Blog
March 18, 2013
The start of the open wheel race season is this weekend in Melbourne, Australia with Formula 1. Next weekend we have the IRL in St. Petersburg, Florida. It's time for a racing blog!
Today, we look back at Danica Patrick in 2005 at the Milwaukee Mile's IRL race.
Danica had three years of Toyota Atlantic racing and many years of kart experience. She was now ready for Indy cars. Bobby Rahal and David Letterman took a chance and put her on their team with Buddy Rice as her teammate.
She had a pretty good year winning the Rookie of the Year award and finished 12th in points. Her highlight of the year was the Indy 500 where she started 4th and finished 4th and also led for 19 laps. She was the first woman to lead at Indianapolis in history.
Danica also earned 3 pole positions in 2005. At Milwaukee she started 6th and finished 19th due to an accident.
Thanks to Danica, every little girl was now into racing and Indy cars. I also think that Danica was a popular name for babies in 2005! When these little girls grow up we will find out how many become race car drivers and have the name Danica.
Television ratings went up and so did interest in Indy cars thanks to Danica. Every step of her life was now being followed. Her parents, Bev and TJ, have been her number one supporters.
It is a nice little racing family and I continue to wish them the best of luck even though she is now in NASCAR!
Blog photos for your office or race room are on sale for $50.00 for a limited edition 8 1/2 X 11 archival print. Danica would look nice in your race room. Wouldn't she?
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
March 11, 2013
83 years ago last Saturday, the New York Yankees re-signed Babe Ruth to a two-year contract. It was worth $160,000. I wonder if he liked rock'n'roll?
On February 26, 1975, the rock band Babe Ruth came to Milwaukee. They played a show at the Riverside Theater with the bands StarCastle and fellow English mates Roxy Music.
Janita Haan, the lead singer of Babe Ruth, came out in bare feet and sang and danced away the night! She and her band were awesome! This was a powerful rock band and they proved it that night.
Babe Ruth formed in 1970 and when they came to Milwaukee, their album "First Base" that was released in 1972 was still fresh in everyone's mind. I think it's their best album and the song, "Wells Fargo" is a personal favorite. It was written by Alan Shacklock, the guitarist of the band. Something I learned a few years ago is that Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen"s, E Street Band, played saxophone on "Wells Fargo"!
Two other great songs on that album are "King Kong", written by Frank Zappa and "Black Dog", written by Jesse Winchester.
The band went through some changes and disbanded in 1976 but has reformed a few times and is currently active I hear. Hope they come back our way sometime soon- for maybe Summerfest!!
Seeing these old black and white photos that I took that night brings back some good memories of that show and great English rock 'n' roll bands!
Enjoy some photos of Jennie Haan and her band mates.
Limited edition 8 1/2 X 11 or 8 X 10's are for sale for $50.00 the week of the blog for your home, office or entertainment room.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
March 4, 2013
One could say that this week in Milwaukee is Queen week. "One Night of Queen" with Gary Mullen and the Works is coming to The Northern Lights Theater for a couple of tribute shows on March 6 and 7.
Queen came to Milwaukee's Uptown Theater for a show on March 7, 1975. The Uptown Theater was torn down a long time ago and is now a Milwaukee Police Station! Too bad, because it was a beautiful old movie theater with a lot of history. It was the theater where Bruce Springsteen played and had the famous bomb scare show that I also attended. The Hunter-Ronson band also played a memorable show there.
The Queen show was an evening I will never forget. The show was that good. Freddie Mercury had so much presence on stage and you could tell that he absolutely loved what he did.
I will never forget that show for another reason too. I fell off an equipment case in the pit right in front of the stage when I was taking photos probably because they fogged the stage and I couldn't see! I moved a little to the left to get a better shot and down I went about 4 feet! Still got the shot. The equipment and I were fine!
Also being circulated lately is a concert film of one of the last shows Queen did. Called "Queen, Live in Budapest". It is from a live show on July 27, 1986. It's getting great reviews and is a must see movie for any Queen fan.
You might enjoy going into my blog archives and looking at blogs#19 and #21. They are both about Queen. One features color photos and the other black and white photos.
All Queen photographs are on sale this week, just $50.00 for a limited edition 8 X 10 and 8 1/2 X 11's.
Pick a couple photos out and contact us for some nice prints for your home or office. Have a fun week of Queen memories.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
