Lions-49ers

Linda Lavin

Jimmy Carter

Book of Lists

Jimmy Waite

Amerika

Sam Neill

Cory Haim

Jim Harbaugh

Rickey Henderson

Big Country

Peter Criss

Robert Urich

Helen Slater

"Summer Fantasy"

Philip K. Dick

Every Rose has its Thorn by Poison

Patty Duke

John Davidson

Caren Kaye

The Amazing Kreskin

David Carradine

Kim Basinger

Dan Hartman “I Can Dream About You”

Jobeth Williams

James Naughton

Walt Disney

Superman

Rick Savage

Cathy Lee Crosby

Wayne Northrop

Bo Jackson

Bernie Kosar

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Ken Griffey Jr

Goldie Hawn

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Bob Einstein Super Dave Osborne

Huey Lewis and the News

1987 Grey Cup

Honeymoon Suite

Men Without Hats

The Spoons

Richard Mulligan

Aldo Nova

Pet Shop Boys

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Jack Scalia

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Morley Safer

Kevin MacMichael Cutting Crew

Glenn Frey

Quincy Jones

Darrel Janz

Crying Over You by Platinum Blonde

Innocence by Harlequin

Soul City by the Partland Brothers

Deidre Hall

Teri Garr

Kate Jackson

Ed Whalen: Voice of Calgary

Red Rooster

Keith Morrison

Jack Jones and "The Love Boat Theme"

Judith Light

Johnny Carson

Fernando Valenzuela

Dodger-Yankees

John Lithgow

Robert Reed

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Here’s to 1,000

Emma Samms

Albert Hague

Tony Kubek

Steve Young

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Toy Soldiers by Martika

Entertainment Tonight

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Blue Rodeo

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Gardens of Stone

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One Day at a Time

Pat Mastelotto

James Earl Jones

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CFL on CTV

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Frank Shuster

Paul Harvey

Jimmy Connors

Linda Purl

TSN turns 40

Edwin Moses

Ray Burris

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Pat Harrington

Pat Gillick

Ray Bradbury

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Jimi Jamison

Roland Orzabal

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Buckshot

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8675309 Jenny

Doug and the Slugs

Peter Marshall

Can’t Buy Me Love

Feargal Sharkey

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Richard Anderson

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Herb Brooks

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Martin Sheen

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The Great Escape

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Bob Newhart

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Out of Nowhere: Oh Sheila by Ready for the World

Richard Simmons

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Sean Connery

Batman (1989)

Paul Simon

Knight Rider

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The Cars

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Death of Donald Sutherland

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John Taylor Duran Duran

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REM

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Planet of the Apes

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Throwing it all away by Genesis

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Garfield the Cat

George Lucas

Roger Corman's Battle Beyond the Stars

Chris Cuthbert

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Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits

Bon Jovi

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Gowan

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Michelle Pfeiffer

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Foreigner

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Silverado

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Happy birthday George Takei

Dudley Moore

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Rolling Stones in the ‘80s

Anthony Michael Hall

Be Near Me by ABC

Ray Ferraro

O.J. Simpson

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Jane Seymour

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Rance Mulliniks

Brooke Shields

Eigel Ramsfjell

Shannon Doherty

I’m so Excited by Pointer Sisters

Joe Flaherty

Moody Blues

Roger Daltrey

Never Give Up by BLVD

Lou Gossett Jr

One Night in Bangkok

Hostess chips

Take my breath away by Berlin

Ken Olynyk

Kelly Kisio

Dave King

Remembering the "new" Twilight Zone

“What a Wonderful World” it can be

“You gotta check this out,” my friend Walter Blank said.

It was the Spring of 1988, we were in the lounge of 10th Kelsey in student residence at the University of Alberta, and MuchMusic was on.

I looked over at the TV and saw a black and white photo of Louis Armstrong singing. It was not what was normally on MuchMusic.

It piqued my interest.

Earlier tonight, I was playing cribbage with my spouse. We were listening to a play list of hers when this song started playing.

It was “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, and it instantly took me back to the time I first heard the song.

Reading Week ‘88
First year of university was going extremely well. I had met a lot of new people, experienced new things, got the hang of academic life, and was having a great time living in res with Chris Vining, my best friend and roommate.

First semester ended at Christmas, unlike high school which went another month or so into the new year. Second semester also brought something new – Reading Week.

I hadn’t been to any orientation so, at first, I had no idea what it was. I soon learned from senior students that Reading Week came in February. It was designed as a week to provide a stress relief for the pressures of school. The week also coincided with my birthday.

So many people had plans for Reading Week. The Olympic Winter Games were going on in Calgary, so some people were heading there. I had the chance to go, but I was too damn scared. The excuse I used was that I had an essay due in my History 200 class, and the professor gave me an extension beyond the Friday before Reading Week.

Vining was also in History 200, and was itching to get out of town. He finished his essay Saturday, slipped it under our teaching assistant’s office door, and took off.

I dragged it out because I really didn’t want to go anywhere. I was just too scared. So, I handed in my essay on my Monday morning at the history department office. I told myself that was so I knew it got there.

I also looked forward to hanging around res when it was completely empty.

On Wednesday, I got a call from Vining from Coaldale, our home town.

We had this mutual friend from high school, Walter Blank, who was in Grade 12 and coming to campus for an orientation on Thursday and Friday. Vining said Walter could use his bed.

It turned out to be a pretty cool weekend.

Special guest
Walter showed up on Thursday and I immediately showed him around our floor – the lounge, or TV room; the service centre, where the washers, dryers, microwave and communal fridge were; our wing with the communal bathroom; and our room 1010 Kelsey Hall.

He put down his stuff, and we kind of hung out. People on my floor who had gone away for Reading Week were beginning to drift back, so Walter met all of them. They were all so nice and inviting too. They asked what he was planning to study. When he said cell biotechnology, they didn’t flinch or hesitate, like people in Coaldale might react.

That night, we were watching TV, but didn’t stay up too late because Walter had orientation sessions all day. He went off to those the next day, while I hung around campus, watching TV, playing basketball at the Butterdome, and whatever else occupied my time then.

Walter came back and hung out on our floor again. He fit right in, watching TV with a bunch of the guys. I was doing something in my room when he came in and said he was having a good time with Scott and Avi, two guys on my floor. He was grabbing some money.

One of the things Avi in particular liked to do was order lasagne from Roadrunner Pizza. It was this restaurant that shamelessly distributed their flyers and takeout menus under the doors of our rooms.

“We’re ordering from Roadrunner Pizza,” Walter said.

He had arrived. He was fitting right in.

Later that night, we were all out in the lounge watching MuchMusic.

That’s when Walter pointed to the TV, and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

The song
Walter said “What a Wonderful World” had made a comeback on the soundtrack of “Good Morning, Vietnam”. It was a movie starring Robin Williams as an armed forces radio announcer during the Vietnam War.

The song was reissued after appearing in the movie and went all the way to number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It had originally been released by Louis Armstrong in 1967.

Post Script
Walter started university in the Fall of 1988 – and lived in res. Some of my floormates from the year before were still living in res and they always said hi to him. He lived in a different tower, on the Fourth Floor of Mackenzie Hall, and I went to see him regularly.

He did get that degree in cell biotechnology, and a masters and Phd. The last time I saw him, he was working at Tufts University in Massachusetts where I am sure he was a lecturer and researcher.

Parting thoughts
Hearing “What a Wonderful World” always makes me think back to that Reading Week of 1988, and showing Walter Blank the ropes.

I wanted to help him out, because I never got an actual orientation to campus. That would be the same motivation for becoming floor coordinator the next year.

Maybe for me it was some small contribution to making a wonderful world.

Remembering Steve Lawrence in the ‘80s

Steve Lawrence was a singer and actor who co-hosted

the television show "Foul-Ups, Bleeps and Blunders" in the mid '80s.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/

steve-lawrence-singer-half-stage-duo-steve-eydie-dies-88-rcna142396

(May be subject to copyright)

One of the more interesting fads of the 1980s on television was the advent of blooper shows. They started out as TV specials aired under the banner “TV’s Censored Bloopers”, and were outtakes from movies, TV shows and commercials. They could be funny, but also tedious.

They were popular enough to spawn a weekly series called “TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes”, hosted by Dick Clark and Ed McMahon. Of course, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so another blooper show soon appeared on the airwaves.

This one was called “Foul-Ups, Bleeps and Blunders”, hosted by Don Rickles and Steve Lawrence.

I was thinking about that and so much more when I heard Steve Lawrence passed away a couple weeks ago.

Singer
Steve Lawrence made his mark as a singer, often with his wife Eydie Gormé, by the time the ‘80s rolled around. My introduction to him was through appearances he made on the “The Carol Burnett Show”. My Mom also told me about his wife Eydie, and how well they sang together. In fact, I had only seen Steve Lawrence sing solo on the “The Carol Burnett Show”. She eventually did appear with her husband, so I did get to know her.

