ODD advice from Tom, “How do you know your mechanic is any good?”

Answer, “By the size of his boat.”

The loud, infectious laugh is gone.

Yesterday we wandered to Paris, Texas in reporting the death of Oscar de la Renta. Today, we report the death of Carson who directed the acclaimed film “Paris, Texas.”

Cause of death, probably pneumonia at age 72. There’s a lot that could, and has, been said about Carson’s writing and directing career, but the tidbit we ODDly like is Carson’s marriage to Karen Black, the actress that played the obnoxious, airheaded waitress Rayette in “Five Easy Pieces”  and uttered the line, “Does this house have a tel-e-vision?”

(BTW, Karen died earlier this year of ampullary cancer, a rare cancer at the junction of the bile and pancreatic ducts.)

Hold the chicken.

Born into a prominent Dominican Republic Spanish Family, de la Renta at age 16 moved to Spain to study art, but the fates had a different plan.  His talent for sketching and design took him to the Paris designer scene (that’s Paris, France, not Paris, Texas which proudly proclaims itself “the world’s second largest Paris”  complete with Eiffel Tower (but with red cowboy hat on top). In 1963 he moved to New York with a shortened name, “Renta” is his family name.

A shrewd businessman, de la Renta saw the real money in fashion lay in ready-to-wear.  While he dressed First Ladies from Jackie Kennedy to Laura Bush, his fortune came off-the-rack. He accepted every challenge to make them look good.  Over time de la Renta expanded his brand beyond clothing to other luxury items including perfume, fashion accessories, and furniture.  The success of de la Renta offers many lessons for entrepreneurs.

De la Renta freely offered advice, including famously telling Hillary Clinton not to wear black –  “It makes you look too tough.”  He told his runway models, “Walk like you have three men walking behind you.”  We ODD ones scratched our heads on this one for a while, but concluded that it was related to de la Renta’s Latin heritage, and attraction to the female rump.

Gone is the Sultan of Sauvé, and also right up until the end, a very good dancer.

Jack Bruce studied classical cello and composition in the Julliard of Scotland, before at age 16, striking out for London and eventually the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He established an early pedigree, playing for John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, and Manfred Mann. Then he hooked up with Eric Clapton and Ginger Barker to form the trio Cream.

In two years, before personalities fueled by too much acid broke them up, Cream sold 35 million albums – do you remember “albums? ” Wheels of Fire became the first platinum album. Jack was the bassist and lead singer.

Strange fact: his rock musical muse was Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds. ODD fact, when Eric Clapton left Cream, the first band he though about joining was The Band. (In the way that death can bring us together, Robbie Robinson sought reconciliation with his former drummer at Levon Helm’s bedside.

Here’s some tasty Crème and Jack Bruce reminisces from Eric Clapton.

Cause of Bruce’s death at 71 not disclosed, but ODDly he was a candidate for both cello scrotum and guitar nipple.

Number one goes to the Beatles “Yesterday”. PRR went on to have 23 hit singles and 14 gold albums. One fan asked Paul to autograph copies of all his albums. He did so, saying, “Why not, they paid for my first house and my first marriage.”

Paul Revere, continued to get his kicks right up to the end, making him the leader of one of the longest running rock bands ever–still hungry for applause, a bit portly, but with a drummer able to make a great catch.

Bill Medley, of the Righteous Brothers, and 500 friends, sent Paul to his next gig.  Go, read, enjoy, and remember over at Bill Kopp’s Music Blog and the nicely granular Paul Revere (Dick) – In Memoriam.

Police discovered Scott’s body in his house after the 10pm hour.  They were told that neighbors heard ‘explosions’ from the home prior to the police arrival.

Scott began his musical career sitting in on rehearsals and playing sessions in the 1970s while doing his stint in the Jamaican Defence Force.  In 1978 he joined up with bass player Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt leading to the formation of the Roots Radics band.  The band played with a wide variety of artists including Gregory Issacs and Bunny Wailer.

Scott’s more recent collaborations were with Adrian Sherwood in Dub Syndicate.

Just as a refresher – raggae evolved from calypso (not that person in the Disney movie).  Calypso was an early 20th century music coming out of Trinidad and Tobago.  Dub grew out of raggae originally by remixing known songs removing the vocals and pumping up the rhythm parts.

Dub Syndicate – Let The Spirit Rise – add some dub music to your collection today.

Hooks got her start on “The Bill Tush Show” which broadcast in the 1980s on WTBS in her home town of Atlanta, Oh Atlanta (thank you, thank  you Lowell George).  The show mixed up comedy, interviews, and a variety of musical guests including the debut of The Vapors performing their classic “Turning Japanese” on the show.

Hooks left SNL in 1991 and took a part in the successful TV show “Designing Women“.  Hooks also had a very memorable roll in “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” playing the part of Tina a tour guide at the Alamo. Can you say ‘adobe’ with me?

OBTW Bill Tush has been news journalist and humorist.  In 1965 he was working as a radio disk jockey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, hosting the “Mid Morning Polka Party”.

Latrobe of course is famous for Rolling Rock beer as well as (apparently) polka. (Always link back to beer whenever you have the chance.)  (Or to the Deer Hunter wherein you will find several scenes that feature Rolling Rock.)  Fish wrap.

Lest you think polka has also gone and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible polka radio may still be found especially if you find yourself in Michigan or surfing the net.  Polka is apparently a Czech word meaning “Polish woman” if you believe the Oxford Etymological Dictionary.

He missed $10 million by $185. (Dare we say, “Close but no cigar?”) Top lifetime Thoroughbred racing earnings go to Curlin who won over $10 million.

Lest you think his name came from a tobacco product, be advised that it came from a aeronautical term pre-takeoff check-offs: Controls, Instruments, Gasoline, Attitude, Runup. It was bestowed upon him by his owner, Allen Paulson who owned the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, maker of Gulfstream private jets.

Psst, for those of you with double digit multiples of Cigar’s winnings, Gulfstream has a new, super secret jet in the offing – code name P-42.

Alas, Cigar was sterile. (We ask ODDly, if Cigar had produced progeny, would they have been known as “Cigar-ettes”? Sorry.) In contrast to the tragedy of Ferdinand, Cigar was retired to the Kentucky Horse Park.

He died October 8, 2014 following complications of surgery for severe osteoarthritis. Cigar was 24 years old.

Ms. Seldes was known as a teacher to both the great Kevin Kline and the incomparable Robin Williams.  She was also said to be a muse to Mr. Albee.

“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!”

She held for a time the Guinness World Record for most consecutive performances. Our friends in the UK called her “stalwart” meaning of course “loyal, reliable, and hardworking”.

Incidently the Tony Awards are named for Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer, and wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing.

Ms. Perry was born and raised in the Mile High City of Denver Colorado which coincidentally is the home locale for Kevin Kline (and Diane Keaton) in the movie Darling Companion.  Denver is also just a short drive from Robin Williams’ well known Mork and Mindy House located in Boulder, Colorado.