Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”

It was like I was in high school all over again. I was at the Claresholm Arena today, covering an Under-11 hockey game – that’s kids who are 10 and 11 years old – and during a break in play, what comes on the sound system? “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.

When I passed by the rink attendant I told him I seriously felt like I was in a time warp. Not only were none of the players alive when the song came out, but some of their parents weren’t born yet either.

In fact, I was just 14 years old myself, embarking on my own musical journey, and Twisted Sister and that particular song played a special part.

School daze
In the Fall of 1984, after nine years at St. Joseph’s School in Coaldale, I started Grade 10 at Kate Andrews High School. It was a chance to meet a lot of new people who had come from the other junior highs in the area – R.I. Baker, Coaldale Christian and Calvin Christian.

One of the classes I took was German 10, and a guy named Gary Brown sat behind me. He was a pretty big guy with a personality to match. I would help him with his German, and he would tell me about the parties he went to and the music he listened to.

He was pretty big into heavy metal music, and a band called Twisted Sister. Back then, one of the cool things to do was write, or carve, your favourite band and a song or two into your desk. Gary used a dark blue pen to scrawl Twisted Sister on his desk.

I had not heard them yet, but soon would. I started watching music videos on various shows including “Video Hits” after school and “Good Rockin’ Tonite” on Friday nights.

Inevitably, I saw my first Twisted Sister song, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”. It was a catchy, albeit repetitive, song. What struck me was lead singer Dee Snider, who looked huge even on screen, with really long frizzy hair, thick pink rouge on his cheeks, eye liner and mascara, and what looked like Klingon armour for a costume. One of the band members had this guitar with a hypnotic pattern of concentric circles. It always makes me think of the word sonic.

Later that year I think, Hostess potato chips, started putting stickers in their chip bags, including some with images of Twisted Sister.

They were kind of a big deal.

Summer fun
That summer of 1985, I realized how big a deal they were. Every summer, I spent a couple weeks with my cousins in Brooks. I kind of idolized my cousin Fred, who was two years older than me but just one grade ahead of me. He was a musician and an artist. He even drew his own album covers and concert posters. It was kind of a precursor to a vision board.

Anyway, that summer when I arrived in Brooks he was really into heavy metal. He had every tape I had come across in my first year of high school, where I had shop class with a lot of heavy metal fans, including the aforementioned Gary Brown.

Fred collected “Circus” and “Hit Parader” magazines, which were largely heavy metal but had stories on other performers and, of special interest to me, the lyrics of songs. They were pretty cool.

I also read up on some of Twisted Sister’s other songs, including one called “Under the Blade”.

My cousin told me all about Twisted Sister. They were more than Dee Snyder but included members such as Mark Mendoza and Jay Jay French as well.

He also told me he had taken some of my other cousins with him to see Twisted Sister and Iron Maiden in concert at the Saddledome in Calgary. Another cousin told me that, while they were walking to the concert, they encountered some guys wrestling and messing around. About a block later one of my cousins told another they had to duck into a washroom at a gas station they were passing. Why? When they passed those guys messing around, somehow my cousin got marijuana thrown in his hair.

It was the ‘80s.

Speaking out
My respect and love of Dee Snider grew a few months later. The tides of censorship were rising with the Moral Majority and people such as Tipper Gore calling for record labeling. There were Senate hearings in the United States that saw the most unlikely of musicians band together to fight censorship – John Denver, Frank Zappa, and Dee Snider.

I saw part of Snider’s testimony one Saturday afternoon on “The New Music Magazine” on channel 7 of the peasant vision dial. Snider was taking the committee to task for misrepresenting his work. They had quoted the lyric, “Stick in the knife and pull out your life” from “Under the Blade”. He said the song was about unnecessary and unwanted surgery and, in the committee’s submission, they not only took his lyrics out of context but put different lyrics together from different parts of the song.

He made mincemeat out of their arguments, as did John Denver and Frank Zappa.

The committee grossly underestimated them. The artists did a great job of trying to battle censorship. This was a time when people were calling for the banning of records, which would have been devastating to freedom of speech.

The song
“We’re Not Gonna Take it” was from the album “Stay Hungry” and first released in May of 1984. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and was Twisted Sister’s only top 40 single.

Parting thoughts
It still amazes me how a song can bring back so many distinct and different memories. “We’re Not Gonna Take it” is a good example. As I listen to it, I am taken back to my first year of high school, as well as summer vacation, and one of my first experiences seeing efforts to curb freedom of speech.

That’s the power of music and memory.

Desi Arnaz Jr: Remembering “Automan”

Desi Arnaz Jr. at left with Automan, played by Chuck Wagner,

in the television series "Automan" in 1983.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automan

(May be subject to copyright)

It may have been a show with a concept ahead of its time. A computer programmer designs the perfect police man and detective, combining all the best attributes of everyone from Batman to Sherlock Holmes. He then utilizes this “Auto Man” to tackle crime.

That computer programmer was played by Desi Arnaz Junior, and today was his birthday.

It reminded me of how I had heard about him long before I ever saw him, much less watched him on television.

Television history
Even in the 1980s, “I Love Lucy” was considered one of the greatest shows in the history of television. One of the most famous story lines is when Lucille Ball, who played Lucy, becomes pregnant in real life and that was written into the show.

The show played her pregnancy for a lot of laughs and, ultimately, Lucy has a baby. She names him Ricky, after her on-screen husband Rick Ricardo, played by her real-life husband of the time, Desi Arnaz.

That was the first I heard of Desi Arnaz Jr.

Pre-history
Desi Arnaz Jr. would go on, at age 12, to be in the band Dino, Desi & Billy with Dean Paul Martin, Dean Martin’s son, and Billy Hinsche.

Arnaz would follow his parents into acting, starring in “Here’s Lucy”; and guest starring in shows such as “The Brady Bunch”; “Love, American Style”; “The Mod Squad”; “Night Gallery”; “Medical Story”; “Medical Centre”; “The Streets of San Francisco”; “Police Story”; “Fantasy Island”; and “The Love Boat”.

He would also appear in a number of television movies in the 1970s and into the 1980s, such as “Marco”; “She Lives!”; “Billy Two Hats”; “Having Babies”; “Joyride”; “How to Pick Up Girls!”; “The Courage and the Passion”; “Crisis in Mid-Air”; and “The Great American Traffic Jam”.

His only real recurring, starring role came in 1983.

Automan
It was a show that looked different than anything else on TV. I was in Grade 9 when “Automan” debuted in December of 1983. Video games on consoles such as Intellivision and Atari were popular, and so were home computers such as the Commodore-64 and TRS-80. Disney had released the movie “Tron” in 1982, which literally took place inside a video game.

“Automan” tried to capitalize on the popularity of technology by creating a show with a video-game character as the lead. Looking back, it even looked like “Tron”.

Arnaz plays Walter Nebicher, a police officer and computer programmer, who creates an artificially intelligent crime-fighting holographic program. At night Automan, played by Chuck Wagner, can leave the computer and fight crime.

One of the jokes I remember is that when Automan drives, he turns at exact 90-degree angles, just like computer graphics do, often jarring Walter in the process.