However, my greatest memories of Steve Lawrence aren’t in front of a microphone.

Instead they are in front of a camera.

The years before
Steve Lawrence started appearing on television in the early ‘70s with turns in “Medical Center” in 1971; then “The New Dick Van Dyke Show”; “Night Gallery”; “Laugh-In”; “Here’s Lucy”; “The Dean Martin Show”; “Sanford and Son”; “Police Story”; and of course “The Carol Burnett Show”.

The ‘80s
Steve Lawrence began the decade with a supporting role in 1980 in the motion picture “The Blues Brothers”. He played Maury Sline, the manager and friend of the main characters played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

In 1985, he appeared in the TV miniseries “Alice in Wonderland” as Tweedledum while his wife Eydie Gormé played Tweedledee.

Lawrence also had a role in “Hardcastle and McCormick”, from 1984 to 1986, which was a favourite of mine early on. He played the sleazy, absentee, lounge singer father of title character Mark McCormick. He was perfect for the role.

He also had a guest spot in “Murder, She Wrote” in 1987.

Everybody makes mistakes
In 1984, Steve Lawrence and Don Rickles appeared in “Foul-Ups, Bleeps and Blunders” on ABC in the United States, and Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial where I grew up.

The show featured outtakes – or bloopers – from TV shows and movies. “Foul-Ups, Bleeps and Blunders” also had a segment reminiscent of “Candid Camera” where hidden cameras caught people in funny situations.

The show debuted on January 10, 1984 as a mid-season replacement then returned in the Fall for the 1984-1985 schedule. By October it was on TV sporadically, and was hard to find even in the three-channel universe.

It was cancelled 1985.

My outstanding memory of the show was Lawrence’s banter with co-host Don Rickles.

I especially enjoyed when Lawrence called Rickles “Hockey puck.”

The years after
Steve Lawrence kept on making guest appearances in shows such as “Bob”; “Empty Nest”; “Burke’s Law”; “Frasier”; three episodes of “The Nanny”, as the title character’s mysterious father; “Diagnosis Murder”; “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”; “The Cleaner”; “Hot in Cleveland”; “Two and a Half Men” and much more.

He also reprised his role as Maury Sline in 1998 in “Blues Brothers 2000”.

Parting thoughts
Steve Lawrence reminded me of the classic lounge singer. Not the negative stereotype of a sleazy, oily crooner. No, instead he was an engaging, smooth singer who, it was obvious, enjoyed singing with his wife.

He was also a decent actor, who gravitated to the roles of mysterious, absentee fathers, but also distinguished gentlemen.

Although, Steve Lawrence had his greatest success in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I still enjoyed him in the ‘80s and beyond.

ELO: Remembering the Electric Light Orchestra

Although I first heard about them in junior high, the first song I ever liked was a comeback single in 1986. It was another example of hearing what I believed was a band I recognized, but thought they had broken up.

In fact, ELO had not broken up and “Calling America” not only got some air play but was a hit.

ELO, which stands for Electric Light Orchestra, just announced they are going on their final tour.

It got me thinking about the first time I heard about them, and the last.

Back masking
Back in the early ‘80s, religious groups began to talk about the messages implanted in rock music. If you played a record backwards, you could hear faint messages of devil worship.

It kind of freaked me out, at the age of 11 and 12, but I also wondered one thing? How do you listen to a record backwards? There was no reverse like on a tape recorder. Even then, the reverse on a tape recorder didn’t allow you to actually hear the recording backwards.

The subject had made its way to my family. My Uncle Ed had a friend who belonged to one of these religious groups and went so far as to burn his records. One day, we were visiting and I asked my cousin Carl about this. He said he couldn’t hear anything. I asked how he played his records backwards. He smiled and said he put the needle of the record player in a groove and, using his finger, rapidly spun the record backwards. What else could you do, I thought.

The movement spread, and made its way to my junior high school in Coaldale, Alberta. Two girls in my class went to some meetings in Lethbridge, and brought a recording about back masking – which would be kind of like a podcast now. The speaker talked about back masking, and even shared an example. I couldn’t make out any words, much less the words he was claiming to hear.

The band the speaker was talking about was – the Electric Light Orchestra.

That was my introduction to ELO.

Mixed tape
As ridiculous as all that is, ELO really was not that big on my musical radar when I first got into music. That was in like 1982 and 1983, and I really got into it in 1984.

The first ELO song I actually heard was “Evil Woman”. My brother had begun to make me these mixed tapes for Christmas, with a bunch of songs by a wide range of performers he thought I might like. “Evil Woman” by the Electric Light Orchestra was on one of those mixed tapes.

Comeback
By that time, I thought ELO was a thing of the past, either broken up or no longer putting out new music. That all changed in 1986.

I was working in a greenhouse where we often had the radio playing in the background while we worked. One day working after school, I was walking through one of the greenhouses past the radio. I liked the song that was playing but hadn’t heard it before. I asked around and someone told me they thought it was ELO. I thought that couldn’t be right.

It turns out, it was ELO. They had in fact put out a new single.

It was entitled “Calling America”, and it started playing more on the radio and even the odd music video show such as “Video Hits” and “Good Rockin’ Tonite”.

“Calling America” went all the way to number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the last top 20 single that ELO has had to date.

Prolific band
Over time, as I got more and more into music, it turns out I had heard a lot of music by the Electric Light Orchestra.

Just some of their songs are “Roll Over Beethoven” which peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973; “Can’t Get it Out of my Head”, peaking at number nine in 1974; “Evil Woman”, peaking at number 10 in 1975; and “Strange Magic”, going all the way to number 14 in 1976.

“Telephone Line” peaked at number seven in 1977; “Sweet Talkin’ Woman”, went to number 17 in 1978; and “Shine a Little Love” peaked at number eight, and “Don’t Bring Me Down”, peaked at number four, both in 1979.

“Xanadu” with Olivia Newton-John, peaked at number eight in 1980; “Hold on Tight”, peaked at number 10 in 1981; “Rock ’n’ Roll is King”, went to number 19 in 1983; and lastly, “Calling America” peaked at number 18 in 1986.

The Electric Light Orchestra was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017.

Parting thoughts
As it turned out, I knew a lot more of ELO’s stuff than I thought, when I heard that goofy speaker talk about back masking.

It wasn’t the coolest introduction to the Electric Light Orchestra, but it didn’t really matter in the end, because the music speaks for itself.

David Suzuki: Bringing science to the public

Canadian scientist and broadcaster David Suzuki in the '80s.

Source: https://x.com/cbcgem/status/1358803622482608129

(May be subject to copyright)

He may be a polarizing figure in some peoples’ eyes today, but back in the 1980s, he was a respected TV personality who travelled the globe, unraveling the world’s mysteries and revealing to us “The Nature of Things”.

David Suzuki is another one of those unique Canadian personalities who is neither actor nor singer, but beamed into televisions across the nation every week.

His name came across my e-mail the other day. It just reminded me of a time when you tuned in and the person on the screen had a credibility and authority that was, for better or worse, unquestioned.

The voice
What always comes to mind when I hear the name David Suzuki is that voice. It was authoritative and definitive. I think for me, part of that comes from the fact that, from an early age, my various science teachers would play clips from Suzuki’s various shows to enhance whatever concept we were learning.

Most notably, he was the host of “The Nature of Things” on CBC throughout the ‘80s and beyond. I recall finding some old issues of “TV Guide”. Among them was one of the fall preview editions. In that particular edition, it described how David Suzuki’s “Science Magazine” and “The Nature of Things” had merged into one program. It would go on to have some major lasting power. In fact, his time hosting the show went from 1979 to 2023.

Wikipedia reveals his goal in “The Nature of Things” was to stimulate interest in the natural world, point out threats to human well-being and wildlife habitat, and present alternatives to humanity for achieving a more sustainable society.

It also revealed Suzuki started his foray into television in 1971 with a weekly children’s show called “Suzuki on Science”. In 1974, he founded the weekly radio program “Quirks and Quarks” on CBC AM Radio, and hosted it from 1975 to 1979. Throughout the ‘70s he hosted “Science Magazine” until it merged with “The Nature of Things”.

The other show I will always remember was “A Planet for the Taking”, which came out in 1985. It was heavily promoted and each episode was watched by 1.8 million viewers. It was eight parts, took three years of research and travel to make, and looks at the relationship of man to his planet.

Life story – up to 1987
A few years ago I read an autobiography called “Metamorphisis: Stages in Life”, which was originally published in 1987. It was interesting because, before I read it, I knew little about David Suzuki the person. To that point, he was a person interested in bringing science to the masses, which I always respected.

