Pheaturing Billy Dee Williams

Hey there, welcome to the 315th entry of the Phile... with today's guest the one and only Billy Dee Williams! It's gonna be awhile before I get a bigger celebrity then that. The Phile is a proud sponsor of...I haven't seen the new Shrek movie yet but hope to see it today. DreamWorks is saying that this will be the last Shrek movie — unless it makes money. For the first time ever, scientists have created artificial life. The hope is that it can revolutionize healthcare, generate clean energy, become super-intelligent, take over the world, make us all its slaves, etc. President Obama’s big financial reform bill passed. From now on, bankers will be required to dress like robbers. They put a cap on ATM transaction fees, though a lot of the senators didn’t want to discuss it because they’ve never used an ATM. The Senate has mobile cash machines — they’re called “lobbyists.” There was a huge art theft in Paris. The problem there is that the guards can be distracted by unfiltered cigarettes and stinky cheese. Dell has announced that it is releasing a competitor for the iPad. It’s a great alternative for people that own an iPad but are fed up with it working all the time. Jesse James apologized to Sandra Bullock on “Good Morning America,” and then he apologized again on “Nightline.” He was planning to apologize again on “Wife Swap,” but decided against it. Remember that "Brady Bunch" episode when Jesse James met the kids on a train? Back to the President... President Obama has reached a deal with Congress to replace the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays and lesbians in the military with a “whoever felt it dealt it” policy. A new study has found that use of Viagra can double your chances of hearing loss. What? The FDA may be on the verge of approving Viagra for women. They say the chemicals in it may reduce the incidence of fake headaches before bed. So, Lee Dewyze is the new karaoke champion. I don’t know who he took the crown from, but the important thing is that it’s over. It was Simon Cowell’s last night on “American Idol.” He had a special way of telling us that we suck. Now the only people that we have to yell at us are Judge Judy and Dr. Phil. And one more thing, I heard that Tiger Woods is building a new house in Florida. You can tell it’s Tiger’s house because it has a front, a back, and a side that nobody knows about. I was at a comic book store the other day and I found a Star Wars toy that I never knew existed.

This is something I should ask Billy about... I wonder if he knows there's a cologne named after Lando. Check it out.


And hey, I found another Star Wars motivational poster, kids.



Art Linkletter
July 17, 1912 - May 26, 2010
Art no longer imitates life.

1923
Henry Kissinger is born in Fuerth, Germany. 50 years later, Dr. Kissinger receives the Nobel Peace Prize for quitting the Vietnam War. No kidding.
1942
A couple of Czech assassins ambush the car carrying Reinhard Heydrich and toss a grenade into the front seat. The man who headed the Wannsee Conference is mortally wounded in the attack, and dies of septicemia a week later. The Nazis retaliate by obliterating the Catholic village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia and its inhabitants.
1977
After the pressing plant initially refuses to duplicate the record and the printer refuses to make the covers, Virgin finally releases "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols in time for the monarch's Jubilee celebration.
1991
Cannibal killer Jeffrey Dahmer manages to convince Milwaukee police that the dazed naked boy found staggering on the sidewalk and bleeding from the ass is his drunken lover, instead of a 14-year-old boy struggling to fight the effects of date-rape drugs. The MPD officers chalk it up to a "homosexual lovers spat" and escort them both back to Dahmer's apartment. After the cops leave, Jeffrey strangles the boy, rapes his corpse, and eats some flesh from the carcass of his twelfth victim.
1993
Five are killed and 37 wounded when a Fiat Fiorino explodes outside the Uffizi museum in Florence, Italy. The car bomb (a combination of PETN, T4, and TNT) also manages to obliterate three priceless artworks and substantially damage thirty more. The bombing appears to have been the work of the Sicilian Mafia.
1995
During the third jump of an equestrian event in Charlottesville, Virginia, actor Christopher Reeve is thrown headfirst over his horse. Reeve breaks his neck in two places, instantly rendering him a quadriplegic, unable to move or breathe without assistance.

This is the 9th book in the P.P.B.C. It's available on Amzon.com and in a few weeks the author Kimberly Raiser will be a guest on the Phile. And now... the greatest interviewee ever to grace the Phile.


Today's guest is an American actor, artist, singer, and writer, best known for his role as Lando Calrissian in the original Star Wars trilogy. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Empire Strikes Back, and set to appear at Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios from June 4th through the 6th, please welcome to the Phile, the one and only Billy Dee Williams.


Me: How are you doing, Billy? Welcomne to the Phile. So, do you like to do conventions like MegaCon a lot?

Billy: Yeah, I enjoy it. I like to come out and meet folks who are supporting you throughout the years and it’s something to do.

Me: When was the lat time you you came to Orlando?

Billy: I was in Orlando maybe in '03… or four years ago at Disney.

Me: For Star Wars Weekends, right?

Billy: Yeah, I’ll be going back there in June.

Me: I heard people ask you about Colt 45. Does that annoy you when they ask you things like that?

Billy: No, nothing annoys me anymore… I’m past that stage.

Me: What was your favorite roll you have ever played?

Billy: Well, there’s not one favorite roll. I played a lot of different rolls. Either on stage or on fim. There’s been quite a few.

Me: What has been your least favorite roll, that you were like why am I doing this roll?

Billy: If it’s the least then I have forgotten about it.

Me: I have to ask you about the Harvey Dent roll. So, did they tell you you weren’t going to be Harvey Dent in the Batman Forever film?

Billy: No. They sold it to Sony and everything changed at that point.

