Bummer of a January 2 with the reported deaths of three biggies who’ve had an impact on at least one of the DW co-founders.
- Daryl Dragon died in hospice of renal failure, and thus dies the Captain of Captain and Tennille, the married and hit-making duo of my high school years. I spent most of my sophomore year singing Love Will Keep Us Together and most of my junior year trying to figure out what Muskrat Love Turns out it meant just what the songs implies/states, that a pair of muskrats are in the mood and deeply in amorous-type behaviors. The polarizing tune—I can’t stand it—reached No. 2 on Cash Box and I think No. 2 is a good way to describe it. On the other hand, the Captain was a stud and he and Tennille made millions, including me, happy and Muskrat Love actually reached No. 1 with rodent listeners. If you have never heard the song, the main line is, “Looks like…Muskrat Love.” But I don’t want to know what that looks like. I grew up around farms and have had my fill of witnessing animal copulation. So that’ll be a hard pass for me.
- Eugene Okerlund died for undisclosed reasons but had been in poor health, and I hate that because he brought me much joy because of my World Championship Wrestling friends who loved him. Mean Gene was the interviewer and announcer dude, a staple in the industry and Hall of Famer. Wrasslin’ peeps loved them some Mean Gene.
- Finally, my main man who was diagnosed with leukemia not long ago and passed away Wednesday was Bob Einstein, who helped me through college by being on The Late Show With David Letterman so often as Super Dave Osborne, a satirical stuntman and motorbike/racecar trick artist and dry humor guy. Loved Super Dave. Another generation knew him as Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm, but if you’ve never seen him as Super Dave, check some old clips online, and have a funny start to your new year. (Designated Note: Did knot know until Wednesday that Super Dave was the older brother of the underrated Albert Brooks.)
-30-