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John Lennon with Yoko Ono and son Sean |
John Winston Lennon
John Lennon's first and last days in New York drew achieved massive media-driven notoriety, such exposure however stood in contrast to the relative anonymity that the city afforded him and he greatly appreciated. Lennon's first appearance with The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show helped propel him to immense popularity in America and New York in particular. In 1971 he made New York his permanent home, praising the city as "what Rome used to be." Lennon spent the final years of his life living in the Dakota Apartments at 1 West 72nd St. with his wife Yoko Ono and his son Sean. Lennon spent much of his time enjoying the Caf� la Fortuna at 69 West 71st Street (recently closed), the 92nd street Y and Central Park where the Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic commemorate his tragic death.
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"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there's be peace."
-John Lennon
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Duke Ellington with his son Mercer
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Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
Duke Ellington first came to work in New York in 1923 and spent the better part of half a century treating eclectic audiences to music that defied distinction. Though he is best remembered as a jazz musician, Ellington resisted this moniker and the connotations that came with it. Instead he preferred to classify music as good or bad-most would agree that his fell into the former category. Ellington and his diverse ensemble were a fixture in New York's most popular clubs from the late 20's onward and he became a recognizable face of the Harlem Renaissance. Duke made his home on the corner of West 106th st. and Riverside Drive, Which has since been renamed Duke Ellington Boulevard. A monument in his honor was built at the northeast corner of Central Park. Duke and his wife Edna Thompson had one son, Mercer, a talented jazz musician in his own right.
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"There are two kinds of worries - those you can do something about and those you can't. Don't spend any time on the latter."
-Duke Ellington
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George Herman "Babe" Ruth
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George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr.
Babe, The Bambino, The Sultan of Swat,
The Wali of Wallop, The Rajah of Rap,
The Wazir of Wham, The Colossus of Clout,
Maharajah of Mash, The Behemoth of Bust,
The King of Swing
Our next father became baseball's all-time home run king in 1921, he would also reign as the proverbial King of New York for the roaring '20's. Babe Ruth's exploits with the New York Yankees are well documented and include winning seven World Series Championships alongside fellow legend Lou Gehrig. In total, Ruth played 15 seasons for the Bronx Bombers during which time he lived primarily in the Upper West Side's Ansonia Hotel at 2109 Broadway. At the time the Ansonia was a popular spot for young athletes and mafia men due to its racy reputation. Nobody took better advantage of the nightlife than the Babe, who was as notorious for his feats of eating and drinking as he was famous for hitting home runs.
Ruth had two adopted daughters, Dorothy and Julia.
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"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."
-Babe Ruth
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Leonard Bernstein and His Daughter Nina |
Leonard Bernstein
(born Louis - changed his name to Leonard at 16)
(he used the pseudonym Lenny Amber at one point)
Leonard Bernstein joins John Lennon as another musically inclined Upper West Sider who came to roost at the Dakota. Bernstein was the son of Russian Immigrants and first came to New York from his native Massachusetts in the 1940's. The aspiring musician made his debut at the New York Philharmonic as a last minute replacement conductor when Bruno Walter came down with the flu; by 1971 he had led the philharmonic orchestra more than 1,000 times. Conducting was far from Bernstein's only talent, the versatile musician also excelled as a pianist and composer of ballet and theatre. Bernstein and his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn, had a son, Alexander, and two daughters, Jamie and Nina.
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"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time."
-Leonard Bernstein
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Robert Moses |
Robert Moses
No other Upper West Side father had more influence on New York City's built environment as Robert Moses. Much of New York as it exists today is a product of Moses' vision. It was under him that most of the City's bridges and highways were built in addition to the United Nations and on the Upper West Side, Lincoln Center. On the one hand Moses was celebrated as "America's greatest builder ... the shaper of the greatest city in the New World" and on the other he was criticized as a manipulative bully who sought to advance the interests of his influential benefactors above all else. Love him or hate him, it is undeniable that the Upper West Side was indelibly changed by Robert Moses. Moses had two daughters, Barbara and Jane.
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"If you elect a matinee idol mayor, you're going to have a musical comedy administration."
-Robert Moses
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Tony Randall with his daughter Julia |
Tony Randall
(born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg)
Our final father proved that fatherhood can begin after age 75. After the passing of his wife of 54 years, Florence, in 1992, Tony Randall remarried to the then-25-year-old Heather Harlan in 1995. The couple produced two children: Julia in 1997, and Jefferson in 1998. Randall began his career as a stage actor, but is best known for his work on television, and starred as Felix Unger in The Odd Couple. His strong personality and beliefs were also well known. A staunch anti-smoking activist, he would not hesitate to pull a cigarette out of the mouth of even the likes of Johnny Carson!
Randall, ever the passionate advocate, was also a great supporter of LW!, and lent his voice as narrator of the Best of the West slideshow in 1988.
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"There is only one thing worse than a man who doesn't have strong likes and dislikes, and that's a man who has strong likes and dislikes without the courage to voice them."
-Tony Randall
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Further Reading on John:
- A Tour of John Lennon's New York
- John Lennon's Decade of Domesticity in New York
- Some Time in New York City John Lennon's Town
- www.johnlennon.com
Further Reading on Duke:
- The highest note In the century since his birth, Duke Ellington has been the most important composer of any music, anywhere
- In The Village Of Harlem Duke Ellington Circle Named In His Honor
- Duke Ellington monument unveiled in Central Park
- www.dukeellington.com
Further Reading on Babe:
- The Babe's home swat home
- The Bambino lives on in Gotham
- The Soaring '20s; From Wall Street to the Chrysler Building, from the Algonquin to the Savoy, New York was where that singular decade happened
- BABE RUTH The Legend Yankee slugger remains larger than life nearly 44 years after death.
- www.baberuth.com
Further Reading on Leonard:
- Leonard Bernstein, the impassioned American maestro who thrilled
- American genius Leonard Bernstein extends the legacy with a new collection
- Leonard Bernstein, 72, Music's Monarch, Dies [Obituary]
- www.leonardbernstein.com
Further Reading on Robert:
- It was his way or the highway
- Writing the Myth Of Robert Moses
- The Battle For Gotham by Roberta Brandes Gratz
- www.robertmoses.com
Further Reading on Tony:
- Preserving Upper West Side History
- Defining A Life By Walking A City
- Tony Randall, 84, Dies; Fussbudget Felix in 'Odd Couple,' He Loved the Stage