Me: I think you would of made a great Two Face if you had a chance.

Billy: I thought it was a good idea. That’s the reason I decided to do a Harvey Dent, so I could play Two-Face eventually. It’s just one of those things. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t work out.

Me: And you did a lot of sitcoms like "Scrubs", that "70’s Show", and when you did shows like "Lost", which is not a sitcom, but do you like doing rolls like that? A lot of different type of rolls?

Billy: You know, with this juncture in my life, I had a long career, and when people ask me to do these sort of cameo type of things it’s fun for me.

Me: I thought it was great how you played yourself on Lost… playing the Cobra.

Billy: Jimmy Kimmel loves "Lost" so he always asks me to come on and do a parody on some of the episiodes and as a result the "Lost" people called me up for me to play myself, Billy Dee Williams playing the killer.

Me: Did you realize that Cobra is also the name of Lando's ship?

Billy: No, I didn't. I don't pay attention to stuff like that. Lando's ship was the Falcon I thought.

Me: And you were also great in "Robot Chicken". You got to do more of those if they ask you.

Billy: Well, Seth Green is my good friend and he always asks me to come play with him. He asks me to come out and pay General Goodface.

Me: You wrote a book called "Twilight", a romance novel. Are you annoyed about the new "Twilight" book that’s called that became more popular?

Billy: I am not annoyed at anything anymore. There’s no reason to be annoyed. You keep what you do and move along.

Me: And you paint and you write and are you gonna write any other books in the future?

Billy: That’s a possibility. I co-authored these books. I don’t exactly sit down and do all the work. I come up with the idea but most of the time when I come up with the ideas I am really looking forward to do a movie or television with something like that with it. Only because we are always being fed the same kind of stuff. In my life and career I always try to be an original person. And not fall into the trap or traps of the business. The kind of stuff that lacks is the kind of stuff where we should be in the social and political… where we should be social and political in the world. I always wanted to come out in my own litte way and tribute with my own little point of view.

Me: One more question, is it true you additioned for the role of Han Solo before the first film came out or is that a rumor?

Billy: No, that’s a rumor. They asked me to play Lando.

Me: Billy, thanks for taking time out to do this interview. Thank you so much.

Billy: My pleasure. You’re welcome, Jason.

There you go. Thanks to Mr. Williams for taking time out to do the interview and a special thanks to Derek Maki from Coolwaters Productions for hooking it up. Derek, you're the best! Thanks also to Wikipedia and of course you the reader. The Phile will be back next week, and next month, with gorgeous singer, songwriter Meaghan Smith. It's the start of the Most Phantastic Summer Ever here on the Phile. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you bye.

Pheaturing Maria De Aragon and Dave Barclay From Star Wars

May the Phile Be With You..

Hello, welcome to special Star Wars entry of Peverett Phile. The Phile is proud sponsor of...

Thanks for stopping by again. I have a really call entry for you this week, with the Phile's first Star Wars related guest. And there's two... not one. But first, what's been going on? NBC canceled “Law & Order” after 20 seasons. It’s too bad, but they had to make room for the new Jay Leno show, “Jaw & Order.” Here in Florida an 87-year-old woman was arrested for selling crack cocaine. She was sentenced to two months in jail — or as she calls it “life.” Robin Hood opened last weekend. Robin Hood is famous for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, which made him a folk hero in 12th century England. Nowadays, we call that sort of thing “communism.” If someone was stealing from the rich and giving to the poor in America, Glenn Beck would go insane — more insane. A fertility clinic is now offering parents the option to select the eye and hair color of their babies. Don’t you miss the days when people would just get pregnant, have their eight babies, and go on “Entertainment Tonight”? A few days ago Justin Bieber was nominated for a BET award. BET stands for Black Entertainment Television. Justin Bieber is none of those things. I don’t know how Justin Bieber was nominated for a BET award. This is what happens when you let Stevie Wonder choose the nominees. In Louisiana, BP claims that it’s making progress with the leaking oil in the Gulf. They’re working on a plan to heat the Gulf up to 600 degrees and use it to fry chicken. Okay, you know I love motivational or inspirational posters, right? Well, they even have Star Wars theme ones which is perfect for today's entry. Check it out.


And as it's Star Wars day here's a never before seen deleted scene from one of the Star Wars movies. Enjoy.



1960
Music DJ Alan Freed, originator of the term "Rock and Roll," is indicted in New York in the Payola scandal. Freed had accepted $30,650 from five record companies to play their records, although to be fair "pay for play" was the accepted practice up to that point.
1971
The bassist and lead singer for the band Chicago undergoes five hours of emergency surgery after getting jumped at a Cubs-Dodgers baseball game. Peter Cetera winds up losing four teeth because some guys decided that his hair was too long.
1987
Conservative British MP Harvey Proctor pleads guilty to committing acts of gross indecency against minors... paying rent boys to spank them in his London flat.
1989
Attempting to clear Tiananmen Square of student activists and quell 100 million others protesting throughout the country, China declares martial law in Beijing. Two weeks later, after they continue to loiter in the Square, thousands of students are massacred by government troops.
1999
The dissolving body parts of eight people are discovered inside six plastic barrels sitting in an abandoned bank vault in Snowtown, Australia.

Ronnie James Dio
July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010
Dio, eh?

Announcing the 9th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club. "Family Bones" by Kimberly Raiser. Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying. Kimberly Raiser will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks, and in the meantime, go ahead and check out the book on Amazon.com.

Okay, and now for...

