THE QUEENS NEW YORKER

Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years.[2]

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the most popular dance bands in the United States from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. His band included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, guitarist Danny Barker, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Cozy Cole.[3]

Calloway had several hit records in the 1930s and 1940s, becoming the first African-American musician to sell one million copies of a record. He became known as the "Hi-de-ho" man of jazz for his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher", originally recorded in 1931. He reached the Billboard charts in five consecutive decades (1930s–1970s).[4] Calloway also made several stage, film, and television appearances. He had roles in Stormy Weather (1943), Porgy and Bess (1953), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), and Hello Dolly! (1967). In the 1980s, Calloway enjoyed a marked career resurgence following his appearance in the musical comedy film The Blues Brothers (1980).

Calloway was the first African-American to have a nationally syndicated radio program.[5] In 1993, Calloway received the National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress.[6] He posthumously received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. His song "Minnie the Moocher" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2019.[7] In 2022, the National Film Registry selected his home films for preservation as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films".[8] He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and the International Jazz Hall of Fame.

PICTURE: By William P. Gottlieb - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Music Divisionunder the digital ID gottlieb.00961.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12214145

Shelter Island is an island town in eastern Suffolk County, New York, United States, near the eastern end of Long Island. The population was 3,253 at the time of the 2020 census.

The island was long inhabited by indigenous peoples, related to those who lived north of Long Island Sound. At the time of European encounter, it was occupied by the Manhanset tribe, an Algonquian-speaking people related to the Pequot and other Algonquians of New England. The original name of the island, used by the Manhanset Indians, is Manhansack-aha-quash-awamock, which literally translates to "Island sheltered by islands."[4][5]

PICTURE: By Town of Shelter Island, uploaded by Hayden Soloviev - https://shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com/2024/06/04/three-year-shelter-island-highway-department-contract-released/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165275664

Walter John Matthau (né Matthow; /ˈmæθaʊ/ MATH-ow;[1] October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters.[2] He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). The New York Times called this "one of Hollywood's most successful pairings".[3] Among other accolades, Matthau won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and two Tony Awards.

On Broadway, Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple by playwright Neil Simon, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966), with further Best Actor nominations for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He gained further recognition for his portrayal of the coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976).

Matthau is also known for his performances in Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (1957), the Elvis Presley vehicle King Creole (1958), Stanley Donen's romance Charade (1963), Fail Safe (1964), Gene Kelly's musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross's ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). He also starred in Plaza Suite (1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Sunshine Boys (1975), House Calls (1978), Hopscotch (1980) and Dennis the Menace (1993).

In 1982, Matthau received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

PICTURE: By John Seymour Erwin - ebay, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28320216

THE FINALE OF THIS TOWN IS WRAPPED UP BY THE FOLLOWING HAMLETS COVERED HERE: Montauk, Napeague, Northwest Harbor, Springs, Wainscott

PICTURE: By Montauk Tribe of Indians Council of Elders, uploaded by Hayden Soloviev - https://www.onemontauknation.org/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165276083

Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021)[1] was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Henry Desmond in the ABC sitcom Bosom Buddies (1980–1982) and Michael Harris on the CBS sitcom Newhart (1984–1990), the latter of which earned him three consecutive nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series from 1987 to 1989.

Scolari had roles as Wayne Szalinski in the Disney sitcom Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997–2000) and as Tad Horvath in the HBO series Girls (2012–2017), the latter of which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He had recurring roles as Gillian B. Loeb in the superhero crime series Gotham (2015) and Bishop Thomas Marx in the supernatural series Evil (2019–2021).

He acted in the films The Rosebud Beach Hotel (1984), Corporate Affairs (1990), That Thing You Do! (1996), and The Polar Express (2004). On stage, he portrayed Yogi Berra in the play Bronx Bombers (2014) and acted in the Larry Gelbart's Sly Fox (2004), Eric Simonson's Magic/Bird (2012), and Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy (2013). He also acted in replacement roles in the musicals Hairspray in 2003 and Wicked in 2016.

