INSIDE SCENE

INSIDE SCENE
Topp Hatt Joe pg. 3
Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Possitive pg. 3
Musical Nostalgia For Seniors pg. 3
Karaoke Toolbox pg. 4
Karaoke? Try Movieoke! pg. 6
Karaoke Around The World pg. 6
Karaoke Hazards pg. 7
The Karaoke Show Debuts pg. 8
William Hung “A WW Factor” pg. 9
Scene Calendar pg. 10/11 SDS Photo Night pg. 16 & 17
Eddie Sanfit & Bud Young pg. 18
Just Who Is Bud Young pg. 18
Views pg. 20-23

About Topp Hatt Joe
When I was about eight years old, us kids would make our way to the creek that meandered thru the swamp area that was a couple of blocks from our house. We would put little pieces of bacon on a hook and some fishing line and go fishing for crawdads. Coming from a little beach town which at the time had a pop. of about 28,000 it was a little bit of paradise. The town of Santa Cruz Ca. was just that, a town. Never before had I ever even been to a big city, and now I find myself living in one of the finest cities in America. Spending many years on the beaches playing volleyball. it was then I realized that I truly enjoyed playing sports. I guess at the time I thought that sports was going to be my life. And it was for a while, playing four years of collegiate volleyball (nationals 86,87), a rated beach player, coached at all levels from high school on up. At one point I was even a NCAA official. Between playing volleyball, as well as softball, the only job that would fit my schedule was working in restaurants which came very natural to me plus it was a lot of fun, A very pressure filled job, but I have always loved a good challenge.

Music has always been a part of my life from playing violin in the school orchestra for 6 years to playing in a rock and roll band in high school..Maybe I’ve been fortunate to have done all those things early on in my life. Nowadays, when I'm not driving all around the county, I spend time with my best friend, who also happens to be my eight year old son named Baidan, who, by the way, was what brought me to San Diego. Its almost like I'm starting over in life. Only I like to think that I have a little better grasp on it now than I did twenty years ago. I have my son to thank for that. Life does get better as we get older, and out of all that I have done, my greatest and most fulfilling accomplishment, is being a daddy. Yeah, I feel lucky, and I wouldn't change it for the world.



“Ac-cent-tchu-ate
the Positive”
by Margaret Williams

In one of my previous articles, I noted the misconceptions we might harbor about a specific group of people, i.e. motorcyclist or bikers. Many people hold stereotype notions because of their particular style of dress, such as black leather jackets, wide belts, head bands, etc. Do we actually know anything about the real person until we have observed, met, talked with, and listened to the individual? From my observation and personal knowledge of biker people, the majority are honest, generous, community and family oriented.

How quickly we are to judge character or personality by the unknown factors. Sometimes we feel threatened or intimidated by the persona of a particular group, color, creed, or sexual persuasion.

And yes, even Karaoke enthusiasts fall into this sort of prejudice. We’ve all heard of, and maybe even made fun of, the “non-singers” who frequent Karaoke lounges and get up to sing only after they feel sufficiently “snockered.” We’ve all been there – hoping that really boisterous guy or gal would get their kicks on stage and settle down. It’s all in fun, so we politely applaud and patiently wait our turn.

Many Karaoke singers are neither alcoholic drinkers nor smokers.
Maybe our misconceptions come from the stereotypes sometimes shown on TV, i.e. the Surreal TV show I viewed the other night. Truly, there are many such venues where people of all ages gather to have fun in their own way. They may not really be interested in singing, but just having a “hooting good time.”

But that’s not what happened at Glen Eden (Corona) a few weeks ago. This was the first Karaoke Showcase held there, and it proved to be a huge success with a packed house. Two fabulous young singers, Cari and Chester, titled their program “SONGS OF THE 70’s – HITS FROM THE DECADE THAT BROUGHT COUNTRY AND FOLK WITH A FUSION OF ROCK AND SOUL.” The audience seemed to be invigorated, and Rod Marshall’s regular Karaoke show held the singers and dancers beyond closing.

