Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 242
October 31, 2015
1 November 2015 - JAYDE FERGUSON - Guest Musician
JAYDE FERGUSON
- Guest Musician -
G'day folks,
I'm always seeking interesting guests on my blog. Well, here is one of them. Welcome, Jayde ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR MUSIC JOURNEY.
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to write. I was writing music from the age of 8 and started reviewing everything and anything I could wrap my ears around not long after. To be honest, it was an addiction... it still is! When I write about music and listen to music, I’m in my element. Nothing can beat it. I grew up around music; with my grandad in a Celtic band and it didn’t take much for me to want to be as involved in the industry as I possible could. I started writing for a record label in 2003 - Rella music (formerly Popstar Records) with Andrew McGuiness being a great mentor. 2009 was helping with some shows on local radio station RTR FM and then moved on to freelancing for local music magazines The Music, Drum Media and X-Press Mag. I started my music business, Toward Music, in 2012 and whilst it’s still an on the side thing, I’m absolutely loving every minute of it.
2. WERE YOU INTERESTED IN MUSIC AS A KID? WHAT TYPES OF MUSIC?
Hell yeah…! It was the air I breathed, I needed it. I’ve always had a pretty diverse music range, which I’m thankful for. Everyone around me my age seemed to love the latest pop tune on the radio whereas I was digging all the old school classics. I grew up to my grandad’s Celtic band that I loved; I had an obsession with Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley and the Motown era at a young age too. But on the other end of the spectrum, I absolutely love my grunge and rock. Nirvana have always been a huge band for me and I’ve spent most of my life wishing I was working in the music industry in the 70’s for legendary bands like The Doors. There’s something about music in that 70’s era that’s just irreplaceable… so honest and raw – and most of all they weren’t afraid to just be true to themselves. That’s a pretty special thing in such a judged society we live in.
3. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A MUSICIAN/WRITER?
I picked up guitar not long after I started writing. Since then I got really into playing bass and used to spend hours as a kid playing music, analysing reviews in music mags and pulling apart lyrics and riffs to get lost in. Then I got pretty slack with playing instruments and spent a few years singing with DJ’s and in the studio. Back in the day, playing music was all I cared about. Today, I just want to write and be involved in the music industry that way. I miss playing but there’s something about reaching out through lyrics and reviewing that is just as satisfying for me too. I really would like to get into playing more again though.
4. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
You meet interesting people and you are doing something that you have to do. I say ‘have to’ because I wouldn’t be whom I am without the opportunity to write and help emerging artists break into the scene. You have to be passionate about something to be great at it; it’s what differentiates something from good to great. I still have heaps to learn, but I love what I do and every day is exciting. Exhausting, but exciting.
5. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN?
Making a living out of it. Every musician wants to be just that - a musician. We are all artists just trying to make a living out of expressing who we are, it doesn’t help that it can be such a hard industry to break into either.
6. DO YOU WORK FOR YOURSELF, OTHERS OR BOTH?
Both. My day job I’m an online copywriter at White Chalk Road writing content and articles for a whole range of different industries. At night I’m a music journalist, manager and promoter with Toward Music. Somewhere in between I sleep!
7. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
Staying true to what I love doing. When I hear about people working in tedious jobs they don’t enjoy but are doing it because it’s good money, it makes me appreciative that I am actually doing what I’m passionate about – in my day job and my business. There’s nothing worse than being in a job you hate. Sure you need a steady income but working to live is a much better concept than living to work. It’s an achievement because a lot of people struggle to find that happiness.
8. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
Toward Music is a sponsor of The Newport Record Club in Fremantle so I’ve been busy with that lately writing up promo pieces for the gigs and bands and reviewing the shows. Next month I’ll be chatting to Tommy lead guitarist of KISS and currently got a few exciting management projects happening which is keeping me pretty occupied.
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF MUSIC?
That’s a tough one, how long do you have!? I can’t have just one favourite, sometimes I am in the mood for grunge and only grunge. Other times old school rock is my thing and then I’ll be rockin’ out to Motown soul classics. I can appreciate and get into metal and I love RnB and Jazz. Diverse is key, but there’s a lot of music I can’t stand too…!
10. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Music, my sister and people I am close to. People that can see the good in something even through the shit – I’m a big believer that everyone and everything has potential; and when you can find it and bring it out of something or someone, that’s pretty special.
11. DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS?
Currently, no. I used to play guitar and bass. I’d like to learn drum and sax one day. I love having the occasional jam at home when you’re just chilling and get the guitars out and sing - makes me miss playing but as long as I am doing something musically, I feel like I’m getting my fix.
12. DO YOU HAVE A COLLECTION OF MUSIC? WHAT?
Yeah, love my vinyl. My collection consists of old classics like the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan, then there's a little Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana (a lot of Nirvana, actually), The Shins, Incubus, The Cure, Dr Dre, Snoop, Bob Marley, Vance Joy, Banks, Michael Jackson, Chet Faker, Pulp Fiction and heaps of other great stuff.
13. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR EMERGING MUSICIANS?
Be humble. Arrogance is ugly and it doesn't matter how good you are, you suck. Other than that, I'd just encourage people to work hard and be themselves. You have to go through a lot of shit to get to where you want and if you aren't prepared for that or won't push yourself hard enough for your own dreams, then you can’t expect someone else to get you there for you.
14. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED SCHEDULE?
I don't know about preferred, I work doing my day job, come home, work my night time job and try to have breaks, sleep and a social life in between.
15. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PLACE OR TIME TO WORK?
In terms of writing music, I love writing at the beach or Kings Park. Used to do that a lot because you can just ‘be’ with a clear head. I write better that way.
16. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN YOUR WORK?
Meeting people that inspire you to do awesome things. Certain people can change your perspective for the better, whether you're learning from them or being inspired by then – it’s great. Not having to line in concert queues is pretty awesome, too!
17. WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
That my writing style is so different to anything else. It comes with advantages and disadvantages; I connect with music on such an emotional level it can sometimes be hard for my writing to be structured to certain ‘rules’. But in a lot of ways (so I’ve been told) it’s the reason why people feel they can connect with my work on a different level regardless of whether they’re into the music I’m reviewing or not, or a musician themselves.
18. WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
Constructive criticism is good so wouldn't say the worst - but when I first submitted work to a publication they said my writing was too emotional to stick with their standards and ‘rules’. They said I was good, but I "had to take a lot of the emotion out". I took something from that and became more cautious when I wrote, but I didn't change my writing style. I'm not a "technical" writer when it comes to reviewing music – it’s the emotions that music creates for me and the audience that allow me to really interact with a bands' work, so why would I want to take that out?
19. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU AS A CREATIVE MUSICIAN AND WRITER?
Experiences. Good or bad - they shape everything I write and play and there’s definitely childhood and lifetime experiences that influence the songs I write and the way I connect to music when reviewing.
If I am having a bad day I play music that reflects that and it makes me feel better. When I’m having fun, I play tunes I can rock out too, dance drink and create awesome memories too. When I write music and lyrics, I write better when I’m down because it’s a kind of therapy and turns how I’m feeling into something positive. When I write articles and review, I need to be in a clear and happy headspace otherwise I am useless!
20. HOW MANY SEPARATE PIECES OF MUSIC HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
I've written over 100 songs – lyrically. The ones with actual music are only about 10. I have a bad tendency of writing the lyrics and hearing the sound in my head, but I can't always find the exact sound I want to play.
21. OTHER THAN MUSIC AND WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
I have two pretty awesome cats, but I don't want to sound like a crazy cat lady...! I love roller coasters (such an adrenaline junkie!), the beach, thunderstorms, spontaneous road trips and traveling.
22. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
Any day is good if it involves music, weed and great people. And maybe a few other things too. Oh and live music. Live music rocks.
23. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I'd love to write for Rolling Stone mag one day. I'd also like to take my business overseas.
24. IF YOU CREATED MUSIC FOR THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
Sex, drugs and rock and roll :-) just to be a little controversial…!
TOWARD MUSIC
Clancy's comment: Go, Jayde! Folks, I'd suggest that you check out Jayde's website. It's great. Watch this space. I reckon we will hear more about this beautiful musician.
I'm ...
October 30, 2015
31 October 2015 - SOME MORE WEIRD STUFF
SOME MORE WEIRD STUFF
G'day folks,
Yep, time for some more weird stuff to make you chuckle.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... There are a few good ideas here for mums when serving up dinner to kids.
I'm ...
October 29, 2015
30 October 2015 - A.S. CHUNG - Guest Author
A.S. CHUNG
- Guest Author -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview another Australian author who writes picture books. A.S. Chung is a mother of a young toddler, blogger and recently added author of children’s picture books to her repertoire. A recent divorce inspired her to create Pigeonhole Books, which is a gentle resource to deal with life’s challenges. It was a way to communicate with her daughter and show her that life continues after difficult times. She has a great desire to preach positive messages and the importance of love and family to young children. Therefore, Pigeonhole Books is a project very close to her heart. Apart from the topic of divorce, Pigeonhole Books also deals with important subjects such as same-sex, blended and multiracial families.
Welcome, A. S. ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.I am a mother of a young toddler, blogger and author of children’s picture books. A recent divorce inspired me to create Pigeonhole Books, which is a gentle resource to deal with life’s challenges. My first book, A Brand New Day, was written as a way to communicate with her daughter and show her that life continues after difficult times. A Brand New Day recently won the 2015 National Indie Excellence® Awards.
I have a great desire to preach positive messages and the importance of love and family to young children. Therefore, Pigeonhole Books is a project very close to my heart. Apart from the topic of divorce, Pigeonhole Books also deals with same-sex, blended and multiracial families. My second book Wishful Wedding was recently published in June 2015, which is my first LGBTQ children’s literature dealing with marriage equality and same gender marriage.
2. WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?As I am a picture book writer, I just go for it! My books are generally less than 300 words so I just start writing and then worry about the structure and formatting later. So far it seems to have worked well for me as it all fits on one A4 piece of paper!
3. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?I love being able to put on paper, what I have in my head. I am always astonished with the finished product, “I wrote that??”
4. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?No I don’t. I write when I’m in the mood as I find I am most productive then. Whenever I have planned some time aside to do some writing, I have hardly ever produced anything worth even editing!
5. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?The great man himself, Paulo Coelho. When I got a divorce, I turned to Paulo Coelho’s spiritual words to get through that difficult phase in my life and in many ways allowed the slow minutes become beautiful days. This turning of events and the realisation how books can be so powerful, ignited my need to write and hence the commencement of a very new chapter in my life.
6. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?Absolutely and that is exactly how I came to start writing children’s picture books. As mentioned above, I went through a divorce and it became a very tumultuous time. I was most concerned about my daughter and wanted to shelter her from the unavoidable difficulties. At the time, she was too young to really understand the ramifications of divorce but old enough to know something was amiss. I was then inspired to create Pigeonhole Books, which is a gentle resource to deal with life’s challenges. These picture books are designed for young children who come from divorce, same-sex, blended and multicultural families.
7. OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?I love organising social occasions and have done many over my lifetime, purely with the knowledge that I was making a friend happy during their milestone celebrations. I love entertaining my friends, as we sit around a table and converse all day. Travel is definitely on the top of my list and with a young child in tow now, she has opened up the world in a very different way.
8. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?Continue to write as long as I have the passion, energy and imagination. Well, finances too but let’s not damper the mood!
9. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?In all of my divorce series of picture books, I am the separated parent, trying very hard to keep it together and provide my child with a loving and safe environment to grow up in. Hoping that the divorce doesn’t affect her traumatically and that she understands whilst we are a separated family, she is very much loved and a number one priority in our lives.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER. When readers tell me what a difference the book has made to their lives and that they believe it will help others.
10. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?The natural answer for a picture book would be “a lot!”. However, I work with an amazing illustrator who has the ability to translate the vision and objective of the book into beautiful art. Her first drafts were amazing enough so I just said “yes!”.
11. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?That is a big question. Book marketing is not for the faint hearted and is relentless. You have to be a player and a constant one at that. I have currently committed myself to blogging 100 marketing tips on my blog, Pigeonhole Books over the next year both as a learning curve as well as helping other indie authors out there. http://pigeonholebooks.com/category/100-online-book-marketing-tips/
12. ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?Yes they are! I didn’t explore traditional publishing as I wanted full control of the story as well as the accompanying illustrations. Self-publishing has never been easier but of course it comes with hard work. I am however, loving the journey thus far.
13. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?I am in the midst of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mocking Bird. Reading it again, for inspiration and beautiful writing.
PIGEONHOLE BOOKS
SOCIAL MEDIA
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8354186.A_S_Chung
https://www.facebook.com/pigeonholebooks?ref=tn_tnmn
https://www.pinterest.com/aschung0175/
https://twitter.com/PigeonholeBooks
A BRAND NEW DAY BOOK: WHERE TO PURCHASE
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Brand-New-Day-Banana-Split-ebook/dp/B00LXJ3I2Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1407129647&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Brand+New+Day
BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-brand-new-day-as-chung/1119979197?ean=9780992538200
BOOK DEPOSITORY: http://www.bookdepository.com/Brand-New-Day-Chung/9780992538200
WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT:
A Brand New Day: A Banana Split Story is a children's picture book about divorce. It tells the story of a little girl who has to split her time between two homes so that she can spend time with her mother and father throughout the week. The book is written in gentle rhyme accompanied by beautiful artwork with a muted colour palette.
The story also introduced the concept of a blended family as the little girl inherits a step brother. The story never once mentions the word "divorce" and presents this life challenge in a positive light. The book was written to demonstrate that despite being in divorce family, the child can still create special moments with each parent and still be very loved.“Mondays and Tuesdays are fun, going on cooking adventures with Dad. We look forward to Wednesdays and Thursday too when we get to be a green thumb with Mum. Don’t forget the holidays! Spring breaks with Mum and hot summers camping with Dad. Each day is a truly special day!”
Clancy's comment: Thank you, A. S. Mm ... You sound as passionate as me in what you write for kids. Good for you, and well done on winning an award for A Brand New Day. You must be doing something right - write!
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October 28, 2015
29 October 2015 - THINGS TO PONDER ABOUT BOOK PUBLISHING
THINGS TO PONDERABOUT BOOK PUBLISHING
G'day folks,
Welcome to some interesting points about book publishing, courtesy of Curtis Sittenfeld, an American writer.
1. When it comes to fellow writers, don’t buy into the narcissism of small differences. In all their neurotic, competitive, smart, funny glory, other writers are your friends.
2. Unless you’re Stephen King, or you’re standing inside your own publishing house, assume that nobody you meet has ever heard of you or your books. If they have, you can be pleasantly surprised.
3. At a reading, 25 audience members and 20 chairs is better than 200 audience members and 600 chairs.
4. There are very different ways people can ask a published writer for the same favor. Polite, succinct, and preemptively letting you off the hook is most effective.
5. Blurbs achieve almost nothing, everyone in publishing knows it, and everyone in publishing hates them.
6. But a really good blurb from the right person can, occasionally, make a book take off.
7. When your book is on best-seller lists, people find you more amusing and respond to your emails faster.
8. When your book isn’t on best-seller lists, your life is calmer and you have more time to write.
9. The older you are when your first book is published, the less gratuitous resentment will be directed at you.
10. The goal is not to be a media darling; the goal is to have a career.
11. The farther you live from New York, the less preoccupied you’ll be with literary gossip. Like cayenne pepper, literary gossip is tastiest in small doses.
12. Contrary to stereotype, most book publicists aren’t fast-talking, vapid manipulators; they’re usually warm, organized youngish women (yes, they are almost all women) who love to read.
13. Female writers are asked more frequently about all of the following topics than male writers: whether their work is autobiographical; whether their characters are likable; whether their unlikable characters are unlikable on purpose or the writer didn’t realize what she was doing; how they manage to write after having children.
14. If you tell readers a book is autobiographical, they will try to find ways it isn’t. If you tell them it’s not autobiographical, they will try to find ways it is.
15. It’s not your responsibility to convince people who don’t like your books that they should. Taste is subjective, and you’re not running for elected office.
16. By not being active on social media, you’re probably shooting yourself in the foot. That said, faking fluency with or interest in forms of social media that don’t do it for you is much harder than making up dialogue for imaginary characters.
17. If someone asks what you do and you don’t feel like getting into it, insert the word freelancebefore the word writer, and they will inquire about nothing more.
18. If you read a truly great new book and feel more excited than jealous, congratulations, you’re a writer.
19. Fiercely, fiercely, fiercely protect your writing time.
20. It’s OK to let your book be published if you can see its flaws but don’t know how to fix them. Don’t let your book be published if it still contains flaws that are fixable, even if fixing them is a lot of work.
21. Talking about how brutally difficult it is to write books is unseemly. Unless you’re the kind of writer who’s been imprisoned by the dictatorship where you live and is being advocated for by PEN American Center, give it a rest.
22. Books bring information, provocation, entertainment, and comfort to many people. You’re lucky to be part of that.
23. Sometimes good books sell well; sometimes good books sell poorly; sometimes bad books sell well; sometimes bad books sell poorly. A lot about publishing is unfair and inscrutable. But…
24. …you don’t need anyone else’s approval or permission to enjoy the magic of writing — of sitting by yourself, figuring out which words should go together to express whatever it is you’re trying to say.
CURTIS SITTENFELD
Clancy's comment: Well, there ya go. Worth reading?
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October 27, 2015
28 October 2015 - BABE RUTH
BABE RUTH
G'day folks,
Welcome to some facts about Babe Ruth.
Full Name: Babe Ruth [George Herman Ruth, Jr.]
