At Home in Hespeler

Being of such long title, I will henceforth refer to the Anson Williams memoir as The Potsyography. Note, I call it a memoir, not an autobiography, and that is entirely intentional. An autobiography is more chronological report of the fact of a life, a memoir something looser, more meant to get at the heart of a specific topic.

For those trying to place the name, Anson Williams was Potsy Webber on the 1970’s hit TV show Happy Days. The Potsyography walks you through his career highlights: meeting President Reagan; a White House visit plus date with Susan Ford; being directed by Steven Spielberg; meeting John Lennon, John Wayne and Elvis; watching Robin Williams create out of thin air the character Mork.

The book, however, is really about “Willie,” Williams boss when he was a janitor at Burbank department store, Leonard’s. Willie, and older black man (and drunk), would sit with Williams, having a drink out of his flask and offer advice. He was the first person to see potential in Williams, (“You gonna do something great in life”). WIllie’s advise, given in poor black man ebonics, amounts to nothing much more than a list of habits of successful people, but the source managed to get through to the young Williams, and the advice stuck. Williams gives great credit to Willie for his life’s successes, and The Potsyography seems an attempt to share that wisdom.

Singing to a Bulldog: From Happy Days to Hollywood Director, and the Unlikely Mentor Who Got Me There is a good, fairly quick read, that moves forward comfortably. It would make a great winter weekend reader for someone who fondly remembers Happy Days and Williams himself. The book is full of little inside Hollywood stories, without relying on dirt and scandal and divided into chapters developed around Willie’s words of wisdom.

Singing to a Bulldog: From Happy Days to Hollywood Director, and the Unlikely Mentor Who Got Me Thereis available November 11 from your usual sources.

1970's Anson Williams, Happy Days, Potsy, Singing to a Bulldog

All the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities

Hanna Montana, aka, kid star Miley Cyrus is engaged to be married to her boyfriend Liam Helmsworth.

The 19-and-a-half year old Cyrus is sporting a 3.5 carat diamond ring, which Helmsworth presented. y proposal to her last week. “Life is beautiful,” she then tweeted, meaning, we presume, she was on her way to an Italian film festival. The couple have been dating 3.5 years when they met on the set of “The Last Song.”

The big question is, will this be a weirdo Hollywood wedding, or more traditional fare where the DJ is informed that if he plays Achy Breaky Heart he will wake in the hospital with Achy Breaky Legs?

Review in Brief: “The Avengers is the best movie ever. And, it’s really funny. You have to go see it dad.”

On the subject of former kid stars, Amanda Bynes has plead not guilty to a drinking and riving charge stemming from an April arrest in Hollywood.
Bynes, it turns out, could not have possibly have been driving under the influence because she does not drink. What is not explained is why she then refused a breathalyzer or a blood test. But rest assured, it’s all the cop in questions fault, asking President Obama on twitter to, “Please fire the cop who arrested me.” When the time Amanda Bynes emerges to tell you how you have to vote otherwise live your life, remember she thought it was the Presidents job to fire city officers.

Amanda, he can’t help because a)he’s the President of the United States and this is a local matter and b) your not Raven.

Former Happy Days brat Erin Moran, who played Joanie on the iconic show, as well as starred in run-off show Joanie loves Chachi, is broke and lives in a trailer. It’s reported that Moran lost her California home last year, and she and her husband live in a trailer park in Indiana.

You’d think there would be all sorts of money, what with celebrity being a commodity itself these days and seeing as Happy Days still shows on re-runs and sells DVD’s, &tc., and you’d be right. But CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures has kept the money, offering that the talent has no clam on the coin.

Suit has been filed and Moran, along with co-stars Anson Williams, Marion Ross and Don Most are looking for something in the neighbourhood of half-a-million dollars.

Perhaps Moran will be upgrading to a double-wide in the near future.

John Mayer is not exactly a gentleman, famous for his discretion. Of Jennifer Aniston he is said to have wrote Heartbreak Warfare (push it in and twist the knife again. Watch my face as I pretend to feel no pain”) and Jessica Simpson he recently called “sexual napalm.” So when Yet another ex, that sweet Taylor Swift, writes a song about him, all fair &tc., right?

