What Brain Has In Common With Vladimir Putin?
I know I'm not the only one who looks up who they happen to share their birthday with. Yes, today, October 7th, is my 48th birthday. I already knew that I didn't share my birthday with anyone that I really liked or looked up to. My birthday isn't as cool as my wife Holly's. She gets to share hers with Michael Jordan. Or he shares it with her as I'm often reminded. So I got to work this morning and looked up which celebrities are having a birthday with me today. Who do I get? Only one of the most hated world leaders, Vladimir Putin.
Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine is nothing to joke about. Thousands have lost their lives including women and children. So why then, couldn't have Putin been born on say, October 8th? Why on my birthday? To be fair, he was born first, but I'm not giving in on this one. So who else do I share this day with? Any other unsavory characters? Wait...what? Simon Cowell?
O.K. so Simon Cowell isn't a dictator but he has hurled his share of insults at up-and-coming singers during his career. Time and a family of his own have mellowed Mr. Cowell over the years, but do you remember early American Idol? He was vicious! He made contestants cry. But you always knew that if you impressed him with your performance, you had a shot. Simon Cowell doesn't just give his praise away. You earn it. Speaking of American Idol, I also share a birthday today with former Idol winner Taylor Hicks, quite possibly the least cool Idol winner ever. Soul Patrol!
As I scanned down the list of other celebs with birthdays today, I just wanted someone cool to join. Oliver North? Nope. Joy Behar? Um, no. And then I saw him. A musician so cool and talented that he has successfully managed the realm of popular music for decades. Some call him rock. Others folk. Heck, a few of his tunes you could play on country radio! I had the pleasure of seeing him once in concert and he played the tightest 90-minute set I've ever seen. John Cougar Mellencamp turns 71 today. Do I need to list all the great songs? Small Town. Jack and Diane. Pink Houses. Hurts So Good. Wild Night. R-O-C-K in the U.S.A. But my personal favorite has to be this song of his album Scarecrow.
A song about the plight of the family farm. A farm just like I grew up on. Mellencamp would continue to pledge his support to farmers everywhere by playing the Farm Aid concert for years. I'll share my birthday with a guy with the middle name of 'Cougar' any day.
Looking Back on 7 Years of Brain & Courtlin
"
"