Sunday Reads

 Obituary:  Noted drummer for Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond Ronnie Tutt, 83, has died.  He was with Elvis when Presley returned to live performances in 1969, and he would remain with him until his death in 1977:

After the TCB Band disbanded upon Elvis' death, at the age of 42 from a heart attack, Ronnie was invited by Neil Diamond to become his permanent concert and recording session drummer.

Rolling Stone:

Tutt also notably toured with Neil Diamond and played drums on a pair of Billy Joel albums — 1973’s The Piano Man and 1974’s Streetlife Serenade — appearing on the hits “Piano Man,” “The Ballad of Billy the Kid” and “The Entertainer.” Other credits include playing on the lone Buckingham Nicks album in 1973, Gram Parsons’ GP and Grievous Angel, Elvis Costello’s King of America and Johnny Cash’s John R Cash.

In Rolling Stone’s 2017 interview, Tutt reflected on a career that spanned over 60 years. “I just remember the good things, that’s for sure. You got to,” he said. “I just remember laughing a lot and having a good time musically, so I have nothing but good memories.”

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What really needs to be asked of Pete Buttigieg is whether he and his husband actually hired a woman to have those twins he is parading around in public.

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Another COVID denialist has bit the dust from the disease.

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Another obituary:   Actress Betty Lynn, known for her character "Thelma Lou" on The Andy Griffith Show, has died at the age of 95.

Snip:

The actress was born in Kansas City, Missouri August 29, 1926, and began singing at the age of five with the Kansas City Conservatory of Music, according to THR.

She was a singer for the USO after she turned 18, where she performed internationally for the troops. 

Prior to her run on The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn had also appeared on Broadway and in a number of motion pictures. Among them include 1948's June Bride and Sitting Pretty; the 1950 film Cheaper by the Dozen and 1956's Meet Me In Las Vegas.

In addition to her work on The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn had also appeared on TV shows including Family Affair, The Magical World of Disney, My Three Sons and Mod Squad.

She retired and relocated to Mount Airy, North Carolina in 2006.

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