The Smoke of the Guns
Birthdays today are in a few fields
With some having provided quite a yield
Including Peggy Lee ... who lit some fires
With her singing performances, but now in retire
And James Arness ... who, as Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke
Nursed that role through almost twenty years of rope ...
After having done not quite thirty supporting roles ...
At the rate of about three a year till Gunsmoke took hold
And then there are the younger folk too ...
Stevie Nicks - who brought Fleetwood Mac its dues
And Pam Grier and Philip Michael Thomas
Who, in Miami Vice - showed a little promise ...
Helena Bonham Carter is also a year older today
Having not only done that show but other roles that paid
including Hamlet and the week queen Lady Jane (Grey)
and of course, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein play ...
And Bobcat Goldthwait ... who set alight ...
The chairs on Jay Leno's set on Tonight ...
And Brent Musburger, sportscaster ...
Who managed to avert a disaster ...
And Levon Helm of The Band ...
The day after Dylan's - grand!!!
and Teresa Stratus - opera singer
and Country's Hank Williams, Junior
As well as Dave Robbins and Phillip Rhodes ...
Two more who have a gift for musical notes
And Joey Kibble of the group Take Six
And another singer too - Lenny Kravitz
Then there are actresses Genie Francis and Margaret Colin
And former astronaut Sally K. Ride will also be blowin'
... Out the candles on this larger cake they all share
Making their wishes, as we all watch and prepare ...
To help them blow out the candles in our minds
To honor their special place in our remembered times
For each and every one of the folks listed here ...
Has created many wonderful moments of cheer ...
- Tristram
© Christopher W. Thomas
10:30pm Wed. May 26th, 1999
Birthdays:
Peggy Lee's 79th
James Arness's 76th
Brent Musberger's 60th
Teresa Stratas' 60th
Levon Helm's 57th
Stevie Nicks' 51st
Pam Grier's 50th
Philip Michael Thomas' 50th
Hank Williams Jr.'s 50th
Sally K. Ride's 48th
Margaret Colin's 42nd
Dave Robbins' 40th
Genie Francis' 37th
Bobcat Goldthwaite's 37th
Lenny Kravitz's 35th
Phillip Rhodes' 31st
Joey Kibble's 28th