Thursday Thirteen # 25 - Thirteen Jinxed Celebrities

These thirteen celebrities have been unlucky in life, love or their career in some shape or fashion and I would probably feel really sorry for them if some of their woes were not self-manufactured or if they didn't have millions of dollars. Who would make your list of unlucky celebrity?

1. Tara Reid - Ditching Carson Daly back in the day wasn't a bad idea, but everything Tara Reid has done since then has proven to be a mistake. From fashion malfunctions to botched plastic surgeries and everything in between, the tanned train wreck is desperately in need of some good luck.



2. Jennifer Aniston - Even though Jennifer Aniston parted ways with Brad Pitt over three years ago, she's still considered unlucky in love. Perhaps her recent romance with John Mayer will lead the former "Friend" down the aisle for a second time? Unfortunately, the chances are slim based on the number of leading ladies John has left in the dust.



3. Jessica Simpson - Speaking of John Mayer, Jessica Simpson hasn't seemed super since splitting with the singer/songwriter. Despite the comfort of her current beau Tony Romo, the blond bombshell is beyond stressed thanks to a stalled music career, a meddling father, and a younger sister who's not only married but pregnant.



4. Star Jones-Reynolds - When her battle with Barbara boiled over on "The View," many believed Star would fade away forever. Her questionable marriage to Al Reynolds and a chat show on Court TV kept her dimmer on low. In recent months, she's lost everything, and it appears that it's lights out for the self-involved former star.



5. Alanis Morrisette - With tracks on her new disc entitled "The Guy Who Leaves," "Incomplete," "Straightjacket," "Madness," and "On the Tequila," we're guessing that Alanis Morissette isn't over the fact that her delicious ex, Ryan Reynolds, left her in favor of Scarlett Johansson, to whom he's currently engaged.



6. David Beckham – Guys have bad luck too. Less than a year ago, the MLS and the City of Angels welcomed David Beckham with open arms, and soccer fans around the world rejoiced. Unfortunately, the hottie didn't live up to the hype. The superstar, and part-time underwear model, only managed to play in eight matches, provide three assists, and score one goal for the Galaxy in his lackluster debut season.



7. Britney Spears - Our beloved Brit is slowly but surely attempting to resurrect her career, but one thing is for sure - the tasteless pop tart is still unlucky in love and when it comes to outfit selection!



8. Christine Cavallari - When "Laguna Beach" sailed off into the sunset a few years ago, Kristin Cavallari was poised for stardom. However, after her UPN show sank, she was on the outside looking in as L.C. ascended to the top of "The Hills," Audrina landed a movie role, Whitney nabbed a spin-off, Heidi debuted a fashion line, and Spencer Pratt became a household name.



9. Jordin Sparks - Now that Jordin Sparks has been replaced by a new "Idol" (David Cook), her 15 minutes of fame are in jeopardy. Yes, the single "No Air" is a quasi hit, but with an injured vocal chord and stalled album sales, the teen could quickly find herself signing autographs alongside Justin Guarini and Jasmine Trias at a county fair.



10. Brook Hogan - Hopefully Brooke Hogan's petite beau Jonathan Prater is helping her cope with her parents' failed marriage, her brother's incarceration, and her failed music career.



11. Lindsay Lohan - Lindsay's stock continues to erode. The once promising young star of "Mean Girls" has reverted to hawking a custom line of leggings now that her film career has officially come to a screeching halt. What's next? Promotional appearances at Forever 21?



12. Ian Zierling - Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) and Donna Martin (Tori Spelling) are heading back to the halls of Bev Hills High this coming fall in the CW's "90210" spin-off, while an uninvited Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering) will likely be crying himself to sleep in his 1991 Chevy Corvette.



13. Denise Richards - Who would have guessed that in the bitter divorce battle between Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Charlie would come out on top and Denise would quickly become a public enemy? We suppose it doesn't help your image when you toss your young kids on a tacky reality show and shack up with your former BFF's (Heather Locklear) man minutes after their breakup.

