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| Remembering America's Forgotten Music Legends And Greatest Singers And Entertainers by Theodore Nye, Syndicated Columnist. London Monthly Herald and The International Herald Daily News  THE WORLD OF SHOWBIZ IS UNMERCIFUL! YOU BET! The world of showbiz, including Jazz, Pop, Rock N Roll and Broadway is unmerciful. How easy it is to forget the music and entertainment giants and pioneers of yesteryears! Time erases the glory, the memory, and accomplishments of past stars and legends." title="Remembering Americas Forgotten Music Legends And Greatest Singers And Entertainers">A new book on jazz: "Best musicians, singers, albums and entertainment personalities of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries." is a must read book!! THE WORLD OF SHOWBIZ IS UNMERCIFUL! YOU BET! The world of showbiz, including Jazz, Pop, Rock "N" Roll and Broadway is unmerciful. How easy it is to forget the music and entertainment giants and pioneers of yesteryears! Time erases the glory, the memory, and accomplishments of past stars and legends. The musical heritage and treasures of America will dissipate for ever, unless, conscientious historians bother to record memorable events from the history of entertainment, the ups and downs in the careers of stars of the era, and above all, the meaningful contributions of pioneers to the world of music. This is the duty of responsible historians. Fortunately, now and then, few books on the subject surface on the landscape of "intelligent" publishing shedding lights on our magnificent singers, musicians and composers, and most cherished musical treasures, lost or forgotten for lack of scholarly research or because of changes in musical taste and preference of a generation that lost interest in the music of the golden years of Broadway, Hollywood, New Orleans and Vaudeville. The Federation of American Musicians, Singers and Performing Artists (FAMSPA) is fully aware of this bleeding truth and alarming situation. Thus, it consecrated time and efforts to publish a series of several volumes on the history of music, showbiz, entertainment, musicians and singers of America from the 17th century to the present. By now, music lovers, entertainers, Jazz singers and musicians and those who cherish America's musical heritage have either read or heard about the 20 volumes of the World Who's Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and Entertainment" published by FAMSPA, a United States nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of quality work of American musicians and singers. PRESERVING AMERICA'S MUSICAL TREASURES! MUSIC HISTORY COULD BE FUN AND HILLARIOUS TOO! FAMSPA has already published 4 massive volumes. And I was fortunate to acquire those previously published tomes. But the best of the series just bursts out this week; a new volume. Volume V, that is. And the title is quite revealing and illustrative "Best Musicians, Singers, Albums and Entertainment Personalities of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries." An encyclopedic book encompassing the astonishing and multiple facets of music and entertainment in America since the 19th century, fully illustrated and enriched with almost 1, 000 photos, some recent, many vintage and rare, and many others, possibly published for the first time. One would think that there is no anecdote about the world of music and entertainment that Maximillien de Lafayette, the author of this new book, has not told us in Volumes I-IV of the World Who's Who in Jazz, Cabaret, Music and Entertainment. But when I received Volume V, "Best Musicians, Singers, Albums and Entertainment Personalities of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries" I was flabbergasted. An ambitious title indeed, but it truly reflects the content of the book. The book is a treasure trove of information about the personalities described. The facts the author has unearthed about the early days of entertainment are astounding, and the book is encyclopaedic in scope. But don't for a moment think that it is dull and scholarly. Lavishly illustrated with almost one thousand photographs, some of which are vintage, some extremely rare, it is, to begin with, a visual treat. One wonders if Mr. de Lafayette got them from private scrapbooks and family albums? And the anecdotal material, gossip, and stories make the book come alive. There are diverse and intimate details about the private lives of such early greats as, Ethel Merman, George Burns, Jimmy Durante, Al Jolson, Jazz great composers, Cole Porter, and Florence Ziegfeld and his ladies. You will see Sarah Bernhard in her coffin and Anna Held on her bicycle. You will read about Broadway's musicals and shows that created the biggest scandals in the history of entertainment in America and unbelievable intimate stories of the biggest stars of the era. The book also includes a list of the world 2, 500 best old and new Jazz albums and CDs, by artist, by song, by year and by billboard rating. Intriguing tales of Tin Pan Alley and the greats of ragtime and early Jazz follow, including Scott Joplin's personal life and other pioneers of music and showbiz. Gossip from early radio and the private lives of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Shore, and Rosemary Clooney, well into the fifties. Rock and Roll and Jazz in all its forms and styles are discussed in detail, including the most popular songs of each year. The fifties, with their mind-boggling scandals, such as the marriage of Jerry Lee Lewis to a thirteen year old girl, his cousin no less, and Elvis Presley's rise to stardom, the first Afro-American recording artists and their struggle for recognition, the 300 best cabaret female singers in America, the 200 best Jazz musicians and singers of our time…are all there. You will learn how Celeste Helm and Tallulah Bankhead dished the dirt about each other. How and why the early female songwriters were not allowed to use their full names on sheet music…Nor does the book neglect the present and the shining stars of jazz and cabaret today, almost 6, 000 names featured in the book. Plenty of that is there. It is impossible to cover, in a review, the wealth of information, charts, tables, lists that fill the book. You can spend weeks reading it, and I suspect many people will keep it by their bed side for months. If you have the slightest interest in the subject, you owe it to yourself to read this book, which I think is the best of the series thus far. "Best Musicians, Singers, Albums and Entertainment Personalities of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries" is without any hesitation one of the best books ever published on Jazz, world showbiz, cabaret and beloved stars who entertained us for generations. This book is a must read book. Get your copy. You can read more about the book at thewebsite of FAMSPA write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |