41 years ago April 22 - The Blues Brothers debuted on SNL by Kaye Spencer #prairierosepubs #BluesBrothers #SNL

Forty one years ago...

April 22-1978 - The soon-to-become legendary band the Blues Brothers debuted on Saturday Night Live.

Blues Brothers publicity picture
Full citation below

The frontmen for the Blues Brothers, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, made television history that night, and Paul Shaffer introduced them to the worldwide television audience with this fabricated story*:

It was Marshall Checker, of the legendary Checker brothers, who first discovered them in the gritty blues clubs of Chicago's South Side in 1969 and handed them their big break nine years later with an introduction to music-industry heavyweight and host of televisions' Rock Concert, Don Kirshner.

It didn't matter that this musical duo was a "not-quite-real, not-quite fake" creation of the comedic masterminds Aykrod and Belushi. They'd hit upon a novel idea, and they ran with it.

The Blues Brothers performed two songs on that SNL episode - Hey, Bartender and Soul Man. This video is a performance of Hey, Bartender, but not from the SNL debut.

Here are a few trivia tidbits about the Blues Brothers**:

• They were an American R&B, blues, and soul revivalist band with heavy influences from rock and jazz, and the band was created as part of musical sketch on SNL.
• Belushi played 'Joliet' Jake Blues
• Akyrod played the harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues
• Well-known and respected musicians have rotated in and out of the band (full list HERE)
• 1978 - released their debut album Briefcase Full of Blues AND (along with New Riders of the Purple Sage) opened for the Grateful Dead at a an Francico concert
• 1980 - the movie, The Blue Brothers
• 1982 - after Belushi's death, the Blues Brothers continued to perform with a variety of musicians in and out of the band
• 1988 - world tour
• 1998 - sequel to the original movie -- Blues Brothers 2000
• A documentary of the evolution of the band is included in some DVD editions of the first Blues Brothers film (Stories Behind the Making of the Blues Brothers.
• 1982 - After John Belushi's death, his brother, Jim, took on the role of "Zee Blues" and performed periodically with the band, and he was also a part of the album Blues Brothers & Friends: Live from House of Blues.
• Actor John Goodman also did a stint as band member "Mighty Mack" McTeer as a vocalist
• 2018 - Dan Akroyd hosted a radio show as Elwood Blues on the weekly House of Blues Radio House
• Between 1992 and 2017 - band recorded 19 albums ( 2 studio; 4 live; 2 soundtrack; 11 compliation)
• 1979 - their song "Soul Man" reached Number 14 on US charts
• Their soundtrack album from their movie, "Gimme Some Lovin'", was a Top 40 hit, and the band toured to promote the film.
• Belushi's wife (Judith Jacklin and his friend Tino Insana) wrote a book titled Blues Brothers: Private - offered back story for the original movie

 My favorite bit of trivia is this story:

To promote Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, and John Goodman performed at the halftime of Super Bowl XXXI, along with ZZ Top and James Brown. The performance was preceded with a faux news report stating the Blues Brothers had escaped custody and were on their way to the Louisiana Superdome.

So fabulous. ;-)

To wrap up this brief stroll down Blues Brothers memory lane, here is my favorite song/scene from the original Blues Brothers movie - Rawhide/Stand by Your Man. (and, of course, every neighborhood bar has a bull whip hanging on the wall where the band can access it *wink*)

Until next time,
Kaye Spencer

As I don’t send a newsletter, you might consider following me on these social media venues:

Amazon Author Page | BookBub | Blog | Twitter


References, Resources, and Further Reading
*“The Blues Brothers Make Their World Premiere on Saturday Night Live.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-blues-brothers-make-their-world-premiere-on-saturday-night-live.

**“The Blues Brothers.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers.

***Blues Brothers. Digital Image. Publicity picture featured on the cover of the 45-tour disk, "Sweet Home Chicago". 1980. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BluesBrothers.jpg. Reproduced under United States fair use copyright law. 02 September 2009.

