Songs by Bennett, Estefan Being Added to Recording Registry

Songs performed by Tony Bennett, Gloria Estefan and Run-DMC are among 25 recordings being added to the National Recording Registry.

The Library of Congress announced on Wednesday the list of titles being honored for their cultural and historic importance to the American soundscape.

Bennett’s standard “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” is being added, along with “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” by Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Run-DMC’s “Raising Hell” album and the soundtrack to “The Sound of Music.”

Other notable entries include Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album, Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose,” ”Le Freak” by Chic, Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” and Smokey Robinson’s “My Girl,” which was sung by the Temptations.  (AP)

Run-DMC Announces Reunion at Fun Fun Fest

They haven’t performed together in over a decade, but the surviving members of Run-DMC are set to reunite this fall at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas.

Joseph Simmons, now known as Rev. Run, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels retired the group after their DJ, Jam Master Jay, was killed in 2002. But it was announced Tuesday that the band will be among the performers for the Nov. 2-4 event. Festival organizers say they plan to donate some of the proceeds to the JMJ Foundation for Music, which works to give youth access to the arts.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group is best known for hits like “Walk This Way,” “It’s Like That” and “My Adidas.” (AP)

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Online: http://funfunfunfest.com/

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys Dies at 47

(Very saddened to learn about Adam Yauch’s death. Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys were my first concert – when I was 11 (’87). I could not go unless my friend and I both won tickets – so we did from a Reno radio station. Did not make my father or her father happy – at all, but we still got to go – with them. In case you’re curious, my second concert was Tiffany (’88) and my third, INXS in Sacramento (’88.)

Adam Yauch, a founding member of the hip-hop group Beastie Boys, died Friday in New York after a nearly three-year battle with cancer. He was 47.
Known by his stage name MCA, Yauch was inducted just last month into the Rock and Hall of Fame but was too ill to join bandmates Mike ‘Mike D’ Diamond and Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz at the ceremony.

Among a flood of music stars sending their tributes was Justin Timberlake, who Tweeted: “Crushed to hear the news of Adam Yauch’s passing. A true pioneer of art.”

Reverend Run from Run-D.M.C. added, “I’m devastated. Praying for Adam Yauch’s family from the legendary Beastie Boys. You’ll be missed!”

The Brooklyn-born Yauch taught himself to play the bass guitar and, while in high school, formed the Beastie Boys.

Starting out as a punk group, the band transitioned to hip-hop and their first album Licensed to Ill, with the youth anthem “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party),” became a blockbuster seller.

The Beastie Boys went on to sell more than 40 million albums and have gone down as trailblazers in rap music. Licensed to Ill became the first hip-hop album to top the Billboard 200.

“Adam was incredibly sweet and the most sensitive artist who I loved dearly,” says producer Russell Simmons, a mentor and the band’s early manager. “I was always inspired by his work. He will be missed by all of us.”

Adam Yauch and his daughter (Polaris)

A Director and Philanthropist

Yauch also directed many of the Beastie Boys music videos, including the band’s 2006 concert film Awesome; I F—– Shot That!.
He was also a founding member of both the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits and the film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories.

In 2009, he announced that a cancerous tumorwas discovered in his left salivary gland. At the time, the band postponed the release of their new album.

Although his cancer was caught early and described as “very treatable,” Yauch revealed in January 2011 that he had still not fully recovered.
“While I’m grateful for all the positive energy people are sending my way, reports of my being totally cancer free are exaggerated,” Yauch said in a statement at the time, according to Rolling Stone. “I’m continuing treatment, staying optimistic and hoping to be cancer free in the near future.”
Yauch is survived by his wife, Dechen Wangdu, and 14-year-old daughter, Tenzin Losel Yauch.

(people.com, flickr)

New York Street Corner to be Renamed for Run-DMC

A New York City street corner is being named after Run-DMC and the late Jam Master Jay.

The corner of 205^th Street and Hollis Avenue will be renamed Run-DMC JMJ Way.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Editor’s note: Run-DMC was my first concert! The Beastie Boys opened for them on their ’87 ‘Together Forever’ Tour.

My Own Personal Woodstock Experience

I remember it was very hot and humid that day. And the pavement was even hotter at around 120-degrees.

Twenty years ago today my parents and I (12 at the time) crossed the state line into California to watch my third ever concert – INXS at Cal-Expo in Sacramento. (For the record, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys and Tiffany were my first and second concerts.)

I was in fourth grade when I first heard the peculiar sounding name band. I couldn’t pronounce it but I sure could sing along to it.