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Dunwoody To Become First Female Four Star General

I am all about “girl power” and women being given the opportunity to do extraordinary things. For the first time in American history a woman has been chosen for promotion to four-star general. The Pentagon announced Monday that President Bush nominated Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to head the Army Materiel Command, responsible for equipping, outfitting and arming soldiers throughout the Army.

If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first woman to attain the rank of a full general. By law, the Army is limited to 11 active-duty four-stars, including the Army chief of staff, Gen. George Casey. Women haven't reached four-star rank because by law they are excluded from serving in combat roles, which historically have been the path to the highest-ranking positions. That exclusion still applies, but with Dunwoody the Army has chosen to cast aside its customary limitations on promotion.

Dunwoody is one of only two female three-stars in the Army; the other is Lt. Gen. Kathleen Gainey, director of logistics on the Joint Staff. Dunwoody currently is deputy commander of Army Materiel Command. Among her earlier assignments, she was commander of Army Combined Arms Support Command and the Army deputy chief of staff for logistics.

Dunwoody is a native of New York; she received her Army commission after graduating from the State University of New York in 1975. In a statement released to the press Dunwoody stated, "I am very honored but also very humbled today with this announcement. I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were. This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career _ that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform."

Candace Parker Serves It Up!

It was about six years ago when it first happened, but now another Los Angeles Spark player has done it again. In a game against the Miami Sol, the Sparks' Lisa Leslie received a pass from her team mate Latasha Byears on a fast break, took it to the hole, dunking for the first time in WNBA history. The crowd and the team went crazy.

Well, over the weekend rookie extraordinaire Candace Sparks matched that historic moment. In a game against the Indiana Fever, after a missed shot and long rebound, Parker ran the court, found herself alone and dunked the ball, making it her first dunk in a WNBA game and only the second dunk in WNBA history (Lisa's dunk came in a playoff game).

"Just trying not to miss," Parker told the LA Times of her approach on the dunk. "It's exciting to do it in front of Los Angeles, at home and on the same basket that Lisa did it on."

George Carlin

It is the very rare occasion that I do tributes. That tasks is better left to Malcolm of Pop Culture Dish, who does a much better job at it than I. Nonetheless I felt compelled to say something about comedian George Carlin because his commentary always struck a chord with me. He said things that I wish I had thought of or been brave enough to say. He not only made us laugh, he made us think.

From time to time HBO would air specials showcasing his talents pretty regularly and I always try to catch him whenever I could because dude was hilarious. Carlin displayed the type of genius that made Richard Pryor iconic. In fact they both appeared in one of my favorite classics from the 1970's "Car Wash". He had a great scene as a cab driver transporting a hooker.

Carlin was also responsible for coming up with the "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television". He is arguably the best stand-up comedian after Pryor and before Lenny Bruce. He remained relevant until today when he passed away. He material was always on point and his take on the world was fresh and thought-provoking. Here is George's official website with a very informative time line created by George himself. I am going to miss this guy. RIP George!

Check out this clip of the "Seven Words". Warning! Language might be offensive to some.

Afro Sheen Commercial

Thinking about Soul Train reminded me of the Afro Sheen commercials that use to air during the show. Everybody in the 70's regardless to whether you had an afro or not. Come travel back to the 1970's with me and experience a time when both men and women wore high heel shoes, Dashikis and bell bottomed pants.

Shaft wore one, and so did the Angela Davis, and as Black Pride took to the streets, African-Americans not only reclaimed an affection for African dress and accessories, but many stopped processing and relaxing their hair in an attempt to conform to white standards of beauty. But who had the biggest 'fro? Cleopatra Jones, Link from "The Mod Squad" or Bernie from "Room 222".

A true afro meant much more than letting the hair grow in a carefree style like the straight and uncut hippie look. An afro needed meticulous care including meticulous raking with a big hair pick, or "Afro rake" and treating with a big black jar of Afro Sheen. Afros could be cropped-close to the head or grown to such wide dimensions that it was hard to get through the door. Let us not forget about cornrowed natural hair, which was also a very popular style of the day. Whatever the size, having a perfectly symmetrical crown of glory was the ultimate.

