Black Keys a hit, again, in England

The Black Keys, with BJ retiree Jim Carney’s son, Patrick Carney, and Pat’s Firestone High friend, Dan Auerbach, got a good review from the Manchester Guardian for their Glastonbury Festival over the weekened at Worthy Farm in Pilton Somerset, England.

It was a return for the Black Keys to the place where they scored big four years ago.

To read the review, click on

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jun/29/the-black-keys-at-glastonbury-2014-review

Another Carney wedding

At my request, former BJ reporter Jim Carney provided some background on the latest Carney family wedding, by son Michael Carney.

John. 

Michael married Laura Maggied in Amagansett, NY. She is a Hudson High 
School and Ohio Univ graduate. Michael is a Firestone High School and Columbus 
College of Art & Design graduate. They live in Nashville, TN. The wedding was at 
the home of their friends, a couple that Laura nannied for when she and Michael 
lived in NYC. They are in Greece, for their honeymoon. Michael is a freelance 
artist and graphic designer and is also art director for the Black Keys. You can 
use photos from my FB page of Michael and Laura. 

Thanks John! 

Michael won a Grammy for his art direction on the "Brothers" album of his brother, Patrick Carney, and Dan Auerbach, who form the Black Keys rock band. 

Michael and Patrick's brother, Will, once was Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad superintendent. 

Patrick wed Emily Ward in 2012. Will is married to Emily. So Michael completes the trifecta. 

Black Keys are the key to $28,000 baseball fundraiser

The Black Keys sponsored West Akron Baseball League T-shirts raised $28,000 for the youth league where band members Pat Carney and Dan Auerbach once played. 

Jim Carney, Maura McEnaney, Patrick Carney with
West Akron Baseball League T-shirts

Firestone High grads Carney and Auerbach formed the Grammy-winning band that tours the world.

Steve Milkovich, WABL board member and vice president of T-Ball, said he’s seen the T-shirts springing up all over the country.

“How great is it that Jim Carney [Pat Carney’s father and former Beacon Journal reporter] is backstage at a “Saturday Night Live” performance and they’re wearing the WABL shirts?” he said.

So was Maura McEnaney, married to former BJ sports editor Ken Krause and living in Medford, Massachussetts.

To read the BJ article, click on http://www.ohio.com/news/black-keys-shirts-raise-28-000-for-west-akron-baseball-league-1.489230

Patrick Carney busy on drums

Carney’s son to make 3^rd 'SNL' appearance

The Black Keys, the band that includes BJ reporter Jim Carney’s son, Patrick Carney, will make its third “Saturday Night Live” appearance on the NBC show May 10. 

Charlize Theron, who won an Oscar for 2003's "Monster," will host.

Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, former Firestone High classmates, have a roomful of Grammy Awards. Patrick lives in New York City with wife Amy Ward.

The Black Keys were on “Saturday Night Live” Jan. 8, 2011 and Dec. 3, 2011.  

Patrick’s first marriage was to Cleveland Scene and former BJ reporter Denise Grollmus. 

Carney’s Black Keys kid: New single in March, new album in May

The Black Keys, which includes BJ reporter Jim Carney’s son, Patrick Carney, will release their first single since 2011, “Fever,” on Monday, March 24. And a new album, "Turn Blue," on May 13.

Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney

It’s not that Carney and Dan Auerbach, who went from Firestone High to winning Grammy Awards for their music, haven’t been busy. 

Patrick produced Tennis’ “Young and Old” and co-produced the Black Lips' recent album, “Underneath the Rainbow.” Patrick and Auerbach toured with the Flaming Lips, hung out on "The Colbert Report" cable show and performed at the soon-to-close Roseland Ballroom in honor of Super Bowl XLVIII.

The Black Keys won three Grammys in 2013: two for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Lonely Boy” and one for Best Rock Album for “El Camino.”

Harry Liggett’s granddaughter

continues acting career at V-M

Anna Teresa Liggett

The late BJ Alums found Harry Liggett's granddaughter, Anna Teresa Liggett, continues her acting career. Her latest will be at Princess Belle in the St. Vincent-St. Mary High production of "The Beauty and the Beast" April 10-13. BJ newsroom legend Harry's son, Tom, is Anna's father. 

Anna also did the St. V-St. M summer camp production of "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring" and a St. Vincent-St. Mary High School dinner murder mystery play

Erin Catherine, Anna's sister, is another granddaughter. Their parents are Tom and Sue Liggett. Tom is Community Pregnancy Center director of development.

Harry's other son, Bob Liggett, of Copley, performs with area bands.

Penelope, John wed

Cathy Strong marries off

third daughter, Penelope

Former 1970s State Desk reporter Cathy Strong's daughter, Penelope, married international patent attorney John Pint, originally from Minnesota, in New Zealand (Valentine's Day Friday in New Zealand time, day-before-Valentine's Day Thursday in Ohio time). 

Facebooked Cathy: 

Penelope Strong and John Wayne Pint are now married . In St Anthony 's in Martinborough, New Zealand. Fantastic wedding followed by everyone on a bus tour of local vineyards

Martinborough is the wine valley bout two hours from my place, which is so idealic that Hollywood moguls like James Cameron and Peter Jackson have homes there.

