Az I AARP It....
- Well, the annual AARP convention(Orlando, Fl) is over, and it was great! Although attendance was down about 25% from last year(hey - that was in Las Vegas), the Orange County Convention Center was a fantastic venue, the vendors were plentiful(although still a bit tight with freebies), and the information and speakers were invaluable.
The Thursday evening performances by Gladys Knight, and the remaining Pip(her older brother) were totally entertaining and energizing. The 'warm-up' was B.B. King, and while he cannot sing the blues anymore, his showmanship and guitar skills remain among the best.
The Friday night Dance Party was littered with celebrities and performers, including songstress Gloria Gaynor, and others too numerous to mention, and was fun for all who attended!
On Saturday, Richie Havens and Joan Collins started the show, with Crosby, Stills and Nash as the headliners. Havens was great on guitar, but short on showmanship and vocals, and did not even attempt to perform 'Here Comes The Sun,' his signature song, as they hurried him off of the stage. C, S & N rocked on in their inimitable style(that's a pretty good word, huh - inimitable?), but are clearly lacking vocally, as they are not only much older, but without the golden voice and style of their former band-mate, Neil Young. The oldies just don't sound as good from them!
And to top off the weekend, I was able to meet Barry Rand, the AARP CEO, and remarked that he was thrilled of my pride in being an AARP member, as well as Chapter #1 President. I let himm know that I was proud of my Chapter #1 members, for all that they do to help the local communities!
Finally, tomorrow, AARP Chapter #1, in Youngtown, Az., will be feted by the Arizona State AARP Office, celebrating our 50th anniversary, as first among more than 2,400 Chapters in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands! And to think - of the more than 36 million AARP members, only about 10% even know that Chapters exist - or what they are intended for! Want to find out? Log-on to: aarp.org or Google it!
The Thursday evening performances by Gladys Knight, and the remaining Pip(her older brother) were totally entertaining and energizing. The 'warm-up' was B.B. King, and while he cannot sing the blues anymore, his showmanship and guitar skills remain among the best.
The Friday night Dance Party was littered with celebrities and performers, including songstress Gloria Gaynor, and others too numerous to mention, and was fun for all who attended!
On Saturday, Richie Havens and Joan Collins started the show, with Crosby, Stills and Nash as the headliners. Havens was great on guitar, but short on showmanship and vocals, and did not even attempt to perform 'Here Comes The Sun,' his signature song, as they hurried him off of the stage. C, S & N rocked on in their inimitable style(that's a pretty good word, huh - inimitable?), but are clearly lacking vocally, as they are not only much older, but without the golden voice and style of their former band-mate, Neil Young. The oldies just don't sound as good from them!
And to top off the weekend, I was able to meet Barry Rand, the AARP CEO, and remarked that he was thrilled of my pride in being an AARP member, as well as Chapter #1 President. I let himm know that I was proud of my Chapter #1 members, for all that they do to help the local communities!
Finally, tomorrow, AARP Chapter #1, in Youngtown, Az., will be feted by the Arizona State AARP Office, celebrating our 50th anniversary, as first among more than 2,400 Chapters in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands! And to think - of the more than 36 million AARP members, only about 10% even know that Chapters exist - or what they are intended for! Want to find out? Log-on to: aarp.org or Google it!
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