The photo above of two smiling, bespectacled and silver-haired chaps, was taken last year, on a mild sunny, winter’s day, in Hudson, upstate New York. The occasion was the first time Wreckless Eric and Norman B had met face to face. Fueled by many cups of espresso, their long animated conversation covered topics as diverse as the pitfalls of pop stardom to the pratfalls of politicians.
Read moreJohn Lennon famously said, “Before Elvis there was nothing.” Lennon was correct, of course, which may have prompted David Bowie to remark, “Elvis was a major hero of mine. I was probably stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something.” It is curious to remember that two of the most important and influential figures in popular culture
Read moreUpLit, a vintage rooftop-style installation features the phrase, “Can you stand perfectly still and hold this moment open? by poet Silvia Curbelo. The installation was part of Lights On Tampa, a program developed by the City of Tampa’s Art Programs Division, in conjunction with regional businesses, volunteers, and art supporters. Norman B was invited to be one of the three jurors who selected the UpLit installation. The
Read more“Pop music is acting: it always has been. Yet only David Bowie got the rap for being rock’s pantomime artiste, its greatest pretender. He happily owned up to the charge, calling himself “The Actor” on the sleeve of Hunky Dory, “the faker” in “Changes.” Today, with Bowie a cross-national cultural icon (one can imagine his face on a Euro note someday), it may be hard
Read moreHave you ever heard Cygnet Committee or Alternative Candidate? Two songs, most fans of the man who wrote Space Oddity are probably not familiar with. Those two rarities, along with Space Oddity, Man Who Sold the World, Station To Station and many more are featured in a new book, Rebel Rebel. This exhaustive and fascinating publication covers David Bowie’s output from first his single in 1964 to Station To Station, his landmark
Read more