Frank D'Rone is a GREAT Singer

photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric Venturo

"A singer with an individual sound that invites no comparisons; a singer who can seemingly sustain a note forever; one of the few singers who can change a mood of a room from song to song by moving from one emotion to another naturally. He holds an audience."

--Nat "King" Cole



"It is simply impossible to find fault with anything Frank D'Rone sings or plays."

--Leonard Feather - Downbeat



"...when you listen to D'Rone you are listening to the real thing."

--Tony Bennett



"A seasoned singer for all seasons. Few equal D'Rone's mix of voice, guitar. The superb jazz improviser somehow manages to combine the best of two worlds: a warm baritone that adeptly expresses melodic nuances and a fluid guitar technique that operates exclusively at the virtuoso level."

--Howard Reich - The Chicago Tribune



Frank started singing and playing the guitar on stage at the age of 5 in Providence, Rhode Island. At age 11, he had his own local radio show twice a week. At age 13, he won an Artist’s Degree in classical guitar awarded him by the American Guild of Stringed Instruments. He formed his own band and played dates in the Providence area while finishing his education.

Then D’Rone headed for New York where things were happening for talented people in show business. Frank worked around New York in different clubs.

A big break came for Frank when a club owner from Chicago heard him and hired him. The club was “Dante’s Inferno.” He was such a success that the management gave him an indefinite contract.

Frank stayed at Dante’s for fourteen months. In that time, the name Frank D’Rone started becoming popular. People flocked to see him, including such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, Shecky Greene, Alan King, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Stan Kenton, June Christy and many more.

D’Rone’s unique and rare gift has taken him before the spotlights of virtually every major nightclub in the United States. Frank was headlining the world famous “Copacabana” when Tony Bennett took over the microphone on opening night and told the audience, “A few years back, Nat “King” Cole said that Frank D’Rone was the finest singer around. Tonight he has proved that Nat was right!”

I first heard of Frank D’Rone when I was doing a photo session for another singer and he had the “After The Ball” LP because he wanted to recreate the cover. I did not know the music but I had a feeling it was great. A few weeks later I saw the CD of the same album and I had to have it. I was not disappointed. Frank D’Rone is so exceptional I told myself if he ever comes to LA I would be there. Well he did come to Los Angeles for a show at the end of June and I had the pleasure to see him perform live and to work with him. He is as charming and polite as he is talented.



I wrangled up Eric Venturo and we did our thing with the Singer’s Singer. We had a blast working with one of the most talented artists we have ever met.





AM: I understand that you were a child prodigy. Is this correct?



FD: I was three years old, believe it or not. My parents told me this, and they were not musical at all. My Dad worked for the railroad. I was brought up in Providence, RI. Anyway when I was three years old my Dad was taking me downtown and I saw a ukulele. I pointed to it and said I wanted it. He bought it for me. I learned to play ukulele by myself. So I realized that I had the gift of musical talent.



AM: Did other people recognize your talent?



FD: Like I said, no one else in my family had any musical talent and I was an only child. I knew it was a gift. Then from ukulele I got my first guitar at the age of four and I taught myself. At the age of five I was on stage singing and playing guitar. I caught the tail end of Vaudeville.



AM: What kind of performing did you do?



FD: They were called melodramas. It was all in Italian and it was a play with music. During intermission I would come out and sing in Italian and play guitar for about fifteen minutes. I’ll never forget that I got two dollars as my pay. Then I just went on from there. When I was about ten, I finally started to study music. I had never studied before but I continued for six years.



AM: Did you study jazz?



FD: I studied classics for a while but that didn’t really get to me. I could always hear the jazz stuff happening. That’s what got to me. In those days it was Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra when he first came out.



AM: Would you call Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra influences?



FD: Yes and so was Nat “King” Cole.



AM: I know you ended up being friends with Nat Cole didn’t you?