“Metamorphisis” talks about his early years which were hard. His family was one of the hundreds of Japanese-Canadian families that were unjustly and wrongly interned in camps during the Second World War. He was just a kid when his family was relocated to a camp at Slocan in the interior of British Columbia. In fact, one of his sisters was born in the camp.

After the war, with all their possessions sold off by the federal government, the Suzuki family ended up in Ontario, where Suzuki ultimately finished high school before going to university at Amherst College in Massachusetts. He later earned a Phd at the University of Chicago. He returned to Canada where he was an assistant professor at my alma mater the University of Alberta from 1962 to 1963, before becoming a professor at the University of British Columbia from 1963 until 2001.

The book makes two interesting points that shaped Suzuki’s career. One was that his father Carr Suzuki, stimulated his son’s curiosity and interest in science. I recall David Suzuki sharing a story about how his dad had told him about this particular insect that had like armour or plating or horns on it. Suzuki said, in the arrogance of youth, he just dismissed his dad. Years later, he came across that insect in his studies and his dad was exactly right. David Suzuki talked about not giving his dad the respect he deserved early on, and credited him with stimulating his interest in the natural world.

Besides, Carr Suzuki must have been a tough and resilient man to survive the internment and prosper when he and his family had to start all over again. Every person I have met who was interned is resilient.

The other point is that, as David Suzuki learned more about genetics and its applications, the more he realized that knowledge could be used in ways that did not benefit the planet. Unlike scientists who pursue the truth no matter what it is, he had an eye on how science could be used for evil as well as good.

That has informed much of the advocacy he has done over the past few decades, and some of his broadcast work.

Parting thoughts
David Suzuki is a week short of 88 years old now. When he started out, he was viewed as young and kind of a hippie. He had long hair, wore jeans and sandals with no socks, and sometimes slept in a hammock in his lab.

Yet, he realized the knowledge he was accumulating, as he unearthed the mysteries of science, could be abused if put in the wrong hands.

So, he turned to teaching and broadcasting. There, he shared the magic and mystery of science with the public, and began to advocate for a more sustainable way of life.

It is interesting that he has become so polarizing, because David Suzuki’s message really hasn’t changed since the 1980s, and before that. How else could you take the title “A Planet for the Taking”?

Maybe now, with more people tuned in to his wave length, the discussions we should have had 40 years ago, we are starting to have now.

Perry Mirkovich: Unknown star

Basketball player Perry Mirkovich is the only

University of Lethbridge player drafted by an NBA team.

Source: v

(May be subject to copyright)

He is the greatest player in Southern Alberta basketball that no one has ever heard of. You can look at statistics and accolades, and he has plenty of those, but he did something that, quite honestly, will never be repeated.

Yet, no one knows about it.

Perry Mirkovich, who played high school basketball for Winston Churchill in Lethbridge, and college ball at the University of Lethbridge, was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association.

Right now, it is incomprehensible the NBA would even know where the University of Lethbridge is, much less draft one of the Pronghorns.

Yet Perry Mirkovich did it and no one knows about.

I was telling a friend I play basketball with about Mirkovich. My friend is from Lethbridge and he has never heard of him.

That has to change.

The numbers
Perry Mirkovich was born in Calgary, moved to Lethbridge where he played for Winston Churchill High School, and was a six feet, six inch guard from 1975 to 1980 with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

In the 1975-1976 season, Mirkovich played in 19 games. He made 75 of 162 shots for a 46.3 percent average; made 23 of 32 free throws for a 71.9 percent average; pulled down 99 rebounds; and scored 173 points for a 9.1 points per game average. The Pronghorns finished with a league record of 8-12 and were 9-14 overall.

In the 1976-1977 season, he played in 19 games. He made 140 of 333 shots for a 42 percent average; made 14 of 26 free throws for a 53.8 percent average; pulled down 170 rebounds; and scored 294 points for a 15.5 points per game average. The Pronghorns finished with a league record of 4-16 and were 4-24 overall.

In the 1977-1978 season, Mirkovich played in 20 games. He made 140 of 320 shots for a 43.8 percent average; made 63 of 83 free throws for a 75.9 percent average; pulled down 162 rebounds; and scored 343 points for a 17.1 points per game average. The Pronghorns finished with a league record of 6-14 and were 7-16 overall.

In the 1978-1979 season, he played in 20 games. He made 163 of 368 shots for a 44.3 percent average; made 57 of 81 free throws for a 70.4 percent average; pulled down 156 rebounds; and scored 383 points for a 19.1 points per game average. The Pronghorns finished with a league record of 7-13 and were 10-18 overall.

In the 1979-1980 season, Mirkovich played in 20 games. He made 214 of 437 shots for a 49 percent average; made 69 of 91 free throws for a 75.8 percent average; pulled down 170 rebounds; and scored 497 points for a 24.9 points per game average. The Pronghorns finished with a league record of 8-12 and were 10-14 overall.

He was a Canada West First Team All-Star in 1979-1980 and a Canada West Second Team All-Star in 1976-1977 and 1978-1979. He won back-to-back Canada West scoring titles in the 1978-1979 and 1979-1980 seasons. He also was a CIAU, that is the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union, Second Team All-Canadian in the 1979-1980.

That year, he was named the University of Lethbridge Male Athlete of the Year, and Southern Alberta Male Athlete of the Year as well.

When he graduated, Mirkovich was the Pronghorns’ all-time leading scorer with 1,690 points. He also held the single-game points record with 43 against the University of Victoria Vikings on November 9, 1979, which stood until 2018. He is still second on the all-time scoring list, and third in career rebounds with 757.

Mirkovich also made the 1980 Canadian Olympic Basketball Team, and would have played at the Games in Moscow, if Canada hadn’t decided to boycott the Olympics. During the Olympic qualifications, Mirkovich helped Canada win a silver medal at a qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.

He was the 10th pick in the sixth round of the 1980 NBA Draft, 125th overall, and would play professionally in France.

In 2021, Mirkovich had his jersey number 24 retired by the University of Lethbridge.

Cheering him on
I remember when Mirkovich was drafted by Portland and there were a lot of people in Southern Alberta pulling for Perry to make the Trail Blazers. I sure was, because I thought that was so cool.

Back then, I didn’t have a lot of access to sports news, and there really wasn’t nearly as much available as there is now. My only access would be a daily newspaper, which we could not get on the farm, and the TV news. There were no 24-hour sports channels and no Internet to provide me with real time and up to the minute news.

Then one day, I had the TV on to the Lethbridge CFCN News on Channel 13, and they were talking to Perry Mirkovich. They actually had footage of him playing in an exhibition game wearing a Trail Blazers uniform. It was cool but, even joining the interview part way through, I could tell the dream was over. He didn’t make the team.

Still, even at 10 years old, I thought it was awesome a guy from Lethbridge had been drafted by the NBA.

Parting thoughts
Over time, Perry Mirkovich’s name has popped up around Southern Alberta. He became an educator and even taught in my home town of Coaldale, which is just a few minutes from Lethbridge.

Yet, his name never came up in reference to University of Lethbridge basketball. I was always surprised by that, because I would think one of the greatest marketing and recruitment tools, would be that a home-grown player was drafted by the NBA.

What has been more surprising is how few people know about him, at least that chapter of his life.

It really is a case of recency bias, where everything new is way better than anything old. It happens all the time. One of the best examples for me happened in horse racing. George Wolf is one of the greatest jockeys in the history of the sport. In fact, one of the awards for best jockey is named after him. He is from Cardston, but it took the American movie “Sea Biscuit” to highlight Wolf’s accomplishments. After the movie came out, he was inducted in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame more than 70 years after his accomplishments – along with a lot of worthy inductees whose careers spanned the previous 15 to 20 years.

The same is true of Perry Mirkovich. He has an amazing story that should be told.

It is nice that, in 2021, the University of Lethbridge finally got around to retiring his number, but what took so long? Forty-one years?

Perry Mirkovich really is an unknown star

Steve Thomas: The one and only?

Steve Thomas with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984.

Source: https://celebrityhockeyclassics.com/steve-thomas/

(May be subject to copyright)

“It’s hard to believe he can be VP Henday and play for the Leafs.”

That was the gist of a quote my friend Bruce Freadrich had when he walked into the lounge on Main Kelsey at the University of Alberta student residence in 1989, and we were doing our hockey draft. I had just taken Steve Thomas of the Toronto Maple Leafs and was talking about him.

We were served on the joint council for res, and we had this friend who was vice-president of Henday Hall who was named – Steve Thomas.

It was kind of funny.

I was watching “After Hours” earlier tonight on Sportsnet. They were interviewing Adam Henrique of the Edmonton Oilers, and they mentioned Henrique had married Thomas’ daughter Lauren.

I was reminded of that hockey draft so many years ago. How Steve Thomas had been a player I liked, and looked to as a later round hockey pool pick.

