Category Archives: October

Bobby Pickett

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“When I hear Monster Mash on the radio,
I hear a cash register ringing.”
Bobby Pickett

Bobby Pickett

Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without music. One of my favorites is Bobby Pickett’s Monster Mash which he co-wrote and performed first in 1962.

Robert George Pickett was an American singer who found fame under the name Bobby “Boris” Pickett. He was born in Somerville, Massachusetts on February 11, 1938. His father was a theater manager, and as a nine-year-old Bobby enjoyed watching horror films. He would later incorporate impressions of them in his Hollywood nightclub act in 1959.

Monster Mash was a spoof on the dance crazes popular at the time, including the Twist and the Mashed Potato, which inspired the title. The song featured Pickett’s impersonations of veteran horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (the latter with the line “Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?”).

Most of us are familiar with the song, Monster Mash but most aren’t familiar with the song writer, Bobby Pickett.

Shine On

The Carousel of Life

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“And the seasons, they go round and round,
And the painted ponies go up and down.
We’re captive on the carousel of time.”
Joni Mitchell

The Carousel

Life is like a carousel
That spins within our life
And we are only passengers
Riding along up and down
While the world spins slowly around

Life is such a carousel
Brilliant colors, shiny objects
For all to see and touch
Music from every style and range
For all to hear and love

Life was once a carousel
For all the young and old
No worries or cares
Just simple joys
Love once made our world go around

Life is just a carousel
With all it’s ups and downs
You must hold on
Until the ride is over
And then you must step down

By:  J R

Shine On
Copyright ©

Dedication

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“We all have dreams.
But in order to make dreams
come into reality,
it takes an awful lot of determination,
dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
Jesse Owens

Dedication

Every morning when I wake, no matter rain or shine, there are surfers in the water. The waves can be minuscule or ten foot swells but still there are surfers in the water.

Our waters here in Redondo Beach are cold in the summer months and even colder in the fall and winter. Some of these surfers hit the surf without a wetsuit. Some even hit the water before daybreak.

I admire these surfers for their passion for their sport and for their undying dedication.

Shine On

Beyond The Horizons

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“A cloud does not know why it moves
in just such a direction and at such a speed.
It feels an impulsion… this is the place to go now.
But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns
behind all clouds, and you will know, too,
when you lift yourself high enough
to see beyond the horizons.”
Richard Bach

Beyond The Horizons

Shine On

King of Kustomizers

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“I’m taking the challenge of solar energizing
the Ford Focus electric car.”
George Barris

Classic Custom Cars

Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford with the Lincoln Futura concept car circa 1950s from the movie, Started With A Kiss

If you grew up in Southern California during the 1950s and 1960s, you witnessed some of the most famous custom cars built in the 20th century.

The man responsible for some of these famous automobiles is George Barris. George and his brother Sam were born in Chicago in the 1920s. Following the death of their mother, their father sent the boys to live with their uncle in Roseville, California.

As early as age 7, George was making models of cars using balsa wood. His careful attention to details on the modifications and design of these cars won contests sponsored by local hobby shops.

George’s uncle gave George and his brother a run down 1925 Buick which the brothers swiftly restored and made into a beautiful custom car. This was just the beginning of the famous Barris Custom Shop in Bell, California.

Their beautiful custom work for well-paying car lovers brought the brothers to the attention of the movie industry. Soon they were building custom cars for movies such as, North by Northwest, The Time Machine and also began customizing cars for television.

Batmobile

1965 Batmmobile

In the beginning of the 1950s, George Barris purchased the Lincoln Futura, a concept car built by Ghia of Italy. It remained in his collection until he was hired by ABC Television to build a car for the Batman television series. The request for the Batman car didn’t leave him much time to build a car from scratch, so he decided to use the Futura to create the Batmobile.

The Batmobile was just the beginning of his television custom car career. From there he went on to build the Drag-U-La car for The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies touring car and the car for the Night Rider series just to mention a few.

He’s also famous for his custom novelty cars for celebrities such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Ann Margret, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Sonny and Cher.

Today George Barris is still building and designing cars and is a legend among the hot rod industry. At 89 years young, his latest and newest car he’s working on is with Galpin Ford. It’s a solar energy Ford Focus using solar sheets on the roof.

Whether he’s building cars for Hollywood or for wealthy private collectors, George Barris will always be known throughout the world as the original King of Kustomizers.

Shine On