At age 78, Jimmy Webb is still performing, still writing songs, and still telling the stories behind some of the hits that catapulted him to a Grammy award and a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. I had a blast speaking with him for this interview about his friendship and collaborations with Glen CampbellContinue reading “The Wichita Lineman is Still on the Line”
Author Archives: Robert Brum
Sing Sing, the Movie: Hope Behind Bars
What goes on behind those high, ominous walls of Sing Sing, barely four miles from where I live? Life in the maximum security men’s prison is not exactly full of laughs. But a new film about the efforts of a theater group composed of prisoners to stage a comedy does have its lighter moments, amongContinue reading “Sing Sing, the Movie: Hope Behind Bars”
‘158 years is too long to keep it all white’
This Westchester men’s organization had hosted a pair of U.S. presidents, but had never elected a Black man to its top leadership position. That ended, appropriately enough, on Juneteenth. Here’s my article about Tony McFadden’s quest to right a wrong.
‘It’s like being a kid again’
The towns of Bedford and Lewisboro in northern Westchester County, N.Y., have more than 40 miles of unpaved roads. Why aren’t the roads paved? I’m not quite sure, but probably because the well-heeled populace likes the rural charm, or perhaps want to prevent their streets from attracting out-of-towners. Either way, these dirt-and-gravel roads are aContinue reading “‘It’s like being a kid again’”
A new chapter in tiny church’s long history
When this little Presbyterian church’s congregation decided to close its doors, the property’s future was uncertain. Neighbors wondered what was next. A housing development? Here’s the next chapter for this Congers house of worship. https://hudsonvalley.town.news/g/nanuet-ny/n/252515/historic-rockland-county-church-has-new-owner
Frank Lloyd Wright’s last original owner talks about his home in Usonia
Robert Brum For The Journal News On a recent March morning, Roland Reisley looked out from the terrace of his home in the Usonia Historic District and recalled the summer day in 1950 when he and his wife, Ronny, chose the rocky hillside to put down roots. The Reisleys were lured from their tiny ManhattanContinue reading “Frank Lloyd Wright’s last original owner talks about his home in Usonia”
Tour Rockefeller’s greenhouse, now a major cultural arts destination
John D. Rockefeller’s wealth and holdings are almost unimaginable, stretching for hundreds of acres and dozens of homes throughout Westchester. Take, for instance, his former greenhouse where he grew ornamental oranges, which has undergone quite a transformation, thanks to money from the family. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/mount-pleasant/2024/02/21/david-rockefeller-creative-arts-center-mount-pleasant-ny-reimagines-grandfathers-orangerie/72522226007
Think you’ve got a big record collection? Think again
Imagine if you had three million LPs, 45s, 78s, cassettes and CDs representing about 100 million songs. Not to mention more than three million photos, videos, DVDs, books, magazines, sheet music and memorabilia. And then you found out you had to move. Here’s my latest article on the “Noah’s Ark” of record collections … https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2024/02/12/staatsburg-ny-archive-of-contemporary-music-relocating-collection/72353782007
Abercrombie & Fitch founder’s ruined castle’s tragic history
The adventurer and clothier barely lived long enough to enjoy the summer retreat the modeled after a Scottish castle. And he lost a daughter at his nearby factory. Here’s the backstory: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/new-castle/2024/02/08/abercrombie-and-fitch-founders-castle-up-for-sale-in-westchester-ny/72508993007
‘She didn’t kill him. She wasn’t guilty’
So many unanswered questions in the wake of Helen Ray Fowler’s execution at Sing Sing. A curious local historian seeks to answer them in a new play being staged just miles from where she died in the prison’s infamous electric chair. Here’s the backstory plus a preview of the two-act drama …
