Part 1 of the creating process of designing a Gibson Blues Ball Guitar for the 2008 Blues Ball Auction in Memphis, Tennessee. Special thanks to Pat Kerr Tigrett for allowing me this opportunity and www.memphischaritable.org *footnote update...I made 4 of these guitars and never got a thank you. I asked for a receipt so my Mother could deduct the $1000.00 she paid to the local Hardware/Lumber Company for the elements. Snubbed again. Mom said this was the last guitar I was going to make for Pat Tigrett.
September 29, 2009
Jerry Lee Lewis Highway - And How Memphians Feel - But where is it? Memphis Commercial Appeal
Jerry Lee Lewis Highway"
Tennessee legislature names stretch of road for Jerry Lee Lewis
NASHVILLE -- No, they didn't wheel in a piano -- The Killer didn't seem in the mood for a whole lotta shakin' anyway -- but the Tennessee legislature nevertheless honored Jerry Lee Lewis with a standing ovation Monday evening.
With Lewis, his daughter Phoebe Lewis and manager J.W. Whitten standing in the well, the House of Representatives gave final legislative approval to a bill designating the section of Getwell Road between Interstate 240 and the Mississippi border "the Jerry Lee Lewis Highway."
The vote was 95-0 in favor of the bill, and followed a 33-0 vote in the Senate earlier this month.
But as is standard with many street-naming measures, the resolution requires the City of Memphis to pay the $325 costs for the two signs to be put up at each end of the designated stretch of roadway.
Sponsored by Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, and Sen. Reginald Tate, D-Memphis, the street-naming bill takes note of Lewis' "countless contributions (that) were recently recognized when he was named by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University as an American Music Master," the first-ever living recipient of the honor.
Todd said he has known Lewis since the mid-1970s when Todd, then a Memphis police officer, occasionally helped provide security at Graceland when Lewis and other Memphis music luminaries visited Elvis Presley.
"He's the last of the living legends. Gone before him are Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, all who recorded in Memphis," said Todd, who presented Lewis with a framed copy of the legislative resolution.
Lewis kept his remarks short: "I'd just like to say thank you very much and God bless you. It's not every day you get a street named after you. I think it's a great honor. It's a privilege to be here and God bless each and every one of you."
The star stayed afterward for a while having his picture taken and signing autographs.
Another Tennessee legend was present in the chamber, having been honored by the House just before Lewis -- former University of Tennessee head football coach Johnny Majors.
Posted by Noamsayin on April 27, 2009 at 7:33 p.m.
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I assume this particular stretch of road was chosen because of the unusually high number of Lincoln Continentals wrapped around the trees which line it.
Posted by bornin47 on April 27, 2009 at 8:40 p.m.
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Actually, noamsayin, it was a Rolls Royce that "The Killer" wrecked, and it was in near Nesbit, MS. And it was a Cadillac that he rammed into the gates of Graceland.
Posted by woodendoor on April 27, 2009 at 8:40 p.m.
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Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!!
Posted by lgavin on April 27, 2009 at 9:14 p.m.
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It should have been that road in front of Hernando's Hideaway. I think it was Brooks Road just west of Bellevue.
Posted by FlossieMae on April 27, 2009 at 9:58 p.m.
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do you have to marry your cousin in order to drive down Getwell now?
Posted by obpride2 on April 28, 2009 at 2:45 a.m.
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Most ppl have both good and bad. Posts here certainly define the 'bad'. Hence, the bad posters are evident. Jerry Lee Lewis was a unique entertainer who broke ground for rock and roll music. And music was the ground breaker for acceptance of social integration. Go Killer! We love your music.
Posted by tny12 on April 28, 2009 at 3:08 a.m.
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in response to obpride2
You mistakenly state:"Jerry Lee Lewis was a unique entertainer who broke ground for rock and roll music. And music was the ground breaker for acceptance of social integration."
-------------------------------------
Jerry Lee was a unique entertainer in the beginning but Elvis was the one who broke the ground. Jerry Lee came along after Elvis.
Posted by Niek81 on April 28, 2009 at 7:10 a.m.
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Jerry lee Lewis is honoured for his musical contributions for almost 60 years (how many artists can say that?) and some people keep complain about things that happened 30 or even 50 years ago...?
Congratulations mr. Lewis, you deserved it for all the hard working and great music.
Posted by dillinger on April 28, 2009 at 8:22 a.m.
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Ain´t nobody who can play the old piano like the KILLER! He deserves any honor bestowed upon him! He´s a man who keeps telling it like it is, not one of those spineless, colorless wimps. Go, Jerry Lee, go!!!!!!!
Posted by strumpeace on April 28, 2009 at 8:28 a.m.
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Didn't the TN legislature refuse to honor Justin Timberlake a couple of years ago because the title of one of his albums contained the word 'sex'? Now they're honoring a guy who married his teenage cousin? What a bunch of hypocrites.
Posted by synapse on April 28, 2009 at 8:28 a.m.
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must we?
Posted by MidtownLisa on April 28, 2009 at 8:39 a.m.
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in response to strumpeace
Comparing Justin Timberlake to Jerry Lee Lewis is not only comparing apples and oranges, it is musical blasphemy!! Nothing against Justin, but Jerry Lee is a legend. I imagine that JT would agree.
Posted by jab60 on April 28, 2009 at 8:46 a.m.
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So did they do this during thier own time or did the taxpayer pay for this silly time.
Posted by reddot on April 28, 2009 at 9:15 a.m.
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bornin47 I think Jerry was driving a Rolls Royce when he tried to crash the gates at Graceland,also they found a gun in his car.Jerry Lee Lewis also sat in the living room while his wife overdose in the bedroom and died.I think a lot of people deserve to have a street name after them,but Jerry Lee Lewis is not one of them.
Posted by bluesman1 on April 28, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
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If this had been a black man, there would be 200 hundred posts. A hundred saying how great to have a black man recieve such a great honor. The other hundred saying how bad it is that the white man is keeping other black artists from getting this honor...
But because it is a white man, well you get the point!
Another thing is that you never get the love from your home town like you do from the rest of the world. Out of the wall of awards I've recieved over the past thirty years, only two came from Memphis, my home town. And that was later in my career.
Jerry Lee, you are STILL a great artist, and Memphis and Mississippi should be proud of you.
Just do like HH does, and shake those haters off! ;)
Posted by lhanson on April 28, 2009 at 9:38 a.m.
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So does mean we will see the long awaited stoplignts at Raines any time soon?
Posted by reddot on April 28, 2009 at 9:43 a.m.
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bluesman1 why is it when you don't agree with something you hate it?I don't hate Jerry Lee Lewis
I just don't thing he deserves a street or a dirt road named after him.That is just mind opinion,you have yours I have mind no hate about it.I was around Jerry Lee too, more times then I like to remember so your not the only one that has been there.
Posted by desotoguy on April 28, 2009 at 10 a.m.
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in response to MidtownLisa
Good point. 20 years from now people will say "Justin who?
In spite of his bad life style Jerry Lee is one of a kind and a tremendous talent. There has never been a better piano player and his music crosses many genres. I have been to many of his shows at places ranging from the Cook Convention Center to the Fairgrounds to many beer joints (including Hernandos Hideaway) and always saw a good show.
Posted by 4walls on April 28, 2009 at 10:05 a.m.
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It seems to me that they could have found a nicer road to name after Lewis. Getwell south of I-240? Bishop Patterson got part of I-55 named after him.