Vampire/Cowboy romance - Give Me Tomorrow by Kaye Spencer #vampire #vampireromance #PrairieRosePubs #paranormalromance

On September 20th, my paranormal-lite, cowboy-meets-vampire story Give Me Tomorrow was released through Fire Star Press. The story is actually a rerelease of a short story that I expanded, deepened, and retitled. This is Part 4 in my release-day series. You can read the three previous articles by clicking on the dates:

Part 1 - June 25, 2018 - Give Me Tomorrow - upcoming release
Part 2 - July 23, 2018 - Do You Remember 1990? A stroll down memory lane | Give Me Tomorrow
Part 3 - August 27, 2018 - Give Me Tomorrow

Why do I call this story 'paranormal-lite'? Give Me Tomorrow is a vampire story, yes, but the vampire aspect is not the primary thread in the story. It’s a story about learning to live with what life hands you while coming to terms with the ‘demons’ of your past so you can move forward in life with someone you love. The heroine is the vampire, who handles her vampireness as a health issue that she's learned to live with. It doesn't dominate her life. She is not an I vant to drink your blood. Blah Blah Blah vampire. *wink* Hence, the 'lite' aspect of paranormal.

Give Me Tomorrow is a short novel. Many of the scenes are drawn from my real-life experiences. Well, none of the vampire aspects of the story, but others.

• The scene with the veterinarian tending to an injured horse is something I have much experience with. Veterinarians made barn calls 24/7 in vehicles like this one. (imagine a much older model pickup truck, though)

Vet truck box - Image: http://www.800toolbox.com/vet_box/vet_box.html

• The accident with the pony and the little boy really happened. I ten years old-ish, and I witnessed what happened and how it turned out.
• The protagonist, Jax, owns a horse boarding and layover facility. I was involved in thoroughbred racing many years ago, and I fashioned Jax’s business after one that I worked at during the off season from thoroughbred racing at Thistledown Racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio.

Example of a horse boarding facility

Dreamstime photo #23821276 (license purchased for use) 

• The protagonist also runs a horse transport service. I didn’t drive a transport van or semi with trailer, but I did haul horses from one racetrack to another several times with my pickup and fifth-wheel horse trailer. We called this kind of trailer a 'goose neck trailer' back then.
• Jax and Lissa (Melissa) galloping horses on a track is also something I've done.
• The restaurant where Jax and Lissa have dinner is a real restaurant. In its heyday, it was a swanky, expensive place to dine. My first waitressing job was at the Colonial in 1974.

Colonial restaurant c.1960s - Postcard - Kaye Spencer's collection

• The setting of this story is in northeastern Colorado, which is where I was born and raised. The real town I grew up in is Fort Morgan. My fictional name for this town is Platte River City. This fictionally-named town shows up in some of my other works. Historically, Fort Morgan was on the South Platte Trail and the safest river crossing was Platte River Crossing, but that is a story for a future blog article.
• There is riding accident scene near the end of the story that I experienced. I was with the person who was hurt in the same way that the character in the scene is hurt. The real-life outcome was not a happy one.

  

  Runaway, riderless horse

  Dreamstime photo #9025616 (license purchase for use)

Forever, like a fine wine, is better when shared.

BLURB

Vampire Melissa Price’s heart has hardened to an empty shell of remembered love. Lifetimes of experience and self-preservation have taught her that relationships serve only two purposes—sustenance and superficial companionship. Her work as a veterinarian gives purpose to her solitary life, but three hundred years of loneliness catches up with her when she responds to an emergency call and meets the least likely man to bring down the wall of her emotionless existence.

Jaxon Granger is part-owner of his family’s thoroughbred racehorse boarding and layover facility. His world revolves around his business, family, and a penchant toward hedonism. Horses are his life and womanizing bachelorhood is his religion. He boasts that there isn’t a woman alive who can make him a one-woman man.

That is, until he falls for a woman who isn’t alive—in the strictest sense of the word.

EXCERPT

As Jax watched Lissa tidy up, his curiosity demanded satisfaction. “Tell me about your health problem. Does it have something to do with your preference of working nights?”

“You’re perceptive. I’m sensitive to sunlight.”

“Sensitive as in Lupus, or something like that?”

“No. Not Lupus.”