Automan posed as a government agent, but only Walter and his associate Roxanne, played by Heather McNair, knew the truth. There was an attraction between Walter and Roxanne, and they did get together.

Automan and Walter could also merge to fight crime as one entity.

They were assisted by Cursor which was, like a cursor on a computer screen only in the real world. It could draw objects Walter and Automan would then use to fight crime, such as the aforementioned car that turned on 90-degree angles.

“Automan” ran from December of 1983 to April of 1984 on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial, for a total of 13 episodes.

The years after
Desi Arnaz Jr. continued acting right on into the ‘90s, including a guest spot on “Matlock” in 1987. He also played his dad in the biographical picture “The Mambo Kings” in 1992.

Parting thoughts
In 1983, I really started getting into computers then got a Commodore-64 and started trying to design video games. I really got into the graphics and trying to write code. I had already been heavy into video games, primarily on the Intellivision.

So, at first, “Automan” really appealed to me. I initially heard about it through some friends at school who had cable and saw it first. Back then, shows often appeared on U.S. network television weeks and months before they came to peasant vision.

Consequently, I watched the pilot of “Automan” with much anticipation, and it was all right. However, I would lose interest over time, probably because other things, like my computer, captured my attention.

One thing I do recall clearly was something one of my classmates said. He pointed out all the good-looking actresses on TV were named Heather – Heather Thomas on “The Fall Guy”; Heather Locklear on “T.J. Hooker”; and now Heather McNair on “Automan”.

Yet, what I will always remember best about "Automan" was Desi Arnaz Jr. in his role as Walter Nebicher. He was a geek who tried to solve crime the best way he knew how – with computers.

In many respects, “Automan” foreshadows everything from “The Big Bang Theory” to the rise in use and application of artificial intelligence.

And it all started with Desi Arnaz Jr.

Happy birthday, Walter.

Sally Field: Playing it straight and for laughs

Sally Field in "Absence of Malice" in 1981.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081974/characters/nm0000398/

(May be subject to copyright)

It sounds ridiculous saying it out loud. A brand new nun is so small, when she puts on her new habit, it catches a wind and makes her airborne. She learns to harness this and become – “the flying nun”.

During the early 1980s, Channel 7 aired reruns of “The Flying Nun”, and I would watch it every week day after school before supper.

It was also about that time that I saw “Smokey and the Bandit”.

Those are my earliest memories of Sally Field, who has had an amazing career right up until the present.

For almost a year, I have had the 1988 movie “Punchline” on my PVR, and I finally watched it earlier tonight.

It stars Tom Hanks and Sally Field, and just reminded me how prolific she was by the end of the ‘80s.

The early years
My earliest memory of Sally Field was those reruns of “The Flying Nun” after school on Channel 7. She played Sister Bertrille a nun at a convent in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sh was seemingly able to solve any problem, with the assistance of other nuns and local playboy and casino owner Carlos Ramirez, played by Alejandro Rey.

Wikipedia reveals Sally Field had a prolific career in television in the early part of her career, appearing in “Gidget” from 1965 to 1966; the aforementioned “Flying Nun” from 1967 to 1970; and “The Girl With Something Extra” in 1973 and 1974. She was also in “Sybil” in 1976, playing a woman with multiple personality disorder. It was a TV movie for which she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

Watching movies
When I was growing up, before the dawn of VHS, Beta, DVD, PVR or any other acronyms, there was only one way to watch old movies. If I missed them in the theatre, I had to hope they’d be on TV. After all, I often missed them given my isolation on the farm, or they played before I was born,

Back then, in the three channel universe, Channels 7, 9 and 13, played a lot of movies. Newer ones aired in prime time as events, while older ones played late at night or on weekend afternoons. Whenever they played, there was no way to see them as they were shown in the theatres. Instead, all movies were cut up to eliminate foul language, violence and sexually explicit content. This was in addition to inserting commercial breaks. Often content was cut to make room for commercials.

Sometimes it seemed the editors hadn’t seen the original movie, or just didn’t care, because the story no longer flowed or even made sense after their cuts. It made watching movies back then, a different experience. That was especially true when it meant seeing the actual story altered for no reason, or the rising action interrupted by a three-minute break.

It was in this environment that I saw Sally Field for the first time.

Pre-history
Looking back, I cannot believe I got into the theatre to see “Smokey and the Bandit”, when I was seven years old, back in 1977 – but I did. I loved that movie with Burt Reynolds cruising around in his black Trans Am, Jerry Reed driving his semi truck, and both being chased by Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason. Sally Field, in her first major motion picture role, plays a runaway bride who jumps in the Trans Am. I loved that movie, especially the truck and this big mural it had painted on the side. I tried to replicate it in my art class.

That same year, 1977, Field appeared in “Heroes” opposite Henry Winkler, best known at the time for playing Fonzie in “Happy Days”. Field plays the girlfriend of Winkler, a Vietnam vet seeking out the other members of the unit he served in. I have an odd memory of this movie. We used to have this outhouse on the farm. I got really interested in old movies and TV. There was a bunch of old newspaper in that outhouse, so I started reading it. I came across some movie listings where the ads for movies were really just miniature versions of the movie posters hanging in the theatres. I saw an ad for “Heroes” and all I could think was, “Hey, that’s the Fonz.”

A year later, in 1978, she played opposite Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise in “The End”. It’s a story about a man, played by Reynolds, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and decides to die by suicide on his own terms.

In 1979, Field teamed up with Reynolds again, this time in “Hooper”, where Reynolds plays professional stuntman Sonny Hooper, and Field is his love interest. I remember seeing the trailer for this movie while watching another movie in the theatre. A scene that sticks out in my mind has Hooper go crashing into this dining room and sliding down this long table. He comes to rest in front of this woman, who I believe was Sally Field. Everyone starts to clap for Hooper. The woman had grabbed her plate to save it from being spilled. In order to join in the applause, she places her plate on Hooper’s stomach and starts to clap. I thought it was pretty funny.

I only saw parts of “Heroes”, “The End”, and “Hooper” because the other thing about watching movies on TV back then, was my bed time came before the end of those movies.

One of the first movies I was allowed to watch until the end, past my bedtime on a Sunday night, was one of Sally Field’s first really serious roles – and one of her best.

Award winning
“Norma Rae” came out in 1979, and showcased Sally Field’s acting talents. She played Norma Rae Webster, a woman who goes to work in a factory in North Carolina. To combat poor working conditions, she helps try to unionize the factory. For her efforts, Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

“Norma Rae” was an excellent movie shining a light on an important issue. I am pretty sure I saw this movie at least a year later, and maybe more, putting it into the 1980s.

So, as the 1980s dawned, Sally Field not only had a prolific career on television, but established herself as a bonified actress on the silver screen.

The 1980s would bring more success and solidify that reputation.

Getting serious
The decade started with a sequel, “Smokey and the Bandit II” in 1980, which I also managed to see in the theatre. It was more of the same fun and hijinx with Field starring opposite Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed. Together again, they continued to fluster Jackie Gleason.

She would then appear in a little known romantic comedy in 1981 with Tommy Lee Jones called “Back Roads”, that I never heard of.

