Dolly Parton: A Life Well Lived
By Roy Firestone
Multi Time Emmy Award Winning Journalist

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I think we need to focus more on great people than scoundrels. We have a lot more great people in life than miserable ones. Character, generosity, and kindness are traits far more impressive to me than affluence, celebrity, and social standing. Dolly Parton recently turned 78 years old. Here’s a person I have never met, but every person I have ever known who knows her says she is a superb human being…and you can pretty…

THE PERENNIAL
By Roy Firestone
Emmy Award Winning Journalist

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He’ll be 82 years old on his next birthday. He once performed for a crowd of 185,000 in Rio . He drew three crowds that size that week. At the time, those were the largest live audiences in the history of live performances. His voice is virtually shot from the hundreds, maybe thousands, of performances and studio time. But people don’t care that he doesn’t sound like he used to. And more importantly, HE doesn’t…

BUCK… The Wisest, Kindest and Gentlest Soul
By Roy Firestone | Emmy Award Winning Journalist

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With all the hate and division and violence in this world, I wanted to share the story of a man who saw and lived through all kinds of discrimination and injustice but decided to live a life of gratitude and love. I’ve been fortunate to have met so many unforgettable people in sports in my career. I knew… Ali. Wilt. Ted Williams. Billie Jean King. Arthur Ashe. Charles Barkley. So many people. They were large…

GAGA ABOUT THE LADY
By Roy Firestone
Multi Emmy Award-Winning Journalist

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When they asked Steve Martin what it takes to break through in the entertainment business, he said it’s not about agents, contacts, or luck…it’s about, as he put it, “being SO good at what you do, that they can’t ignore you.” With that in mind, I give you the story of Stefani Germanotta. For years, this classically trained pianist and singer played in dumps, strip bars, and sleazy clubs. As a young kid…she idolized Judy…

Lukas & Willie Nelson: The Tradition Endures
by Roy Firestone Multi Emmy Award Winning Journalist

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Willie Nelson is now 90 years-old and still touring. He’s had the most remarkable life.   For nearly 70 years in show business, Willie has written great songs and sung them well. He has entertained millions of people and has sold equally as many records. In addition, he’s been an activist and an outspoken figure for Farm Aid and numerous other charities.   You would think with his tour schedule, which could have hundreds of…

The Development of an Iconic Filmmaker
By Roy Firestone
Emmy Award-Winning Journalist

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Steve was a lonely kid. He was ridiculed, bullied, and mocked, mostly because he was Jewish. He had few close friends, but he found relief from the sadness when he became obsessed with the movies. It helped him escape the pain of his parents’ divorce – and the wonder of making films was an escape to him, as it was for many lonely, hurting kids. And so, Steve made little movies using a Bell and…

“Goliath”…the Story of the Great Wilt Chamberlain
By Roy Firestone
Multi Emmy Award Winning Journalist

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Beginning next weekend and for the following three weekends, I will be one of the lead voices with recollections, stories, and interviews in a fascinating series about, easily, the most fascinating man who ever strode a basketball court. It’s called “Goliath”, and I am heavily featured in the 3-part documentary that tells the story of the most compelling athlete in basketball history…and yes, that includes Michael Jordan. What makes this series so groundbreaking, and I…

The Beatles Meet Elvis
By Roy Firestone

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It happened nearly 58 years ago. One of the most significant meetings between the greatest forces in pop music history – meeting for one historic night . The date was August 27th, 1965, and the Beatles were on “fumes”. That is, they were dead tired, exhausted really. They had been touring almost non-stop, done hundreds of interviews, filmed two full length movies, and were asked to turn out three new albums a year. It was…

THE GOLDEN AGE OF LATE NIGHT HAS COME & GONE
by Roy Firestone

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Jimmy Fallon’s late-night audience is now about 2 million. When he began his show, it was an audience of 11 million. But he’s not alone. All late-night talk show’s audiences are down considerably and there are many reasons. Too many shows, too many clips of its best moments can be seen online….streaming…and frankly, boredom. Look, I’m a political person and I loved great political humor when it was beginning. But every night, every SINGLE night…

