Tuesday, January 28, 2014

1/28 JAMES RUSSO, PHIL CROSBY JR., BOB CRANE, C. CRANE RADIO, ALEX SHAW, THE ROBOTIX

ON TODAY’S SHOW ACTOR JAMES RUSSO JOINS LARRY IN-STUDIO!  

James Vincent Russo (born April 23, 1953) is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 90 films in three decades.

Russo's first role in his acting career was in the 1981 made-for-television movie Chicago Story. He would then go on to star in many hit films of the 1980s. His big break (but small role) came in the 1982 classic comedy film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as a convenience store robber. In 1984, his other big role came in the hit film Beverly Hills Cop as Mikey Tandino, the friend of Axel Foley who gets murdered. Also in 1984, he starred in The Cotton Club, and played small-time hood Bugsy in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America. Russo's other big role was as a brutal rapist in the 1986 drama Extremities, opposite Farrah Fawcett. He also starred in the 1988 drama-suspense-thriller film Freeway.

Russo's film roles in the 1990s include State of Grace (1990), A Kiss Before Dying (1991) - in which he played a private investigator who is helping Sean Young's character investigate the murder of her twin sister - and My Own Private Idaho (also 1991). Russo also had roles in the 1994 movie Western Bad Girls, the 1997 hit films The Postman(as Idaho, the brutal sergeant of the Holnist army), and Donnie Brasco. In 2009 he had a small role in Michael Mann's Public Enemies as a member of John Dillinger's gang.
In 2003, Russo was reunited with his co-star from The Postman, Kevin Costner, in the Western film Open Range. He has also made guest appearances in many TV dramas and movies, including The Equalizer, Miami Vice, CSI, CSI: Miami and Las Vegas.

In the summer of 2009, Russo starred in a sort of psychological thriller entitled 7E along with Brendan Sexton III, John Savage and Natasha Lyonne. The film has yet to be released. Russo had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's 2012 film Django Unchained. He also appeared on Bastille's music video Of The Night.


PHIL CROSBY  JR., ACCOMPLISHED SINGER AND UP AND COMING JAZZ ARTIST JOINS THE SHOW

to be the grandson of legendary singer, Bing Crosby;  an Academy Award winning actor and American  Icon of the thirties and forties! Phil Jr. started in entertainment at the age  of 8, starring in several television shows and commercials. He began his  singing career when, after high school, he helped put together a blues-rock  fusion band from the talented members of his high school marching band! After  several years of the L.A. rock scene Phil moved on to rediscover his Nashville  roots and began playing guitar and singing Country and folk songs while  traveling the country and appearing on street corners and coffee houses.  After many years and many travels Phil  returned to the classical study of music and performed onstage in operettas for  the Humboldt County light opera company. Eventually,  Phil would finally hear the siren call of his ancestry and take up a career in America’s greatest  contribution to the arts, Jazz Music!

For the last  several years Phil has been performing in the Los Angeles  area, including several Hollywood landmark  theaters, and around the world! He has appeared onstage, on Television and  radio, and in nightclubs in L.A., New York City, San Francisco,  Nashville Tennessee,  Tokyo Japan,  and Dublin Ireland! The Holiday season will  usually find him performing his acclaimed Christmas shows and at other times of  the year he is active doing charity appearances, a cabaret act in tribute of  his grandfather, and classical variety shows in the newly renovated Hollywood area!

Phil Crosby has  developed into a seasoned crooner with his own style and interpretive ability  inspired not just by the great jazz singers, such as his grandfather, but by a  world of popular music and over a century of American songs! He is interested  in sharing his knowledge and abilities with the rest of the world as well as  with fans of his legendary family, younger generations not yet initiated, and  listeners of quality music everywhere!

www.PhilCrosby.com


THEN BOB CRANE FROM C. CRANE STOPS BY TO TELL US ALL ABOUT THEIR NEWEST PRODUCTS!

C. Crane Company, Inc. is an American electronics retailer based in Fortuna, California. The company mainly deals in specialty radio and lighting equipment and is best known for its GeoBulb line of LED light bulbs.

C. Crane was founded in 1976 in San Francisco, California by Bob and Susan Crane. The company was initially a furniture design and manufacturing company and only switched to being an electronics distributor in 1983, upon the Cranes' relocation to Fortuna. C. Crane's first electronics product was the "Select-A-Tenna", an antenna manufactured by Intensitronics Corp. of Hales Corners, Wisconsin, for long-distance reception of AM radio broadcasts. The company advertised on late-night radio shows, which served to increase business from AM listeners looking for a better antenna. Later in the 1980s, C. Crane began to distribute radios, such as the GE Superadio, to go along with their antennas. Following the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes, the company expanded their catalog to include emergency radios and other disaster equipment, such as flashlights. Eventually, C. Crane began to produce its own radios in collaboration with Sangean.

www.ccrane.com                           

Be sure to check out Alex Shaw and the The Robotix this Saturday at the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Blvd. at 7:30pm!











