Blog Archives

Joan Baez: By Joe Van Langenberg   Arguably one of the best & most revered folk singers, apart from Bob Dylan, who left her lasting footprint on music’s hallowed turf. A voice laced with profound sadness & raw emotion, but packed with refinement & purpose. When Joan Baez passed away after having enjoyed considerable success, she made the industry & her multitude of fans weep unashamedly & genuinely An artiste so versatile & famous, but yet so humble. She was the real deal. May she rest in peace. She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten!     ...

SHOULD SUGAR BABES BE CONDEMNED:? BY Joe Van Langenberg While some may call them glorified hookers, opportunistic parasites, or worse, the fact remains that sugar babes, or women who forge bonds with older men for monetary considerations, are human beings with feelings; just like the rest of us. Those with puritanical values, or the morality police, who at times are intent in extracting the mote from others’ eyes, without firstly removing the beam from theirs; derive satisfaction in drawing attention to the fact, that the term sugar babes, is just an euphemism for high-society escort girls, who have no qualms in not liquidating their investments (or to be more precise, sugar daddies or older men, who satisfy their sugar babes’ every need, in return for sexual favours). ...

KATE SPARKLES: By Joe Van Langenberg   KATE SPARKLES: Congratulations to Australia’s accomplished nightingale Kate Miller-Heidke, for her electrifying performance at the preliminary semi-finals of Euro Vision 2019 Song Contest, held on May 14th 2019 in Tel Aviv. Notwithstanding a politically-charged atmosphere, on account of ongoing animosity between age-old rivals Israel & Palestine; the proceedings went off as planned, with neither fuss, froth, nor any blips on the radar. ...

Little Richard – MUSICAL GENIUS WITH PENCHANT FOR RAZZMATAZZ: By Joe Van Langenberg   Following the passing of Little Richard, the music industry has been, as many times before, plunged into an abyss of sadness & shock. Richard Wayne Penniman, affectionately known as Little Richard, was born on December 05th, 1932 in Macon, Georgia USA. He is said to have lost his grip on life, as a result of what some have indicated to have been due to liver cancer; while other reports have stipulated bone cancer to have been the most likely cause of death. Regardless of the conflicting reports pertaining to his demise, the fact remains that the voice of a musical genius who lived & breathed music, has been stilled for all eternity. Little Richard was an American singer, songwriter & musician; who was a Gulliver among Lilliputians. He was an influential figure, who strode the popular ...

RAKING UP PAINFUL MEMORIES: Joe Van Langenberg Photo source:eOnline The savage murder of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey on December 26th 1996, scarred the nation’s soul; shaking the rest of the civilized world to its very foundations. According to coronial reports, death had been as a result of strangulation, combined with extensive craniocerebral trauma. The ”little beauty” as she was aptly called, accomplished much in her short life, winning America’s Royale Miss, Little Miss Charlevoix, Little Miss Colorado, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover Girl & the National Tiny Miss Beauty. ...

PERCY SLEDGE CROSSES OVER: By Joe Van Langenberg   With the passing of one of the greatest American Gospel, Rhythm & Blues (R&B) & soul performers of all time, Percy Tyrone Sledge, the final curtain has been brought down on a voice, which was tinged with sadness, raw emotion & one, which packed a punch like no other. Shooting to stardom with his best known hit & signature song, “When a man loves a woman”, which incidentally Michael Bolton covered, Percy released many others; conspicuous among them been “My special prayer, What am I living for? (which was Millie’s original), Just out of reach, It tears me up, A whiter shade of pale, Misty moment & First you cry” among a host of others. “When a man loves a woman” secured a Number One slot for Percy, on both Billboard Hot 100 & R&B Charts in1966; while been awarded a ...