Jim (Idols) Tell Her: Monophonic Ringtone

Music Video: Etta James-Tell Mama (1968) [rated 5.00, source: YouTube]
uploaded @ 10-08-2008 by miamiborn

Ms. Etta brings down the house..I love the horns in the song...blaring..and rockin'...real soul! Few R&B singers have endured tragic travails on the monumental level that Etta James has and remain on earth to talk about it. The lady's no shrinking violet; her autobiography, Rage to Survive, describes her past (including numerous drug addictions) in sordid detail. But her personal problems have seldom affected her singing. James has hung in there from the age of R&B and doo wop in the mid-'50s through soul's late-'60s heyday and right up into the '90s and 2000s (where her 1994 disc Mystery Lady paid loving jazz-based tribute to one of her idols, Billie Holiday). Etta James' voice has deepened over the years, coarsened more than a little, but still conveys remarkable passion and pain.

Music Video: Jim Bakkum- Tell her (top of the pops) [rated 4.90, source: YouTube]
uploaded @ 20-08-2007 by vanwilder85

Jim performing tell her

Music Video: Tell her [rated 4.80, source: YouTube]
uploaded @ 18-09-2006 by janickk80

jim bakkum finale idols

Music Video: MY JIM HENSON MUPPETS AUDITION REEL, paging Kevin Clash..... [rated 4.60, source: YouTube]
uploaded @ 04-01-2006 by Geezer

My name is Paul Louis. And I guess you could call me a bitter puppeteer. Actually, I'm not bitter, ... anymore. But here's my story.... This is a demo of me with some puppets I built, showing my puppeteer skills. I sent this to The Jim Henson Company. Kevin Clash (the puppeteer who does Elmo on Sesame Street), saw it and called me at my home to tell me that he really liked it and would hire me directly as a puppeteer. Next to the late Jim Henson himself, Kevin is one of my idols. So needless to say, I was thrilled. It was very surreal, and I thought I dreamt the whole thing. A few days later, when I got the official letter from the Jim Henson Company confirming everything Kevin had said to me on the phone, I knew it was for real. So that was about 4 years ago. And with several unanswered "follow up" letters later (borderlining on stalking the friggin' guy), I'm still waiting to get the "come to work" call. Kevin, I still love ya, but what's the problem? My Muppeteer friends tell me you're very forgetful. Could that be it? You saw my potential, and about 46,000 on YOUTUBE alone have seen it now as well. YOU CALLED ME AT MY HOME, saying over and over "I can't believe you never worked for us"! So I must have done something right in the vid. Correct? .... Oh, what's the use? You know, friends of mine, who are actual Sesame Street and Muppet puppeteers, say that with all the cool accomplishments I've had thus far, I should not even want to work for JH. I should just continue to do my own thing. ....But I still want to. If you've ever had a dream since your early childhood, and have come so close to having it fullfilled, you might understand. I grew up in Queens, NY, in a neighborhood only a few blocks away from Astoria Studios (where they produced Sesame Street). I never tried to go in. I was a shy young kid. But I should have made myself known. I also once worked as an usher at Radio City Music Hall. One day, after a show there, I was kicking up seats as the theater was almost empty. I heard a Kermit-like voice asking me, "Excuse me, can you help me?" I turned around, and it was my idol, Jim Henson. I said "Mr, Henson!". I swear, I was about to ask him if I could audition for him. But he then said, "Can you help me find my daughter. She's 6 and I can't find her". So it was not the right time to ask a very worried father, for work. I took him over to Security, and yes, they found his youngest daughter, Heather. And then years later, this call from Kevin Clash. You know, I guess it really wasn't meant to be, eh? Ok, enough self pity rambling. I've publicly vented now. And I promise I'm not bitter anymore, because I have been blessed with so many other more important treasures. Morale of this long story, have faith, .... in carrying on. (And Rest in Peace, Jim.) ....Pauly