ON THIS FIRST EPISODE OF 2026 WILL LOOK AT THE REST OF THE TOWN AND THEN MOVE INTO THE VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.

PICTURE: By Government - East Hampton Village, uploaded by Hayden Soloviev - https://easthamptonvillage.gov/government/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165266686

Grady Demond Wilson[3] (born October 13, 1946) is an American actor and author. He played Lamont Sanford, the son of Fred Sanford (played by Redd Foxx) on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son (1972–1977). He then portrayed Oscar Madison on The New Odd Couple (1982–1983)[4] and appeared in the film Me and the Kid (1993).[5][6]

PICTURE: By Robert Garner Attractions, Denver, where the pair did a personal appearance and concert. - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105711458

East Hampton is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a total population of 28,385.[3]

The town includes the village of East Hampton, as well as the hamlets of Montauk, Amagansett, Wainscott, and Springs. It also includes part of the incorporated village of Sag Harbor.

East Hampton is located on a peninsula, bordered on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by Block Island Sound and to the north by Gardiners Bay, Napeague Bay and Fort Pond Bay. To the west is western Long Island, reaching to the East River and New York City. The Town has eight state parks, most located at the water's edge.

The town consists of 70 square miles (180 km2) and stretches nearly 25 miles (40 km), from Wainscott in the west to Montauk Point in the east. It is approximately six miles (10 km) wide at its widest point and less than one mile at its narrowest. The town has jurisdiction over Gardiners Island, which is one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States. The town has 70 miles (110 km) of shoreline.[4]

PICTURE: By Town of East Hampton, uploaded by Hayden Soloviev - https://www.ehamptonny.gov/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165273396

Mary Ann Esposito (born August 3, 1942) is an American chef, cookbook writer (having published over a dozen cookbooks[1]), and the television host of Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito, which started in 1989 and is the longest-running television cooking program in America.[1][2]

PICTURE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=706208691074770&set=a.706208704408102

Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper (/ˈlɔːpər/ LAW-pər; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress.[3] Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing,[4] and for her powerful four-octave vocal range,[5] Lauper has sold over 50 million records worldwide.[6] She has also been celebrated for her humanitarian work, particularly as an advocate for LGBTQ rights in the United States.

Her debut studio album, She's So Unusual (1983), was the first debut album by a female artist to achieve four top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100—"Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time", "She Bop", and "All Through the Night"—and earned Lauper the Best New Artist award at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985. The music video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" won the Best Female Video Award at the inaugural 1984 MTV Video Music Awards and has been recognized by MTV, VH1 and Rolling Stone as one of the greatest music videos of the era.[7][8][9][10] Her second studio album, True Colors (1986), scored two more top-five hits; the title track and "Change of Heart". Lauper's chart success continued with the singles "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" (1985), "I Drove All Night" (1989) and into the 2000s with multiple number one hits on the Hot Dance Club Play charts, "Same Ol' Story,[11] and "Into the Nightlife" (2008).[12]

Since 1983, Lauper has released twelve studio albums and participated in many other projects. In 2010, Memphis Blues became Billboard's most successful blues album of the year, remaining at number one on the Billboard Blues Albums chart for 13 consecutive weeks. In 2013, she won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for composing the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, making her the first woman to win the category by herself.[13] The musical was awarded five other Tonys, including Best Musical. In 2014, Lauper was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast recording. In 2016, the West End production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.[14]

Lauper's accolades include two Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, three MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is one of the few singers to win three of the four major American entertainment awards (EGOT). In 2015, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lauper was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.[15] Her debut studio album ranked among Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[16] while "Time After Time" was included in VH1's list of the 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 years.[17] VH1 has ranked Lauper number 58 of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.[18]

PICTURE: By Raph_PH - CyndiLauperRAH260624 (51 of 51), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149889497