Robbie Robertson, who rose to fame as the principal songwriter and often spokesperson for the Band has passed away after a long illness at the age of 80.

Robertson was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1943. Late in life he learned that his biological father had dies in a highway accident while his mother was pregnant with Robbie. She married James Robertson before he was born, so Robbie never questioned who his father might be.

At the age of 16, Robertson joined Ronnie Hawkins’ back-up band, the Hawks. Five years later, in 1964, the Hawks would strike out on their own. Consisting of Robertson, Levon Helms, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson, the band became Bob Dylan’s back-up during his first, very tumultuous tour as a rock & roll act – often playing before hostile crowds of heckling folkies.

When Dylan wrapped up that tour and sustained his infamous motorcycle accident, the Hawks holed up near Dylan at a house in Woodstock, New York in 1967, working on recordings with him that have since become known as “The Basement Tapes.”

The group finally decided to change their name to the Band and became extremely successful with their first two albums for Capitol Records – “Music from Big Pink” and “The Band.” Robertson’s songwriting was essential to the band’s success. He wrote most of their big hits, including “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and more.

Drug use and personal problems led the Band to call it quits in 1976. But not before their farewell concert in San Francisco’s Winterland was filmed by Martin Scorsese and released as The Last Waltz. That event produced a lasting friendship and professional relationship between the director and Robertson. Robbie has served as musical director on Scorsese’s Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, The Color of Money, Gangs of New York, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman and the forthcoming Killers of the Flower Moon.

Robertson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of the Band in 1994. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters in 1997.

If you’re looking for a fantasy film that’s well off the beaten path, give Night Tide (1961) a view. Often marketed as a “horror” film (its original distributor was American International, the same people who gave you all those Vincent Price – Edgar Allen Poe adaptations), this little gem is nothing of the sort. It’s a haunting, dream-like study of love and obsession.

Filmed in black & white and starring Dennis Hopper in his first major role, the story involves a sailor who has taken to hanging around a seedy amusement pier in southern California during his summer shore leave. There he meets and falls in love with a beautiful young woman, played by Laura Lawson, who makes her living as a mermaid in one of the pier’s sideshow attractions.

But as Hopper gets to know the woman, he discovers that she believes she really may be an actual mermaid, a descendant of the mythological sirens who lured men to their destruction. She has a father figure of sorts, an old sailor who owns the mermaid attraction and she’s also haunted by a very mysterious older woman, who may or may not be another of the fabled sirens.

As the movie progresses, Hopper definitely seems to be in some sort of danger, but he can’t stay away from Lawson, who previous suitors have all come to a bad end.

The film was one of the first independent productions shot in America. Written and directed by Curtis Huntington, the script was purchased by Roger Corman (director of the aforementioned Price-Poe classics) in 1956, but didn’t go in front of the cameras until 1960. The film did make Time Magazine’s Ten Best list in 1961 but couldn’t initially solve distribution problems caused by Huntington’s use of a non-union crew.

Night Tide finally received a wide release in 1963, but failed to generate much cash at the box office. That was probably because the garish marketing campaign set viewers up for a gory horror fest and not the ultra-atmospheric, moody fantasy the film actually is. Once seen, it is not easily forgotten.

Writer/director Huntington went on to a fairly successful career as a TV director, handling episodes of Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, Dynasty, Baretta and others.

The film itself was designated for preservation by the Motion Picture Academy (the Oscars folks) in 2007. It’s widely available on DVD and Blu-Ray and, in our opinion, well-worth seeing.

Studies show older Americans are the most reluctant to give up using actual hard cash & checks to pay for things. If you’ve been one of those clinging to your old habits, maybe we can give you several profitable reasons to shift to credit card and digital payments.

1.) Digital & credit card payments are actually more secure, not less. Because these service have more to lose from hackers than you do, their encryption is strong, reducing the risk somebody else will get your personal information

2.) Rewards – Many credit card companies offer rewards for using their cards. That can translate into stuff you can purchase using your bonus points. Make sure you’re paying off those cards, though, so interest payments don’t offset what you’re earning in points.

3.) Build your credit – Many Baby Boomers have already paid off their house. Without those regular mortgage payments and with few credit cards payments, you may become what’s known as “unscorable,” which can be a problem should you want to purchase a big ticket item like a new car or an RV. By making your regular monthly payments via credit cards, you continue to establish and build your credit score.

4.) Once you get used to paying digitally, you’ll discover how fast & easy it is – leaving you more time to use your money doing things you like!

Jonesing for the sweet treats that made the summers of you childhood so special? Think those have vanished forever?

Not true, there are plenty (or should we say “Good ‘n’ Plenty”) of companies online still making and selling the candy we grew up with. Here are links to just a few of them.

vintagecandyco.com/

oldtimecandy.com/

amazon.com/retro-candy

bulkcandystore.com/nostalgic/

Boomtown America is not affiliated with any of these companies and we’re provided these links purely for your informational purposes.