FD: Oh yes, dear friends, and I was friends with Sinatra as well. When he would appear in the main show room in Vegas he always had me in the lounge so he could come enjoy my show.



AM: I love that!



FD: Isn’t that great? But Nat was my really dear friend. He wrote the liner notes for my first album. He was a big influence on me.



AM: You have been acknowledged for your talent all your life haven’t you?



FD: Yes, especially by the jazz music circles. Mainstream people don’t know me. You said you never heard of me until recently.



AM: I only learned of you about three years ago.



FD: There you go.



AM: What I love about you is that you play the guitar.



FD: It’s an asset, let me tell you. It’s better than just going up there singing.



AM: Are you interested in working more?



FD: Oh yeah, if the situation is good.



AM: You are one of the handful of singers who know the American songbook. You must know at least 300 songs. Am I right?



FD: I know at least 300 songs.



AM: Have you been compared to any other artists?



FD: No I think I have my own style. I have been compared to Sinatra as far as my phrasing goes, but not that I sound like him.



AM: I hope you come back to Los Angeles and play another show very soon.



FD: Well thank you. It’s tough like I say because there are only a handful of people who dig this kind of music. You can tell by what’s happening in music today. To me it is often noise with a beat. It’s an older crowd who digs the stuff that I do. It’s hard to get enough money to come out here.



AM: You mostly play Chicago then.



FD: Mostly and I’m doing mostly concerts. I am not background music. I will work the Green Mill Club in Chicago, which is a great Jazz Club. I’m doing the Jazz Showcase when I get back. I’ve got a concert in a Theater in Michigan. I want to play for people who come to sit and listen to Frank D’Rone sing.

Frank performing LIVE at Catalina's in Hollywood.





Frank with one of his biggest fans and friends Hugh Hefner.



To learn more about Frank D'Rone visit his web site http://www.frankdarone.com/

Deepti Bhatnagar Wet blouse image gallery

Ruta Lee

photos: Alan Mercer

Ruta Lee is a Canadian actress and dancer who appeared as one of the brides in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She is also known for being a regular on a number of game shows, including Hollywood Squares, What's My Line?, and as Alex Trebek's co-host on High Rollers.
She was born Ruta Mary Kilmonis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the only child of Lithuanian immigrants. Her father was a tailor and her mother was a homemaker. In 1948 her family moved to Los Angeles where she attended high school at Hollywood High School, and began studying acting and appearing in high school plays
She worked as a cashier, usherette, and candy girl at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, but when she was $40.00 short at the end of her shift one night she was fired.
In 1967, Lee appeared on The Lucy Show starring Lucille Ball, playing a substitute secretary to Mr. Mooney when Lucy Carmichael is supposed to go on vacation. During this period, Lee also began appearing regularly on game shows such as Hollywood Squares and Match Game.
In the early 1970s, Lee continued to appear in both films and television roles including stints on Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, and a role in the 1972 film The Doomsday Machine. By 1974, Lee grew frustrated by the lack of roles she was landing and took a job co-hosting the daytime game show High Rollers. She remained with the show until 1976.
During the 1980s, she lent her voice to episodes of The Flintstone Comedy Show and The Smurfs, in addition to roles on CHiPs, The Love Boat, Charles in Charge. In 1989, she played the role of Sally Powers in the TV movie Sweet Bird of Youth with Elizabeth Taylor. In the 1990s, Lee continued to appear in episodic television, most notably in the series Roseanne. Lee appeared as the girlfriend of Roseanne Connor's mother, Bev Harris, who had disclosed that she was gay.
In 2006, Lee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the television industry.
I met Ruta Lee through my good friend David Blackstock. She is a delight to work with and be around. Ruta is so much more than an actress or entertainer, she is a real philanthropist. She has been heading up the Thalians Charity for over fifty years now.
We sat down in her enormous Laurel Canyon home, which used to belong to Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth at one time, to chat about what's up wth her these days.

AM: Is it true that you have been on over 2500 TV shows? Is that a world record?

