Living Large And Loud - The Ups and Downs of Professional Grifter Kimberly Guilfoyle

Saturday, October 17th,  2026

I'll say one thing about KImberly Guilfoyle.

This Woman has led one Hell of an Interesting and Entitled Life so far.

Although these days it seems as though Kimberly is facing more Downs Than Ups it has not always been this way.

Kimberly started her life as the daughter of a rather well to do San Francisco businessman. Anthony Guilfoyle, who along with being Kimberly's dad was also, according to California Governor, Gavin Newsom's excellent Autobiography, "Young Man In a Hurry" one of Newsom's most trusted political advisors.

Even though Kimberly is not exactly ugly these days the Then and Now Photos of Kimberly clearly show that back in the day when she was married to Newsom for Four years she was nothing short of a Knockout - Extremely Beautiful.

These days- Eh, Not so much.  She has obviously had some serious questionable plastic surgery resulting in puffy lips and what some people call "Mara Lago Face".  Not Good.

Many years after living comfortably in Gavin Newsom's Liberal World, Kimberly Guilfoyle seemed to have had a complete change in Personality and World View and completely abandoned Liberal Society for the Comfort of Fox News, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Junior and Conservative Society.  

Although Newsom certainly had a perfect opportunity in his book to trash his Ex he pretty much had fairly positive things to say about her. He did point out, however, that his mother and his sister were not particularly fond of Kimberly although they apparently did not express their reservations to Newsom early on.  Newsom's sister indicated that she felt that Kimberly's need for attention was "over the top" and could never seem to be met to Kimberly's satisfaction.

Newsom and Guilfoyle cited problems with their long distance relationship as the main reason for getting divorced, although the fact that Kimberly was already pregnant with her next husband's child would have to be considered a factor in the downfall of their marriage. Kimberly was married to Eric Villency for Five Years after she and Newsom divorced.

Following her marriage to Gavin Newsom Kimberly began a career in television which was initially successful.  She worked at Court TV and Fox News for awhile until problems cropped up with Fox News.  She was apparently pressured into resigning after Fox News had to shell out 4 Million Dollars to an Assistant of Guilfoyle's at the network who accused Guilfoyle of Sexual Harassment and other improprieties.

Guilfoyle went on to date Donald Trump Junior and became an insider in the Trump Organization. She had some responsibilities regarding finances for the 2020 Re Election Efforts for Donald Trump.  

Guilfoyle was even asked to speak at the 2020 Republican Convention which was essentially a Televised Convention Special due to Covid.  Guilfoyle received a lot of Negative Attention for her Excessively Loud Convention Speech which some called "Unhinged".  Clearly at this point things were going well for Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Junior.  They were buying houses together and it was announced that they were engaged to be married.

Then something Happened.

What happened was the revelation in 2024 that Donald Trump Junior was now dating a Palm Beach Socialite named Bettina Anderson. who he has recently married in a controversial Ceremony largely paid for by a Russian Oligarch and close associate of Vladimir Putin.

Apparently as a Consolation Prize for getting cruelly Jilted in Public by the President's son, Donald Trump appointed Kimberly Guilfoyle to be Ambassador to Greece. Greece was certainly not a bad place to be sent when someone is trying to get rid of you.

But as was the case in other situations in which Guilfoyle always seemed to have self created problems with her jobs, it was revealed recently that while she was being considered for Confirmation to be Ambassador to Greece she was begging a Trump Donor named Eric Deter for 100 Thousand dollars to pay off her American Express Card and instructing him how to do it without leaving a paper trail that could be discovered.

Whoops, She did it again.

I'm sure that Kimberly Guilfoyle probably thought that this was no big deal.  Within the Trump Klan 100 Thou is Chump Change to the Grifter in Chief.  

But that is him, Kim, not you.  You have to keep your nose clean and Grift from somebody who is not going to reveal your Grift to MSNOW.

There are, of course other allegations, as well, and as of today Donald Trump is searching for another Ambassador to Greece.

I wouldn't worry too much about Kimberly Guilfoyle, though.  Now that she has joined the ranks of other Women dumped by Donald Trump like Kristi Noem, Tulsi Gabbard & Pam Bondi She will probably get a Tell All Book Deal from some publisher that will undoubtedly solve her financial problems for good.

