Meet the some of the song-poets featured in the film and the musicians who set their lyrics to music.
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Name: Caglar (pronounced Sha-lar) Juan Singletary
Hometown: Elmira, NY, home of Mark Twain and birthplace of Tommy Hilfiger
Songs include: "Annie Oakley," "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers," "Bruce Lee's Daughter"
Alter ego: "Captain Bicycle"
Favorite lyrics:
"I have taken a vow of celibacy until marriage
But if Annie was to tempt me into her carriage
I might lose to Miss Oakley - it's not funny
Annie is one of my historical honeys."Listen to a clip of the song "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers"
Name: Gary Forney
Hometown: Lives in Avoca, IA with his wife Bonnie, son Josh and daughter Laura
Songs include: "Caravan," "Three Eyed Boy," "Chicken Insurrection"
Favorite lyrics:
"What are we doing here, where are we going to
Caravan
Tell me if you can, what is the big plan
Everywhere we go everyone we know seems to be Insane."Listen to a clip of the song "Caravan"
Name: Art Kaufman, a.k.a. David Fox
Hometown: Lives in Cedar City, UT with his wife and two daughters
Songs include: Thousands of song-poems. Art has been writing music for song-poems for 25 years.
Songs featured in film: "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers," "Caravan," "Annie Oakley," "The Thing"
Craziest song he ever received: His first in the business, "Masakay Demoken," a freestyle seemingly nonsensical rant against all that we hold sacred; lyrics include - "The fat man walks, the gypsy laughs behind him, the wicked evil tomato head derides ..."Listen to a clip of the song "The Thing"
Name: Gene Merlino, a.k.a. Gene Marshall, "King of the Demo Singers"
Hometown: Born in San Francisco; has lived in Los Angeles since the mid-1950s working as a session musician and vocal coach.
Fun Fact: Winner of a Best Vocal Group Grammy in 1966 for his participation with the Anita Kerr Singers and their song "Michelle."
Songs Featured in Film:
"I am a Ginseng Digger," "The 23rd Channel," "Jimmy Carter Says Yes!" and "Out in the Woods."
@mrjyn
January 22, 2012
OFF THE CHARTS . The Film . Poets & Musicians | PBS
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