Today we have not one but two guests on the Phile. The first achieved her greatest enduring cult popularity with her brief, but memorable appearance as would-be alien assassin Greedo in Star Wars. The second worked as one of the puppeteers of Jabba the Hutt and has worked on many other movies including Team America: World Police and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Please welcome to the Phile... Maria De Aragon and Dave Barclay.

Q:

Me: Hello, how are you guys doing? Welcome to the Phile you two, have you been to Orlando before? Is this your first time?

Dave: No, I’ve came out here a number of years ago with my two young boys at the time and had a fantastic time here in 1992. But I live in California now.

Maria: This is the first for me. I didn’t realize how much Orlando had to offer. I’m very much impressed by everything. The beauty of everything, hotels, places to visit.

Me: You were Greedo, right Maria? How did you get that role? You were kinda thrown into it, right?

Maria: I still am Greedo. A friend of mine was a set designer and we did some commercials together and he asked me would I be interested in woking with one of the upcoming great directors and I asked really, what's his name and he said George Lucas. I said oh, well, I will check with my best girlfriend and she’ll tell me. I asked what do have, and he said it was a film about science fiction, and that Lucas has a great imagination. I asked how old he was and he said 26. So I asked my best friend at the time, Shelly Winters, and she said he did American Graffiti and you should work with him. They wanted me to work three or four days at the most to replace Anothony Daniels who was unavailable. They wanted me to walk a little bit and speak in a soft voice.

Me: C-3PO?

Maria: Uh-huh. I am glad I didn’t do it because they had footprints in front of the Chinese Theater and I would have been upset so I went and worked on that for a few weeks. So, unbeknowned Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill had a big car accident and the shoot was cancelled. So, no Threepio would be for me. So they asked me would I like to have my very own monster and I said yes, I would. And I didn’t know until 20 years after I was proceded by Paul Blake who played him first in England. I am sorry, this is a long story. I could do that if you can tell. So, anyway, that is what happened. I played Greedo, and there were two of us. And then I found out there was five Darth Vaders. You have to run down the other Greedo. A lot of fans have both autographs of Paul and me. When I sign my name Paul had already signed the picture, or vice versa.

Me: Were you in the scene with Han Solo in the cantina?

Maria: Yes, I was, and so was Paul. When you see Greedo with Han Solo in long shots it was Paul Blake and Harrison Ford. When you see Greedo in close-ups it’s me. It goes to Harrison Ford with the camera and then to me and then to Harrison and then to me. We are never together, that’s because we weren’t never together. We worked in different towns. He was in England and Tunisia and all those places where Star Wars was shot and I was on the soundstage on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.

Me: Where are you from, Maria?

Maria: I’m from Canada but when I was 18 years old I moved to the United States and remained in the United States permantly and made films. First in New York, then Florida, got married, had a long life. And then moved to California and was there about 35 years. I went to California when Frank Sinatra married Mia Farrow... that goes back a while.

Me: Did you like wearing a mask?

Maria: No, I was running out of air under that mask which was made of latex. I am glad I wasn’t in make-up for two hours in the morning but I was not told I would be wearing a mask.

Me: Are you glad you worked for Lucas?

Maria: He saved my life!

Maria: Was that the first time you ever wore a mask?

Maria: Yes, and there were wires that in my neck to make it move and horns on my head. Greedo had a lot going, you know, his long fingers and all.

Me: Was that the last time you wore a mask?

Maria: Yes, first and last. It was taped to my throat and very little room in Greedo’s mouth to open it. I had a straw to deliver dialogue. Then they realized then and there they didn’t want a female voice coming out of him.

Me: They dubbed it over with some kinda alien garble anyway,

Maria: They had subtitles first and then they had Ben Burtt do the voice.

Me: Thank you, Maria. So, David, what part of England are you from?

Dave: I’m from London.

Me: What part of London?

Dave: North London.

Me: I was born in Balem. Do you know where Balem is, gateway to the south?

Dave: Yeah, yeah. I was in Enfield then moved to Morton Abbey, but now live in California.

Me: Do you like California?

Dave: Yeah, I love it because you don’t have the rain like we’ve got today.

Me: Now you were Jabba the Hutt, but one of the many people that played Jabba, right? How many altogether?

Dave: There were 7 of us working Jabba. I was chief puppeteer so I was the lead, and guide voice on set, and his right arm. With my left arm I did his jaw and all the mouth mechanisms to make his mouth move so I could do the lip synch while I was speaking. I did that all at the same time.

Me: Did you work on any other characters in the Star Wars movies?

Dave: I worked on Yoda with Frank Oz on Empire Strikes Back and on Return of the Jedi. On Empire I got to be chief puppeteer at the end of the shoot because it ran over and Frank nominated me on me to be his replacement. I was 19 years old and it launched my movie career.

Me: Do you still talk to Frank?

Dave: I haven’t spoken to him in a while but have kept up him with years working with him in Muppets and different projects over the years.

Me: Are you working on the new Dark Crystal movie?

Dave: The new Dark Crystal has in been in development for a number of years now and I guess they’re looking for funding. I’m not sure when it’ll come to production yet. They’ve been talking for the past years, saying we’ll be doing it in 6 months. It’s really hard to get funding for movies right now.

Me: There’s a new Muppet movie coming out... are you working on that?

Dave: Yeah, and there’s those Disney theme park commercials that are out. I worked on those. But I think they are trying to get a movie sometime in production this year but it’s hard getting something green lit in this economy.

Me: But they’re owned by Disney so I am sure Disney will.

Dave: Yeah, but the story has to be right, and the people and the script and the budget. There’s still a lot of behind the scenes stuff that happens before it goes ahead.