As a “seasoned performer,” let me tell you that Karaoke singers can be serious, but above all, are fun-loving folk who may travel miles and miles to sing with a KJ who produces great sound and makes one feel like a true entertainer. Or there’s a good, friendly atmosphere, congenial friends, and a feeling of family for the majority of regulars. They are usually the most supportive and honest group of people one would ever want to meet. Gypsies, tramps and thieves, Karaoke singers are not.

Many a late night I’ve left a Karaoke lounge alone, whether it was in San Diego, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido, never fearing that I would be a “mugging target” for someone from that crowd. Even though I didn’t feel I was a target, I’m not so naive as to not be alert to my surroundings, and to the dangers of unbalanced minds that are prevalent in this day and age. We shouldn’t dismiss any peculiar behavior, but rather go with our instincts. We know that all reasonable precautions must be taken no matter where we are, and any security a lounge can provide is certainly appreciated.

Two especially interesting articles in the Feb./March 2004 issue were those by Rachel Konrad of the Associated Press re: the Karaoke ban in San Mateo, and Bryan Rourke’s article “The Cult of Karaoke,” both in the same issue. I must admit I just read these columns after I had already finished my article for this current issue, but felt I must make reference to them because Bryan’s thoughts promote the idea of what Karaoke is all about for the great majority of singers.

Just remember Johnny Mercer’s pop tune of the ‘50s, where we learn to appreciate and “Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive, eliminate the negative … latch onto the affirmative, and don’t mess with Mr. In Between.”

Always be aware, but “Judge not lest you may be judged.”

I always appreciate receiving your thoughts and ideas. “You can reach me by --- e-mail” at mwfritzy@san.rr.com


MUSICAL NOSTALGIA FOR SENIORS:

Remember some of these classic hit songs? Well, here they are.....adapted for those
of us who are getting on in years........
a.. Herman's Hermits: "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Walker"
b.. Bee Gees: "How Can You Mend A Broken Hip"
c.. Ringo Starr: "I Get By With A Little Help From Depends"
d.. Marvin Gaye: I Heard It Through The Grape Nuts"
e.. Simon & Garfunkel: "Bridge In My Troubled Uppers"
f.. Johnny Nash:
"I Can't See Clearly Now"
g.. Leo Sayer:
"You Make Me Feel Like Napping"
h.. Roberta Flack:
"The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face"
i.. Commodores:
"Once, Twice, Three Times To The Bathroom"
j.. Bobby Darin:
"Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' A Flash"


Karaoke Tool Box
By Ken Wilson
San Diego Karaoke & DJ

Making a ‘Compilation’ Karaoke Disk

Many people have asked me how to go about creating a single karaoke disk that contains all their favorite songs on it. This is called a ‘compilation disk’. It is fairly simple if you have the right equipment. Keep in mind though, that generally speaking you must own each disk that you take a song from, and can only use it for your personal use. As always, check with each disk publisher for their rules on making
backups or compilations.

Disclaimer

Warning! Neither this publication nor this author endorses copyright or trademark infringement. We do not offer legal advice. Opinions expressed are my own, and offered for informational purposes only.

The Right Equipment

Of course you will need a computer and a CDG (karaoke disk) compatible CD Burner. I recommend any Plextor model burner. You can get regular burners for around $29 but expect to pay quite a bit more for a Plextor. The quality and versatility of the Plextor make it the choice for karaoke operations and you’ll never be sorry you bought it.

Most brands of blank CD-R media will work, but don’t pay more just for ‘high speed’ recordable CD’s. You don’t ever want to burn a karaoke disk at more than 8X anyway so get whatever is on sale.


The Right Software

You really only need one software program if all you want to do is create compilation disks. GoldenHawk software makes a CDG compatible burning program called CDRWin and a working demo is available at http://www.goldenhawk.com . This program will allow you to extract individual tracks from different CDG’s, save them to your computer hard drive, them burn them all onto one CD.

Making Your Disk

Install CDRWin, unlock the software with the serial number (if purchased), place your first CDG in the Plextor drive and select ‘Extract Disks/Tracks/Sectors (fig 1) (figure 1)

Next, you will see a screen showing all the track numbers on the disk. Choose ‘Select Tracks’ so you can click on the track number you want to extract from that disk. Make sure the ‘CD+G’ option is selected. (figure 2)


(figure 2)

You don’t need to change any of the other settings unless your disk is very scratched or dirty, then you might want to change the ‘read retry count’ to 4 or 5.

