Welcome to Frank Pozen's Big Bad Blog. A lot of folks have been asking me to update them about my recovery. So I thought I would start a blog primarily to do that but also to talk about other topics of interest including the wrestling business and whatever else I can think of. I plan to update this on a regular basis so check back and leave a comment if you wish.
Elevation Rhythm is yet another offshoot of Elevation Worship from the Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. It started in their youth ministry. They started sharing the stage with Elevation Worship and they toured with Lecrae. They released a few singles and the 2019 single Never Walk Away topped the CCM charts. That led to the 2022 album Growing Pains and the 2023 EP This Is the Gospel. I Was, But God is from the 2025 album Victory Lap. The album producer is Josh Holiday and he also plays keyboards. Elevation Church leader Stephen Furtick is executive producer. He co-wrote several songs including I Was, But God. The other writers were Sydney James, Leeland Mooring and Davide Mutendji. It looks like Nate Diaz is lead singer on most of the songs and he also co-wrote some songs and arranged the vocals. Guest singers include Joe L. Barnes, Gracie Binion, Tiffany Hudson, Charles Weems, Abbie Gamboa and Zach Webb. Holiday claims that Elevation Rhythm's sound is supposed to be different from their other groups. It is also supposed to focus on the overarching theme of triumph. It's supposed to be aimed at a younger audience. I dunno. To me, it sounds like their other music. I don't hear anything different. But I know the faithful will love it. Victory Lap is available as a digital download. Here's the video for I Was, But God by Elevation Rhythm.
The 1967 single Western Union was a top ten hit and the biggest hit for The Five Americans. Some of their other songs charted. But most listeners will only remember Western Union. The members of The Five Americans were from Dallas. They were called The Mutineers when they formed in 1962 at Southeastern State College in Durant, OK. The band members were Mike Rabon on lead vocals and lead guitar, John Durrill on rhythm guitar, Norman Ezell on keyboards, Jim Grant on bass and Jimmy Wright on drums. They started out as a cover band and they released a 1963 single that was popular at school. The key acquisition was when Ezell got a Vox Continental electronic organ which gave them a unique sound. They got the attention of Abnak Records owner John Abdnor Sr. he signed them and changed the band name to The Five Americans. Abdnor was a Fort Worth insurance man who started Abnak for his son's musical act Jon & Robin. They were distributed by Hanna-Barbera who were in the record business at the time. The Five Americans were Abnak's only successful act. A couple of The Five Americans' songs charted. But Western Union was the biggest hit. It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Western Union was produced by swamp rocker Dale Hawkins. Rabon, Durrill and Ezell usually wrote songs together. According to Ezell, Rabon was messing around with his guitar when he came up with the unique sound effect featured on Western Union. They wrote the song around that. The Five Americans stalled after that plus Abdnor had control of the band's finances and got a little greedy. This budget comp has all their hits. The Five Americans split up Rabon continued to use The Five Americans name on the 1969 album Now and Then. The rest of the band was all new members. He continued to tour until he returned to school and earned a degree in public school administration. Then he worked in the Oklahoma school system for 28 years. He died in 2022. Durrill is the only surviving member. Grant died in 2004. Ezell died in 2010. Wright died in 2014. Here's The Five Americans performing Western Union on The Steve Allen Show 1968.
Not to be confused with The Surfaris (Wipeout), The Safaris were a white doo wop group who scored a top ten hit with the 1960 single Image of a Girl. It was their only big hit. But a couple of their songs charted so they are not technically a one hit wonder. But Image of a Girl is their only memorable song. The Safaris were from Los Angeles led by Sandy Weisman, Marv Rosenberg and Richard Clasky. They were called The Mystics when they formed in 1959. When a group called The Mystics had a hit with Hushabye, the group name was changed to The Enchanters. They released a couple of singles and changed their name again to The Dories. Weisman was replaced by Jim Stephens and the group name was changed to The Angels. They signed with Johnny Otis' label Eldo Records and released the single Image of a Girl. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Rosenberg and Clasky. They split up after having problems with their manager. Stephens formed a new version of The Safaris. They split up after a couple of singles. You can get Image of a Girl on this Time Life various artist budget comp. Rosenberg and Clasky formed The Suddens and they released a 1961 single. Then they recorded as The Four Evers. Then The Safaris reformed and released a 1963 single. It looks like they all quit the music business though they reformed for a 1989 album. Here's The Safaris performing Image of a Girl on a 1960 episode of a Dick Clark show. But I don't think it's American Bandstand because it's not in the studio in Philadelphia.