Me: And you worked on Where The Wild Things Are, is that right?

Dave: I worked on Where The Wild Things Are when they were developing the characters for Spike Jonez and they facial expressions for the main Wild Thing characters. I worked with him in Melbourne in 2006 or 2007 just doing real time puppeteer computer graphic faces. Basically exploritery character development tht can be done in real time. So from that they were able to take that character developments and do the key frame in post process on the final characters which was done by a company in London I think.

Me: You’ve been doing puppets most of your life, right?

Dave: My folks are puppteers. I started when I was four and still doing it.

Me: How long did it take to be able to lip-synch with your mouth and hand?

Dave: I’ve done training courses before and people can pick it up pretty quickly. You can do a 40 hour course you can get pretty close to it. It depends really if its uyour passion or not.

Me: I can tell it is your passion. Are you working on any projects in the future?

Dave: Yes, the latest project comes out July thr 4th which is Cat and Dogs: The Revenge of Killy Galore.

Me: Yeah, I saw that. Well, not the movie obviously but the trailer.

Dave: There’s some animatrionic shots in there, even in the trailer that I supervised. Haven’t seen the final cut of the film yet, but am interested in seeing that. And working on my own feature film at the moment.

Me: Really? When do you hope to have that released?

Dave: I’m not sure because we don’t have distribution yet and we are pre-production at the moment so maybe a good couple of years away.

Me: It is a sci-fi film?

Dave: It’s a fantasy film.

Me: That’s something to look forward to. Thank you, David.

Dave: Thank you, Jason.

Well, that about does it for another entry of the Phile. I hope you enjoyed the Star Wars theme, kids. Thanks to Dave Barclay and Maria De Aragon for taking time out to do the interview, and a special thanks to Derek Maki from Coolwaters Productions for setting it up. The Phile will be back next Thursday with the biggest interview the Phile has done... Billy Dee Williams. Yes, Billy will be next week's guest. Enjoy the series finale of "Lost" on Sunday and be back here next Thursday. Spread the word, not the turd, and don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Joe Skinner From Funky Blues Messiahs

Hey there, welcome to the Peverett Phile, proud sponsor of...

I am your host, Jason Peverett. President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to be the next Supreme Court justice, against the advice of Joe Biden, who wanted Iron Man. A porn star from Poland claims that she has been having an affair with Mel Gibson. I thought Mel would have gone for a German. Oprah did her show from New York to celebrate the 10th anniversary of O magazine. Dr. Phil allowed them to shave his moustache, which is currently being used to sop up oil in the Gulf. Bobby Brown got engaged over the weekend. They say it’s the first time he’s been on one knee without the help of a police taser. Tyra Banks, who I once saw at Epcot, is writing a new series of kids’ books. She is the first supermodel to write a kids’ book since Kate Moss wrote “Green Eggs and Crack.” I wonder if I can get Tyra to be in the Phile Book Club.

The great company, and home of the Phile, Google’s new Droid phone is outselling Apple’s iPhone. I don’t know what an Droid can do, besides dance the robot or become the governor of California. A new study says that 77 percent of people admitted using their phones while driving. The other 23 percent are lying. President Obama said that we rely too much on gadgets. He gave a passionate speech about technology, but he had to stop when the teleprompter broke. There is a God: the June edition of Playboy magazine will be printed in 3-D. Haven’t we had that for a while? It’s called a strip club. Tiger Woods’ swing coach announced that he is quitting. Apparently he discovered that Tiger had 19 other swing coaches around the country. The swing coach quit by text message, which is like karma shooting a hole-in-one. You guys know I like inspirational posters, right? Check out this one.

Now that "Lost" is almost over, they are gearing up for a bunch of spin-offs. Check it out.





Iron Man has a lot on his plate this time around. He has to battle anti-hygienic bad guy Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke, with hilariously gross 90's jam band hair) and his dual super-electro-metal-shredding flogging devices. He also has to deal with sleazy weapons manufacturer Sam Rockwell. He's got a disgruntled Pepper Potts and an enigmatic assistant vixen named Natalie who won't get naked like he wants her to. Meanwhile his blood toxicity is on the rise, his chest-plug battery thingy is failing him, he's emotionally collapsing, dealing with daddy issues and Sam Jackson keeps bothering him about Shield. You'd break down too. I didn't like it as much as the first one. First because I think it's really difficult to recapture the impressive BANG! POW! of a first punch. I'm not saying it's a bad movie, just that I wanted the ante upped and what I feel I mostly got instead was a lot of connective tissue stretching out to the eventual Avengers movie. In the land of sequels it's no Temple of Doom or Empire Strikes Back, but it's also not Rise of the Silver Surfer. Me and my son, we still had a good time. The best stuff was Downey rattling around at a hundred miles an hour, talking faster than most human beings can keep up with while sparring with Paltrow (who holds her own thanks to great chemistry with Downey. Her new mandate should be to only take film roles that let her banter back petulantly until she's screaming); Scarlett Johansson's impossible cat-suit, Rourke's gnarly tattoos and the bowel-shuddering sound effects. What was weird about it was watching Downey go through a hitting-bottom process, especially during the mind-scrambling scene in which he's using his Iron Man suit as a party prop to drunkenly blow up watermelons while the unfortunately now-deceased-from-a-real-life-overdose DJ AM stands off to the side ready to "give [him] a fat beat" as an accompanying soundtrack. It's one of those moments that underscores the movie's plot and pulls you right out of it at the same time. And it suffers from the one villain too many syndrome. Sam Rockwell, who was so cool in last year's Moon doesn't have a lot to do here. It's not his fault. The part is written in a way that seems satisfied for him to be a generic corporate bad man. Rourke gets a better shake but even he has to spend a lot of time sitting around a lab tinkering with machines. You keep hoping he'll just bust out those murder-whips. And aside from the saddening presence of DJ AM, there's Christiane Amanpour as herself, a blink-and-miss Stan Lee as Larry King, one nice bit of musical punctuation via Daft Punk and an appearance by the famous Randy's Donuts sign. From 1 to ten, it gets an 8, and I will buy it on blu-ray unless Jen buys it for Logan first on DVD.

