BOOKS
MILWAUKEE MOVIE THEATERS
With the arrival of television for the home market, the golden age of the movie theater in Milwaukee
was dead. Churches, warehouses, stores, nightspots, and other businesses now occupy the former Tivoli, Paris, Roosevelt, and Savoy buildings. The Elite, Regent, Lincoln, and Warner stand vacant, reminders of the days when Milwaukee was in love with the movies. Buy it online.

ENTERTAINMENT IN EARLY MILWAUKEE
Experience a century of Milwaukee's pop culture, from the earliest stages hosting traditional German plays and musicals, to the traveling circus acts that arrived by railroad. Look inside beer gardens, nickelodeons, and grand old cinemas that dominated the city’s landscape . Buy it online.

SILVER SCREENS: A Pictorial History of
the Theaters of Milwaukee
Silver Screens traces the rich history of Milwaukee's nickelodeons, movie palaces drive-ins and shopping mall shopping mall cinemas. Authors Larry Widen and Judi Anderson have illustrated this book with more than 100 fabulous photos, many never before published. Buy it online.





DOC SAVAGE: Arch Enemy of Evil
A pop culture history of the Doc Savage magazines published between 1933 and 1949. With new material from pulp historian Will Murray and cover art by Joe DeVito. See front and back cover photos. Buy it online.

TOMBSTONE BLUES
Interviews with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman, Bonnie Raitt and many more. Read excerpts from the book. Buy it online.

VINTAGE MILWAUKEE POSTCARDS
See how the Pfister Hotel, Schlitz Palm Garden, Bijou Opera House, Gargoyle restaurant and 250 others looked at the beginning of the 20th century. Buy it online.

LAR & LEN: A Long Strange Trip
Lifelong friends Larry Widen and Len Sadorf recall 1979 and 1980 with vintage photos and captions. Buy it online.

INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES
JETT STILL LOVES ROCK AND ROLL - January 19, '07 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
At the ripe old age of 49, Joan Jett can still serve up a guitar riff that explodes like a Stinger missile en route to a terrorist training camp. Her sinewy arms, whippet-thin frame and mascara-laden eyes are capped off by a road-hardened whiskey voice that delivers three-chord ballads of unrequited love and abusive relationships. (Read entire story)

AT 80, NIELSEN KEEPS IT WRY, DRY - December 8, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
When the script calls for a performer who can deliver his lines with the deadest of deadpan expressions, Leslie Nielsen has a corner on the market. It may surprise fans to learn that underneath all those goofy characters - the "Naked Gun" movies, "Police Squad," "Hot Shots" - is a classically trained actor who had 31 years of movie and TV experience by the time he appeared in the
1980 classic, "Airplane!" (Read entire story)

YOU'RE HERE, CROWDS AREN'T - November 4, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
For those who enjoy solitude and tranquility while on vacation, the sleepy little town of Akumal, Mexico, is one of several beachside havens along the Riviera Maya where time has a way of standing still. (Read entire story)

STANLEY LOOKS BACK AT 'KISS' DAYS - October 31, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In the early '70s, four New York musicians were influenced by glam-rockers like David Bowie and Alice Cooper as well as Japan's traditional Kabuki actors. Calling themselves KISS, they experimented with makeup and costumes until each developed a distinctive stage persona. Drummer Peter Criss became The Cat, lead guitarist Ace Frehley was The Spaceman, bassist Gene Simmons was The Demon, and lead singer Paul Stanley was The Star Child. (Read entire story)

SHARING EXILE WITH THE ROLLING STONES - October 23, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In the summer of 1971, the Stones set up a recording studio in the basement at Nellcote, an opulent mansion in the South of France. Guitarist Keith Richards and his family lived upstairs while the rest of the Stones came and went. Soon addicted to heroin, Richards embraced the growing darkness within his home and himself as he struggled to write the music for what would become the band's most critically acclaimed album. (Read entire story)

IT'S STILL FUN FOR AEROSMITH'S PERRY - October 2, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
At 56, Joe Perry still cuts a ferocious figure of a rock star. His guitar accentuating a whippet-thin frame, Perry's squinty eyes glitter dangerously as he scowls through that unruly mane of jet-black hair. Offstage, though, he's a thoughtful, soft-spoken guy who's crazy in love with his wife and likes to read books about the sea. (Read entire story)

'MEMPHIS MAFIA' REMEMBERS LIFE WITH THE KING - Sept 20, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In the summer of 1954, 12-year-old Jerry Schilling was drifting on the sun-baked streets of Memphis when he met the man who would change his life forever. (Read entire story)

