Here we go my first blog page thanks to Tammy of the Melissa Etheridge pair. A cute actress that gave 9 years to being a couple with giving up her craft living for the guitar songtress.
I was born in New York City in the 5o's. Now it is the most lovely place near the west villiage. Both east and west look like tiny Paris towns now. A great view of the gothic towers were my playground for my imaginary window of dreams I peered out of for the first eleven years of my life.
Dad was a music producer. An office on B'Way of his own. Son of Italian imigrants. The second son of the Sicilian Patriarchael Sal Catalano. Who gave dad his start by buying his first guitar. I heard Dad went AOL from his first stint at enlisting in the Army with phoney ID. Too young by a couple of years. Mom and her dad thought Dad would work with Grandpa Epifanio repairing typewriters. Oh no Dad got backers and the money to have this posh small office and gumption to look for talent and form groups, and arrange produce artist in thier beginnings. He made a success for himself by releasing music to Hawaii stations and had the number 2 hit "Your Name and Mine". A duet with a pretty girl and himself. There on B'Way I ate with Johnny Mathis, he was 19 he was with an agency in that office building.
The greatest was the great, Pattie La Belle who showed up late to one of her recording sessions. Thats when the Blue Belles her back up singers laughed and joked with me a girl of 5 yrs old. Chills started with the anticipation. I could feel their desire to take her spot in her lateness. The cackled back and in a three way tongue lashing one said she would or have already told Mr. Catalano she could always tackle the lead. They all howled when she added looking down at me mesmorized at this Even this little girl can do it! Howling and chills began to drive up and down my little body. Maybe I could have done the tune that dad wrote called "little mickey mistle toe" That melody was givin to Peter Paul and Mary. They took it to L.A. on oral agreement. With small legal trial.
They never credited him and changed the words into "Puff the Magic Dragon" Thats the true beginning of that famous song. Not an adult fantasy but a christmas tune. Written actually by dad with me as a springboard. That was the start of bad habit. The part of not copywriting. All for a reason yes, you may think so too. Lots of things in music and arts go un acknowledged. You will be surprised in this blog what is really going on in Hollywood. For instance the Coen Bros. thats me I should just marry one and well... They buy beatscripts and read on. For now I will leave you with that for another day.