And I'll be honest.  I can't wait to read it.  

I hope she will be as kind to Gavin Newsom in her book as he was to her in his book.

But to tell you the truth, I don't expect that to happen.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher                   

 

The Senate Judiciary Kangaroo Committee Crucifixion Of Jack Smith

Monday October 12th, 2026

 

My Dear America:

WOW

These Republican Senators just don't get it.

But they are going to get it on Election day in November of 2026. They are going to get it good, or bad, depending on how you look at it

The recent Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in which Former Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith was scheduled to testify was, to use some of Donald Trump's Favorite Descriptions  A Hoax and a Witch Hunt.

Unfortunately for the Republican Senators who were clearly hopelessly unprepared for the onslaught that they planned to unleash on the testifying Prosecutor, Smith was ready for them and he was not willing to become their Witch or their Bitch.  

While the Republicans on the Committee lashed out unmercifully against Jack Smith, he calmly told the truth about why he was there in the first place.  He told the committee members that in his legal judgement Donald Trump had broken the law on January 6th of 2021 by unleashing a destructive Mob to disrupt the Capitol and prevent the legal proceedings that would certify Joe Biden as the Elected President of the United States.   Smith also stated that Trump was also guilty of  illegal theft of Top Secret Government Files which he was found with at Mara Lago and refused to return to the United States Government.

While I am sure that Republican Senators didn't intend This hearing to go the way it did I can't see that anyone who watched even a little bit of these Committee Proceedings could have seen anything that Republicans could be proud of.  

As Americans continue to see lives and munitions wasted on an unnecessary war in Iran that continues to jack up prices on Gas and Food Items I doubt that anyone watching this Committee Meeting's public display of Republican Fealty to a man who doesn't deserve it can feel good about it.

Clearly Republicans are not recognizing how out of touch they are in trying to punish Jack Smith for doing an excellent job in getting the goods on Donald Trump which was what he was hired to do.  

Although I didn't see the entire Committee Hearing I heard enough to make me sick to death that we have to put up with this ridiculous ass kissing behavior on the part of the Republican Committee Members toward Donald Trump.  The worst offenders that I observed were Josh Hawley, John Kennedy, Eric Schmitt and Darlene Graham. Graham's attack on Smith was especially inappropriate since she has shown herself to be an especially know nothing Senator who has a hell of a lot of nerve making judgements on someone as accomplished as Jack Smith.

What in holy hell do these Republican Senators think they are doing. It is perfectly clear that Jack Smith did the job that he was hired to do and he did it appropriately.  Even if he hadn't done a good job No American today is focused on that.  The American People do not want to hear any more about whether or not Donald Trump won or didn't win the Presidency in 2020.  Cory Booker put it best when he pointed out that it was clear that the truth was that Donald Trump lost the election in 2020.

Who in the hell cares about that when America may be on the brink of bankruptcy or even extinction due to Donald Trump spending money like a drunken sailor on monuments to himself while Americans can't afford to buy gas or groceries.  

I challenge any American voter to please look up this Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting from 9/29/26 on You Tube and determine for yourself Which side you are on this November.

Clearly Republicans realize that they are stuck with Trump for now and they are shameless in their adulation for a man who is clearly going to sink their party in November and is sinking the entire country right now.  

Thank God there were some Democrats including Cory Booker, Adam Schiff, Amy Klobuchar and Sheldon Whitehouse sitting in on these proceedings and reacting appropriately to the insanity of the Republican Party in 2026. 

God Bless us all in 2026.  We are certainly going to need God's Blessing as this year continues.

I Loved the fact that Jack Smith showed up at the "Power To The People Concert" wearing a Bruce Springsteen "Land Of Hope And Dreams" sweatshirt and was acknowledged by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.

When Donald Trump's attempt to put on a concert couldn't get even get off the ground, sometime E Street Band member Tom Morello organized a Musical Democracy Celebration that was truly outstanding Musically and was incredibly well attended and broadcast on You Tube through MSNOW. 

I Just Have to Say That I Can Feel That Blue Wave Coming.  