Posted by FlossieMae on April 28, 2009 at 10:25 a.m.
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is Jerry L Lewis going to walk down Getwell road in his robe and slippers and serve canned generic colas? by the way----Justin Timberlake is already a legend----at least he is an honorable young man......I dont think he molested his cousin either.
Posted by Poohbear on April 28, 2009 at 10:35 a.m.
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in response to woodendoor
Ooh, baby! You know what I like!...
Posted by ewperryjr on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 a.m.
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Hey Bluesman1- on your wall of awards do you have anything from a spelling bee?
Posted by bluesman1 on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.
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I'm a songwriter, so I don't have to spell good.
And I'm not a hater, just telling some truth.
Besides, where's the awards for those that supported the everyday musicians like Big Sam Clark? Big Sam ran the Shanti Inn on Nov. 6th Street in the alley. If you was hungry, he'd make sure you got something to eat. And he's give you a chance to show your talent on stage.
Memphis has a history of going for the things that shine. Can you say Pyramid (scheme)?
Posted by muppetgirl on April 28, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.
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yeah, I don't have anything against Jerry Lee Lewis at all, but the scale of tourism attraction for naming a stretch after Justin Timberlake would have been equally appropriate. But instead let's bestow the honor on a tax invading entertainer who lived in Ireland for several years to avoid paying tax obligations, married his 14 year old cousin, and has had more hell-raising marriage-divorce sagas than anyone around. I guess compared to him that Justin is just a bad person and a bad example.
Posted by HellsBelle on April 28, 2009 at 11:54 a.m.
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Well, now let's cruise on down to old Memphis town
That's where that Presley boy said you ain't nothing but a hound
But now you take my boogie, it keeps you in the groove
Then your sacroiliac begins to shiver and a move
It's called the Lewis boogie, in the Lewis way
Lord, I do my little boogie woogie every day
Posted by Equalizer on April 28, 2009 at 12:27 p.m.
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Oh great, just great. So now, in addition to people who drive while texting, blabbering on their cell phone or in a state of congenital stupidity, we can all now look forward to a new classification: Those who drive drunk while screw-ing a family member.
If I WANTED to drive in Mississippi, I'd MOVE there.
Posted by Old_Man on April 28, 2009 at 12:36 p.m.
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in response to bluesman1
bluesman, what has Jerry Lee done with his life other than use his God given talent? Has he every used that talent for others?
I will agree he has a great music career, but that alone should not earn him the State honor. In fact, his life style and history should have kept him from recieving this award.
Posted by strumpeace on April 28, 2009 at 12:39 p.m.
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in response to MidtownLisa
Um, no offense, of course, but you need to learn how to read. I did not 'compare' Lewis to Timberlake. I compared the State Legislature's actions regarding one to the State Legislature's actions regarding the other. Get a grip.
Now, if you want to compare, we can do that. Timberlake has sold more albums (18 million solo, 41 million as part of N Sync) and had more number one songs on Billboard (3 solo, 1 as part of N Sync) than Lewis ever did.
There's your comparison. Now you can repost your nasty response -- and it least it will make sense this time.
Posted by strumpeace on April 28, 2009 at 12:40 p.m.
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Oh, one more comparison, midtownlisa --
Number of Underage Cousins Married:
Justin Timberlake -- 0
Jerry Lee Lewis -- 1
So JLL does win at something!
Posted by peabody45 on April 28, 2009 at 1:03 p.m.
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When are they going to name a street or road after Danny Owens?
Posted by DAWG1 on April 28, 2009 at 2 p.m.
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Whoa! What about a stretch of highway, northbound 51, named after Ike Turner? Hey, since it's an honor based on music ability and contribution and not character. I recall 'Rocket 51' being designated as the 1st Rock-N-Roll record, not some song by Bill Haley and the Comets.
Posted by Noamsayin on April 28, 2009 at 3:23 p.m.
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in response to strumpeace
And all those albums were sold to girls barely old enough to be married to The Killer. Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash -- those guys started it all. They honed their skills throughout the Mississippi Delta and were the beginning of a musical and cultural revolution at Sun Studios under the tutelage Sam Phillips. Justin Timerlake honed his 'skills' in Disney World under the tutelage of Mickey Mouse. The Killer rules!
Posted by MidtownLisa on April 28, 2009 at 4:05 p.m.
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in response to strumpeace
I can read very well, thank you very much and I, unlike you, can respond without being nasty. Jerry Lee Lewis is a musical legend who was instrumental in the creation of the rock-n-roll musical genre. Justin Timberlake is a very talented young man but he is not a legend (yet), and the only thing he was instrumental in was the perpetuation of the boy band - not exactly original. Therefore, there is no comparison regarding the State Legislature's action to honor a living legend as opposed to someone who has sold a lot of records. There is no denying that Jerry Lee's personal life has been less than perfect, quite a mess in fact, but that has no bearing on his contributions as a musician. If you want to pull out the ol' moral compass to judge the accomplishments of others, hmmmm, lets see - Elvis was a drug abuser/addict, Martin Luther King was a womanizer, Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner who had children with one of his slaves, et al. Do you think that the moral failings of infallible human beings should diminish their significant accomplishments and therefore deny them any sort of recognition? I think not.
Posted by bornin47 on April 28, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.
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in response to DAWG1
Um, that would be "Rocket 88".
Posted by DAWG1 on April 28, 2009 at 4:31 p.m.
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in response to bornin47
Hey, thanks! I knew that I had missed the title of the song.
Posted by Niek81 on April 28, 2009 at 5:22 p.m.
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As far as I know, Jerry lee is getting this this reward for his amazing contribution to the field of music for more than half a century, not for his private life.
Yes, maybe this Justin Timberlake guy sold more records during his maybe 10 year carreer, but times are different now, so that doesn't say anything. Even artists who make music that is forgotten within 2 years, sometimes sell huge amounts of records, does that make them legendary, or important for the music history...?
Every person has made some mistakes, and has done some less perfect things, but, should have to complain about that for 50 years? I think we should have respect for someone who lived the life mr Lewis did with all ups and downs, but, who has recovered, who worked so hard that finally since a few years he is getting the respect he deserves. Many people artists can learn something from that, and, than I am wondering how many artists will be recording more thatn 50 years after their first recording, who will still do big tours across Europe, after such a life. Rock On Jerry!
Posted by TonyPapard on April 28, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.
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Jerry Lee fully deserves this award. You can't believe all the Press reports about him over the years. He may be no saint, but he has never been convicted of killing anyone or threatening to kill them. And you really can't blame him for the local customs and the legal age of consent/marriage in the Southern States over 50 years ago. Even Elvis was dating Priscilla when she was 14, nearly everyone in the South was doing the same, i.e. dating and marrying very young. The local churches encouraged it to prevent teenage sex outside of marriage.
His music and recordings over the past 50+ years make him a true living legend. And he is still recording, still touring, and still selling records. His last CD earned a Gold Record for over half a million sales, his biggest selling album ever, and a new album is due out soon.
Jerry Lee is the Last Man Standing, and deserves all the awards and recognition he is now getting, and more. He now should get a CMA Award and be elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Posted by desotoguy on April 28, 2009 at 9:55 p.m.
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in response to TonyPapard
You are correct about early marriages in rural areas 50 or more years ago. One that is famous is Loretta Lynn at 13 or 14. Less famous are the ones I know of in my own circle of older friends. Those lasted until "til death due us part". Myra was his 3rd or 4th cousin and that was not uncommon either.