If you are extracting all the songs on the disk, select ‘Name Files Sequentially’ so it will advance the number by one for each track. Choose the directory where your song files will be stored in the box marked ‘image filename’. Clicking the little ‘…’ dots to the right of the box will open a directory explorer window. Choose the directory then type in your filename i.e. mysong1 , then click OK.

When you have selected all the tracks you want to extract, select ‘save settings’ then ‘start’. Your files will be saved in the directory you selected under ‘image filename’ as a BIN file. This is the format you need so you can burn the final compilation disk. Repeat this procedure for each song you want to extract. When you are finished, close the window to go back to the CDRWin main menu (figure 1).

Now that you have all your songs extracted into BIN files, it’s time to burn your custom CDG that will play in any karaoke machine. From the CDRWin main menu, select the top left box ‘Record Disk’. TIP: If you hover the mouse pointer over the boxes it will show a ‘tool tip’ describing the contents of the box. Make sure your Plextor is selected under ‘CDROM Recorder’. Next select ‘Load Tracks’. Make sure CD+G is checked then select ‘Add’. You can select more than one track by holding down the CTRL key as you select each track, then click ‘OK’. Make sure you select ‘Underrun Protection’ and set the recording speed to no more than 8X. I recommend 4X for longer lasting disks. Leave the rest of the boxes unchecked then select ‘Record Disk’. Viola! You have just created a custom compilation disk!

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at ken@sandiegokaraoke.com.

I’m putting together a Flash Presentation on this subject so e-mail me if you want a copy.

Have fun! Ken
Ken Wilson
San Diego Karaoke & DJ
www.sandiegokaraoke.com

Karaoke?
Try movieoke!
BY COLLEEN LONG

Remember the scene from When Harry Met Sally when Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are sitting at the diner? Or when Jack Nicholson exclaims "You can't handle the truth!" to Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men?

Or how about the dance number in Flashdance when Jennifer Beals gyrates around in leg warmers to the song "Maniac?"

Anastasia Fite knows them all — and acts them out on stage at "movieoke," which is essentially like karaoke but with movie scenes instead of songs.

Fite, 24, runs the event out of a campy little theatre called the Den of Cin in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday nights.

"I can't karaoke," she said. "Film is my thing, which is why I had to create movieoke."
Fite said she once made a film in school where the main character could only communicate in movie lines, and after she became manager at the Den, which also shows independent films, she concocted the idea of having people act their favorite scenes on stage.

The process is pretty rudimentary. Fite has patrons write down which scene they want to do, she runs to the adjacent video store to get the DVDs, and cues it up. The process takes about 10 minutes.

The movie flickers against a small screen, and the actors stand in front, with the scene projected on them, reading subtitles from a monitor that's set up on a table. Some people bring their friends on stage to act with them; others do all the characters. There's no admission, and people can bring in their own copies of films if they choose.

The most requested scenes come from '80s flicks such as The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, though Fite said some people do old movies like Casablanca.

On a recent Wednesday, the tiny space was packed with mostly younger hipsters, although there were a few men in business suits. Capacity is 50, and Fite said usually she'll see about 80 people on a given Wednesday.

Dave Rubaltelli, an ophthalmologist in New York, heard about the event from friends and was making his acting debut.

"I talk about movies all the time. We all sit around and say 'Oh did you see this?' So this seems like a fun way to spend a night," he said. "But I'm a little nervous."
Rubaltelli, 29, did a scene from Trading Places with Dan Aykroyd. He was pretty stiff going up there, but he loosened up once the scene came on and he affected different accents for the two characters in the scene.

Others, like Matt Dujnic, 29, have been doing movieoke since its inception in October and are sort of house celebrities.

Dujnic did a hilarious rendition of Evil Dead II with no lines, where a man's hand is possessed. He worked up a sweat by flinging himself around the stage, using paper plates for props, and the backdrop screen as part of the scene, eliciting cheers from the audience.