British actor Michael Crawford is best known for playing the title character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera. He also appeared in the 1969 film Hello, Dolly! and in the 70s British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. But he is mainly known for The Phantom. He was born Michael Patrick Smith Jan. 19, 1942 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He was raised by his mother and her parents. Her husband died during The Battle of Britain in 1940. Crawford was the result of a subsequent short lived relationship and she gave the child her married name. They moved in with her parents on the Isle of Shippey near Kent. She remarried after WWII and moved to London. He started to appear on stage in school. He was known as Michael Ingram. His stepfather was named Ingram. While appearing in a production for the English Opera Group in 1958, Crawford decided to be an actor. He changed his name to Michael Crawford to avoid confusion with a newsman named Michael Ingram. He appeared in a variety of stage and TV shows. His first film was the 1962 film The War Lover starring Steve McQueen followed by the 1963 film Two Left Feet. His appearance in the TV comedy show Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life got the attention of director Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night) who cast him in the 1965 film The Knack...and How to Get It followed by the 1966 film adaptation of the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and the 1967 films How I Won the War and The Joker. Then Crawford made his Broadway debut in the 1967 show Black Comedy with Lynn Redgrave. Gene Kelly spotted him and cast him in the 1969 film of the musical Hello, Dolly!. That film was generally considered to be a failure at the time. Crawford's career stalled and he returned to England. After appearing in the stage comedy No Sex Please, We're British, Crawford was cast as Frank Spencer in the sitcom Some Mothers Do 'ave 'em after Ronnie Barker and Norman Wisdom both turned it down. The show was very popular in England but it only lasted two seasons because show creator Raymond Allen chose to end it. But it led to opportunities for Crawford like the musical Billy based on Billy Liar and the 1981 film Condorman. That was followed by the 1981 musical Barnum as P.T. Barnum. And that's when The Phantom of the Opera came up. Andrew Lloyd Webber was developing the show as a vehicle for his wife Sarah Brightman. He showed Crawford a pitch video featuring Sarah and Cockney Rebal lead singer Steve Harley. Crawford didn't like it as being too "rock opera". But Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh were having second thoughts about Harley and replaced him with Crawford. Of course The Phantom of the Opera was a huge success not only in London but also on Broadway. Crawford won an Olivier and a Tony. He left the show in 1990 but he has returned to the role several times. This 2CD budget comp covers Crawford's entire career. It was sold on TV in England. He has appeared in other shows like as Professor Marvel in the 2011 revival of the musical The Wizard of Oz. But Michael Crawford will always be remembered for The Phantom of the Opera. He hasn't appeared anywhere lately but he's not retired. He recently announced plans to produce a documentary about his career. Here's the video for The Music of the Night by Michael Crawford.