Undrafted
Steve Thomas was born in England, raised in Markham, Ontario, and played his junior with the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League. He went undrafted and signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He started the 1984-1985 season with their American Hockey League affiliate the St. Catharines Saints. In 64 games with the Saints, he had 42 goals and 48 assists for 90 points. For his efforts, he was presented with the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award in 1985 as the rookie of the year in the American Hockey League.

The Leafs
Thomas also played 18 games for the Leafs in the 1984-1985 season, chipping in a goal and an assist for two points.

The following year, the 1985-1986 season, Thomas again split time between St. Catharines and Toronto. He suited up with the Saints for 19 games, recording 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points. He played 65 games for the Leafs, chipping in 20 goals and 37 assists for 57 points. He also contributed six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 10 playoff games for Toronto.

Wikipedia reveals Thomas also appeared in “Youngblood”, a hockey movie that came out in 1986 and starred Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, and a young Keanu Reeves.

Thomas would play the entire 1986-1987 season in Toronto, appearing in 78 games where he tallied 35 goals and 27 assists for 62 points. He added two goals and three assists for five points in 13 playoff games for the Leafs.

Those numbers showed Steve Thomas was turning into a goal scorer, which is why I would take him in later rounds in many a hockey draft.

Chicago
In 1987, Steve Thomas, along with Rick Vaive and Bob McGill, were traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Al Secord and Ed Olczyk. Thomas closed out the decade in Chicago.

In the 1987-1988 season, Thomas was limited by injury, playing in just 30 games where he had 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. He added a goal and two assists in three playoff games.

Thomas saw more action in the 1988-1989 season, as he played in 45 games, scoring 21 goals and adding 19 assists for 40 points. He also recorded three goals and five assists for eight points in 12 playoff games.

The 1989-1990 season saw Steve Thomas back at full strength, playing in 76 games where he scored 40 goals and 30 assists for 70 points. The Blackhawks made it all the way to the Campbell Conference Final in the playoffs before losing to Calgary. In 20 playoff games, Thomas recorded seven goals and six assists for 13 points.

As the ‘80s ended, Steve Thomas had become a solid scorer and contributor.

The years after
Steve Thomas would go on to play for the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, have second stints with both the Leafs and Blackhawks, then played for Anaheim and Detroit before retiring after the 2003-2004 season. In Anaheim, he helped the Ducks reach their first Stanley Cup final in team history in 2002-2003, before losing to New Jersey in seven games.

Thomas finished his career playing in 1,235 games, scoring 421 goals and 512 assists for 933 points. He played in 174 playoff games, recording 54 goals and 53 assists for 107 points.

He also played for Canada at the World Hockey Championships, winning silver in 1991; not medaling in 1992; winning gold in 1994; and winning silver in 1996.

Parting thoughts
Steve Thomas was always a player I could get behind. He was a solid scorer who not only contributed to every team he played on, but every hockey pool team that I drafted.

He also had one of those generic names. Even when I googled him, I had to be more specific because a lot of Steve Thomases came up.

But to me, there really is only one Steve Thomas – well two actually.

The multi-talented Christie Brinkley

Model, actress, spokesperson and author Christie Brinkley in 1983.

Source: https://wwd.com/pop-culture/celebrity-news/gallery/

christie-brinkley-photos-1236005793/chinese-new-year-party-february-19-1983/

(May be subject to copyright)

To me she will always be the girl Billy Joel wrote a song about then chased after in a music video. Christie Brinkley was Joel’s wife in the 1980s, but she was more than that. She was a celebrity in her own right as a model, actor, spokesperson and so much more.

I was sad to hear earlier this week that she has skin cancer, but I believe she will be as resilient now as she has always been throughout her career.

Model career
Christie Brinkley was discovered in 1973, and soon after appeared several times on the cover of “Glamour” magazine. She also signed a 25-year contract with “CoverGirl”, a cosmetics brand. Wikipedia reveals in 1989 she was one of three models, along with Cheryl Tiegs and Beverly Johnson, featured as dolls produced by Matchbox Toys called “The Real Model Collection”.

She appeared on the cover of three straight “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit editions, in 1979, 1980, and 1981, and has appeared in a lot of subsequent editions.

Overall, she has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers including “US”; “Newsweek”; “Rolling Stone”; “Esquire”; “Harper’s Bazaar”; “Cosmopolitan”; “Glamour”: “Life”; and much more.

Brinkley was also a spokesperson for Chanel No. 19; MasterCard; Diet Coke; Anheuser-Busch beer; Got Milk?; Max Factor; Nissan; Noxzema; Revlon; Clairol; Black Velvet Canadian whisky and much more.

On screen
Brinkley’s first acting role was the girl in the red Ferrari in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” in 1983, a role she reprised in “Vegas Vacation” in 1997. She would also appear as herself in 1989 in “The All New Mickey Mouse Club”.

In later years she had guest spots in the TV shows “Mad About You”; “Ugly Betty”; “Parks and Recreation”; “Donny!”; “Nightcap”; “The Goldbergs”; and “The Masked Singer”. She was also in the Adam Sandler movie “Jack and Jill”.

In song
Brinkley married Billy Joel in 1985 and appeared in several of his music videos – “Uptown Girl”; “Keeping the Faith”; “All About Soul”; “River of Dreams”; “A Matter of Trust”; and “Leningrad”.

Billy Joel wrote the song “Christie Lee”, inspired by Brinkley. However, the much more popular song “Uptown Girl” is about her as well. Hence she was in the music video for it.

In print
Christie Brinkley also topped the New York Times’ Best Seller list in 1983 with a book she wrote and illustrated on health and beauty called “Christie Brinkley’s Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book.”

Parting thoughts
Christie Brinkley was really kind of a renaissance person in the ‘80s and beyond. She was not only a model and spokesperson, but an actor, writer, artist, fashion designer, and much more. With her time on “The Masked Singer” you can add singer as well.

She is someone who can do a lot of different things. Her career shows it.

Christie Brinkley really is multi-talented.

The one thing I really hope she can add to that list is survivor. My thoughts and prayers go out to her.

Lou Gramm goes solo

 

The song was playing at a very interesting time in my life. It was the second semester of Grade 12, and I was busy finishing high school, working at a greenhouse after school and on weekends, and looking ahead to university in the Fall.

I lived on a farm, and I always felt like I was missing out on stuff going on with my friends in town. That began to change in the summer of 1986 and I got my licence. I finally began to feel some freedom. Then, in the Spring of 1987 my Mom bought a car. That gave our family another vehicle and just a bit more freedom.

Once my Mom got comfortable driving with me, on some occasions I got to take the car to school. I would drop my Mom off at the greenhouse two miles south and two miles west of Coaldale. Then I would head back into town for classes at Kate Andrews High School.

The first time this happened, I turned on the radio as I pulled out of the yard of the greenhouse. While stopped and looking both ways to make sure no one was coming, I flipped on the radio. When I heard the song just starting, I cranked the volume as I turned on to the Jail Road on the way back to town.

It was “Midnight Blue” by Lou Gramm.

Earlier tonight, I read that Lou Gramm is retiring from performing after 50 years.

It brought back all these memories of him and that little band he used to sing with – Foreigner.

On my own
The first time I heard about Foreigner, and its lead singer Lou Gramm, was on LA-107 FM. It was some feature, whether a profile or album highlight, that described the members of the band, such as Mick Jones, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ed Gagliardi and – Lou Gramm.

Gramm and Foreigner had a lot of success. In fact, their first eight singles hit the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Then, in 1987, Lou Gramm decided to venture out on his own, but not at the expense of leaving Foreigner.

Here I come “Ready or Not”
Lou Gramm released his first album, “Ready or Not”, in January of 1987. The first single was “Midnight Blue”, which is one of my favourite songs of that period. The song sounded like Foreigner, because of Gramm’s vocals, but it didn’t seem as angry or brooding. “Midnight Blue” seemed more upbeat and, for lack of a better word, hopeful.

“Midnight Blue” went all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

A second single, the title track “Ready or Not”, peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number seven on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Overall, the album “Ready or Not” was a solid success, going all the way to number 27 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

In the movies
One of my favourite movies of 1987, and all of the ‘80s, is “The Lost Boys”. It came out in late July of 1987, after the end of Grade 12 and before I headed off to university in Edmonton in the Fall.

“The Lost Boys” at its heart is a vampire movie. A family moves into a small town, and quickly things become weird. The older brother gets involved with a group of boys that, as it turns out, are vampires. The younger brother, played by Canadian actor Corey Haim, meets a boy about his age, played by Corey Feldman, who fills him in on the vampire problem. Meanwhile, their mom is charmed by a kind man who, it turns out, is the head vampire.

I saw it again at the Garneau Theatre in Edmonton in the Fall of 1996, and it did not disappoint. It is still an awesome movie.

