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.”

From The Vault: My Brushes with Royalty -The Kenner Star May,2011

    The last time I was in Westminster Abbey was in the early 1980's. My most memorable moment came, actually, as I was leaving the building.  As I stepped out into the noon-day sun, along with the other mad dogs and Englishmen,  I heard a loud voice above the din of the taxis and double decker buses: “Hey, Ed Clancy. How ya doin’?”

From the Vault: MY Brush with Royalty - The Kenner Star 1997

    The death of Princess Diana has spawned a sea of ink and a mountain of print, and so I guess it’s my obligation, as a “journalist,” to add to the volumes that have already been written about “the people’s princess.”  I realize that by the time you get to see this you may have had your fill of “Candle in the Wind.” 

From the Vault: Jesse Jackson, Pete Fountain and My Mother - Kenner Star 2005

    I know you just can’t wait to get to the part in this column that explains the connection between two national celebrities and my mother, so here we go.
    Years ago my mother, Lucille, was in town and we lunched at atrium of the Hyatt Regency. Somehow the conversation got around to my mother “seeing things.” 
    “You know, Eddie,” (she always called me “Eddie,” and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it), “sometimes I think I’m seeing something when I know I can’t be.” I didn’t know what to make of that comment, but I did know that my mother’s concentration was not the best.
    “Whatever do you mean, mother?” I asked.
    “Well, I think I see somebody who couldn’t possibly be here.”
    “Who is that, mom?”
    “Jesse Jackson.”

From The Vault: I Knew Deep Throat - The Kenner Star 2005

    The revelation that a guy named Mark Felt was the mysterious Deep Throat of the Watergate scandal was not as big a deal to me as it might have been to a lot of other people. Over the years I, frankly, have had very little interest in who he was because I had already met Deep Throat. No, not Mark Felt. I met the real Deep Throat: Hal Holbrook.