Don Cornelius Sells The Soul Train Franchise

As a teenager each and every one of my Saturday mornings was spent doing my chores designated for the day and watching “Soul Train”. Sometime I would watch “American Bandstand” when Dick Clark had a guest that I wanted to see; however I watched “Soul Train” religiously. Don Cornelius, with his huge afro and his laid back demeanor was a perfect complement to the high energy dance moves and talented array of guest stars who graced the stage week after week. My best friend and I made a vow to get on that show (it never happened of course).

I was a little sad to here that after 37 years, "the hippest trip America" has come under new ownership. Although the show was never the same after Cornelius’s departure as host and I haven’t watched the show in years, I still feel like I have lost something from my youth.

It seems the franchise, has been sold to MadVision Entertainment, a a multimedia company specializing in branded urban content and production. The deal includes production rights to "Soul Train's" weekly series, including a catalog of more than 1,100 hours of archival footage. New episodes haven't been produced since 2006, but it's understood that MadVision may bring the show back sometime in the future.

"The 'Soul Train' legacy and brand are of the utmost importance to me and to 'Soul Train's' millions of fans," Cornelius told the Hollywood Reporter. "After years of offers, I feel the time is now finally right to pass the torch. The MadVision team understands and respects my vision."
Peter Griffith, who founded MadVision with Kenard Gibbs and Anthony Maddox, said the company also is eyeing new opportunities for "Soul Train" on DVD, broadband and video-on-demand. The goal, according to the new owners, is to preserve the show's legacy and expand the brand for the generations to come.

I don’t think it can ever be the same. Oh well, as Don would say "... and you can bet your last money, it's gonna be a stone gas, honey! I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!" I would like everyone to join me in bidding a fond farewell to the SOOOOUUUULLLL TRAIN!

Enjoy This Clip Featuring The Late Great Willie Hutch and Don Cornelius with his big Afro

In Praise of Good Television - Martin

I have been on a vintage television kick of late and thought I would mention another of my favorite shows from the past. Martin was a sassy sitcom centering on a radio-and-television personality named Martin Payne. The series focuses on Martin's romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina Waters, his job changes from a radio personality to a television personality, and the variety of friends Martin hangs out with along the way: the loud-mouthed and sassy Pam James and his best friends Tommy Strong and Cole Brown.

Star, Martin Lawrence, also portrays of host of wild characters on the show. His neighbor Sheneneh; his mother Mama Payne; Otis the security guard; Jerome the gold-toothed player; Roscoe the snot-nosed kid who's always looking for a leg up; Bob, the white guy, King-Beef, Elroy, and many more. Martin is the center of attention, as each episode takes you from one hilarious circumstance to another.

Martin's girlfriend (and later, his wife) was Gina Waters Payne an ad executive who could, on occasion, be as egotistical and badly behaved as Martin, but otherwise maintained a level head. Speaking of heads, one of the running gags of the show was the size of Gina's dome. Tommy was a friendly guy who usually became the most irritated with Cole's stupidity, often commenting "Cole you Stupid".

Because no one ever knew what Tommy did for a living and because Tommy himself would never say what he did for a living, dancing around the question, a common running gag occurred whenever Tommy mentioned his job in a given situation, to which everyone would exclaim in unison, "You ain't GOT no job, MAN!" Pam completed the circle of friends. She and Martin had a true love/hate relationship (mostly the latter!), as they constantly traded insulting wisecracks between each other, but were there for each other when push came to shove. Ironically, Arnold is one of Lawrence's closest friends in real life.

