Malcolm’s life Xplored
The Met just premiered the opera “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.”
About the Malcolm X, I knew: his wife — played by soprano Leah Hawkins — had to raise their six children.
No insurance, no savings. Wife Betty Shabazz worked three jobs, back to school for her Ph.D. and she made sure those daughters received an A-1 education.
Her financial security was lost even though Malcolm X T-shirts and street paraphernalia raised $1 mil in sales. And I reported then that she didn’t receive a dime.
She next contacted a Midwest marketing and licensing company that rep’d memories and mementos of Babe Ruth, James Dean, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire. It eventually authorized several places to make Malcolm X products.
Long back, off-B’way, Eric Douglas, son of Kirk, brother of Michael, in a play about death row prisoners and Khalil Islam, who served 22 years for killing Malcolm before being exonerated.
Later on Jack Baxter’s “Brother Minister: The Assassination of Malcolm X” couldn’t even get any movie, TV or cable to show his film.
Now & then: Just let ’em be
Surviving Beatles just released a “new” song — “Now and Then.”
Actually, a ’70s demo John Lennon recorded at home in the Dakota rejuiced by the magic of AI. McCartney, Harrison and Starr worked on it in the ’90s but weren’t happy with the results.
With today’s new technology — anything’s possible.
Feb. 8, 1964, The Beatles first visited America. Headline: “3,000 Fans Greet British Beatles.” The Times’ John Shanley, assigned to their arrival, refused — dismissing them as a silly novelty act gone tomorrow. Paul Gardner wrote the story stating: “They’ve added tight pants, boots, and hair that never seems to be cut.”
Shanley’s son Robert, then 13, remembers school nuns seeing this group as a horrible influence — like the antichrist.
His father — from the Crosby, Sinatra, Tony Bennett era — said in six months nobody’d remember their names.
Route to roots
There’s always been peaceful transfer of power after an election. 1860 was the first Republican ever elected.
Lincoln’s opponent Vice President Breckinridge had to count the electoral vote and proclaim Lincoln the winner.
If the government goes through a shutdown, all will blame Biden.
It will affect our economy, pocketbooks and military preparedness.
Also, if Congress stops aid to Ukraine, if Russia succeeds, it will join with China and Iran in World War III to totally eliminate America’s hegemony.
Could be why Putin criticizes our Justice Department for “picking on Trump.”
“Progressive” Democrats and “Democrat Socialists” can be a threat to America.
Establishment Democrats and Establishment Republicans, although they’ve shifted positions on issues, have kept this nation as the greatest on Earth.
Thanksgiving’s coming. In my home we’re not having turkey. We’ve still got some leftover from last year.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.