GENE SIMMONS IS A CLASS ACT AND HONORABLE MAN
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
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| Elliot Tiber |
WOODSTOCK AT 45 --- Forty-five years ago this summer on August 15, 1969, Elliot Tiber found his own life's freedom just as the late folk singer Richie Havens sang his improvised song "Freedom" from the stage at the Woodstock Festival.
As writer of the acclaimed book Taking Woodstock (made by two-time Oscar winning director Ang Lee into a major motion picture released five years ago in the summer of 2009) and its prequel Palm Trees on the Hudson, Tiber has had much to share with audiences about all the amazing things that happened to him both before and during that weird and wild and wonderful time in August 1969 that gave birth to Woodstock Nation.
In terms of what happened to Elliot after Woodstock, that question will soon be answered in detail with the forthcoming publication of Tiber's third and final memoir titled After Woodstock: The True Story of a Belgian Movie, an Israeli Wedding, and a Manhattan Breakdown.
As his upcoming book's subtitle indicates, Tiber’s years after that legendary 1969 concert took him to various places around the globe with the comfort and support of the late Belgian film/theater director and actor Andre Ernotte. The story of their loving relationship, spanning nearly 30 years of incredible highs and lows (especially the first years of the AIDS crisis in the 1980’s and early 1990’s), just goes to show how cherished and magical a gift one's freedom in life truly can be.
With both the one-year anniversary of Richie Havens' passing this past April 22 (Earth Day), and the 45th anniversary this summer of the original 1969 Woodstock Arts & Music Festival (Aug. 15 - 18), Tiber remains as one of the few who were actually there.
Recognized as a true gay-rights pioneer by The New York Times, Tiber's life story will soon stand as an outspoken and serio-comic-trilogy of three separate books once his newest and final memoir, After Woodstock, is published by next month.
Reflecting for a moment on the music of the three-day festival; it’s interesting to note which bands have actually remained to this day; with Santana (who performed on Saturday) and The Who (Saturday as well and had the longest set) certainly topping the list. Much missed acts include Janis Joplin; John B. Sebastian; Canned Heat; and, Jimi Hendrix (who closed the show).
Looking at the performers list, it’s hard to believe Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ten Years After (Alvin Lee) and, Sha-Na-Na performed as well.
In many ways, Woodstock certainly paved the way for the live-events of today; including Lollapalooza, Coachchella and even SXSW.
If you haven't seen the Ang Lee –movie, you should, as it pretty well encapsulates the feelings and music of those halcyon days. I got to know Tiber when the first book came out and he’s the real deal; the movie version subtly changed certain parts of the book (less of Tiber’s personal transformation, more on the event) but, the filmmaker did an outstanding job. The movie wasn't the huge hit that everyone was counting on, but remains a vivid and accurate document of those days. I recommend it very highly.
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| Class Act Gene Simmons |
KISS OFF --- Gene Simmons of Kiss is in damage control after making obscene comments about depression in an interview and has canceled his Twitter account after backlash from the statement.
In an interview with songfacts.com published on July 31 Simmons said, "I don't get along with anybody who’s a drug addict and has a dark cloud over their head and sees themselves as a victim. Drug addicts and alcoholics are always: ‘The world is a harsh place.’ My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. I don't want to hear fuck all about ‘the world as a harsh place.’ She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life. And for a putz, 20-year-old kid to say, ‘I'm depressed, I live in Seattle.’ Fuck you, then kill yourself."
He added, "I always call them on their bluff. I'm the guy who says ‘Jump!’ when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, ‘That’s it, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to jump.’ Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the fuck up, have some dignity and jump! You've got the crowd."
The comments have outraged people all over the world, especially following the news of the death of Robin Williams.
Mike Fitzpatrick, Content Director of Australia's Triple M, has pulled Kiss from the network’s national play list. In a statement Fitzpatrick said, "Gene Simmons’ recent comments are misguided and insensitive. Depression and Suicide are not topics he should be using to further his notoriety or sell records. His desperation to use mental health issues to find relevancy in a modern age is sickening. I can only put it down to a brain fade on his part. The Triple M Network can't and won't be playing or supporting this dickhead’s music. I put the challenge out to other stations across Australia and North America to also drop any of this nudnik’s songs until such time as he reconsiders his thoughtless and insensitive position."
Simmons has removed his Twitter account and posted the following statement at the official Kiss website:
“I want to make this statement about my views on depression for the record and to clarify my prior remarks.
To the extent my comments reported by the media speak of depression, I was wrong and in the spur of the moment made remarks that in hindsight were made without regard for those who truly suffer the struggles of depression. I sincerely apologize to those who were offended by my comments. I recognize that depression is very serious and very sad when it happens to anyone, especially loved ones. I deeply support and am empathetic to anyone suffering from any disease, especially depression.
I have never sugarcoated my feelings regarding drug use and alcoholics. Somewhere along the line, my intention of speaking in very directly and perhaps politically incorrectly about drug use and alcoholics has been misconstrued as vile commentary on depression. Unkind statements about depression was certainly never my intention. Fully, you will know that and I do not intend to defend myself here and now, by listing the myriad charities and self-help organizations I am involved with. Rather, I simply want to be clear that my heart goes out to anyone suffering from depression and I deeply regret any offhand remarks in the heat of an interview that might have suggested otherwise.”