Nationality: American
Profession: Baseball Legend
Why Famous: US Major League Baseball player considered one of the greatest hitters of all time; was one of the first 5 individuals elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Born: 6th February , 1895
Star Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Died: 16th August , 1948 (aged 53)
Cause of Death: Cancer
Married Life 1914-10-14 - Baseball legend Babe Ruth (19) weds Helen Woodford
1929-04-17 - Baseball great Babe Ruth (34) marries 2nd wife Claire Merritt Hodgson (31)
Historical Events in the Life of Babe Ruth 1914-04-22 - Babe Ruth's 1st professional game (as a pitcher) is a 6-hit 6-0 win
1914-07-10 - Boston Red Sox purchase Babe Ruth from Baltimore Orioles
1914-07-11 - Babe Ruth debuts as a pitcher for Boston Red Sox, he beats Cleve 4-3
1915-05-06 - Red Sox Babe Ruth pitching debut & 1st HR, loses to Yanks 4-3 in 15
1916-10-09 - Babe Ruth begins 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings
1917-04-11 - Babe Ruth beats NY Yanks, pitching 3-hit 10-3 win for Red Sox
1918-07-08 - Babe Ruth's blast over the fence in Fenway scores Amos Strunk, the Red Sox win 1-0 over Cleve, prevailing rules reduce Babe's HR to a triple
1919-07-05 - Red Sox Babe Ruth hits 2 HRs in a game for his 1st of 72 times
1919-09-08 - Babe Ruth hits his 26th HR off Jack Quinn in NY, breaking Buck Freeman's 1899 HR mark of 25
1919-09-20 - Babe Ruth ties Ned Williamson's major league mark of 27 HRs
1919-09-24 - Babe Ruth sets season homer mark at 28 off of Yankee Bob Shawkey
1919-09-27 - Babe Ruth's 29th HR is 1st of year in Wash (1st in every park in league in one season)
1919-12-26 - Yankees & Red Sox reach agreement on transfer of Babe Ruth the Yankees
1920-05-01 - Babe Ruth's 1st Yankee HR & 50th of career, out of Polo Grounds
1920-09-29 - Babe Ruth sets then home run season record at 54
1921-06-08 - Babe Ruth arrested for speeding, fined $100, & held in jail until 4 PM
1921-06-10 - Babe Ruth becomes all time HR champ with #120 (Gavvy Cravath)
1921-07-12 - Babe Ruth sets record of 137 career home runs
1921-08-28 - Babe Ruth starts streak of an extra-base hit in 9 straight games
1921-10-02 - NY Yankee Babe Ruth hits then record 59th HR
1921-10-09 - Babe Ruth's 1st WS homer; only Sunday game ever pitched by Carl Mays
1922-03-06 - Babe Ruth signs 3 year contract with NY Yankees at $52,000 a year
1922-05-20 - Babe Ruth & Bob Meusel, suspended on October 16, 1921, by Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, return to the NY lineup & go hitless
1922-05-25 - Babe Ruth suspended 1 day & fined $200 for throwing dirt on an ump
1922-06-12 - St Louis Brown Hub Pruett strikes out Babe Ruth 3 straight times
1922-08-30 - Babe Ruth is thrown out of a game for 5th time in 1922
1923-10-11 - Babe Ruth hits 2 HRs in a World Series game
1923-10-23 - Babe Ruth makes a postseason exhibition appearance in a Giants uniform
1925-04-05 - Yankees whip Dodgers in exhibition 16-9 but Babe Ruth collapses in NC due to an ulcer
1925-04-09 - Babe Ruth rushed to hospital
1925-04-17 - NY Yankee Babe Ruth has ulcer surgery
1925-05-26 - Babe Ruth is finally out of bed, 5 weeks after ulcer surgery
1925-08-09 - Only time Babe Ruth pinch-hit for, Bobby Veach flies out
1925-08-29 - After a night on the town, Babe Ruth shows up late for batting practice Miller Huggins suspends Ruth & slaps a $5,000 fine on him
1926-10-06 - Babe Ruth hits 3 HRs in a World Series game, Yanks beat Cards 10-5
1927-03-02 - Babe Ruth becomes highest paid baseball player ($70,000 per year)
1927-04-15 - Babe Ruth hits 1st of 60 HRs of season (off A's Howard Ehmke)
1927-06-11 - Babe Ruth hits 19th & 20th of 60 HRs
1927-07-12 - Babe Ruth hits 30th of 60 HRs
1927-08-16 - 1st HR hit out of Comiskey Park Chicago (NY Yankee Babe Ruth)
1927-08-22 - Babe Ruth hits 40th of 60 homers
1927-09-11 - Babe Ruth hits 50th of 60 homers
1927-09-29 - Babe Ruth ties record by hitting grand slams in consecutive games
1927-09-30 - Babe Ruth hits record setting 60th HR (off Tom Zachary)
1928-08-01 - Babe Ruth hits HR # 42 & is 4 weeks ahead of his 1927 pace
1929-08-11 - Babe Ruth becomes 1st to hit 500 homers (off Willis Hudlin of Cleve)
1930-03-08 - Babe Ruth signs 2-year contract for $160,000 with NY Yankee GM Ed Barrow, wrongly predicts "No one will ever be paid more than Ruth"
1930-05-21 - NY Yankee Babe Ruth hits 3 consecutive homers
1931-08-21 - Babe Ruth hits his 600th HR, off George Blaeholder of Browns
1932-10-01 - World Series moves to Chicago, In 5th inning, Babe Ruth waits until he has 2 strikes, points & hits next pitch into center field bleachers
1933-07-06 - 1st All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 4-2 at Comiskey Park, Chicago, Babe Ruth hits first All Star home run
1933-12-29 - Yank refuses to release Babe Ruth so he can manage the Cin Reds
1934-01-15 - Babe Ruth signs a 1934 contract for $35,000 ($17,000 cut)
1934-07-13 - Babe Ruth hits HR #700 (against Detroit)
1934-07-17 - Babe Ruth draws his 2,000th base on balls at Cleveland
1934-08-10 - Babe Ruth announces this is his final season as full time player
1934-09-24 - 2,500 fans see Babe Ruth's farewell Yankee appearance at Yankee Stadium
1934-09-30 - Babe Ruth's final game as a Yankee, goes 0 for 3
1934-10-20 - All-Star team led by Babe Ruth & Connie Mack sails to Hawaii & Japan
1934-11-02 - Babe Ruth tours Tokyo, Japan
1935-02-26 - NY Yankees release Babe Ruth, he signs with Boston Braves
1935-04-16 - Babe Ruth's 1st NL game, for Boston Braves, included a HR
1935-05-25 - Babe Ruth hits his last 3 home runs, Boston Braves vs Pirates
1935-05-30 - Babe Ruth's final game, goes hitless for Braves against Phillies
1935-05-31 - Babe Ruth grounds out in his final at bat
1935-06-02 - Babe Ruth, 40, announces his retirement as a player
1935-08-12 - Babe Ruth's final game at Fenway Park, 41,766 on hand
1936-01-29 - 1st players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson & Walter Johnson
1936-03-09 - Babe Ruth turns down Reds to make a comeback as a player
1937-03-25 - It is revealed Quaker Oats pays Babe Ruth $25,000 per year for ads
1938-06-18 - Babe Ruth is signed as a Dodgers coach for the rest of the season
1938-11-02 - Babe Ruth applies for job of St Louis Browns' manager
1947-04-27 - Babe Ruth Day celebrated at Yankee Stadium & through out US
1948-06-13 - Babe Ruth's final farewell at Yankee Stadium, he dies Aug 16th
1948-07-26 - "Babe Ruth Story" premieres, Babe Ruth's last public appearance
1949-04-19 - Yankees dedicate a plaque for Babe Ruth
2006-05-28 - Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run, passing Babe Ruth on the all-time list
Clancy's comment: Wow, what a life, eh?
