Off Beat

  • A Guitar Man By Any Other Name
    Baldemar Garza Huerta, does this name ring a bell? I’ll give you a hint… he was born in San Benito at the southernmost tip of Texas, does that help? No, he didn’t fight at the Alamo, and he wasn’t a …
  • 70s Funk Revival
    The other day I heard a song on the radio, and I thought that the DJ had pulled out some old song from the 1970s which I’d never heard before. It was pure funk, and I wondered how I’d missed …
  • American Idol Judges 2015
    American Idol is back for another season, with judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick, Jr., searching for the best-of-the-best to compete in Hollywood Week. Keith is my favorite of the three Idol judges with his quirky exuberance and …
  • Memories of the Atlanta Limelight Disco
    I was a Limelight Twinkie. At least that’s what one of the regulars there told me. He said that the Limelight solo dancers were nicknamed “Twinkies” — maybe as a shortened version of Twinkletoes. There were quite a few of …
  • Review of the Blondie song: Rapture
    Blondie, aka Deborah Harry back in the day and Debbie Harry today, is best known for blockbuster hits such as: Heart of Glass, Call Me, and The Tide is High. These songs get as much radio airtime now as they …
  • Adam Lambert’s Mad World
    I was a huge Adam Lambert fan during his American Idol reign. He was in a totally different league and never failed to entertain. I looked forward to his artistry after Idol but he didn’t go in a direction I …
  • Andy Griffith Fishin’ Hole Song
    If you’re a fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you’ve GOT to get the theme song! I heard it on the radio once, bless that disc jockey for having a wild hair and playing an unexpected song, because I totally …
  • Alex and Sierra and the X Factor Gloom Sisters
    From their first audition on X Factor, I’ve been head over heels in love with Alex & Sierra, the hot singing duo from Florida that X Factor judge Paulina Rubio compared to Sonny & Cher. Paulina mirrored my thoughts exactly, …
  • American Idol Conspiracy 2013
    I knew early on that American Idol was involved in a conspiracy. In past years, they’d given us a diverse group to vote for with rockers, and entertainers such as Adam Lambert. This year, however, I noticed that by the …
  • My Vote is the American Idol Kiss of Death
    My vote on American Idol is the kiss of death, that’s why I stopped voting. America never agrees with me on who should move forward, who should get kicked off, and who is Top Dog of the season. This year, …