
Elton John performing “The Show Must Go On,” was also very strong. That song, I think has got to be one of my all-time favorite Mercury tunes; written and recorded as he was in the final stages of the disease. By all accounts, he went into the studio and knocked off the recording in a matter of hours.
As well as being a terrific spectacle, the concert raised a huge and still growing sum of money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity formed at the time by Roger Taylor, Brian May and Queen’s longtime manager Jim Beach whose charter is the relief of suffering from AIDS throughout the world. Profits from this release will be donated by the Mercury Phoenix Trust to AIDS charities around the globe.
For more information on the Mercury Phoenix Trust, go to www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com.
ARETHA --- Aretha Franklin may be past her multi-year fight with a mystery illness.The soul icon has been fighting an unnamed disease since 2010, canceling dates on and off throughout the period, but she has revealed to the Detroit News that the worst might be behind her.
“The side effects were rough,” Franklin said, of treatments she had to endure for an illness she preferred not to detail. “But I'm glad to be back in it!”
“I need a party, after what I've been through,” she said. “I spent most of the summer in bed. But everything is good now, good to go.”
I know for a fact that certain writers (and, publishing houses) were waiting for her to pass on, but, like a phoenix, she’s risen again.
Up next is a new album that she is doing for long-time friend Clive Davis and being produced by the team of Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Don Was.
Franklin will record a few covers for the album including Whitney Houston's How Will I Know," Dinah Washington's "Teach Me Tonight," and Etta James' “At Last.”
ROSELAND DOA --- Roseland is indeed history. Roseland opened in 1922 and moved to its current location on West 52nd St. in 1956. Albert Ginsberg bought in 1981 and promised everyone he wouldn't shut it down. Thirty two years later, it seems the Ginsbergs are cashing in; or, cashing out. Ironically, across the street last year there was a threat of Gallagher’s Steak House shutting down. It was saved at the last minute. The city's rare and storied history is disappearing quickly.
It’s not like the cavernous Roseland isn't busy. It’s used all the time for concerts, dances, and Broadway show openings. But the space must be coveted by real estate developers.
This version of the club was renovated in 1956, but the original was built in 1922. I saw some great shows at the club over the years, including the now-lost Billboard Magazine Dance Forums (thank you Bill Wardlow!).
In fact, I was with music industry vets Tom Silverman, Marc Josephson, Danny Heaps, David Salidor and the late-great Joel Webber, when they decided to start the New Music Seminar, now run solely by Silverman Great times for sure!
CLOSING NOTES --- How about last week's Law & Order: SVU, which portrayed the good-bye to the character Sgt. John Munch (aka Richard Belzer) on the series. The character started on Barry Levinson's terrific show Homicide back in 1993, and continued through his stint with L&O. Sure, there was a case which was neatly sandwiched between the good-bye, but it was very tastefully done, especially the nice coda to the show which had a quick scene from Homicide and then the phone rang, wherein he answered "homicide." Belzer's a class act, 3 decades as the character and working with the likes of the late-great Jerry Orbach and his bff is Paul Shaffer; he will return in future episodes as an officer in the D.A.'s office; but, this was a great run for him. Congrats Richard ...
Last night's Homeland had a major, major twist, that was eventually a nice surprise, but, hard to buy at first. Me ... I still love the show, but, boy, frustrating at times ... NBC's Ironside was canceled last week after only a handful of shows. I watched the first show and was surprised by how steely the main character was. I didn't like it at all. Blair Underwood's a great actor, but he just can't seem to catch a break (we still loved him in The Event). Wonder if Raymond Burr-biographer Michael Starr was working on a follow up book? ...
Richard Johnson is back in New York at the New York Post. Sort of a doing an updated Neal Travis-column ... and, Neal is one we miss very, very much. Johnson's an out-and-out star. Say what you will, but he was always fair and just. I knew he'd be back, The Post just wasn't the same. Welcome back home Richard ...
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