Life Is Good Sometimes

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

A Saturday Of Family And Music In My New Home Town Of Havertown Pennsylvania

Monday, September 28th, 2026

My Dear America:

Although I had one issue with plugging in an Electric Heater and apparently causing the electricity in my new Apartment to shut off, My Landlord reacted quickly and my Electricity was restored right away.

Other than that annoying glitch, things have been falling into place in my new digs in Havertown, Pa. It was a bit sad to leave my long time home in Allentown, PA where I lived with my Wife since the Eighties and we raised 2 Daughters but the time had come and last weekend thanks to my daughter, I moved a great deal of my stuff to Havertown.  I drove down to Havertown the next day, Monday because I have issues with driving at night these days.  LED Lights make it a bit hard for me to see at night so I pretty much stay off the roads when its dark. 

I know I'm going to miss my relatives and Friends who still live in the Lehigh Valley but there are some definite advantages to living down here in Havertown and I found that out last Saturday.  I got a call from my one of my daughters early Saturday Morning inviting me to go to breakfast with her and her sister and my 2 youngest Granddaughters.  Although the day was rainy I had my umbrella ready and easily walked the half block or so to meet them at the restaurant.  It was wonderful to spend time with them and the Western Omlette Breakfast was outstanding.  They all walked with me back to my Apartment which my one daughter had not seen furnished yet and we chatted for a bit and had a nice time.  My Granddaughter who had already provided me with Artwork was pleased to see one of her drawings already on display, thanks to her Aunt.

It was truly a nice start to my first Saturday as a full fledged Resident of Havertown, PA.  I had in mind a rather laid back Day and in many respects that's what it was.  It had been a fun start to the day since any day spent with my Daughters and Granddaughters is a Great Day in my book.  But there was more to come.

I knew that Saturday, September 26th was the date scheduled for Farm Aid, the Annual Fund Raising Concert put on by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews that I had watched online on occasion in the past several years.  I checked on my new Computer and found that Farm Aid was being broadcast over You Tube so I tuned in.

Once again during the day Farm Aid was exposing some extraordinary talent on the Farm Aid Stage most of whom were not yet well known artists. Although I watched and enjoyed the Farm Aid lineup throughout the day I realized that at 7:30 one of my daughters had bought a ticket for me to attend a concert at "The Kelly Center" called "Imagine Lennon" that celebrated John Lennon and music of the Beatles.  

As 7:30 approached I was watching all that I could of Margo Price performing at Farm Aid but eventually realized that it was time to get to the Kelly Center.  I don't know why I thought that there would still be seats available for this show but I found out when I hustled around the corner to the Kelly Center that the show was sold out and there were no seats left.  Luckily for me Tom Kelly, the Gentleman in charge of the Kelly Center came up with a chair for me and I settled in to enjoy the show.

It was clear from the First Downbeat that the group that was presenting this tribute to Jahn Lennon and the Beatles clearly had done it before and knew exactly what they were doing. They were sensational.

The leader of the group looked and sounded like John Lennon with a few miles on him. He played Guitar and Piano.  There was a Bass player and a Rickenbacker Electric Guitar player.  Both of them were good harmony Singers, as well.  The Keyboard Player was terrific and had a grin on his face throughout the show.  This guy was having a hell of a good time from start to finish.  The drummer was as skilled as they come and to add to all that there were three excellent horn players, two sax players and one trumpet player.  

The group played an exceptionally long set with no breaks and the Audience of Beatle Lovers was thrilled and appreciative of the extraordinary performance that they had seen and heard.

After the Kelly Show I quickly returned to my Apartment where Farm Aid was still going on.  I was thrilled to find that still to come on Farm Aid was Neil Young and Willie Nelson and Family.

It occurred to me as I watched Neil first and then Willie and Family That both Neil and Willie were still outstanding performers but even though they played well both of these performers were not at the peak of their performance as singers. They had both seen better days as performers but that wasn't really the point of what was happening now.  These two Old Timers were not done yet with their careers or with helping out the Family Farmers Of America and certainly Old Neil Young and Old Willie Nelson was certainly better than No Neil Young or No Willie Nelson., at all

I watched what was left of Saturday Night Live after Farm Aid ended and went to bed feeling pretty happy about my First Saturday as a Resident of Havertown, Pennsylvania.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher  

Memories Of September 11th, 2001 - Twenty Five Years Down The Line - Lessons Learned

Monday, September 14th, 2026 

My Dear America:

We just recently celebrated September 11th, 2026.  Twenty Five Years have gone by since that Awful Day when You and I, America, woke up to find that we had been invaded by Terrorists and following that day we would never be the same again.

