Caturday
January 12, 2019Snooze time about 45 seconds away. My kitties have always had good style sense. They choose furniture to accent their spots. #Caturday
Girls night with (L-R) Prudence Fenton, Pamela Adlon, Pam’s mom Marina, me, and Diva Zappa
January 11, 2019Girls night with (L-R) Prudence Fenton, Pamela Adlon, Pam’s mom Marina, me, and Diva Zappa. I’ve known two of these gals since they were teenagers – Pam, now a brilliant two-time Emmy Best Actress in a Comedy nominee, not to mention my favorite animated voice of all time, Bobby Hill on King Of The Hill, was 17 when she was my art assistant when I was doing a ton of music videos in the late 80’s. And Diva was the baby Zappa when I camped out at the Zappa abode for many a year starting in the 90’s on. Lots of cheese consumed.
With Suzanne De Passe, my friend for 30 years and with whom I recently shared a burger and much gossip
January 9, 2019Anyone who knows me knows I have a severe MOTOWN fixation. And it don’t get more severe than Suzanne De Passe, my friend for 30 years and with whom I recently shared a burger and much gossip. First Suzanne become Berry Gordy’s top creative assistant when she was 21, then she discovered the Jackson 5, then became President of Motown Productions, then co-wrote Lady Sings The Blues, produced Motown 25, the show that provided the sacred ground upon which Michael Jackson debuted the Moonwalk, and on and on to this very day.
With Lisa Loeb at the SONA celebration for #1 songwriter this month
January 8, 2019With Lisa Loeb Official, my ol’ friend and neighbor and mom of the best Girl Scout cookie saleswoman in the world, at the SONA celebration for #1 songwriter this month, Sam Hollander’s celebration at The Hotel Cafe a few weeks ago. Although we’ve never written together – which is SOOOOO stupid there’s not an adequate word for it – Lisa won a Grammy last year, rocks on hard, and is also a phenomenal cake and cookie maker herself, as evidenced by the Allee cake she brought to my birthday about 10 years ago.
Holidays at our favorite Old School steakhouse, The Smoke House Restaurant
January 7, 2019The lovely Prudence Fenton and I sharing the holidays with two of our favorite men, Tom Trujillo and Dima Gornovskyi at our favorite Old School steakhouse, The Smoke House Restaurant. Better yet it was their over-stuffed, fly-me-to-the-moon-and-back Sunday buffets, a gargantuan room of endless fooooodstuffs, not one of those quaint salad bars/carving station/omelet bar affairs but every possible food category and ethnicity in between. WE are revving up for a big Valentine’s Day night there too. The best decorated hearts place in LA.
With my girls, Holly Palmer and Prudence Fenton at the SONA (Songwriters Of North America)
January 6, 2019With my girls, Holly Palmer and Prudence Fenton, a couple weeks ago at the SONA (Songwriters Of North America) salute to the great Sam Hollander, who’s presently holding down the top of the charts with Panic! At The Disco’s “High Hopes”. Holly and I were in a short-lived but mighty group called Bubbles & Cheesecake. Prudence and I are always making tag-team trouble. I’ve attached a Sam photo here as well so he can be in the mix at his own event. And for a little Bubbles & Cheesecake, sip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo_VXWO5SKo
Boogaloo Wonderful sandwich from Chef Greg’s Soul ‘n’ the Wall
January 5, 2019The Detroit Free Press has its culinary tastes in order as it chose Chef Greg’s Soul “N” The Wall, my home away from home in my hometown Detroit, as one of the Motor City’s Top 18 restaurants of 2018. I love Chef Greg and his food so much and am there so often my portrait eating my favorite sandwich, the Boogaloo Wonderland, partially named for my song “Boogie Wonderland”, is painted on the outside wall. If you’re in Detroit now and haven’t been to this gem, go now!
R.I.P. Bob Einstein
January 4, 2019Bob Einstein a.k.a. Super Dave Osborne a.k.a. Marty Funkhouser was an incredibly great guy. I used to see him from afar every Break Fast at Marla and Jeff Garlin’s house (exhilarating to be in the presence of such Curb Your Enthusiasm royalty). I was a gigantic fan of Bob’s, like idolized him, so couldn’t believe when a few years ago he finally marched right up to me and said “you are an extraordinarily talented woman”. I almost fainted because I was such a super-fan. From then on, he always sent me encouraging emails every time I had a show or sent an email blast out of what was going on in my world. He was super supportive, a serious mensch, insanely talented and funny, bright, and, of course, there was that incredible speaking voice! R.I.P. Bob Einstein. So sad to see you go.
An excellent reunion over the holidays with one of my first friends ever in the music biz, Arnold McCuller
January 3, 2019An excellent reunion over the holidays with one of my first friends ever in the music biz, Arnold McCuller, a stupendous singer and friend. A great solo singer, he’s even better known for his work as a touring back-up singer with the likes of James Taylor (for over 30 years), Phil Collins, Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Todd Rundgren and a trillion more. Arnold and I met right after I wrote my first few songs in New York in the mid 70’s. We followed each other out to LA in the late 70’s and he sang many an early demo of mine and helped my songs sound exceptionally sweet ’n funky, “Neutron Dance” and “Boogie Wonderland” among them.
Writing a Hit Song with Sam Hollander
December 16, 2018“In my head, I always wanted to write hits. There used to be massive conversation on what was art and what was commercial. I grew up listening to Top 40, and to me, the greatest songs meshed those two together.” I said that in June on Questlove’s podcast, QuestloveSupreme, and nowhere was it better proven this last week than writing with Sam Hollander, whose thinking and songs share that sentiment, including the #1 song on the charts this week, “High Hopes” by Panic! At The Disco. Sam’s other gems include Fitz & The Tantrums (“HandClap”), and a gaggle of songs for artists like Train, Weezer, One Direction, Gym & Class, Good Charlotte, Carole King, Pentatonix, and way more. We kicked out a hooky, melodic little sucker in 3 hours. Excited to continue working on it and especially to continue with Sam! #hitsongs#songwriter #samhollander #alleewillis #questlove #number1