Most of the press is true, however and I am a huge fan of Jerry Lee. He is one of the greatest and one of a kind. Along with the rock-n-roll he had a great string of country music hits and albums.
Posted by AllMemphisMusic on April 28, 2009 at 10:15 p.m.
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Everybody chill out and listen to the best radio in Memphis
http://www.AllMemphisMusic.com
Groovin...
Posted by andrewmcrae on April 29, 2009 at 2:18 a.m.
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I'm sure Mr Lewis fully deserves all the honors bestowed upon him of late, including having the section of highway named after him. Many a hotelier, bar owner, and other trader seeking to attract the travelling dollar to Memphis will have cause to be grateful to Mr Lewis and his cohorts at Sun Records for the economic stimulus they have provided over the years. Worldwide, Tennessee is known for little other than its music and the TVA. Mr Lewis and his friends have enabled Tennessee to punch above its weight for the last fifty years, and give it a prominence and reputation around the globe that allows it to overshadow its neighbors. As for some of his youthful indiscretions, they make him no better or worse than the average citizen - they've merely been amplified out of all proportion in the public consciousness as a result of his celebrity. Good luck to you, Jerry Lee Lewis. Tennessee owes you much, as the legislators confirmed on Monday.
Tennessee legislature names stretch of road for Jerry Lee Lewis
By Richard Locker (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
NASHVILLE -- No, they didn't wheel in a piano -- The Killer didn't seem in the mood for a whole lotta shakin' anyway -- but the Tennessee legislature nevertheless honored Jerry Lee Lewis with a standing ovation Monday evening.
With Lewis, his daughter Phoebe Lewis and manager J.W. Whitten standing in the well, the House of Representatives gave final legislative approval to a bill designating the section of Getwell Road between Interstate 240 and the Mississippi border "the Jerry Lee Lewis Highway."
The vote was 95-0 in favor of the bill, and followed a 33-0 vote in the Senate earlier this month.
But as is standard with many street-naming measures, the resolution requires the City of Memphis to pay the $325 costs for the two signs to be put up at each end of the designated stretch of roadway.
Sponsored by Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, and Sen. Reginald Tate, D-Memphis, the street-naming bill takes note of Lewis' "countless contributions (that) were recently recognized when he was named by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University as an American Music Master," the first-ever living recipient of the honor.
Todd said he has known Lewis since the mid-1970s when Todd, then a Memphis police officer, occasionally helped provide security at Graceland when Lewis and other Memphis music luminaries visited Elvis Presley.
"He's the last of the living legends. Gone before him are Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, all who recorded in Memphis," said Todd, who presented Lewis with a framed copy of the legislative resolution.
Lewis kept his remarks short: "I'd just like to say thank you very much and God bless you. It's not every day you get a street named after you. I think it's a great honor. It's a privilege to be here and God bless each and every one of you."
The star stayed afterward for a while having his picture taken and signing autographs.
Another Tennessee legend was present in the chamber, having been honored by the House just before Lewis -- former University of Tennessee head football coach Johnny Majors.
Posted by Noamsayin on April 27, 2009 at 7:33 p.m.
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I assume this particular stretch of road was chosen because of the unusually high number of Lincoln Continentals wrapped around the trees which line it.
Posted by bornin47 on April 27, 2009 at 8:40 p.m.
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Actually, noamsayin, it was a Rolls Royce that "The Killer" wrecked, and it was in near Nesbit, MS. And it was a Cadillac that he rammed into the gates of Graceland.
Posted by woodendoor on April 27, 2009 at 8:40 p.m.
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Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!!
Posted by lgavin on April 27, 2009 at 9:14 p.m.
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It should have been that road in front of Hernando's Hideaway. I think it was Brooks Road just west of Bellevue.
Posted by FlossieMae on April 27, 2009 at 9:58 p.m.
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do you have to marry your cousin in order to drive down Getwell now?
Posted by obpride2 on April 28, 2009 at 2:45 a.m.
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Most ppl have both good and bad. Posts here certainly define the 'bad'. Hence, the bad posters are evident. Jerry Lee Lewis was a unique entertainer who broke ground for rock and roll music. And music was the ground breaker for acceptance of social integration. Go Killer! We love your music.
Posted by tny12 on April 28, 2009 at 3:08 a.m.
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in response to obpride2
You mistakenly state:"Jerry Lee Lewis was a unique entertainer who broke ground for rock and roll music. And music was the ground breaker for acceptance of social integration."
-------------------------------------
Jerry Lee was a unique entertainer in the beginning but Elvis was the one who broke the ground. Jerry Lee came along after Elvis.
Posted by Niek81 on April 28, 2009 at 7:10 a.m.
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Jerry lee Lewis is honoured for his musical contributions for almost 60 years (how many artists can say that?) and some people keep complain about things that happened 30 or even 50 years ago...?
Congratulations mr. Lewis, you deserved it for all the hard working and great music.
Posted by dillinger on April 28, 2009 at 8:22 a.m.
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Ain´t nobody who can play the old piano like the KILLER! He deserves any honor bestowed upon him! He´s a man who keeps telling it like it is, not one of those spineless, colorless wimps. Go, Jerry Lee, go!!!!!!!
Posted by strumpeace on April 28, 2009 at 8:28 a.m.
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Didn't the TN legislature refuse to honor Justin Timberlake a couple of years ago because the title of one of his albums contained the word 'sex'? Now they're honoring a guy who married his teenage cousin? What a bunch of hypocrites.
Posted by synapse on April 28, 2009 at 8:28 a.m.
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must we?
Posted by MidtownLisa on April 28, 2009 at 8:39 a.m.
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in response to strumpeace
Comparing Justin Timberlake to Jerry Lee Lewis is not only comparing apples and oranges, it is musical blasphemy!! Nothing against Justin, but Jerry Lee is a legend. I imagine that JT would agree.
Posted by jab60 on April 28, 2009 at 8:46 a.m.
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So did they do this during thier own time or did the taxpayer pay for this silly time.
Posted by reddot on April 28, 2009 at 9:15 a.m.
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bornin47 I think Jerry was driving a Rolls Royce when he tried to crash the gates at Graceland,also they found a gun in his car.Jerry Lee Lewis also sat in the living room while his wife overdose in the bedroom and died.I think a lot of people deserve to have a street name after them,but Jerry Lee Lewis is not one of them.
Posted by bluesman1 on April 28, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
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If this had been a black man, there would be 200 hundred posts. A hundred saying how great to have a black man recieve such a great honor. The other hundred saying how bad it is that the white man is keeping other black artists from getting this honor...
But because it is a white man, well you get the point!
Another thing is that you never get the love from your home town like you do from the rest of the world. Out of the wall of awards I've recieved over the past thirty years, only two came from Memphis, my home town. And that was later in my career.
Jerry Lee, you are STILL a great artist, and Memphis and Mississippi should be proud of you.
Just do like HH does, and shake those haters off! ;)
Posted by lhanson on April 28, 2009 at 9:38 a.m.
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So does mean we will see the long awaited stoplignts at Raines any time soon?
Posted by reddot on April 28, 2009 at 9:43 a.m.
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bluesman1 why is it when you don't agree with something you hate it?I don't hate Jerry Lee Lewis
I just don't thing he deserves a street or a dirt road named after him.That is just mind opinion,you have yours I have mind no hate about it.I was around Jerry Lee too, more times then I like to remember so your not the only one that has been there.