NEVER TOO LATE TO SING THE BLUES - September 17, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Sitting in his apartment on Chicago's south side, David "Honeyboy" Edwards weaves a spellbinding tapestry of stories that covers practically the entire history of the blues. He points to a 3-inch scar on his forehead, a souvenir from a jealous woman armed with a whiskey bottle. Other women, like Bigfoot Clara, Baby Peaches and Virgil Mae, fell in love with Edwards as he passed through their towns and into their lives, if only for a night or two. (Read entire story)

SMOKE ON THE WATER - September 8, '06 - Shepherd Express
Backed by a quintet of veteran musicians, Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan delivered 100 minutes of high-powered rock and roll culled from a remarkable career that spans five decades. Casually dressed in jeans and Mexican shirt, the 61-year-old singer looked like a silver-haired beachcomber as he prowled barefoot about the stage. (Read entire story)

DEEP PURPLE'S GILLAN IN FINE VOICE - August 28, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Get out your copy of Deep Purple's 1972 masterpiece, "Machine Head," and marvel at the way Ian Gillan's voice goes from talking to crying to wailing before effortlessly exploding into one of the shattering screams that has become his stock in trade. Not many would disagree that Gillan is one the best rock singers to stand behind a microphone. (Read entire story)

GUITARIST CRAY STRUMMING BEYOND BLUES - August 22, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
While skilled at delivering the traditional blues, Robert Cray is equally adept at creating jazz and soul-based songs with more of a political bent. (Read entire story)

SINGING PRAISES OF THEATER - August 11, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
He's acted with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. His films were written by Woody Allen and James L. Brooks, and he's been directed by George Clooney, Mike Nichols and Clint Eastwood. Jeff Daniels has credentials that any actor would kill for.
(Read entire story)

CRUNCHING CROWES - August 9, '06 - Shepherd Express
The Black Crowes' true powers don't really surface until they get onstage. The crunching guitar intros to favorites like "Thick and Thin," from their debut album, and "Greasy Grass River," from Lions, brought cheers from the audience of approximately 1,500. (Read entire story)

COMIC KING - August '06 - M Magazine
Henry Smith Jr. lives in a fantasy world and that's just the way he likes it. Smith is one of a handful of Milwaukee businessmen who sell comic books and related merchandise for a living. (Read entire story)

CHEAP TRICK STAYS CONNECTED - July 6, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
You're older than 40 if you remember seeing Cheap Trick back in the days before they hit the big time. Starting in the early 1970s, the Rockford, Ill., pop quartet was in town so often that many people just assumed they were a Milwaukee band. (Read entire story)

BOB WEIR STILL HAS BITE - July 5, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
For more than 40 years, the Grateful Dead has been at the forefront of the American music scene, their songs conveying images of lifestyles based on something besides chasing the almighty dollar. Formed by the late Jerry Garcia in 1965, The Dead thrived on a musical fusion created by six diverse talents. How guitarist Bob Weir came to meet Garcia is a story every struggling musician fantasizes about. (Read entire story)

ALICE COOPER'S 18 (PLUS 40) AND HE LIKES IT - July 3, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Imagine being in church on Sunday morning and seeing the arch villain of rock 'n' roll in the pew ahead of you. With his wife and kids, no less. It's just one more indication that the Alice Cooper who slashes baby dolls to bits with a chainsaw is nothing like his real-life counterpart. (Read entire story)

ELVIS COSTELLO & ALLEN TOUSSAINT AT SUMMERFEST - June 30, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
When a British rock genius starts cooking with a New Orleans R&B legend, the result is a musical stew with tasty little tidbits like razor-sharp guitars, Fats Domino-inspired blues licks and a horn section that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up.  (Read entire story)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD BUILDS BRIDGE TO NEW ERA - June 30, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In its 36-year existence, Skynyrd has weathered a plane crash that killed founder-lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines, drug- and alcohol-fueled car wrecks and the deaths of guitarist Allen Collins and bassist Leon Wilkeson. (Read entire story)

SAN FRANCISCO OFF THE BEATEN PATH - June 11, '06 - Sierra Vista (AZ) Herald
The cable cars that clatter down Powell Street, the crazy climb to the top of Lombard Street and the frivolous atmosphere of Fisherman's Wharf work their magic on everyone who spends time in this town. Unlimited shopping opportunities in wacky Haight-Ashbury or upscale Union Square only add to the experience. But for adventurous travelers, the excitement of discovering a San Francisco that lies just below the tourist radar can really make the trip special. (Read entire story)

THE FACE OF AIDS - June '06 - M Magazine
In 1994, John Petersen was a factory worker earning $45,000 a year. His job, which required a lot of heavy lifting, kept him in better than average physical condition. When he began feeling uncharacteristically tired and fatigued, he saw a doctor. After some tests, John was told he had AIDS. (Read entire story)