RL: Oh I don’t know. I’m sure there are people that have been on more shows. I know I have been on between 2500 and 3000 shows. Think about all the shows I’ve done where you shoot five in a row. Game shows and talk shows add up very fast.

AM: How would you describe your career?

RL: What a wonderfully diversified career I’ve had. I did everything and I still do anything in show business. I think that’s why I’ve had a real long journeyman’s career. If there wasn’t a lot of stuff happening in movies there was television. If there wasn’t a lot of stuff in television there was theatre. When there wasn’t enough going on in theatre I went on the Home Shopping Network for five years. There are always speeches to be made and conventions to go to. I’m always working in one way or another.

AM: Have you never had any lulls in your career?

RL: Well I’ve had a lifetime of lulls.

AM: But you’ve never had a two year period where you didn’t work?

RL: No I haven’t. I’ve got to tell you that I am looking for a lull. My time is always totally filled with my do-good activities. I’m not patting myself on the back. I’m getting ticked off at myself that I have very little time for me. I have very little time to do what I like to do which is read a book, do crossword puzzles, to paint, to walk, to do nothing or sit and watch a movie. I feel guilty if I take a Sunday afternoon and do something. Gee I should be answering emails or something else. The lull that I am looking for is one that I will have to make. I will have to resign from my official capacity as Chairman of the Board for the Thalians Charity. I will always be there to help. I will take a little of that time to write my book.

AM: Are you writing your autobiography?

RL: Yes I am.

AM: You, of all people, have a story to tell because of all the great names you have been around and called friends. You seem to have lived this life without the negative side effects.

RL: Well maybe that is because I was never huge. I was in the company of greatness but I was never a ‘great one.’

AM: Isn’t that enough for you?

RL: Yes it is! You always think that gee it would have been fun to hit superstardom if for no other reason it is financially rewarding for a short time. I think if I had reached superstardom I wouldn’t have become a little shit. My darling friend Ray Danton, God love him, was asked by James Garner while filming Maverick, ‘Ray, why are you such a shit?’ Ray answered back, ‘Because when I’m a star I don’t want anyone to say that I’ve changed!’

AM: Why do you think you are so grounded?

RL: I have been rooted so well because I came from a family who were not rich. My folks were very poor. They came from the poorest of Lithuania to Canada and worked very hard and saved their money.

AM: Did your folks struggle?

RL: I was never hungry and I was always dressed in pretty little things. My parents supported whatever I wanted to do. My Mother and Father went along with my desire to be in show business. I was well grounded. I knew what hard work was. I knew what saving was. I knew that there would be lean times no matter how successful you become and that you better put some aside for a rainy day.

AM: What did your father do for a living?

RL: My father was a tailor. My Mother was a seamstress and they had a shop in Montreal, Canada.

AM: So your parents came from no money, opened a tailor shop, and were able to buy this house?

RL: That’s because they got it at a very good price. Back in 1948 they bought this house for $65,000.00. That was an enormous amount of money. They had a long time mortgage on it but they did it. I don’t know who could put a value on it now with all the property. It’s a lot to keep up with!

AM: So if you never had another outside job again, your time would be filled with all your philanthropy work and maintaining your property?

RL: Maintaining because I am a landlady. That all takes a certain amount of time. I love being a landlady because it’s like a cow that never runs dry. It’s very good because it supports the property.

AM: Why are you so associated with Texas?

RL: When I got back from the Soviet Union, when I got my Grandmother out of there, (that story will be in the book) the gentleman who operated the Casa Manana Theatre in Ft. Worth Texas came to me and asked if I would do a show there.

AM: What show did you do?

RL: I went down to play Mollie Brown for them. It was the most wonderful experience to have me fall in love with a town and a town fall in love with me. I WAS Mollie Brown to them. It was thanks to the ladies and gentleman of the press, who came down to meet the star at a breakfast. We told bawdy stories and had a hell of a good time. To them I was the spirit of Texas, which is a great state, one of the last of the Americana states. I went back for 35 years after that. The headlines used to say, ‘Summer is here and Ruta is back!’ We became official residents of the state of Texas. As you know my darling hairstylist, adopted Godson, David Blackstock, is there.