Tuesday, January 21, 2014

1/21 Steve Lawrence

Born Stephen Leibowitz, 8 July 1935, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. The son of a cantor in a Brooklyn synagogue, Lawrence was in the Glee club at Thomas Jefferson High School, where he began studying piano, saxophone, composition and arranging. He made his recording debut for King Records at the age of 16. The record, "Mine And Mine Alone", based on "Softly Awakes My Heart" from Samson & Delilah, revealed an remarkably mature voice and style. Influenced by Frank Sinatra, but never merely a copyist, Lawrence's great range and warmth earned him a break on Steve Allen's Tonight television show, where he met, sang with and later married Eydie Gorme. He recorded for Coral Records and had his first hit in 1957 with "The Banana Boat Song". It was the infectious "Party Doll" which gave him a Top 5 hit in 1957 and he followed that same year with four further, although lesser successes, namely "Pum-Pa-Lum", "Can't Wait For Summer", "Fabulous" and "Fraulein". During his US Army service (1958-60) he sang with military bands on recruiting drives and bond rallies.

Back home he and Eydie embarked on a double act, their most memorable hit being "I Want To Stay Here" in 1963. As Steve And Eydie they made albums for CBS Records, ABC Records and United Artists Records, including Steve And Eydie At The Movies, Together On Broadway, We Got Us, Steve And Eydie Sing The Golden Hits and Our Love Is Here To Stay, the latter a double album of great George Gershwin songs, which was the soundtrack of a well-received television special. Lawrence, on his own, continued to have regular hits with "Portrait Of My Love" and "Go Away Little Girl" in 1961/2, and enjoyed critical success with albums such as Academy Award Losers and Portrait Of My Love. As an actor he starred on Broadway in What Makes Sammy Run?, took the lead in Pal Joey in summer stock, and has acted in a crime series on US television. During the 70s and 80s he continued to record and make television appearances with Gorme, with the couple gaining a record-breaking seven Emmys for their Steve And Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin special. The couple also joined Frank Sinatra on his Diamond Jubilee Tour in 1991.
www.steveandeydie.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

1/14 Chef Rick Tarantino

Rick Tarantino or Chef Rick as he is know in the media has a diverse back ground that has helped him build a successful career as a celebrity chef. He attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Campus and graduated with a Bachelors' of Science from the School of Food Science and Nutrition. Then began his work experience at the prestigious chain of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts from Los Angles to New York's five star St Regis Hotel, Rick worked his way up the corporate ladder. But that was only the beginning, with years of experience in the family hotel business that he was raised in and now with corporate hospitality business under his belt, he began his entrepreneurial career and started Inn Vision a state of the art in-room movie company in hotels around the country. After successfully selling that venture he went back into his family hotel and restaurant business with his father. Emerald Hotel and Resorts International, owned and operated hotels and restaurants in New England.

Rick then returned to school and received his Masters of Science degree from Johnson & Wales University, the world leading hotel and culinary school. Wanting to give back he began teaching at the school. That lead to an opportunity to develop an alumni and development office for the Chancellor, so when his father retired, they sold the hotel company and Rick began his next career as an educator, author and fundraiser. During the ten year period at Johnson & Wales, Rick met Justin Miller a young inspiring 6 year old who loved to cook. Rick trained Justin to become the Guinness Book of Records Worlds Youngest Chef and the two travelled the world cooking and inspiring others. This launched Rick in to the Television and Media industry.

The pair appeared on almost every national television show venue from Good Morning America, David Letterman, Disney, to the Food Network. Rick also became a research chef for many national brands like Westinghouse, Rival's Crock -Pot, Cattlemen's, BBQ sauce, Kraft Foods, and VacuWare to just name a few. In addition he now appears regularly on HSN ( Home Shopping Channel ) and The Shopping Channel Canada as well as National Infomercials and Tradeshows.

Chef Rick has experience in many media outlets, live appearances, press tours, news shows, morning shows, radio, infomercials, cook books, and currently co-hosts a cable cooking show called You Won't Even Miss it. He worked with Celebrities like the late Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, Jarred Fogle from Subway and Martin Yen. He is sought after for recipe development by food companies and supermarkets. He develops many of the free recipes you pick up at the grocery store and tours supermarkets regularly teaching customers recipes and how to enhance their meals to get out of the "Food RUT". You can see him at Hannaford's, ACME, Lowes, Sweet Bay and Shaw's. He also endorsees his own line of products called Chef Rick Spices, Chef Rick Seafood , Proware Professional Kitchen Products and Bold Chef. He does product development for companies like All-Clad , Williams Sonoma and Westinghouse.