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October 26, 2015
27 October 2015 - TIGER WOODS
TIGER WOODS
G'day folks,
Welcome to the life of one of the greatest golfers. Tiger Woods set an amazing pro golf career in motion in 1997, when he became the youngest man and the first African American to win the U.S. Masters.
Also, below you will find a new 4-Star Amazon review for 'A Drover's Blanket'.
Synopsis
Pro golfer Tiger Woods was born in Cypress, California, in 1975. He won the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997 with a record score at age 21, making him the youngest man and the first African American to earn the title. Woods won another 13 majors and was named the PGA Player of the Year 10 times over the next 12 years, but he struggled to regain his top form after personal problems surfaced in 2009.
Golf ProdigyAthlete Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as Tiger Woods, was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, the only child of an African-American Army officer father and a Thai mother. When Woods was a child, his father began calling him "Tiger" in honor of a fellow soldier and friend who had the same moniker. Around this same time, Woods learned to play golf. His father, Earl, served as his teacher and mentor. Around the age of 8, Woods had become extremely proficient at the game, even showing off his skills on television shows such as Good Morning America.
Woods studied at Stanford University, and won a number of amateur U.S. golf titles before turning professional in 1996. He shot to fame after winning the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997—with a record score of 270—at the age of 21. Woods was the youngest man to earn the title, and the first African-American to accomplish this feat.
In his first appearance at the British Open later that year, Woods tied the course record of 64. The next few years brought even more successes, including four U.S. PGA titles, three U.S. Open wins, three Open Championship wins, and three U.S. Masters wins.
In 2003, among Woods's five wins were the Buick Invitational and the Western Open. The next year, Woods won only one official PGA Tour championship. While he may have had some challenges on the course, his personal life was running smoothly. Woods married his longtime girlfriend Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model, in October of 2004.
Returning to dominate the sport, he won six championships in 2005 and was voted the PGA Tour Player of Year for the seventh time in nine years.
Personal LifeWoods experienced a great personal loss in 2006. His father died in May after battling prostate cancer. Woods remarked on his website at the time, "My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply." Despite his grief, Woods returned to golf and won several events, including the PGA Championship and the British Open.
The next season was marked by many wins personally and professionally. His wife gave birth to the couple's first child, Sam Alexis Woods, on June 18, 2007. After taking some time off to welcome his daughter, he won the World Golf Championship and the PGA Championship in August 2007.
The next month, Woods's winning ways continued, as he garnered the top spot at the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. He was named Player of the Year by the other participants in the PGA Tour and won his eighth Arnold Palmer Award for being the lead money earner.
Woods won the U.S. Open on June 16, 2008, in a 19-hole playoff, overcoming sporadic pain in his left knee from arthroscopic surgery performed on April 15. Woods shot a par 4 on the first and only hole of sudden death while American Rocco Mediate, 45, settled for a bogey.
The sudden death duel at Torrey Pines in San Diego followed an 18-hole playoff, which saw the two finish at par. In that playoff, Woods led Mediate by three shots after the first 10 holes. Mediate then birdied three of the next five holes and took the lead. But on the final hole, Woods birdied while Mediate shot par, forcing the sudden death playoff. "I think this is probably the best ever," Woods said. "All things considered, I don't know how I ended up in this position, to be honest with you." The victory gave Woods his third U.S. Open championship and 14th major title, just four behind the all-time record held by Jack Nicklaus.
Two days later, Woods announced he would miss the rest of the season because his left knee required more reconstructive surgery. He also revealed he had suffered a double stress fracture in his left tibia two weeks before the U.S. Open tournament, ignoring doctors' advice to take six weeks off to let it heal.
Woods and his wife announced September 2, 2008, that they were expecting their second child in late winter. "Elin is feeling great and we are both thrilled," Woods said on his website. "While my injury has been disappointing and frustrating, it has allowed me to spend a lot of time watching Sam grow. I can't begin to tell you how rewarding it is being a dad and spending time with her and Elin." The couple welcomed baby boy Charlie Axel Woods on February 8, 2009.
On February 25, 2009, Woods returned to the green in the Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, Arizona. Woods played against South African golfer Tim Clark, losing 4 to 2 in his first tournament since his injury. In June of 2009, Woods competed again in the U.S. Open. After putting a four-over-par in the first round, Woods quickly fell out of contention for the win.
Although Woods's comeback had not been as auspicious as he'd hoped, he remained No. 1 in the world golf rankings, and continued to be the leader in Top 10 finishes overall. But after losing the PGA title to Yang Yong-eun, Woods finished the year without a single major win—the first time he had done so since 2004.
While his life on the green seemed lackluster, his personal life was in an even more serious tailspin. In late November, reports surfaced about a tryst between Woods and nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel. Both parties denied a relationship, despite photographic evidence that seemed to indicate otherwise.