Posted by desotoguy on April 28, 2009 at 10 a.m.
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in response to MidtownLisa
Good point. 20 years from now people will say "Justin who?
In spite of his bad life style Jerry Lee is one of a kind and a tremendous talent. There has never been a better piano player and his music crosses many genres. I have been to many of his shows at places ranging from the Cook Convention Center to the Fairgrounds to many beer joints (including Hernandos Hideaway) and always saw a good show.
Posted by 4walls on April 28, 2009 at 10:05 a.m.
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It seems to me that they could have found a nicer road to name after Lewis. Getwell south of I-240? Bishop Patterson got part of I-55 named after him.
Posted by FlossieMae on April 28, 2009 at 10:25 a.m.
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is Jerry L Lewis going to walk down Getwell road in his robe and slippers and serve canned generic colas? by the way----Justin Timberlake is already a legend----at least he is an honorable young man......I dont think he molested his cousin either.
Posted by Poohbear on April 28, 2009 at 10:35 a.m.
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in response to woodendoor
Ooh, baby! You know what I like!...
Posted by ewperryjr on April 28, 2009 at 10:45 a.m.
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Hey Bluesman1- on your wall of awards do you have anything from a spelling bee?
Posted by bluesman1 on April 28, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.
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I'm a songwriter, so I don't have to spell good.
And I'm not a hater, just telling some truth.
Besides, where's the awards for those that supported the everyday musicians like Big Sam Clark? Big Sam ran the Shanti Inn on Nov. 6th Street in the alley. If you was hungry, he'd make sure you got something to eat. And he's give you a chance to show your talent on stage.
Memphis has a history of going for the things that shine. Can you say Pyramid (scheme)?
Posted by muppetgirl on April 28, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.
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yeah, I don't have anything against Jerry Lee Lewis at all, but the scale of tourism attraction for naming a stretch after Justin Timberlake would have been equally appropriate. But instead let's bestow the honor on a tax invading entertainer who lived in Ireland for several years to avoid paying tax obligations, married his 14 year old cousin, and has had more hell-raising marriage-divorce sagas than anyone around. I guess compared to him that Justin is just a bad person and a bad example.
Posted by HellsBelle on April 28, 2009 at 11:54 a.m.
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Well, now let's cruise on down to old Memphis town
That's where that Presley boy said you ain't nothing but a hound
But now you take my boogie, it keeps you in the groove
Then your sacroiliac begins to shiver and a move
It's called the Lewis boogie, in the Lewis way
Lord, I do my little boogie woogie every day
Posted by Equalizer on April 28, 2009 at 12:27 p.m.
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Oh great, just great. So now, in addition to people who drive while texting, blabbering on their cell phone or in a state of congenital stupidity, we can all now look forward to a new classification: Those who drive drunk while screw-ing a family member.
If I WANTED to drive in Mississippi, I'd MOVE there.
Posted by Old_Man on April 28, 2009 at 12:36 p.m.
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in response to bluesman1
bluesman, what has Jerry Lee done with his life other than use his God given talent? Has he every used that talent for others?
I will agree he has a great music career, but that alone should not earn him the State honor. In fact, his life style and history should have kept him from recieving this award.
Posted by strumpeace on April 28, 2009 at 12:39 p.m.
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in response to MidtownLisa
Um, no offense, of course, but you need to learn how to read. I did not 'compare' Lewis to Timberlake. I compared the State Legislature's actions regarding one to the State Legislature's actions regarding the other. Get a grip.
Now, if you want to compare, we can do that. Timberlake has sold more albums (18 million solo, 41 million as part of N Sync) and had more number one songs on Billboard (3 solo, 1 as part of N Sync) than Lewis ever did.
There's your comparison. Now you can repost your nasty response -- and it least it will make sense this time.
Posted by strumpeace on April 28, 2009 at 12:40 p.m.
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Oh, one more comparison, midtownlisa --
Number of Underage Cousins Married:
Justin Timberlake -- 0
Jerry Lee Lewis -- 1
So JLL does win at something!
Posted by peabody45 on April 28, 2009 at 1:03 p.m.
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When are they going to name a street or road after Danny Owens?
Posted by DAWG1 on April 28, 2009 at 2 p.m.
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Whoa! What about a stretch of highway, northbound 51, named after Ike Turner? Hey, since it's an honor based on music ability and contribution and not character. I recall 'Rocket 51' being designated as the 1st Rock-N-Roll record, not some song by Bill Haley and the Comets.
Posted by Noamsayin on April 28, 2009 at 3:23 p.m.
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in response to strumpeace
And all those albums were sold to girls barely old enough to be married to The Killer. Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash -- those guys started it all. They honed their skills throughout the Mississippi Delta and were the beginning of a musical and cultural revolution at Sun Studios under the tutelage Sam Phillips. Justin Timerlake honed his 'skills' in Disney World under the tutelage of Mickey Mouse. The Killer rules!
Posted by MidtownLisa on April 28, 2009 at 4:05 p.m.
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in response to strumpeace
I can read very well, thank you very much and I, unlike you, can respond without being nasty. Jerry Lee Lewis is a musical legend who was instrumental in the creation of the rock-n-roll musical genre. Justin Timberlake is a very talented young man but he is not a legend (yet), and the only thing he was instrumental in was the perpetuation of the boy band - not exactly original. Therefore, there is no comparison regarding the State Legislature's action to honor a living legend as opposed to someone who has sold a lot of records. There is no denying that Jerry Lee's personal life has been less than perfect, quite a mess in fact, but that has no bearing on his contributions as a musician. If you want to pull out the ol' moral compass to judge the accomplishments of others, hmmmm, lets see - Elvis was a drug abuser/addict, Martin Luther King was a womanizer, Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner who had children with one of his slaves, et al. Do you think that the moral failings of infallible human beings should diminish their significant accomplishments and therefore deny them any sort of recognition? I think not.
Posted by bornin47 on April 28, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.
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in response to DAWG1
Um, that would be "Rocket 88".
Posted by DAWG1 on April 28, 2009 at 4:31 p.m.
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in response to bornin47
Hey, thanks! I knew that I had missed the title of the song.
Posted by Niek81 on April 28, 2009 at 5:22 p.m.
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As far as I know, Jerry lee is getting this this reward for his amazing contribution to the field of music for more than half a century, not for his private life.
Yes, maybe this Justin Timberlake guy sold more records during his maybe 10 year carreer, but times are different now, so that doesn't say anything. Even artists who make music that is forgotten within 2 years, sometimes sell huge amounts of records, does that make them legendary, or important for the music history...?
Every person has made some mistakes, and has done some less perfect things, but, should have to complain about that for 50 years? I think we should have respect for someone who lived the life mr Lewis did with all ups and downs, but, who has recovered, who worked so hard that finally since a few years he is getting the respect he deserves. Many people artists can learn something from that, and, than I am wondering how many artists will be recording more thatn 50 years after their first recording, who will still do big tours across Europe, after such a life. Rock On Jerry!
Posted by TonyPapard on April 28, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.
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Jerry Lee fully deserves this award. You can't believe all the Press reports about him over the years. He may be no saint, but he has never been convicted of killing anyone or threatening to kill them. And you really can't blame him for the local customs and the legal age of consent/marriage in the Southern States over 50 years ago. Even Elvis was dating Priscilla when she was 14, nearly everyone in the South was doing the same, i.e. dating and marrying very young. The local churches encouraged it to prevent teenage sex outside of marriage.