My Memories of that day are mainly quick flashes of things that occurred throughout the day on 9/11/01.

I have one strong memory and that is that the day was an incredibly beautiful day.  The weather was gorgeous.  The sun was shining.  It wasn't too hot or too cold.  It was just right, the kind of day that you hope to wake up to every day of your life.

I was sleeping soundly and was not planning to get up too soon because I didn't start work until after lunch. Sandy was suddenly shaking me and seemed to be upset.

"What's Wrong," I asked her as I woke up.

"Get Up." she said.  "You have to see this," she continued.  "My mother called me and told me to turn on the television and I did.  It's horrible.  Somebody just crashed their plane into the World Trade Center.

I don't recall if I had ever even heard the words World Trade Center before but I certainly didn't know much about it or even where it was until I came out to our living room and watched what we thought had to be an accident as a quick flash on TV showed what appeared to be a plane hitting a large building which announcers told us was in New York.  We were not the only ones watching the World Trade Center and thinking that it was an accident.  Probably a small plane hitting the World Trade center. The talking heads on TV were convinced it was an accident too.  It had to be an accident, we thought.

And then The Second Plane hit the second building in the World Trade Center Complex and nobody continued to think that either of these plane crashes were accidents anymore.

Over the past few days and into the weekend much has been said about the events of September 11th, 2001 and will continue to be said abut this important Historical Event that shook You to your core, America.  

We know a lot about 9/11 now but that was not the case in 2001 When the Twin Towers were destroyed, The Pentagon was also hit and a little later in the morning the passengers and crew of Flight United 93 apparently fought back against the terrorists who commandeered their plane that was reportedly heading for the Capitol Building in Washington to crash into it.  Fortunately for Congress but not the United 93 Passengers that plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

We didn't know it at the time that this highly organized bit of madness was a once and done effort to destroy more than a little bit of American Democracy.  It looked at the time like a well coordinated First Strike at our country that could just be the beginning attack that might be followed by continued tong term orchestrated violence on American soil.

Clearly none of us knew what in the hell was happening at the time.

What September 11th of 2001 turned out to be was the first day of the first battle of the "War On Terror" that the George W. Bush Administration initiated following the 9/11 terror attacks.  Although looking back on it these days we can clearly see that mistakes were made following September 11th and that Wars were initiated that caused more problems than they solved.  

These days when we see a straight up Fascist in the White House we tend to forgive George Bush for some of his sins because we recognize that although he made some serious mistakes his intentions at the time appeared to be good.

We certainly could have done without the Forever War in Afghanistan and the damn near forever War in Iraq.  But on the other hand Bush was handed a situation that he clearly had to respond in some way to and he did the best he could.  

While it is easy to find fault with much of what the Bush Administration did in hindsight in response to September 11th, back in 2001 it was not clear to anyone back then what the right path was.

At the time that George W. Bush established the Department of Homeland Security it appeared to be the right thing to do in response to 9/11.  These days, however, as we watch the Trump Administration continue to turn ICE and the FBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies into Gestapo like tools of cruelty and chaos it is difficult to observe these agencies as they spin out of control on the streets of America.

Today in our Country We are no longer quite as worried about our destruction from ISIS or Al Quida or some other foreign Terrorist Organization destroying us from the skies as we were in 9/11.

Today in our Country we have more to worry about from those Americans who don't crash our planes into our buildings but appear to be intent on crashing our Democracy from within.

We certainly had been warned by many American Writers over the years from Sinclair Lewis to Norman Mailer and Hunter S. Thompson that one day we might be faced with a Fascist in the White House with very bad intentions.

The worst has happened.  Donald Trump has somehow weaseled his way back into the White House and as long as he is in there we are all up Shits Creek. We are no longer so concerned about Death Planes In the sky.  Our concerns now are more focused on Death Squads in our Cities.

