Down On The Corner
• As we go to press, word comes that Marvin Maxwell of Mom's Music had a heart attack earlier in the week and underwent quintuple bypass surgery. At Jewish Hospital. The coronary was did not seriously damage his heart and he is expected to recover but at this writing was not receiving visitors.
• Losing old friends is very hard but losing new friends might be even more difficult for the lost opportunities and `might-have-beens.' LMN lost just such a new friend when writer Keith Wicker passed away after suffering a heart attack at home. Keith was a very solid writer with a somewhat curmudgeonly outlook on the music scene, courtesy of his years of playing in bluegrass and other kinds of bands. A Paducah native, he moved to Louisville in the summer of 2001 when his wife Jeannette was hired as the Principal of the Kentucky School for the Blind. He promptly began roaming Frankfort Avenue pubs and clubs, including the open stage at the Lighthouse, where I first met him. Before long, he had befriended a number of players and began introducing them to his songs. He also volunteered to write for LMN and promptly submitted an article about Frankfort Avenue's clubs. His last article, about the guitar player Guthrie Trapp, appeared in the March issue. His abrupt passing was a considerable shock to the various players who knew him. Most were were unaware of his `bad heart,' as he casually referred to it.
We'll all miss him.
• Looking for more outlets for that CD you just finished? Galaxy CDs in Cincinnati is interested in getting consignments from Louisville artists for their store. Contact Ryan Shoemaker at Galaxy CDs, 1238 Main St., Hamilton, OH 45013 or call 513-892-8888. You can also logon to www.galaxydiscs.com and see what they are all about.
• Not every band in Louisville is locked into local record stores and the Web. Ear X-tacy act Cooler has picked up international distribution for their new CD, Oh Happy Day, through Revolver U.S.A., making the CD available in retail outlets throughtout the United Kingdom and a dozen European countries. Now all they have to do is go over there and tour and they'll be st____rs.
• The Songwriter's Monthly, published by Allen Foster in Feasterville, PA, has ceased publication. It's a tough business.
• If you are interested in doing a musical, the CenterStage Theatre at Jewish Community Center is holding auditions on May 19 for Marsha Norman's The Secret Garden; Cabaret and Brighton Beach Memoirs. Children ages 9-15 will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and adults (16+) will be from 2 - 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 3600 Dutchman's Lane. You'll need a headshot, resume, a one-minute mnonlogue and be prepared to sing sixteen bars of music, for which an accompanist will be provided. For more information, call John R. Leffert, Artistic Director, at 502-891-0180 or Marsha Bornstein at 459-0660, ext. 153.
• Just a reminder: the Musicians' Wellness Workshops are scheduled for May 24, 25 and 26. The workshops feature Dr. Louise Montello discussing performance stress and stage fright, with techniques for dealing with it. For more info, call 212-473-8753.
• For those of you interested in music conferences, the Atlantis Music Conference is set for July 21-August 3. For information, logon to www.atlantismusic.net.
• Self-described "nice guy" Spiro Ballas, Coordinator with the Center For Hospice Care in Millburn, NJ, is looking for alternative holiday songs for a project to raise money for Hospice. For more info, call 973-322-0166.
The Thoroughbred Chorus will be having a guest night June 10, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. If you like four-part a capella singing, then this is for you. The Thoroughbred Chorus has been the International Champion Barbershop chorus some seven times, but they are looking to add to the membership. Doors will open at 7 p.m., with a performance by the chorus starting at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served following the performance. The Thoroughbred Chorus building is at 10609 Watterson Trail, Jeffersontown, Ky. For additional information call Troy Lovett at 502-458-6963 or 502-426-8957.
Codas
• Virginia Harrison Haselden,. 87, died April 13 in Louisville. She was a a member of AFM Local 11-637 and a pianist for the Galt House, Big Springs Country Club and Kentucky Dam Village.
• Keith Wicker, 50, died on March 27 in Louisville of a heart attack. Wicker was a singer/songwriter and a writer for Louisville Music News.