Her next film, I did not see until a few years after its release, but it was really good. It was called “Absence of Malice” and came out in 1981. Field got serious, playing a reporter who writes a story about a Miami businessman played by Paul Newman, she implicates in a murder. The businessman is innocent. The story revolves around the concept of “absence of malice” which tries to balance the public’s right to know with disclosing damaging information about a person.

My brother signed up for pay TV in the 1980s, which aired commercial-free movies. That was a big deal back then, and he used to tape movies off it. He would record them three to a tape, and periodically we’d borrow them. “Absence of Malice” was on one of those tapes.

Field would return to comedy in her next role, in “Kiss Me Goodbye” in 1982, opposite James Caan and Jeff Bridges. Caan plays the ghost of her deceased husband who returns to haunt her life when she plans to remarry a man played by Bridges.

Her next role would once again earn her an Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1984, she starred in “Places in the Heart” as a woman who takes over her Depression-era family farm after her husband dies.

Her next role was in 1985 with “Murphy’s Romance” starring opposite James Garner as two people who became friends and maybe more. She followed that up with another romance in 1987, opposite Michael Caine, in “Surrender”.

Then she got serious again, oddly, in a movie about comedy, the aforementioned “Punchline” in 1988. Field plays opposite Tom Hanks as two aspiring comedians. She was excellent as a wife and mother trying to balance the demands of trying to be a comedian with her family resposibilities.

She closed out the decade in 1989 with “Steel Magnolias”, a tear-jerker about a group of women who deal with the death of one of their own.

The years after
Sally Field just kept on doing great work in film and television right up to the present day. She was in great movies such as “Soapdish”; “Mrs. Doubtfire”; “Forrest Gump”; “The Amazing Spider-Man”; “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”; “Lincoln” for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress; and most recently in “80 for Brady” last year.

She also has had several great performances on television including a recurring role on “ER” for which she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series; 109 episodes in the series “Brothers and Sister”, where she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; and nine episodes in the miniseries “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”.

Parting thoughts
What can you really say about Sally Field. She can play it serious or for laughs, and both are equally believable. She makes every movie she is in better, and really is just fun to watch.

What else needs to be said.

Susan Dey: From Laurie Partridge to Grace Van Owen

Susan Dey as Grace Van Owen in the legal television drama "L.A. Law".

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090466/characters/nm0001138/

(May be subject to copyright)

One minute she was playing the oldest daughter of a musical family, the next she was a crusading attorney, and in-between was one of the daughters in a naval family.

Recently, I have been watching the first season of “Love and War” on demand. Seeing Susan Dey playing opposite Jay Thomas reminded me just how long, and how many different shows, I have enjoyed her in.

Hello world…
Growing up, Susan Dey was synonymous with one name – Laurie Partridge. She was the eldest daughter of the musical group in the show “The Partridge Family”. I don’t have a lot of memories of that show, but I do remember her. She looked so young, and she played the keyboards for the band, I remember that. She also seemed to be a comedy foil for younger brother Danny.

“The Partridge Family” ran from 1970 to 1974, so my memories are from reruns. It is hard to imagine, but Susan Dey was just 18 years old when that show started.

Guest starring
Once “The Partridge Family” ended, Susan Dey kept on working in television and on the big screen.

She had guest spots in the 1970s in shows such as “The Rookies”; “Hawaii Five-O”; “S.W.A.T.”; “The Quest”; “The Streets of San Francisco”; “Barnaby Jones”; and more.

Dey would appear in movies such as “The Candidate” in 1972; “Skyjacked” in 1972; and “First Love” in 1977. I recall seeing commercials on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial for “First Love”, because she co-starred with William Katt, who was then starring in “The Greatest American Hero”.

Dawn of the decade
Susan Dey appeared in a couple theatrical releases in the 1980s, “Looker” in 1981 and “Echo Park” in 1986. “Looker” also was on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial, but I only saw a snippet of it and star Albert Finney. That same night I went to my friend Shawn’s birthday party in Coaldale, and his family had it on in another room. It must have been on earlier on cable, because when I got back to the farm, it was on there too, and when I saw Finney.

She also appeared in two television movies, in which she co-stars with John Ritter, best known at the time for his role in “Three’s Company”, and I am pretty sure I saw them both. In “The Comeback Kid” in 1980, Ritter plays a minor league baseball player who finds renewed hope coaching an underprivileged baseball team. In “Sunset Limousine” in 1983, Ritter plays a limousine driver who wants to be a stand-up comedian. Dey plays Ritter’s love interest in both movies.

In the navy
Life really got busier for Susan Dey in 1983 as she made her return to network television. Once more she played the daughter in a career-oriented family. However, in “Emerald Point N.A.S.” the Mallory family’s business is the navy, not music like it was for the Partridges.

Dey plays Celia Mallory Warren, a rebellious daughter, who is in an unhappy marriage to a Judge Advocate General lawyer played by Charles Frank. Unlike Laurie Partridge, who is pretty straight-laced and dare I say innocent, Celia was much more provocative. She divorced her husband and married a lieutenant played by Richard Dean Anderson, long before he became “McGyver”.

I recall even then thinking how Laurie Partridge had grown up. She looked like a woman, and was much more attractive and sensual. Plus it was the ‘80s so she had the frizzy hair, thick eye make-up and shoulder pads to accentuate everything.

“Emerald Point N.A.S.” aired on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial, and I did watch it. That included the season-ending cliff higher that was never resolved, because the show was cancelled after the 1983-1984 season and 22 episodes.

It was too bad, because like “The Yellow Rose”, another star-studded night-time soap opera, “Emerald Point N.A.S.” had a lot of unrealized soap opera potential. The cast was loaded with talent including Dennis Weaver; Jill St. John; Maud Adams; Andrew Stevens; Sela Ward; Robert Vaughn; Richard Dean Anderson; Doran Clark; Charles Frank; and Jack Scalia. These actors may not all be stars but they were solid television actors.

Susan Dey didn’t have to wait too long for a role that not only lasted longer than Laurie Partridge but eclipsed her as well.

She was going to court.

Legal eagle
“L.A. Law” debuted in 1986, when I was starting Grade 12, and ran until 1994. Susan Dey played Grace Van Owen, a deputy district attorney and later judge, from 1986 until 1992. She was absolutely brilliant in the role, playing it straight most of the time. When she did crack a joke it was even funnier.

The first example I can recall of this was when she was engaged, but obviously attracted to defence attorney Michael Kuzak, played by Harry Hamlin. I think she had already broken off her engagement, but it was cemented when he showed up to woo her in a gorilla suit. She played it equal parts awkward and annoyed.

She would get together with Kuzak, but they would break up, as happens in night-time drama. Ultimately, she ends up with Victor Sifuentes, another defence attorney, and they get married in the final episode of season five in 1991.

Sadly, I did not really get into “L.A. Law” until that fifth season, and only watching reruns in the summers of 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994. However, when I went back to college in 1999 to 2001, A&E reran the entire run of the show, and I was able to see every episode.

That’s when I truly saw how amazing Susan Dey was as Grace Van Owen.

For her efforts, she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama in 1987 and was nominated in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991. She was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1987, 1988, and 1989.

