J.Lo’s Dream Comes True And dream she did – at age 5. Encouraged by her Puerto Rican parents who filled their Bronx home with music, singing, and dancing – and the original “West Side Story” Broadway hit — Jennifer Lynn

“J.Lo” Lopez, now 52, knew she wanted to be an entertainer. As a child, she took dance lessons at Ballet Hispanico on the Upper West Side of New York City. As a teenager, she learned flamenco, jazz, and ballet at the local Boys and Girls Club.

When Tony Bennett was quoted as saying “it’s a blessing to just being alive,” the 95-yearold legendary crooner was not merely whistling Dixie, he was making a statement that defines his entire existence.

Although his concert-playing days are now in the history books due to Alzheimer’s, Bennett continues to be revered, not only for his contributions to popular American music but also for his love of America, the country he fought for during World War II in the Battle of the Bulge

When I think of Bette Midler, I can’t help but start humming one of her most famous songs,
“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” which was a modern rendition of the Andrews Sisters hit from the 1940s. And, for those of us who grew up exposed to World War II American music, Midler epitomized the sounds and tunes of that era.

Combined with her outrageous comedic talent, she quickly established herself as a major force in the entertainment industry. Her career has resulted in the highest honors that can be bestowed on a star of music, film, and stage, including four Golden Globes, three Grammys, three Emmys, two Tonys, and the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor which she received last year at age 75

One of the most interesting aspects of writing about a Boomer era celebrity each month is the path taken from obscurity to fame. This is what makes the story of Johnny Mathis, now 86 years young, so remarkable.

Not long after his birth in Gilmer, in East Texas, Mathis’ parents, Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd moved him and his six siblings to San Francisco’s Richmond District where he grew up. His father, a singer, and pianist who had worked in vaudeville noticed that his young son had singing talent after watching him perform at church and school functions.

Now that the holiday season is in the rearview mirror, there is always one song that stays in my head for weeks down the road. There is something about Brenda Lee’s iconic tune – ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’– that brings back memories of my long-ago youth.

For those of us born in the early to mid-1940s, our versions of the ‘happy days’ (the fabulous 50s) consisted of listening to radios, many of the transistor and battery variety, and marveling at the very beginning of the Rock ’n Roll era.

No, if you are looking at this month’s cover photo, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, Tom Cruise is, at 59, officially a senior and eligible to be featured in “Senior Reporter.”

And if you are like me, it is hard to imagine that this Hollywood icon who entered superstardom status with his classic role in the blockbuster film “Top Gun” at age 24 is still performing his own stunts in the action-thriller movies.

Barring another Covid-related production delay, the “Top Gun” sequel is scheduled for release sometime next year.