On November 27, as the story gained traction, media outlets announced that Woods had collided into a fire hydrant outside his home at 2:30 in the morning. Reports said that Woods's wife had broken the back window of the golfer's SUV with a golf club in order to get him out of the locked car. The golfer's injuries were not serious, and he was quickly released.
The accident aroused suspicions with fans and the media, who instantly pushed for a statement from Woods. But the golfer remained silent on the matter, and mysteriously dropped out of his charity golf tournament, the Chevron World Challenge. He then announced that he would not be attending any other tournaments in 2009.
As the silence grew, so did reports of other Woods mistresses. On December 2, 2009, Woods offered an apology to his fans and family, expressing regret for unnamed "transgressions." But as the mistress count rose to more than a dozen women, with phone evidence to back many claims, Woods was unable to suppress media inquiries into his life. Woods was said to have offered his wife a renegotiation of their prenuptial agreement in order to compel her to stick by him, but reports soon surfaced that Nordgren had purchased a home in Sweden with her sister. Photographers then spotted the former model without her wedding ring.
Clancy's comment: What can I say? They say that golf is a great way to ruin a good walk. However, I'd love to play half as good as Tiger.
A nail-biting emotional roller-coaster ride of adventure.When you open a Clancy Tucker book you know you will not be disappointed & that you are about to embark on yet another nail-biting emotional roller-coaster ride of adventure.
A Drover's Blanket is the sequel to his award-winning book; Gunnedah Hero.
A Drover's Blanket was an emotional shattering tale of old-fashioned values & respect from the inaugural chapter & tears welled flowed throughout.
Young Gunnie Danson, the great-great-grandson of Smokey Gun Danson leaves the city to live & work on Wiralee Station - the former home of Smokey. He has read Smokey's journey about his adventure up the long paddock during a bad drought - had it published - & now yearns to live the lifestyle.
Living & working on the land is not for the faint heart-hearted. Gunnie is faced with his own crisis's - having valuable & irreplaceable property stolen; his uncle ill-health; the disappearance of a friend when her plane goes down & so much more.
I encourage everyone to get a copy & read Gunnedah Hero & A Drover's Blanket. You will not be disappointed as Clancy sends your emotions spiralling into ebbs & flows throughout. Clancy has the incredible ability to make you feel the story - as if you are there - watching it through a viewing window.
A Drover's Blanket is a great story; written by a great Australian author. I guarantee you will be enthralled from the first chapter & your excitement will never wane throughout.
A Drover's Blanket should be made compulsory reading for every school child & their parents.
Another great book Clancy. Thank you so very much for sharing this incredible story with me. I will be forever touched by it.
Vicki Case
Clancy's comment: Well, there ya go, folks. Dont forget. You must read 'Gunnedah Hero' before you read 'A Drover's Blanket'. Both books would enlighten many of my overseas friends as to the life and times of pioneers in Australia.
Check out my book shop above. They would make a great Christmas gift.
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October 25, 2015
26 October 2015 - WHO WERE THE LUDDITES?
WHO WERE THE LUDDITES?
G'day folks,
Are you a Luddite? Know what they are? If you don't, check these ....
“Luddite” is now a blanket term used to describe people who dislike new technology, but its origins date back to a 19th century labour movement that railed against the economic fallout of the Industrial Revolution. The original Luddites were British weavers and textile workers who objected to the increased use of automated looms and knitting frames. Most were trained artisans who had spent years learning their craft, and they feared that unskilled machine operators were robbing them of their livelihood. When their appeals for government aid and assistance were ignored, a few desperate weavers began breaking into factories and smashing textile machines.
They called themselves “Luddites” after Ned Ludd, a young apprentice who was rumored to have wrecked a textile apparatus in the late-18th century. There’s no evidence Ludd actually existed—like Robin Hood, he was said to reside in Sherwood Forest—but he eventually became the mythical leader of the movement. The vandals claimed to be following orders from “General Ludd,” and they even issued manifestoes and threatening letters under his name.
The first major instances of machine breaking took place in 1811 in Nottingham, and the practice soon spread across the English countryside. Sledgehammer-wielding Luddites attacked and burned factories, and in some cases they even exchanged gunfire with company guards and soldiers. The workers hoped their raids would encourage a ban on weaving machines, but the British government instead moved to quash the uprisings by making machine breaking punishable by death.
The unrest finally reached its peak in April 1812, when a few Luddites were gunned down during an attack on a mill near Huddersfield. The army rounded up many of the dissidents in the days that followed, and dozens were hanged or transported to Australia. By 1813, the Luddite resistance had all but vanished. It wasn’t until the 20th century that their name re-entered the popular lexicon as a synonym for “technophobe.”
Clancy's comment: There ya go, folks. Now you know. I also know a few of them myself, and I'm sure you do too.
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October 24, 2015
25 October 2015 - MARY BARR - Guest Author
MARY BARR
- Guest Author -G'day folks,
Welcome to some insights into a Canadian author who is also an artist and jewellery designer. As an Author, Mary Barr writes juvenile, young adult and adult fiction. Writing in a variety of genres enables her stories to remain fresh, stimulating and challenging. As each plot unfolds she knows the feelings, needs, personality and fears of her characters, whether they are good or evil.
Welcome, Mary ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY. I slid into writing because it was something I loved. Fiction is world I can create myself there are no rules, no boundaries. My writing is limited only by my imagination. Children seldom have boundaries until they are old enough to be taught otherwise, so the inner child in me is alive and well. My journey began when I won my first literary award at the old age of seven. Since then it has remained my love over many years. It was a love that didn’t disappoint and over the years I have indulgenced in often when time has permitted me the luxury of doing so.
2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER? I guess I’ve always been a storyteller, because I am storyteller and not a writer. It’s a wonderful discovery knowing others delight in what you write and once I believed in myself and realised people wanted to read what I wrote then the journey began.
3. WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP? I am very much a planner. In fact I am giving a webinar this September on how to ‘get started and become a writer’ I love sharing my formula with others. I am a planned writer; characters, and storyline are set in my mind before I begin. I also create the characters in the book, so when I need a new character I go through my list and choose one that is already exists.
4. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER? Both the storyline and the characters because one can’t exist without the other. I love seeing all the twists and turns of the story as it unfolds on paper and how the characters mould together and to the reader it is like they have always lived.
5. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER? Firstly finding the time when I can create undisturbed, always a challenge. Secondly, marketing and keeping my publisher happy.
6. WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER? Mainly a psychologist, but also a artist, jewellery designer and interior designer. Okay, so you have guessed I’m not young!
7. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT? Some of my unpublished manuscripts. I want to keep the best close until I am sure the worlds wants to see them.
8. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? I just completed a short children’s book (my youngest yet) and it’s currently at the illustrators because it will be 50% illustrations. I am half way through writing a chic flick, which I was asked to write late last year. It is called ‘How to Buy a Husband.’ This genre is slightly outside my comfort zone so a fun challenge.
9. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I’m never short of inspiration, I see it everywhere. It simply bubbles out of me. The problem is time and getting it on paper.
10. WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE? I am a fiction writer and always will be.
11. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS? When writing your first book, keep it simply, have one plot line. New writer often want to throw it all in every character and plot line they have ever know. But don’t, take it slow you probably have several books in that crowded mass of ideas.
12. DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK? Never
13. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE? You use to like to write from the third person but I have also written from the first person, it is harder but takes you deeper into the book and the character you are suppose to be,
14. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE? My desk and only there. I need all my stuff around me, all my research etc.
15. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING? Knowing others will read it and hopefully love what I have created.
16. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY? I have several. Firstly my all-time favourite and the one I aspire to write like, but know I never will is, Roald Dahl. I have read all his adult books several times. I also relax with Matthew Reilly, Douglas Preston, Clancy Tucker and Clive Cluster. Yes, there are more.
17. WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER? When people tell me they have read all my books and love them. The fact they take the time to tell me is a great compliment.
18. WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER? An elderly cousin of mine said that my books were all alike. Later, I found out she had read the same one twice. But it hurt at the time because I try and never have two that are similar.
19. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU? Of course, I write about places I have been, which are many. Some characters have the same traits as people who influenced me badly or who have created a lasting impression. I am definitely a student of life and I believe everyone has story, we have all travelled a journey whether or not we believe it has been worth travelling.
20. OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE? Many things. I play lots of sports, cycle, walk, go to the gym. I design ‘one off’ pieces of semi-precious jewellery. I build and renovate houses and I create colourful canvases using boiling wax.
21. DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION? Yes, always.
22. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. Beside a tranquil aqua ocean, sitting on the white sand under the warm sun watching the beauty all around me.
23. IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY? My mother. She was my greatest inspiration, my mentor and best friend. She believed in me unconditionally as did my father. They taught me I could be anything I wanted to be and I believed them.
24. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS? Too many things to mention here. I believe our focus must change if we are to survive and achieve a happy, safe, peaceful quality of life.
25. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? Enjoy living in the moment.
26. WHAT FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO HEAVEN? Assuming I go to heaven, love your positive questions. Mostly Roald Dahl, his dry humour and superb writing, but then the man’s already in heaven isn’t he?
27. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS? There’s tiny piece of me in them all. After all I write fiction so I am every character, as the plot requires.
28. DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU? I have been fortunate, but it is tough industry indeed.
29. DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING? NO
30. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY? Several but there are three that jump to mind. The first one is ‘The Grasshopper File’ loved the characters, the story line and the settings. It was sad when some of my antagonist had to die.
31. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER? Don’t ask me, I’m not there yet. My aspirations for success are huge. I’ll let you know should I ever achieve them.
32. WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL? I am mainly an adult fiction writer, but twelve years ago I ventured into writing children books. My first two books, won ‘Editors Choice’ and ‘Rising Star’ awards, so I guessed it was a sign for me to add children books to my genres. Each of my children books holds a positive moral for the young reader although often it has more meaning for the parents who are reading the bedtime story. I believe that if a child is searching for answers they will find them in my books, if not they will just enjoy a fun book with an exciting storyline.
33. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER? To me a lot. I always have a clear vision of the cover that usually remains mine alone. As the cover artist seldom reads the books and does what they think you need. You only get three to choose from.
34. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM? I have many!
35. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS? Many university students now hold a degree in social media studies. I believe in the power of social media, but I also know there are professionals out there who do it so much better than we can. As a writer there are only so many hours in the day and as much as we like to think we can do it all, we seldom can. So stick to what you love, if your publisher requires you to do more marketing, get a professional or a publicist. If you want to do it yourself, good luck. There are many tools to help to you these days but while your marketing who is writing your book?
36. ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED? I have self-published many years ago and it has it merits and may be the way of the future. But the right publisher does it so much better. These days my books are published by a traditional publisher.
37. DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS. Fun, methodical, creative, loyal and empathetic.
38. WHAT PISSES YOU OFF MOST? Bad communicators. There is no place in today’s world for people who don’t communicate in a positive way and don’t reply to the written word. Also nasty people. I can never understand what they get out of hurting others.
39. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE? I just finished Matthew Reilly’s ‘The Tournament’ a new writer but a truly great one.
40. WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE? Happy reading everyone!
41. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE? I’m always pretty happy. Happiness lives inside, so outside influences can only make you happier. I have some things but won’t share at this stage.
42. ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? Great questions. Hope someone has the time to read this tome!! Thanks Clancy for including me in your show. Happy reading everyone.
AMAZON
WEBSITE
Clancy's comment: Thank you, Mary. So, the last book you read was written by a man who lives a few hours from me.
Nice of you to name one of your character's after me - Filly Tucker. Keep going, Mary.
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October 23, 2015
24 October 2015 - SOME GREAT SHOTS FROM THE PAST
SOME GREAT SHOTS FROM THE PAST
G'day folks,
I always love looking at photographs from a bygone era. The black and white ones are so clear. Some will be obvious, others won't.
A man repaints the face of the clock on Boston's Custom House for the 1976 bicentennial celebration.