The years after
Susan Dey kept on acting, jumping right back into series television in 1992 and “Love and War”. I finished watching that first season, then read on Wikipedia she was fired from the show becaue she had no chemistry with co-star Jay Thomas. After binge watching the show, I have to agree. It was like she was playing Grace Van Owen, but in a comedy. It just didn’t work.

She also appeared in some TV movies, and guest starred in the odd show, then reprised her role as Grace Van Owen in a reunion movie in 2002 called “L.A. Law: The Movie”.

Once more she was excellent in the role. Whatever chemistry she did not have with Jay Thomas, it was the exact opposite with Harry Hamlin, because they had some on-screen magic. In the show, Michael Kuzak is a self-described saloon keeper, called out of retirement by a former client on death row who literally has one last gasp. Facing a dead line – literally – Kuzak tries to summon up some of his old legal magic as he faces off against a tough but fair district attorney – Grace Van Owen. Slowly he pieces things together.

“Counsellor, you’re actually putting together the makings of a case,” Van Owen admits.

It was a great last act to their on-screen relationship, especially because they walk off together in the proverbial sunset.

Parting thoughts
Susan Dey is best known for two roles – Laurie Partridge and Grace Van Owen – and she was excellent in each one. So much so, she was not nominated for awards for both roles.

I was too young to really see Laurie Partridge so, to me, Susan Dey will always be Grace Van Owen, a tough but fair lawyer with a compassionate side and a dead-pan sense of humour.

Remembering “Chachi”

Scott Baio as Chachi Arcala, with his girlfriend Joanie Cunningham, played by Erin Moran, in "Happy Days"

Source: https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/erin-moran-dead-scott-baio-tribute-to-happy-days-costar-and-ex-w478338/

(May be subject to copyright)

His real name was Charles Arcola. Yet, from the time he was introduced as the Fonz’s cousin; to his move to Chicago with his girlfriend Joanie Cunningham; and his move back to Milwaukee where he ultimately married Joanie; he was always just “Chachi”.

When I was in Nanaimo last month, we were in a mall and walked past a place called “Chachi’s”, and it reminded me of that great role played on two different series by Scott Baio.

These happy days
When I was in elementary school right into junior high, I always looked forward to Tuesday nights for one simple reason – “Happy Days” was on. It was a sitcom set in Milwaukee in the 1950s then 1960s, featuring the Cunninghm family and their friends and associates. Howard, played by Tom Bosley is the father who owns a hardware store; Marion, played by Marion Ross is the mother who stays at home; Richie, the son, is played by Ron Howard, and his sister Joanie, is played by Erin Moran.

Richie’s friends are Ralph Malph and Warren “Potsie” Webber, played by Donny Most and Anson Willliams respectively. Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, is a mechanic who wears a leather jacket, drives a motorcycle and is the epitome of cool. He rents an apartment above the Cunninghams’ garage.

It was must-see TV and all the talk the next morning on the school bus. There were all sorts of interesting story lines such as the Fonz jumping over 13 garbage cans in the parking lot of Arnold’s Drive-in; the Fonz and his girlfriend Pinky Tuscadero in a demolition derby against the Malachi Brothers; everyone on a dude ranch where the Fonz rides a bull; and of course the infamous episode where he jumps the shark.

The series originally revolved around Richie, but starting in the second season the creators spotlighted the Fonz, who became the focus and star of the show.

Then, in 1977, at the start of the fifth season, the show changed forever.

From Fonzie’s cousin to Joanie’s boyfriend
That was the year Fonzie’s cousin Charles “Chachi” Arcola, made his first appearance in “Happy Days”. He starts out as just a boy who does boy things like skipping school, acting rebellious, and experimenting. He has a crush on Joanie, trying to hit on her and calling her “Blue Eyes”. He also had this patented saying, “Waa, waa, waa” when referencing women. Joanie, in turn, blows off Chachi as just a boy, and calls him “shrimp” among other things.

Things changed in the seventh season. At this point, Joanie and Chachi are in high school. It is the outset of the season and the episode is called “Hot Stuff”. Chachi once more asks Joanie to go out and is surprised by the response.

“Maybe,” she said. That’s a first.

Chachi was working at Arnold’s, the local hangout, by that point. He was excited by Joanie’s response, and absent-mindedly throws off his apron at the end of his shift where it lands on a burner. Arnold’s ends up burning down as a result, and Chachi feels terrible, taking full responsibility.

As an aside, ultimately Fonzie takes his life savings and pools them with Al Delvecchio, owner of Arnold’s, to rebuild.

It is not until an episode entitled “Fools Rush In” where they finally go on their first date. The episode still sticks out for me. Chachi gets ready and Joanie tells him she has to babysit. He says he will meet her there. When he does, one of the kids is sick and can’t breathe, sending everyone into a panic. Chachi jumps in to help. Joanie suggests he run a hot tub and maybe the water vapour will help the boy to breathe.

It works, and Joanie and Chachi are on their way.

Take me to Chicago
The romance of Joanie and Chachi blossoms, and the couple become popular on the show. Consequently, they get their own show.

In the last episode of the ninth season, Chachi’s mom, played by Ellen Travolta, marries Al Delvecchio and they move to Chicago.

Joanie and Chachi move with them to pursue their career as musicians. The result is a new spin-off series called “Joanie Loves Chachi”. It debuted on March 23, 1982 to high ratings. Wikipedia reveals that was a result from immediately following “Happy Days” and airing against reruns of other shows.

The first season consisted of four episodes. When it returned in the Fall, the show moved to Thursday nights where it competed against ratings juggernaut “Magnum P.I.” and was cancelled after just 17 episodes. Its final episode aired on May 24, 1983.

What I will always remember about “Joanie Loves Chachi” was the opening credits where Erin Moran and Scott Baio actually sing this amazing song called “You Look at Me.”

Beyond that, I liked the show. The challenge on peasant vision was trying to find it. It aired on Channel 9 CBC, the same channel that aired “Happy Days”, and I think “Joanie Loves Chachi” followed it in Canada as it did in the States. However, in the Fall it was hard to find and either may not have aired on our channels, or I just lost track of it. That would seem hard to do in the three-channel universe, but often shows would air that were not listed in “TV Guide” and vice versa.

Back home
Joanie and Chachi rejoined “Happy Days”, making guest appearances in its 10th season, and became full cast members again for the show’s 11th and final season, which ran from 1983 to 1984. Joanie and Chachi break up, but in the end are meant for each other.

Chachi proposes to Joanie, she accepts and they are married in the series finale.

By then, “Happy Days” was no longer being aired on Channel 9, and it was just gone. (Ironically, two years later, CBC aired reruns of “Happy Days” after school, that played on a little black and white TV while I worked at a local greenhouse.)

Then, one Sunday afternoon, Channel 7 aired a whole afternoon of episodes of the final season. I think that was after the series finale which I did see.

Joanie and Chachi's marriage was a great way to end the series By that point Joanie and Chachi had become the focus of the show.

The last scene is touching as well. Howard Cunningham gives a toast to the newlyweds, then looks into the camera and toasts the viewing audience.

It was pretty cool.

Parting thoughts
I watched Chachi Arcola grow up before my eyes, going from an immature boy to a responsible young man. The transformation was most telling in his relationship with Joanie Cunningham. Initially he was nothing more than a nuisance to her but, eventually, she came to realize who he really was and they developed a deep relationship.

