August '10 Entertainment—Little Anthony's This and That Column

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Tiger Is Not Out Of The Woods—Yet
F
or the last week or so, I’ve been dreaming about golf great Tiger Woods. The repetitive dreams were positive overall but when I woke up, I kept thinking, why am I dreaming about Tiger Woods. I don’t know the man but I do feel empathy for him and his family. We all know that I am not a sociologist or a psychologist but I am human. So is Tiger no matter what you think of him and his “sexcapades,” he is not out of the woods.

We all go through the ups and downs of life and we all have been corrupted at some point in our life. Tiger is no different and with that in mind, I would like to offer my opinion, for what it is worth. In my dreams I saw emptiness and a man who is basically incomplete. I seem to sense a “soul” that was reaching for something beyond its ability and beyond golf.

I started to think about these dreams during the daytime and I remembered an interview his father gave before his untimely death. Earl, his father, said that Tiger, in his eyes, was destined to accomplish something no other golfer had managed to do. I began to think further about what Earl was saying.

Earl believed that Tiger was given an extraordinary talent for playing golf. He was put on this earth to use his golf talents to accomplish something beyond the links. In other words, golf is not the means but the “means to an end.” Tiger was given this gift and it has to be “God-given” whether you believe in God or not.

Now, I am aware that some of you who read my column will say, there he goes again with all his religious leanings. Say what you will but I say “no.” I probably believe what I am saying by my faith but there is point here. There is a lesson to be learned.

Let me stretch that point and bring in the famed story of Samson. Yes, Samson who fell from grace at the height of his fame. Whether you read the Bible or not, most people know of the story or perhaps, saw the Oscar-winning 1950 movie starring Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr. Samson was born the strongest man in the world and he was able to do feats that by any measure, were remarkable. Samson was a Hebrew and totally feared by the ruling Philistines for all the right reasons.

Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature

The Hebrews were at war and the Philistines were assured of victory but the one roadblock was, you guessed it, Samson. They tried relentlessly to beat him but each time they failed. The Philistines tried everything to topple Samson and nothing worked. They had to get Samson out of the way and if they did, their victory over the Hebrews would be an easy one. Samson’s incredible feats of strength like killing over 1000 Philistines with a jawbone of an ass. The Philistines were beside themselves to figure out how to rid their world of Samson.

As legend and story have it, ironically Samson was not a devout religious man but he knew deep in his soul, his strength was a gift from God. The Philistines finally found his weakness, as we all know—a woman. I think by now, you see the analogy here between Samson and Tiger has credence to it.

Back to the story, one woman in particular, Delilah enters the picture and she convinced Samson to tell her the secret of his remarkable strength. His strength was his long mane of hair and while asleep, after a night with Delilah, she cut off his hair. Without his hair, Samson was reduced to “a normal man.” Samson was arrested, tortured and blinded by the ruling Philistines.

In the story of Samson, it was one woman but with Tiger, it was many women. Did these women rob Tiger of his remarkable talent? Look at his game today and judge for yourself. He has fallen to where even the fans do not watch him tee off and every tournament—ones he dominated for years, he places Top 5 or lower. He fell from the heights of greatness, number one to that of an ordinary good golf pro.

Samson’s hair was his strength and for Tiger, his strength was in his golf swing and its resounding accuracy. Samson redeemed himself by pulling down the pillars killing the leaders of the Philistines. God forgave Samson for his dalliance and Tiger may well have to follow the same path as Samson. Forget the excuse of being “addicted to sex” or the teachings his Mom instilled based in Buddhism—that is PR spin, man.

Tiger has to retrieve his soul and “grow back his hair-raising ability.” Can Tiger do this—you bet he can. Now, some may say that comparing Samson and Tiger is a stretch but like always, this is just my opinion but the more you think about the analogy, the more it rings true in my book.

1st Annual Classic Gold Music Awards 2010—August 27–30th
There is nothing better than being honored by your peers, man. Since our Rock Hall Of Fame induction in 2009, Little Anthony & The Imperials have been presented with some of the most heartfelt and genuine awards. I have to tell you, I thought a couple of years back, that we had been forgotten by the industry. We were considered the “kings of doo wop” and that did not even scratch the surface of LA&TIs. I’m not gonna get on the “doo wop soap box” but these awards in the last year or two validate the R&B origins of the group.

So, we are heading to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida where we will be presented with a “lifetime achievement award”—1st Annual Classic Gold Music Awards 2010. The show is a 4-day event starting on the 27th of August and running through the 30th. Performers like Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Taste Of Honey, Bar-Kays and ConFunkShun to name a few are scheduled.

LA&TIs are just one of the honorees. The late great Issac Hayes, our long-time friends Connie Francis and The Original 5th Dimension and country duo the Bellamy Brothers are also honorees. We’re in a classic (gold) company and you should know that this is not a “garb the money down memory lane music show.” The CGMAs is a not-for-profit operation that is committed to supporting schools that have curtailed or eliminated their music programs due to lack of funds.

I am so honored to get awards like the CGMAs or even the one we received at RockCon last month in New Jersey. Click classicgoldmusic.com for details, ticket information, schedules and above all, an entertaining site in its own right.

Selwyn Miller—Our Manager

About a year ago, we signed on with long-time veteran manager Selwyn Miller and considering our past managers were anything but ethical, Selwyn is a perfect fit for us. I could go on about all the “management mistakes” LA&TIs made over our 50+ career but it is unnecessary. If I blame anyone for our career failures and fights, it is me and not the guys. When your name is the one “upfront,” you have to take responsibility for the good and the bad. Even years or decades later, you take it on the chin if you are honest.

Back to Selwyn—he is such a good counsel and friend. On top of that, he is a fan and in the management biz that doesn’t happen often. They may tell you they are fans but really they are just blowing smoke (you know what I mean?). Selwyn is a veteran honest

manager and his guidance is such a comfort. If you don’t believe me, ask Petula Clark, who he also represents.

In a number of columns, I have mentioned Selwyn but I wanted to thank him for standing by us, especially over the last year. He is in the thick of working out the DVD we shot at the Las Vegas Hilton right now. I don’t know if it would have happened without him.

Thanks for everything Selwyn and like the line in the closing scene of Antonio Banderas’ “Desperado”—“Have I thanked you? Oh, I will.’