Phoebe Snow Dies At Age 58

Another 70's pop icon has passed. Legendary vocalist Phoebe Snow died this morning of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 58 after several months in a coma. The 1975 best new artist Grammy nominee had famously dropped out of the music business at the peak of her fame in order to care for her severely handicapped daughter. Snow did continue to make rare appearances and recordings. My favorite Phoebe Snow single, 1977's Shakey Ground, is not on YouTube for some reason. But below are two of her classics.

Gerry Rafferty Dead At 63

Lorene Yarnell Dies At 66

Famed dancer and mime Lorene Shields, one-half of the popular '70s TV duo Shields & Yarnell, has died of a brain aneurysm in her Norway home at the age of 66. Shields & Yarnell's specialty was performing as a married robot couple named "The Clinkers," a schtick they often performed on the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and later turned into their own CBS comedy series, which ran for two seasons. Their act seems super corny now, perhaps, but I remember lots of kids getting yelled at for acting like the Clinkers at school.

Anita Bryant Leaves Her Sewer

The original Queen of Hate, Anita Bryant, will be slithering out of whatever sewer she's been hiding in all these years to appear at an anti-gay event in Oklahoma tomorrow. Gossip Boy reports:

The controversial Queen of Gay Hate, Anita Bryant, will be returning to the stage on July 9, 2010 for a patriotic performance in Yukon, OK before an Oklahoma-based group that has become nationally known for its malevolent attacks on gays and whose members include the husband of leading homophobe State Rep. Sally Kern. Bryant’s appearance is part of a two-day conference spanning July 9th and 10th calling for a return to America’s Christian heritage, a crusade against Muslims and gays, and will coincide with the first ever Patriot Pastors Tea Party. The headliner for the event is the widely discredited David Barton, who, to push his Christian heritage agenda, has been caught numerous times fudging history and fabricating quotes that he would then claim were made by the Founding Fathers. Barton has gained criticism for speaking at Christian Identity gatherings that called for the execution of homosexuals.

Here's a flashback from 1977.

Awesomeness

Via JMG reader Jeff Whitty, how about the Bay City Rollers singing Saturday Night with Ann-Margret in front of an audience of (mostly) enthusiastic senior citizens?

I Need Paneling Here, Here, HERE

You might recognize the pitchwoman as Carole Shelley, who has appeared on Broadway and in the national tours of Wicked as Madame Morrible. She also played Aunt Clara in Nicole Kidman's remake of Bewitched. I love these old commercials. I need paneling too!

(Tipped by JMG reader Chip)