John Holmes

Friends, enemies, acquaintances, and family of porn star John Holmes recall their experiences with him, from his childhood to his eventual death from AIDS in 1988.

Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein on February 24, 1947) is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, musician, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and "Him" (1980). As a recording artist, Holmes broke through with his first album, 1974's "Widescreen" on Epic Records, which introduced him as a presenter of highly romantic, lushly orchestrated "story songs" that told a witty narrative punctuated by clever rhymes and a hint of comedy. Barbra Streisand discovered this album and asked to record songs from it, launching Holmes on a successful career. She then used some of his songs in the movie "A Star Is Born". Holmes also arranged, conducted, and wrote songs on her 1975 album "Lazy Afternoon" as well as five other Streisand albums.

Los autores de Drácula: la adaptación definitiva, abordan el universo del más famoso detective de todos los tiempos. Una historia nunca antes contada que explora la naturaleza de Sherlock Holmes y su inseparable compañero y amigo, John Watson, sumergidos en una escalofriante investigación que desnuda cada uno de los aspectos de la Inglaterra victoriana. Con portadas de John Cassaday y color de Laura Martin.

Rupert Holmes followed up "Widescreen" (1974) with a self-titled LP that utilized a band rather than an orchestra, and was somewhat more accessible in its sound. Yet Holmes still was true to himself in composing its musical vignettes, again produced by Jeffrey Lesser. “Studio Musician” was a powerful Wall of Sound explosion that would be reverentially covered by Barry Manilow on his chart-topping Barry Manilow Live album, while “I Don’t Want to Hold Your Hand” was such a spot-on, deadpan Beatles send-up that George Martin reportedly told Holmes it was superior to the original recording! “Everything Gets Better When You’re Drunk” sounds like a toe-tapping ode to the perennial pleasures of booze, but it has a dark undercurrent of irony. The most enduring song on Rupert Holmes, though, may be its least commercial. “Brass Knuckles” was longtime mystery buff Holmes’ attempt to tell a detective noir story in under four minutes of song. Its songwriter remains proud of this one-of-a-kind song’s lyrics having been published in numerous crime anthologies and even reviewed in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

His fans didn’t know it at the time, but Holmes did indeed come full circle with 1981’s Elektra LP, and it would turn out to be his last word in pop/rock songwriting for over a decade. Holmes tells of being encouraged to return to an orchestrated style for this offering, and so “The End” (reaching #31 on the AC chart) does just that. “Loved by the One You Love,” like the previous album’s “Blackjack,” stalled at #103 on the pop chart, despite having the same infectious pop quality as “Him” or “Escape.” A theme of romance permeated the album, and the open-hearted “One Born Every Minute” (one love, not one sucker, contrary to P.T. Barnum’s belief) remains a favorite of its songwriter.