The pandemic did not slow down The Go-Go’s.  A documentary.  A new single.  A couple of books.  A tour.  Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  It’s been a busy time for rockers who have twice announced retirement plans.  But lead singer, Belinda Carlisle, has also enjoyed a successful solo career – far more prolific than the band, in fact.  That she rarely tours in the US is due to her living abroad (to say nothing of her obligations as a Go-Go).  Happily, she didn’t forget her hometown and included Los Angeles as part of an upcoming mini-tour.  On October 27^th, Belinda will appear at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills – one of the area’s best concert venues.  There is not a bad seat in the house.  Belinda’s opening act will be my bon ami, Gabe Lopez (who, in addition to being a performer, also produced Carlisle’s last few efforts).  Grab your tickets at WhereMusicMeetsTheSoul.com.

Gloria Estefan is celebrating a landmark.  She’s now in the company of people like Cher, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and even Queen Elizabeth II.  Yes, Gloria Estefan has her own Barbie doll!  “Overjoyed is pretty much the word.  I’ve gotten every award that you could possibly imagine.  But somehow this was so incredibly special for me, maybe because I played with Barbie since I was a kid, a little girl, and she’s an American icon!”  It was important to Gloria that everything about her doll be perfect.  “I actually sent them my thigh high boots and my jacket so that they could see the detail.  That jewelry, the microphone, we made sure the hair was right, that she represented me in the way that was important to me.  And I’m just beyond thrilled.”

Those clever people at Mattel are always thinking.  Just when you thought they’d done it all – complete with 2019’s Wheelchair Barbie – they’ve unveiled a new line that fills an untapped market. We now have Barbies and Kens who wear hearing aids, have prosthetic limbs, and even suffer from vitiligo!  According to a spokesperson, the Barbie sporting an over-the-ear hearing aid is the most requested of the variety.