To this I can only reply ... 😳 I loved Janis and broke in my voice at 12 by singing LOUDLY along with her as I despised my child's squeak and wanted to sound like Joan Green or Fenella Fielding. It worked. Wish I'd met her, you lucky guy. Thank you, Janis. Big mwah! 💋
If it's any help, Sam Houston Andrew, a guitarist in both of her bands, was a grey, anonymous fact-checker at the big fascist San Francisco law firm where I was a word processor in the three years after my daughter's birth, when I was trying to be all responsible and shit.
As a retired football coach, raised feral with 6 other kids to a first generation Ukrainian farming family who allowed books to become my escape and thus their method of addiction, I really enjoyed this story. And I am not questioning your authenticity, I truly believe the facts but your delivery, the whimsical rabbit trail was enjoyable. I hope to be able to accomplish a small percentage of what you just did with me.
I’m a second generation, Ukrainian, and I grew up in an all black town in Central Texas. But because of Ukrainians were hybridized by the Czars and Stalin, I could run with the black kids. I made All State my senior year in 1979 and played in the High School All-Star game with Erik Dickerson and Craig James. I had a scholarship to Ranger Junior college, because I’m only 511 and not 6 foot 2 to 4 like the other star athletes, many of whom made it to the NFL. But I knew I’d wanted to be a football coach because of the great guidance they gave me, especially one certain coach, since my dad was an alcoholic from World War II. So me being the baby of seven feral kids went to University of Texas, where I got a history degree in Southwest Texas for a biology degree. I didn’t coached football on boys track in junior high for a couple years at Clear Lake south Of Houston the home of Nasa. Fact, I had a couple of kids that I coached whose dads were astronauts. Then I went to high school to Coach Football on the agreement that I would learn soccer as my second sport. We had a great coach there of German descent named Doug Elder who played in the original American soccer league in the early 80s when Pelle played for New York. I’m a defense coordinator in football so I love angles and support which is all Soccer is.. I continue to coach soccer as a second sport at six of the different high schools. I worked at in East Houston. I was the head coach in four of them and coach of the year once. Soccer is a great sport. I still like watching it on TV. You understand the fanaticism being in London. I’m in Everton fan in EPL just because Tim Howard the goalkeeper from America used to play Keep there.. but I prefer National soccer competitions because of fervor that it causes. Good messaging with you. I am in the process of publishing my first newsletter in about two hours Called.” Fire the Coach “ where I evaluate coaches and sports primarily American football, but I will extend it after football season to basketball soccer and even a little baseball.
You've had quite a career, Coachbear. I've been here 23 years and still haven't developed much enthusiasm for European football. In a 90-minute game, there might be three minutes of excitement, whereas in a good NBA game, one sees a breathtaking feat of athleticism every 45 seconds. My maternal grandparents were refugees from Odessa. There are few things I hate more than the whole winning-is-the-only ethos. Am watching Netflix's Dallas Cowboys series now and find Jimmy Johnson insufferble.
Awesome I grew up a cowboy fan, but when Jerry Jones fired Jimmy Johnson, I quickly lost interest in them. And at that time, I was coaching big-time high school football here in Texas, which meant seven days a week, but not much of a break. So trying to get home and spend family time there is no time for football. Actually when you’re coaching that much kind of get tired of it you don’t care to spend any free time watching it. I would go outside work in my garden to be with my chickens, and try to get my kids outside with them too. I need Renew my Netflix for about a month because there’s a few series that I wanna watch. Seems like after a month I’ve seen everything I want to and that’s the advantage of grown-up poor – – I’m very cheap. So I know how to work systems.
You don’t understand how important music was to be growing up. Even though I’ve never played an instrument I have so many songs memorized from the late 60s 70s and 80s. And I’m kind of a Peter Pan never growing up because I’ve coached high school boys from the early eighties to 2023 so I’ve always kind of kept up with their music. To me the best music was 70s and early 80s. My first concert was the Doobie Brothers in Waco, at Baylor. Then I went to the first Texas jam, which was unbelievable awesome the headliners being Frank Moreno, mahogany rush, Aerosmith, heart. The opening act were journey, Eddie Money Van Halen. I’ve got great stories from that event. Then I went to the second text jam, which is great but by that time I become a big Van Halen fan. I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to see him. In 83 at the Cotton Bowl I saw the stones And they were great. The fabulous Thunderbirds opened for them and ZZ Top played in between. It was January at the Cotton Bowl, which meant cool weather was awesome For an outdoor concert. I probably saw Van Halen nine times and got my first- degree in history from university of Texas. Lots of groups would come to Austin to the drum play, Fleetwood Mac , Eagles, The police, The go-go,. I saw the B-52’s at the Austin city Coliseum. They were great. One of the concerts was in 1983 at the San Antonio municipal auditorium downtown, The Clash, I was On the front row by all the slam dancers. Really love your writing – – I like your style. It’s very personable. I try to do the same with my writing. I like to be a storyteller. Once my world slows down, I’m gonna go back through and read some of your previous writings.
Interesting piece John, I covered most bands back in the daze, but never had the chance to see Janis… the Chelsea was a great place to search out those in the scene, but never even caught a glimpse of her,cool!
To this I can only reply ... 😳 I loved Janis and broke in my voice at 12 by singing LOUDLY along with her as I despised my child's squeak and wanted to sound like Joan Green or Fenella Fielding. It worked. Wish I'd met her, you lucky guy. Thank you, Janis. Big mwah! 💋
P.S. Not my type. Ba-da-DUM!