The Vermin are no longer only "Over There". They are also running loose in the White House, In the Republican Halls of Congress and even in the Supreme Court.

And we are running out of time to stop them from turning the United States from a Two Hundred and Fifty Year Old Democracy  into a Russian Patsy State.  

Please Everyone Consider this, Every time you hear Donald Trump running his mouth about Communists Please consider the fact that every time he talks about Putin and Xi he praises them.  If Trump was Anti Communist How come he loves all these Communist Leaders.

Wake the hell up America and Smell the Treason before its too late. 

We are running out of chances to save our Democracy.  

We do have one more chance in November to vote out those Republicans who have been willing to allow Donald Trump to run Roughshod over Democracy for the past year and a half in America.

Let's Vote and Let's hope we are not too late to save Democracy in America.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

On The Second Anniversary I Have Spent Without You, Sandy

 September 1st, 2026

Dear Sandy:

Today, September First, 2026 is the Second Anniversary of our Wedding in 1979 that I have spent without you.  You passed away on June 9th of 2025 and although I thought I was doing Okay throughout that first year alone I discovered on the Anniversary of your death this year that I had been kidding myself. Since I realized that it had been a year without you I have found myself getting much more deeply depressed than I had been previously.

It is on holidays or anniversaries like today that it really hits me that you are gone, really gone and will never be coming back.  

I start to have visions of the morning you died and collapsed on the bathroom floor and the EMS People worked on you for a long time before taking you to the hospital.  I remember two Doctors coming into the room where I was waiting and I knew what they were going to say before they said it.

"We did everything we could but she didn't make it."

I began to feel faint but they put me in a wheelchair and admitted me to the emergency Room to check my vital signs and my sugar level.  When our daughter arrived we both went to see you and we were both astounded by how beautiful and peaceful you looked.

A lot has happened since you sailed away to heaven.

Our daughter took me down to her new home in Havertown for the week after we left the hospital.  I'm sure you would be very proud of our daughters and our other relatives who have all been very kind and considerate to me since you passed.  I have spent a good deal of time with our daughters and their families over the past year.  Actually both of our daughters and their families now live in Havertown, which is on the Main Line right on the outskirts of Philadelphia.

I will be moving to Havertown myself shortly.  I just signed a lease on a very nice but very small Apartment very close to "The Kelly Center" which is modeled after the "Godfrey Daniels" Music Club that has operated for years in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  The Kelly Center has a lot of musical happenings that I hope to take part in.

I know you will be happy for me but also a little jealous at the same time.  In a way I will be living your dream of residing closer to your daughters and granddaughters.  I know that this was your dream and I'm so sorry that it didn't come true for you.  Although you wanted to move closer to the girls you loved our house and all of the pictures and antiques in it.  I love our house too but I am willing to give up what I need to to be closer to our daughters and granddaughters.

Shortly after your Funeral Celebration Our daughter was able to set me up with a program called Grief Share.  This program is a national program that is generally conducted through local churches.  Grief Share was helpful to me to help me see that I was not alone in my grief.  There were several other people in the program who had also lost people close to them.

I was also very lucky in the past year to find a place to play my guitar and sing close to home on certain Saturday mornings.  The place was a health food restaurant called Cafe 23 in Emmaus, Pa.  

All in all it has been a very lonely year for me.  Although neither of us was in the greatest shape for the past few years We had each other to hang out with, to talk to and to watch Television with and even sometimes get stoned with each other.  I have loved you for a long time and will always love you and know that I was lucky enough to love you and have you in my life for a long time.  I know that my time on this earth is limited.  Your death has taught me that.  But in the time that I have left I will always have your love and life to look back on and realize how lucky I was to love you and share a life with you for as long as I had you in my life.

I miss you like crazy but I will never regret sharing the love that we had for each other during the time that we had together.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher   

A Review Of The Book "Regime Change" By Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan

August 20th, 2026

My Dear America:

I had initially wanted to write a Post and Podcast titled "Flight of The TACO" because I truly thought that Donald Trump's disgusting behavior regarding putting his staff and journalists in grave danger without the decency to notify them of that danger was in my mind a new Low. I changed my mind about that, however, because I just finished reading "Regime Change" and feel compelled to write a Review of that Important, Compelling and Highly Disturbing Book.