His music and recordings over the past 50+ years make him a true living legend. And he is still recording, still touring, and still selling records. His last CD earned a Gold Record for over half a million sales, his biggest selling album ever, and a new album is due out soon.
Jerry Lee is the Last Man Standing, and deserves all the awards and recognition he is now getting, and more. He now should get a CMA Award and be elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Posted by desotoguy on April 28, 2009 at 9:55 p.m.
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in response to TonyPapard
You are correct about early marriages in rural areas 50 or more years ago. One that is famous is Loretta Lynn at 13 or 14. Less famous are the ones I know of in my own circle of older friends. Those lasted until "til death due us part". Myra was his 3rd or 4th cousin and that was not uncommon either.
Most of the press is true, however and I am a huge fan of Jerry Lee. He is one of the greatest and one of a kind. Along with the rock-n-roll he had a great string of country music hits and albums.
Posted by AllMemphisMusic on April 28, 2009 at 10:15 p.m.
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Everybody chill out and listen to the best radio in Memphis
http://www.AllMemphisMusic.com
Groovin...
Posted by andrewmcrae on April 29, 2009 at 2:18 a.m.
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I'm sure Mr Lewis fully deserves all the honors bestowed upon him of late, including having the section of highway named after him. Many a hotelier, bar owner, and other trader seeking to attract the travelling dollar to Memphis will have cause to be grateful to Mr Lewis and his cohorts at Sun Records for the economic stimulus they have provided over the years. Worldwide, Tennessee is known for little other than its music and the TVA. Mr Lewis and his friends have enabled Tennessee to punch above its weight for the last fifty years, and give it a prominence and reputation around the globe that allows it to overshadow its neighbors. As for some of his youthful indiscretions, they make him no better or worse than the average citizen - they've merely been amplified out of all proportion in the public consciousness as a result of his celebrity. Good luck to you, Jerry Lee Lewis. Tennessee owes you much, as the legislators confirmed on Monday.
DeSoto County Museum - Jerry Lee Lewis - John Grisham Museum marks six years >Desoto Times Tribune
Desoto Times Tribune > Archives > News > Local > Museum marks six yearsMuseum marks six years
Milestone cause for celebration
By ROBERT LEE LONG
DESOTO COUNTY - It's been six years since the DeSoto County Museum opened its doors to the public.
Community Editor
That was nearly 100,000 visitors and a couple of hundred fortnights ago, said Museum Director Brian Hicks.
On Saturday, the 6th Annual Museum Day will celebrate the occasion with free live bluegrass music, craft demonstrations, Civil War re-enactors and a special visit by famed Lewis and Clark re-enactor Bryant Boswell.
"We always enjoy Museum Day because it's like a birthday celebration for us," Hicks said.Just a few years after its opening, the DeSoto County Museum was selected as the "Best Small Museum" in Mississippi and continues to bring in between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors a year. At least 3,500 school students annually tour the small gray brick museum on Commerce Street and the historic 1850s cabin next door.
The guest book lists tourists from Australia, Germany, Austria, Russia and Central and South America.
The rich and famous have stopped by and their stories remain a part of the permanent exhibit.
Jerry Lee Lewis stopped in to check out his display, which includes the western-style fringe jacket he wore on the "Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and his traveling piano.
In another corner, an exhibit on best-selling novelist John Grisham greets tourists and locals alike.
The museum has recently expanded to include a conference room that can comfortably seat more than 20 people.
This past year more storage space was constructed and new carpeting was installed.
Hicks said the re-chinking of the Crumpler-Ferguson cabin is set for completion later this year. Chinking is a mixture of mud, straw and other materials that hardens and acts as insulation.
Shortly after Hicks arrived on his first day he suddenly realized constructing a museum from the ground up would take a great deal of hard work and the help of many volunteers.
"When I showed up on the first day there was no desk, no pencils- just the idea of creating a museum," said Hicks, a native of nearby Love community. "It's hard to believe but when we got started six years ago people were reluctant to loan things because they didn't think the museum would be around. The support we've received from the community since then has been phenomenal."
Hicks was named as the museum's director in 2001.
"I've got the best job in the world," Hicks said. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a museum in your hometown. "You start looking at 500 years of history, and there's a lot that can fit in between four walls.
Donations of artifacts began to trickle in. Hicks has to be more selective now with the limited amount of space.
Significant contributions include a personal diary and letters of a Hernando soldier who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Swords, saddles and other memorabilia line the walls to remind visitors that DeSoto County was home to at least four Civil War generals.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photo of James Meredith lying along U.S. 51 just south of Hernando adorns one wall.
Hicks said the museum attempts to tell DeSoto's story- the good, bad and ugly.
African American quilts, antique furniture, a riverboat replica and murals of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto also attempt to tell much of that history.
The museum has also made videotaped oral histories of longtime residents.
"Hopefully, we'll have these things for the next generation to enjoy," Hicks said. "There is a lot that has been lost."
Activities on Museum Day begin at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.
Barbecue is being provided by world famous barbecue cooker John David Wheeler.
Tickets to the event are $7 for adults and $4 for children.
Faltus used to own Hernando's Hideaway (best honky-tonk ever)
A'Fair gets under way; local band to headline
(DeSoto Times-Tribune photo by Luke Horton) An employee of Herb's Diner of Byhalia readies her culinary offerings Friday at Hernando's A'Fair.
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Community Editor
Published: Friday, May 15, 2009 9:48 PM CDT
HERNANDO - Get ready, Nashville.
An eclectic mix of New Country with an edge is in store for A'Fair festival-goers today as the Hernando-based band named Closely Watched Train takes the stage as the final act.
"Personally, I'm hoping to stop people in their tracks," drummer Oscar Faltus said as he described what he calls the group's "phenomenal sound."
It took a magazine listing to bring Faltus and his neighbor Johnny Curry together.
Curry, 39, lives just three blocks down from Faltus in a quiet suburban Hernando neighborhood.
Curry, who shares lead vocals with other band members, said he hopes hometown folks get on board the "Train's" bandwagon as the band's fan base grows.
"It would be great to have the hometown support," Curry said.
The Virginia Beach native has called Hernando home for the past three years.
The former policeman from Newport News, Va., has been playing music for 30 years but Curry said it's taken that long to find the perfect band with a distinctive and unique sound.
"The best thing about the group is that we're all from DeSoto County," Curry said. Other band members Scott Perry, Drew Short and Eddie Sorrell round out the group.
Curry said the band is in the mold of New Country groups like Rascal Flatts but has elements of rock, blues and even New Wave.
"We play New Country in the Rascal Flatt's kind of style - Blake Shelton, Keith Urban-type music," Curry said. "The New Country movement started with Garth Brooks and Vince Gill. They're the ones who put it in the mainstream."
Adding a few blues licks gives the band attitude, Curry said.
Guitar player Scott Berry has played on Beale Street for 30 years.
Faltus has been playing drums since his father bought him his first set at age 10.
"I remember we were in the living room harmonizing, and there was nobody to hear us," Faltus said.
Hopefully, that's about to change for the band. The free concert today, slated for between 3 and 4 p.m. is a chance for local fans to see the band up close before they cut their first CD.
Curry said the crowd will be treated to some familiar numbers before the band unloads their original songs.
