Don't have much time but I just wanted to note the birthday of Dean Martin who would have been 89 years old today. He was born on June 7, 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio and died on Christmas Day 1995 in California after having forged one of the most successful careers in show business history.
Dean is central to one of my earliest and favorite television memories. I can remember watching the Dean Martin variety show with my parents on Thursday nights when I was just a little kid. Later on, after the variety show, Dean used to host the celebrity roasts on Friday nights. I loved those as well, although watching the old tapes now, the roasts can't hold a candle to the spontaneity and fun of the variety shows. Nevertheless, I recall one Friday evening when I was out playing baseball with my friends in the empty lot on the corner of the street. It was beginning to get dark and the game was tied. All of a sudden it hit me - I asked someone what time it was and they said 10 minutes to nine. I said, "I gotta go!" and bolted for home. I can still hear the furious voices of my friends as I abandoned the game at it's most crucial moment but what could I do? The Dean Martin Roast was coming on at 9:00 p.m. and I had to be showered and sitting in front of the screen in time to see all the stars who would be on the dais that night!
You'll no doubt recall that in the post prior to this one, I wrote about how wonderful a game baseball is. It is wonderful and important, but NOT more important than Dean Martin was . . or still is.
Dino, everybody still loves you and we will as long as movies, music, and dvds exist.
