Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!

Subject: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Marion
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 02:33 PM

I learned recently that Mahatma Gandhi studied the violin when he lived in England. The biographer wrote this as if it were a bad thing - like it was an example of trying to adopt "white" culture instead of taking pride in his own, which may have some truth to it - but as an aspiring fiddler I thought it was pretty cool.

However, much as I like Gandhi and much as I like fiddles, I have a hard time picturing them together.

Has anybody heard anything about the musical skills of other people who are famous for something other than music - anything surprising, or surprisingly appropriate?

marion

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 05:35 PM

Uh...(big grin) Sherlock Holmes???

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Les B
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 12:20 AM

Thomas Jefferson (early American President) was a fiddler. Also, it was a one-eyed French Canadian fiddler who shot Merriwether Lewis (of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery) in the arse on the return leg of the trip !

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 12:28 AM

Einstein, of course, was a serious fiddler. I suppose we shouldn't include presidential pianists. They could hardly be counted among those possessing "musical skills."

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 12:55 AM

Albert Schweitzer, the humanitarian, Nobel Peace Prisze winner, and organist.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 03:49 AM

There was the famous physicist who was a world class cellist; I can never remember his name, except that it wasn't Heisenberg.

Steve

P.S. It could have been, of course!

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Ana
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 04:00 AM

It's quite possible that violins originated from asia - in many parts of the sub-continent stringed instruments are played with a bow. It is also widely accepted that the "gypsies" of Europe first began their migration from Nth West India (the Rajastan area). Maybe Grappelli and Gandhi shared a gene pool!

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 04:15 AM

Since Steve resisted the old joke, I'll leap in with both feet:
Einstein was a keen, if unskilled, amateur violinist and played with Heifetz who was alleged to have upbraided him:
"The trouble with you, Albert, is you can't count"

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Philippa
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 07:33 AM

I understand Robbie Burns and Thomas Hardy were fiddlers too.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 08:31 AM

Is it true Mother Teresa played a mean cross-harp? And Fidel Castro's bottleneck tiple playing was the talk of Havana's Jug 'o' Rum Club?
Or have I forgotten to take my tablets today?

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 08:37 AM

The painter Ingres was a fine violinist, and in French anyone who has a hobby that they are pretty good at in addition to being exceptional at something else, is called having one's "violin d'Ingres".
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From:
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 07:58 AM

A man was walking through the streets of Gottigen when he passed a music store. Inside, in a prominently placed, locked display case was a plywood guitar and it wasn't in parrticularly good shape either. Nonetheless there were signs on it "Please do not touch" and a burglar alarm. The man was curious so he asked the man behind the counter, "Why do you give such a prominent place to such an unprepossesing guitar?" "Mein Herr," was the answer, "That guitar might have been played by Heisenberg."

Murray

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 11:02 AM

In the Colorado town I used to live in, I belonged, breifly to the local symphony orchestra (quit 'cause I couldn't stand the uninspired conducting!). Anyway, our concert master & the violinist next to him, were both brilliant doctors AND violinists. They both seemd to need the music as a release and were quite passionate about it.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 11:18 AM

One of my absolute faves Samuel Pepys, the Navy bureaucrat was an avid flageoletist. Baseball pitchers Scott Rudinsky and Jack Macdowell are hotshot punk guitarists. Mark Twain of course played a Martin guitar. And lets not forget that professional loony Charlie Manson was a guitarist and songwriter. As to the latter, I have an album of his songs, and he sounded marginally better than most of the people at Toronto's prime open-stage venue, but he certainly never learned his "F" chord!

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 03:16 PM

Steve Martin is, of course, an excellent banjo player (which explains, perhaps, the arrow through the head bit).

Oh, and my cardiologist plays in a touring Celtic fiddle band--I've been trying to get him to come play with the Born Once band.

--seed

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Marion
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 03:55 PM

Rick, two questions:

What's a flageoletist?

What's Toronto's prime open-stage venue? On my last visit to the centre of the universe I went, on a friend's recommendation, to a place called Free Times (near College and Spadina). It was quite nice; I did notice a very high guitar:person ratio and very low woman:man ratio in the room.

Marion

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 04:12 PM

Hi Marion. Sam was a flute tootler. Yup, the Free Times is the place I was referring to. Lots of songwriters, lots of acoustic-electric Takamines, not much room for an audience.
Rick

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: DougR
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 08:32 PM

Thank you Les, I always wondered who fired the shot.

DougR

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Mike Billo
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 11:02 PM

Purveyor of bow ties and anti-semitism, Louis Farrakhan, is a violinist and former calypso singer. Baseball great, Stan Musial is a very GOOD harmonica player(even has his own instructional video). Senator Robert Byrd is a good old-time fiddler.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Mark Clark
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 12:02 AM

I believe Senator Byrd is a fiddler and may even have an album out.

- Mark

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 10:17 AM

Annoying sit-com veteran Jerry Van Dyke can actually play a mean tenor banjo. George Segal as well. Course Jack Lemmon, Steve Allen, and Dudley Moore are actually really good pianists, and Woody Allan is an excellent trad clarinetist.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 10:25 AM

To be pedantic, Dudley was a musician first and a comedian and actor later, but I was impressed by George Segal and Jack Lemmon demonstrating their musical skills on a bbc chat show.
We'll draw a veil over all those pop stars who made disastrous film appearances "Just wanna be an all-round entertainer" !