A boy sells papers in 1910, in Wilmington, Delaware.
An overzealous fan is carried away by police at a Beatles concert in 1965, at Shea Stadium in New York.
Artists create portraits of war heroes for LIFE Magazine in 1942 at the American Painting Factory.
In 1930, all-girl band The Ingenues plays for cows at the University of Wisconsin as part of an experiment to test the effect of music on cows' milk production.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attends a press conference in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Navy's last flying aircraft carrier, the USS Macon, carries the Sparrowhawk aircraft.
Eleanor Roosevelt meets the mascot for the Democratic party.
The early stages of construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Princess Diana shakes the hand of an AIDS patient without a glove, battling the stigma and paranoia surrounding the disease and earning her place as a gay rights icon.
Painters pose on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1914.
Ronald Reagan gives Muhammad Ali a run for his money at the White House in 1983.
U.S. paratroopers cross a river in southern Vietnam in 1965.
President Richard Nixon gives a thumbs-up to the camera after resigning from the presidency.
President Jimmy Carter poses with his wife, Rosalynn, after his graduation from Naval Academy in 1946.
In 1969, Swami Satchidananda Saraswati attends the opening of Woodstock Music Festival.
Clancy's comment: Ah, those were the days.
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October 22, 2015
23 October 2015 - AMELIA BOYNTON - CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
AMELIA BOYNTON
- CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST -
G'day folks,
I'm always happy to present outstanding people, especially those who stand up for others. Amelia Platts Boynton Robinson was an American activist who was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama and a key figure in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches.
Amelia Boynton Robinson was a civil rights pioneer who championed voting rights for African Americans. She was brutally beaten for helping to lead a 1965 civil rights march, which became known as Bloody Sunday and drew national attention to the Civil Rights Movement. She was also the first black woman to run for Congress in Alabama.
“Remember, this is your day and your world.”—Amelia Boynton
Synopsis
Amelia Boynton was born on August 18, 1911, in Savannah, Georgia. Her early activism included holding black voter registration drives in Selma, Alabama, from the 1930s through the '50s. In 1964, she became both the first African-American woman and the first female Democratic candidate to run for a seat in Congress from Alabama. The following year, she helped lead a civil rights march during which she and her fellow activists were brutally beaten by state troopers. The event, which became known as Bloody Sunday, drew nationwide attention to the Civil Rights movement.
BackgroundCivil rights activist Amelia Boynton was born Amelia Platts on August 18, 1911, to George and Anna Platts of Savannah, Georgia. Both of her parents were of African-American, Cherokee Indian and German descent. They had 10 children and made going to church central to their upbringing.
Boynton spent her first two years of college at Georgia State College (now Savannah State University), then transferred to the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Alabama. She graduated from Tuskegee with a home economics degree before further pursuing her education at Tennessee State University, Virginia State University and Temple University.
After working as a teacher in Georgia, Boynton took a job as Dallas County's home demonstration agent with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Selma, Alabama.
Early Activism
In 1930, she met her co-worker, Dallas County extension agent Samuel Boynton. The two had in common their impassioned desire to better the lives of African-American members of their community, particularly sharecroppers. The couple married in 1936 and had two sons, Bill Jr. and Bruce Carver. Over the next three decades, Amelia and Samuel collectively worked toward achieving voting, property and education rights for poor African Americans of Alabama's farm country.
Boynton's early activism included co-founding the Dallas County Voters League in 1933, and holding African-American voter registration drives in Selma from the 1930s through the '50s. Samuel died in 1963, but Amelia continued their commitment to improving the lives of African Americans.
Civil Rights MovementIn 1964, as the Civil Rights Movement was picking up speed, Amelia Boynton ran on the Democratic ticket for a seat in Congress from Alabama—becoming the first African-American woman to do so, as well as the first woman to run as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Alabama. Although she didn't win her seat, Boynton earned 10 percent of vote.
Also in 1964, Boynton and fellow civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. teamed up toward their common goals. At the time, Boynton figured largely as an activist in Selma. Still dedicated to securing suffrage for African Americans, she asked Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to come to Selma and help promote the cause. King eagerly accepted. Soon after, he and the SCLC set up their headquarters at Boynton's Selma home. There, they planned the Selma to Montgomery March of March 7, 1965.
Some 600 protesters arrived to participate in the event, which would come to be known as "Bloody Sunday." On the Edmund Pettus Bridge, over the Alabama River in Selma, marchers were attacked by policemen with tear gas and billy clubs. Seventeen protesters were sent to the hospital, including Boynton, who had been beaten unconscious. A newspaper photo of Boynton lying bloody and beaten drew national attention to the cause. Bloody Sunday prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965, with Boynton attending as the landmark event's guest of honor.
Boynton remarried in 1969, to a musician named Bob W. Billups. He died unexpectedly in a boating accident in 1973.
Boynton eventually married a third time, to former Tuskegee classmate James Robinson, and moved back to Tuskegee after the wedding. When Robinson died in 1988, Boynton stayed in Tuskegee. Serving as vice chair of the Schiller Institute, she remained active in promoting civil and human rights.In 1990, Boynton Robinson was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Freedom. She continued to tour the United States on behalf of the Schiller Institute, which describes its mission as "working around the world to defend the rights of all humanity to progress—material, moral and intellectual," until 2009. In 2014, a new generation learned about Boynton Robinson's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement from the Oscar-nominated film Selma, a historical drama about the 1965 voting rights marches. Lorraine Toussaint portrayed Boynton Robinson in the film.
A year later, Boynton Robinson was honored as a special guest at President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in January 2015. In March of that year, at the age of 103, Boynton Robinson held hands with President Obama as they marched alongside fellow civil rights activist Congressman John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march.
After suffering several strokes, Boynton Robinson died on August 26, 2015 at the age of 104. Her son Bruce Boynton said of his mother's commitment to civil rights: "The truth of it is that was her entire life. That's what she was completely taken with. She was a loving person, very supportive — but civil rights was her life."
Clancy's comment: Wow, 104!!!
I always have great respect for the women who stood up against great odds. Love ya work, Amelia!
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R.I.P