It (writing the song) was a really lousy thing to do… I will say as a songwriter thatI think it’s kind of cheap songwriting… I think it’s abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, “Wait till he gets a load of this!”

Coming from a man who recently was recently on the cover of Rolling Stone and expounding at length about masturbation in the included interview, talk of other people rubbing their hands together and abusing their talent sounds just crass.

Bob Welch (1946 – 2012)

Back when Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors owned the album chart and airwaves, For Mac guitarist Bob Welch had his first solo album on the charts. For my money at the time, French Kiss was the better album. Featuring the hits Sentimental Lady Ebony Eyes, French Kiss was a Welch’s biggest hit.

Sadly, Bob Welch shot himself in the chest this week at his California home. He was apparently suffering a medical condition and left a note.

Rest in Peace Bob Welch.

Fluffernutter Amanda Bynes, Anson Williams, Avengers, Bob Welch, Don Most, Erin Moran, Hannah Montana, Happy Days, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Joanie loves Chachi, John Mayer, Marion Ross, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift

All the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities

Justin Beiber: Minute 16.

A couple of weeks ago Justin Beiber lashed out at a fan looking for an autograph. Famous for about a year, Beiber is already tired of all these kids, children really, throwing their money at him. If only they would go away, he could enjoy his fame in peace.

Last weekend Beiber was accused of assaulting a 12 year old boy at Planet Lazer in Vancouver. While playing he hit/ran over the lad, who complained to management, and then police.

The boy says he hit him, Beiber says it was an accident. I say Justin Beiber’s fifteen minutes are up.

Breaking News: Keith Richards bedded bandmate Brian Jones’s girlfriend Anita Pallenberg in the back of his Bentley on a trip from Morocco to Paris.

I’ll be glad when Keith Richards Autobiography is published, and we can stop getting these 40 year old news flashes. Last weekend it was a 60’s era drug and booze fuelled vacation with John Lennon in the back of his Bentley.

Whose autobiography is this anyway, Keith Richards’, or Keith Richards Bentley’s?

Madonna is rumoured to have dumped her 24 year old Latin lover, Jesus Luz for Brazillian dancer Brahim Rachiki.

For the record, Madonna lists herself as a “children’s author” amongst other things on her CV. Here’s a tip: if you are buying your children books by Madonna, you’re a bad parent!

If you are using Madonna as a role model for your kids, pre-teen, teen, young adults, you are a bad parent.

Want to know why society is a mess? Popular TV show Glee! Had a Madonna episode, where they raved about what a wonderful role model she was for young women. Any society, anywhere, who thinks filthy, skanky, slutty Madonna can possibly be a role model, is a mess. Full stop.

Barbara Billingsley (1915-2010):

Pearl wearing, Jive talking Beaver mom Barbara Billingsley died Sunday. Billingsley played June Cleaver, TV mom to Wally and The Beaver, on Leave it to Beaver. The show ran between 1957 and 1963.

Known as the perfect mom who did house work in pearls and heels, both of those traits were, in fact, sops to Billingsley’s vanity: The pearls covered a “hollow” in her neck, the heels came later to disguise the fact her TV sons were gaining on her in height.

Her next most famous role was a spoof, playing an older lady who spoke “jive,” translating for a couple of black passengers in the comedy “Airplane.”

Barbara Billingsley died of polymyagia at the age of 95 last Saturday. May she Rest in Peace.

Tom Bosley (1927-2010) From the bad week to be a perfect TV parent department:

If June Cleaver was the perfect mom, then “Mr. C.,” Howard Cunningham on Happy Days may have been the perfect TV dad. As the father of Ritchie and Joannie he was always calm and wise: even when he caught underage Ritchie at the strip club.

Possibly more important than his many, many movie, stage and TV roles, Tom Bosley served in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War.

He died Tuesday at age 83. He had been battling a staph infection, but cause of death is currently unknown. Rest in Peace, Tom Bosley.

Fluffernutter Anita Pallenberg, Barbara Billingsley, Brahim Rachiki, Brian Jones, Happy Days, Jesus Luz, John Lennon, Justin Beiber, Keith Richards, Leave it to Beaver, Madonna, Tom Bosley