AM: Tell me about the year you honored Lucille Ball at the Thalians.

RL: Every one of them is a struggle of pleasure. Anytime you have to put something together and I don’t care who we had, basically I wound up producing it. Lucy was just wonderful. She was a tough dame. She didn’t want to do anything that she didn’t want to do. I was on the road doing a show and I was calling her. I loved it because I had the idea that we would call it the ‘Lucille’ Ball. It was glorious. We had an elephant on stage at the Century Plaza Hotel. We had a whole circus theme going on because Lucy was the clown. It was super.

AM: Does any year stand out to you more than another?

RL: With all of the stars that we have had from Frank Sinatra to Whoopi Goldberg, all the way through, the greatest stars of all time, I think the year we honored 14 of the USA Astronauts stands out. That was pretty exciting.

AM: Ruta, are you aware of how important the internet has become for communication and publicity?

RL: I certainly don’t understand it, but I relate to it. I understand the necessity. I don’t understand how it works and I do panic when I can’t pull something up on the computer. I call my assistant and start crying, “What do I do now?’ I know what you are saying. But I do ask why does anybody need a Facebook or a MySpace? Who needs to twitter? Who CARES!?! But I guess people do. I don’t quite understand it. I think it’s for people who don’t have a life. I’m not sure what it means. I understand Facebook and MySpace better.

AM: How are you celebrating your birthday this year?

RL: Normally I go to Mexico, but that isn’t happening this year, so I am celebrating my birthday by going to a Benefit called ‘Heroes Among Us.’ They honor the unspoken people who do good things for people without a lot of hoopla. Let’s face it I have come to a point where I ignore my birthdays. I’d rather just forget about it.



To learn more about Ruta Lee visit her web site www.rutalee.com

Gilles Marini Gives Back

photos: Alan Mercer

I first met and photographed Gilles Marini a little over a year ago. He is a great model in front of the camera and he is an all around wonderful human being. When he knew he would be competing on 'Dancing With The Stars' we got together for a quick photo session and our first interview. It was a big hit! I knew I wanted to talk with Gilles again to see what was up next for him. Not surprising, he is now working on ABC's hit drama, 'Brothers and Sisters.' Gilles is also recording his first pop music album. Along with personal appearances and raising his family, which now includes a dog, he will have to find time to ride his new Harley. We got together last week and took some new photos and talked about the next phase of his career and his personal philosophy about helping others.


AM: Hello Gilles, Can you tell me what the whole experience of 'Dancing With The Stars' was like?

GM: The experience and what the show did for me was unbelievable. It was one of the single most amazing experiences of my life. I had the chance to learn something new and in life when you learn something new it is always magic. I had never danced before and seeing the pleasure the people had seeing us dancing was so rewarding that I would never want to stop. It's so rewarding to dance for a minute and thirty seconds and have everybody standing up and screaming and telling you that you changed things in their life because of a dance. I thought it was an amazing experience and I am craving for it everyday.

AM: Have you danced since the end of the show?

GM: I danced two or three times since then. I danced for 'Shawn Johnson and Friends' and she filled up an arena in Des Moines, Iowa. What a thrill! It was two weeks ago. The people are so responsive still.

AM: Isn't that how most people know you now?

GM: I would say so. Because of the show people have learned what I was doing before. A lot of people do their research so they know what you do. They know the name of your kids.

AM: You have had a lot of publicity recently. I have seen your whole family everywhere.

GM: It's been a great ride. We are having fun and enjoying every moment.

AM: Did it sting a little not to win?