One of the best parts is the driving soundtrack. One of the best songs on the soundtrack is “Lost in the Shadows (Lost Boys)” by Lou Gramm.

Sadly, “Lost in the Shadows” did not chart, but that does not diminish what a great song it is.

Taking a look
Lou Gramm released “Long Hard Look”, his second solo album, in 1989. The first single was another song kind of like “Midnight Blue” in that the vocals sounded like Foreigner but the song seemed more upbeat and less angry and brooding. “Just Between You and Me” went all the way to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

There was a second single from “Long Hard Look” called “True Blue Love”, that peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, but I don’t recall hearing it. “True Blue Love” came out in 1990, and by then I wasn’t listening to the radio as much.

That’s probably why I don’t recall hearing “Hangin’ On My Hip”, another song from “Long Hard Look” that also appeared in the 1990 movie “Navy SEALs”. I even went to see “Navy SEALS” in the theatre, but don’t remember that song.

The years after
Lou Gramm would leave Foreigner, re-join them then leave for good in 2003. He formed his own band, has recorded Christian music, and in 2013 released his autobiography “Juke Box Hero – My Five Decades in Rock ‘n’ Roll”.

He was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013.

In 2024, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Foreigner.

Parting thoughts
There is just something about “Midnight Blue” that resonates with me. The song just takes me back to that time in high school and the first part of university.

Beyond the memories, I just like the guitar in the song, and Lou Gramm’s vocals.

It’s just a great song from a great singer.

Treat Williams: So long Dr. Brown

Treat Williams in the film "Prince of the City" in 1981.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/13/treat-williams-obituary

(May be subject to copyright)

The other night I saw the latest episode of “Blue Bloods”, and one of the story lines revolved around the death of Lenny Ross, the former partner and life-long friend of Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, played by Tom Selleck. Lenny Ross had been played by Treat Williams, who actually died a few months ago. At the end of the episode there was a dedication to Williams.

I knew Treat Williams best as Dr. Andrew Brown on “Everwood”, one of my favourite shows that debuted more than 20 years ago.

It got me thinking, given his age, what did he do back in the ‘80s? I am sure I must have seen him in something.

It turns out I actually had.

In the beginning
I think more than seeing Treat Williams perform, I heard of the movies he was in. That started in “The Eagle Has Landed” in 1978, then “Hair” and “1941”, both in 1979. He received a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actor for his role in “Hair”. As for “1941” it was a war comedy, directed by Steven Spielberg, about the fear that gripped the Los Angeles coast after the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor in 1941. It turned out to be a box office flop.

The 1980s
Treat Williams had a breakout role in 1981 with “Prince of the City”, where he plays a policeman who exposes corruption in the New York Police Department. For his efforts, Williams received the second Golden Globe nomination of his career, this one for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his role in “Prince of the City” in 1981.

Williams portrayed legendary heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey in the aptly titled TV movie “Dempsey” in 1983. This was where I recall reading about him in “TV Guide”, and seeing a few minutes of it on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial.

In 1984, he appeared in a television adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Namd Desire”, as Stanley Kowalski, opposite Ann-Margaret. For his efforts, Treat Williams earned his third Golden Globe nomination, this one for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1984.

That same year, he appeared in “Once Upon a Time in America”, a film about organized crime in New York in the 1930s.

I also vaguely recall Williams playing long-time FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in the TV movie “J. Edgar Hoover”.

By the end of the decade, Treat Williams had become a solid actor.

The years after
Treat Williams kept on acting pretty much until his death last June in a motorcycle collision. He appeared in movies such as “Mulholland Falls”; “The Phantom”; “The Substitute” series; “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous”; “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader”; “The Great Alaskan Race”; and much more.

On TV he appeared in guest roles in “Tales from the Crypt”; “Road to Avonlea”; “UC: Undercover”; “Brothers and Sisters”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “The Simpsons”; “Hawaii Five-O”; and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”.

He had recurring roles in “Eddie Dodd”; “Good Advice”; “Everwood”; “Heartland”; “White Collar”; “Chicago Fire”; “American Odyssey”; “Chesapeake Shores”; and “Blue Bloods”. He was also in television movies such as “Parallel Lives”; “The Late Shift”; “Escape: Human Cargo”; “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”; “The Staircase Murders”; “The Christmas House” movies; “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” and much more.

Treat Williams died on June 12, 2023.

He was 71 years old.

Parting thoughts
Quite honestly, when I heard the name Treat Williams, I could not picture who he was. He may have built his career in the 1980s, but I saw very little he was in.

Now, whenever I see Treat Williams, or hear his name, he will always be Dr. Andrew Brown, the big-city brain surgeon who came to the small town of Everwood to start a community practice free of charge to his patients. “Everwood” was an excellent show, one of my favourite shows in fact in its four-year run from 2002 to 2006. I saw every one of the 89 episodes, and own them all on DVD.

The strength in his acting is seen in the three Golen Globe nominations he received in the 1980s.

It is also evident in his role as Lenny Ross in “Blue Bloods”, where he is much different from Dr. Andrew Brown.

Eugene Levy: Getting better with age

“

Eugene Levy as Earl Camembert on "SCTV".

Source: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNCCHoKJQ8V/

(May be subject to copyright)

I’m Floyd Robertson.”

“And I’m Earl Camembert”

This was the introduction to a skit on “SCTV” spoofing Canadian broadcast news shows of the 1970s and 1980s.

It was also, really, my introduction to the comedy of Eugene Levy.

Now he is best known as the creator and star of “Schitt’s Creek” and currently the host of “The Reluctant Traveller”.

Back in the 1980s, Euegene Levy was part of an ensemble comedy cast that transitioned to the movies together, and never really looked back.

SCTV
Eugene Levy was a stage actor who found success with Second City Toronto, a comedy company. It transitioned to the small screen and became “SCTV” or “Second City Television”. It was sketch comedy where Levy played a variety of roles, often the straight man and serious one while the chaos surrounded him.

His most famous was role was likely news anchor Earl Camembert. I didn’t really understand the Earl Camembert reference other than the cheese. I know Floyd Robertson spoofed Lloyd Robertson, but I had no idea about the other one. It was only after I saw something on the history of Canadian television, and talked to my mom, that I learned the character is based on Earl Cameron, an actual newscaster.

Levy also played comic Bobby Bittman; accordionist Stan Schmenge opposite John Candy who played Yosh Schenge; and a lot of other characters. He did a lot of celebrity impersonations as well.

For his efforts, Eugene Levy was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for three separate episodes in 1982, winning for the episode “Moral Majority Show”. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for five separate episodes in 1983, winning for the episode “Sweeps Week”.

Just to be clear, that’s eight Emmy award nominations.

The movies
Eugene Levy had a lot of bit parts in movies in the 1980s, including “Heavy Metal”; “National Lampoon’s Vacation”; “Going Berserk”; “Splash”; and “Club Paradise”.

In 1986, he starred in “Armed and Dangerous”, a movie I saw in the theatre with my friends. Levy plays opposite John Candy as a lawyer and policeman respectively who are fired and become hapless security guards.

I have to say it really wasn’t my kind of comedy.

The years after
Eugene Levy has become more and more prolific as the years have gone on. He appeared in movies such as “Father of the Bride”; “Father of the Bride II”; “I Love Trouble” with Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts; “ Multiplicity” with Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell; “Waiting for Guffman”; “American Pie”; “Best in Show”; “American Pie 2”; “Serendipity”; and “A Mighty Wind”.

He was also in “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”; “American Wedding”; “American Pie Presents: Band Camp”; “Cheaper by the Dozen 2”; “For Your Consideration”; “American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile”; “American Pie Presents: Beta House”; “American Pie Presents: The Book of Love”; “Goon”; “American Reunion”; “Being Canadian”; “The War With Grandpa”; and much more.

On television he was in 80 episodes of “Schitt’s Creek”, which he also created, wrote and produced. He is currently in “The Reluctant Traveller”; and joined the cast of “Only Murders in the Building”. For his efforts, Eugene Levy was nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2019 for “Schitt’s Creek”. In 2020, he won the Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for “Schitt’s Creek”.

Parting thoughts
Eugene Levy is like fine wine. As cliché as it sounds, he truly is getting better with age. In the ‘80s, I didn’t find him that funny, although I need to watch “SCTV” as an adult to truly judge how good or bad it is. The same goes for “Armed and Dangerous”, which I recall thinking was okay as I left the theatre, but I had no interest in seeing it again.

Yet, when I saw him in “A Mighty Wind”, “Schitt’s Creek”, and “The Reluctant Traveller”, he was really good.

He really is getting better with age.

James West: Dominant in the late ‘80s

James West played much of his career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but got his start in Calgary.