“So, what is it?”

Without missing a beat, she said, “Too long in the sunlight and my skin sizzles and sloughs off. It’s a nasty sight.” She closed a door and walked to the other side of her truck. “It takes a lot out of me to regenerate the damaged skin. I don’t care for it.”

Jax snorted. “Where did Doc find you? 1‐800‐DRACULA?” He attempted a dramatic and campy Bela Lugosi impersonation that even he realized fell flat, although Lissa came around the back of her vet truck grinning.

“You have more personality than I anticipated.”

“Personality? What do you mean?”

“Doc Bohlanger has purposely kept me away from your facility. He wanted me to build up a clientele and a reputation before making my first call out here.” She closed the back door of her truck. “He warned me about you.”

“What, exactly, did he warn you about?” Jax liked the way her dimples deepened and the sassy turn of her pouty lips when she smiled. He also speculated on what she wore under her scrubs—hoping it was black and lacy—while estimating how many times he’d have to take her to dinner before she slept with him.

“He said you have a poor opinion of career women, which has manifested as a notorious reputation as a lady killer. Consequently, you’ll be determined to get me into bed, so you can put another notch on your bedpost.”

Jax grunted a hmmpf.

“You deny his assessment?”

He shook his head, grinning. “No.”

Give Me Tomorrow

Available at Amazon.com

Kindle | KindleUnlimited | Print

So you like stories that incorporate the author's real life experiences? Does knowing these stories behind the published story enhance your reading enjoyment? Let me know in the comments. I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say.

Until next time,

Kaye Spencer

Writing through history one romance upon a time

Website/Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest 
Facebook | Amazon | LinkedIn | YouTube

MORE NEW OCTOBER RELEASES FROM LINDA SWIFT!

And...we're back with a few more upcoming October releases! Today we want to showcase Ms. Linda Swift and her upcoming releases with Prairie Rose Publications AND Fire Star Press! These three excellent books are available for PRE-ORDER NOW, and will be released on October 17th! Jump on over to Amazon right now to work the Kindle magic by buying each of them with one click--they will magically appear on your kindle on October 17th!

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Once in love, Leigh and Russell are maneuvered into spending time together during the Christmas holidays. Recovering from a tragedy, Leigh vows never to be responsible for a child again while Russell faces deciding custody of his two daughters after his ex-wife remarries.

Even as their attraction flares once more, how can they possibly overcome the obstacles life has placed between them? Then toss an arsonist, a lovable Labrador, and an unwanted stepfather into the situation...

Will the twelve days of Christmas be time enough to sort it all out?

LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY

Kala's position as tour guide at a Kentucky Welcome Center isn't enough to cope with huge debts left by her late husband's illness, but she manages to make ends meet, until she has car trouble. To save on future repairs, she enrolls in a basic auto-care class.

Rex is a handsome, part-time instructor whose broken heart needs repairing, too. After recently losing his important job and family, he has sworn never to get involved with another woman.

Kala discounts her growing attraction to Rex when she learns he is years younger, until the winter storm of the century throws them together. When the Interstate closes down, Kala opens her home to a houseful of strangers. Despite fire, flood, and friction, she creates an old-fashioned holiday rich in the true spirit of Christmas. In the process, will Kala and Rex discover the greatest gift of all?

PROMISES ON THE WIND

Heart-warming Civil War Tales

A Season of Miracles
Caroline Ross, a Confederate widow, desperately seeks medical help for her little son in the Union Army camp.

John Oldham, a soldier disowned by his family for choosing the wrong side, comes to her aid.

As they keep a vigil for days at Danny's bedside, a close relationship develops between them. John longs for a family and wants to make Caroline and Danny his own. Will his wish come true in this season of miracles?

• ♥ •

A Season for Love
Elizabeth Harper, a recent widow, is in danger of losing her home and livelihood to her late husband's brother who is claiming legal ownership.

Matthew Sutton, a homeless wounded veteran, takes on her cause when he agrees to become her husband to stop Fred Harper's takeover. Elizabeth and Matthew have no intentions of falling in love, but love happens. Can she convince him that she looks beyond his past allegiance and useless arm and loves the man he has become?