Other characters who showed up from time to time were Brotha Man, the upstairs neighbor, Hustle Man, the guy who sold stolen goods, Sheneneh's girlfriends, Martin's boss Stan, and his mother's cackling buddies. There was talk of the cast doing a movie, much like the cast from "Sex in the City" did earlier this year. I would go and see it because in its heyday Martin and his crew made for must see TV. Hijinks, laughter, quick-witted banter, and lotsa love, make this series one to last forever.

Kelly Acquitted!

R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges Friday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar. Kelly dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict — not guilty on all 14 counts — was read. The Grammy award-winning singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted. Minutes later, surrounded by bodyguards, he left the courthouse without comment. Dozens of fans screamed and cheered as he climbed into a waiting SUV. It reminds me of the Boondocks episode “The Trial of R Kelly”, which took place over two years ago. The outcome was exactly the same, with Kelly getting off without a hitch.

I have to say I am not surprised. I made a 1.00 bet with my cousin in Milwaukee that Kelly would be acquitted, and so I called to collect. After she asked me not to rub it in, she stated that she realized he wouldn't be convicted when the young lady, who was thirteen at the time of the alleged incident, was denying that it was her on the video. I believe she was probably paid (handsomely) not to divulge any information about her encounter with R.

Now you might say that I am talking like he is guilty. Well, duh! Of course he is! I don't care what the jury found, R Kelly is guilty as charged. As we have all learned over the years, prosecuting a celebrity in the country is damn near impossible. Offhand I cannot remember a celebrity being sent to jail since Mike Tyson in the early 1990’s. With all the adult women in the world, I hope R Kelly comes out of the closet (pun intended) and stop fooling around with underaged girls.

The month long trial centered on whether Kelly was the man who appears on a sexually graphic, 27-minute videotape at the heart of the case, and whether a female who also appears on it was underage. Over seven days presenting their case, prosecutors called 22 witnesses, including several childhood friends of the alleged victim and four of her relatives who identified her as the female on the video.

In just two days, Kelly’s lawyers called 12 witnesses. They included three relatives of the alleged victim who testified they did not recognize her as the female on the tape. Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Shauna Boliker said she believed the female on the tape was a victim, not a prostitute as the defense had contended.

The star prosecution witness, Lisa Van Allen, became teary eyed as she told jurors she engaged in several three-way sexual encounters with Kelly and the alleged victim, including once on a basketball court. Kelly videotaped the trysts, she said. Van Allen also claimed Kelly used to carry a duffel bag stuffed full of his homemade sex tapes. The defense called several witnesses in a bid to discredit Van Allen, accusing her of trying to extort money from Kelly. Under cross-examination, Van Allen admitted she once stole Kelly’s $20,000 diamond-studded watch from a hotel.

Thursday Thirteen # 24 - Thirteen Movies That I Can Watch Over and Over

This week I decided to go with Movies I can watch over and over. These may make me laugh, cry or provoke thought. Do you have films that you never get enough of?




1. Roll Bounce - Funny movie about the Rollerskating subculture of the 1970's.



2. Lady Sings The Blues - Nominated for an Oscar for your first film! Diana Ross at her very best.



3. Jackie Brown - Quentin Tarentino and Pam Grier at their finest.



4. Why Do Fools Fall in Love - The movie has some of the funniest dialogue you'll ever hear.



5. Love Jones - Wonderful story about finding and losing love.



6. Final Destination Trilogy - I don't usually like scary movies, but these were riveting.



7. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - John Candy and Steve Martin together, simply hilarious!



8. Glitter - I know, I know, it bombed and almost singlehandedly destroyed Mariah's career, but it has some good 80's disco scenes. What can I say.



9. Romeo Must Die - The last full performance by Aaliyah makes this worth watching, not to mention the martial art scenes by Jet Li.



10. Sparkle - Before Dreamgirls, there was Sparkle.



11. Piece of the Action - The third outing by Cosby and Poitier, with a killer soundtrack by Mavis Staples.



12. The Temptations - As you can tell I enjoy movies based on music.



13. Do The Right Thing - I can always watch this Spike Lee joint. Some Memorable Performances here.

This is one of my favorite scenes from the film "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles". John Candy was a gas!



The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

From Music Memoirs, Tuesday Tunes - Week 36

What's the first artist/song/album etc that comes to mind when you see the following words?

jazz: A Little Bit of Jazz by The Nick Striker Band

cool: Cool Jerk by the Capitols

swing: Swing Out Sister

club: The Club version of Heartbeat by Tanya Gardner

street: Street Player by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

thank: Thanks For Saving My Life by Billy Paul

rose: A Rose is Still a Rose by Aretha Franklin

party: Party by KC and the Sunshine Band

sex: Sex Machine by James Brown

water: Water by Graham Central Station

Good Times

I have been watching old shows like Thea and Different Strokes and thinking about how far television has evolved, specifically about how African Americans are represented on television, I realized that I could still count the notable and inspiring black characters this season on one hand. We all know black folk have come a long way in real life, but for some reason, TV still tells a different story. I think I prefer the black television of yesteryear. We've been so busy moving forward and not looking back that we've forgotten the black characters of the past who inspired us, worked hard, set positive examples for the community and made us proud to be black. Case in point: Good Times.

During my teens and early twenties, Good Times was often dismissed as a negative representation of black popular culture. People said it perpetuated stereotypes, and everyone focused on J.J. as “The Coon”. Recently I had a chance a marathon of Good Times on TV One. I have often relayed to others that this is one of my favorite television show of all times. After really watching the show through 2008 eyes, I realized that Good Times actually had it right.

Looking at the show now so many things stood out to me, especially after watching several shows in a row. First, the Evans family probably had more integrity than any African-American TV family. Ever. Now before you jump in with the Huxtables, I have to say, the Evanses are far more impressive, because they actually had real life problems. The Huxtables, while they were a meaningful and entertaining acknowledgement of affluent black life, didn't struggle like the Evanses. Isn’t the true measure of a man (or woman) is how they perform when they’re down right? Well, the Evanses were down all the time with constant problems. Theo Huxtable's girlfriend was never shooting up heroin in the bathroom.

The Evanses had real life or death, how-we-gonna-eat problems. They faced poverty, VD, unemployment, discrimination, gangs, suicide, child abuse, drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, hypertension, illiteracy and the like. I mean, if there was a social issue, Good Times covered it. And the family's way of dealing with these issues always centered around morality, integrity, strength and just being downright decent. What African-American TV family represents those values today? Hell, what white family for that matter?

The Evanses had a strong two-parent home. James was clearly the leader of the family, but he and Florida still acted as partners. Their love for each other was evident. The kids respected the parents. They weren't obnoxious smart asses, and they weren't incorrigible troublemakers either. They were regular kids. They were us. Although they were poor, they were hopeful and eager to learn and jump at opportunity.

J.J. was a talented artist. What an incredible role model! I mean, as silly as J.J. was, he was a creative genius. Where can you find a talented African-American painter on TV today? He made black art and painting accessible to the world. He showed us a talent and an art form that many of us would have never been exposed to otherwise. He showed poor kids that poverty cannot stifle art or creativity. And the J.J. character allowed the producers to showcase the work of real life African-American artist Ernie Barnes (who did all the actual paintings shown). Where can you find African-American art on TV today? Do you realize how cool that is?

And Thelma. She was sexy, yet classy, and like all us women growing up, she made some mistakes and got into some sticky situations. Remember when she was about to marry that African fool or when she got felt up by Willona's creepy ex-husband Ray? I mean that's real life there. But through it all she grew up, stepped up when James died, always handled herself with class and grace, and she had a husband before she had a baby. Who would argue that she isn't a great role model for young women of any socio-economic class?

Finally Michael always kept racial issues in the forefront, injecting social consciousness into every conversation. Michael was a typical, bright, city kid. He was militant, excelled in school; he was strong but respectful of his parents. He also got involved with gangs, got drunk off Vita-Brite and beat up that fat kid in school that time. He went through what we all go through trying to find ourselves in this world. But he knew that education was the key to his success, and that thread ran throughout the show. Where can you find that now?

