February 2nd, 2008
Some of you made sure to tell us we were missing the point when we called out Rolling Stone for dissing Rockford in its feature story on how the U.S. fights terrorism. One reader said, “I’m new to this area and hope the people of Rockford are smarter than those representing you at the RRStar.”
Gee, thanks. We didn’t take issue with the theme of the article. Nor will we. Rockford got a bad rap. And we didn’t like it. So, we told you. One reader challenged us to find images that proved Rockford is a great place to live. So, we did. Here’s a photo gallery which we hope reminds you all what’s great about this city.
And if you’re going to whine about how awful it is to be here, either help make your community better or find a new place to live and complain about.
January 30th, 2008
my co-workers today alerted me to a rolling stone article about terrorism. sounds innocuous, right?
except it’s about wannabe mall bomber derrick shareef. and to people who make the rock river valley home, it’s a big ol’ slam on rockford.
reminds me of 2002, when singer aretha franklin dissed the coronado. she canceled a nearly sellout show because of personal reasons but added that the theater was a “dump” in a secondary city, according to her booking agent.
this caused an uproar: a dj pulled her songs off the air, for example. she insisted, through a letter from her attorney to mayor doug scott that she said no such thing. (i’ll post the rrs response to the insult in another post, see below.)
back to the rolling stone article: what does it say about rockford?
– “a Midwestern city of 150,000, with a minuscule Muslim population and the lone claim to fame of being the hometown of Cheap Trick.”
– “Finding a meaningful target to blow up in Rockford isn’t easy. A hardscrabble town in the middle of America, the place is not much more than an intersection of interstates and railway lines.”
– “CherryVale Mall, a sad-sack collection of clothing stores and sneaker shops on the outskirts of Rockford.”
– “But in backwaters like Rockford, the JTTFs don’t have much to do. ”
makes me wonder if writer guy lawson ever came to rockford (hmmm, can’t click on his byline to write to him!).
if you want to tell rolling stone what you think of this characterization, write wennermedia@gmail.com (i found the email on this page) … or i supposed you could write:
RollingStone.com
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104-0298
(Our Local & State staff is looking for feedback, too.)
January 30th, 2008
…. in the post about rolling stone. will pfeifer and i were in features when we did this story may 25, 2002. sorry it’s not online anymore:
Aretha, you better think
Rockford socks it back to singer for ditching concert
You canceled your Coronado show.
You supposedly called our renovated theater a “dump.”
And we’re just supposed to sit here and take it?
Not quite, Miss Franklin. You’ve had your say. Now it’s our turn.
Frankly, Aretha - may we call you Aretha? - you might want to reconsider. Sure, you’re in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you’ve recorded classic songs and albums, and you’re considered the Queen of Soul.
But those honors were earned decades ago. Since then, you’ve had few hits and lived up to the title “diva.” That’s not a compliment, by the way.
These days, you’re mostly known as a fixture on VH1, the unofficial network of musical has-beens. Maybe Rockford isn’t beneath you after all.
All we’re asking, Aretha, is for a little respect.
- Life&Style
The `real’ reasons Aretha didn’t come to town
Aretha Franklin’s reps and local concert promoters offer conflicting opinions for why the so-called “Queen of Soul” canceled her June 13 concert at the Coronado. But we’ve uncovered the real reasons behind the move:
- The hefty diva didn’t know about our many fine all-you-can-eat buffets.
- She heard rumors that Mariah Carey was going to show up and try to outsing her.
- The Forest City just isn’t natural enough for this natural woman.
- She’s still cowering in shame over her appearance in the “Blues Brothers 2000″ movie.
- She was intimidated by reports of a “Forest City Queen.”
- Like many, she was disappointed by Rockford’s lack of a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.
- She didn’t feel she could compete with Rockford’s own beloved diva, Dorothy Paige-Turner.
- She took bad advice from a chain chain chain, chain of fools.
- The June 13 concert was too close to the Rock Never Stops show at the fairgrounds, and Aretha is too big a fan of Skid Row to compete with the band.
- She knew she couldn’t top Carrot Top’s groundbreaking Coronado performance.
Fodder for radio
” A few days ago, I was watching a VH1 program on what it takes to be a diva. Everything has to be just perfect. Some of them even have specific demands about food and drink and who gets to do their hair. These high-handed ways the show alluded to, Franklin has them. It doesn’t surprise me that she acted this way. But it does surprise me that she did it to us. This would have been a good opportunity for her to experience the magnificent beauty of the Coronado. For her to turn down one of the most amazing venues in the country is disappointing. I’m seriously considering taking all her music off the station. ” - Chuck Diamond, program director and weekday afternoon/evening host of WNTA (1330 AM), which broadcasts talk radio during the day and R&B oldies at nights and on weekends
We’re worthy: Coronado’s famous
Her highness, Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, may not think the Coronado Theatre worthy of an appearance.
But many other members of show-biz have ruled the “wonder theater” from its 1927 opening through its 2001 grand reopening after an $18.5 million renovation.