Lena Horne
June 30, 1917 - May 9, 2010
Please forward all mail to The Cabin in the Sky.
Robin Evan Roberts
September 30, 1926 - May 6, 2010
In his 19-season career, Roberts compiled a 286-245 record with 2,357 strikeouts, a 3.41 ERA, 305 complete games, 45 shutouts, and 4,688 innings pitched in 676 games. He holds the Major League records for home runs allowed by a pitcher (505) and for most consecutive Opening Day starts for the same team with 12, between 1950 and 1961. Also: he's dead.


1913
The latest brainchild of Russian aircraft design genius Igor Sikorsky embarks on its maiden flight. The Grand, easily the world's most luxurious passenger plane, includes such innovations as upholstered seats, a balcony, and even a lavatory.
1917
Three small children in Fatima, Portugal receive the first of six visitations from the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Over the next five months she lays some pretty heavy shit on the kids, including a three-part secret: a vision of Hell, a prophecy of war with godless Russia, and a third secret which remains classified until Y2K.
1972
Faulty electrical wiring ignites a fire underneath the Playtown Cabaret in Osaka, Japan. Blocked exits and nonfunctional elevators cause 118 fatalities, with many victims leaping to their death.
1981
A delusional Turk guns down Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. Mehmet Ali Agca believes that the Vatican is an abomination before God and must be destroyed. 19 years later, the Church will disclose that the assassination attempt was foretold in 1917, as part of the third secret of Fatima.
1985
After attempting to serve arrest warrants at 6221 Osage Avenue, police in West Philadelphia are sucked into a 90-minute gunfight with members of the MOVE organization. Later, police drop a bomb on the house from a helicopter. The bomb misses its target and ignites a fire which consumes the entire city block. 61 houses are destroyed in the conflagration, killing 11 MOVE members -- including five children -- and leaving hundreds of neighbors homeless.

Okay, kids, this is really cool. Today's guest is the drummer of the Central Florida band Funky Blues Messiahs and good friend of mine. Their third CD release "Crawzilla" is now available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Joe Skinner.

Me: Hey, Joe, what do you know? Welcome to the Peverett Phile. So, how have you been? I haven't seen you in awhile.

Joe: Been great!!!! Busy with my band and teaching college... Developing a few new acts.

Me: Before we get down and talk about the Funky Blues Messiahs, I have to talk to you about dad. We have known each other for about 20 years, right? Where did you first meet my dad? Did you recognize him right away?

Joe: Yes, actually I did recognize him immediately... I was a big FOGHAT fan I had seen them with J. Geils and than with Black Oak and Montrose. He came into the music store I was working at and we struck up a friendship almost right away. I remember talking to him about the local music scene and offered to help him if he need any interfacing with musicians, studios, and rehearsal studio. Your father was so nice... I really was fond of him. The hours in my truck traveling with him to gigs and listening to the stories of the road... AWESOME!!!! You know I'm the one that has been leaving the Mardi Gras beads at his gravesite. Its my tribute. If I'm in the area I stop by to pay my respects.

Me: Okay, how long have you been into the New Orleans sound? Did you grow up listening to Dr. John and people like him?

Joe: Funny thing is my partner is from New Orleans but he played in rock bands. He had the New Orleans styling but I'm the one that loved cajun and Zydeco. I grew up in Winter Park, Florida and just dug the New Orleans feel.

Me: How and when did you put the Messiahs together? What is hard or easy to find good musicians?

Joe: We got together with this Cajun Kid from Louisiana named Evan that used to come jam at the music store. He was the real deal as far as the blues. We jammed and wrote a song right on the spot. After realizing we had something magical we decided to do a record. The funny thing is the Kid disappeared in the middle of recording so I had long time friend and Johnny and Edgar Winter guitarist Floyd Radford finish off the record. After receiveing much kudos we put together a touring band that included Liberty Devitto (while he was on hiatus with Billy Joel). It really isnt very hard to find good musicians there are alot of talented people in this area.

Me: The band has three albums out, right? "The Further Adventures of Reverend P.P. Pettibones Traveling Tent Revival", "Lost In Mississippi" and the latest came out in 2008 called "Crawzilla." The first two were parts of a story, but does the third continue that story?

Joe: Actually no, it doesn't, this record has more serious content. We split for three years so when we decided to regroup and write I personally had a writing frenzy and wrote about things that were on my mine at that time.

Me: How come there's no hot chick in the cover of the last album?

Joe: Funny thing is the chick on the front cover of our first CD got in touch with me recently... she's livin in Seattle. I don't know why no chick, I just wasn't in the mood to rehash the old ideas... it was like a new band. We found another awesome blues guitarist that plays slide so we kinda went back to the beginning. BTW that "Crawzilla" cover is designed by ME!!

Me: Years ago there was one of your songs on "The Real World in New Orleans". How did they find your music, and has the Messiahs been placed in any other shows or movies?

Joe: Wow. "Crawdaddy-O" payed off handsomely for us but no others yet... and I say yet because we wrote a Gator fight song on "Crawzilla". I guess the "Real World" people saw one of our reviews that was in a national Blues publications. I think a guy at Virgin New Orleans pointed them in our direction also when they visited the Jax Brewery Location... scouting locations.

Me: Do you still teach music? If so, where and what ages? You teach drums, right?

Joe: No, I did for a while but got frustrated when Little Johnny doesnt practice sooo I kinda give Master classes once in a while about my technique and influences... you know??? It's all about listening.

Me: You're the Messiahs' drummer, but who else is in the band?

Joe: I played on the first 2 records but not on the last. The drummer on the last record quit before our new years gig so I now play drums. Before that I was playing Congas, Timbales and Frattoir (Cajun Washboard). Doug Bare plays keys, key bass and lead vocals and Danny Archer is our awesome slowhand slide guitarist. That's it 3 piece!!!! Nobody wants to pay a decent wage anymore so we at least get the monies that we are looking for being 3 piece.

Me: Joe, do you have a favorite Foghat song, and if you were going to cover a Foghat song and make it fit with the New Orleans style music, what would it be?

Joe: I always loved "Honey Hush" and I think I could energize (no pun intended) "Home In My Hand" with a New Orleans Rumba. I got to play drums on "Slow Ride" and "Fool For A City" at one gig for a monitor sound check because the drummer hadnt showed up yet. That was a milestone in my life. I was doin' sound and road managing on that gig.

Me: I have to ask you about your record label called Trackspotting. Do you still put together compilations of local bands?

Joe: No buttttt there's something in the works with the label. I have so many talented students that I could call upon that an idea I have may just fly.

Me: Did you play Universal Studios this year for Mardi Gras?

Joe: No, they don't do it but on Saturdays now. Back in 2000 and 2001 we played 5 days a week and 12 weeks.

Me: Joe, thanks for doing this interview, and being a friend over the years, and especially a good friend of my dad's. Go ahead and plug your website and let the Phile readers know when and where you'll be playing.

Joe: Thanks, J. Myspace.com/funkybluesmessiahs.

There, that's it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Wikipedia and Joe Skinner, and of course you readers. The Phile will be next week with not one but two guests... Dave Barclay and Maria De Aragon from Star Wars! I will also reveal the 9th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club, and then in two weeks it's the biggest star ever to grace the Phile, kids. All will be revealed next week. So, spread the word, not the turd, and don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you bye.

Pheaturing Jeff Howell From The Poker Dogs

Hello, welcome to the Phile, the official blog of...

I am your host, Jason Peverett, doing this thing pretty much every Thursday. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Teacher Appreciation Week began in 1985 when state and federal governments decided that giving teachers a holiday was cheaper than paying them more. Did you hear this? A man named Jason Pfeiffer claims he was Michael Jackson’s boyfriend. Pfeiffer says he told the story to prove that Jackson wasn’t a pedophile — although it seems like that would have been more helpful during the trial. There were big demonstrations protesting Arizona’s new immigration law. Despite the controversy, the state went ahead with their Cinco de Mayo party. I guess it’s a going-away thing. The world’s oldest living person, aged 114, passed away. The cause of death — you guessed it — a knife fight. This curse of the world’s oldest person continues — they always seem to die. Lots of oil is still leaking off the coast of Louisiana. BP has a plan to create a giant vinegar spill to turn the Gulf of Mexico into a delicious salad dressing. Have you heard the new BP slogan? "BP: Putting more birds in oil than Colonel Sanders". Happy belated Cinco de Mayo. If you don’t know what that means, maybe you’re a little out of touch — or maybe you’re the governor of Arizona. I didn't drink for Cinco de Mayo. I celebrated with Mexican food, or as it’s known in Mexico: “food.” Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army’s surprise victory over sobriety back in 1862.
Oddly, Cinco de Mayo is more popular here than in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo to us is what David Hasselhoff is to Germany. I am so excited... tomorrow Iron Man 2 comes out. And because of that, I have an exclusive picture from the movie here on the Phile. Take a look, kids.

I even found an Iron Man related motivational poster.

Ernie Harwell
January 25, 1918 - May 4, 2010
Long gone.
Lynn Redgrave
March 8, 1943 - May 3, 2010
Red, green - whatever. As long as it's a grave.





A teenage loser wonders aloud why people don't help one another and why no one in real life ever tries to be a superhero. It's the kind of question only a kid with too much time on his hands would ask because any adult would just say, "Well because I can't fly and I don't have future-weapons at my disposal, that's why." And because when you're young you think nothing bad will ever really happen to you, the kid goes out in a scuba suit with some batons, tries to fight crime and winds up with multiple broken bones and stab wounds. Enter a real-life father/daughter team of ass-kickers who take him under their wing and teach him the trade. R-rated cartoon mayhem fills the rest of the running time. At one point this might have been someone's idea of satire (especially the bits where Kick-Ass is at his happiest when he becomes Internet-famous for his deeds) And then, possibly seduced by the joys of exuberant limb-hacking, bazooka-blasting, face-smashing and microwaving some random guy, the movie just decided that thoughtlessness and splatter was its own reward. I'm okay with that. Thoughts can be overrated in extra-violent, gut-level movies where bad guys are getting annihilated by people who are so cool and adept with weaponry that all you can do is bow to their skill. Especially when those thoughts don't really hold up to any kind of scrutiny. I wanted to see asses kicked and that's what I got. Left happy. What made the film is Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl, a tiny superheroine groomed into a lifestyle of extreme violence (and extra-bad swear words) by her vengeance-seeking father Nicolas Cage. The movie loves her and is amused by him, especially when he puts on his Batman-like suit and begins talking like Adam West. And when they're on screen you forget about Aaron Johnson. That's bad for him but good for you. When I say that Moretz has to utter some terrible things and commit terrible acts (like wholesale slaughter of dozens of people), I'm not joking. The movie wants you to see her not as the kind of real human being it gives you in Johnson, but as an invincible force that can stand it when she has to occasionally take it, as opposed to just dishing it out. Still, it's unsettling to watch grown men beating up a little girl. It just is. Will I get the movie on blu-ray? Yes. The day it comes out. From 1 to 1o, it gets a 10.

