LeisahPhx

Articles 111
Views 89.7K

Arts & Culture | Music

Music | Arts & Culture

Coming of age

I recently realized that my oldest son is approaching the age I was when I first became aware of Rick Springfield: 12. Here’s the first mention of RS in my diary, entered on May 15, 1982, alm…

Music | Arts & Culture

New video: The Voodoo House

It’s here – the video for “The Voodoo House”! If I had to pick my favorite song of “The Snake King,” “The Voodoo House” would be it so I’m happ…

Music | Arts & Culture

A powerful ripple effect

Last week, Rick Springfield received the 2018 Beatrice Stern Media Award from Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services for raising awareness about depression and mental health issues. The Erasing the Sti…

Music | Arts & Culture

More subtle than posters on the wall

If anyone peeked into my teenage bedroom, they would know beyond a doubt that I was a Rick Springfield fan. His face was plastered all over my walls and his music was likely playing from my stereo …

Music | Arts & Culture

What if Albert Einstein had a smartphone?

We recently received this month’s PJ Library book, “On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein” by Jennifer Berne. The book, which has beautiful illustrations by Vladimir Radu…

Music | Arts & Culture

Watching the ‘Million Dollar Quartet’

Last week’s performance of the “Million Dollar Quartet” at Phoenix Theatre was much more than a play – it was like traveling back in time to a 1956 concert. Not only were th…

Music | Arts & Culture

When the book on the shelf speaks to you

I’ve always been a big fan of the library. One of my favorite things to do is to have a quiet hour or so by myself at the library to be able to walk through the aisles  and scan the books to …

Music | Arts & Culture

A sad day for music

Last Monday, Tom Petty played the last show of his 40th Anniversary Tour at the Hollywood Bowl. Today he died, at age 66, after being rushed to the hospital early this morning from his home in Mali…

Music | Arts & Culture

Who (and what) is ‘The Snake King’?

Two new articles posted today share a little more information about “The Snake King.” In one of the articles, “Rick Springfield Calls Original Blues Set His ‘First Theme Record…

    Music | Arts & Culture

    Over 100K raised through Rick Springfield birthday campaigns

    The totals are in for this year’s fan-run Rick Springfield birthday campaign. This year’s campaign was in memory of his mom, Eileen Springthorpe, who died on Dec. 21, 2016, and raised $…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      Random photos in an envelope

      I was looking through a box in the garage and I came across an envelope postmarked Feb. 19, 2001. It was from a friend I’d lost touch with years ago and inside were 8×10 photographs of R…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

      Last week, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees for 2017. The nominees were announced on SiriusXM’s all-music talk channel on Oct. 18: The list features newly eligi…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      5 reasons I ❤ Rick Springfield 

      You may know by now that I’m a big fan of Rick Springfield. I think I’ve covered the reasons why in my past 200-plus posts, but I thought I would summarize it here in case anyone is dis…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      Way, way, way back Wednesday

      Somebody posted this video on Facebook and I just wanted to post this here because it’s from the recording of one of my very favorite Rick Springfield songs – “Believe in Me”…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      Official ‘Down’ video and interview beforehand

      Happy Monday to you! (Update: Video posted on YouTube June 21.) And click here for the interview in his home studio that happened right before it. Some thoughts: Now that I know RS and the band are…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      SpringFIELD

      Now that there’s been an announcement of this summer’s tour, the next round of interviews are bound to happen as RS heads to different cities around the country. And fans will undoubted…

      Music | Arts & Culture

      Dreams shot down

      I had never heard of Christina Grimmie until last night. #PrayforChristina was trending on Twitter and I clicked on it to see why. The story was heartbreaking – a 22-year-old talented singer …

        Music | Arts & Culture

        20 songs on the Hot 100 chart

        Recent articles about Rick Springfield have referred to him as “rock legend,” “’80s icon” and “the legendary Rick Springfield.” (Also “singer-guitari…

        Music | Arts & Culture

        Rocket Science: the singles

        In interviews, Rick Springfield has mentioned that he had no idea “Jessie’s Girl” was going to be the big hit off “Working Class Dog.” And now it’s one of the qu…

        Music | Arts & Culture

        Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes. R.I.P David Bowie

        David Bowie was one of those musicians who was always in the background of my life. I grew up with and appreciated his music and although I had a couple of his albums, I never saw him in concert or...

        Music | Arts & Culture

        ‘Mom on the Road’ follows lifelong passions

        Allyson Ochs Primack was practicing criminal law in Arizona when her oldest son, Sam, landed the role of Pugsley Addams in the national tour of “The Addams Family.” He was 10 years old at the time, so she opted to join him on the six-month nat

          Music | Arts & Culture

          My Rick Springfield Crush Revival

          A song about my Rick Springfield crush... rscrush.wordpress.com

          Music | Arts & Culture

          Late, Late at Night Musical Journey

          Songs from Rick Springfield's memoir

          Music | Arts & Culture

          'A timeless people'

          Over the course of four years, Rabbi Saul Landa, a dentist from New Jersey, spent Passover in the Lower East Side of New York, Purim in New Orleans, Tu b'Shevat in Phoenix and Sukkot in Baltimore. He also attended weddings in Denver and San Francisco, a b

            Music | Arts & Culture

            Author shares love of Sonoran Desert in new book

            Author Sharon I. Ritt’s background as a teacher is evident in her first book, which follows a Gambel’s Quail as he leaves home to look for new playmates and explore Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

              Music | Arts & Culture

              Author shares

              One morning, Judy Laufer woke up laughing. She says,