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 10:36 AM

Bill Clinton can play the saxophone, bomb Iraq, and at the same time.... well, pass.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 10:46 AM

...anyone making jokes about M******** L****** blowing tenors and baritones will be sent to bed with no supper.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Mike Billo
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 10:56 AM

Here's three more examples.

You can hear genocidal tyrant Idi Amin play the piano accordion if you go to http://www.csd.uu.se/~s95pjo and follow the links. As if accordionists didn't have enough to live down already.

Also, L. Ron Hubbard was a harmonica player, and reportedly carried one with him constantly.

I have a tape of Pro Wrestling wildman Captain Lou Albano playing the piano. He plays a beautiful version of "La Vie en Rose" and finishes by screaming " Dat's a bootiful fuckin' song".

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 07:25 PM

Roger, you Zimmer you. Hearing the phrase "I want to be an all round...uh,..uh,..entertainer", makes me laugh out loud. Heather has no idea why, but do you?
Rick

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Susan A-R
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 10:52 PM

Ah yes Sandy, Richard did play piano, didn't he. Anyone else??Also the make up of the New Black Eagles Jas band includes a pediatrician (that great tuba player) a dentist (not sure which, and a few other folks with non musical professions. And don't they occasionally have baseball players singing the SSB at ball games? Seems to me I recently heard one who wasn't half bad. He even hit that high note.

There is a very embarrassing recording of Vermont's own somewhat socialist congressman Bernie Sanders singing. DON't run out and get it, unless you have someone you REALLY don't like.

Susan

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 06:03 PM

We're just good friends.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Sourdough
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 06:39 PM

There was a ventriloquist who I at the age of ten thought was very funny when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Hour. He was a regular, I think he must have been on half a dozen times over the years and then he appeared on all sorts of other variety shows. What was amazing about him was that he seems to have been an engineering genius and has designed some very sophistiacted medical imaging systems that are in use today. (Damn, this would be a lot better story if I could at least think of his dummy's name! Jerry? - I think one of his dummies was a dog with big floppy ears.)

Sourdough

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 06:42 PM

The dummy was Jerry Mahoney, and the dog was Farfel (N..e..s..t...l...l....e....s makes the very best..Choclate! Can't remember the human.
Rick

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 06:43 PM

Jerry Mahoney was one dummy's name; Farfel the dog. Paul Winchell was the ventriloquist -- I did this during my youth (I have an official Jerry Mahoney dummy in an upstairs closet in my parent's home!!!). But I don't remember Winchell being a genius, so maybe it was someone else.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 06:49 PM

Rick is the real person, I am just the dummy.
yours, Peter T. (synchronicity or what?)

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Sourdough
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 06:51 PM

Amazing, two responses within moments and both right on.

Yes, Paul Winchell was the guy I am thinking of. If I have a chance I'll poke about on the Net and see if I can stir up some information.

Sourdough

One of you has an official Jerry Winchell dummy, the other remembers the commercial jingle - I don't need Proust and his Madeline cookie - I've got Mudcat!!

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 07:33 PM

SD: apparently he invented the artificial heart. Here is a link to his official website where it says you can visit with him live, see old clips, relive your childhood, etc., etc and has his bio plus info on the art. heart.

I remember the Nestle ad. That was the only way my parents could get me to drink milk!

Ask and ye shall receive.... at the Mudcat!

here ya go

kat

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Sourdough
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 07:49 PM

Absolutely amazing - Thanks, kat, and did you notice the guest list? Angela Lansbury, Merv Griffin, Dr. Christian Barnard, Henry Heimlich, Edward R. Murrow, etc. Now that is a list of names that I doubt has been put together often in the history of the world.

Sourdough

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 01 Aug 99 - 11:19 AM

Completely amazing -- there's a guy following his own star allright. Totally hilarious web site. Nothing like those shy retiring ventriloquists for you!!!!!!!!!!
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Aug 99 - 01:07 PM

Clint Eastwood is supposed to be an accomplished jazz pianist.

Glad you guys enjoyed the site.

kat

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 04:00 AM

Rick, I kid you not, in the Sunday papers' preview of this year's Edinburgh Festival, Danii Minogue (isn't the doubli "i" Sooo cool?)is to be Lady MacBeth! Coming soon,no doubt, Robbie Williams as King Lear? Several Spice girls in Three Sisters? The World is mad, my masters.:o)

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 05:14 AM

Wow, thanks Kat for the Paul Winchell Home page. This guy totally refused to fade off into obscurity!
Peter. You silly idealistic fool. If ONLY you'd kept your hand firmly up your dummy's behind, perhaps you'd have invented an important artificial organ yourself. Possibly the Hammond B-3.
Now Senor Wences - There was a real genius! 50 years in show biz with one 10 minute act. CLOSE DE BOX!
Rick (the insomniac)

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 05:47 AM

Holy Cow. Jimmy Nelson was the "Farfel Guy", not Paul Winchell. Found this out while looking for Senor Wences (who died this year at 103)
Rick

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: Peter T.
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 02:35 PM

Yes, of course!! What a dummy!!!! I disliked Senor Wences, but my heart was always Shari Lewis's. She could have put her hand up my socks anytime. I am so sorry she is dead.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi the violinist!
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 03:53 PM

Great Christ what a depressing day!!! I was starting to feel better about my boys and this thread, which I finally read, was really great. I had all kinds of things I wanted to say and then you gotta' go and bring up Shari Lewis..........Thanks so much Peter........I'm going out for another root canal.

Spaw