|
Lenny And The Squigtones
Lenny and the Squigtones is a fictional musical group headed in character by Michael McKean and David Lander, the two actors who played Lenny and Squiggy on the U.S. television series ''Laverne & Shirley'', which is set primarily in the 1950s. The group's album, ''Lenny & Squiggy Present Lenny and the Squigtones'', was released on the Casablanca label in 1979. Recorded live at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, they perform parodies of 1950s rock ballads ("Night After Night", "Creature Without a Head"). In between, there a tracks of schtick and banter ("So's Your Old Testament", "Babyland"). The album is now a collector’s item partly because of guitar work by Christopher Guest, who performed under the name "Nigel Tufnel", which he also used in the satirical rock band Spinal Tap, alongside McKean (as " David St. Hubbins"). A band photo on the album's inside cover names two other band members: "Lars Svenki" (keyboard player Murphy Dunne of the Blues Brothers), and "Ming the Merci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in '' Laverne & Shirley'', David St. Hubbins in '' This Is Spinal Tap'', and Chuck McGill on ''Better Call Saul''. McKean's breakout role was annoying neighbor Lenny Kosnowski on the sitcom ''Laverne & Shirley''. He played David St. Hubbins, lead vocalist and co-lead guitarist of the fictional rock band Spinal Tap in ''This Is Spinal Tap'' and had roles in several Christopher Guest ensemble films. He co-wrote the song "A Mighty Wind" (for the Guest film ''A Mighty Wind''), for which he won a Grammy Award, as well as "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from the same film, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. McKean was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' for its 19th and 20th seasons in the mid-1990s. McKean received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Lander
David L. Lander (born David Leonard Landau, June 22, 1947 – December 4, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout. He was best known for his portrayal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the ABC sitcom '' Laverne & Shirley''. He also served as a goodwill ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Early life David Leonard Landau was born in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest son of two Jewish schoolteacher parents, Stella (Goldman) and Saul Landau. Lander decided to become an actor when he was 10. He studied to become an actor at the High School for the Performing Arts and continued at Carnegie Tech and New York University. It was in high school he took the stage name of David Lander, which he would later legally adopt, after a classmate "borrowed" his real name to register with an actors' union. Career He was best known for his role as Andrew Helmut "Squiggy" Squiggman on the situation comedy ''Laverne & Shirley'' from 1976 to 1982 along ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laverne & Shirley
''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' starred Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams as Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney, two friends and roommates who work as bottle-cappers in the fictitious Shotz Brewery in late 1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From the sixth season onwards, the series' setting changed to mid-1960s Burbank, California. Michael McKean and David Lander co-starred as their friends and neighbors Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman, respectively; along with Eddie Mekka as Carmine Ragusa, Phil Foster as Laverne's father Frank DeFazio, and Betty Garrett as the girls' landlord Edna Babish. Featuring regular physical comedy, ''Laverne & Shirley'' became the most-watched American television program by its third season; in total, it received six Golden Globe nominat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records. Under its founder Neil Bogart, Casablanca was most successful during the disco era of the mid to late 1970s. The label currently focuses on dance and electronic music under the direction of Brett Alperowitz. Biography Casablanca was founded in 1973 by former Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart, who named the label in homage to the 1942 film ''Casablanca''. He partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris and Buck Reingold in 1973, and was based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after they left Buddah and secured financing from Warner Bros. Records to start the venture. Casablanca became one of the most successful American labels of the 1970s, signing and releasing albums by such acts as Kiss, Donna Summer, Village People, Cher, Lipps Inc. (with lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson), and Parliament (featuring George Clinton). In 1976, the label merged with indie-film c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood)
The Roxy Theatre (often just the Roxy) is a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, owned by Lou Adler and his son, Nic. History The Roxy was opened on September 23, 1973, by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher. They took over the building previously occupied by a strip club owned by Chuck Landis called the Largo. (Adler was also responsible for bringing the stage play ''The Rocky Horror Show'' to the United States, and it opened its first American run at The Roxy Theatre in 1974, before it was made into the movie ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' the next year.) Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers (billed as Crazy Horse, a related ensemble) played the Roxy for the first three days it was open. Only three months later, the Genesis lineup with Peter Gabriel played several consecutive days at the Roxy, a run that some band members and many fans consider to be amongst their finest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy films shot in mock-documentary (mockumentary) style. Many scenes and character backgrounds in Guest's films are written and directed, although actors have no rehearsal time and the ensemble improvises scenes while filming them. The series of films began with ''This Is Spinal Tap'' (which he did not direct) and continued with ''Waiting for Guffman'', '' Best in Show'', ''A Mighty Wind'', '' For Your Consideration'', and ''Mascots''. Guest holds a hereditary British peerage as the 5th Baron Haden-Guest, and has publicly expressed a desire to see the House of Lords reformed as a democratically elected chamber. Though he was initially active in the Lords, his career there was cut short by the House of Lords Act 1999, whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel is a fictional character in the 1984 mockumentary film ''This Is Spinal Tap''. In the film, he is the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest. Character biography Nigel Tufnel was born in Squatney, East London on February 5, 1948. He was given his first guitar, a Sunburst "Rhythm King", by his father at age six. His life changed when he met David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) who lived next door. They began jamming together in a toolshed in David's garden, influenced by (fictional) early blues artists like Honkin' Bubba Fulton, Little Sassy Francis and particularly Big Little Daddy Coleman, a deaf guitar player, and wrote their first song, " (Cry) All the Way Home." Before long they had formed their first band, The Thamesmen. Tufnel's hobbies include collecting guitars; particularly noteworthy is his Sea Foam Green six-string Fender Bass VI with the price tag still attached, which he has kept in mint condition by not allo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap (stylized as Spın̈al Tap, with a dotless letter ''i'' and a metal umlaut over the ''n'') is a fictional English heavy metal band created by American comedians and musicians Michael McKean (as lead singer and co-lead guitarist David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (as lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel) and Harry Shearer (as bassist Derek Smalls). They are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands". McKean, Guest and Shearer wrote and performed original songs for the band. The band first appeared on a 1979 ABC television sketch comedy pilot called ''The T.V. Show'', starring Rob Reiner. The sketch, actually a mock promotional video for the song "Rock and Roll Nightmare", was written by Reiner and the band, and included songwriter-performer Loudon Wainwright III on keyboards. Later the band became the fictional subject of the 1984 rockumentary / mockumentary film '' This Is Spinal Tap''. ''This Is Spinal Tap'' was accompanied by a soundtrack album of the same ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David St
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the third king of the United Kingdom of Israel. In the Books of Samuel, he is described as a young shepherd and harpist who gains fame by slaying Goliath, a champion of the Philistines, in southern Canaan. David becomes a favourite of Saul, the first king of Israel; he also forges a notably close friendship with Jonathan, a son of Saul. However, under the paranoia that David is seeking to usurp the throne, Saul attempts to kill David, forcing the latter to go into hiding and effectively operate as a fugitive for several years. After Saul and Jonathan are both killed in battle against the Philistines, a 30-year-old David is anointed king over all of Israel and Judah. Following his rise to power, David ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murphy Dunne
George "Murphy" Dunne (born June 22, 1942) is an American actor and musician. He played "Murph", the keyboardist for the Blues Brothers, in the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers'', a role he reprised in the sequel, ''Blues Brothers 2000''. Biography Dunne grew up in Chicago, the son of Agnes and George Dunne. He has two sisters, Mary and Eileen. In the late 1960s he became Precinct Captain of the 42nd ward, also known as Rush Street. Rush Street was home to many music venues and while visiting the clubs Dunne decided to pursue an active career in show business. He started playing piano in a back room of Lake Shore Park and joined one of the early early 1970s comedy ensembles, The Conception Corporation. In 1968 he joined the improvisional theatre company The Second City. In 1969 Dunne co-produced Chicago's first Free Blues Festival at Grant Park Band Shell, where he met Willie Dixon, Albert King and his future Blues Brothers band-mate Steve Cropper. In 1977 Dunne had a small role ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respectively, as lead vocalist ' Joliet' Jake Blues and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues, donning black suits with matching fedoras and sunglasses. The band was composed of well-known musicians, and debuted as the musical guest in a 1978 episode of ''Saturday Night Live'', opening the show performing "Hey Bartender", and later " Soul Man". In 1978, the band released their debut album, ''Briefcase Full of Blues'', and opened for the Grateful Dead at the closing of Winterland Arena in San Francisco. They gained further fame after spawning a Hollywood comedy film in 1980, ''The Blues Brothers''. After Belushi's death in 1982, the Blues Brothers continued to perform with a rotation of guest singers and other band members. The band reformed in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David L
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the third king of the United Kingdom of Israel. In the Books of Samuel, he is described as a young shepherd and harpist who gains fame by slaying Goliath, a champion of the Philistines, in southern Canaan. David becomes a favourite of Saul, the first king of Israel; he also forges a notably close friendship with Jonathan, a son of Saul. However, under the paranoia that David is seeking to usurp the throne, Saul attempts to kill David, forcing the latter to go into hiding and effectively operate as a fugitive for several years. After Saul and Jonathan are both killed in battle against the Philistines, a 30-year-old David is anointed king over all of Israel and Judah. Following his rise to power, David ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
