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Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Chuck Mangione, dead at 84, was no hack with a horn
Published Jul 26, 2025 • 4 minute read Chuck Mangione performs at the "A Time To Care Gala" on May 13, 2004 at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California. The gala is to benefit the ALS research. (Photo by) Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account A healthy segment of Americans knew Chuck Mangione as an object of kitsch. The shoulder-length hair and beard, the colorfully banded fedora, the warm, glossy sound of his flügelhorn (all of which he happily sent up in his self-portrayals on the animated sitcom 'King of the Hill'): Mangione represented not just a weird limbo between hipness and squareness, but an outdated one. Yet if Mangione, who died Tuesday at 84, was game to make fun of himself in that way, it was because he'd already achieved what any artist strives for: He'd made his work an indispensable part of our world. Specifically, his hit 'Feels So Good,' an instrumental pop-jazz crossover that reached No. 4 on the Billboard charts during the summer of 1978, has unexpectedly had as much staying power as 'Stayin' Alive,' 'I Will Survive' or any other anthemic tune from that era. So much so, in fact, that we didn't always notice it. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The melodic, ever-so-gently funky record is played in restaurants and grocery stores, in hotel lobbies and elevators. It has powered more TV and radio commercials than anyone could count. Those of us who aren't pop-music nerds, or just not old enough to remember when it reigned supreme on Top 40 radio, know 'Feels So Good's' barrage of hooks by heart without even realizing the song has a name. Those are the qualities that make it easy to mock, of course. It's catchy but toothless, inoffensively pleasant, so of course it's ubiquitous. That was part of the 'King of the Hill' bit. Mangione was a celebrity pitchman (for Mega Lo Mart, the big-box store of the show's universe) who, no matter what he played on his horn, always segued into 'Feels So Good.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Through no fault of its own, the record became a cornerstone of smooth jazz, that intersection of jazz, rock, soul and easy listening that conquered the realm of background music in the 1980s and 1990s. The genre is much despised. 'Feels So Good,' by association more than any actual element of the song, has thus taken its lumps. It wasn't because he couldn't play anything edgier. The Rochester, New York, native was a graduate, and later a faculty member, of that city's Eastman School of Music. He also did time in the mid-1960s as the trumpeter in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the most prestigious finishing school in postwar jazz. Before earning those two distinctions, he and his brother Gap, a pianist, had some early-1960s success leading the hard-swinging Mangione Brothers sextet, recording an album before he was 20 years old (with two more to follow). Dizzy Gillespie was both a fan of and mentor to the trumpeter. They remained close until Gillespie's death in 1993. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Chuck Mangione was no hack with a horn. But he came to jazz when it had split into two poles: a populist one, which was trending ever lighter to suit mainstream tastes, and an arty one, which was increasingly inaccessible. Mangione wanted to reach the people. He saw nothing wrong with that. But he wasn't interested in success for its own sake: 'I didn't want to record something I didn't like, because if it became a hit I wouldn't be happy playing it,' he told JazzTimes magazine. It's a sentiment that was also expressed by the likes of Paul McCartney – who, as a solo artist, had been on the receiving end of the same kind of kitsch accusations as Mangione. But it's also resulted in the horn player getting the same kind of world-class work: In 1980, for example, Mangione was invited to compose a theme song for that year's Winter Olympics. He played the resulting tune, 'Give It All You Got,' live at the Closing Ceremonies in Lake Placid, New York, for a worldwide television audience. (It was another Billboard Top 20 hit, too.) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Talk about reaching the people. The comparison with McCartney is apt in another sense. Say what you will about 'Feels So Good' and its particular kind of ubiquity; it means that Mangione achieved, without exaggeration, Beatle-level cultural saturation. More people know his music than know him. He reached this point without, in his own words, having to resort to music he didn't want to play. In the wake of Mangione's passing, there will be plenty of people who are ready to pile on and crack jokes about the kitschy side of his legacy. The joke will be on them. Mangione was perfectly content with that aspect of himself. Meanwhile, he infiltrated our environment and our lives in a way that many of his critics can only dream of. Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. 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GMA Network
