I woke up from an evening nap last night to the bad news that one of L.A.'s most beloved musicians did not wake up from hers.
Teena Marie and her Starchild album were a fixture in family parties growing up, and at one point I even dated a girl who was named after her...it was that serious for the folks in L.A. who identified with her music and her "brown eyed soul" persona.
In my young adult years, "Lady T" was a fixture at "The Hop" and was always more than generous with her fans during those appearances. She was also due to headline the Nokia Theatre in Downtown LA during 2011.
Teena had a style all her own, and her legacy will undoubtedly live on through her music.
Rest in Peace, Lady T.
Til next time...
Monday, December 27, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
ESPN Homecoming: Magic Johnson
Welcome to the blog.
I won't waste too much space with a formal intro...I'll only say that I'm gonna keep it fly, keep it 100, and give you all a little glimpse into Bum's Life.
I'll talk about new things I cop (or hope to cop), places I go, music I'm feeling, and my take on topics in the limelight from day to day.
With that in mind, I was at home last night kicking around a few subjects for the first post, when I came across the last half hour of ESPN's latest Homecoming special...this time honoring one of my all time favorite athletes in Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
The special was taped last month at Jenison Fieldhouse, on the campus of Michigan State University, where Magic starred in the late 70's for the Spartans before going on to a Hall-of-Fame career with the Lakers.
I've only had a chance to see one of these Homecoming specials prior to this...when I happened upon the Alonzo Mourning episode a few months back, which I found pretty interesting and fun to watch.
I've also seen a lot of criticism recently, and what I'd characterize as overwhelmingly mixed reviews for Rick Reilly and his style of sports journalism; and having read (and generally enjoyed) his back page SI column over the years, I can't say that all of the criticism is unfounded...he does tend to drift from time to time, and definitely isn't known for a hard-hitting or combative type of writing (the bulk of his pieces are light in tone).
However, I feel like the Homecoming format fits Reilly and his style very well. He is usually able to establish a great rapport with his subject, clearly making them feel at ease with the interview setting, and it often results in an enjoyable story.
Family members are always present, along with friends and teammates from years past. There are usually a few surprises mixed in, and this episode was no different. Videos are still scarce, due to the fact that the special has only aired once, and won't be on again until it airs on ABC on January 15th...but in the lone clip I found available online (more clips are now available for viewing on the ESPN site), Reilly and Magic have a little fun with some help from MSU's "Spartan Dischords".
The tone wasn't as light throughout, though, as Magic detailed the events surrounding his HIV diagnosis...specifically his experiences in breaking the news to his then-pregnant wife, Cookie, and to his Laker teammates.
As a Laker fan who grew up in the Showtime era, and once met Magic during his playing days (He came down to our youth league gym one weeknight, set up a table and chair under the basket, and sat there the whole night signing posters for the entire league...smiling and chatting each one of us up. It remains to this day, one of the highlights of my youth.) seeing these clips again brought back a ton of memories and mixed emotions.
From the pain I remember feeling as I cried myself to sleep the night of the announcement, to the sheer joy I felt seeing him at the 1992 All Star Game as he brought home MVP honors...it all came rushing back.
To wrap things up, I definitely enjoyed the portion I caught and will be tuning in next month when the special re-airs on ABC (more than likely coinciding with a weekend NBA broadcast) so I can see the first half. I think basketball fans would enjoy it, regardless of your affiliation...and if you're a Laker Fan like me, you'll absolutely want to check it out.
Feel free to drop a comment if you saw the special, plan to see it, or know where to find videos of it on the web.
Til next time...
I won't waste too much space with a formal intro...I'll only say that I'm gonna keep it fly, keep it 100, and give you all a little glimpse into Bum's Life.
I'll talk about new things I cop (or hope to cop), places I go, music I'm feeling, and my take on topics in the limelight from day to day.
With that in mind, I was at home last night kicking around a few subjects for the first post, when I came across the last half hour of ESPN's latest Homecoming special...this time honoring one of my all time favorite athletes in Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
The special was taped last month at Jenison Fieldhouse, on the campus of Michigan State University, where Magic starred in the late 70's for the Spartans before going on to a Hall-of-Fame career with the Lakers.
I've only had a chance to see one of these Homecoming specials prior to this...when I happened upon the Alonzo Mourning episode a few months back, which I found pretty interesting and fun to watch.
I've also seen a lot of criticism recently, and what I'd characterize as overwhelmingly mixed reviews for Rick Reilly and his style of sports journalism; and having read (and generally enjoyed) his back page SI column over the years, I can't say that all of the criticism is unfounded...he does tend to drift from time to time, and definitely isn't known for a hard-hitting or combative type of writing (the bulk of his pieces are light in tone).
However, I feel like the Homecoming format fits Reilly and his style very well. He is usually able to establish a great rapport with his subject, clearly making them feel at ease with the interview setting, and it often results in an enjoyable story.
Family members are always present, along with friends and teammates from years past. There are usually a few surprises mixed in, and this episode was no different. Videos are still scarce, due to the fact that the special has only aired once, and won't be on again until it airs on ABC on January 15th...but in the lone clip I found available online (more clips are now available for viewing on the ESPN site), Reilly and Magic have a little fun with some help from MSU's "Spartan Dischords".
The tone wasn't as light throughout, though, as Magic detailed the events surrounding his HIV diagnosis...specifically his experiences in breaking the news to his then-pregnant wife, Cookie, and to his Laker teammates.
As a Laker fan who grew up in the Showtime era, and once met Magic during his playing days (He came down to our youth league gym one weeknight, set up a table and chair under the basket, and sat there the whole night signing posters for the entire league...smiling and chatting each one of us up. It remains to this day, one of the highlights of my youth.) seeing these clips again brought back a ton of memories and mixed emotions.
From the pain I remember feeling as I cried myself to sleep the night of the announcement, to the sheer joy I felt seeing him at the 1992 All Star Game as he brought home MVP honors...it all came rushing back.
To wrap things up, I definitely enjoyed the portion I caught and will be tuning in next month when the special re-airs on ABC (more than likely coinciding with a weekend NBA broadcast) so I can see the first half. I think basketball fans would enjoy it, regardless of your affiliation...and if you're a Laker Fan like me, you'll absolutely want to check it out.
Feel free to drop a comment if you saw the special, plan to see it, or know where to find videos of it on the web.
Til next time...
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