#2: Midnight Jerry Leiber/Part 1

 

THE IRVING BERLIN OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

We worked on a book in which he would tell off the world, to be called Kiss My Big Black Ass. It remained unfinished. But Jerry Leiber blew my mind. And he was one bitch of a chef.

Mike, to the left of Elvis, Jerry, to the right.

Leiber & Stoller were the architects

Jerry Leiber’s house facing the Pacific Ocean—where our conversations heated up after midnight

#1: Almost George

BUT ALMOST DOESN’T COUNT

When Josh auditioned for Beatlemania in 1977, he was just one hopeful in the callbacks for George. Thousands of Beatle manqués descended from the hinterlands to audition for the Broadway show. There were only four parts, but no shortage of broken dreams.

 

Beatlemania Playbill

Josh, at the time auditions took place

Tales of… Season Two Trailer

Josh’s dead heroes. Interviews, memories and short stories. First up, A 20-year-old Josh auditions for Beatlemania in 1977. Coming September 20.

#17: Josh in Times Square

So long, Sucker

Old Times Square was at the brink of extinction and my job was done. The finale of this series.

Times Square on the brink

With Uncle Lou, of Episode 10

With Annie Sprinkle and Ratso at the Melody Burlesk

42nd Street correspondent

Getting ready for redevelopment

#16: Old Flesh Agents

OLD FLESH AGENTS

Irv Charnoff and Jess Mack were the last remaining vaudeville/burlesque booking agents in 1984. They mourned the decline of wholesome American show-biz, as it devolved into pornography.

 

Jess Mack’s quarterly magazine

Very few top-banana burlesque comics—represented by agents like Jess Mack and Irv Charnoff—transitioned into movies or TV. And so their legends faded into the ether

Billy “Cheese and Crackers” Hagan. A spritz of seltzer down the pants garnered big laughs

Chesty Morgan was booked by both Jess Mack and Irv Chranoff, when they reluctantly took on X-rated strippers