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Disco Loses Two Icons – Part 1

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It was a one-two punch to disco this week as we lost both the woman many hailed as the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, and a man who certainly would be in the running for King of Disco, Robin Gibb. Donna Summer died May 17th of lung cancer at the age of 63. A non-smoker, Summer believed her disease may have been due to inhaling the debris after 9/11. (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.) Summer began her career singing backup for Three Dog Night before breaking out on her own with the hit … Continue reading →

Who was Harvey Milk?

This holiday season, you will probably hear about a new film titled Milk, which stars Sean Penn. He’s been nominated for a Golden Globe and there is already Oscar buzz about his performance, but you may wonder who Harvey Milk was. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. He had been born in New York, but moved to San Francisco when he was 42. He finally settled in the Castro District, eventually dubbing himself the “Mayor of Castro Street.” Milk was brash, outspoken, animated, and most of all, proud of his sexual orientation. … Continue reading →

Cher: The Original Diva – Part 2

When I last left off in my Cher blog, it was the end of the 70s. She was twice divorced and her record career had stalled. So, what do you do when you aren’t selling records? You reinvent yourself as an actress. At the age of 36 (often considered “old” in Hollywood), Cher starred in the Broadway production of Com Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. She received critical praise and later starred in the film version. She appeared in Silkwood as unglamorous lesbian – showing us a completely different side of Cher. For the role, … Continue reading →

This Week in History – May 16, 1979

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It’s 1979 again! I was sweet sixteen (well, almost) and it was a great time to be alive. I remember looking forward to the 80’s! Here is what was happening this week in 1979: In national news, President Carter said he hoped the gasoline shortage was over and took some actions to relieve the problem in hotspots like California. Rioters hit the streets of San Francisco after the killer of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk is found guilty of manslaughter and not murder in what is dubbed the “Twinkie defense.” May 21 – San Francisco gays riot after … Continue reading →