• ♥ •

A Season to Forgive
Enid Sutton is resigned to remaining single and caring for her dictatorial father in the aftermath of the Civil War. When Judge Sutton suffers a heart attack, Enid sends for his estranged son who returns and brings his new family with him.

Ben Taylor arrives to claim his deceased aunt's property and convert the mansion into a school for freedmen, but his plans go awry.

We'll be back again next Friday with MORE OCTOBER RELEASES to show you!

#NewRelease -- FLAME -- #Giveaway

The National Cheyenne Rodeo holds promise to seasoned rodeo contestants and fans of a grand finale for the season. No one expects one of the leading contenders for team roping, Randy Murray, to lose his life in a freak accident in the final round.

Devastated by her husband’s death, Cindy Murray faces life-altering decisions. How can she deal with the sudden death of the high school sweetheart she’s planned a life with? What will she do with the ranch that had been the dream she and Randy had shared? And, most importantly, how will she deal with the pregnancy she had never expected—alone?

Cindy faces another crisis when she finds a pregnant horse dying in a trap. Can she save FLAME, the orphaned colt? Life is fast becoming overwhelming for her—but she has to do what’s right. From the ashes of her hopes and dreams, a new beginning becomes possible.

Have you ever competed in or watched a rodeo? Shelby will give an e-book of her new release to someone who comments on today's post.

Excerpt

(Cindy has lost her young husband to a rodeo accident. Now she's faced with being forced to ride just a few short days later, competing in the barrel racing events against her best friend in order to have the money she needs to pay for her husband's funeral and the upkeep of their little ranch.)

“Fourteen point two!” Helen announced, riding up to us and dismounting. “That’s my best time, ever. Good girl, Starlight.”

“Wow! Good job,” I said. “I guess that means I’m up.”

I mounted Ginger and headed out to the arena.

I waited in the holding area for the timer to go off and signal the start of my ride. The few seconds I sat in there felt like hours as my thoughts raced. This was the most nervous I had ever been before competing. It seemed like everything was riding on this. My ranch, Randy’s funeral expenses, all my payments I would have to make between now and next season…that would all be taken away if I screwed this up.

BUZZ!

I was off. I turned around the first barrel at a furious rate. I slowed as I pulled on Ginger’s reins into the turn. I kicked, and did the same around the second—and off to the third. I rounded it. I was pretty sure my time was good so far. I kicked and whipped Ginger to go faster to the finish line.

All of a sudden, I felt dizzy. Everything was starting to go dark. I couldn’t tell where I was anymore…or what I was doing. I felt sick, and then…everything went black.

Find Flame here:

Amazon  •  Barnes & Noble  • Apple  •  Kobo  •  Smashwords

Debut author Shelby Anne Watts is a nineteen-year-old junior at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she is a science education major. She lives in a small rural area in southeast Oklahoma with her brand-new husband, horse Snowy, a rescue mule named Molly, two dogs, and a cat.

People and the Forest--Gathering Ichnish, A Tribal Tradition. by Jae Hall

Lomatium californicum. Also called Ich-nish

Getting ready for this blog I thought about wide variety of native plants and the stories connected with them.  

Then the warm weather turned cold and my camera came out. Our mountain tops were shrouded in clouds and snow furies. I knew the plant and the story that needed to be shared.

I gather many plants with my family through the year, but spring time is special. It's not only Ich-nish (Ick niche) Season but it's also Coyote Weather, and the Story of Coyote and Coyote Weather is told in my family as it has been told for thousands of years.

In the Shasta Language Lomatium californicum is called Ich-nish.

It's a species of plant related to the carrot and the parsnip which is known by the common names California rock parsnip, celery weed, and California lomatium. This plant is native to California and Oregon, where it is found in low elevation mountains and hills. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomatium_californicum )

Gathering among the Oak trees

As with all wild plants, please know what you are picking and eating. Most plants in the carrot/celery family are extremely toxic. There is no such thing as too much caution. I recommend if you are in Northern California/ Southern Oregon and do decide to gather this plant that you go with someone knowledgeable.

