Pipe Smoker: Jerry Keller

From Jerry Keller's official web site:

I was born on the 20th of June, 1938 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA.

After moving to Tulsa in 1944, I formed the Lads Of Note Quartet in the 50′s before joining the Tulsa Boy Singers. I won a talent contest organized by band leader, Horace Heidt, which earned me the vocalist job with Jack Dalton’s Orchestra.

I then spent nine months as a disc jockey in Tulsa before moving to New York in 1956. I recorded a series of demos for record companies before fellow performer Pat Boone introduced me to Marty Mills who then became my manager.

I recorded the self-penned ‘Here Comes Summer’ for the Kapp record label, and it became a US summer hit in 1959. Ironically, it did not enter the UK charts until late August as the warmer months lapsed into Autumn, but it still went to number 1.

I recorded follow-up records such as ‘If I Had A Girl’ and ‘Now Now Now’.

In 1960, I toured the UK replacing Eddie Cochran in a package tour engagement after Cochran died in a car crash.

In 1964, I fell in love and got married.

Throughout the 70′s and 80′s, I recorded jingles (commercials) full-time.

In 1977, I appeared in the film You Light Up My Life and the following year in If I Ever See You Again.

Vintage Ad (1959): Whirlpool washers

Democracy in the Tobacconist's

Democracy in the Tobacconist's by Jonah Goldberg.  Interesting article, and although it primarily is about cigars, many of the sentiments expressed can apply to pipes as well.

Note:  I am not a cigar smoker, but I have nothing against cigars.  It just seems to me that the good cigars are too expensive for me to spend my money on when I can get more "smoking time" by spending my money on pipe tobacco.  If someone were to offer me a cigar to sample, I would not turn it down.

Christmas Homecoming by Normal Rockwell

Pipe Smoker (legendary): Olentzero

From Salinas Restaurant NYC:

One great example is Spain’s version of Santa Clause, Olentzero. Legend has it that Olentzero was a giant and lived in the Pyrenees with other members of the Jentillak, a clan of giants. The tale states that they saw a glaring light coming from the clouds that only a partially blind member of the Jentillak could manage to see. He knew the light signified the birth of Jesus. Stunned and afraid, the story has it that all the giants left the Pyrenees, but Olentzero stayed to embrace Christianity. Ever since this day Olentzero makes a trip to town each December 24th to bestow great gifts and kindness upon all the children.

From Wikipedia:

There are many variations to the Olentzero traditions and stories connected to him, sometimes varying from village to village. The first written account of Olentzero is from Lope de Isasti in the 17th century: A la noche de Navidad (llamamos) onenzaro, la sazón de los buenos ("To Christmas eve (we call) onenzaro, the season of the good ones". One common version has Olentzero being one of the jentillak, a mythological race of Basque giants living in the Pyrenees. Legend has it that they observed a glowing cloud in the sky one day. None of them could look at this bright cloud except for a very old, nearly blind man. When asked to examine it, he confirmed their fears and told them that it was a sign that Jesus will be born soon. According to some stories, the old man asked the giants to throw him off a cliff to avoid having to live through Christianisation. Having obliged him, the giants tripped on the way down and died themselves except Olentzero.

Other versions have the jentillak simply leaving, with only Olentzero remaining behind to embrace Christianity.

That was a lot of magic corn

Click to enlarge.

From Bizarro Comics.

Screen capture from A Christmas Carol (1971) animated

This version of A Christmas Carol is one I remember very fondly from my childhood, and have lamented for many years that it wasn't being shown on television anymore.  Fortunately, a helpful YouTuber has uploaded the entire show.  Here we see two pipe-smoking lighthouse keepers celebrating and singing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" during the Ghost of Christmas Present sequence.

The full show is embedded below.

Vintage Ad (1954): Kentucky Club pipe tobacco

Vintage Ad (1949): Country Doctor pipe tobacco

Knit sweaters

This and several more pipe-smoking models with their sweaters at My Ear-Trumpet Has Been Struck By Lightning.

Pipe Smoker quick fix: Samuel Clemens

"She and I were really one person and there were no secrets. Sometimes I was that person, sometimes she was that person. Sometimes it took both of us together to constitute that person."

Samuel Langhorne Clemens with his wife, Olivia Langdon Clemens.

Santa smokes a pipe #52

 

And so does that little guy down in front!