The new groom Facebooked:

John Wayne Pint

Dinner with Mrs Pint. Non-stop Johnny Cash on the juke.

Off to the winery & honeymoon!

Long-time friend Pam McCarthy, from their 1970s State Desk days, long before Pam's retirement after a long career as a North Canton Hoover High teacher, added:

Pam McCarthy 

Give her my very best wishes. Where will they live?

Pam and Cathy are so close that they spent time in a hot tub together in a Boston reunion several years ago, which was memorialized in photo and words in a BJ Alums blog article.

This is the second "earthquake" to hit Martinborough and Cathy. The first came Jan. 20, when it was Mother Nature's turn to make a noise at the 6.3 level. 

Cathy's daughter, Rebecca, and husband Dion, have three daughters and a son. Rebecca and Dion were married in 2005 in the tiny historic Pukekaraka St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Otaki. Rebecca is a hydrographer and lieutenant in the New Zealand Navy and her husband, Lt. Dion Hewson, is also a lieutenant in the Navy.  

Cathy and former husband Percy Strong's third daughter, Amanda, married Jeff Shima near Waiouru, New Zealand in 2013. They have a daughter. 

Cathy's impressive journalism career includes her current position as the creator of the journalism master's degree program at Massey University's Wellington campus. She also spent three years in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, teaching journalism, mostly to daughters of Arab royalty.

Harry's granddaughter scores again

Anna Liggett

The late Harry Liggett's granddaughter, and Harry's son Tom's daughter, Anna, Tom announced:

"Really proud dad moment. Anna, my St. V-St. M freshman, just got the lead role of Belle in the musical 'Beauty and the Beast.'  Great job, Anna. Take care of that voice. I love you baby."

Anna, whose mom is Susan, performed in a St. Vincent-St. Mary High School dinner murder mystery play Feb. 6 and in a St. V-St. M summer camp production of "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring."  

Harry, founder of the BJ Alums blog and a BJ newsroom retiree, passed away Jan. 24.

Von Trapp family, eat your heart out

Anna Liggett, the late BJ Alums founder Harrry Liggett's granddaughter, will be performing in a St. Vincent-St. Mary High School dinner murder mystery play tonight. 

Harry, granddaughters Erin, Anna

Her dad, Tom Liggett, Harry's son, at 8 p.m. tomorrow will be performing at the Civic Theatre with Straight On, a Heart tribute band that will open for Zoso, the “ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience” band.

Ticket sales are so strong that the Civic has opened up the remainder of the balcony.

Last July Harry attended Anna's performance at a St. V-St. M summer camp production of "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring."  

Anna's sister, Erin, wrote a moving tribute to Harry that you can read by clicking on http://bjretirees.blogspot.com/2014/01/harrys-granddaughter-writes-farewell-to.html Erin is attending Kent State University and has the acting bug, too.

Somewhere Up There Harry must be a proud grandfather, as he always was here on Earth.

Harry’s great-nephew gets first front-page byline

Eric Poston, great-nephew of BJ Alums founder and BJ newsroom retiree Harry Liggett, got his first front-page byline in the Suburbanite, owned by Gatehouse Media. Eric wrote about Green Mayor Dick Norton's State of the City address.

The Suburbanite covers Green, Coventry, Springfield, Manchester, Lakemore, Hartville, Lake and Jackson.

Eric lives in Green and is a Kent State journalism student who transferred from the University of Akron. He once was in charge of mowing Harry's lawn.  

Canton Repository marketing director Dan Mucci was named Suburbanite general manager in 2008. 

The Suburbanite leaders are Advertising Consultants Carol Cooney and Barbara Harding, editor Erin Pustay, assistant editor Andy Harris and advertising account executive Vickey Blakeslee. 

GateHouse is based in suburban Rochester, N.Y. It bought The Repository in April from Copley Newspapers, along with The Times-Reporter in New Philadelphia, The Independent in Massillon and The Suburbanite in Green.

GateHouse Media is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "GHS."

Black Keys bowl over Super crowd

The Black Keys, with BJ reporter Jim Carney's son Patrick Carney front and center, tore through a 90-minute set of their greatest hits Friday night at New York City’s packed Roseland Ballroom as one of the headliners of a jam-packed weekend full of A-list concerts leading up to the Super Bowl in New Jersey.

Dan Auerbach was dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans. 
Patrick Carney was on drums. Both are Firestone High School graduates. 

The show was a perk for Citi Cardholders. The Black Keys were just one of several bands to headline shows in the area leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl that pits the Denver Broncos against the Seattle Seahawks.

To read the Associated Press article in the Washington Post, click on http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/black-keys-howl-at-super-bowl-weekend-show-in-ny/2014/02/01/d9d90fb4-8b04-11e3-a760-a86415d0944d_story.html

Harry Liggett's son in Feb. 8 Civic Theatre concert

Straight On - Heart Tribute Band, which will include BJ newsroom retiree Harry Liggett’s son, Tom Liggett, will be the opening band Feb. 8 at the Civic Theatre for Zoso, the “ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience.” The concert will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday. Feb. 8.

Formed in 1995, each Zoso member was selected to portray both the appearance and playing styles of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones.

Harry remains at Copley Health Center after health problems that began with Akron General Hospital surgeries last August.