"Hokey Pokey" Co-Author and Scranton Native Robert Degan Dies at 104

Scranton native and co-author of The Hokey Pokey Robert Degan died Monday in Lexington, Kentucky at the age of 104.

An article about Mr. Degan's life and the controversy and mystery surrounding the authorship of The Hokey Pokey appears in today's (Friday, November 27th's) Times-Tribune on pages A1 and A5. To read the article online, click here.

A previous Entertainment Blog entry on The Hokey Pokey can be viewed by clicking here.

The Local History Vertical File (LHVF) for “Music – Hokey Pokey Dance Song” includes Times writer Joseph X. Flannery’s editorials, as well as a photocopy of a letter to Degan from the US Copyright Office confirming its true authors. The LHVF can be viewed in the Reference Department of Albright Memorial Library.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to Mr. Degan's family.

Long Live the Queen by Lisa Lampanelli (2008/2009)

Lisa Lampinelli is a top name on the comedy circuit; she even played Wilkes-Barre's FM Kirby Center on May 2, 2008. Her humor has often been described as raunchy, vulgar, and extremely un-PC. My brother is a HUGE fan of hers and lent me her most recent comedy CD, 2009's Long Live The Queen, this past weekend. In between my huge guffaws and expressions of shock, I was also pleasantly surprised to hear her say "Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania" on one of the track.

Long Live The Queen is taken from Lisa Lampanelli's very first HBO special of the same name, which was recorded on November 21, 2008 in Santa Rosa, CA and first aired on HBO on January 31, 2009. The live CD and DVD of the performance were both released on March 31st, 2009.

Track number 8 on the CD, titled "Bagging A Bear," details Lisa's very first date with a professional athlete, a player for the Chicago Bears; in Lisa's words, the date was a "one hour stand". She then expresses some words of wisdom gained from her experience to her audience:

"So seriously, Santa Rosa b____s, BEWARE!
Tonight you'll get some good lovin'. HMMPF.
The next night, you'll be on stage in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania!"

Much thanks to my brother JR for this reference.