It took them to Chicago to pursue their dreams, back to Milwaukee to essentially start over, some time apart, and ultimately ended in their marriage.

By the time they got married, I too was growing up and was getting into romance stories.

Seeing Chachi marry Joanie was the perfect way to send off a character I had essentially grown up with.

John Fogarty: "The Old Man Down the Road" and more

It is still one of the coolest images I have seen in a music video – a long cable running through jungle up to a man playing a guitar.

It is the introduction of “The Old Man Down the Road” by John Fogerty, and that in fact was my introduction to him.

Back then, when I started to learn about music in 1984, I had not yet heard of Creedence Clearwater Revival, although I had heard their songs before.

That would soon change, as I listened to Fogerty, learned all about Creedence Clearwater Revival, and ultimately saw Fogarty perform in a park in Calgary a few years ago.

A Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band is coming to Lethbridge later this year in May, and that reminded of when it all began for me and John Fogerty.

Young man finds music
“The Old Man Down the Road” has a very distinct opening. It almost sounds like two guitars talking to each other, or at least one talking and the other answering.

When I started listening to music, it came from two radio stations in Lethbridge – 1090 CHEC, an AM station that played singles, and LA-107 FM, that was album-oriented rock, focusing on albums and playing more than one song from the same album.

The first time I heard “The Old Man Down the Road” was when it came out in December of 1984. It was on a music video show such as “Good Rockin’ Tonite” on Friday nights, or “Video Hits” after school. That’s why that image of the chord running through the jungle and swamp is still so vivid for me. After I got a ghetto blaster for Christmas of 1984, I heard the song on LA-107 FM. It was part of an album called “Centrefield” that also came out in 1984, which would produce several singles.

“The Old Man Down the Road” went all the way to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming Fogerty’s only top 10 single as a solo artist. The song also topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for three weeks.

He would chart two other singles from “Centrefield”.

“Rock and Roll Girls” was the follow-up single to “The Old Man Down the Road”. It was inspired by Fogerty’s observations of his teenage daughter and how teenagers have a world of their own they don’t tell their parents about. “Rock and Roll Girls” peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and number five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

It’s surprising “Centrefield”, his next single, did not go higher than number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a homage to America’s national pastime, and has appeared in a number of baseball-related movies and shows I have seen, such as “Bull Durham”. The song is an iconic ode to baseball.

The video for “Centrefield” contributes to that senses of style and history, with a bunch of vintage images from the great game. One Christmas, we went over to my cousin’s place and they were watching some music videos she had taped. “Sentimental Street” by Night Ranger was on when I walked in. One of my cousin’s wives, said she read that song was voted the worst video. In the same article, she said the best video was “Centrefield” by John Fogerty.

Wikipedia reveals the song plays continuously at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and that Fogerty played the song at the 2010 hall of fame induction ceremonies to celebrate the song’s 25th anniversary. It was the first time a musician or a song had been celebrated as part of the festivities.

Fogerty released a follow-up album in 1986 called “Eye of the Zombie”. It was not that well received and had a tepid response. I heard about the album one Friday night when “Good Rockin’ Tonite” was counting down the top albums. The first single "Eye of the Zombie" was also the title track. It didn’t receive that much air play because I seriously recalli hearing the song once in my life. It peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and would be the last John Fogerty solo song to chart. He wouldn’t even put out another solo album until 1997.

Back then, John Fogerty was a solo artist to me.

I had no inkling of what he had accomplished before 1984.

That all changed with a commercial that still echoes in my mind when the subject comes up.

 

 As seen on TV
One day, in the Spring of Grade 11 so 1986, I saw a commercial that had a bunch of music that sounded faintly familiar on its own, but the lead singer sounded strangely familiar.

The narrator said something like “This is the sound that earned them 16 gold records. Doug Clifford – Stu Cook – Tom Fogerty – and John Fogerty – Creedence Clearwater Revival.”

Once I heard that, the sound was unmistakable – it was John Fogerty singing.

The album was actually a three-record set that played snippets of songs such as “Bad Moon Rising”; “Green River”; “Up Around the Bend”; “Suzy Q”; “Looking Out My Back Door”; “Who’ll Stop the Rain”; “Travelin’ Band”; “Down on the Corner”; and “Proud Mary”.

Song titles scrolled too, such as “Hey Tonight”; “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”; “Run Through the Jungle”; “Fortunate Son”; “Midnight Special”; “Lodi”; “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”; “Rolling on the River”; and others.

That was my introduction to Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was a “who’s who” of all their popular songs, and I have never looked back.

Odd thoughts
I have some odd memories of John Fogerty and company as I delved deeper into music in the 1980s.

In Social Studies class, our teacher Mr. Vuch, showed us a movie that had some information on the Ku Klux Klan. “Bad Moon Rising” played throughout the movie.

When I heard Creedence Clearwater Revival playing “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”, it sounded strange to me. Not too much before that, I had heard Bonnie Tyler sing that song on her “Faster Than the Speed of Night” album from 1983.

When “Lodi” rolled across the screen, I thought of the town in Utah by that name. We passed it by on a trip to Disneyland during Easter break of 1983.

I have always had trouble making out the lyrics of some songs and singers. John Fogerty was one such artist. Even after hearing the song repeatedly and seeing the song title, sometimes instead of “Travelin’ Man” I call the song “Travelin’ Band’.”

Parting thoughts
John Fogerty keeps on performing to this day. My stepson and I went to see him in 2018 in Calgary at a fundraising concert called Oxford Stomp. To heighten the anticipation, weather delayed the concert more than an hour, but it was worth it.

John Fogerty was awesome. I wanted to use my phone to record some of his songs, because there were so many good ones from “Centrefield” and “Rock and Roll Girls” to his Creedence Clearwater Revival stuff.

I didn’t realize he also served in Vietnam, so he said a lot about supporting the troops. In fact, that was what the funds generated by Oxford Stomp went to – helping veterans and their families.

He even did a duet with Brad Paisley, with Paisley playing on the giant screen behind Fogerty.

The whole night showed that not only had John Fogerty been a prolific singer and song writer, but he could still play.

We can all relate to Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal in the film "When Harry Met Sally…" in 1989.

Source: https://www.slashfilm.com/1177770/billy-crystals-spontaneity-gave-when-harry-met-sally-its-most-famous-line/

(May be subject to copyright)

He started the decade breaking ground as one of the first openly gay characters on primetime television and ended it playing a heterosexual male trying to navigate a modern relationship.

Billy Crystal was inducted into the Kennedy Center Honours recently, and it brought back a lot of memories of his roles as Jody Dallas in the comedy “Soap”, the titular role of Harry in when “Harry Met Sally”, and everything in between.

And Billy Crystal just keeps on performing to this day.

“Soap” in your eyes
The first time I saw Billy Crystal, he was wearing a dress and wig and checking himself out in a full length mirror. It was one of the first episodes of “Soap”, a show that satirized and spoofed night-time soap operas from 1977 to 1981. In it, Billy Crystal plays Jodie Dallas, an openly gay man. It was groundbreaking at the time because that was subject was largely taboo on network television.

