Golden Oldies

I had a blast going through my old Celebrity Roundup columns and reminiscing in my Canada Day blog. So once again I tackled my trusty, dusty archives (an ancient filing cabinet) wading through several years of articles featuring some notable Baby Boomers and Golden Agers to share with you. This sampling of my work appeared in Today's Seniors, and the Toronto Star Newspaper:

 

In her heyday, pre-political scandals, Pamela Wallen was one of Canada's most popular newscasters. It was exciting for me to visit her at the CBC, interviewing her in her office, then standing off-camera in the studio, watching her relay the evening news to her viewers.

Over the years I've been priviledged to meet some folks who are the very best at what they do. The late Louis Jannetta was one such person. As the beloved Maitre'D at the uber-glam Imperial Room of the Royal York hotel for almost 50 years, A-list celebrities and regular patrons alike were charmed by his natural charisma and genuine warmth. I was blessed to call him my friend. Not one to consider retiring and sit on his well-earned laurels, he eventually opened his own top-notch restaurant, Louis Jannetta's Place. My husband and I were thrilled to hold our wedding reception there. Since he knew my father had passed away years before, Louis sweetly surprised me by asking me to dance the Father-Daughter dance with him. His real daughter, also a dear pal, the lovely and talented singer Patti Jannetta-Baker serenaded us. It was a magical, unforgettable moment I will always treasure.

One of my favourite assignments came about when I was invited to spend a few hours with Canada's Master Athletes. These elder statesmen and stateswomen of Sport defy assumptions about what an older person can and cannot do - if blessed with good discipline, and a lifelong dedication to staying active. As a life-long couch-potato, I was in awe of these Canadian medalists.

 

For this journalist, film festivals are exhilarating and exhausting. Star-studded opportunities to get those elusive interviews with celebs like Alan Rickman. And then there are the premieres and the parties... As I said, exhausting and exhilarating!

It's always an honour to interview legendary musicians, like  Mart Kenney, King of the Big Bands.

Pardon a really horrid pun, but meeting a genuine war hero was da bomb! Quite a few years after the article came out, I was contacted by a relative of Maj. Donovan's who wanted some information. I doubt I was much help, but it was kind of cool that he even thought I might be of some assistance because of my little article.

 

This article is one of a few I've done for the Toronto Star. Which I quite consider a feather in my cap as I grew up reading the (now defunct) Montreal Star. Most memorable and exciting for me about this one, was doing a telephone interview with one of my media heroes - the late Dick Smythe. I loved watching him daily on Global TV chatting about the latest news in Entertainment. Years later, I saw him in the audience at the opening night of a play at a dinner-theatre, but was hesitant to go over and introduce myself as I didn't want to bother him. I have to admit, I regret that missed opportunity to meet him and thank him in person for the interview.

It's been a trip revisiting these treasured archived articles with you. I hope you enjoyed them. Cheerio for now.

Good News!

 

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians! 

This month, I am launching my newest column, WISDOM OF THE AGES for GOOD NEWS TORONTO, an inspirational online magazine. I am grateful to be celebrating almost 35 years as an Entertainment and Lifestyles Journalist. So what better venue to participate in than a website that is all about positivity, kindness, and chock full of Good News? Wisdom of the Ages will feature Celebrity Roundups with Notables and Quotables aged 50+. The Celebs in this month's Roundup are renowned Science Fiction Author Robert J. Sawyer, Radio Personality Ziggy Lorenc, and Gary Holiff, Star of the film My Father and the Man in Black.



 
They say write what you know and love, and I do! As a teenager, I read my first Celebrity Roundup in Cosmopolitan magazine and I was hooked. A few short years later, I managed to create a niche for myself professionally in this regard. I've been honoured to interview everyone from Astronauts to Oprah. I enjoy coming up with special survey topics for them, ultimately to enlighten and entertain you, the reader.

Of course since then, my byline has also appeared in a myriad of Cover Stories and Features, Entertaiment and Lifestyle columns for newspapers and magazines. Plus I've co-written questions for a board game, as well as dipped my toes into radio.  Believe me, it's ALL rather exciting. But it's the most fun to chat up the Stars in the wonderful world of Celebrity Roundups. I've dug through my archives to show you some of my favourite ones: 

My Toronto Sun Newspaper Column. This one featured Oprah, who was hilarious. We were both screeching with laughter in hysterics. Actually, I laughed so hard, I had tears streaming down my face, grateful the interview was on the telephone. And thankfully this was well before Skype! It was a real, memorable, 'gurrrllfriend' moment. Among other things, we traded war-stories about boyfriends and breakups, which was the more serious part of our chat, no levity there. It took forever to score that interview, but it was well worth it.

Here's another favourite Celebrity Roundup of mine, from the Toronto Sun. It features all three heart-throbs from the film Three Men and a Baby: Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson, and Tom Selleck.

This was for YOU Magazine. I remember sitting down with singer Judy Collins and being mezmerized by her striking blue eyes and her distinctive accent. I was also thrilled to interview Kim Campbell, our first female Prime Minister.  I met both of these distinguished women at the CBA - Canadian Booksellers Association Trade Show.

Here's another one from YOU Magazine. Over the years I've had the pleasure of interviewing the late, great Al Waxman (King of Kensington, Cagney and Lacey) quite a few times. But the very first time was quite memorable as he had his little dog with him, and it was time to go 'walkies'. So here was this man of great stature, his cute, tiny pooch, and me, strolling down the street chatting.

It was a major highlight in my career to be on retainer, as a stringer, to the editor of the People Page at Maclean's Magazine. But I was over the moon with this Celebrity Roundup because it was my own article, with my byline, AND it was featured in a banner on the cover. FYI: Maclean's Magazine is the prestigious Canadian equivalent of Time or Newsweek in the USA.

 
With the American magazine Soap Opera Weekly, I enjoyed the delicious opportunity to indulge my passion for Daytime Dramas, especially The Young and the Restless, Days of our Lives, and (the now defunct) Another World.

Most of the Celebrities in this Roundup for Toronto Computes were nabbed for interviews by me at the Toronto Trek Science Fiction convention in Toronto. To my surprise, elderly Kim Chan, of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues was funny and flirtatious.

One my many mini Holiday Roundups for the CJN Newspaper. Hobnobbing with the best in the business, showbusiness or not, is always a thrill.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!