Iggy Pop! Isn't it a little early for That? "Not for me."

I am so bummed out. Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead at the age of 46.

Man, am I just devastated by the news of Hoffman's death. He was an actor who played many a great role in dozens of motion pictures, including his Best Actor performance in 2006, as Capote.  Hoffman was nominated for the Academy for Best Supporting Actor three times but his portrayal of "Lester Bangs" in one of my all-time favorites, "Almost Famous." Bangs died of an overdose of a lethal combination of Valium and Nyquil in 1982 when he was only 34.

So, here is one of my all-time favorite actors doing one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies:

Early Elton ...

My buds Jeff Kazee (keyboard) and Rich Pagano (drums) along with bass player John Conte played a free outdoor summer concert outside of City Winery in lower Manhattan, not far from the Holland Tunnel.

The selection here, is the title track from Elton John's Madman Across the Water - one of the more influential albums of my early rock 'n roll exposure, alongside other Elton gems like Honky Chateau, Tumbleweed Connection and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

The first four songs of Madman - Tiny Dancer, Levon, Razor Face and Madman Across the Water were pure genius. I particularly liked Tiny Dancer and it is forever etched in my mind, now, as the most poignant scene in the Cameron Crowe classic, Almost Famous (2000).  That scene is amongst the best in modern motion picture history.

Anyhow, here's to Jeff Kazee - ticklin' the ivories with some Early Elton.

Please enjoy:

Almost Famous ...

From time to time, I mention one of my favorite movies, Almost Famous by Cameron Crowe, to a friend who I haven't seen in a while. Maybe to a friend who just missed the movie when it came out in 2000. It is always interesting to hear of their reaction to the film. Everyone feels it is a powerful movie, as they find different characters they can relate to and admire. It is one of the better rock 'n roll movies of all-time, as it provides such insight into each of the characters in the film... William being the Cameron Crowe self-portrayed by William Miller, who was created on the screen by Patrick Fugit.

Of course, Kate Hudson was nominated for an Academy award for her role as "Penny Lane" and Crowe won the Oscar for screen writing for 2000 when Almost Famous was the surprise Hollywood hit.

Great scene as a reminder: