Sad news today with the passing legendary late-night talk show host Tom Snyder at age 71 of leukemia. Yes, he was skewered by Dan Aykroyd's mimicry of him on "Saturday Night Live", and yes, he was a tad pompous at times, but Tom was positively humble compared with today's self-important ratings whores like Bill O'Reilly. More importantly, Tom's shows were ultra-cool and most enjoyable.I remember staying up late on many a summer (i.e., non-school) night from about age 12 onward and watching the "Tomorrow Show" after Johnny Carson called it a night, and I thought it made me more "grown-up" by watching Tom's show. I didn't know who half his guests were sometimes—I had never heard of actor David Niven, for instance, before seeing him on "Tomorrow", but came away thinking how smooth and debonair the man was—and I found Tom's relaxed demeanor and easy banter with those guests very appealing. Then again, there was one particular "Tomorrow Show" I missed in its first run, but I damn sure knew who the guests were, as Tom conducted the infamous Halloween, 1979 Kiss interview where Ace "I'm a plumber" Frehley was totally crocked, thus pissing Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley off no end, but Tom seemed to love it. The Kiss interview will also be featured on the new Kissology-Volume II DVD due out August 14th. Tom also had the balls to interview John Lennon, Elvis Costello and Johnny Rotten (for whatever that was worth).
Tom later hosted his own radio show in the late '80s, which I occasionally got to run the board for during my brief stint at KKJO in St. Joseph, MO circa 1988-89. Unlike his direct competition at the time, Larry King, T.S. was actually friendly to his callers (none of that "Alexandria, Virginia--HELLO!!" crap), and I always prayed for the St. Louis Cardinals games to run long so I could run the entire Snyder show on tape-delay during the first part of my Midnight-6AM airshift just so I could listen to the whole broadcast. I also remember Tom had this nutbag who would call the show and when he got on the air would start playing his harmonica instead of talking. T.S. finally caught on to his pattern of using fake names like "Tony from Orlando", "John from Denver", "Jack from London" and "Christopher from Columbus", etc., and once actually predicted it was him calling based on the name he gave before he answered. Funny stuff.
So long, Tom--it was good to know ya (in a roundabout way)...
BILL WALSH, 1931-2007
More sad news today with the passing of former San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, ironically also following a battle with leukemia. Walsh led the Niners to three Super Bowl titles in the '80s, and is credited as the innovator of the "West Coast Offense". Walsh is one of those coaches who was a brilliant tactician (not unlike current coaches like Denver's Mike Shanahan and New England's Bill Belichick) who often used strategy to outwit his opponent. Of course, it didn't hurt to have the likes of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott, et al, on his squads too. R.I.P., Bill...
THERE GOES MR. EISEN'S PERFECT ATTENDANCE RECORD...
For the first time ever in Kisstory, guitarist Paul Stanley was unable to answer the bell for a Kiss concert and did not perform at the band's show in San Jacinto, CA on Friday night. Paul apparently fell ill the night before at a sound check, and his heart rate leapt to 190 BPM—not a good thing! So, at his insistence, and apparently with the approval of the assembled fans at the venue, Kiss played a full concert as a three-piece for the first time, as Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer played a set loaded with songs featuring Gene and/or Eric on vocals. What's ironic about all this is that the Starchild is the one who generally takes the best care of himself. Sounds like the boy is doing better now, and all is well again, thankfully.
This was not, however, the first time Kiss performed as a trio. Back in 1982, Paul, Gene and late drummer Eric Carr did a rather bizarre one-song lip-synch gig (at the dying Studio 54 in New York, no less) for the song "I" from Music From The Elder when Ace was about to leave the band anyway, and he basically said, "Fuck it—I'm not coming!" They also substituted "guts" for "balls" in the lyrics. It was a strange time for the band, indeed...
I once attended a Kiss concert where—for all intents and purposes—Paul Stanley also wasn't there. It was at Civic Arena in St. Joseph on November 10, 1992 on the Revenge tour, as Stanley was suffering from the flu, and almost from the get-go, I could tell there was something wrong with him. He lethargically sang the opening number "Creatures Of The Night", in a very low register, and hardly even moved around at all, as per his usual. Then they reeled off about four or five Gene Simmons songs in a row, and when it came time to do "Heaven's On Fire", Paul announced that he wasn't feeling well and that Gene would sing it. It was rather humorous to hear Mr. Demon bullshit his way through the lyrics, until he finally threw up his hands and said, "Hell, I don't know the words to this one!" It was an admirable effort, and I give Stanley credit for playing hurt that night, but it was like watching Dale, Jr. driving on three wheels at Daytona, and I would've had more respect for Kiss if they had postponed the show and returned when Paul was better. As it was, they wound up cancelling the next two shows on that abbreviated tour after St. Joseph.
CLASSIC MISHEARD LYRIC #43
"Feel Like A Number"—BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (1976) "I feel just like another spoke in a great big wheel..." I always thought he said, "Smokin' a great big weed." As I've said before, Mr. Seger: confounded, man—enunciate!
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND...
I was rather pleased to read today that the lowlife who murdered "My Sister Sam" actress Rebecca Schaffer in 1989 was himself attacked by a fellow prison inmate and stabbed numerous times. If you've ever seen this scumbag's taped confession of how he killed her, you'll agree that he deserves to be attacked a lot more often...
THE URBAN LEGEND IS TRUE!
Was also tickled to hear newly-inducted Baseball Hall of Fame Royals announcer Denny Matthews confirm during his speech yesterday that the Guy's Foods promo he read on the air during a game in 1970 did indeed go, "Fans, while you're in the store, be sure to grab Guy's nuts." Young Dennis thought his career was toast at that moment, but little did he know it was just the beginning, and 37 years later, the man is still going strong. Congrats again, Denny!
SANITY REIGNS, AFTER ALL...
Evidently fallen St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock's father has had a change of heart and has decided not to wage a legal battle against Mike Shannon's Steakhouse restaurant for serving Josh the alky-hol that he so fervently requested on the night he went out driving drunk off his ass and killed himself. Nice to see that the elder Mr. Hancock came to his senses, especially in light of the fact that Mr. Shannon is now grieving the loss of his wife of 48 years, Judy Shannon, to brain cancer.
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