And as bad off as the Evanses were financially, they never asked for hand-outs or charity, never made excuses. They acknowledged racism, but never used it as a crutch. They just knew they had to work twice as hard because racism stacked the deck against them. If times were tough, James just worked harder. Florida and James always had a hopeful outlook. They always focused on hard work and its relationship to success. They helped their neighbors and ate dinner together. Can you imagine what a world this would be if we all embodied the character traits of the Evans family? It would be good times, indeed.

Looking at current representations of African Americans on TV, I can't believe I ever dismissed Good Times as being merely entertainment. Many African Americans at the time felt that since it was a show depicting a poor black family, then it was, bad, an insult, a stereotype. It was dismissed as something we had come too far to look at, an obsolete show with no value and no relevance to modern day black people.

I know folks out there are going to argue that the show "Jumped the Shark" when James died, even so where can you find a better representation of African Americans today? Tell you what, watch Good Times and then look at us now. Take a new look at the Evanses, and then look at our images on MTV and VH1 and BET. Look at the way African Americans are depicted on network dramas and sitcoms. Check out the evening news.

Then you tell me if Good Times didn't have it right?

At Last!

Hillary Rodham Clinton closed out her astonishing presidential run and pledged her full support to Barack Obama, asking her supporters to unite behind rival Barack Obama at a speech in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. "I ask of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me," she told a cheering crowd. What do I say to this latest development in the saga of the Democrats campaign for the presidency? It’s about time! She should have conceded before now, but better late than never.

I hope her endorsement repairs some of the damage caused during the process. I actually was beginning to think that this day would never come. The Senator stated as recently as Tuesday that she the strongest candidate was forthright and convincing as she gave Obama an unqualified endorsement and pivoted from her role as determined foe to absolute ally. This is an important step because although she was not able to secure the nomination, she made tremendous strides for politics in general and women in particular.

Senator Clinton went on to add that she was suspending her campaign and congratulated Senator Obama on the victory and praised him on the extraordinary race he ran in her 28-minute address. Senator Clinton placed herself solidly behind her Senate colleague from Illinois, a political sensation and the first black to secure a presidential nomination.

For Clinton and her supporters, it was a poignant moment, the end of an amazing run that began with an air of inevitability and certain victory. About 18 million people voted for her, making her bid for the presidency the closest a woman has come to capturing a nomination. She was quoted today as saying that "although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it has about 18 million cracks in it and the light is shining through like never before," she said.

Her speech repeatedly returned to addressing what the milestone of a woman running for president has represented for women. Her support among women was a solid bloc of her voting coalition. She noted that she'd received the support of women who were 80 and 90 years old, born before women could even vote. She acknowledged the unprecedented success of Obama's candidacy, as well by saying.
"Children today will grow up taking for granted that an African-American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States," she said.

Obama secured the 2,118 delegates needed to clinch the nomination Tuesday after primaries in South Dakota and Montana. In deciding to suspend her campaign, Senator Clinton kept some options open. She will retain her delegates to the nominating convention this summer and she can continue to raise money. It also means she could reopen her campaign if circumstances change before the Denver convention, but gave no indication that was her intention.

Pissed Off Clinton Supporter

Malcolm from Pop Culture Dish emailed me this video clip of a disgruntled female Democrat, thinking I might interested and he was right. I thought when the Democratic Party finally selected the nominee, all the Democrats would get behind the nominee, forget their differences, and forge ahead in an effort to win in November. It has become apparent that this is not going to happen, in fact the pundits within the party are still going after Senator Obama full forced. I cannot remember a more cutthroat campaign within the party and I am not wondering whether in the final analysis this is all going to boil down to an issue of black and white. Senators Obama and Clinton's political platforms are not that much different and He has said he is more than willing to confer with Senator Clinton and that her support will be invaluable to him on the road to the White House.