Billy Crystal was masterful in the role. Whether he was dating a closeted pro football player; fathering a child as a sort of surrogate and seeking custody; or ultimately hypnotized into believing he was a 90-year-old Jewish man, Crystal was amazing. He showed a lot of versatility and depth.

He also brought a layered performance to a gay character that was not a stereotype or shallow.

I recall several times him explaining what being gay meant, often with comedic results. One time, he was talking about it with his Aunt Jessica, played by Katherine Helmond. He described how some famous people were gay, and she just didn’t know it – such as Plato.

She expressed shock followed by, "You mean Mickey Mouse’s dog is gay?”

The look on Billy Crystal’s face was priceless, more than anything he could have said.

He was also very poignant. After his daughter is born, he has a moment, where he is rocking her to sleep, singing, “Daddy’s little girl.” This came just before he lost her to Carol, the baby’s mother. It was heartbreaking.

After four years, “Soap” was unceremoniously cancelled.

However, it had made Billy Crystal a marketable actor and comedian, and a familiar face.

He would not appear as a regular in another scripted network television show in the decade.

Crystal did have guest spots on “The Love Boat”; “Darkroom”; “Simon and Simon”; “Faerie Tale Theatre”; and “Sesame Street”.

However, he moved on to movies and comedy.

Live television
Billy Crystal joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1984 as a guest host, then joined the cast for the 1984-1985 season. His most well-known character on “Saturday Night Live” was a parody of talk-show host Fernando Lamas, who became famous for the line, “You look…mahvelous.”

In 1985, he released an album of his stand-up comedy called “Mahvelous!” The title song “You Look Mahvelous”, co-written by Crystal and Canadian Paul Shaffer features Crystal in the role of Fernando Lamas. So does the music video. The song went all the way to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and peaked at number 17 on the Canadian charts. The album was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording.

Billy Crystal also embarked on a career on the silver screen.

The movies
He originally had a small part in “This is Spinal Tap”, playing “Morty the Mime”. It was a spoof directed by Rob Reiner, who Crystal would work with again.

“Running Scared”
Then, in 1986, he starred with Gregory Hines in “Running Scared”. They played Chicago police officers who narrowly escape death, retire and open a bar in Florida, but get drawn back into the job.

I never saw “Running Scared”, but have some odd memories of the movie. In the Fall of 1986, I befriended a classmate named Cliff, and we went to see “Top Gun”. When we went back to his place after, his brother was there. He’d gone to see “Running Scared” and liked it, but thought it had too much swearing. The family were devout Christians after all.

The song “Sweet Freedom” by Michael McDonald is the theme song for “Running Scared”, and both Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines appear in the music video. “Sweet Freedom” went all the way to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, McDonald’s last top 10 single on the chart.

“The Princess Bride”
“The Princess Bride” came out in 1987 and was also directed by Rob Reiner. It was part of my own self-described “medieval” trilogy of movies that serve as inspiration to a fantasy novel I wrote. The other two are “Ladyhawke” and “Willow”.

It is a story told to a boy, played by Fred Savage, by his grandfather, played by Peter Falk. Billy Crystal plays “Miracle Max”, a really old wizard who can bring people back to life. What I remember most about this role was how I had seen Billy Crystal’s name in the credits but hadn’t seen him in the movie yet. I didn’t think I would, until I recognized his voice. Otherwise, he was unrecognizable behind all that make up.

“Memories of Me”
“Memories of Me” came out in 1988 but I did not see it for another eight or 10 years. It was a touching movie that pulled at my heart strings. Crystal plays a doctor who has a heart attack, and ultimately tries to see his estranged father. He journeys out to Los Angeles to see his dad, played by Alan King, who has built quite a career as an extra in movies and TV. They become reacquainted only to discover his dad has an inoperable brain aneurysm.

It was good, and showed Billy Crystal could do much more than just play a scene for laughs.

“When Harry Met Sally…”
“When Harry Met Sally…” is an iconic movie, directed by Rob Reiner. It explores the relationship between two people, played by Crystal and Meg Ryan, from their first meeting to their friendship and much more. I recall seeing this in the new Cineplex Odeon Theatre complex in Lethbridge in the Summer of 1989.

It has dozens of priceless moments, the most famous being Meg Ryan’s fake orgasm in a restaurant. The one I recall best is when Harry and Sally are driving somewhere. Harry is eating something and periodically turns to the window and spits out whatever shells he is chewing. Sally asks him if he really has to do that, because it is bothering her.

“Okay,” he replies. “I’ll open the window.”

The role earned Crystal a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

The years after
Billy Crystal also appeared in “Throw Momma From the Train” in 1987, but I never saw that either.

However, as the sun set on the ‘80s, Billy Crystal was becoming a movie star.

He would go on to make “City Slickers” in 1991; “Mr. Saturday Night” and narrate “Horton Hatches the Egg” in 1992; “City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold’ in 1994; “Forget Paris” in 1995; “Hamlet” in 1996; “Fathers’ Day” and “Deconstructing Harry” in 1997; “My Giant” in 1998; “Analyze This” in 1999; “America’s Sweethearts” in 2001; “Analyze That” in 2002; “Parental Guidance” in 2012 and much more.

He also hosted the Oscars nine times, and the Grammys three times. He has won six Primetime Emmys and a Tony, and was also honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.

Parting thoughts
Billy Crystal has always seemed like a likable guy. He is so engaging as an actor and a comedian because he can relate to his audience.

I remember seeing him one time and he talked about dreading a visit to his family.

“They all argue about who’s sicker,” he said.

Who can’t relate to that?

Moreover, life is not all laughs, but it’s also not all serious and dramatic.

Billy Crystal has been able to bring both of those diverse elements to his performances.

He cracks wise a lot, but he also can get very serious. Maybe it’s crafting that comedic persona that creates a sharper contrast when he does get serious.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the fact whether he actually is or not, he seems like a regular guy going through the same situations we all are.

Ag-Expo: You always remember your first

Tickets are now on sale for Ag-Expo in its new home in Exhibition Park in Lehbridge. Just hearing that brought back a lot of memories of growing up on the farm and venturing into the city on a school night to see everything from farm machinery and seed samples to meeting my friends and eating fries and gravy at one of the two cafeterias.

The show
Ag-Expo was just part of the calendar for our family when I was growing up. It never occurred to me, at a young age, that the whole purpose was to showcase agriculture. Growing up on a farm, it always just seemed to have the same kind of stuff we had all around us.

The show started on like a Monday, if memory serves, and ran all week. We always went on a week night, after school.

All the action took place in the Pavilion. When you walked through the front doors, or I guess the ones on the east side, you were immediately in a seating area with a bit of a cafeteria. It was more like a concession, with a pop machine, popcorn, chips, and all the requisite big plastic signs from pop companies.

When you went into the pavilion, you were greeted by the seed fair.The front part of the pavilion was kind of like an arena or gym with raised seating all around. There were containers with all kinds of grains from wheat and barley to flax and even rape seed. I remember running my fingers through flax like it was sand on the beach.

That area opened onto the biggest part of the pavilion, which was this wide open space where all the displays were set up. It was a fair with everything from farm machinery to irrigation equipment, chemical, seed and fertilizer dealers and anything else that was related to agriculture.