Source: https://www.bluebombers.com/2026/02/15/black-history-month-feature-james-west/

(May be subject to copyright)

He terrorized opposing quarterbacks, runningbacks, and receivers patrolling the defence of my beloved Calgary Stampeders. It was a team that looked to be on the way out. The next minute he was gone, and the minute after that tragedy struck – James West was playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

He would go on to a storied career and induction in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

I was thinking about those days in Calgary, and his disappearance, and re-emergence with the enemy. It was the other day when I heard James West had been inducted into the Texas Southern University Hall of Fame.

Calgary Stampeder
After playing for Texas Southern, James West joined the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. After The Raiders released West, he joined the Calgary Stampeders for the 1982 season. He appeared in nine games in 1982, registering one quarterback sack and recovering two fumbles.

In 1983, West played in 15 games, had 8.5 quarterback sacks, intercepted two passing returning them for 61 yards; and recovered three fumbles. He also blocked a punt. For his efforts, he was named a West Division All-star.

The following year, 1984, West played in 13 games, registering four quarterback sacks, intercepting two passes for 31 yards and a touchdown, and recovering a fumble.

James West was a free agent after the 1984 season, and would never play another game for the Stampeders.

Disappearing act
In 1983, the United States Football League began as a Spring football league, taking aim at the NFL. However, in the process, a lot of CFL players ended up jumping to the USFL as well.

Back then, without regular access to a newspaper, no sports channels in existence yet, and local TV news not covering a lot of sports beyond the CFL and NFL, it was hard to learn much about player movement.

James West chose to sign with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL in the Spring of 1985. However, he returned to the CFL in September, signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He would suit up with them for the next eight years.

I was heart broken, because the Stampeders needed West a lot more than Winnipeg, who had won the Grey Cup in 1984.

Blue Bomber
West played in just five games for the Bombers in the 1985 season, recording no sacks, interceptions or fumble recoveries.

Everything changed in 1986. He played in 18 games, had four sacks, two interceptions for three yards and a touchdown, and recovered a fumble.

In 1987, the CFL started keeping track of tackles as a statistic. West appeared in 18 games, registering seven sacks and 75 tackles, and recovered a fumble. He was named Outstanding Defensive Player in the East and runner-up for the CFL award. West was also an East Division all-star and CFL All-star that season.

He continued to dominate in 1988, playing 17 games, sacking quarterbacks eight times, making 79 tackles, intercepting three passes for 63 yards, and recovering four fumbles. He was an East Division All-star again in 1988, as he helped the Bombers win the Grey Cup over the B.C. Lions.

West closed out the decade in 1989, appearing in 12 games, registering five sacks and 69 tackles, and intercepting three passes returning them 33 yards. He was also an East Division all-star and CFL All-star in 1989.

The years after
James West would play for the Bombers through the 1992 season, winning another Grey Cup with Winnipeg in 1990 but losing in 1992 to the Calgary Stampeders. In 1993, he was traded to the B.C. Lions, and retired after the 1993 season.

He finished with career totals of 51.5 quarterback sacks, 21 interceptions, and 19 fumble recoveries. He returned two interceptions and one fumble recovery for touchdowns.

James West was inducted in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Parting thoughts\
One thing I could never understand was the number of players who got their start with the Calgary Stampeders, but went on to success with other teams. Granted, there was generally a lot of player movement in the CFL, but it was always more noticeable when players such as James Sykes, Ray Crouse, or James West left Calgary and joined Winnipeg. They were already a powerhouse, so I guess maybe those players wanted a chance to win a Grey Cup. Winnipeg gave them that chance every year, especially when they moved to the East Division in 1987.

What made it hurt was when an impact player like James West went to another team. He was such a good player, flowing to the ball and always making tackles.

The evidence of his great play came when the CFL started keeping track of tackles. It just showed what a great linebacker he was. That was also illustrated by the number of interceptions and fumble recoveries he recorded.

James West was just a dominant player in the last half of the ‘80s.

Donald Narcisse: Clutch and consistent

Donald Narcisse was an outstanding receiver with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Source: https://cfhof.ca/members/donald-narcisse/

(May be subject to copyright)

The image is most memorable. He catches a touchdown pass and does that unique dance – a combination shimmy and shake.

Not only was Donald Narcisse a dependable receiver, but he was consistent, a Grey Cup champion, and a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Yesterday, I heard the long-time Saskatchewan Roughrider receiver and record holder was inducted into the hall of fame of his alma mater Texas Southern University.

Go north
Donald Narcisse had a successful college career at Texas Southern, where he had 88 receptions for 1,074 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior year. He also earned the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA receiving crown; and was named First-Team NCAA Division I All-American and All-Southwest Conference. His career totals at Texas Southern were 203 catches for 2,430 yards and 26 touchdowns.

After finishing his college career at the end of the 1986 season, Narcisse signed as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL in 1987. He was released before the 1987 season started.

He made a decision that changed his life, and Canadian Football League history forever.

On September 1, 1987, Donald Narcisse signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Rookie season
Later that month on September 19, 1987, Narcisse made his CFL debut. He caught five passes for 46 yards, and scored his first CFL touchdown, a nine-yard pass from quarterback Jeff Bentrim against Edmonton.

The Riders finished with a 5-12-1 record, and well out of the playoffs. Narcisee finished his rookie season with 25 receptions and 319 yards for a 12.8-yard average, one touchdown and a long of 43 yards.

Coincidentally, the St. Louis Cardinals also released a quarterback in 1987,who had suited up with them as their third stringer the previous season. The Saskatchewan Roughriders then signed Kent Austin, and he joined the team on September 8, 1987, one week after Narcisse’s arrival. The two would make a potent passing combination for the rest of the decade, and beyond, for the Riders.

Narcisse’s second season, in 1988, was hampered by injuries. He appeared in just 10 of 18 games, hauling in 21 passes for 288 yards and an average of 13.7 yards, with a long of 22 yards and no touchdowns. The Riders, however, returned to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. They finished second in the West Division with an 11-7 record, although they lost the West Semi-Final to B.C.

However, as the decade drew to a close both Narcisse, and the Riders, were set to break out.

Championship season
The 1989 campaign would be a dream season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They finished with a 9-9 record, good enough for the third in the West Division. The Riders went to Calgary and defeated the Stampeders in the West Semi-final, then shock the Eskimos in Edmonton in the West Final to advance to their first Grey Cup since 1976.

They faced the East Division champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a wild shoot out many consider the greatest Grey Cup in history. Saskatchewan prevailed, winning their first championship since 1966 by a score of 43-40, with a last-minute field goal by Dave Ridgway.

Donald Narcisse would have a breakout season with the Riders, the first year he played in all 18 regular season games for the team. He had 81 receptions for a career-high 1,419 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns. He also had five receptions in the Grey Cup for 98 yards and a touchdown.

For his efforts, Narcisse was named a West Division All-star and CFL All-star.

As the sun set on the ‘80s, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were Grey Cup champions and Donald Narcisse was poised to become one of the best receivers in the league.

The years after
He did not disappoint. That 1989 season began a streak of seven consecutive seasons, 1989 to 1995, where he had 1,000 or more yards receiving. He would add an eighth 1,000-yard-plus season in 1998. In addition, he had two seasons of more than 900 yards. Narcisse also had 34 games of 100-plus yards receiving, and led the league in receptions with 123 in 1995.

Donald Narcisse was a CFL All-star in 1989, 1990, 1995 and 1998; and a West Division All-star in 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1998.

He retired after the 1999 season with career totals of 919 receptions for 12,366 yards and 75 touchdowns. Narcisse also holds the professional football record for most consecutive games with at least one reception, with 216 games. When he retired, he was first all-time in career receptions, third in career receiving yards, and tied for second in 1,000-plus-yard seasons.

Donald Narcisse was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Parting thoughts
Like so many others, the first time I saw Donald Narcisse play, I got his name wrong. For the first part of the 1988 season, I thought his name was Ray Narcisse. Seemingly, if I did not hear all or part of a name, I would fill in the blanks with my imagination.

But I learned all about Donald Narcisse soon enough. He may have been too small for the NFL, but he had the perfect skill set for the Canadian game. He was a precise route runner with incredible hands. He was able to make that clutch catch, whether on a second or third-down conversion or a crucial touchdown. He could also beat his man deep down the field. And he was consistent, making at least one catch in every game he played.

Beyond all those physical skills, he had this infectious enthusiasm, embodied by that dance he did after key receptions, which were usually touchdowns.

Donald Narcisse remains one of my favourite players in CFL history. I can sum up his play in two words – clutch and consistent.

The power of Journey

I heard their lead singer before I even knew he was part of the band.

It was 1984, I just started getting into music, and Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie” was climbing up the chart. Later, he released another great ballad called “Foolish Heart”. That song I remember hearing on the school bus one morning. I heard it again when playing ball hockey in an old barn with my friend and neighbour Mat after school. I sang the chorus every time we took a break.