GM: Not at all. The only reason I wanted to win was not for me but for Cheryl. I wanted Cheryl to have a third trophy. The mirror ball trophy was not the question, it is how you control yourself during the competition and how you portray yourself. I really was myself. What you see is what you get. I never cheated and I danced the entire season with a broken shoulder. I gave it my all and worked my hardest and I feel like America and ABC Family are the people who bet on me. They should have something back. It's funny because for the rest of my life I will have scars on my back reminding me that I was part of one of the biggest shows on TV. I think it's cool.

AM: And now you are going to be working on 'Brothers and Sisters.' Have you started filming?

GM: How fortunate is that? ABC Family thought it would be great for them if I was on the show. They didn't pick just any show. They picked the most critically acclaimed show they have with the most talent. They are writing a character specifically for me. We start shooting in ten days. It's pretty overwhelming. It's such an excitement in me. Whoever gives me a chance, I give them my all. I treat everything like it was my project. That's why people really like to work with me. I like to invest myself in things and I am not scared of work. Whatever they want me to be I will be. I will do the best job possible.

AM: Do you already know what kind of part you will have on the show?

GM: As we speak I am doing between 5 and 7 shows but we will see down the line. My manager wants me to be free for pilot season so there are a lot of different things going on. If they tell me tomorrow that they want to sign me for three or four seasons then I will jump at it. This show will only bring me amazing things. I am excited. Every episode for me will be like it's the last one. Every scene and every word will be that way. This is my shot. I am ready.

AM: I know you are recording a pop music album. How did that happen?

GM: This is kind of breaking news. I got a phone call from my manager saying some very important people in the music industry want to meet you. I ended up in the office of Diane Warren. She is an icon and the legendary Diane Warren. I thought what am I doing here? She asked me to sing for her and I said sure. What do you want me to sing? I started humming a few bars from' La Vie En Rose.' She said, 'Yes you can sing.' I just recorded the scratch demo last night.

AM: What does Diane Warren have to do with it?

GM: She is giving me songs and helping this album happen?

Am: Do you have a release date yet?

GM: Everyone talked about Thanksgiving but that may be a little soon. I want to do some amazing projects. If it's worth it to wait longer then fine. We will see what happens. The TV show will be broadcast in January and February so it might work better then.

AM: I know you have a 2010 calendar out now. Is this your first one?

GM: Yes it came from an idea from the French photographer Fred Goudon. He knows me since I am 18 years old and he took the first pictures I ever had in my life. Some of the pictures in the calendar are from when I was 18 and 19. It is a 15 year collaboration. I pretty much had nothing to do with it. Fred is the one who wanted it. I agreed with him that it would be great but I want all my profits to go to a charity.

AM: Did you pick a charity yet?

GM: Yes it's called Hollywood United For Change. It's a charity for my soccer team. With that charity there are a couple different things we are supporting. We can help kids get money for a scholarship. A lot of talent is wasted in America because there is no money. There is also a lot of talent and problems in Haiti and we want to help. When you see the stress and the problems of these kids in the world it is not fair. You want to help. It gives you a perspective and you realize you don't need a mansion on a hill and to be worth billions of dollars to know that you are still very rich.

AM: Does your family share the same beliefs?

GM: My kids are spoiled. They have a big TV and they get breakfast everyday. I got them a dog. Life is so wonderful for them. We are all out of touch about how life really is in this world. If I can make a little bit of noise and maybe change a couple of people and help them understand that we don't need that much. It is great to share. The problem that we have learned with a lot of charities is that sometimes the money does not go to the right person. I like to be really involved and see where that money goes. I want to know first hand that we got all the books for that school. It takes a little bit of time but again life is about being rewarded and doing good things.

AM: You seem to be a giver!

GM: I love to give a gift rather than receiving it. For me it's getting the biggest gift to give. I love seeing a kid smiling because he met us and now he can learn something in school because he has the books. I am accomplishing something better than being on a billboard.

AM: That's because you are a high quality person.

GM: Everyone is like that but they may not have the time and money to do anything. Maybe I am naive but I think a lot of people if they had the money and power would change something. The problem is there is not a lot of people with money and power. I know I'm not the only one who wants change.

