Billie Holiday at Town Hall, New York City, 1948 Framed Art Print
Loren, Dennis
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Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nicknamed Lady Day, Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and song writer that could stop traffic with her voice. She got intimate with songs and music the way most people get intimate with one another. She co-wrote several songs that have gone down in jazz history, notably “God Bless the Child”, “Don’t Explain”, and “Lady Sings the Blues”. She also became famous for singing jazz standards written by others, including “Easy Living” and “Strange Fruit”.
She’s often remembered as the lovely lady with a gardenia in her hair belting out songs like nobody’s business.
Sadly, as was the case with quite a few of the stars from the past, drugs were Billie Holiday’s undoing. She was arrested several times due to an addiction she never overcame. She was even arrested on her death bed – literally. Gilbert Millstein of The New York Times, who had partly written the sleeve notes for the album The Essential Billie Holiday, described her death:
“Billie Holiday died in the Metropolitan Hospital, New York, on Friday, July 17, 1959, in the bed in which she had been arrested for illegal possession of narcotics a little more than a month before, as she lay mortally ill; in the room from which a police guard had been removed – by court order – only a few hours before her death, which, like her life, was disorderly and pitiful. She had been strikingly beautiful, but she was wasted physically to a small, grotesque caricature of herself. The worms of every kind of excess – drugs were only one – had eaten her. … The likelihood exists that among the last thoughts of this cynical, sentimental, profane, generous and greatly talented woman of 44 was the belief that she was to be arraigned the following morning. She would have been, eventually, although possibly not that quickly. In any case, she removed herself finally from the jurisdiction of any court here below.”
An incredibly tragic and sad ending for a woman who left a beautiful mark on our musical history. She deserved better – what a shame that she didn’t realize it.
To learn more about Billie Holiday, buy her autobiography on Amazon: Lady Sings the Blues
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You know you want it – don’t even try to fight it. Jump over to Calendars.com and get hands on James Dean. James Dean 2010 Wall Calendar
.
James Dean is such a wonderful American icon – as recognizable as Marilyn Monroe and Abraham Lincoln. In just over a year, Dean starred in three films and became a representation of the rebellious American youth of the mid-fifties. He still personifies the mystery and restlessness of adolescence today.
The outstanding photographs in this calendar pay homage to the James Dean that fans will always remember and love.
James Dean 2010 Wall Calendar
As you know, I am the biggest I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball fanatic on the planet (or off… studies back me up on this). You may not know that I’ve collected handbags/purses since I was big enough to hold one. They float my boat as much as a boat can be floated. So, yeah, suffice to say, this purse has a place in my heart.
This I Love Lucy handbag would make an ideal Christmas gift for all of the Lucy fans on your Christmas list.
From the Website:
Compact size still roomy enough for all your small items. Back wall zip pocket. Full zip closure keeps everything safe and secure. Features synthetic leather, single strap, full zip closure and pink I Love Lucy lining. Patent leather cut out of I Love Lucy and logo in contrasting color. Drop length 8.5″
See I Love Lucy Signature Product Handbag LU22 (Women’s) – Red
for more details and to grab one for yourself!
Reclined Marilyn Art Print
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This is one of the greatest quotes about Marilyn Monroe I’ve ever read. It’s by someone who knew her best, her ex-husband Arthur Miller: To have survived, she would have had to be either more cynical or even further from reality than she was. Instead, she was a poet on a street corner trying to recite to a crowd pulling at her clothes.
Love that.
To get an idea of just how intelligent and witty Marilyn Monroe was, check out the great Marilyn Monroe quotes I just posted on another blog. She had a lot more going on than most people ever gave her credit for.
Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood 1952 Art Print
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G.I. Joe – Snake Eyes Poster
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Here’s a little trivia I found fascinating. Ray Park plays “Snake Eyes” in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. He played “Toad” in X-Men (2000) and was Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Ray Park has won numerous championships and medals after falling in love with martial arts at the age of 7.
G.I.Joe Poster
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GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra was one of those movies that my husband was more interested in than I was. In the same way he came with me to see The Proposal, I went with him to see GI Joe. Funny thing happened though – I absolutely LOVED this movie. It is hilarious and fiercely entertaining.
GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra is one of those rare films where you don’t look away from the screen from opening credits to closing credits. There was killer action in every scene.
Afterward I thought, “Finally, another movie that was as entertaining as Star Trek.” I thought Transformers 2 was going to be but.. well, not quite.
Sienna Miller does a sensational job in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra as bad girl/good girl Ana. I’ve seen her in a few other movies, and I just can’t get over how much she has grown as an actress. At this rate, I can’t wait to see her next movie – and I hope it’s a starring role.
She blew me away.
I was impressed with the rest of the cast as well. There were several fairly newcomers that I’d love to see more of: Rachel Nichols (Scarlett), Channing Tatum (Duke), Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Heavy Duty), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Rex), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Jonathan Pryce (US President – best known for his Pirates of the Caribbean role.).
Marlon Wayans is beyond hilarious and puts the steal in scene stealer.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, put your shoes on and head off for the theater. It’s a must see.
