BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Merciful heavens, where does one begin on last weekend's festivities? Riverbend? The stars above? Oldies stars and their Beanie Babies?
PARTY NO. 1: There's a new star in the heavens. Well, an old star with a new name.
Anne Zaring, who's stepping down as board chair of the Cincinnati Film Commission, was honored on a surprise boat ride Friday.
Centerpiece of the evening? Film Commission director Lori Holladay bought naming rights to a star -- a real one; there's a national service that does that -- and named it Anne Zaring. Holladay also rewrote and sang: "When you wish upon a star, make sure it's Anne's." According to Zaring, the star is near the Little Dipper and "sort of visible on a clear night."
Also according to Zaring, she was surprised, even though lots of people knew it was coming. "I was surprised," she said, "and I felt good."
So good that she didn't do well stepping down: She'll join co-chair Sherie Marek running the Oct. 24 Film Commission Halloween do: Hollywood Reely -- A Spirited Evening of Film, Phantoms and Fantasy. All this and only one mishap: Dick Weiland, who hasn't missed a party since the Truman administration, missed the party. Arrived just as the boat was leaving. But he's a trooper: He was waiting to party at the dock when the boat returned.
PARTY NO. 2: Two people who really wanted to do Riverbend last weekend for the Cincinnati Pops' 70th birthday do for Rosie Clooney were Virgil and Pauline Holmes of Dayton, Ky.
Turns out their first date was Aug. 7, 1947. They went, of all places, to Coney Island's Moonlight Gardens, to hear, of all people, Rosie Clooney. Back then, she was singing with sister Betty and the Tony Pastor Band. "But they had to stop singing at midnight because of Ohio law. I think Betty was 17."
Holmes doesn't remember the night's song titles, but does remember that "it was all big band. That was right after the war and big band was everywhere."
He had planned on going Friday or Saturday, "but it's just one of those unfortunate things -- my health and the weather didn't work together. I have a heart condition and can't take the heat."
Nevertheless, he is proof a Clooney show is a great way to start a marriage: He and Pauline celebrate their 48th anniversary in October.
PARTY NO. 3: Never let it be said that visiting shows don't pump in the bucks . . .
Referring here to Saturday's OldiesFest at Festival Park, where WGRR-FM brought in a ton of oldies acts for a huge freebie with more than 50,000 fans. What they saw onstage was singing and dancing. What they didn't see . . .
Oldies singer Sonny Geraci ("Time Won't Let Me") eat a dozen Gold Star coneys in one sitting and like them so much he ordered a case a month shipped to his home.
Sam Moore (Sam and Dave), an avid Beanie Baby collector, spend more than $1,000 at a Beanie booth on festival grounds. (Mike Brumm of Ohio Express spent $1,000 at the same booth.)
About 25 show folk did dinner Friday at Bravo Cucina in Mason. Fine, except for Martha Reeves, who eats only lobster. You don't understand, her server said, we don't have lobster. No, you don't understand, Reeves said, "I'm having lobster." Bravo's sent someone shopping and she got her lobster.
Johnny Rivers had promoter Rob Riggsbee on the phone asking Italian restaurants to stay open after hours because he wanted to eat at midnight.
Riggsbee convinced Ciao Cucina. Rivers and band appeared about 12:30 a.m. and ate plenty.
Psst! appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
KNIPPENBERG ARCHIVE