1527
Mercenaries sack the city of Rome, an event considered by many to mark the end of the Renaissance.
1626
Manhattan purchased by Dutch governor Peter Minuet for the equivalent of $24 in goods, which compounded at 6% annually is approximately $78 billion. But some scholars feel the actual value of the goods transferred to be in excess of $500, which translates to $1.6 trillion for the island when compounded.
1853
Ignoring signals, a train travels through an open drawbridge and into the Norwalk river in Connecticut, killing 46 passengers. The engineer and crew jumped clear, not warning the others of their fate.
1862
Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and the essay Civil Disobedience, dead at age 44. His last words were "Moose... Indian".
1937
Zeppelin Hindenberg explodes at Lakehurst NJ, leaving 36 dead and others seriously burned. Official cause of the explosion is listed as "St. Elmo's Fire," although it probably also involved the flammable silver paint the Germans used to coat the thing.
1983
West German authorities announce that the recently discovered "Hitler Diaries" are counterfeits, made from paper not available until at least 1955. Parties unknown managed to swindle the German magazine Stern out of an undisclosed sum, and esteemed historian Hugh Trevor-Roper was so convinced of their authenticity that he proclaimed "I'm staking my reputation on it."
1987
Disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker is formally defrocked by the Assemblies of God.
1993
Disgruntled postal worker Mark Richard Hilburn (recently fired) enters the Dana Point, CA post office and shoots two former coworkers, killing one.
1993
Disgruntled 27-year veteran Lawrence Jasion enters the garage area of the Dearborn, Michigan post office and whips out a .38 revolver. He proceeds to kill mechanic Gary Montes and wound two other coworkers. Before anyone can react, Jasion then blows his brains out. The Dearborn office was infamous for its authoritarian policies.
2002
Dutch right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn is shot six times in the head as he leaves a recording studio in Hilversum, near Amsterdam. His party platform was based on repeal of the discrimination clause of the constitution, an odd position considering that Fortuyn was homosexual. It is not clear what assassin Volkert van der Graaf's motive was, speculations ranging from Fortuyn's public statements regarding fur farming (van der Graaf is a founder of that country's Animal Liberation Front) to his sympathies towards Dutch Muslims.

Today's guest is the lead singer and guitarist for the Orlando-based band The Poker Dogs whose album "Rebel Flag Bikini" is available on iTunes. He can also be heard on The Monsters in the Morning talk radio show on WTKS-FM Real Radio in Orlando, Florida, USA and XM Radio Channel 152. Please welcome to the Phile... Jeff Howell.

Me: Hey there, Jeff, welcome to the Phile. So, how are you?

Jeff: Doing well, thank you

Me: We first met years and years ago at the Jammy's, thatlocal awards show. Whatever happened to Jam Magazine I wonder. How did you get picked to host?

Jeff: The founder/editor of Jam Magazine (I believe) was an uncle of one of the members of Seven Mary Three. He got them signed to a major label and managed them, and then sold the magazine. He was a fan of my solo act and really liked my first album “Gimme’ A Dollar,” and really, really wanted me to host the Jammy’s. That, and the fact that he was only paying $75 for the gig.

Me: There's a bass player named Jeff Howell, Jeff. Have you heard of him? He was once in Savoy Brown and The Outlaws.

Jeff: Yes, I’ve gotten emails from girls before asking me if I remembered them from the tour of ’78. Havng a deep seeded fear of child support for someone else’s kid, I deleted every one of them.

Me: You have been playing a long time here in Orlando and all over the place, sir. Do you have a favorite show that stood out?

Jeff: No, there have been shows that (for whatever reason) seemed like I could do no wrong. The songs all sounded great and everything I said seemed to be funny. But, I can’t remember them specifically.

Me: Is it true you played at a 7-11 opening? I didn't know 7-11's had concerts. When and how did that happen?

Jeff: Mucho true. It was the opening of a 7-11 prototype that had a garage and dry cleaners attached. It was supposed to go after the K-Mart market but I believe failed miserably. I was asked to front a horrible 50’s band in the parking lot of the 7-11 right off of the Maitland Interchange. It was August, 98, 106% humidity and I was wearing a powder blue tux. We did two songs that led to the ribbon cutting ceremony. The president of the company then said, “It’s really hot! Let’s all go in and get a Slurpee.” and we continued to play in the heat for another two hours. Nobody saw the show except for two construction workers who were filling up their truck. They complimented me on my singing while waiting for their receipt to print.

Me: You're originally from Louisiana, right? Do you go back often? When and why did you move to Orlando?

Jeff: Yes, I’m from Baton Rouge. I go back about four times a year. I was off and on in Orlando starting in the fall of ’77. I lived here for a short period from ’82 – ’84. Then back in Orlando for another short period, ’85 – ’86. Then back here to stay in early ’88. I kept coming back here because I knew I could always make a living playing music here.

Me: Your son is starting to be a really good musician, Jeff. When did he start to play guitar? I don't have any musical talent, unless you count the kazoo, but my son does. You must be proud of your son.

Jeff: Very proud. He’s a wonderful kid (young man). He picked up guitar around the age of fourteen. He mostly taught himself but was really shy about playing in front of people. So I told him that if he learned my crap, I would learn a few of his songs and he could come and play with me in some of the venues that I play. And when we do, it just affirms to me what life is all about. It really doesn’t get any better (at least for me, it doesn’t).

Me: Okay, let's talk about you being on the radio. Some readers of the Phile, but not all, would know you from being on the Monster's radio show. How did you first meet Russ Rollins the host of the show and become a member of his show?

Russ: Bo (former co-host) was a regular fan who used to come see me play every weekend. He kept inviting me to come onto his radio show that aired at 6:00 AM, Saturday mornings. I declined until one night, I just stayed up until 5:45 and drove to the station (with a cold 40 oz.).

Me: You stopped being a regular member because you wanted to spend time with your son, and mornings were hard on you. I totally understand, I am not a morning person either. Recently though, you have been going on the show on Friday's. What made you pick Friday's? It's good to hear you back on the show.

Jeff: Thanks. The move to mornings ruined the show for me. I went from spending 3 – 4 days a week with my son to 9 – 12 hrs. Being with him was way more important than being on radio. I go on, on, actually, on Wednesdays and Fridays now, to have some fun and plug my gigs.
It was always a fun job but it totally ruined it for me when they went to mornings.

Me: You have been friends with Bubba Wilson for a long time, Jeff. If it wasn't for you, I don't think any of us would have heard him. It was you that got him on the radio. When did you first meet Bubba?

Jeff: I first met Bubba at Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 1975. I didn’t know him real well but we were kindred spirits. Two years later, he got me in Clutch (and vouched for me even though I was nowhere good enough musically to play in the band). But he knew I was funny and would work with me to make me musically strong enough. I’ve never forgotten that. Years later, I was able to kind of return the favor with the radio show. He did really well with it.

Me: Recently you and he formed a band called The Poker Dogs... is it your band you formed or Bubba's?

Jeff: Bubba was singing a few weekend nights to supplement the radio income (while he was still on the show). Through bad medications, he kept losing his voice in the first set. Rick Bailey, close friend and his guitar player, said, “Why don’t we get Jeff in the band? He ain’t that good of a singer, but he neverloses his voice!” So they did.

Me: Who are the other Poker Dogs? By the way, who came up with that name?

Jeff: The Poker Dogs are Bubba, Rick Bailey, Tom Holysz (drums), Dan Walters (bass), and me. I wanted to call the band Dogs Playing Poker but all of the possible website names for Dogs Playing Poker were taken. So, we named the band The Poker Dogs because of the availability of a matching website name. I guess that’s what it’s come to.

Me: I downloaded the album "Rebel Flag Bikini" off from iTunes. How did the song "Rebel Flag Bikini" become the album title?

Jeff: We were trying to figure out what kind of album it was going to be (musical and funny or just all out funny). Bubba had been playing with that title for two years with a small amount of lyrics. Rick Bailey came in one day with the intro lick and the chords, and the three of us penned the lyrics in a couple of days. Everybody loved it so much that it became the main song and title of the album.

Me: Also, I know there must be a story behind that song.

Jeff: Daniel (of the Monsters) said it on the air one day. Savannah (tall blonde former show member) texted Russ and said to tell Bubba to write a song called “RFB”. That was several years ago. It floated in the back of Bubba’s brain until a year ago.

Me: Other songs on that are reworked songs that were written for The Monsters show, right? Are there plans for a follow up album with new material?

Jeff: There are aspirations, but “time” is totally kicking our asses right now.

Me: What do you like better, performing solo or with a band?

Jeff: With a band. Much, much more fun!

Me: "Blues Dumps" is your last solo CD, am I right? Are you gonna do another one?

Jeff: No, “Blues Dumps” was that joke CD that I did with the Monsters. “Blues Junk” was after that. And. “The Tree” was my last solo even though I re-released “Gimme’ A Dollar” because I didn’t have it on CD. I want to do another one but as I said, “time” iscompletely kicking my ass.

Me: And I heard or read you want to write a book. Is it autobiography? When and if you do, I'll have you back on the Phile part of the Peverett Phile Book Club. Speaking of books, I am trying to get Russ Rollins on the Phile with his book "Monster Trash". Did you read it?

Jeff: The book that I am working diligently on (when “life” permits snippets of time) is a collection of vignettes mostly about my father and a few about our family. He was this bigger than life, sweetheart of a guy who had probably the most colorful life of anyone that I’ve ever met or known who had a plethora of stories and crazy things that happened in his life. No, I haven’t read “Monster Trash.” I’m waiting for the price to come down.

Me: If I interview Russ what is the one question you want me to ask him?

Jeff: Where are my damn crab legs!?!?

Me: Jeff, thanks for taking time out to do this interview. I wish you continued success and ask Bubba if he wants to be on the Phile. Take care, and keep in touch.

Jeff: Thank you, Jason. Best of luck to you and take care.

That's about it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Jeff for a great interview and to Wikipedia. The Phile will be back next Thursday with good friend and member of the Funky Blues Messiahs Joe Skinner. Then in a few weeks the biggest celebrity I have ever interviewed. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd, don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you bye.