At the back of that area was an actual cafeteria with a kitchen. We always ended up there and relaxed for a few minutes after walking around for an hour or two. I distinctly remember how much I loved their fries and gravy, and the odd hamburger when I got to have one.

Attractions
There were attractions that seemed to come back year after year, that I remember well.

The most memorable, and the one I always looked for, was the tap that seemed to hang in mid-air with water coming out of it straight down into a barrel of some sort. When I was young, I wondered how they did that. But, just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, the mystery was revealed – there was a pipe running through the stream of water we couldn’t see. I always wanted to stick my hand in there to feel for myself, but there were signs warning not to do that. That should have probably been a hint.

Another memorable attraction was this farm safety display. It focused on the dangers of electricity, and how if something such as the box of a grain truck hits a power line, it will conduct electricity, which could electrocute the people in the truck – if they don’t know what to do. I always remember the sound of zapping electricity.

One year, our class went to Ag-Expo during school time. We all held hands and the organizer ran a mild current. I still remember the jolt of electricity I felt in my arms between the shoulders and elbows. It was a reminder to be careful, and I have not forgotten that to this day.

Another attraction came a bit later. Channel 2&7 was offering these cool new black ball caps with their logo on them. You could trade in your old hat for one of their new ones. There was a catch though. They only accepted one of each type of hat so, as the week wore on, more and more people were refused. They also stapled each hat on the back of their booth so it became like this wall paper. It looked really cool. You could find the Channel 2&7 booth by looking for the big hat. It was a replica of their black hats, but more than 10 times the size, and it hung above the whole booth like an umbrella. That was cool too.

Hanging out
One year, I remember making plans with my friend Mike, who was also my neighbour, to meet at Ag-Expo and hang out. I recall meeting up with him and shaking hands like we were soul brothers. We had a classmate named Jack, who was a real good friend of Mike’s, and we met up with him too.

We went around to the various booths and tables. It was always cool to grab the literature that was on each table. Some company would be offering free plastic bags, so we’d grab one and start collecting pamphlets and brochures. I always looked for stickers I could put on this dresser back on the farm. Mike was going to put his all in a binder and give it to his dad for Christmas

Mike and I had agreed to meet our parents at around 8 p.m. or so, because it was a school night We wandered around together until Mike had to go meet his parents. Mine were staying for awhile, so I would meet up with them and go for some fries and gravy at the cafeteria. Jack said he wasn’t sure how he was going to find his dad because they hadn’t set up a time or place, but we had to go.

I met up with my Mom. About 10 minutes later, I heard over the loudspeaker “Jake Braat, your son is waiting for you at information.”

I had to laugh.

Field trip
Ag-Expo was also a field trip our class took a few times during elementary school. Given Lethbridge was 15 minutes from Coaldale, if that, a school bus would take us to the Pavilion for the morning and part of the afternoon.

It was different going with my classmates, because they were much more footloose and fancy free. The boys would climb on the tractors and combines, and run around. I never did that with adults. I never climbed on farm machinery either because, unlike all the town kids, I did that at home all the time.

What I do recall more than anything, was that in some grades we had a scrapbook project. We pasted in things we got from our field trips and wrote about them. That may have been my first foray into journalism.

Parting thoughts
Ag-Expo was one of the few things we did every year when I was growing up. It was a chance to get off the farm and be among people and civilization. It was also really interesting because there was so much going on, and I so looked forward to fries and gravy.

Since then, I have gone to dozens of trade fairs and expos. My favourite is the annual pilgrimage my spouse and I make to Calgary Expo, or Comicon, where it is filled with booths with comic books, collectibles, books, art, and so much more.

Every time I go to Comicon, or the trade fair and Fair Days bench show in Claresholm, it reminds me of Ag-Expo.

After all it was my first expo.

Remembering Ed Broadbent

Ed Broadbent was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1974 to 1989.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/archives/when-ed-broadbent-stepped-down-as-ndp-leader-1.5028383

(May be subject to copyright)

He was a larger than life figure in Canadian politics, often more popular personally than his party. Yet, he also took his party to unprecedented electoral success too.

He garnered a number of nicknames from “Honest Ed” to “The Greatest Man not to be prime minister” that accurately described the kind of leader and person he was.

Yesterday, word came out that Ed Broadbent had died at the age of 87.

Canada truly has lost one of the giants of politics.

The years before
Ed Broadbent was first elected to parliament under the banner of the New Democratic Party in 1968, representing Oshawa. He would go on to represent the good people of that riding for 21 years.

Then, in 1975, after David Lewis was defeated in the 1974 federal election and resigned as leader, the NDP held a leadership convention and Ed Broadbent was elected leader of the party.

Over the next 14 years, he would do battle with three prime ministers – Pierre Trudeau, Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney.

1979 federal election
After 11 years in government, the Liberals led by Pierre Trudeau had worn out their welcome. They had to go to the polls in 1979, having waited as long as they could.

That was where I picked up the trail of Ed Broadbent. I was nine years old and just getting interested in politics. I had grown up around it, as my family was interested in politics and talked about it all the time. My parents were staunch Conservatives going back to the days of John Diefenbaker, and really didn’t like the Liberals led by Lester Pearson then Pierre Trudeau.

They had strong opinions about Trudeau, who they disliked, and Conservative leader Joe Clark, who they liked.

They also never did like the NDP. They never gave them much thought as the third party, with little to no chance of forming government, and dismissing them out of hand.

I noticed a curious thing though, even then.

Even though they disliked the party, they liked the leader. They thought Ed Broadbent was a good man.

That was a perception I never forgot, because I would notice it over and over again over the next 40 years.

I also watched the leaders debate that year, although everything was new to me. All I really remember were the three leaders – Broadbent, Clark and Trudeau – standing at lecterns debating each other.

The Canadian people voted for change in the 1979 federal election, although, but it was a qualified endorsement.

They gave Joe Clark and his Conservatives a strong enough mandate to form a minority government, but he was just a handful of seats shy of a majority. The Liberals had the second largest number of seats, and the NDP was third. They were a surprise as, under Broadbent’s leadership, the went from 17 seats in 1975 to 26 seats in 1979.

These results meant Clark would need the support of another party in the House of Commons to pass any legislation, principally speaking, the budget. The Creditiste Party had elected six members in Quebec, and their support was all Clark needed.

However, he made a tactical error. Clark tried to govern as if he had a majority. His government crafted a budget, brought down by Finance Minister John Crosby, that would impose a gas tax. It proved to be unpopular with the people, who were already beginning to sour on the Conservatives.

The Liberals, who were the official opposition, indicated they would be voting against the budget. Broadbent and the NDP also came out against the budget. In fact, it was NDP MP and finance critic Bob Rae, who introduced the vote of non-confidence. He would go on to be the only NDP premier of Ontario; later switch parties and run for the leadership of the federal Liberals; become a Liberal MP; and serve as interim Liberal leader

The night of the vote was nationally televised because I recall watching it on the farm. The Creditiste MPs stayed home. The result was the government lost the vote of non-confidence and voters were going back to the polls.

Back then, I was disappointed that happened, and even angry the NDP chose to gang up on the Conservatives.

It proved to be detrimental to not only the Conservatives but the Liberals.