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Grammy-winning jazz musician Chuck Mangione dies at 84
Chuck Mangione performs at the "A Time To Care Gala" on May 13, 2004 at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California. Photo by/File photo American two-time Grammy-winning jazz flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione, best known for his 1970s cross-over hit "Feels So Good," died this week at age 84 at his home in Rochester, New York. The prolific musician and composer - whose career spanned five decades and 30 albums - died in his sleep on Tuesday, a local funeral home said. "Chuck's love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage," his family said in a statement to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle newspaper. Mangione showed his appreciation for his audiences by sitting at the edge of the stage after his concerts, signing autographs for fans who stayed to meet him and the band, it said. Born Charles Frank Mangione in 1940 in Rochester, he was a virtuoso flugelhorn and trumpet player. He grew up in a household where his father exposed him to the jazz greats of the 1950s, including Dizzy Gillespie, a family friend who dined with them frequently. He began taking music lessons at age 8, and by the time he was a teenager, Gillespie was so impressed by his musical prowess that he gave Mangione one of his trademark "upswept" trumpets. His composition "Chase The Clouds Away" was featured at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, while his "Give It All You Got" was the theme music for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Mangione's biggest hit was his 1977 single "Feels So Good," which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys. His album by the same name is a staple on smooth jazz radio stations. Mangione won two Grammys out of 14 nominations - the first in 1977 for best instrumental composition for "Bellavia," named in honor of his mother. In 1979 he won in the best pop instrumental performance category for "The Children of Sanchez." The latter, a soundtrack for the movie of the same name, also won a Golden Globe. In the late 1990s, Mangione's music attracted new fans after he played himself on the Fox TV cartoon show "King of the Hill" as a celebrity spokesman for the fictional "Mega-lo-mart," with the slogan "shopping feels so good." He also scored the music for the 1998 Valentine's Day episode. — Reuters
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Two-time Grammy winner Chuck Mangione dead at 84
Chuck Mangione has died at the age of 84. A spokesperson for the jazz musician confirmed to People that he passed at home in his sleep on Tuesday, July 22. Mangione was best known for his hits in the '70s, such as 'Feels So Good.' Chuck Mangione performs at the Playboy Mansion to benefit the ALS Association. WireImage Throughout his career, he released more than 30 albums and garnered 14 Grammy Award nominations. Mangione also played himself for many years on the animated sitcom 'King of the Hill,' which debuted in 1997. The artist was born and raised in Rochester, New York, and grew up surrounded by music. He and his brother Gap would listen to his father's jazz records. On weekends, Mangione and his family would drive into New York City to watch Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan perform.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Diddy trial sparks wild theories, and celebs are worried they are next on the list