But the real master was Fite, who took off her shoes and danced around to the "Maniac" scene from Flashdance. She had every move down.

There's even the equivalent of the guy at karaoke who insists on dragging the crowd down with a version of "Feelings." This time, it was a long scene from Back to the Future Part II.

The process needs a bit of refining. Currently Fite turns down the scene so the actors can perform, but the silence is a bit awkward, and the audience needs to participate more. The down time between scenes can be a bit long, and it's difficult for people to hold audience attention with no props or others on stage.

The other problem, patrons say, is the media. Since movieoke caught on in late November, there has been a string of TV and print reporters from all over the world harassing the audience and shining lights on the movie screen during scenes.

"The media is getting a bit out of hand," Dujnic grumbled to his friends after doing an interview for a Swedish network. "I'm not here for them. I'm here for me."

And movieoke might be there for you before long: the idea is spreading. In St. Louis, a little coffee shop and video store called Farrago started its own version a few weeks ago, and an Internet search returns hundreds of movieoke hits.

KARAOKE AROUND
THE WORLD
-- The Czech Republic

Locals vie for world karaoke title
A hot singing routine could mean a shot at international crown

By Sarah Haas

For amateur singers and alcohol slingers, there is nothing like belting out Madonna or Meatloaf to make you feel like a star.

Tonight's venue is a small stage in the back corner of the Alternatiff Gallery Bar. Owners Becky Eastwood and her partner Steve, the self-proclaimed local "Karaoke King," sit there with smiles. They've been running karaoke for two years in various bars around town, but tonight is special.

It's the fourth round of tryouts to select contestants for an international karaoke competition. Out of 24 finalists, two -- one male, one female -- will go to Heinola, Finland, July 28-31 to represent the Czech Republic in the Karaoke World Championship. The grand prize is 1,000 euros (33,000 Kc/$1,220) and the world karaoke crown.
The lights kick on and Eastwood drags the microphone out in front of all the dreamers, drinkers, first-timers and judges. She sets the stage for the big finale at Lucerna: "Please come prepared with three songs that you know well. There will be professionals from the music world to judge you, including members of Lucie, Lety Mimo and B-Movie Heroes. But do not get nervous. They will be watching and listening very carefully to your vocal abilities, your stage presence and how well you can handle the songs you have chosen. So choose them well."

She also has words of encouragement and advice for tonight: "If there is anyone else who would like to get on stage this evening, please let us know. And just a couple of tips before you do: Please do not pop the inflatable guitar. Do not cover the microphone with your hand, and please do not sing so quietly that no one can hear you.

"And remember, the only disgrace is to run away from karaoke. If this is your first time on stage, you will no longer be a virgin. Your cherry will be popped."

Becky is natural on stage. A singer herself in local bands, she knows all the songs. More importantly, she knows how to treat aspiring songbirds, how to make both shy newcomers and determined regulars feel welcome. And she obviously believes in the value of what she's doing. "Karaoke is a great opportunity for people to feel free and important," she says.

Anyone who thinks that karaoke is only for high school drama geeks who never got the lead role would be surprised at the crowd it attracts. Like any community at large, it's a mixed group, ranging in this case from office professionals to waiters. What they have in common is the desire to step out of their normal lives and into the spotlight.

Willie Watson, one of the finalists, is a shy English teacher who has lived in Prague for a few years. He gets on stage and belts out "Louie Louie" like a proud bullfrog at the prom of his high school princess. He still seems dazzled at the thought of being good enough to compete in a karaoke contest.

Kristina Svoboda, another finalist, works in a chocolate shop and has a voice as sweet as candy. She announces to the audience that she has on a new pair of pink heels and then sings Madonna's "Material Girl" with a subtle wink and a smile. Svoboda, who is from Prague, doesn't think it matters whether the winners are Czech or not. "Anyone who can get up and sing deserves a prize," she says.

Mike Gisondy, from New York, has more flair than Elton John. Endowed with uninhibited charisma, he gets the audience swaying their lighters and singing along.