I really do not think that the Democrats have sold us out as the woman in the video implies.
What I do believe is that she voices the sentiments of more than a few Democrats, and that McCain will not only get her vote, but the votes of other party jumpers who are not willing to embrace change. On a less than serious note, her ranting reminds me of someone who has been drinking A LOT! But you know what they say, "A drunk speaks a sober mind". What do you think about her opinion on the upcoming election? Is her gripe valid or is her ramblings merely sour grapes?

Thursday Thirteen # 23 - Women Behind the Songs

The subject of this week’s Thursday Thirteen is the women behind the songs. I could think of more songs named after women, like Enchantment’s “Gloria” or Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally", for instance, but I could not find information about who inspired the song. These are listed in chronological order. What are some of your favorite women inspired songs?

1. Peggy Sue Gerron
From Buddy Holly's 'Peggy Sue' (1957) Holly wrote some lovely songs for his wife, Maria Elena, but his best-known hit was actually inspired by the woman who would later become his drummer's wife. Peggy Sue was a classmate of Holly's at Texas' Lubbock High when the song -- which the singer flirted with re-titling 'Cindy Lou' -- topped the charts. She's currently working on an autobiography titled 'Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue?'

2. Donna Ludwig
From Ritchie Valen's ‘Oh Donna’ (1958) Valens wrote this song for his high school sweetheart, Donna Ludwig. Their relationship was included in the 1987 biographical film “La Bamba”. Donna Ludwig is now Donna Fox. She remains active in events having to do with her childhood boyfriend Ritchie Valens.

3. Carole King
From Neil Sedaka's 'Oh Carol' (1962) Impressing a love interest with a song gets a lot more difficult when said subject is just as capable of writing a smash hit herself -- but this bouncy tune helped Sedaka score points with high school sweetie Carol Klein. The song went on to become one of Sedaka's biggest hits, and inspired Klein -- who had by then adopted the nom de disque Carole King -- to record the answer tune "Oh Neil." Not even Neil Armstrong's moon landing some years later could make that one a hit.

4.Jenny Boyd
From Donovan’s 'Jennifer Juniper' (1968) Fashion models often captivate rock stars, but even by the standards of that profession, Jenny Boyd had a special magic. The teenage waif proved equally enraptured with folkie Donovan, who serenaded her with this guileless song. Their romance would prove short-lived, and Jenny went on to marry and divorce Mick Fleetwood -- twice! -- before earning her psychology degree. Coincidentally, Jenny's older sister Patti -- married to George Harrison but in love with Eric Clapton -- was the inspiration for 'Layla'.

5. Caroline Kennedy
From Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ (1969) Diamond said he was a "young, broke songwriter" in the '60s when he saw a cute photo of Caroline Kennedy in a magazine. “It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony," he recalled. "It was such an innocent, wonderful picture; I immediately felt there was a song in there."

6. Candy Darling From the Velvet Underground's 'Candy Says' (1969) Lou Reed wrote this as an homage to Warhol "superstar" Candy Darling, who came to New York a shy young man and emerged as a glamorous blond woman. Reed channeled both Candy's delicacy and steeliness in lines like "I've come to hate my body/And all that it requires in this world" -- a reference to the female hormones that enabled her gender change but ultimately took her life. He also name-checked her in 'Walk on the Wild Side,' recalling, "In the back room, she was everybody's darling."

7. Judy Collins
From Crosby Stills and Nash's 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' (1969) Written by a man on the verge of a catastrophic breakup, this Stephen Stills composition chronicles his love for his longtime girlfriend, folk singer Judy Collins, and the differences that were driving them apart. The last verse of 'Judy Blue Eyes,' sung in Spanish, has absolutely nothing to do with Collins and instead focuses on an unfulfilled desire to take a trip to Cuba. We're presuming there's a veiled reference to Gloria Estefan in there someplace, but our language skills are a little rusty.