Ichnish is used by several tribes in the Southern Oregon/Northern California area. Some use the root as a part of their traditional medicine and religious ceremonies. It can be used for smudge and many Shasta people use it to protect their homes from evil spirits.

I'll focus on the edible aspects of the plant.

Bags of Ichnish Spring 2015

For most people it is simply a delicious herbal seasoning and only the leaf is used. It is a great addition to common seasonings like pepper and garlic. It tastes somewhere between celery tops and cilantro with a twist. The older the plants the hotter the leaves. I often add it to soups, stews, and any roasted meat. it also spices up deviled eggs, omelets and salads. It grows only in the spring and is only available for a few weeks so gathering and drying enough to last our family for the year is important.

Book By Mary Carpelan

When the late winter gets warm and the Ichnish starts to grow we watch the mountains for the distinct green color of the growing Ichnish. 

I'm going to share a Shasta Legend that has been handed down for many many generations. This story takes place during the 3 days of the spring equinox and the Sun and all the landmarks in this story line up perfectly on a map for those 3 days.

My sister-in-law, Mary Carpelan wrote and illustrated this ancient family story in a children's book called Coyote Fights the Sun (currently out of print) 

I'm using common names for places and please forgive some of the photos. It's hard to get clear pictures without getting power lines, houses and  other modern items in the shots.

  

The Shasta Legend: Coyote Fights the Sun

Winter was turning to spring and Coyote thought of eating fresh Ichnish. He was foolish and decided that the food they had stored to get through winter was no longer good enough. He had his daughters throw it out.

He looked outside and saw that the skies were clear. Calling his two daughters he told them to go up the mountain (Quartz Hill) and  pick some Ichnish.

His daughters were hungry too. They went up the mountain to gather in the Ichnish patch. It was growing tall and they began to fill their bags quickly so they could get home before dark. The kept their eyes on their work and didn't pay attention to the weather.

They didn't notice that the clouds started coming over the Marble Mountains and came across Quartz Valley.

The storm rolled up the ridges and covered Quartz Hill. Soon there was a terrible storm and several feet of snow covered the hill. Coyote's daughters realized too late that the sun was gone and they were trapped.

 When the storm was over and Coyote was able to climb Quartz Hill he found that his daughters had died in the storm. He was very angry. He blamed the Sun for going away and allowing the storm to take his daughters. He vowed to kill the Sun. He took his bows and arrows and climbed up on Quartz Hill to the Ichnish patch. He waited all night for the Sun to come up, but the Sun came up across Oro Fino over Chapparal Hill!  

Still angry Coyote walked all day and climbed to the top of Chapparal Hill. The next morning the sun came up over Duzel Rock. 

Now Coyote was really mad. The sun was teasing him. He walked all day and climbed to the top of Duzel Rock and waited for the sun to rise. But the sun came up over the Lime Stone Bluffs in Shasta Valley. 

Again he walked all day to the Lime Stone Bluffs. He was determined to kill the Sun.

 The next morning the Sun was now across the valley and came up behind Mount Shasta. Coyote looked down the bluffs and saw a big lake between him and Mt. Shasta. He dove down to swim across and get ready for the next morning. But the lake was really fog. Down he tumbled until he landed on a rocky ridge and was turned to stone. 

Coyote is still standing on the ridge south of Gazelle California.

He waits each morning hoping to get his chance to kill the Sun.

So when Sun shines brightly in February and March we don't go up the mountain to look for Ichnish. We call it Coyote Weather because Coyote is a trickster and the warm weather is not Spring. It is a false Spring that goes away as the late March and early April snowstorms come over the Marble Mountains and cross Quartz Valley to wrap our Ichnish patch on Quartz Hill in cold and ice and snow.

