A Great Letter to the Editor of the Quad Cuty Times,
Posted Apr 15, 2005 8:43 AM
The letter from Stan was submitted yesterday. We'll see if the editor publishes it.
I thank Rich for alerting me to the letter and to Stan for permission to transcribe it here.
Albert
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From: Stan & Donna Rynott
To: MRidolfi@qctimes.com
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 6:02 PM
Subject: BIX
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Your sports page headline "Froehlich fine-tunes Bix" is followed by "Music is the theme for this year's event; and its theme borrows from the oeuvre (what a word) of the Killer - Jerry Lee Lewis - and it's poster displays a crooning King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.
You insult Bix and the thousands of Bix fans who have been attending the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival for 33 years. They come from all over the world to honor the legendary Bix Beiderbecke and his music. Thus the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival is the reason for this occasion.
The Quad City Bix 7 Race borrowed Bix to promote their event. The time has come to either return Bix or remove him from the company of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Can anyone believe that Bix's music could have evolved to the gyration accented offerings of those two and, and for the most part, the reprehensible rap that followed?
It's time for a clear distinction between the Festival and the Race. The primary responsibility falls on the Quad City Times as it is through this media that most of the publicity flows. If for no other reason than as a public service, the Quad City Times should feel an obligation to work closely with the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Society in the Times promotion of the Quad City Bix 7.
The above opinions and suggestions are mine alone and are not intended to represent the Bix Beirderbecke Memorial Society.