8. Patti D’Arbanville
From Cat Steven’s ‘My Lady Darbanville’ (1971) Cat Steven’s was inspired to write this song while in a relationship with actress Patti D’Arbanville, who would later become the girlfriend of Don Johnson and the mother of his son Jessie. I remember her best from the 90’s television show “New York Undercover”.

9. Sara Allen
From Hall and Oates ‘Sara Smile' (1976) Sara Allen was the love interest of Darryl Hall and a songwriter in her own right. Not only was she the inspiration for the 1976 hit Sara Smile. She was also inspired the song “Rich Girl” in a roundabout way, it was about a rich former boyfriend of Sara’s; however rich boy did not sound right.

10. Sara Recor
From Fleetwood Mac’s 'Sara' (1979) Anyone who thinks Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a tough game should try a round of with Sara Recor -- the subject of this airily pretty radio staple. Sara, a good pal of Stevie Nicks, actually helped write her own serenade -- a pretty gutsy move since she was on the verge of stealing Nicks' boyfriend, Mick Fleetwood. Recor and the drummer later married and divorced, but her relationship with Nicks survived -- long enough, at least, for Stevie to "borrow" Recor's first name for this song about Nicks' stint in rehab.

11. Sharona Alperin
From the Knack’s 'My Sharona' (1979) Knack frontman Doug Fieger was a twentysomething rock journeyman with a dirty-old-man streak when he met 16-year-old Sharona, who would give him his place in rock history. Fieger threw caution -- and age-of-consent laws -- to the wind and wooed Sharona, who inspired the song that bears her name, and she ended up posing for the single's picture sleeve. They remained a couple for four years, leaving Fieger as one of rock's great one-hit wonders and Sharona one of L.A.'s more successful real estate agents.

2. Rosanna Arquette
From Toto’s ‘Rosanna’ (1982) Ah, Hollywood. The Rosanna in question is surnamed Arquette -- yes, of 'Desperately Seeking Susan' fame -- and she happened to be the muse/lover of Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro. Ironically, Porcaro neither sang the song -- that would be frontman Bobby Kimball -- nor wrote it. The author was David Paich, who -- in a rare example of rock brotherhood -- penned the song to celebrate the love between his bandmate and Arquette, not to try to win her away from Porcaro.

3. Delilah DiCrescenzo
From Plain White Ts' 'Hey There Delilah' (2006) Plain White T's frontman Tom Higginson wrote this ode to Columbia University steeplechase runner Delilah DiCrescenzo. He fell for Delilah and told her he'd written a tune about her, then quickly backed off when she asked to hear the song, which didn't exist yet. By the time he got around to penning the ditty, Delilah was long gone. She has since weighed in, saying, "Part of me wants to scream at the top of my lungs that it's about me. Another part of me wants to cower and say it's not.

Enjoy Hall & Oates performing "Sara Smile" Live.

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Obama Seals The Deal!

Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, becoming the first black candidate to lead a major party into a campaign for the White House. Vanquished rival Hillary Rodham Clinton swiftly signaled an interest in joining the ticket as running mate.
Obama arranged a victory celebration at the site of this summer's Republican National Convention — an in-your-face gesture to Sen. John McCain, who will be his opponent in the race to become the nation's 44th president. The 46-year-old Obama outlasted Clinton in a historic campaign that sparked record turnouts in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial and gender divisions within the party. In a campaign of surprises, Clinton's comments about joining the ticket rated high.

According to one participant in an afternoon conference call among Clinton and members of the New York congressional delegation, Rep. Lydia Velasquez said she believed the best way for Obama to win over Hispanics and members of other key voting blocs would be to take the former first lady as his running mate. "I am open to it," Clinton replied, if it would help the party's prospects in November, said the participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the call was a private matter.

Obama sealed his victory based on public declarations from delegates as well as from an additional 18 who had confirmed their intentions to the AP. The count also included five delegates Obama was guaranteed as long as he gained 15 percent of the vote in South Dakota and Montana later in the day. It takes 2,118 delegates to clinch the nomination.