JAMES EDSTROM'S EDITORS NOTE: Since I do not write this Column, I had to add a little note. I met Gene Simmons several years ago with cover girl Cyndi Guyer at restaurant Laga Lu in New York City. As I sat down with them, I never met a more nice human being than Gene Simmons. The guy is a class act all the way. I can only say whatever the quote was, we all say things in the heat of the moment that we wish we never said. I can not tell you how many TV interviews I have done and after I think why did I say that. Interviews are tough and sometimes you happen to say the wrong thing.
I suffer from depression and money problems just like anyone else. I am trying to raise a abused homeless kid who I took off the streets of Times Square. I do without so he will have. It is not easy. So depression hits me from time to time and it is crippling. I worry every day about getting my kid the things he needs and the love he never had.
But one thing I know is, I am a very good judge of character and Gene Simmons is a good and honorable man. Enough said!
LENNOX RETURNS --- Vinyl lovers will get to hear Annie Lennox's new album first, which is fitting for an album she calls Nostalgia.
Nostalgia, which Blue Note/Capitol will release Sept. 30 on vinyl and Oct. 21 in other formats, features the former Eurythmics singer's take on such classics as “Georgia on My Mind,” “Summertime” and “You Belong to Me.”
As Lennox approached the songs, penned by the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Billie Holiday, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington, she tells Billboard, "I was just curious, I thought, 'I wonder what my voice would be like. Would these songs suit my voice?'
"It was like a little challenge. I just sort of got to know them, became friends with them really and had a great deal of joy in the process."
Lennox, 59, previewed the Mike Stevens-produced album last Tuesday at Los Angeles' Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
In 1995, Lennox released an album of modern covers, Medusa. Her most recent album was a 2010 holiday set titled A Christmas Cornucopia.
CLOSING NOTES --- Don Was took home an Emmy on Saturday night at the Creative Arts Awards. The show, held one week before the formal Emmy telecast, presents the awards for all categories that will not be part of the main show.
Was won for Music Direction for the CBS special The Beatles: The Night That Changed America, a special that aired on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show and including performances of Fab Four songs by classic and contemporary artists.
Was, born Don Fagenson, formed the group Was (Not Was) in 1979 with childhood friend David Weiss. They hit their commercial peak in 1987 and 1988 with the album What Up, Dog? and the number 7 hit Walk the Dinosaur. They also had a number of Club hits including the number 1 Club song “Spy in the House of Love.”
Don went on to be a highly in demand producer and band leader for the likes of Bonnie Raitt (Nick of Time), the B-52's (Cosmic Thing), Bob Dylan (Under the Red Sky), the Rolling Stones (Voodoo Lounge), Hootie & the Blowfish and many others ...
Also, big winners at the fete were Jimmy Fallon; HBO’s True Detective; Saturday Night Live; Game of Thrones; and Harry Shearer, finally for his voice-over work on The Simpsons. The big show is set for this Sunday …
From Deadline: “David Gregory didn't get to say, ‘So long’, to Meet the Press viewers yesterday — his bosses at NBC News gave him the heave-ho Thursday, effective immediately, after two decades at the division, because his Sunday Beltway show was not doing as well in the ratings as competitors at ABC and CBS. Minutes after Gregory tweeted that he was out, NBC News announced that he would be replaced by Chuck Todd in September.
“As you may be aware, David Gregory’s final show as moderator of Meet the Press was last Sunday,” Gregory fill-in Andrea Mitchell announced near the close of the broadcast, sounding like she was launching into an In Memoriam segment. We expected to see dates flash on screen.
“Meet the Press makes a lot of history, and a great deal of it was with David at the helm since he started in December, 2008,” Mitchell continued, as NBC’s tone-deaf handling of the situation unfolded to the show’s viewers.
Clips of news-making interviews followed, including the one in 2012 where Gregory got Vice President Joe Biden to publicly embrace gay marriage, making headlines everywhere and leading the way for President Obama to endorse same-sex marriage days later. In thanks for which, on Thursday, NBC News hustled Gregory out the door so as to not have him around this sleepy mid-August morning. This after dragging its feet for weeks, while dismissing press reports that Gregory was on the outs as ludicrous and insulting.
“Before taking the Meet the Press chair, David had a stellar eight years covering presidential politics at the White House for NBC News,” Mitchell continued to prattle.
“In 20 years with NBC News, David has done it all — the OJ Simpson trial, Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing, Today show guest-hosting and, when the cameras weren't rolling, dead-on imitations of everyone from the President of the United States to Tom Brokaw. Through all the years, David has been true to the traditions of this program and NBC News,” she said of the man who was bounced out the door three days earlier like an argumentative drunk.
“On Thursday, David tweeted,” Mitchell noted, then read his classy tweets, which had ended with: “to the viewers, I say ‘thank you’.” Which Gregory was not allowed to say on NBC. Good thing Mitchell was around to say it for him.”
Pundits have said the 4 million that NBC paid him will ease the tension; me, I think it was just rude.
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