Big band legend Artie Shaw dies: Artie Shaw, the clarinettist and band leader who epitomised the big band era, died yesterday aged 94.
BBC NEWS :
His 1938 recording of the Cole Porter tune Begin the Beguine helped make him one of the most famous and highly-paid musicians in the US at the time.
A self-declared perfectionist, Shaw was married eight times. His wives included Hollywood actresses Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and Evelyn Keyes.
and on a personal note, this was a formative piece of knowledge for my childhood: I was trained to respond to the question, “how many wives did Artie Shaw have” with the correct answer, “eight!”.
Strangely enough, Steven Watson writes me this afternoon:
I am about to see your website, but I was thinking of you this morning because Artie Shaw died.And the first smart baby trick you did was to say “8” when we asked 'how many wives did artie shaw have
I'm guessing I was younger than in this picture (taken on Baldwin St., outside of Ragnarokr), but possibly not. Hard to tell how old I am behind the flying monster.
Seth, Steve, Colleen and unknown infants and monsters
click for larger version
I haven't yet read Steve's new book, but I will sooner than later.....
“Factory Made : Warhol and the Sixties” (STEVEN WATSON)
Seth would say "eight" and impress everyone. He was about two years old. His first trivia.