HAND TO MOUTH - June '06 - M Magazine
A fist fight with Al Jolson. A musical arrangement from George Gershwin. A back seat liaison with movie star Vivien Leigh. Most men would consider any of these the accomplishment of a lifetime. But Jerry Adler had experienced them all and more before his 20th birthday. (Read entire story)

SOLID GOLDMANN'S- June '06 - M Magazine
For more than 100 years, Goldmann's has been a familiar, friendly haven for shoppers as they make their way down Mitchell Street. And despite predictions that independently owned stores are a thing of the past, Wisconsin's oldest department store continues to defy the odds. (Read entire story)

LEDGERS, PHOTOS BRING BACK VAUDEVILLE - May 24, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Charles Braun spent his life working in Milwaukee's theaters in an age when they were most people's main entertainment destination. By the time he died in 1968, Braun had worked at nearly 30 Wisconsin theaters. (Read entire story)

SECRET IDENTITIES - May '06 - North Shore Lifestyle
Telling someone they're 'gay' is a fairly common figure of speech heard in Northshore school hallways dozens of times each day. But for teens struggling with their sexual orientation, it's a hurtful reminder of the gulf that separates them from their classmates. (Read entire story)

SOULFUL PARKER - April 27, '06 - Shepherd Express
There was a time when Graham Parker was rock's most literate angry young man. Vitriolic lyrics from his first four albums were underscored by blistering riffs and scorching guitar solos from The Rumour, a backup band that any singer would kill to work with. But that's when Parker was in his mid-20's. (Read entire story)

TRYING TO FIND WORK - April 23, '06 - Sierra Vista (AZ) Herald
Dressed in dirty overalls and a sweat-stained Dale Earnhardt baseball cap, Keith Dangerfield was tired, hot and thirsty. With eyes swollen from crying, he looked older than his purported 53 years. "I've never not given to people when they needed help," he said. "I've given to people all my life. But now it seems like nobody gives a damn." (Read entire story)

GHOSTS OF THE GARFIELD - April 11, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Glimpses of the movie palace's former glory linger as congregation moves in.  (Read entire story)

DURABLE ROONEY ROLLING ALONG - April 3, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Mickey Rooney, famous for playing Andy Hardy, knows what it feels like to be the most popular motion picture star in the world. He also knows the pain of life at the bottom of the pile without a penny in the bank.  (Read entire story)

BEING HOMELESS - April '06 - M Magazine
Having lost her job, car and apartment, Denise Reed has nowhere to go. With a borrowed blanket, she beds down for the night behind the Milwaukee County Courthouse with eight total strangers. The next morning she wakes to the sound of her companions scrambling to avoid the police. Following their lead, Denise hides her blanket in a thicket of bushes and walks to St. James Church for the free breakfast that is offered to people in need.  (Read entire story)

STAPP RELIES ON CREED TUNES - March 13, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Scott Stapp, once one of rock's more promising singer-songwriters, brought his solo show to The Rave on Saturday evening. The former Creed frontman is nearing the end of a month-long tour of club dates in support of his album, "The Great Divide," which was released in November. (Read entire story)

THE BLUES CAME EARLY FOR BUDDY GUY - March 7, '06 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
At age 70, bluesman Buddy Guy seems to have it made. He lives in a huge Chicago home, owns a nightclub that bears his name and hangs out with rock stars like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones. (Read entire story)

SOLO SURVIVOR - March '06 - M Magazine
The Shivvers, once Milwaukee's most popular new wave band, gave singer Jill Kossoris a launching pad for her career as an independent songwriter. As her recent CD, Invisible, gathers momentum, Kossoris proudly notes that Shivvers music has attained worldwide cult status.  (Read entire story)

FOUNDING FAMILIES - February '06 - M Magazine
Pabst, Cudahy, Miller. These titans of industry left their mark on the city in which they lived.  (Read entire story)

BURGER KING - January '06 - M Magazine
Long before McDonald's and other fast food franchises appeared on the landscape, George Webb became Milwaukee's undisputed 'Hamburger King' by selling them seven for a dollar. (Read entire story)

IN THIS CORNER... - January '06 - M Magazine
Eye-gouging and ear-biting isn't what you'd list on a resume... unless you're a professional wrestler.  (Read entire story)

WRITTEN IN THE STARS - January '06 - M Magazine
What do French physician Michel de Nostradamus, British scientist Sir Isaac Newton and Russian mystic Gregori Rasputin have in common? In addition to being celebrated historical figures, they were highly astrologers. (Read entire story)

MIRACLE MAN - January '06 - M Magazine
Patients of neuromuscular massage therapist Wesley Miller say his skills are nothing short of a miracle. (Read entire story)

Copyright 2006-11 Larry Widen