My Date With (the) Davy Jones (Memorial Celebration)!

Originally posted on Atomic Wanderers:
Davy Jones passed away on February 29, 2012. On March 10th of that year, a memorial celebration was held in his adopted hometown. The following is an account of my visit. I have written before of my life-long affinity for The Monkees.  I’ve made no secret of it.  They were…

Remembering Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy died today. I see the words on my screen, but I can’t comprehend them. They seem like a fiction, and a terrible one at that. I feel like a two-bit hack for writing such unbelievable dreck. But it’s not fiction. It’s fact. Leonard Nimoy died today. When he was rushed to the hospital last…

Hammonton’s First Joe Berenato Turns 150!

For as long as I can remember, the question most asked of me, upon furnishing my name, is, “Which Berenato are you?” My family, you see, has been in Hammonton for more than 125 years, and my name — Joe Berenato — is the most common name in town. And, with few exceptions, we’re all……

For Pete’s Sake: Peter Tork, 1942-2019

Peter Tork, bassist, banjoist, and keyboardist extraordinaire for The Monkees, died today. He was 77. On the TV show, Peter was often portrayed as something as a simpleton — certainly silly, at any rate. In real life, though whimsical, Peter was a serious musician, whose chops earned him respect not only in folk, prog rock,……