Melissa Polte is the only woman to sing two songs, but the judges agree that she sings them truly impressively. An expat from Los Angeles, she seems a natural, even though her only performance experience was in her eighth-grade choir. Polte feels a Czech person should win the national. "Well, we are in the Czech Republic," she says. Nevertheless, she is looking for a third song to take to the finals.

Granted, it's a collection of spotlight dreams. Some of the finalists are no doubt harboring secret hopes that a talent scout will be watching, and this will be the big break they've always hoped for. Yet who doesn't occasionally hope that one day someone will spot their incredible talent and pluck them out of ordinary life?

But generally speaking, that's not the vibe at karaoke nights -- nor was it the case in the competition. It was more of a typical bar scene, a chance to see a Madonna with humility or an Elvis at 23. There was smoke in the smiles of the audience, and the booze made singing a bit easier. As karaoke favorite Billy Joel sings in "The Piano Man," it's a place "to forget about life for a while."


Karaoke Hazards

Pitfalls and problems to avoid during any karaoke performance.
1) The Chorus Does Not a Song Make
A friend of mine told me that he'd given one of my song slips to the KJ. "Guantanamera" (you know: the one to the tune of "There's only one Alan Shearer"). But when I took the mic, it turned out my friend slipped a pony to the emcee and got him to play the B52s' "Love Shack" instead.
This was a horrible experience. Partly because my dismay was so evident, partly because "Love Shack" is so obscenely perky, partly because you need two singers to do justice to its structure, but mainly because as soon as the words are coming up, you realize that you only know the chorus.
And "Love Shack" is not alone. Often, this happens because the song is treading water in the verse, basically doing nothing until the chorus carries the full weight of the song. Sometimes, the verse is okay, but the chorus is far more memorable. But there are a bunch of these songs, and we need a Danger List, so that we can all avoid the experience of standing, stuttering and mumbling
Well it's set way back in the middle of a field
Just a funky old shack and I gotta get back
2)The Song With The Long Break

Coming out of an instrumental section is tricky anyway - note how The Kingsmen snarl it up in their own recording of "Louie, Louie" - but a long break leaves you looking like a nerd. Avoid, for example, “Gimme all your lovin”. There's at least a minute without vocals, and you can only air guitar and strut for so long before people will start wandering off to the bar.

3) A Massive Shift In Pitch

The Scissor Sisters might be attractive - hey, they're fun, they're up, and, as Hank tells Brian in The Larry Sanders Show, "I know how your people love the karaoke" - but you don't want to manfully handle the "you're handsome" bit and end up squawking like you're in the electric chair for the "Do it! Take your mama out all night" high. You'll probably already have worn yourself out on the fake chorus. Shun this one!

The Karaoke Show Debuts
in New York
By Ernio Hernandez

The Karaoke Show — the latest creation from The Donkey Show team — joined its predecessor at the Club El Flamingo, March 20.
The production which began at The China Club Nov. 8, 2003 performs every Saturday night at 7:30 PM.
Jordan Roth produces the work by director Diane Paulus and author Randy Weiner.
The Karaoke Show combines classic characters from The Comedy of Errors with the phenomenon of karaoke. The work is billed as "a pop-tune wonderland of wild rock-star fun" in which every performance is different.
The cast of The Karaoke Show features Julie Danao, Aaron Fuksa, Emily Hellstrom, Charles King, Jr., Scott Kitajima, Justin Klosky, Ann Marie Larocca, Anderson Lim, Todd Masterson, Scottie McLaughlin, Derek Mitchell, Rachel Benbow Murdy, Robert Orosco, Joe Phyall, Guy Pugliese, Jessica Nacinovich, Jordin Ruderman, Marc Santa Maria, Erin Stutland and Anna Wilson.
David C. Woolard, who created costumes for The Rocky Horror Show, The Who's Tommy and The Donkey Show designs for the new staging.

