As I slowly work my way through the magnificent Sinatra biography The Chairman, Ava Gardner is already gone by this second book. But there she is on practically every page. She haunts him. He spends fortunes to phone her across oceans.
She drives him to great heights by laying his heart so low on The Wee Hours. He is no Saint. She is no fool.
And there is no other way to say this, but Ava Gardner is a 10. Yeah yeah, putting numbers on people is objectify. True. I’m guilty. But also: FACTS.
You see people from the recent past, celluloid heroes of all archetypes and you say,
“Yeah I guess that was attractive then.”
Norma Jean died her hair and took command of her curves and launched a thousand ships.
“All hail Norma Jean. I bow to you for what you did for Ella.”
But Ava Gardener is the hottest girl in school from ancient Rome to secondary school on Mars.
She drove Sinatra mad. To drink. To…well feel not for Frank. He may have been bagging Monroe when he told an equally distraught Joe DiMaggio that he knew where Monroe was hiding. How he knew…Smokin’ Joe hadn’t thought of that…
An hour later the gang made the gossip columns and a police report for barging into the wrong bungalow stoned out of their minds; piss drunk with violence and vinegar.
Oh so much Tea, so much so politically correct hidden where few will find it in these books. So much toxic everything and imperfection. And great music.
But as the word Dame is still not suitable for its original intent except for Dame Judy Dench…
Ava Gardner is so hot she is burning a hole through Google images.
Mickey Roonie though? Did that guy win a game of Russian Roulette with the Devil? I get Artie Shaw. Artie also married Lana Turner. He was the baddest musician alive for a moment.
But Roonie running through Ava is like Rose from Golden Girls coming home with Michael Jordan, after he Dominique in the dunk contest, for real.
That is not a false equivalency. Oh the emotional labour for having to mansplain this.
– Musician and writer Davin Michael Stedman has many ventures, such as the AMAZING blog, 100milesofmusic.com. Davin’s recent song has become a global earworm and Caribbean dancehall hit. Listen here on Reggaeville: DAVIN MICHAEL STEDMAN & ANTHONY RED ROSE – FREE YOUR MIND FEAT. SLY & ROBBIE WITH LENKY MARSDEN. The video is now available on Youtube: Tuff Gong Television. His single with British band Sherlock Soul is available here.