Go to www.myrastellidirect.com/chefrick!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

1/7 June Lockhart

June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925 (87 yrs old)) is an American actress, primarily in 1950s and 1960s television, but with memorable performances on stage and in film too. She is remembered as the mother in two TV series, Lassie and Lost in Space. She also portrayed Dr. Janet Craig on the CBS television sitcomPetticoat Junction (1968–70). She is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and a Tony Award winner.

Career

Born in New York City, Lockhart is the daughter of Canadian-born actor Gene Lockhart, who came to prominence on Broadway in 1933 in Ah, Wilderness!, and English-born actress Kathleen Arthur Lockhart. She made her acting debut opposite her parents in a film version of A Christmas Carol, in 1938.She also played supporting parts in films including Meet Me in St. Louis,Sergeant York, All This, and Heaven Too and The Yearling. Lockhart played the title role in She-Wolf of London (1946).

In 1948, Lockhart won a Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer (a category that no longer exists) for her role on Broadway in For Love or Money. And in 1951, she starred in Lawrence Riley's biographical playKin Hubbard opposite Tom Ewell. In 1955, she appeared in an episode of CBS's Appointment with Adventure. About this time, she also made several appearances on NBC's legal drama Justice, based on case files of the Legal Aid Society of New York. In the late 1950s, Lockhart guest starred in several popular television Westerns including: Wagon Train and Cimarron City (in the episode "Medicine Man" with Gary Merrill) on NBC and Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, and Rawhide on CBS.

In 1958, she was the narrator for Playhouse 90 's telecast of the George Balanchine version of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, featuring Balanchine himself as Drosselmeyer, along with the New York City Ballet.

Lockhart is best known for her roles as TV mothers, first as Ruth Martin, the wife of Paul Martin (portrayed by Hugh Reilly), and the mother of Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) in the 1954 CBS series, Lassie (a role that she played from 1959–64). She replaced actress Cloris Leachman who had replaced Jan Clayton. Following her five-year run on Lassie Lockhart made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as defendant Mona Stanton Harvey in "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor." Lockhart then became Dr. Maureen Robinson, the wife of Professor John Robinson (portrayed by Zorro actor Guy Williams) in the Lost in Space (1965–68) series. The science fiction program on CBS was popular, remembered for the design of the sleek silver spacesuits, which Lockhart wore in many publicity photos. Lockhart appeared as Timmy's mom with other notable "TV Moms" in the 1995 Roseanne episode "The Clip Show: All about Rosey, part 2".

Lockhart appeared as Dr. Janet Craig on the final two seasons of the CBS sitcomPetticoat Junction (1968-70), her character brought in to fill the void created after Bea Benaderet died during the run of the show; she was a regular in the ABC soap operaGeneral Hospital during the 1980s and 1990s. She provided the voice of Martha Day, the lead character in the Hanna-Barbera animated series These Are the Days. Lockhart was the only actor or actress to have starred in three hit series during the 1960s. Lockhart guest-starred in Quincy, M.E. numerous times.

In 1986, she appeared in the fantasy film, Troll. The younger version of her character in that film was played by her daughter, Anne Lockhart. They had previously played the same woman at two different ages in an episode of the television series Magnum, P.I. (1981). In 1991, Lockhart appeared as Miss Wiltrout, Michelle Tanner's kindergarten teacher on the TV sitcom Full House. She also had a cameo in the 1998 film Lost in Space, based on the television series she had starred in thirty years earlier. In 2002, she appeared in two episodes of The Drew Carey Show as Lewis's mother, Misty Kiniski, alongside fellow TV mom Marion Ross, who played Drew's mother.

In 2004, she voiced the role of Grandma Emma Fowler in Focus on the Family's The Last Chance Detectives audio cases. Lockhart starred as James Caan's mother in an episode ofLas Vegas in 2004. Lockhart has since guest starred on episodes of Cold Case and Grey's Anatomy, in the 2007 ABC Family television film Holiday in Handcuffs, and in the 2007 feature film Wesley.

In February 2013, Lockhart began filming for Tesla Effect, a video game that combines live-action footage with 3D graphics. It is anticipated that she will play the mother of the main character, Tex Murphy, a role she had given the game serie's producers a "verbal agreement" to play already in the early 2000s.

Personal life

In 1951, Lockhart married Dr. John F. Maloney. They had two daughters, Anne Kathleen Lockhart, born September 6, 1953 and June Elizabeth Lockhart, born two years later. The couple divorced in 1959. She married architect John Lindsay that same year. They divorced in October 1970. She has not married again.

Anne has taken her mother's maiden name for her stage name, and has appeared in films and television programs. June is marketing manager/art director for an international luxury furniture manufacturer headquartered in California, with showrooms around the world.