William Hung
--The “AWW Factor”

By Sharon Mizota

William Hung set out to become an American Idol and ended up a pop icon. The UC-Berkeley civil engineering student's notorious performance of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" has spawned numerous web salutes and remixes, a Saturday Night Live parody and an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. An encore performance of "She Bangs" on American Idol a few weeks back confirmed his status as the hottest accidental rock star today. Most recently, he’s landed a recording contract with Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. His debut album, The True Idol, released on April 6.
So what is it about William that inspires such fervent fascination? It's the "awww" factor. His awkward, heartfelt performance never fails to elicit an "awww," which is neither unequivocal praise nor damnation. "Awww" starts out as the bright, familiar sound reserved for something cute and endearing and then slides ever so slightly down to a darker, mournful note of pity. William, as my friends in junior high used to say, is "puppy-dog cute," which means we like him but are slightly embarrassed to admit it, because he's not "cute cute" (i.e. hunky)--just cute enough to feel sorry for.
In an age where people will do/say/eat anything to be on TV, we're charmed by William's sincerity. His response to the judges' rejection--"I already gave my best. I have no regrets at all"--is completely devoid of the entitlement that turns other would-be's into divas. To William, a winning performance is a process he has yet to perfect. Like engineering, stardom will eventually fall prey to hard work and perseverance; he is undeterred by this minor setback. William had the guts to take the secret dream of every shower singer and karaoke devotee and make it real. His courage touches one of our most treasured American desires: We wish life was an even playing field. If you work hard enough and believe in your potential, one day everyone else will see it too.
He doesn't fit within our narrow definition of talent, but there's no denying his sincerity. His performance restored what is fun and heartening in music, taking it away from the cookie-cutter pop idol and giving it back to us.

A great Loss To Our Karaoke Comunity


Our dear friend Eddie Sanft had a heart attack at the Comstock around 11 PM. Tuesday April 20, 2004.
He was loved by everyone and touched so many lives. He had no enemies. Everyone wanted to sings duets with him. He was a bright light wherever he'd show up. We all looked forward to have him sing in the course of the evenings. He was also very appreciative of everyone's performance. He never complained..

The Comstock was not a Bar and Grill to him and so many of his friends. It was like their family room. Eddie's entourage enjoyed themselves, they met for dinner or appetizers or maybe came late in the evening, and sang Karaoke, sometimes "both" live music and Karaoke, as we did on his" last Tuesday night of Karaoke"

We had a large listening audience and maybe 10 singers. What a treat it was for all. Some singers would even sing twice in a row , what a treat for the listening audiance He got to play the guitar and sing a Medley of Hawaiin songs.
It was a perfect night.

Genie and Eddie were sitting at a small table in the dining area among their friends. They sang a duet " Joy To The World" went back to their table enjoying each everyone's performance.
That night around 11 PM as I was thumbing through my song book looking for a particular song number for Rudy, Genie ran to me and said, "CALL 911 we need an
ambulance.". I didn't ask any question I just ran to the phone and called 911, not knowing the reason why. I then ran outside to see who might have gotten hurt from falling or whatever there was no one in sight. I then heard someone from inside the Comstock " say it's Eddie, he's not well, I think he's having a heart attack " I ran back inside to him, he was sitting upright with his head tilted back, his arms to his side. I called out his name and patted him on the cheeks shaking his arms..., saying EDDIE EDDIE wake up TALK TO US COME ON....
Everyone was in shock. it was very still...
I then started to massage his heart and chest calling his name begging him to say something , One of our customers name Garret Okerson came forward and said" move back everybody let's give him some air .he then said "come on man if you hear us give us a sign, move your fingers "He then said let's give him CPR hurry. WE CALLED EDDIE'S NAME BEGGING HIM TO GIVE US A SIGN if he could hear us.
.
We then proceeded to give him CPR, Steve Weller and myself, Nicole, until
paramedic arrived. We kept on telling him to come back to us.
Deep down inside, we felt that he could hear us . I rubbed his arms, hands in between the CPR procedure till the end, talking to him begging, him to come back.
The friends were awesome and so loving. Everyone was pulling for him.

One or two paramedics arrived within minutes. It felt like 30, but it was minutes. When they first arrived they witnessed us giving CPR and mentioned that we were doing very well and to keep on doing it until the rest of the crew got to Eddie's side. They came in with all of their equipments and they took over, and worked very hard to keep him alive. It didn't look good.
They then took him to the hospital and many friends followed them there. I shut down my karaoke system and rushed to the Palomar Hospital. I didn't even get out of the car when I found out that Ihad arrived too late, Eddies was gone.