Remembering Don Rickles
by Roy Firestone

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(Ed. Note:  Frank Pace – The Mook – produced Don Rickles series, DADDY DEAREST. Frank didn’t write this blog, but he could have.) ,Don Rickles has been gone for exactly 6 years. He made it to the age of 90, and for about 65 of those years, Don Rickles made people laugh…and laugh hard. Not all people found Don funny, and that’s fine. If he wasn’t your cup of tea, or if he made you…

The Ultimate Irishman
by Roy Firestone

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With Saint Patrick’s Day behind us, I’m reminded of all the great Irish actors, singers, inventors, scientists, and politicians. But I’d rather take this opportunity to mention my favorite Irish quipster, playwright, and author. Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. You may know his popular name…. Oscar Wilde. He lived…

Dr. J Turns 73…And Remembers
by Roy Firestone

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If you merge the league stats of the NBA and ABA, which the NBA is considering for the record books, Julius Winfield Erving Jr. would easily rank in the Top 5 greatest players in pro basketball history. After all, in his five ABA seasons, Erving won three scoring titles. He also won three Most Valuable Player awards and two championships. During his 11-year NBA career, Erving was an All-Star each season, the MVP in 1981,…

FACE TO FACE
by Roy Firestone

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It could be 1959 or 60. Possibly, 1961. They could be 17, 18 years old, still wearing leather. It could be the beginning of Hamburg, when they performed long, exhausting sets in sleazy strip bars. Still, this is one of the earliest photos of Paul and John singing and writing a song, just the way you see it. See, in the early years, Paul and John, with left and right-handed guitars, made it easy for…

Brady’s Last Pass?
by Roy Firestone,
Emmy Award Winning Sports Journalist

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Did Tom Brady just throw his last pass? Only he will tell us…and only he should. 10 Super Bowl performances. 7 wins. 5 Super Bowl MVPs. 3 League MVPs. 15 Pro Bowls. Record for most regular season starts and wins. Most passes. Most completions. Most TD’s. Oldest player to ever win MVP (40 years old). He’s the only player to beat all 32 NFL teams. He’s the best…ever. Nothing to prove. Nothing to come back…

Drink a Toast to Innocence
by Roy Firestone

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I’m a very sentimental person. Always have been. Always will be. New Year’s Eve is often a wistful time, not a raucous time for me. I can’t wait for a better year next year, but aside from the song “Auld Lang Syne”, which is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song, we have very few, if any, memorable New Year’s Eve songs. But…

The Best Christmas Song Ever
by Roy Firestone

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The best Christmas song and vocal was recorded more than 50 years ago and its back story is like a Hallmark Channel movie. And it really happened. Frank Pooler was the choir director at Cal St. Long Beach. In 1946, just after the war, he was stationed in Germany and during the holiday season, he missed his fiancé. So, Frank wrote a poem longhand called “Merry Christmas, Darling”. It had NO melody. Frank and his…

A Dog’s Life
by Roy Firestone

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He doesn’t know. He couldn’t know how much he means to me. He is there every day. There by my side in stressful times. There by my side in happy times. He is mostly happy all the time. My dog, Kobe, has been my best pal since the day I rescued him. I had been distraught like many of you after we lost Kobe Bryant…then Covid hit and isolated me (like you, too) … and…

Holy Cow…Elvis!
by Roy Firestone

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Harry Caray, the legendary baseball announcer was broadcasting an NBA exhibition game once in Memphis. (Harry did broadcast basketball for the St. Louis Hawks). Harry was taking a nap when the phone rang. “Hello”, said Harry. “Hello Harry, this is Elvis Presley, and I’m a big fan of the Hawks”. Before he could finish the sentence…Harry hung up on the caller. Some idiot is pranking me, he thought. The phone rings again. “Harry, it’s really…