Dead Russian Composers and Kevin Bacon

From Johnny B:

If I were a Dead Russian Composer, I would be Dmitri Shostakovich! I am a shy, nervous, unassuming, fidgety, and stuttery little person who began composing the same year I started music lessons of any sort. I wrote the first of my fifteen symphonies at age 18, and my second opera, "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District," when I was only 26. Unfortunately, Stalin hated the opera, and put me on the Enemy Of The People List for life. I nevertheless kept composing the works I wanted to write in private; some of my vocal cycles and 15 string quartets mock the Soviet System in notes. And I somehow was NOT killed in the process! And Harry Potter(c) stole my glasses and broke them! Who would you be? Dead Russian Composer Personality Test

I was sort of pulling for Sergei Prokofiev, who died two days before I was born.
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Meanwhile, I was trying to ascertain how I would get to do Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon after reading Lefty's note about his wife, and I realized that my friend Sara Lee in the music business would be a link to a number of people, from Robbie Robertson to Tom Petty.
So, Kevin Bacon was in A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson
Nicholson worked with Cher in The Witches of Eastwick
Cher worked with my friend Sara Lee on a tour
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Sort of speaking of which, on this PBS website, you can play Six Degrees of American Masters. For instance, getting from Hank Williams to Tennessee Williams:

Hank Williams is connected to Willie Nelson because Willie Nelson appeared in the 1992 story of Hank Williams, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive.

Willie Nelson is connected to Joni Mitchell because Willie Nelson covered Joni Mitchell's song, Both Sides Now.

Joni Mitchell is connected to Quincy Jones because Joni Mitchell performed on Quincy Jones' 1986 book/recording, Children First.

Quincy Jones is connected to Truman Capote because Quincy Jones composed the music for the film of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (1967).

Truman Capote is connected to Gore Vidal because Gore Vidal and Truman Capote were literary rivals.

Gore Vidal is connected to Tennessee Williams because Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal were friends.

Some are more tenuous than that, especially when events (World War II) are included, but it's a bit of fun.
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Blog link add: The sister of a good friend of mine, Annika Pfluger, recently started her own business making artisan chocolates. Check out her site, and you'll see that she makes all of her chocolates by hand including the hand painting. Her ingredients are fair trade/organic/local where possible.
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