AM: You are in a fortunate position now.

GM: Yes I have an opportunity to do something and I am doing it.

AM: Once again I think you are simply a deeper person.

GM: I am doing this because I am a father. It's called giving back. Would you leave your child without a book to read? If I am able to help even three kids in the world then it is all worth it. Maybe I can help 3000 or three million kids. I don't like to say this but maybe if I become so famous and rich I can do more. This is a message for all the actors out there. Take a few seconds of your time. If it's a small kid then bend down and look at him and ask his name and how are you. Ask him what he wants to do in life and thank him for giving us this attention because without them we are nothing. Give him good advice about life. It only takes a few seconds and you can change a life sometimes. This is the power as actors and entertainers that we have. People are looking up to us. If you are a nice person at that time they will always remember you. Trust me they will take a direction of being good.

AM: I agree. What gave you this perspective?

GM: I met Will Smith a long time ago in Miami. He was such an amazing guy. He somehow without knowing it changed a lot of things in my life. He was so human. He let me know that it was possible to become an actor. He is a human being who has a lot of heart and was a sweetheart. I was waiting tables at the hotel where he and his family were staying. I was there everyday and it was a beautiful experience. He is an amazing man. I want to continue that. When kids ask me about dancing and show me their dancing I look at them and tell them they are the best. They will work harder at it. The sky is the limit. That's how we make success in life. Kids have to believe it is possible. You have to encourage the kids.

AM: I know you just got a Harley Davidson bike. Have you always wanted one?

GM: When 'Terminator 2' came out I was thirteen or fourteen years old and I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger riding one and I said to myself, 'One day I will be in Los Angeles riding a Fat Boy' and that dream happened two days ago. To make a long story short, my very best friend Donal Logue shot an incredible pilot for HBO, but they did not pick the most incredible pilot of all time. It was about a motorcycle gang and had about a hundred motorcycles so Donal got the motorcycle from the show. Somehow, without me even telling him my dream, told me to take it. He said this is yours.

AM: He just gave it to you?

GM: Yes, I gave him something that was nothing and this is what I got. It's priceless. I always wanted a Fat Boy bike. I am not fat but I am a boy!

Visit Gilles new web site http://www.gillesmarini.com/

A moment with a Munchkin...Jerry Maren!

photo: Alan Mercer

Jerry Maren was born Gerard Marenghi in Boston, Massachusetts. He acted in The Wizard of Oz playing a member of the Lollipop Guild, handing the lollipop to Dorothy Gale. When Jerry acted in The Wizard of Oz he stood three foot four inches.
After The Wizard of Oz Jerry continued acting and appeared in many movies and television shows (including a walk-on role in an episode of Seinfeld "The Yada Yada"). Some of these appearances were in the Our Gang comedy shorts, the Marx Brothers At The Circus (1939) and as an ape in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).
In the 1950s Maren worked as a Little Oscar for the Oscar Mayer Company and as Buster Brown in television and radio commercials. Later he joined his friend Billy Barty in organizing Little People of America. Maren has also portrayed Mayor McCheese and The Hamburglar in commercials for McDonald's.
In the late 1970s he was the dapper little man on The Gong Show, heralding each show's big finish with an onslaught of confetti as Milton Delugg's band played "Hoop Dee Doo".
Jerry Maren continues to occasionally act in movies and television shows as well as traveling the country appearing at Wizard of Oz festivals and autograph signings. He and his wife, Elizabeth, currently reside in southern California.
AM: Hello Jerry, you are so wonderful to meet. You are so nice to everyone.

JM: I am the lollipop kid from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

AM: This is so exciting to talk to someone from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

JM: It is so nice to talk to you.

AM: How long has it been since the ‘Wizard of Oz’ has been out?

JM: We are celebrating the 70th Anniversary of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

AM: You must have been a teenager then.

JM: I started filming it when I was only seventeen years old. Judy was only fifteen but she was an absolute angel.

AM: Do you make your living primarily off selling your autograph?

JM: Oh no I have property and other ventures but this helps a lot.

AM: Do you enjoy meeting your fans?

JM: Oh I LOVE people. I never get tired of meeting fans of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

AM: When is your birthday?

JM: January 24, 1920. I am eighty-nine years old now.

AM: You look amazing.

JM: Well thank you. You are very kind. I take care of myself. I like to play golf about once a week.

Jerry Marin in 'The Wizard Of Oz' at the age of 17

Peggie Perkins At Last!

photos: Alan Mercer

Born in Chicago to a mother who sang professionally and a father who was an artist. Peggie started singing before she started talking!
She always knew it was her destiny to be on stage and perform to audiences of all ages. She was in every available choir class in school and also in drama classes, performing in plays and concerts. Always ready to belt out a tune, tell a joke, always the center of attention, she was a regular class clown.
Serious about this music thing, she pushed full steam ahead! Peggie moved to Los Angeles at 18 years of age, in pursuit of her dream of being a singer.
Peggie wanted some special images for her debut CD, something a little more glamorous, so she came to me. She is an out-going, gregarious personality who can knock out a song!

Am: Have you noticed a change in your audience since you released your CD?

PP: Actually No. I have not, the music I perform on this CD and Live appeals to a broad audience.

AM: I know it took a long time to get your first CD out there. Have you enjoyed being able to offer recorded music to your fans?

PP: It was a lifelong dream that has been even better than I could have imagined. My fans love it, listen to it, and sing along! It has been a truly wonderful rewarding experience.

AM: Give me an idea of your career so far. Have you done a lot of different types of music and live performing?

PP: Yes I have Alan. Well, From Rock & Roll, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, doo wop, Las Vegas Shows, Choirs, Standards, Jazz, R & B, and everything in between I have sung all styles of music in many parts of the US Canada and Japan! I have been a live performer for over twenty years and 15 of those years were 6 nights a week! I Love every single minute of it!

AM: How did you decide to record standards and jazz influenced songs?

PP: I actually had been around them my entire life as influenced by my Mother (A Singer) and Father. I also won a local Radio contest Singing Standards, and Jazz, was fortunate to perform with Bill Miller Pianist for Sinatra Jim Hughart Bass player for Sinatra and Plas Johnson, Saxophonist of Pink Panther fame on that show!
That led me to this album!

AM: Have the changes in the music business been beneficial or detrimental to your career?

PP: A Bit of both really. Well, I love that we can have instant music on our computers, and that Indie Artists have a place to be heard and in the same phrase I can say the days of the Big Record Companys and Studios were sure exciting and me always going to the record store to buy the latest and greatest! I kind of miss Vinyl! I did however get to master this CD at Capital Records Hollywood which was an absolute thrill!

AM: Will you record another CD soon and if so will it be different than the one you have out now?

PP: I am in the planning stages. I am looking for original material written for my voice!
Maybe a bit more torchy, R & B flavor! Really kick it up a notch!

AM: Do you prefer live performing or being in the studio?

PP: I do prefer Live performing! There is no greater thrill!

To learn more about Peggie Perkins visit her web site http://www.peggieperkins.com/

Teen choice awards 2009 selena gomez amazed by taylor lautners abs

The Teen Choice Awards is a teen awards show presented annually by Fox. The first awards were held in 1999. The program honors the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teens aged 13–19. The program features a number of celebrities and musical performers. The winners are awarded with authentic full size surfboards designed with the grafix of that year's show which change every year. The ceremony has created spin-off teen awards on YouTube.The 2010 ceremony was held on Sunday, August 8 in Los Angeles, California and aired Monday, August 9. That year's show was hosted by Katy Perry and the cast of the hit Fox show Glee, Kevin McHale, Cory Monteith, Mark Salling and Chris Colfer.