No more Rat Pack
So, the same day that I found out about Deborah Kerr passing away, I found out that Joey Bishop had gone to the big stage in the sky. What the heck is happening?
Ya can’t live forever, I know…but Joey was a part of something so cool, so groovy, so ring-a ding-ding that I am really saddened. The Rat Pack-Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter and Joey were like my really cool, really hip uncles, ya know? They worked hard at entertaining us (let’s face it, some more than others), partied until the wee hours and kept on going.
Sammy Davis, Junior was a premier showman who could do impressions, play the drums, do fancy six shooter tricks, dance…jiminy christmas he was a powerhouse! But Joey…Joey was the not so subtle comedian.
“Hey Frank, get over here and tell us about the GOOD things the Mob’s been doing”
(that ain’t a direct quote, but it’s close) Joey pushed the envelope for a laugh. He was ironic and funny and I loved watching him. Stand up comedy has changed since the days of the borscht belt schtick that made Joey famous, but there is a place for it still. Some of that stuff is still funny. Shelley Berman, Corbett Monica…they all lay the foundation, whether you believe it or not, for Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Joan Rivers, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld. So, they all owe something to Joey Bishop.
He was a mensch. He’ll be missed. It’s official. The big room is cookin’, ’cause they’re all up there now. Two shows a night and there’s plenty of ring-a-ding-ding. If there’s a rock and roll heaven, there’s GOT to be a Vegas heaven, right?
October 27th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
When we are in Las Vegas in 2 weeks, we’ll raise a glass and toast the old talk of the town guys, cheers!
October 27th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Make it a vodka martini for me, would ya?
And if you can muster a little of the old timey ways…please wear a cocktail dress and use a cigarette holder for your candy cigarettes.
THAT would be splendid!
Have fun!
(As an aside, my friends and I were asked to leave one casino for being crazy. they thought we were drunk. we were acting like frank, dean and sammy.)