ALWAYS AND FOREVER BOOGIE NIGHTS

Another "Gone but not forgotten" to add to my list of long lost dreams and things that were: Johnnie Wilder Jr., (pictured in the middle with his band) the lead singer of Heatwave died Saturday, was 56. His daughter just released the news to the public today. If you don't remember "Boogie Nights" and the ballad "Always and Forever", then this means nothing to you. Johnnie sang lead, and, if I had a dollar for every time I roller-skated "couples only" to "Always and Forever", I'd have a nice little nest egg always and forever.
Wilder founded Heatwave, which was nominated twice for Grammys. I thought for a moment, "...hey, this was the first inter-racial group I ever listened to...", but after much more thought, it was the third, but what a sound they had. The first inter-racial group I remember hearing was The Del Vikings, they had a hit with "Come Go With Me", I must have played it a million times after school every day. The second inter-racial group I ever heard, and probably heard the most, was K.C & The Sunshine Band. I'm sure there is no use in explaining who they are and what they recorded.
Oh, and the last actor to play Clarabel The Clown on The Howdy Doody Show died Sunday at the age of 84. His name was Lew Anderson, he played the part from the mid-fifties right up to the last show in 1960. Anderson was the only one to play the part of the mute clown and actually speak, but only one time, on the last show, with trembling lips he said "goodbye kids."