Here are some examples:
- Bob Hope, in the madcap musical “Roberta,” 1927
- The Marx Brothers, comedians, 1928
- John F. Kennedy, presidential candidate, 1960
- Liberace, classical pianist, 1963
- Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, 1993
- Bob Dylan, folk singer, 1995
- Prince, funk musician, 1997
- B.B. King, blues, 2001
- Harry Connick Jr., big band, 1990 and 2001
- David Copperfield, magician, 1986, 2001 and 2002
Noteworthy celebrities have performed at Coronado
Acts that played the Coronado Theatre before the renovation:
- Gypsy Rose Lee, stripper, 1941
- Maria Tallchief, prima ballerina, 1954
- Sammy Davis Jr., singer/dancer/actor, 1957
- Louis Armstrong, horn player and big band leader, 1964
- Phyllis Diller, outrageous comedian, on a double bill with the Osmond Brothers, wholesome family singers, 1966
- Van Cliburn, classical pianist, 1967
- Milton Berle, comedian, 1967
- Bennie Goodman, swing/jazz clarinetist, with Rockford Symphony Orchestra, 1976
- Vincent Price, actor, 1977
- Eddie Bracken, actor, headlining a tour of “Sugar Babies,” a burlesque musical, 1982
- Mitzi Gaynor, singer/actress, 1985 and 1989
- Leontyne Price, opera singer, 1985
- Bruce Hornsby and the Range, pop music, 1987
- Roseanne and Louie Anderson, comedians, 1987
- Victor Borge, pianist/comedian, 1987
- Jay Leno, comedian who become host of late-night television’s “Tonight Show,” 1989
- Bad Company, rock, 1989
- Three Dog Night, rock, 1989
- Dennis Miller and Louie Anderson, comedians, 1989
- Kenny Loggins, pop singer, 1990
- George Winston, new-age pianist, 1990
- Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, 1994
- Raffi, children’s performer, 1995
- Bernie Mac, comedian, 1995
- Tori Amos, pop pianist/singer, 1996
After the 18 month, $18.5 million renovation:
- Bill Cosby, comedian, 2001
- Chicago, classic rock, 2001
- Carrot Top, comedian, 2001
- Buddy Guy, blues, 2001
- The Monkees, `60s pop music, 2001
- Jethro Tull, art rock, 2001
- Doc Severinsen, trumpeter, with Rockford Symphony Orchestra, 2001
- Itzhak Perlman, classical violinist, 2001
- Hall & Oates, pop music, 2002
A partial list of those who have played the Coronado before and after the renovation:
- Cheap Trick, hometown rockers, 1994 and three times in 2001
- George Carlin, comedian, 1987, 1990 and 2001
- Steven Wright, comedian, 1988 and 2002
- Anne Murray, adult contemporary singer, 1989 and 2002
- John Prine, folk singer/songwriter, in a double bill with Arlo Guthrie in 1987 and solo in 2002
- Peter Szatmary, Life&Style
Readers react
The Rockford Register Star looked for reader reaction to the concert cancellation at rrstar.com. Here is a sampling of what people had to say:
“It’s a sad thing that this had to happen. A lot of people were really looking forward to that show. I first of all would like to say that the renovation of the Coronado was a wonderful thing, and I’d like to think of this as her loss, not ours.
I personally believe the reason why she canceled was because it does not meet her “high standards.” I don’t want to bash Ms. Aretha Franklin, but it really makes her look bad. Many people in Rockford have supported her music for years, and in return, our effort to rebuild Rockford was referred to as a `dump.’ We should just think of it as only one of many great opportunities that will come along for Rockford.”
- Melinda Mayberry, Rockford
“Because Aretha has no R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Rockford and the beautiful Coronado Theatre, she owes this community an apology and a FREE concert!”
- Jim Jennings, Caledonia
” I was debating how to handle this before I went on the air on Friday. And `Think,’ a Franklin tune, came up on my song list. So I decided to play it and see what would happen. Not 10 seconds into it, our phone board lit up. People were angry. Everybody knows we’re being lied to. Our listeners don’t like the wool being pulled over their eyes. The Coronado is a great facility. She probably got a better-paying gig and ditched us. We are doing a Memorial Day weekend special on Motown, and at our listeners’ suggestions, we’re boycotting her. We may start a petition to show her how wrong she was. ” - Steve Brill, director of oldies WKMQ (96.7 FM) and co-host of its weekday morning show called “Steve and DeDe Married in the Morning”
Praise for the Coronado:
Headliners have raved about the $18.5 million renovated Coronado Theatre. Here’s what some leading lights said about the 1927 venue:
- Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist for hometown rockers Cheap Trick, was impressed at how the restoration honored the architecture’s integrity but incorporated modernization, too. “It should be good for another 100 years,” he said around the grand reopening. Cheap Trick played the upgraded Coronado on March 9, Dec. 29 and Dec. 30, 2001.
- Prop comic Carrot Top liked the decorative plasterwork so much that he quipped: “Look, it’s the Muppets.”
- Comedian Bill Cosby was so dazzled by the glitzy mishmash of colorful interiors that he joked during his Feb. 4, 2001, gig: “Am I in a Chinese restaurant?”