Album:Classic Caribbean: The Classic Collection Vol. 2
Raise your hand if you know what soca music is. I didn't think so. Soca is an offshoot of calypso that originated in the 70s in Trinidad and Tobago. So it has a following in the Caribbean. The 2003 single Tempted to Touch by soca artist Rupert "Rupee" Clarke may be the biggest soca hit of all time. It was a big club hit in 2003 and it still gets played today especially at Carnival celebrations worldwide. The song was a bigger hit than it's chart position and also Clarke's biggest hit. He was born Sept. 10, 1975 in Germany. His mother is German and his father is from Barbados and was in the British Army. The family moved to England then settled in Barbados in 1985. Clarke won the 1993 Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition. Clarke joined the band Coalishun in 1997. They were mostly a dancehall band. But Clarke got interested in calypso and soca and started self releasing singles. And he released three albums. He won Road March titles at Carnival parades. Tempted to Touch was first released on Clarke's 2002 album Leave a Message. It won Road March titles and started getting club play. This led to Atlantic Records signing Clarke and releasing the 2004 album 1 0n 1. Tempted to Touch was particularly successful on Billboard's Dance charts and the sound is unique enough that it still gets club play today. The song reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 but it was a bigger hit than that. Clarke wrote Tempted to Touch with Barbadian Darron Grant and he produced. He's a soca producer with his own studio. You can get Tempted to Touch on this Warner Bros. various artists comp. Daddy Yankee recorded a reggaeton remix of Tempted to Touch that also got club play. Clarke still releases occasional singles. But Tempted to Touch has had a long shelf life. As I said, it should have been a much bigger hit in 2003. Here's the video for Tempted to Touch by Rupee.
Uilleann Piper John McSherry is a founding member of the Irish band Lunasa. The band was formed in 1997 but McSherry got so busy with other projects that he left Lunasa and has led his own band ever since. He was born in 1970 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He started playing the Uilleann Pipes as a child. And by age 14 he had won two All Ireland piping championships. And he was the youngest ever winner of the 1988 Oireachtas Piping Championships. After that he started turning up in all kinds of bands including the family folk rock band Tamalin, Donal Lunny's band Coolfin, At First Light, Uliad and of course Lunasa. McSherry and fellow piper Michael McGoldrick left Lunasa because they didn't want to tour and would rather play sessions. The Slide from Grace is from McSherry's 2010 solo debut album Soma on Compass Records. McSherry produced the album and wrote most of the songs including The Slide from Grace. Musicians include Donal O'Connor on fiddle and keyboards and Ruben Bada on bouzouki. O'Connor regularly plays with McSherry. This album is available on CD. McSherry won awards for this album in Ireland. And maybe you heard him playing on the 1998 film Waking Ned Devine. McSherry leads the band The Olilam with Tyler Duncan. They self released a 2022 album and toured. Fans of Irish music should check him out. Here's John McSherry with Niall Murphy on fiddle, Donal O'Connor on piano, John Joe Kelly on bodhran, Paul Meehan on guitar and Alan Docherty on whistle performing The Slide from Grace.
Album:The Little Mermaid:Original Broadway Cast Recording
Sierra Bogess is best known for playing Ariel in the 2008 Broadway musical adaptation of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. She still appears on Broadway. She was born May 20, 1982 in Denver. She grew up in a family of musicians. She got into performing in high school and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Milliken University in Decatur, IL. Sierra started out performing in regional theater. She starred in a production of The Phantom of the Opera at The Venetian Las Vegas. That's when The Little Mermaid came up. Disney had already produced successful Broadway adaptations of some of their animated films when they decided to do The Little Mermaid. Songwriter Alan Menken was brought in to write some new songs. He wrote the songs for the 1989 film with Howard Ashman. But Ashman died in 1991. So Glenn Slater was brought in. He wrote songs with Menken for the 2004 film Home on the Range. Along with Sierra, the other stars of the show were Sherie Rene Scott, Sean Palmer and Norm Lewis. Sierra was hired to play Ariel after a lengthy audition process. She first auditioned in Oct. 2006 and the final audition was in Jan. 2007. Sierra was at her dentist's office in Las Vegas when she got the role. The Little Mermaid had a trial run in Denver before opening on Broadway Nov. 2007. The show did OK but Disney was disappointed as it wasn't a big smash hit and it closed in Aug. 2009. The original cast album is available as a digital download. Sierra's performance was positively reviewed. She left in May 2009. Since then she has appeared in several productions of The Phantom of the Opera and the sequel Love Never Dies in London. So that's what I noticed. She always returns to Phantom. The other big Broadway show she appeared in was School of Rock in 2016. And she appeared in the 2022 Barry Manilow musical Harmony. Sierra hasn't done films or TV. But she does perform her one woman show in clubs. Here's Sierra Boggess performing Part of Your World on a 2007 episode of ABC's Good Morning America.