It was about then I heard of Steve Perry’s band – Journey.

As it turned out, I had actually heard Journey before, and would hear a lot more before the end of the decade.

Journey was in Calgary recently, and it reminded me of all that music.

The band Journey in the '80s.

Source: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-frontiers-only-the-lonely/

(May be subject to copyright)

Video game
The first time I ever heard about Journey, it was in an odd place about their album “Escape”. Unlike any other album in my life, I heard about “Escape” initially not from someone who had it, or by reading a review of it, or seeing it on TV.

I heard about “Escape” through a video game.

Back then, I was big into Intellivision, so I read every magazine about video games that I could find. There weren’t very many, and the ones I found talked about Atari as much as Intellivision, which was fine by me. They had articles on tricks to use playing various games, interviews with designers, reviews of games, and previews.

That’s where I first read about this game called “Journey Escape”. It was for the Atari 2600, which was the standard system of the time, and Intellivision’s main competitor.

“Journey Escape”, the article explained, was about the band Journey and their efforts to evade fans, photographers, and promoters, if memory serves.

Back then, the games were pretty rudimentary, so the graphics were simple, or at least what I saw in the magazine was.

I also saw the artwork on the box for “Journey Escape”. It was the same as the cover of the album itself.

So, years later, when I finally saw the actual album cover for “Escape”, I had already seen it.

I had to remind myself the album came first.

Soundtrack success
Still, I had not heard any songs by Journey. That changed in the summer of 1985 when I was listening to LA-107 FM. It was an album oriented rock station. That meant it often played more than one song from the same album. In this case, they played the soundtrack for the movie “Vision Quest”.

One of the songs was “Only the Young”, by Journey. It was an excellent song, the perfect introduction to such a good band.

A few months later, I ordered the “Vision Quest” soundtrack, and the first song on Side A was “Only the Young”. It was such a good song, going all the way to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Raised on Radio
Less than a year later, in April of 1986, Journey released their next album, called “Raised on Radio”. The first single was “Be Good to Yourself”, and it was a great song. Again, I heard it first on LA-107 FM.

The second single was “Suzanne”, which remains one of my favourite Journey songs. It is synonymous with the end of Grade 11 for me. “Suzanne” ended up peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Girl Can’t Help it” was the third single from “Raised on Radio”, also peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I’ll be Alright Without You” followed, going all the way to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In a moment of serendipity, I forgot to send in my card declining the selection of the month from Columbia House, so they sent it anyway. The selection was “Raised on Radio”. You gotta love negative billing. I had my sister tape the record onto tape, and I discovered how good the album really is.

“Raised on Radio” went to number four on the Billboard 200 album chart and Wikipedia reveals the album went double platinum in the States.

Mixed tape
The first time I recall hearing some of Journey’s older stuff was when my friend David Perlich came to the farm with one of those tapes you could buy back then containing a bunch of songs by different artists. I was in the midst of writing this play and always on the look out for songs that resonated with the story.

He suggested I play it, and stuck it into my ghetto blaster. That’s when I heard a song that sounded like it may be perfect for a story about unrequited love. It was “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey, which I dubbed and considered for the soundtrack for my play. I ended up not using it – yet.

Incredible Journey
Over time, I have discovered a lot of the Journey catalogue, due in part to the release of an excellent greatest hits album in 1988 to end the decade.

Most notably “Don’t Stop Believin’” had a massive resurgence with its appearance in the TV series “Glee”, but they have a lot of great singles.

The earliest single that hit the Billboard Hot 100 was “Wheel in the Sky” in 1978, which peaked at number 57. “Wheel in the Sky” holds a special place in my heart. When I was in high school, my brother started making me mixed tapes for Christmas, consisting of songs that were kind of a cross section of rock music he thought I would like. “Wheel in the Sky” was one of those songs.

“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” was Journey’s first top 20 single, peaking at number 16 in 1979.

The ‘80s was when Journey really took off.

In 1980, “Any Way You Want it” peaked at number 23, while in 1981 “Who’s Crying Now” became Journey’s first top five hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year “Don’t Stop Believin’” peaked at number nine.

In 1982, “Open Arms” became their highest charting single to date, peaking at number two. In 1983, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” went all the way to number eight; and “Faithfully” peaked at number 12. They also released “Send Her My Love” and “Ask the Lonely” in 1983, which were great songs but never charted.

In 1985, they had “Only the Young”, and in 1986 they released “Be Good to Yourself”; “Suzanne”; “Girl Can’t Help it”; and “I’ll be Alright Without You”.

Journey would be back in the top 20 in 1996 for the last time to date, peaking at number 12 with “When You Love a Woman”.

Solo act
Lead singer Steve Perry also did well on his own. Although his first single was a duet with Kenny Loggins in 1982 called “Don’t Fight it” that peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, he achieved his greatest success with a solo album of his own.

Perry released “Street Talk” in 1984. The lead single was the powerful ballad “Oh Sherrie” which went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Following three more releases, “Foolish Heart”, the fifth single from “Street Talk” peaked at number 18.

He also was part of USA for Africa, a group of American performers who raised money for African famine relief in 1985 with their charity single “We Are the World”.

Parting thoughts
Journey’s music is the very definition of powerful. Steve Perry’s vocals and the band can reach down to your very soul.

Every time I listen to one of their songs, I can just picture Perry and the band just giving it everything they have.

I am glad, primarily through “Glee”, a new generation of fans discovered Journey, because they too can be touched by that music.

Corb Lund pays tribute to Ian Tyson

Last night I went to see Corb Lund for the first time on his own. My only previous experience had been seeing him with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the highlights of the concert was Corb’s tribute to the legendary Ian Tyson.

Canadian icon
Ian Tyson was a Canadian icon, and a household name back in the 1980s. My earliest memory goes back to before I started school, when I watched “The Ian Tyson Show” on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial with my Mom and Dad. I must have been four years old, because the show ran from 1970 to 1975.

Most of my knowledge of Ian Tyson came from my Mom, who told me he had been quite popular in the ‘60s with his wife Sylvia Tyson. I recall her appearing on “The Ian Tyson Show” as well. Later, I am pretty sure I heard both Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson perform variously, and separately, on “The Tommy Hunter Show”. That was standard Friday night viewing in the three channel universe back in he ‘80s.

To be honest, Ian Tyson was more of an idea than anything to me. Back in the ‘80s when I first got into music, then right through the decade as I learned more and more, I could not tell you the name of one Ian Tyson song. I am sure that was because he had become completely a country and western singer, and I really didn’t listen to much of that.

All I knew was that he was a great Canadian singer and songwriter. Once I heard some of his songs, that impression was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Corb Lund
Meanwhile, Corb Lund was growing up not too far from me. I grew up on a farm north of Coaldale. Taber was a friendly neighbour, the next big town to the east of us, about a half hour or so away. Corb Lund grew up at Taber. Interestingly, Wikipedia reveals he was born on Jan. 29, 1969, which would put him in the same grade as me.

After high school, we followed a similar trajectory as well. After graduating high school in 1987, I went to school at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. I know Corb was also in the Class of ’87, because we have a mutual friend. He told me that, at a concert, Corb recognized him and yelled “That’s my quarterback”. Yet, it was not until 1989 that Corb moved to Edmonton and went to Grant MacEwan College.

Once in Edmonton, Corb was one of the founding members of a punk, new wave band called “The Smalls". I had never heard of them in the ‘80s but, by 1992, I recall one of the guys on my floor wearing a “Smalls” concert shirt. I always thought the shirt looked cool, although I had never knowingly heard any of their songs.

I also heard a story, likely a myth, that one of the members of The Smalls had been kicked out of W.R. Myers in Taber, and finished high school in Coaldale. The only member of The Smalls from Taber is Corb Lund. However, I don’t recall anyone coming to our school part way through Grade 12, much less someone from Taber.

Anyway, Corb went on to form a country trio, then focused exclusively on that when The Smalls broke up in 2001.

At the show we went to, Corb said he now has put out so many albums he has to pick and choose what he plays, as opposed to being able to play virtually everything. He has put out 12 albums and an EP, or Extended Play record. He has been nominated for the Juno for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year, Solo in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2013, winning in 2006. He has also been nominated for and won a number of Canadian Country Music Awards and other awards.

Tribute
Corb Lund and Ian Tyson have an interesting parallel. At their hearts, they are both country and western singer-songwriters, who went in different directions then returned to their roots.

One of the things I gather about Ian Tyson is that, when he moved back to Southern Alberta, he was incredibly accessible. That included more than just performing, but meeting and mentoring other musicians.

I get the sense that Ian Tyson mentored Corb Lund. His tribute to Tyson was much more personal and heartfelt than a professional relationship.

In fact, I have to go back to that concert Corb Lund did with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Ian Tyson had recently died, so part of Corb’s tribute was to place his black cowboy hat on the microphone. It was incredibly touching and sad – but awesome.

