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Let's do the scarecrow first. It's a brooch. It's French. It's
18 karat gold. It's enameled in multi-colors. It's gorgeous. It's worth around $800.00. And if you want to know more about scarecrows ... go to Tidbits Archives and find article #380 quaintly entitled "The Scarecrow" ... and you will learn more than you ever thought you wanted to know about this little fellow.That said ... let us speak of The Legend ... the owner of the above mentioned golden scarecrow. Is she a she or is he a he ... that is the question. Don't want to give it all away just yet. So we will call this person Legend ... a rather quaint and apt moniker ... dontcha think? Shall we proceed? Shall we play "Who is this person?" You can send me your guesses ... I'll give you the usual yup or nope ... and I'll post the answer next week.
Legend was born in Virginia ... the year was 1917. Alas ... Legend was orphaned while still quite young and moved to New York and was raised by an aunt.
The year is 1934. Someone dares Legend to enter an amateur talent contest at the Apollo theater. Legend is going to do a dance. But when Legend gets on stage ... disaster hits ... and Legend is frozen in place. The skies could fall ... the earth could split ... the very devil himself could reach up and grab Legend's ankle ... no way was that dance going to be performed. But the M.C. insists. Do something. Anything. And so Legend opens a mouth wide and begins to sing Connee Boswell's song: The Object Of My Affection.
Legend is a hit. Legend carries the day at the Apollo. Legend wins first prize. And the legend of Legend begins. Legend soon comes to the attention of swing bandleader Chick Webb who ... after some reluctance hires Legend. During the first performance ... Legend wins over the audience. Three years pass by and Legend suddenly gives Chick Webb his first hit ... born of a nursery rhyme created to cheer the bandleader up during his stay in a hospital. The song: "A Tisket, A Tasket." When Chick dies ... Legend becomes leader of the band.
And so it continues. Legend records the Songbook Albums ... each album devoted to a major American songwriter the likes of which include Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, and Ira Gershwin who at one point said he truly didn't know how good his songs were till he heard Legend sing them.
By now ... Legend is a legend and is considered one of the most talented artists of the 20th century. Legend's awards are too numerous to mention ... except for the Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award which was subsequently named --as an honor--after Legend. Legend died in 1996 at 78 years of age ... and there is no one out there who breathes our carbon based atmosphere who has not heard of this singer. As to the golden scarecrow ... a part of Legend's jewelry collection ... it is a definite worth-a-look to see. Who woulda thunk it. From a scarecrow to some jewelry to a Legend. Life is marvelous ... is it not? Anyone out there care to take a guess as to Legend's identity?
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at
And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
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