I promised myself if I was asked I’d say I was 13. I so badly wanted to be a teenager and ‘cool’ like everyone around me.

Fashions ranged from all goth ‘Cure’ look to the mod Depeche Mode collection. Most wore t-shirts and jeans like me, some priding themselves with their ‘Listen Like Thieves’ INXS ’86 tour shirts.

Police helicopters flew periodically over the ever growing line while the band conducted a sound check around 2pm. Jon Farriss’ drums boomed through the air while Michael Hutchence’s few mumbled words were picked up by a microphone.

One girl in particular still stands out to me. I still even remember her name: Angela. She wore a gold buttoned blouse with jean shorts and caused a lot of hassles for security. She screamed at them when they told her to go to the end of the line after positioning her lawn chair outside of the designated line.

As time wore on, security pushed the crowd closer as more people arrived. Around 5pm some boy threw up right onto the sizzling pavement – and it sat there for hours cooking until someone finally cleaned it up.

Someone asked how many tickets were sold. ‘5,000 just yesterday.’ There was no limit on how many were sold; hundreds of people still couldn’t even get into Cal during the show.

And just for the record, tickets cost about $20 at the time – and that was the high end. 

Once inside the outdoor arena, we walked past tons of giggly teen girls in short skirts and guys in knee-ripped jeans. For those who don’t remember (or know), guitarist Tim Farriss wore very holy jeans. I ripped my jeans in homage and wore them there, but accidentally got entangled with another guy as we brushed past each other. 

We sat down amongst hundreds of anxious teenagers. Sting’s ‘We’ll be Together’ blasted from both ends of the stage in English and Spanish.

It was at that point, some guy on my left side yelled at what looked like his friend several feet away on the right side. He jumped up, screamed and threw an ice cube at him. So many cubes flew through the air it looked like a sideways hail storm, yelps of pain included.

When New Sensation was played, steam could be clearly seen rising from the sweaty jumping crowd. The melody also sounded like speed metal. So cool.

It was also the first time I was introduced to the ‘Don’t Change’ signature song encore. (Note: I never really liked that song.)

I call it my Woodstock experience: that one concert that excites your brain and makes you feel alive. And no concert from that point on will hail in comparison.

I don’t expect many people will ever get to enjoy that feeling, but if you do, consider yourself very lucky. I think it’s the coolest thing in the world. Just too bad when Woodstock happened 20 years ago.

Kellene’s Never Say Never Bucket List

While thinking about the Bucket List I created a while ago, it occurred to me that there are things I haven’t done (that I presume) many other people have experienced.

So I’m creating a special Bucket List for those events I have so far missed out on and that I would like to do before I die!

      1.      ride in a limo

2.      be a bridesmaid and wear a hideous dress

3.      go to a major league baseball game like the Giants since I’m only a few hours away

4.      visit New Orleans – which I think now is really important before it totally collapses under possible economic and development strain

5.      cut down a real live Christmas tree with friends

6.      go skiing  

7.      I guess having a baby and a wedding would qualify for this list even though I don’t want to do either at least for another few years

8.      have a surprise birthday party

9.      serve jury duty – in fairness, as I write this I have been called to do it, so we’ll see – something new to learn, expand my brain you know

10. drive cross country – in a car or RV with a bunch of friends

11. see the Grand Canyon or Mt. Rushmore  

12.   

Disclaimer: Many of these events may be my doing, but I think they’re important to do in the scheme of life. You only have one, so live it!

And to be fair I should also list some things I have done:  

1.      traveled to the Caribbean by myself on a one week cruise

2.      met Michael Hutchence before he died

3.      seen the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, Buckingham Palace, Statue of Liberty, the White House, Washington Monument, Liberty Bell and white beaches at Barbados

4.      got two bachelor’s degrees: Journalism and Theatre

5.      got two regional Emmy nominations – no joke!

6.      met Bill Clinton and Al Gore when they visited Lake Tahoe in July ’97. I asked Clinton about his cat and if Socks had to be on a leash. He said yes for the front lawn, but he was not allowed on the second floor where the Lincoln bedroom was.

7.      watched a taping of the Late Show and Late Night live

8.      seen The Who, Pavarotti (in Reno!), Madonna, the Rolling Stones all live. My first concert was Run-DMC with the Beastie Boys as opening act  

9.      appeared as an extra in two movies – Kingpin and Father’s Day. You can see me in the background in Father’s Day. I’m a casino worker helping slot machine goers.

10.  

I kept the last lines blank to show there’s so much more stuff to do and experience in my lifetime.