"You've got to play stuff people want to hear before you play your original stuff," Curry said. "In order to get your music out, we have to play what people want to hear."
Faltus said a band's chemistry has to be just right.
"The really strange thing is that I put a band together three years ago," Fatlus said. "We looked for a guitar player and here he was just three blocks from me."
Faltus said he made the connection with Curry through the Memphis Flyer entertainment magazine.
Curry said he and Faltus instantly connected.
"It's tough to find people with the right idea and the right attitude," Curry said.
The five band members have been intently rehearsing for the A'Fair concert during the past week.
The band members hold down regular jobs and juggle family commitments into their rehearsal schedules.
Curry is a human resource specialist. Faltus is a machinist by trade and used to own Hernando's Hideaway (best honky-tonk ever) in Memphis, a legendary club frequented by Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Faltus is just 43 but he's heard all the stories. He even encountered Jerry Lee Lewis who came into the club to hear the band that was playing onstage at the time.
"I said, well, Mr. Lewis I could tell you their names but you probably wouldn't remember them," Faltus told him. "He laughed and said, yeah, you're probably right."
Curry said his talent is songwriting and coming up with lyrics.
"My wife will go shopping and come back and I will have written a song. It's finding the alone time to write songs that is difficult."
It was Curry who came up with the name for the band based on a 1966 movie of the same name, a foreign film that became popular during the New Wave movement.
"We just hope that people will come out, have a good time, and like what they hear."
Other musical acts include Earl Randle from 9 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. and a bluegrass jam from 10:45 a.m. until noon.
From 12:15 until 1 p.m. Martin Carver and Jett Case will perform.
Preceding Closely Watched Train is Kerry Parker from 1:15 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Activities begin early Saturday at 7:30 a.m. with the Laurie Wiley Memorial 5K Run/Walk.
Registration and check-in is located in the parking lot of Trustmark Bank at U.S. Highway 51 and Center Street across the street from the courthouse.
Registration forms are available at www.hernandooptimist.com or call Rachel Cook at 901-258-6811 for more information.
The arts and crafts show, expected to draw hundreds of vendors and thousands of tourists and shoppers, begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. around the courthouse square and down Center Street.
Major events are located throughout the day including the NASCAR racing car belonging to the Joe Gibbs racing team.
An arts show is slated around the courthouse square and down Commerce Street to City Hall and Center Street West from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Musical acts will perform from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Mid-South Flywheelers will have antique tractors on display. A book sale and story time are also planned at 11 a.m.
Robert Lee Long: rlong@desototimestribune.com or at 662-429-6397, Ext. 252
(DeSoto Times-Tribune photo by Luke Horton) An employee of Herb's Diner of Byhalia readies her culinary offerings Friday at Hernando's A'Fair.
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Community Editor
Published: Friday, May 15, 2009 9:48 PM CDT
HERNANDO - Get ready, Nashville.
An eclectic mix of New Country with an edge is in store for A'Fair festival-goers today as the Hernando-based band named Closely Watched Train takes the stage as the final act.
"Personally, I'm hoping to stop people in their tracks," drummer Oscar Faltus said as he described what he calls the group's "phenomenal sound."
It took a magazine listing to bring Faltus and his neighbor Johnny Curry together.
Curry, 39, lives just three blocks down from Faltus in a quiet suburban Hernando neighborhood.
Curry, who shares lead vocals with other band members, said he hopes hometown folks get on board the "Train's" bandwagon as the band's fan base grows.
"It would be great to have the hometown support," Curry said.
The Virginia Beach native has called Hernando home for the past three years.
The former policeman from Newport News, Va., has been playing music for 30 years but Curry said it's taken that long to find the perfect band with a distinctive and unique sound.
"The best thing about the group is that we're all from DeSoto County," Curry said. Other band members Scott Perry, Drew Short and Eddie Sorrell round out the group.
Curry said the band is in the mold of New Country groups like Rascal Flatts but has elements of rock, blues and even New Wave.
"We play New Country in the Rascal Flatt's kind of style - Blake Shelton, Keith Urban-type music," Curry said. "The New Country movement started with Garth Brooks and Vince Gill. They're the ones who put it in the mainstream."
Adding a few blues licks gives the band attitude, Curry said.
Guitar player Scott Berry has played on Beale Street for 30 years.
Faltus has been playing drums since his father bought him his first set at age 10.
"I remember we were in the living room harmonizing, and there was nobody to hear us," Faltus said.
Hopefully, that's about to change for the band. The free concert today, slated for between 3 and 4 p.m. is a chance for local fans to see the band up close before they cut their first CD.
Curry said the crowd will be treated to some familiar numbers before the band unloads their original songs.
"You've got to play stuff people want to hear before you play your original stuff," Curry said. "In order to get your music out, we have to play what people want to hear."
Faltus said a band's chemistry has to be just right.
"The really strange thing is that I put a band together three years ago," Fatlus said. "We looked for a guitar player and here he was just three blocks from me."
Faltus said he made the connection with Curry through the Memphis Flyer entertainment magazine.
Curry said he and Faltus instantly connected.
"It's tough to find people with the right idea and the right attitude," Curry said.
The five band members have been intently rehearsing for the A'Fair concert during the past week.
The band members hold down regular jobs and juggle family commitments into their rehearsal schedules.
Curry is a human resource specialist. Faltus is a machinist by trade and used to own Hernando's Hideaway (best honky-tonk ever) in Memphis, a legendary club frequented by Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Faltus is just 43 but he's heard all the stories. He even encountered Jerry Lee Lewis who came into the club to hear the band that was playing onstage at the time.
"Jerry Lee came in one time and heard the band and asked me 'Who are these crackers?"
"I said, well, Mr. Lewis I could tell you their names but you probably wouldn't remember them," Faltus told him. "He laughed and said, yeah, you're probably right."
Curry said his talent is songwriting and coming up with lyrics.
"My wife will go shopping and come back and I will have written a song. It's finding the alone time to write songs that is difficult."
It was Curry who came up with the name for the band based on a 1966 movie of the same name, a foreign film that became popular during the New Wave movement.
"We just hope that people will come out, have a good time, and like what they hear."
Other musical acts include Earl Randle from 9 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. and a bluegrass jam from 10:45 a.m. until noon.
From 12:15 until 1 p.m. Martin Carver and Jett Case will perform.
Preceding Closely Watched Train is Kerry Parker from 1:15 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Activities begin early Saturday at 7:30 a.m. with the Laurie Wiley Memorial 5K Run/Walk.
Registration and check-in is located in the parking lot of Trustmark Bank at U.S. Highway 51 and Center Street across the street from the courthouse.
Registration forms are available at www.hernandooptimist.com or call Rachel Cook at 901-258-6811 for more information.
The arts and crafts show, expected to draw hundreds of vendors and thousands of tourists and shoppers, begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. around the courthouse square and down Center Street.
Major events are located throughout the day including the NASCAR racing car belonging to the Joe Gibbs racing team.
An arts show is slated around the courthouse square and down Commerce Street to City Hall and Center Street West from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Musical acts will perform from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Mid-South Flywheelers will have antique tractors on display. A book sale and story time are also planned at 11 a.m.