Here Goes.

Title: Regime Change

Authors: Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

464 Pages

Every page of the book "Regime Change" is both Highly Interesting and Highly Disturbing.

Much of what Authors Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan write about in this book is not exactly new.  We have all seen over the past year and a half what Donald Trump has done to demolish and denigrate much of what we have come to Respect and Understand about America during the past Two Hundred and Fifty Years of American Democracy.  What these two Authors add to the story of Trump's First Year of Trump Unleashed in his Second (Possibly Stolen) Term is the addition of Background Information which, in almost every case turns what we all knew even more disturbing than we thought it was in the first place.

Haberman and Swan are both truly professional Journalists and show it throughout the book.  Both are seasoned writers who seem to have some significant sources who are in extremely close contact with some of the important movers and shakers in the Trump Administration.  

Both of the Authors are presently employed as Journalists for the Prestigious and highly respected New York Times Newspaper and both have covered the White House beat for several years.  Each chapter of the book adds background to the Trump White House Story and most chapters give background information on many of the backroom deals and many individuals who advise Trump and carry out his often questionable orders including, among others Stephen Miller and Stephen Cheung.

Haberman and Swan Write each chapter and section of the book with surprising clarity in their description of incidents and individuals involved in White House matters.

As Haberman and Swan describe much of what has gone on in the Second Trump Administration it appears as though  in many matters regarding the Trump Administration Nobody seems to know what they are doing because Trump  changes his mind  constantly regarding what he wants done.  This tendency has embarrassed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance often.

One of the more interesting stories regarding Rubio and Vance in the book occurred at a Dinner Party Trump gave for Fox News And Wall Street Journal Executive, Rupert Murdoch.  While everyone was at the dinner table Trump asked Murdoch who he preferred to see run for President in 2028, Rubio or Vance. Murdoch tried to be noncommital but did say that he thought that Marco was "Brilliant".

Haberman and Swan seemed to have the backstories for Ice and Iran nailed down pretty well in the book.

All in all "Regime Change" is a rather horrifying and unsettling look at life in the United States during the Second Coming of Donald Trump.

Although the entire book is a terrifying look into the inner workings of the Trump White House it appears to me as though the most terrifying part of the text is the Epilogue which describes Haberman and Swan's efforts to get an interview with Donald Trump, which at first he refused to give them.

When Trump did finally agree to meet with the Authors of "Regime Change" he spent much of the time comparing his power to some of the most vicious and violent leaders that ever lived including Alexander The Great, The Caesars, William the Conqueror, Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun and Napoleon, as well as Putin, Xi and Kim Jong Un.  Trump pointed out to the Authors that he saw himself  as much more powerful than any of these leaders as he led the United States.  

As Haberman and Swan ended their interview Trump went off on Maggie Haberman telling her that "I know that your book will be critical, but remember this: People are tired of your bullshit. Always criticizing."

It was a chilling end to the interview but to her credit and to the credit of Jonathan Swan These two outstanding Journalists have continued to write stories critical of the man who sees himself as the most powerful Leader who ever lived.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher      

                                                                                                                                           

Musikfest Is Over For 2026 - Long Live Musikfest

 

My Dear America:

There Is nothing in the world as thrilling to a musician as looking out from a  Musikfest Stage into a sea of faces enjoying the weather and also enjoying the music being performed on that Musikfest stage.  It has been a long while now since I have had that feeling but I confess that every year at Musikfest time I miss that musical thrill that came with every Good Performance in those long ago days when I was lucky enough to play at Musikfest with my Musical Buddies in "The Earth Riders" or with "The Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society."   

I realize that very few people outside of Pennsylvania and New Jersey might have ever heard of Musikfest or have been to Musikfest but regardless this 43 Year old, 16 Stage, 11 Day FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL continues to break attendance records every year that it is presented and the weather cooperates.

This Past Year, 2026 was a banner year for Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  The music was overall pretty awesome and the weather was pretty awesome too.  As hard as it is to believe almost all of the concerts are free.  There is one stage, The Wind Creek Stage which features pretty well known acts and charges for them.  This year many of those well known acts like TI and da baby were not well known to me.  I had heard of John Mullaney, however.  He was the first Well Known Comic that I recall playing Musikfest.  There were some free stages this year, however, featuring mainly locally known comics.

