Saturday, July 18, 2009

You say it's your birthday. Well it's my birthday too, yeah.

So yes, 'tis my birthday. And yes, I listen to "Birthday" by The Beatles (White Album ;)) every year. I am also obsessed by people who share my birthday. Truth. So here are some of the many.
Joe Torre. (July 18, 1940) Longtime manager of The Yankees and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. I love him. One of the most winning managers in baseball history. Like 5th or something. Made his major league debut on Sept 25.
Torii Hunter (July 18, 1975) Center fielder currently for the Angels, longtime center-fielder for the Minnesota Twins. Has like 8 Gold Gloves. And is one of my "fave!" baseball players. He's also HILARIOUS!! !
Hunter S. Thompson (July 18, 1937 - February 20, 2005) He wrote that book you may have heard a little something about, "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas". You know the one. He got all into the drugs and rebellion and politics and all that. He became friends with Johnny Depp (who is very hot) later in life as Depp lived in his house with him in Colorado to prepare for the role in the "Fear And Loathing..." movie. Hunter S. Thompson shot himself in the head in '05 and his ashes were shot out of a cannon in a ceremony funded by Depp. They played some Bob Dylan song and "Spirit in the Sky" (I hate that song).
Dion DiMucci (July 18, 1939) Of Dion and the Belmonts fame. They were on tour with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. On the night of February 2, 1959 Dion decided he didn't have enough money for the $36 plane ticket so he and the Belmonts lived while the others died in a firey plane crash. Feb. 3 - "The Day The Music Died." Dion eventually got all wrapped up in a heroin addiction and decided to ride the fame train solo. Anyway, he was one of only 2 pop stars to be featured on The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album cover. The other was Bob Dylan. He did, later on get heavily into the religion. He probably still is for all I know. Did I mention that I LOVE Dion?!
Screamin' Jay Hawkins (July 18, 1929 - February 12, 2000) Screamin' Jay was a performer of wild and weird theatrics, going so far as to come out of a coffin in a leopard print suit, 'cause someone dared him to, oh and paid him like $300. It is said that he was so blindingly drunk when he recorded "I Put A Spell On You" that he had to relearn the song to record it again to get rid of the "grunting". That's awesome. He died in Paris of an aneurysm. He is thought by some to be the first Shock Rocker.
Jared Hess (July 18, 1979) Director and writer of such classic films as Nacho Libre and Napoleon Dynamite. Devout Mormon.
Nelson Mandela (July 18, 1918) While leading an activist group against the apartheid in South Africa, he was jailed for 27 years. He is absolutely amazing receiving hundreds of awards and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He became South Africa's first black president and oldest president. He retired in 1999. He is an amazing person. Look into him for yourself, there is WAY too much to even try to paraphrase up in here.

Martha Reeves (July 18, 1941) She is Martha from Martha and the Vandellas. Early on in her career, before she had a career, she stumbled upon a job in which she set up an audition for a struggling group that later called themselves The Temptations. She eventually got involved religion and politics.
John Glenn (July 18, 1921) First American to orbit the Earth. That's the coolest title EVER! Dude, no one can top that. He fought in the Korean war alongside future Hall of Famer Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox (well, he was at one time. He's dead and frozen now, Ted Williams is). Then in '98, at 77 years old, he became the oldest astronaut to go into space. Fifth person ever to go into space, first American to orbit Earth and then oldest?! He also got into religion and politics. (I'm seeing a weird trend here....)
There's a lot of weird coincidences that I see. I may stay away from the drugs, religion and politics, if Hunter S. Thompson teaches us anything... But this I know. I do share my birthday with a cool bunch of people. Crazy. Sexy. Cool. Here's the Beatles. =)

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