Who can turn the world on with her smile?

We are saddened by the news that the remarkably innovative American television idol Mary Tyler Moore has departed for Fabulon...

Surprisingly survived by all three of her major female co-stars: Cloris Leachman, Betty White and the ailing Valerie Harper - and even by the venerable Dick Van Dyke - hers was nevertheless the persona that provided all of them with the springboard they needed to launch (or re-launch) their own careers.

Much, much more than just a former-dancer-turned-actress (she was certainly memorable in Thoroughly Modern Millie - and was even nominated for an Oscar for her role in the weepie Ordinary People), Miss T-M turned out to be a shrewd businesswoman when (with her ex) she established her MTM Enterprises (which, in addition to Mary's own "spin-off" series Rhoda, Phyllis and Lou Grant, was responsible for producing top shows such as Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele and St. Elsewhere ).

She was born for showbiz! And proved it often in the most unexpected way...

Mary Tyler Moore - I'll Make A Man Of You

RIP Mary Tyler Moore (29th December 1936 – 25th January 2017)

It's better than being a party-poop

Mr Cy Coleman, whose 87th birthday it would have been tomorrow, wrote a whole raft of our favourites from the Great American Songbook - not only those in one of my fave musicals Sweet Charity, such as Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now and There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This, but also such standards as The Best is Yet to Come, Nobody Does It Like Me, It's Not Where You Start (It's Where You Finish), You Fascinate Me So, Hey, Look Me Over and Witchcraft.

But on this Tacky Music Monday it's an interesting version of one of his "novelty songs" (more familiar in its rendition by Miss Peggy Lee, of course) to which we turn to cheer us up as we stagger back to the office...

Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore and Sylvia Lewis - The Doodlin' Song

Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman, 14th June 1929 – 18th November 2004)

Read my tribute to Mr Coleman on his 80th.

Have a good week...

Would you Adam and Eve it?

It's the very last Tacky Music Monday of 2013, folks, and I have found a corker to end our year of tackiness - although my recent posts featuring Regine and Tony Martin were contenders, we turn instead to yesterday's other birthday girl Miss Mary Tyler Moore (with guests Ben Vereen, Doug Kershaw and The Manhattan Transfer) to provide us with a splendidly tacky "Adam and Eve" number...

Mary Tyler-Moore - Mary's Incredible Dream (1976)

Who even knew she sang? [I am still not sure she does, actually.]

Mary Tyler Moore (born 29th December 1936)

I look forward to a very Tacky New Year!