After a grueling 13-hour jury mind melt, Diddy was not found guilty of what was the most heinous charge against him— racketeering conspiracy. He was also not guilty of both sex trafficking charges. He was found guilty of transporting Cassie Ventura and a woman named Jane for prostitution, as stated in the report by DailyMail. Wild conspiracy theories go viral After the trial, crazy theories exploded online, connecting Diddy to famous people like Obama, Kamala Harris, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and even Prince and Kim Porter. Some even claimed L.A.'s deadly Palisades Fire was started to destroy Diddy's evidence, as per the reports. Conspiracy theorists believe Diddy used underground tunnels linking his house to places like the Playboy Mansion and Michael Jackson's house. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Justin Bieber fans worry A video from Bieber's teen years showed him spending 48 hours with Diddy, where Diddy said it was 'a 15-year-old's dream' and mentioned 'going full crazy.' Fans worried that young Justin may have been abused, as mentioned in the report by DailyMail. But Bieber's rep told TMZ, he was not a victim, and shifting focus away from real victims is wrong. Insiders said the video moments were just for show, and Justin was closer to Diddy's sons, not Diddy himself. Live Events After California wildfires hit in January, theories claimed fires were meant to cover up Diddy's crimes and protect his allies. His Holmby Hills mansion survived, while homes 5–50 miles away, including those of other celebs, were destroyed. Ex-government official Catherine Austin Fitts even asked if celebs on the 'Diddy party list' had their homes saved on purpose, according to the report by DailyMail. Kamala Harris and Diddy An old 2019 tweet by Kamala Harris praised Diddy for holding a racial justice town hall. Conservatives brought the tweet back during the 2024 elections, saying it 'didn't age well.' Even Donald Trump posted a meme on Truth Social joking if Harris had been to Diddy's wild parties, as per the reports. Jay-Z and Beyoncé also get dragged in Singer Jaguar Wright went on Piers Morgan's show saying Jay-Z and Beyoncé were involved in crimes like Diddy. Their lawyers demanded an apology. Piers Morgan apologized on-air and edited out the claims from the show, according to the report by BBC. Jay-Z was also accused in a lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old with Diddy after the 2000 VMAs, but the suit was dismissed in Feb 2024. Jay-Z later said the lawsuit was 'fictitious and appalling.' The Smith family targeted A fake story said Will Smith 'sold' his daughter Willow to Diddy — it used a doctored bed photo. Some YouTubers claimed 'leaked' clips showed Jaden and Willow in bad situations with Diddy. One person even said Jada Pinkett Smith sold Jaden to Diddy. No real evidence exists for any of these claims, according to the report by DailyMail. ALSO READ: Del Monte files for bankruptcy: 139-year-old canned food giant struggles amid changing consumer trends Obama gets pulled in A photo of Diddy and Obama from 2004 went viral after Diddy's arrest. Conservative voice Charlie Kirk suggested Diddy may have 'dirt' on Obama. Diddy first met Obama while supporting Democrats and interviewed him on MTV in 2004, as stated by the reports. Obama joked with Diddy during that interview, and Diddy backed Obama in the 2008 election. At Diddy's parties, celebs used pills shaped like Obama's face, but no one said Obama attended. Prince's name pops up too A rumor said Prince secretly recorded Diddy's crimes and left instructions to release it if anything happened to him. No such video has been found. AI-made 'Prince & Diddy' clips went viral but were marked as fake content, as per the report by DailyMail. Cassie Ventura, in court, mentioned fleeing a party at Prince's house before Diddy later assaulted her. Prince died in 2016 due to an accidental overdose. Fake memoir by Kim Porter? Diddy's ex Kim Porter, who died in 2018, was linked to a fake memoir that said she was abused. The book was called 'Kim's Lost Words: A Journey for Justice' and went viral on Amazon in 2023. Her family said the memoir was completely fake, according to the report by DailyMail. Amazon removed the book. The publisher, Chris Todd, claimed he got a flash drive of info from 'close sources,' but never proved it. He used a fake name Jamal T. Millwood, which links to a Tupac conspiracy theory, according to the report by AP. Brittany Murphy death linked? Online sleuths also claimed Diddy was involved in Brittany Murphy's death in 2009. She died of pneumonia, just like Kim Porter, which started more rumors. Fans pointed out that her husband and ex-boyfriend were friends with Diddy — but there is zero proof of any connection, as mentioned in the reports. FAQs Q1. What was Diddy charged with in his trial? Diddy was charged with sex trafficking, transporting people for prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Q2. Was Diddy found guilty in court? Diddy was found guilty of transporting for prostitution but not guilty of sex trafficking or racketeering.