It’s hard to get through a day of commercial TV watching without hearing the word “probiotic.” In fact, it shows up in so many ads about a healthy digestive system, that you may assume taking a probiotic is a slam dunk.

Guess what? There is absolutely zero standardized testing that proves probiotics are beneficial. Say what? Compounding that, because probiotics are not regulated by the FDA, there not even a guarantee that your probiotic even contains what the label says it contains. Say double what?

Research is ongoing, so there may be some hard evidence to back up the claims made by Team Pro-Probiotics. Until then, many health care pros urge you to stick with foods high in natural probiotics which include yogurt, sauerkraut & kimchi. Besides, those taste better than a pill/

Over 50 years later, the 1969 Woodstock festival remains a touchstone event not just in rock music, but in world history. It demonstrated the massive influence rock had on the entire Baby Boomer generation as well as our ability to assemble in such a large number peacefully.

The film of the festival became a huge box office hit in the summer of 1970 and helped boost the careers of many of the festivals acts. However, not all of the acts that excited big post-Woodstock frenzy were able to sustain it.

Herewith, at the distance of more than half a century, are the Winners & Losers of Woodstock!

LOSERS:

Sly & the Family Stone – No band lost more opportunity than Sly & the Family Stone. At a point when pop music was about to be siloed into Top 40, Album Rock, and Soul, only Sly’s band could cover all those bases. The group’s performance of “I Want to Take You Higher” was one of the film’s highlights, but the tour they undertook following the film’s release only took them lower. Plagued by chronic lateness, sloppy playing and related drug issues, Sly Stone’s career went down in flames following a riot at his free concert in Chicago’s Grant Park. Several attempts at a comeback over the years did not recapture the enormous success that could have been his.

Alvin Lee & Ten Years After – Another act that really stood out in the movie, Alvin Lee was never to sustain his career at the top-most level, as the kind of blues-flavored metal he promoted was eclipsed by bands who went on to much greater glory – Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and a few more.

Country Joe & the Fish – One of the bands at the forefront of the “San Francisco Sound” during 1967’s “Summer of Love,” Country Joe & company delighted people with their “Fish Cheer,” but never produced music that really caught on with the masses following the festival

WINNERS:

The Who – Having finally broken through to the American market with their rock opera, Tommy, the Who gave their career a second kick in the ass with their performance at Woodstock. Demonstrating a live act that was absolutely unrivalled at that time, Townsend, Daltrey, Moon and Entwistle finally made it to the top of the rockpile.

Joe Cocker – Had anyone heard of this British singer prior to seeing Woodstock? The combination of his great blues-style singing with his spasmodic performing style made Cocker – what’s the phrase again – oh yeah, an overnight sensation.

Santana – Virtually unknown outside of California before the film’s release, Santana’s fresh style of Latino-flavored rock was a revelation to moviegoers. While their segment in the film didn’t generate as much buzz as some of the others, it was enough to put them on the map. Carlos Santana’s talent and showmanship have kept him a headliner ever since.

Sha Na Na – How these guys got themselves on the bill is a complete mystery. Their one-song appearance in the film provided some genuine comic relief. Little did we know what a long & successful career lay ahead for the band – and really, they were instrumental (pun intended) in the fifties revival that was soon to come.

Let’s be clear. There were plenty of acts that performed at the fest who came off quite well in the film, but acts like Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, and others were already well-established and the film merely sustained what were already substantial careers.

So, on this 56^th anniversary of Woodstock, let’s raise a glass (or take advantage of our medical marijuana card) and salute one of the defining moments of our generation. Give me an “F”…

Early in her career, actress Elinor Donahue actually dyed her dark brown hair blond and posed for what were then the near-obligatory cheesecake photos expected of every young starlet.

Just don’t tell Jim Anderson. We’re not sure which would upset him most – that his “Princess” posed in a bathing suit or that she dyed her hair!

Does anybody remember a supermarket that was stocking LPs? Well, if they were, the ad is correct, they probably weren't stocking these. The state of hipsters, circa 1960:

In the olden days (you know, when we were kids), comparison shopping took real commitment. You'd have to physically travel from store to store. Even in the heyday of the shopping mall, it still took some footwork to ensure you were getting the best deal.

No longer is that the case. Thanks to the internet, price shopping just takes a couple of clicks – and it can save you. In some cases, it can save you hundreds of dollars.

Just Google the product you want by its complete brand name. Then check out the prices offered at major retailer websites. You’re going to be surprised at how much the prices can vary. If the price appears too low, you may be dealing with a shady retailer. In that case, make sure you check out their Google reviews before your order!