Music presented at Musikfest includes all kinds of music.  The Festplatz Stage has always featured some polka music (Not my cup of tea) but these days it features other types of music as well. Rock - Folk Rock - Blues - Jazz - Bands that performed Tributes to Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band and The Grateful Dead were also featured this year.

In addition to the thrill of playing at Musikfest with my bands back in the day I have had some wonderful experiences and memories not only this year but in many past years as well.  This year I made it to Musikfest a couple of times.  On the first Friday of Musikfest when it was hellishly hot I sought refuge from the heat in the Artsquest Building at the Frank Banko Ale House, which is a Movie Theater with Comfortable Seats and Air Conditioning.  During Musikfest  this theater changed its name to the Lutron Jazz Cabaret and featured an Excellent Jazz Band called "Doctor, Doctor". One Doctor played great Jazz Guitar and the other Doctor looked outstanding as she sang mainly Jazz Standards. Other talented members of the band were a trumpet player, A bass player and a Percussionist.  They were terrific and so was the air conditioning.

I had such a good time at the Jazz Cabaret that I decided last Tuesday to go to see a Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band, called "Yesterdays Gone" on the north Side of Bethlehem at the Zinzenplatz Staqe.  Unfortunately for me I was cheap enough to decide not to pay the 10 dollars to ride the bus from the South Side of Bethlehem to the North Side of the City where the concert was .  I forgot, for the moment, that I am 83 Years old and I recalled the good old days when it was no big deal for me to walk across the bridge over the Lehigh River To get to the North Side Musikfest Stages.  When I was Halfway across the Bridge I realized that I had made a big mistake and after briefly watching what I could see and hear of the band I figured I had better head back across the bridge again.  I made it back to my car without being hospitalized but just barely.  God, how I missed that Air Conditioned Jazz Cabaret.

After my disastrous experience on Tuesday night I decided to watch the rest of Musikfest on TV at my home on the Service Electric  Cable Network that was broadcasting 3 different Musifest channels during Musikfest.  Although it wasn't quite as exciting as actually being at Musikfest, It was air conditioned and I was able to see and hear the festivities fine on my TV Set.

I had a lot of great Family Times at Musikfest in the past.  I missed that this year.  But as I look back through my memories of Musikfest I am impressed by the fact that in this strange and desperate time we are living through when it is difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to get through the day without a feeling of dread about what is happening in our country and in the world there are still some wonderful things happening.  One of those wonderful things is Musikfest.

Musikfest has been providing this incredible Free Music Festival for over Forty Years and it has always been incredible.  It is extremely well organized and seems to have a dedicated group of Volunteers who return to serve their neighbors at Musikfest year after year. This year I heard of a  couple who formerly lived in Bethlehem but moved to Florida.  This couple volunteered at Musikfest when they lived locally and still return from Florida every year to volunteer at Musikfest.

Although I have seen countless really great Performances at Musikfest There are a few that really stand out in my memory. Crosby, Stills and Nash cost money but they were worth every penny.

Believe it or not The Everly Brothers played at Musikfest for Free in the early days of Musikfest and although they had a little difficulty hitting the high notes on some songs They were Historic.

Speaking of Historic I will never forget walking around Musikfest one year back in the Eighties and hearing this group rocking out sounding like they invented Rock and Roll.  When the band took a break I began  to talk to the guys in the band and found out that the band was called "The Sun Rhythym Section" and was made up of only musicians who had played on Sun Recording Sessions with the likes of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.  They had, in fact, invented Rockabilly Music.

The truth is that I know that there are already too many people who attend Musikfest and I am not anxious to see a lot more people showing up in Bethlehem at Musikfest time.  But I also feel as though Musikfest is such a special gift to those of us who live in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania that it is only right to share this Magical Musical Experience with our Brothers and Sisters in America.

So if you missed Musikfest this year do yourself a favor and plan to be in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania next August to enjoy the incredibly American Experience of Musikfest.  I promise you that you won't regret it.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher