Divamensch

I cannot get enough of this song. If I had to choose only one Madonna song to be left in the world, without a doubt it would be this one....

One of the big winners at the 1986 Grammys was "That's What Friends Are For." Here's my pairing: Diva: Elton John, Gladys Knight, Stevie...

I saw Heartbeat Opera's production of *Salome* on February 14, 2025. Yes, it's what I call counter-programming for Valentine's Day:...

I finally watched season 2 of Squid Game this weekend. I preceded it with a re-viewing of season 1, of course. Such an amazing show. The...

The soprano Edith Mathis died the other day at the age of 86. She had a remarkable career, singing in Vienna, Glyndebourne, Berlin,...

"We Are the World" was the runaway at the 1985 Grammys. Did you see the Netflix documentary about the making of the album? It was pretty...

Paul Plishka died the other day at the age of 83. He was a bass who sang 88 roles at the Met in over 1,500 performances. I don't think I...

Once again YouTube hit it out of the park with a recommendation. I wish I could see the full interview but this two and a half minute...

Before I get to the diva/mensch pair for 1984 I have to mention a set of presenters at that year's Grammys. The Grammy for Best New...

You know how sometimes YouTube makes recommendations to you, and they hit the nail right on the head...?

y brother Howard just told me about the death of one of our shared divas, the amazing Marianne Faithfull. She so easily might not have...

The 1983 Grammy Awards were dominated by Michael Jackson and Thriller. I feel like Mr. Jackson and the album have gotten enough press so...

I was writing my friend Tammy about my Joe Walsh discovery a few years ago and decided to look him up on Wikipedia. Turns out his first...

I was thrilled to see my chosen jazz diva, Sarah Vaughan, on the list of 1982 Grammy winners. She won Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female...

I’d never heard of country singer Melba Montgomery (died at 86) but was intrigued by her NY Times obituary. I looked for a duet with...

Did you know I'm moving? I'm moving from way uptown in Manhattan (near 200th Street) to not quite so far uptown in Manhattan (175th...

My brother Howard just alerted me to the death of David Lynch, age 78. Were both big fans from way back in the 80s. My favorite Lynch...

Do you love Manhattan Transfer as much as I do? They were central to two awards at the 1981 Grammys. Diva: Best Jazz Vocal Performance,...

This is one of my favorite pieces of music - - Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations, settings of poems by Arthur Rimbaud. It's an early...

I think the first complete recording of Berg's Lulu was an automatic choice for Best Opera Recording in 1980. It also got Best Classical...