Jae Hall

Find my page and book TimberBeast at http://prairierosepublications.com "Kelsy is an environmental spy running from her troubles. Fox is an timber faller living his dream. They meet in a forest full of  danger, romance and the Timberbeast." What could possibly go wrong?
On Facebook at www.facebook.com/TimberBeastSaga

At twitter JaeHall @kelsyfoxx

Find my  PRP Firestar Press novels and Arcadia history books at  www.amazon.com/Jae-Hall/e/B00DPOQHSW

People and the Forest by Jae Hall

Comments posted on this blog between 10 pm pacific time Friday March 6, 2015 and  8 pm pacific time Sunday March 8th will go into a drawing for an e- copy of my contemporary romance novel TimberBeast. Published by Prairie Rose Press/Firestar Press. "Kelsy is an environmental spy running from her troubles. Fox is an timber faller living his dream. They meet in a forest full of  danger, romance and the Timberbeast." What could possibly go wrong?

People and the Forest. 

The herbal medicine in my novels helped inspire this blog.
It doesn't seem like winter but the cold/flu season is in full swing in northern California. It would be nice to have lots of snow and rain, but I’m enjoying the warm sunny days.

When it comes to health care I walk two worlds. One modern and full of common medicines and the other tribal where many of our health needs are taken care of with the plant pharmacy growing around us.

Every plant has a use and there is always a way to misuse plants. I get asked the most about the ones that can help with colds and flu. We have several native plants that help with the symptoms. Remember to thoroughly research a plant before gathering or using it. Plants can vary from one area to another so be sure to learn before you gather.

Your local herb store is a good place to learn to identify local plants. Books with pictures are helpful. The US Forest Service botanist or local county ag departments can also assist in identification of wild plants.

Don’t gather near roadways or other areas where pesticides are sprayed.  Just because it’s natural doesn't mean it’s always safe and it is possible to overdose. Much depends on your health, allergies and sensitivities. Here is a little about one plant that I always keep in stock.

Most of the medicine we use comes from the forest and we gather all throughout the year. Different plant uses have come to us through various relatives. 

My mother-in-law, Betty, is of Shasta and Cahuilla Indian descent. She spent her childhood with her aunt gathering plants and learning tribal history. The stories go with the plants. She has passed down this history to me and my family.

One of her favorite herbal stories is a time when her seven children were all down with a stomach illness. She was going through bottles of medicine from the doctor to try to stop the flu symptoms but as soon as one child got better another one would relapse. 

After many days of treating her very sick children, the washer was going nonstop to keep up with all the changes of pajamas and bedding.

Her mother-in-law, Mandy, a full-blood Shasta Indian had heard how sick the grandchildren were. She came to see how they were doing. She was one of those women you see in old pictures that has a permanent frown but her dark brown eyes would sparkle when she was pleased.

She immediately told Betty to ‘Go get some manzanita’. 

(Arctostaphylos)   (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanita)

Not sure what was expected, Betty went up on the hill behind her house and cut a huge branch.

Mandy pulled a handful of leaves from the branch and washed them then handed each child 1-2 leaves with the instructions ‘chew them and swallow the juice’.

If you have ever chewed manzanita leaves you will know that they are very bitter. The children didn't argue with Grandma Mandy and did as she instructed.  By the next morning the worst symptoms had stopped and the children were feeling better and able to start eating broth. 

It taste much better to make tea with the manzanita leaves. It isn’t bitter and tastes very much like the water that comes with black olives but without the salt. When having tummy troubles  put 5-10 fresh or dried leaves in 2 cups of boiling hot water and let steep until the water turns from pale to medium green (5-10 minutes). It can be drank hot or cold. Remember to only try a little at first in case of allergies. 

The plant season can vary significantly from place to place. Our manzanita is just starting to put on buds, and soon the air will be humming with wild and domestic honey bees coming to take the sweet nectar. Only 20 miles away the manzanita in town is in full bloom and the smell is heavenly.The berries are small, powdery and edible. 

When I go outside I see our mountain full of manzanita bushes. I am thankful for the medicine the forest provides and the family knowledge that has been gathered and shared down through the generations.

It’s our tribal tradition.

Jae Hall

Find me at http://prairierosepublications.com
On Facebook at www.facebook.com/TimberBeastSaga

At twitter JaeHall @kelsyfoxx

Find my  PRP Firestar Press novels and Arcadia history books at  www.amazon.com/Jae-Hall/e/B00DPOQHSW