current tv office culture // Current

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5 months ago

Brett just loungin'

An in depth interview with Brick Breaker West Coast Champion, Brett Erlich.

joshuaheller
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Frank Stallone. Dom DiMaggio. Roger Clinton. Charlie Murphy. Patrick McEnroe. Marvin Bush. Eddie Bird. Ramon Estevez. Sounds like a who's who of the entertainment and sporting industry of the past several decades, a veritable treasure trove of cinematic, comedic, athletic, political, and musical genius. That may be so, but the aforementioned individuals are of course best known for their more famous siblings, a tragedy when you consider their vast talent and achievements.

And as impressive as this list is, there's one name that stands out among the elite crowd of less-famous siblings, a shining beacon of luminescence in a sea of sparkling diamonds.

Jermaine LaJune Jackson was born on December 11, 1954 in Gary, Indiana, and developed his musical talents at an early age, becoming the lead singer of the Jackson Five until younger brother Michael began to assist on lead vocals in 1967. As the flashier Michael increasingly took center stage, it was Jermaine's soulful vocals and James Jamerson-inspired bass playing that provided much of the band's signature sound.

After 14 years of performing with his brothers, Jermaine embarked on a solo career in 1975, with numerous top 20 hits over the following years - even hitting #1 twice on the ultracompetitive Belgian pop charts. Though he may have been overshadowed by younger siblings Michael and Janet, Jermaine's versatility, musicality, and undeniable talent has been a constant source of inspiration worldwide... and for that reason we dedicate our January CMS release to him.

The ability to create multiple rights clauses gives our legal team a newfound versatility reminiscent of Jermaine's triple threat attack of singing, dancing and bass playing, and the slick user interface for entering those rights is an electronic parallel to Jermaine's stylish appearance. And while gems like 1976's Bass Odyssey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZbJ8OfnjAg) are not new, their discovery can be a revelation, much like clicking the 'Music' tab on the CMS search page to realize that one can search for pods by cue sheet song info.

So Current.com users, please join us in paying tribute to this masterful artist, and we look forward to mining the fertile list of 'F' names for February!Frank Stallone. Dom DiMaggio. Roger Clinton. Charlie Murphy. Patrick McEnroe. Marvin Bush. Eddie Bird. Ramon Estevez.... more

klenga
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added
11 months ago

Why We Love Dick Van Patten

George Bernard Shaw once said that "the function of the actor is to make the audience imagine for the moment that real things are happening to real people -- indeed, to make the audience feel and learn things about themselves of which they might not have been aware, yet know to be true." In the past half century, no actor has fulfilled that noble function as effectively and as gloriously as the great Dick Van Patten.

From the 1930s, when he appeared in over a dozen Broadway plays, to recent appearances in shows such as Arrested Development and The Sarah Silverman Show, Mr. Van Patten's career has read like a true American history of the past 70 years, varied and personal, triumphant and dramatic, humble and victorious. The list of credits reads like a who's who of our lives of entertainment: Mama, Mike Hammer, Rawhide, I Dream of Jeannie, Sanford and Son, the Love Boat, Wonder Woman, The Streets of San Francisco, Happy Days, Charo and the Sergeant... the list is seemingly inexhaustible.

Sheer quantity is one thing, but what sets the truly great actor apart from the rest is his ability, like a Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan, to make the rest of the cast better. It is no accident that the finest moments of the careers of Willie Aames and Adam Rich came in their roles as Tommy and Nicholas Bradford of Eight is Enough. And would there have been a Karate Kid if Ralph Macchio hadn't spent time learning at the foot of the master in season five? It's doubtful.

Whether as fiery columnist patriarch Tom Bradford of Eight is Enough, as dastardly King Roland in Spaceballs, as a carnival barker in the psychedelic Western Zachariah, or as the devious pink-tanktop-clad hustler in the side-splittingly hilarious Dick Van Patten's Dirty Tennis, Mr. Van Patten has always been a real person facing real trials and tribulations, bringing us real tears and real belly laughter, creating real memories to be cherished in the years to come.

In honor of these decades of service we name our December CMS release for the legendary Dick Van Patten – may our new syndication feature be as successful as the syndicated run of Eight is Enough, and may all our users have a festive holiday season, as the Bradfords of Sacramento are surely enjoying as I type.George Bernard Shaw once said that "the function of the actor is to make the audience imagine for the moment that real things... more