The federal election was set for February 18, 1980 – my 10th birthday.

1980 federal election and after
Pierre Trudeau had resigned as Liberal leader after the 1979 election, but quickly came back smelling a chance to regain power in 1980. So once more Trudeau, Clark and Broadbent would square off.

This time, I remember the leaders’ debate a little better. My overriding thought was that three people made it very difficult to have a debate without people talking over and interrupting each other.

Still, I found Ed Broadbent even then, to be hard-hitting, but civil and professional.

The voters returned the Liberals to power, giving Trudeau another majority government and dealing Clark a humiliating defeat. This would lead to his downfall as Conservative leader and hasten the ascendancy of Brian Mulroney.

The NDP went into the 1980 election with 27 seats, having added one in a byelection, and increased their seat total again, this time to 32. Broadbent’s leadership was increasing the popularity of the party.

Yet, once more, he was in the role of leader of the third party in the House of Commons. There is a certain freedom in that because then parties can hold true to their principles, which Broadbent and the NDP did.

He continued to fight for the average Canadian and the working class.

Part of that philosophy was supporting the patriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982, which enshrined a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Soon the winds of change swept Canadian politics and the landscape would look very different. In 1983, the Progressive Conservative Party selected Brian Mulroney as their new leader. A year later Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau went for his famous walk in the snow and decided it was finally time to retire from politics. Subsequently the Liberal Party selected John Turner as their new leader, which also made him the new prime minister of Canada.

I still recall an interview with Broadbent after Turner’s selection. He always tried to paint the Liberals and Conservatives as the parties of big business and corporate Canada, looking out only for Canada’s richest citizens. He referred to the fact both were lawyers, and for big corporations.

Upon hearing of the election of John Turner as Liberal leader in 1984, reporters asked Broadbent’s reaction. He said they were the same, it could have been Brian Turner and John Mulroney

I always laughed at that.

1984 federal election and after
After the 1984 federal election, it was the Conservatives who were laughing, as Brian Mulroney and company had won the biggest majority in history, taking 211 of 282 seats, reducing the Liberals to 40 seats and the NDP to 30. Interestingly, the NDP only had one fewer seat than before and, during election night, flirted with the idea of being the Official Opposition

The people of Canada had spoken.

The Mulroney government had an ambitious agenda that included dismantling the National Energy Program, bringing Quebec into the constitutional family, and negotiating a free trade agreement with the United States.

The Conservatives settled into governing, but immediately started making gaffes that ate into their credibility with voters, such as the attempt to de-index old age pensions, and the infamous “Tuna-gate”. Meanwhile, the Liberals were still smarting from the rebuke given to them by the electorate and they too had made their fair share of gaffes leading up to the 1984 federal election.

The net result was that voters were not sure who to turn to so, for the first time, they gave the NDP a closer look. After all, they had a leader who already was more popular than his party and more popular in many circles than the leaders of the two main parties.

I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news – the library at Kate Andrews High School in Coaldale. In the Spring and Summer of 1987, the NDP, led by Ed Broadbent, topped the public opinion polls. They were ahead of the Liberals and the Conservatives.

Yet, forming government was not meant to be for the NDP.

The Canadian government had negotiated a free-trade agreement with the United States. The decision divided the country into those claiming the deal would save Canada against those claiming it would kill Canada. After passing through the House of Commons, the free-trade agreement was stalled in the Senate.

John Turner, whose Liberals vehemently opposed free trade, instructed the Liberal-dominated Senate to hold up ratifying the free-trade agreement until an election could be held on the matter.

The people would have the final decision.

The 1988 election was fought over free trade. The incumbent Conservatives campaigned on its passage and the benefits it would bring to Canada, while the Liberals and the NDP opposed free trade. As always, Broadbent defended the interests of workers, labour standards and environmental standards.

Although both the Liberals and the NDP gained seats in the election, Canadians gave the Conservatives their second straight majority government with 169 seats. The Liberals increased to 83 seats and the NDP increased their seat total to 43.

That would be Ed Broadbent’s last election as leader of the NDP.

He resigned as leader of the party at the NDP’s convention in Winnipeg in 1989, and was succeeded by Audrey McLaughlin.

The years after
Ed Broadbent would continue advocating, writing and teaching. Then, when he saw Canadian politics move too far to the right for his liking, he returned to politics, winning the Ottawa riding in the 2004 federal election and staying until 2006 before retiring for good. He wanted to spend time with his wife Lucille who was sick, and later died, of cancer.

Parting thoughts
Up until his last days, Ed Broadbent was the soul and the beating heart of the New Democratic Party. He never stopped fighting to improve the lives of everyday, working Canadians. But he was also pragmatic, encouraging the party to support the minority Liberal government, but not without pushing them to do what the NDP thought was best for Canada. Moreover, he urged them to do what they could so the NDP got the credit for those initiatives.

It is the one lever of power a third party, such as the NDP, has at its disposal.

All this, and more, makes Ed Broadbent an icon of Canadian politics.

The country, and democracy, has suffered a great loss with his passing.

Coldest day I remember

Today, was the coldest day of this winter with forecasts over the next few days predicting temperatures to drop to minus-30 and even minus-40 in places. As I got dressed in layers including a t-shirt, sweatshirt and hoodie, as well as long johns and thicker pants, and two pairs of socks, I kept thinking one thing: my time in Edmonton, including the late ‘80s, prepared me for this.

In fact, the day I recall may not have been the coldest day, but it did have some historical significance beyond falling temperatures.

Winter of 1988-1989
Easter break was approaching and the temperatures were falling during my second year at the University of Alberta, the 1988-1989 school year.

I was living in student residence, and recall being in the Marina, a place that was kind of a store and fast food outlet rolled into one. It was there I heard the news.

The weather was so bad, they were closing the university the day leading up to the Easter break, so that would have been Holy Thursday.

It was the first time the university had ever closed. It was pointed out several times that not through two world wars, the influenza epidemic, or anything else had the university closed. This was a first.

It was just my luck too.

Scheduling snafu
After finishing my first year of university where I had three 50-minute classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or 75-minute classes on Tuesday and Thursday, I hit upon a bright idea.

Given I had to take five classes a semester to be full time and on track for convocation in four years, I decided to take all five classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

It made for long days – but I would have every Tuesday and Thursday off.

That was actually the pattern I followed planning my time table for the rest of my university career.

However, beyond that, the first year, I did it I had my eye on the Easter break.

There would be no class on Good Friday or Easter Monday, meaning I would have a six-day break.

I recall being kidded about that by my good friends Chris Vining and Chris Jesswein.

Then, when I heard the university was closing on Holy Thursday, I thought it was just my luck.

After all that planning, everyone was going to have an extra-long break.

Parting thoughts
The funny thing is that year, and pretty much a good chunk of my first four years at university, I cut a lot of classes. When the weather got cold, that increased the likelihood of skipping class.

So, during the days leading up to the closure, I hadn’t been to class anyway. Had I been, I would have heard about the closure, and not found out about it while I was having supper in the Marina.

It makes everything ironic, because even if I hadn’t planned my schedule the way it was, I likely would have cut class anyway giving myself the same time off.

Still, when I did go outside finally, it was cooooold.

And I dressed in layers.