I had the privilege of meeting Dennis Weaver and am saddened by his passing. We used to spend summers in Montrose, Colorado, not far from his home in Ridgeway. It wasn't unusual to run into him and his wife shopping at the local Safeway Supermarket. He was a regular guest at our RV Park and entertained us with stories about his adventures in show biz.In 1994, he allowed us to tour his "earth" house, which was built of old tires and other recycled trash. Dennis and his life-long partner/wife, Gerry, were avid environmentalists and vegetarians. If not for the cancer, I believe he would've reached 100+. The last time I saw the Weavers (in 1997 waiting tables at their restaurant in Ridgeway, Colorado), they were in their 70s and as energetic as any of us younger folk. In fact, later that evening they jitterbugged on the dance floor (they took first prize in a dance contest in the 1940s) and were absolutely amazing. They'd been married for 61 years, a rarity within the general population and an absolute miracle among celebrities. I treasure my photos of him, cherish his memory and will remember his wife and three sons in my prayers. I imagine he's shaking hands with Don Knotts and Darrin McGavin in the afterworld, probably swapping stories and singing a song. Yes, we've lost 3 Hollywood legends this past week.Cheryl
According to the Associated Press, "Wilson Pickett, the soul pioneer best known for the fiery hits "Mustang Sally" and "In The Midnight Hour," died of a heart attack Thursday in a Reston, Virginia, hospital, according to his management company. He was 64."The day of his death, I was in the audience where Rick Kelly, a Detroit-based entertainer who came to Tampa to entertain us at the RV Super Show Rally, led the entire audience singing--complete with coordinated hand movements--In the Midnight Hour. I'm a Pickett fan, and especially a fan of Mustang Sally. It's no coincidence that I named the heroine in my upcoming RESTORE MY HEART "Sally" or her fictional auto-restoration business in Louisville, Kentucky, "Mustang Sally's." She drives a 1964½ Mustang, earning her the nickname she shares with Wilson Pickett's hit song.Coincidentally, Wilson Pickett will be laid to rest next to his mother in a cemetary in Louisville, Ky. His music lives on and on. As the Righteous Brothers sang, "If there's a rock-n-roll heaven, I know they have a helluva band."Cheryl
I don't want to wish away my life, as my mother used to say, but now it's 2006. This means that I can now say, "Restore My Heart will be out next year." Now that it's 2006, 2007 doesn't seem as far off. Yippee!I don't have a release date yet, but I do have my ISBN#s. Check it out at the Medallion Press website. There I am, listed among the other Medallion authors. How cool is that?I wish all of you a happy new year and look forward to blogging with you in 2006.Cheryl