Robert Lee Long: rlong@desototimestribune.com or at 662-429-6397, Ext. 252
LET ME BE THE FIRST BLOGGER TO WISH THE KILLER, JERRY LEE LEWIS A HAPPY 74th Birthday! Watch my YT Video of JLL in Brazil - Looks Great - happened on September 29
It happened on September 29It happened on September 292008 A $700bn rescue package for the US economy was rejected by members of the House of Representatives.
Jerry Lee Lewis, rock'n'roll singer, 74;
1952 British and world water-speed record holder John Cobb was killed on Loch Ness in a 240mph crash.
1941 A Nazi death squad murdered 30,000 Russian Jews in Kiev.
1899 Sir Billy Butlin, holiday camp pioneer, was born.
1829 London's first police force was mobilised and its men nicknamed "Bobbies" or "Peelers" after Sir Robert Peel, the man who founded it.
THOUGHT Policemen, like red squirrels, must be protected.
- Joe Orton, English dramatist
BIRTHDAYS Colin Dexter, author, 79; Jerry Lee Lewis, rock'n'roll singer, 74; Ian McShane, actor, 67; Luke and Matt Goss, singers (Bros), 41.
Nesbit's Jerry Lee Lewis touring at 74 > Desoto Times Tribune >
Desoto Times Tribune > News > Nesbit's Jerry Lee Lewis touring at 74Nesbit's Jerry Lee Lewis touring at 74
By ROBERT LEE LONG
NESBIT — After 74 years, Rock ‘n’ Roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis is still alive and kicking, celebrating his birthday Tuesday on the road as he promotes his latest release.
Community Editor
In advance of his new album, Lewis recently released the single “Mean Old Man,” written by Kris Kristofferson.
The Ferriday, La., native and longtime DeSoto County resident has lived in Nesbit since 1973 when he moved into the sprawling Lewis Ranch off Malone Road. The Lewis estate soon became a tourist attraction with its piano-shaped swimming pool and antique car collection.
However, the singer closed the ranch to tours in 2006, citing privacy reasons.
Tourists were seen paying tribute to the singer as they snapped photos outside the ranch's gates last week.
Lewis, the last sole surviving member of the "Million-Dollar Quartet," a phrase coined by Sun Record producer Sam Phillips, has outlived contemporaries Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, two children and several ex-wives.
Lewis has lived most of his life in his adopted state of Mississippi and has played local venues in recent years, including concerts at nearby casinos in Tunica.
Lewis still travels extensively. On Oct. 2 he is slated to appear at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. He most recently appeared in Brazil and has upcoming shows in the Czech Republic, Austria and Sweden.
His raucous, rowdy musical style catapulted Lewis to fame in the 1950s with his own unique brand of explosive piano playing. He learned to sing and play the piano at an early age in the old Assembly of God Church on Texas Avenue in Ferriday, a small, close-knit community across the Mississippi River from Natchez.
Lewis, who was one of the first inductees into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, is also featured in an exhibit at the DeSoto County Museum in Hernando. The singer donated one of his traveling pianos several years ago along with a fringed jacket he wore on the "Tonight Show" to the museum in Hernando.
Brian Hicks, executive director of the DeSoto County Museum, said Lewis draws as many fans as those of John Grisham, a former DeSoto County resident.
"People go to Graceland and then they drive down to Nesbit to see Jerry Lee's house," Hicks said. "We have quite a few who come by to see his exhibit here."
Lewis keeps a low profile while at home in Nesbit, where he resides with daughter Phoebe. He is often seen driving one of his vintage cars around town and frequents the drive-through window at Happy Daze, a local retro-style restaurant.
Several weeks ago, Lewis was sighted on his front porch, perhaps contemplating his long career.
Although an early Rock 'n' Roller, Lewis turned to singing country tunes in the 1960s and then resurrected his career with a comeback in the late 1970s at rock and blues revival concerts across the country.
Lewis was featured as a performer at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards last year.
Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him No. 24 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Robert Lee Long: rlong@desototimestribune.com or at 662-429-6397, Ext. 252
September 28, 2009
France 24 | Polanski vows to fight US extradition request | France 24
Reuters - Film director Roman Polanski, arrested in Switzerland over a U.S. charge of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, will fight extradition to the United States, his lawyer said on Monday.France 24 | Polanski vows to fight US extradition request | France 24
Polanski, 76, who has dual French and Polish citizenship, was detained on Saturday after arriving to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.
"He is in fighting mood and determined to defend himself," Herve Temime, Polanski's lawyer, told France Info radio, adding his client was stunned by the arrest as he was a regular visitor to Switzerland, with a chalet at the ski resort of Gstaad.
"We have begun by requesting his release, which should be done today in principle," Temime said. "There is no reason in law, or regarding the facts or in terms of the most basic justice to keep Roman Polanski a single day in prison."
A Swiss justice ministry spokesman said it was theoretically possible that Polanski could be released on bail, although that was very unlikely. "The criteria for bail are very strict," spokesman Guido Balmer said.
Polanski was initially arrested in the United States in 1977 and charged with giving drugs and alcohol to a minor, Samantha Geimer, and having unlawful sex with her. Geimer of Hawaii has since said Polanski should not face any jail time.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner spoke to his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey to discuss the case, a Swiss ministry spokesman said. Kouchner also told French radio on Monday he was working with Poland on the matter and had written to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
During a visit to Paris on Monday, Swiss Economy Minister Doris Leuthard said the country had no choice but to enforce an international arrest warrant against Polanski.
"The Americans strongly believe that the arrest of Mr Polanski is necessary. That's for them to decide. Switzerland is simply a state where the police functions and where we treat all people in the same way," she told a news conference.
Leuthard rejected suggestions Berne had arrested Polanski to help patch up ties strained by a high-profile U.S. tax case against Swiss bank UBS, which agreed a settlement over charges it helped wealthy Americans stash assets in secret accounts.
"The two things have absolutely no connection," she said, and when pressed on the timing of the arrest referred further questions to the Swiss Justice Department.
Swiss authorities have said that in the past they only heard about Polanski's visits after he left the country.
Free Polanski?
The U.S. authorities have up to 60 days to make a firm extradition request, but Polanski can appeal to the Swiss Federal Penal Court of Justice.
Wearing red badges reading "Free Polanski", the Zurich Film Festival jury accused Switzerland of "philistine collusion".
"We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade-old case that is all but dead but for minor technicalities. We stand by and wait for his release and his next masterwork," said jury president Debra Winger.
Other members of the movie profession including Italian actress Monica Bellucci, French actress Fanny Ardant, president of the Cannes film festival Gilles Jacob and Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai issued a petition demanding his immediate release.
Public opinion is divided. Responses to a Reuters blog on the Polanski arrest included those who opposed it as a waste of U.S. taxpayer money and people who supported the move.
"In my opinion it is totally right to arrest Mr. Polanski," wrote Otto Meier. "What he has done is awful and needs to be atoned."
Polanski has avoided countries with extradition treaties with the United States since fleeing in 1978. He has never returned to Los Angeles, where his pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate, was murdered by followers of Charles Manson in 1969.
The director was originally indicted on six charges, including rape. He has insisted the sex was consensual but pleaded guilty to a single count of having sex with a minor and received a sentence of time served after spending 42 days in prison undergoing psychiatric tests.
Polanski fled on the eve of his 1978 sentencing because he believed a judge might jail him for 50 years. His lawyers tried and failed earlier this year to have the case dismissed after a documentary raised new questions of judicial misconduct.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said on Sunday Polanski had received a very lenient sentence, which would never be achievable under today's laws.