The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Dates rejected me for being a Playmate, but men who queue for Lily Phillips & Bonnie Blue are worse, says Holly Madison
HOLLY Madison was a 22-year-old girl when she became a playmate, thinking it would give her the chance to have a better life. But now, aged 41, Holly has revealed the struggles she faced while dating to the Playboy mogul, who was 53 years her senior, Hugh Hefner. 4 Holly Madison opens about what it was really like living in the Playboy Mansion Credit: A&E 4 She revealed men often rejected her for being a Playmate in the past Credit: Getty 4 Holly also opened up on what she though of Bonnie Blue and Lily Phillips' stunts Credit: Getty Speaking on She revealed that after leaving the Holly explained: "There were a lot of people who wanted to date me, but I think in a very superficial way. I think it was like, 'Oh, I want to date that hot girl on the Billboard right there and then tell my friends about it.' READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES "I would say the most challenging thing is that people would get together with me, knowing exactly what my history was, and then they would all of a sudden have a problem with it. "After our relationship got serious, they'd get really jealous. They'd come up with all these imaginary scenarios in their heads about what could have possibly went on." Despite the string of insecure and jealous men she dated, Holly says the men lining up to bed controversial OnlyFans creators anonymous . Speaking on the topic with podcast hosts Michael and Lauryn, Holly agreed that the line of men also 'rattle her' as they choose to be anonymous instead of being open about sexual relations. Most read in Fabulous "I want to know what guys are in the Lily Phillips line, just kidding." "All these guys, line up and they have ski masks on to partake, because they want to be anonymous," she added. We lived in the 'glam' Playboy mansion as Hugh's girlfriends - we'd get 'replaced' if we were ever sick & the furniture looked like local charity shop buys Mansion Madness From the outside, being a Playmate looked glamorous - hanging with A-list celebrities and partying with your friends all day long. But Holly said the reality was completely different and said it was a 'toxic' environment. She said: "I feel like unfortunately mine is a lot of bad memories, especially in the first four years I lived there. "It was just a hellhole. It was like none of the girls got along. It was super toxic." Facts you didn't know about the Playboy Mansion Girlfriends vs Playmates Rumour has it that Hugh Hefner would have two to a dozen "girlfriends" living with him at a time. These girlfriends are not to be confused with Playmates. Each girlfriend had their own room, but one 'special lady' was named as girlfriend number one and stayed with Hef in his room. Each girlfriend received a $1,000 (£760) weekly bonus "allowance." Hef's Wild side The Playboy mansion was home to a private zoo. It was one of very few private residences that actually has a zoo license. Hefner was a fan of birds. Among his collection - many of which roamed the grounds - were peacocks, macaws, flamingos, toucans and ducks. The Elvis Legend Within the mansion was a secret room, called 'The Elvis Room.' Legend has it that the King himself, Elvis Presley, had a little slumber party in the room with up to eight eager bunnies. She continued: "I can't explain to you how embarrassing that whole routine was, especially as we got later down the road when there was a lot of conflict with the other girls. "You're literally sitting there naked having sex in front of a group of people who hate you and talk s**t about you while you're having sex," Holly said. "I thought that we were going to be like BFFs and it was going to be so much fun and I thought that it was going to be like total slumber parties and like hanging out in each other's rooms and borrowing clothes and just like really fun," said Holly. Speaking on her podcast, The Girls Next Door, with fellow Playmate Bridget Marquardt revealed the glam person of the house was nothing like reality. In the early 2000s, Bridget recalled, the mansion ''was the place to be''. ''Everyone wanted to be there - every celebrity, every girl that I knew of wanted to be a part of it, wanted to be a Playmate, go to the parties. ''They had the best parties in the world there. ''It's the place that you wanted to go and you wanted to be seen, and you wanted to be a part of that whole lifestyle.'' But while the A-listers were living the high life, Hugh's girlfriends ''were required to sit at the table the whole time and ask if you needed to get up to go to the bathroom''. She added: ''You could dance a little - but you were kind of greeting everybody [...], so we definitely didn't feel free.'' 4 Holly and Bridget spent time in the mansion together Credit: Getty Top Grades Those who had made it into the villa would also have Polaroids taken during the many star-studded bashes - which Hugh, who passed away at 91, would then grade from A to D. ''D - you're not invited back, C - you're maybe on the big party list, B - you're on all the party lists, A - you get invited to the pool parties and stuff like that,'' Holly revealed. But the graded snaps, the pair said in a recent podcast, were the least of their worries. Holly said: ''When I think about the worst thing, I just think about anything in the bedroom and just the fact that anyone would be invited in there. ''We didn't get to agree on who got to come in and who got to watch, and who got to do whatever - and it was just traumatising.'
