From The Vault: The Unsinkable Edwin Edwards - The Kenner Star 2010

    I cannot remember the first time I met the man, but I do remember the first time I ever appeared with him on stage. I had received a call from a member of a local women’s business organization, who said her group was staging a mock awards program to make fun of New Orleans media types. They were calling it the Eddy Awards because they wanted me to co-host it with Governor Edwin Edwards. I said, “Does he know about this?”
    The lady replied, “Sure, he loves the idea.”
    So that was how I found myself on a stage in front of a rather large audience doing standup with the Grey Fox (that was one of the more polite nicknames given to the man usually known as Fast Eddy). The show was such a hit they asked us back to do it again the next year.

From The Vault: Scrapbook Memories- The Kenner Star 2009

    This past April 16th marks 36 years since I drove my ‘68 Volkswagen into the city of New Orleans, ready to go to work in radio. I recently came across a file folder I have kept over the years containing items connected with celebrities who have passed through New Orleans, or were gracious enough to take the time to talk to me by phone on the radio. So without further ado [I have never had any idea what an “ado” is], I will ask you to sit back, relax and travel with me through 36 years of time  I do need you to believe me when I tell you I am literally going to go through this memorial mess as I write this column. There will be no arranging in chronological order, no sorting, no sifting. I will simply relate to you a little something about each piece of memorabilia as I come to it. It’s a “live” show, folks.
    Now, the first thing we have instantly makes a liar out of me. It’s not from New Orleans, and not from the last 36 years. It’s a letter, dated July 7, 1970, from World War II hero Audie Murphy.

From The Vault: The Incredible Shrinking TV Screen - The Kenner Star 2010

    Lest you think that news teases in newspapers, on TV and on the web are my only gripe, (as I complained in 2008), think, as they say, again. Possibly of bigger concern to me is the way our TV screens are being cluttered these days, not just in newscasts, but in regular television programming. You cannot watch a drama, sitcom or movie without some animated promo scooting across the bottom of the screen taking up a minimum of a third of the picture. This, in addition to the permanent ID logo in the lower right hand corner. There are some exceptions, including Turner Classic Movies which sometimes removes their little logo in the lower right, and once in a while PBS will show you graphic-free TV.

From The Vault: Kissing Tammy Wynette - The Kenner Star May, 1998

    “No Show Jones.” That’s what they called him. If country singer George Jones was scheduled to perform at a certain time and place, you could make good money by betting that he would not show up...at all.  That’s what happened in the early 1980's when the hard drinking Jones was booked into the old  3-D Lounge at Chateau Village in Kenner.
    Of course, I had no idea that he wouldn’t show. I was thrilled that I was going to get to meet and interview a country music legend: “He Stopped Loving Her Today”; “The Race Is On”; “We’re Gonna Hold On” (with his wife Tammy Wynette); “She Thinks I Still Care” and many more. Yes, I had been stiffed by Johnny Cash, but I was putting my money on old George. Even though he had set the all time show business record by missing 54 performances in a single year , he just couldn’t be a no-show in Kenner.
    But as the time for the show came and went it was clear that George Jones was not going to make it to the 3-D Lounge. (Rumor had it that he was passed out at a motel on Williams Blvd. on a drinking binge with his old friend Johnny Paycheck.)
    A few weeks later, George’s ex-wife Tammy Wynette was scheduled to appear at the 3-D. The “First Lady of Country Music” showed up looking fine and gave an unrivaled performance that included  her big hits “Stand By Your Man”and  “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.”