People are spending lots of money on celebrity autographs. The folks signing draw huge crowds and rake in big money; it’s become a sophisticated business. “Star Trek’s” William Shatner is still in high demand and still makes regular appearances.   ...

It takes a lot to make me laugh. I see humor in jokes and situations, but if it draws a smile, I’m likely to say something is clever rather than funny. Besides, not everyone has the same sense of humor. ...

Since I retired, I’ve been busier than ever. Writing, video projects, travel. But now I keep track of days by what’s on TV.  “Ghosts”? That means it’s 8:30 on Thursday evening. ...

Much of our pop culture experience has been lost to time, but our columnist is happy to report that a treasure trove of memories has not only been found but is being lovingly preserved.  ...

Morris Everett can take you on a trip through time, not with that machine from the 1960 film of the same name, although he’s well acquainted with it. His portal is a doorway in Chesterland that leads to the world’s most extensive collection of movie posters and photos on the market. ...

POP CULTURE CHRONICLES
Sketchy Stuff: Leon, the Art Teacher & Me

By Mike Olszewski

I’m out of space.

Four free-standing shelves and a custom-made wall unit are filled, and I still have books that need a home. One of those is a massive new book about a personal hero, Leon Russell.  

Leon who? Trust me, you’ve heard his work, and “Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History” by Bill Janovitz (Hachette Books) does a stellar job of covering it all. 

At 590+ pages, it’s the definitive book about one of the driving forces of rock and roll. From his early days in Oklahoma, working as an L.A. studio musician with everyone from Sinatra to the Beach Boys, his days with Joe Cocker, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and even Willie Nelson… Janovitz covers it all.  

A Legend
Back in high school (when you were told to get your hair cut if it touched the top of your ears) Leon had hair down to his elbows under a big tophat. He was a role model for kids trying to be hippies. 

I had an art class with a teacher who, oddly enough, was not a very good artist. She assigned us a project to design a stained-glass window. During study hall, I did a simple sketch of Leon Russell. I got called out for the design and turned in a half-hearted mosaic. I got an A and kept the sketch.

My wife and I caught Leon every time he toured: The two-hour show at Blossom Music Center (with a four-hour wait to get out of the parking lot), the rain-soaked show at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, and every club date at the Empire, the Beachland Ballroom and many more.

Leon developed some health issues and when we went to visit him at Wilbert’s, we saw him zip by on an electric scooter looking like a white-haired Cousin Itt in a cowboy hat.

...

When we settled into our winter home in Florida, my wife Janice and I realized we’d have to adapt to certain Southern customs and cuisine. Boiled peanuts are odd, does this menu say, “cheese and grits ravioli’? and that’s a hard pass on chicken livers and gizzards at the breakfast buffet. But if there’s one food item that’s an American staple, it’s ice cream… though we’re learning there are significant regional variations.  ...

For some odd reason, I’ve been seeing a lot of online articles with headlines like, “Things Boomers Say That Drive Millennials Crazy!”, “Things You Won’t Believe Baby Boomers Still Do” and “Stuff that Boomers Still Think are Cool.” These are likely written by Generation X, Y or Z folks who moved back with their parents because they blew their money on tickets to see an act that we saw in a club for two bucks when they could still sing.  ...