"Some form of justice will finally be done," he said.
Born to Polish-Jewish parents on Aug. 18, 1933, Polanski spent his first three years in Paris before the family returned to Poland. He escaped when the Germans sealed off the Krakow Jewish ghetto but his mother later died at Auschwitz.
Polanski scored a huge hit in the United States with 1968 horror thriller "Rosemary's Baby", and another with 1974's "Chinatown", a stylish thriller starring Jack Nicholson that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
"Tess" (1979) also earned him an Oscar nomination, and Polanski finally won his only best director Oscar for the 2002 film "The Pianist", the story of a Jewish-Polish musician who sees his world collapse with the outbreak of World War Two.
NICHOPOULOUZO ... polanski - YouTube
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.polanski markuppolanski markupi'm posting this for christinah:
i
petitiononline. com / 270909 / petition . html
9:40 Diane Sawyer interview, conducted 10 years after Polanski's self-imposed exile from the United States. This is the only clip on YT besides Sundance Channel's Doc (which links here) with the Samantha Geimer story details from Roman Polanski's side.
Diane Sawyer snagged the scoop, and she asks a very nervous Roman (who actually asks to start the interview over) about his career, the holocaust, and of course the reason why he exiled himself: Samantha Geimer (Gailey) and the circumstances that led up to the trial, as well as the events which prompted him to finally flee the country.
There is discussion (painful to watch) of his last memories of his parents going off to the concentration camps, as well as insight into the Manson murders and their impact on him, his career, and how this may have had something to do with the downward spiral which ended up causing his actions with the 13-year-old Geimer.
Very interesting piece from 1987. Nowhere else online that I saw. I had it over at - http://www.dailymotion.com/mrjyn about two years ago, and just remembered it was there. i think it has about ten thousand views pre zurich-arrest.
"YouTube - SUNDANCE '08 - INTERVIEW: ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED" - http://j.mp/W78na - thanks for hosting my two roman polanski videos. the diane sawyer piece is from 1987, his first interview after he left the country. it's 10 minutes and i guess it's up on a couple news sites, because it got 4000 views in a couple of hours. - http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=roman+polanski+samantha+geimer# -
Recent videos for roman polanski samantha geimer
Roman Polanski Arrest - Samantha Geimer Trial 1977 Also watch Roman Polanski's 1er int. 10 years after exile discussing Samantha Geimer at - http://www.youtube.com/nichopoulouzo -
- http://www.visualguidanceltd.blogspot.com - In 1977, Polanski, then aged 44, became embroiled in a scandal involving 13-year-old Samantha Geimer (then known as Samantha Gailey). It ultimately led to Polanski's guilty plea to the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. According to Geimer, Polanski asked Geimer's mother if he could photograph the girl for the French edition of Vogue, which Polanski had been invited to guest-edit. Her mother allowed a private photo shoot. According to Geimer, "Everything was going fine; then he asked me to change in front of him. It didn't feel right, and I didn't want to go back to the second shoot." Geimer later agreed to a second session, which took place on March 10, 1977 at the Mulholland area home of actor Jack Nicholson in Los Angeles. "We did photos with me drinking champagne," Geimer says. 20 seconds ago by mrjyn thanks for watching my two roman polanski videos. the diane sawyer piece is from 1987, his first interview after he left the country. it's 10 minutes and i guess it's up on a couple news sites, because it got 4000 views in a couple of hours. - http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=roman+polanski+samantha+geimer# thanks for watching my two roman polanski videos. the diane sawyer piece is from 1987, his first interview after he left the country. it's 10 minutes and i guess it's up on a couple news sites, because it got 4000 views in a couple of hours. - http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=roman+polanski+samantha+geimer# - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2w3kw_roman-polanski-first-interview-afte_news - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x977sp_roman-polanski-arrest-samantha-geim_news THIS IS RARE ARCHIVAL POLANSKI FOOTAGE TAKEN DURING THE FIRST DAY OF TRIAL 1977. RT @mrjyn - bit.ly - #Roman #Polanski Samantha Geimer Trial 1977 - READ ALL POLANSKI Roman Polanski [Samantha Geimer Trial Footage 1977] Also watch Roman Polanski's 1er int. 10 years after exile discussing Samantha Geimer at Also watch Roman Polanski's 1er int. 10 years after exile discussing Samantha Geimer at www.youtube.com - www.visualguidanceltd.blogspot.com - roman polanski 13 year old, samantha geimer, roman polanski, samantha geimer picture, roman polanski sharon tate, roman ... youtube.com Roman Polanski - Wanted and Desired (fr. tsr.) Roman Polanski - Wanted and Desired (fr. tsr.) Directed by: Marina Zenovich Starring: Pedro Almodóvar ... Himself Istvan Bajzat ... Himself Steve Barshop ... Himself Marilyn ... Watch this video on garagetv.nl Roman Polanski - First Interview After Arrest (Diane Sawyer 1987) 9:40 Diane Sawyer interview, conducted 10 years after Polanski's self-imposed exile from the United States. This is the only clip on YT besides Sundance Channel's Doc (which ... This video cannot be played here. Watch it on youtube.com. Watch video here Roman Polanski [Samantha Geimer Trial Footage 1977] 00:40 - 4 months ago dailymotion.com Sex crime allegations In 1977, Polanski, then aged 44, became embroiled in a scandal involving 13-year-old Samantha Geimer (then known as Samantha Gailey). It ultimately led to ... Watch this video on dailymotion.com CINÉMA : Une nouvelle bataille judiciaire 'annonce pour Roman Polanski Le cinéaste franco-polonais Roman Polanski, arrêté samedi soir en Suisse à la suite 'un mandat 'arrêt américain datant de 1978, 'apprête à contester son extradition devant ... rance24.com Roman Polanski bit će izručen SAD-u Roman Polanski uhićen je pri pokušaju ulaska Švicarsku gdje je na filmskom festivalu ürichu trebao primiti nagradu za životno djelo. Uhićen je na osnovi uhidbenog naloga ... Polanski cere sa i se prescrie acuzatiile
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Tags: rape trial minor roman polanski Samantha Geimer rape trial minor jack nicholson Gailey gailey charles manson sharon tate 10020 cielo drive family manson family diane sawyer mrjyn
"the pianist" trial "charles manson" manson "manson family" "sharon tate" "diane sawyer" 10020 "cielo drive" "los angeles" rape polansky cannes polsanski polanskai "jack nicholson" 13-year-old girl zurich interview "Samantha Gailey" GAILEY 1977 "sexual intercourse" minor Quaalude champagne drugs unlawful mrjyn visualguidanceltd
TWEET THIS VIDEO - RT @mrjyn - http://bit.ly/G3Ckr - #Roman #Polanski #Arrested -
Updated 1:00 p.m. LA TIMES - In a statement, three Los Angeles attorneys representing Polanski indicated the arrest came as a surprise. The lawyers have been repr...
Roman Raymond Polanski and Samantha Geimer (then known as Samantha Gailey)
Roman Raymond Polański and Samantha Geimer (then known as Samantha Gailey)
Screaming Lord Sutch "Jack The Ripper" (Cinebox)
http://scopitones.com/ for the best quality Scopitones and Cinebox on DVD, Free Downloads and more. What's A Scopitone? It's a "Film Jukebox" invented in France in the early 1960's (from surplus World War II airplane parts!) and also the films (the precursors of todays music videos) which played on it.
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