I thought maybe you were attracted to her soul. TISHHHHH!
Never met her, madam. A cannabis-powered flight of fancy, you see.
Bulls eye! Ya got me, Johnny.
If it's any help, Sam Houston Andrew, a guitarist in both of her bands, was a grey, anonymous fact-checker at the big fascist San Francisco law firm where I was a word processor in the three years after my daughter's birth, when I was trying to be all responsible and shit.
As a retired football coach, raised feral with 6 other kids to a first generation Ukrainian farming family who allowed books to become my escape and thus their method of addiction, I really enjoyed this story. And I am not questioning your authenticity, I truly believe the facts but your delivery, the whimsical rabbit trail was enjoyable. I hope to be able to accomplish a small percentage of what you just did with me.
Coachbear
Very kind of you and much appreciated, Coachbear. You’ve made my early afternoon. (I’m an American expat in London.) What sport do you coach? Maybe you will enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KCEZJd1XkQ and https://johnmendelssohn.substack.com/p/now-pitching-for-the-pheremones?r=7yu5q. The Janis thing is 100 percent fiction.
Sorry just noticed the refugees from Odessa, we could be distant cousins!
I’m a second generation, Ukrainian, and I grew up in an all black town in Central Texas. But because of Ukrainians were hybridized by the Czars and Stalin, I could run with the black kids. I made All State my senior year in 1979 and played in the High School All-Star game with Erik Dickerson and Craig James. I had a scholarship to Ranger Junior college, because I’m only 511 and not 6 foot 2 to 4 like the other star athletes, many of whom made it to the NFL. But I knew I’d wanted to be a football coach because of the great guidance they gave me, especially one certain coach, since my dad was an alcoholic from World War II. So me being the baby of seven feral kids went to University of Texas, where I got a history degree in Southwest Texas for a biology degree. I didn’t coached football on boys track in junior high for a couple years at Clear Lake south Of Houston the home of Nasa. Fact, I had a couple of kids that I coached whose dads were astronauts. Then I went to high school to Coach Football on the agreement that I would learn soccer as my second sport. We had a great coach there of German descent named Doug Elder who played in the original American soccer league in the early 80s when Pelle played for New York. I’m a defense coordinator in football so I love angles and support which is all Soccer is.. I continue to coach soccer as a second sport at six of the different high schools. I worked at in East Houston. I was the head coach in four of them and coach of the year once. Soccer is a great sport. I still like watching it on TV. You understand the fanaticism being in London. I’m in Everton fan in EPL just because Tim Howard the goalkeeper from America used to play Keep there.. but I prefer National soccer competitions because of fervor that it causes. Good messaging with you. I am in the process of publishing my first newsletter in about two hours Called.” Fire the Coach “ where I evaluate coaches and sports primarily American football, but I will extend it after football season to basketball soccer and even a little baseball.
Coachbear
You've had quite a career, Coachbear. I've been here 23 years and still haven't developed much enthusiasm for European football. In a 90-minute game, there might be three minutes of excitement, whereas in a good NBA game, one sees a breathtaking feat of athleticism every 45 seconds. My maternal grandparents were refugees from Odessa. There are few things I hate more than the whole winning-is-the-only ethos. Am watching Netflix's Dallas Cowboys series now and find Jimmy Johnson insufferble.
Awesome I grew up a cowboy fan, but when Jerry Jones fired Jimmy Johnson, I quickly lost interest in them. And at that time, I was coaching big-time high school football here in Texas, which meant seven days a week, but not much of a break. So trying to get home and spend family time there is no time for football. Actually when you’re coaching that much kind of get tired of it you don’t care to spend any free time watching it. I would go outside work in my garden to be with my chickens, and try to get my kids outside with them too. I need Renew my Netflix for about a month because there’s a few series that I wanna watch. Seems like after a month I’ve seen everything I want to and that’s the advantage of grown-up poor – – I’m very cheap. So I know how to work systems.
You don’t understand how important music was to be growing up. Even though I’ve never played an instrument I have so many songs memorized from the late 60s 70s and 80s. And I’m kind of a Peter Pan never growing up because I’ve coached high school boys from the early eighties to 2023 so I’ve always kind of kept up with their music. To me the best music was 70s and early 80s. My first concert was the Doobie Brothers in Waco, at Baylor. Then I went to the first Texas jam, which was unbelievable awesome the headliners being Frank Moreno, mahogany rush, Aerosmith, heart. The opening act were journey, Eddie Money Van Halen. I’ve got great stories from that event. Then I went to the second text jam, which is great but by that time I become a big Van Halen fan. I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to see him. In 83 at the Cotton Bowl I saw the stones And they were great. The fabulous Thunderbirds opened for them and ZZ Top played in between. It was January at the Cotton Bowl, which meant cool weather was awesome For an outdoor concert. I probably saw Van Halen nine times and got my first- degree in history from university of Texas. Lots of groups would come to Austin to the drum play, Fleetwood Mac , Eagles, The police, The go-go,. I saw the B-52’s at the Austin city Coliseum. They were great. One of the concerts was in 1983 at the San Antonio municipal auditorium downtown, The Clash, I was On the front row by all the slam dancers. Really love your writing – – I like your style. It’s very personable. I try to do the same with my writing. I like to be a storyteller. Once my world slows down, I’m gonna go back through and read some of your previous writings.
Coachbear
Interesting piece John, I covered most bands back in the daze, but never had the chance to see Janis… the Chelsea was a great place to search out those in the scene, but never even caught a glimpse of her,cool!