At last night’s concert, Corb paid tribute to Ian Tyson by singing Tyson’s classic “Some Day Soon”. It was just awesome.

Parting thoughts
Since Corb Lund and I are about the same age, he too would have grown up surrounded by Ian Tyson as a Canadian icon. Given his background, he most certainly would have had more exposure to Tyson’s work than I did.

On the other hand, it took years for me to hear and recognize any songs by Ian Tyson. Part of that, coincidentally, was when I too returned to Southern Alberta and worked first in Fort Macleod then Claresholm, I was around much more country and western music.

That is when I finally came to know songs such as “Four Strong Winds” and “Some Day Soon”, although they were both released in 1963 and 1964 respectively. I also came to appreciate how talented a musician and story teller Ian Tyson is.

He had a profound effect on Canadian culture.

You can tell by the passion in Corb Lund’s tribute to him.

I’ll never be over Toto

“Some people live their dreams, Some people close their eyes”
“Some people’s destiny, passes by…”

Those are the first few lines of “I’ll be Over You” by Toto. Soon after, guest Michael McDonald chimes in with harmonies that make the song even more beautiful.

I was thinking of my favourite Toto song when I heard they were playing in Calgary tonight.

However, “I’ll be Over You” is just one song and one memory from a band that gave me a few.

Commercial success
My first memory of Toto is seeing a clip of one of their music videos and thinking the lead singer looked liked Burton Cummings. It was part of a commercial for one of those K-Tel or Polytel mixed tapes of songs.

Not too much later, I was riding the school bus and heard Toto had a big night at the Grammys the previous evening. I thought that was pretty cool, but it made a lot of sense to me because Burton Cummings was very popular in my household and everyone thought he was very talented.

Soon, I discovered that was not Burton Cummings. Toto’s actual lead singer at that time was Bobby Kimball. I just Googled him, and he still looks like Burton Cummings.

The early years
Toto was actually formed in 1977 and released their debut album “Toto” in 1978. Their debut single was “Hold the Line” which went all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Only later did I come to know this song, and discover it was their first single. The album also garnered Toto a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist.

Toto released their follow-up album, “Hydra”, in 1979. The first single was “99” which went all the way to number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wikipedia reveals it is a tribute to George Lucas’ film “THX 1138”, which I found quite interesting. The video even resembles a scene in the movie.

“Hydra” did not achieve the same success as “Toto”, but the band kept on writing and recording, releasing “Turn Back”, their third album, in 1981. Wikipedia reveals “Turn Back” had a poor performance on the charts and sales and put the band’s career in jeopardy.

So, they needed something big.

Boy did they deliver in 1982.

Four is the lucky number
The band released “Toto IV” in 1982, under a great deal of pressure to return to the success they had on their debut album.

The first time I heard the name of the album was “Toto IV”, I wondered why, because I had never heard of them before. But I was 12, and barely knew anything about music.

The first song released was “Rosanna”, which is an amazing love song. It went all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is named after Rosanna Arquette who was dating keyboard player Steve Porcaro at the time. “Rosanna” won the Grammy for Record of the Year and was nominated for Song of the Year.

The second single was “Make Believe” which peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

That was followed by “Africa”, which became Toto’s most successful single. It went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It is an iconic song of the ‘80s.

“Toto IV” would yield one more hit, “I Won’t Hold You Back”, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is Toto’s last top 10 hit to date. When I hear the chorus, it reminds me so much of the Bee Gees.

“Toto IV” delivered in spades for the band. Toto went on to win a total of six Grammys – Album of the Year and Best Engineered Recording, Non-classical for “Toto IV”; and Producer of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals for “Rosanna”. They were also nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Rosanna”.

Interregnum
After “Toto IV”, the band recorded most of the music for the 1984 movie “Dune”. I was unable to see “Dune” in the theatre, because it was restricted and I was still 14. Earlier that year, Bobby Kimball had run into drug-related charges and was fired from the band. He was replaced by Fergie Frederiksen on the band’s next album, “Isolation”, which was released in November of 1984. It did not have near the commercial success of “Toto IV” It did have the single “Stranger in Town”, which peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After the “Isolation” tour closed in 1985, Toto let Fergie Frederiksen go. After an audition, they hired Joseph Williams, son of film composer John Williams who had written famous songs for “Star Wars”; “Jaws”; “ET”; “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and so much more.

That set the stage for when I picked up the trail of Toto.

Taking the Temperature
Toto released “Fahrenheit” in October of 1986. The first single was “I’ll be Over You”, which remains one of my favourite love songs of all time. It features background vocals by Michael McDonald which makes the song even richer. “I’ll be Over You” went all the way to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Lucky number seven
This is where the trail ends for me. In 1988, Toto released their seventh album, fittingly called “The Seventh One”. It had the single “Pamela” which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is their last top 40 single to date. It also went all the way to number nine on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Wikipedia reveals “The Seventh One” was the band’s most successful release since “Toto IV”.

The first time I heard "Pamela" was when I was just back from my first year ofuniversity. I was pulling out of the driveway on our farm north of Coaldale and crossing the bridge over the irrigation canal when I heard it.

The voice sounded familiar, and sure enough, it was Toto.

That was the last new music I ever heard from the band.

Parting thoughts
Toto continues performing to this day, evidenced by their concert in Calgary.

They will always be a part of the soundtrack of the ‘80s, especially with “Rosanna” and “Africa”, which are two absolutely amazing songs I never get tired of. Yet for me, they topped that with “I’ll be Over You”, which just touches my heart. In fact, I almost used it in a play I wrote about my high school years, and penciled it in as a possibility for the sequel.

After all, it not only came out when I was in high school, but spoke to me as a high school student.

So, I guess “I’ll be Over You” and Toto really are part of the soundtrack of my life.

Colin James: The music speaks for itself

I saw Colin James is coming to Lethridge next month and it got me thinking: when did I first hear him sing?

It was on the radio in Edmonton, then he played on campus at the University of Alberta.

Debut
Colin James’ debut album came out in 1988 and is aptly named “Colin James”. It received heavy airplay, in part due to Canadian Content regulations, but also because it had some great songs.

“Voodoo Thing” was the first release, peaking at number 19 in Canada and number 30 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.

His next two singles were “Dream of Satin” which peaked at number 49 in Canada, and “Chicks ‘n Cars (And the Third World War)”, which peaked at number 51 in Canada.

“Five Long Years” was the next single, and is by far my favourite Colin James’ single. It is just a great, upbeat song. I am absolutely shocked it didn’t chart in the States, but especially in Canada.

In 1989, he also released “Back in My Arms Again”, a cover of the 1965 Supremes’ song. It was for the soundtrack of the movie “American Boyfriends”, which is the sequel to “My American Cousin”. It charted at number 80 in Canada.

James won the Juno in 1989 for Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year and was nominated for Entertainer of the Year.

As the decade was ending, Colin James was on the rise, and his greatest chart success was yet to come.

The cover of Colin James' self-titled debut album in 1988.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_James_%28album%29

(May be subject to copyright)

Missed him by that much
Colin James made two appearances right in my own backyard. In March of 1988, he played at the Dinwoodie Lounge which was a small venue in the Student Union Building. I was still new to campus, and didn’t even really know where Dinwoodie was at that time. I also missed the Tragically Hip in that period. Colin James was back on campus at the Butterdome on September 23, 1988. That would have been Bear Country, a big party that I always missed because I had a student leadership retreat that weekend.

So twice I missed Colin James by that much.

The years after
Colin James released his second album, “Sudden Stop” in 1990. The first single was “Just Come bBack”, which is a catchy tune with a blues twang. It became his greatest chart success, peaking at number five in Canada and number seven on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.

That would be the height of his commercial success. However, he keeps on writing, recording and performing rock, swing and blues, including several successful albums with the Little Big Band.

What’s in a name
In 1990, I was part of a hiring committee and we got an application from a friend of mine. His name was ‘Colin James’ Peters. When we were going through the resumés, someone read his name aloud and emphasized the “Colin James”. We all snickered.

The things a group of 19 year olds will find funny.

Parting thoughts
There was a time in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s where Colin James was regularly on the airwaves. When his first song came out, it kind of sounded to me like Boulevard, another Canadian band that released a song in that same period.

His presence on the airwaves was due in part to radio stations meeting their Canadian Content requirements, but also because “Five Long Years” and “Voodoo Thing” were great songs.

In fact, I recently came across a Top 80 countdown of Canada’s greatest songs leading up to Canada Day. It was the Boom 97.3 Top 80 Totally ‘80s with Stu Jeffries. He was a great deejay in the ‘80s and a host of the CBC music show “Good Rockin’ Tonite”.

There, at number 36 was “Five Long Years”.

The music speaks for itself.