I want all of his friends and family to know that he didn't suffer.
He is with "the love of his life his loving wife "who passed away 2 years ago. That's our consolation!
Our sincere condolence to his family and friends
We'll miss him more than words can say.

Nicole Farrell and Eddie's friend from North Co.

Karaoke With Nicole


San Diego and
San Diego Scene Karaoke Loose a Great Friend

Just Who Is Bud Young?
(Or, I Thought You'd Never Ask)
By: Bud Young

In a few words, I am the ultimate "Been there - done that" man.

It began in grade school when, one day, I was a soprano singing Christmas carols in the hall, then poof, puberty hit me in the middle of "Silent Night," and I became a baritone.

Next off to High school as a pantomime comedian and cheerleader concentrating on female sopranos as super puberty took over. At seventeen years of age I enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an aerial gunner on PBY patrol bombers, and also was a singer/comedian with the Tex Beneke (Glen Miller) orchestra.

Honorably discharged, and still in one piece. I attended the De Paul University School of Drama in Chicago, Illinois, where some of my classmates comprised of names such as Shelley Berman, Geraldine Page, Betsy Palmer, and Charlton Heston.

I started tending bar at Jump Town, the first jazz joint in Chicago and worked up to be the opening comedy act for Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaugn, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral and Frankie Laine. The owner of Jump Town decided to advertise on television, (bear in mind that there were only 5,000 sets in Chicago.) He gave my partner and I the challenge of performing on TV advertising his club.

In 1948, infant TV in Chicago boasted only three live shows at station WBKB: "Wrestling From Rainbow," "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie" and the "Bud Young/Richy Victor Show." This was all live television and actors were hard to come by.

Many times after our rehearsals, I would go behind the puppet show screen and sing duets with Creator Burrti Lstrom who sang as Kukla, and I sang as Ollie, the one - toothed Dragon. Oh, there were some magnificent goofs back then when TV was live and oh so very young. We were on TV before Milton Berle and Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis.

Now as they say, "Time marches on", so here we go:
• Amateur Hour Contestant (2 wins)
• U.S. Mailman
• Social Activities Director at a Dude Ranch
• Bartender (again)
• Dance Instructor
• Liquor Store Manager
• Insurance Salesman
• Vocalist with orchestra (again)
• Night Club Owner (The Rue-Lette)
• Fast Draw Expert (with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood)
• Western Show Team leader ("Lightning Bud Young and his Gun Fighters")
• Magazine Publisher (Gunsmoke Gazette)
• Industrial Salesman (the best)
• Self Employed (the worst)
• Karaoke DJ (Bombay Bicycle Club in Santa Ana)
• Night Club Singer
• Stand Up Comic
• Husband to 4, Father to 3, Grandfather to 4 and Great Grand father to???
• Staff Writer for San Diego Scene.

Just as few words:

Miscellaneous points of interest:

Hunting, fishing, golfing, archery, dancing, making love, making conversation or making conversation then making love, crossword
puzzle aficionado.

Now, for the more intimate details: I have had, am having, or plan to have: Quadruple By-Pass, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Prostate Cancer, Gall Bladder Removal, Hernia Repair, Skin Carcinoma Removal , Two Heart Failures, Heart Attack, a Bout of Gout, Hearing Impaired, and Bi-focal glasses.

If you have any more questions as to who I am, send an email to keepittoyourself@ihave enoughproblems.thanksforasking.!!
Historically & hysterically Yours,
Bud Young

July 20th,
2004 9:05 pm
Open Letter to Bill Timmins, President Aladdin Casino and Hotel

Bill Timmins
President
Aladdin Casino and Hotel
Las Vegas, NV

July 20, 2004

Dear Mr. Timmins:

I understand from the news reports I've read that, after Linda Ronstadt, one of America's greatest singers, dedicated a song to me from your stage on Saturday night, you instructed your security guards to remove her from the Aladdin, which they did.

What country do you live in? Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called "The First Amendment." This constitutional right gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say. All Americans hold this right as sacred. Many of our young people put on a uniform and risk