Frank Pastore, a former Cincinnati Reds pitcher who ate the fabled 72-ounce steak dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in a record 9 1/2 minutes in 1987, died Monday from complications after suffering severe injuries in a motorcycle accident. Pastore's death was announced by KKLA radio, a Christian station in Glendale, Calif., that hosted … Continue reading Frank Pastore, former Big Texan speed-eating champion, dies
Category: People
The Angel interviews
A series of video interviews with Angel Delgadillo of Seligman, Ariz., recently were posted on YouTube. Here, Delgadillo talks about the first meeting of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona more than 25 years ago. It started with a core of five members and $10 in its treasury: https://youtu.be/jrHg-SkaAZs The YouTube account, called ANGELANDGOKINGMAN, … Continue reading The Angel interviews
Route 66 advocate and researcher Carl Johnson dies
Carl Johnson, 57, a longtime advocate and researcher for Route 66 in Illinois, died early Wednesday at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill. Health problems had beset Johnson in recent years, and his condition took a turn for the worse in the past week or so, reported several people in the Illinois Route 66 community. … Continue reading Route 66 advocate and researcher Carl Johnson dies
Cadillac Ranch patriarch charged with child molestation
Stanley Marsh 3, the millionaire proprietor of the Cadillac Ranch and other whimsical art installations off Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, was charged on 11 felony counts of molesting children and briefly jailed Wednesday, reported the Amarillo Globe-News and other media outlets. The newspaper reported: According to the criminal complaints, Marsh 3, 74, is charged … Continue reading Cadillac Ranch patriarch charged with child molestation
Where a celebrity’s fame persists after death
The Los Angeles Times posted a terrific article about Karie Bible, a black-clad tour guide at century-old and celebrity-filled Hollywood Forever Cemetery, located off Santa Monica Boulevard (aka Route 66) in Los Angeles. It seems Bible (her real name) is perfect for the site, combining a bit of kitsch with a lot of history in … Continue reading Where a celebrity’s fame persists after death
A pink Elvis cycles down Route 66
No, you haven't had too much to drink. That is a pink Elvis on Route 66. We encounter many stories about folks pulling all sorts of endurance stunts on Route 66 for charity. However, we couldn't put this one in the "seen that already" pile -- a pink jumpsuit-clad Elvis Presley impersonator riding his bicycle … Continue reading A pink Elvis cycles down Route 66
Thankful for an Angel
Earlier today, this interview by photographer Jim Luning of Route 66 icon Angel Delgadillo was uploaded to Vimeo. This segment was the best thing in Luning's 2010 documentary "Route 66 - Ten Years Later," and is well worth your time. It seems proper the clip was posted just a few hours from Thanksgiving -- a … Continue reading Thankful for an Angel
Rock soon will go on the block
Owner Dawn Welch says she is putting up for sale the Rock Cafe, a Route 66 landmark in Stroud, Okla. Welch, 43, who has owned the restaurant since 1993, will sign papers Friday with commercial real-estate firm Herndon & Kelley that will officially put the business on the market. The asking price of $300,000 will … Continue reading Rock soon will go on the block
Cadillac Ranch patriarch faces serious charges in lawsuit
Stanley Marsh 3, owner of the Cadillac Ranch landmark near Route 66 near Amarillo, Texas, may face ugly days in a courtroom. We'll excerpt a couple of parts of the Amarillo Globe-News story, filed late Thursday: An Amarillo woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Stanley Marsh 3, alleging he gave her teenage son cash, … Continue reading Cadillac Ranch patriarch faces serious charges in lawsuit
Route 66, circa 1988
This remarkable 26-minute documentary, "Route 66, The Main Street of America," from 1988 offers glimpses of the Mother Road from nearly a quarter-century ago. It's dubbed in Dutch, but don't let that stop you from watching. The interviewees all speak English, after all. The film is even more notable because it has footage of Gladys … Continue reading Route 66, circa 1988