Ron Norkus at the Acapulco Mother Hubbard’s (Courtesy of the Norkus family.)
The wheels of life are driven by beautiful mysteries.
On the surface, Ron Norkus had a colorful and wild run on this earth. On the inside, he was driven by a generous heart and a wonderful sense of humor. Mr. Norkus was labeled as an esteemed “1970s Rush Street Hall of Famer” by his pals Jimmy Rittenberg and Johnny Blandino, one of the original general managers of the Palm Restaurant in Chicago.
Mr. Norkus died on Oct. 19 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease at his home in Dallas, Tx. He was 81 years old. He [...]
From left (Quigley, Parker, DeShields, Vandersloot.) Image via Sky in the Chi.
I’ve followed the Chicago Sky since they were founded in 2005.
I remember congenial NBA Hall of Famer Dave Cowens as the WNBA team’s first coach and I entered the franchise “Name the Team” contest. I suggested Skyliners. One of the Sky’s original minority investors was Matthew Knowles, father of then-Destiny Child lead vocalist Beyonce Knowles.
My respect for women’s basketball dates back to my first newspaper job at the Aurora Beacon-News, outside of Chicago. In 1972 I wrote a feature on Title IX, which created an equal [...]
Frank & Mary’s Tavern, 2905 N. Elston. (D. Hoekstra photo)
There used to be a lot of blue-collar bars like Frank and Mary’s in Chicago.
You might walk through the front door under a 44-pound replica muskie in a glass case. A brown “Richard J. Daley Mayor Vote Democratic” shopping bag might sit in a dusty frame near the flickering television near the old tin ceiling. A silver toothpick dispenser might sit in the middle of the bar.
But there’s no right in might.
Brother and sister Frank and Mary Stark opened Frank and Mary’s, 2905 N. Elston in 1972. The muskie, the Daley bag, and [...]
Bo Diddley house, 4746 S. Langley on 9/20/21. Image courtesy of Chicago Fire Department.
There is a gritty beat to the music of Chicago.
It is deeply appointed, carries no pretense, and is something to hold on to. Forever.
In 2004 the late Bo Diddley told me he developed his famous beat when he heard Gene Autry’s “(I Got Spurs That ) Jingle Jangle Jingle” on the radio on the south side of Chicago.
Diddley was born Ellas Bates McDaniel in Mc Comb, Miss. just north of the Louisiana border.
His family moved to 4746 S. Langley in Chicago when he was seven. They wanted him to escape the sharecropper’s [...]
