In a review of one her poetry collections, Kaye Hartley is described as “a spiritual grandmother of our times.” With her husband, Reverend O. Joe Hartley, they planted and pastored churches for decades all across the fruited plain. I met Kaye one evening when she came to a WritersInTheSpirit meeting accompanied by her faithful and […]
“If you knew how much I made, you’d quit your job and start writing songs.” That’s what British songwriter Geoff Morrow told me when I asked him how much he earned in royalties from “Can’t Smile Without You”—the monster hit song recorded by Barry Manilow and then The Carpenters. Morrow’s songs have been recorded by Manilow, […]
“I don’t give a shit about the Doobie Brothers. You want to see Frank or not?” Marty replied. I was shaking on the other end of the phone—I had dropped The Doobies name and failed to impress Marty Perellis, Frank Zappa’s road manager, with my interview schedule for that week, “Definitely . . . I didn’t […]
