🎂Happy Throwback Thursday!
Happy Birthday to Halle Berry ("hallelujah!" ), who's a stunning 58 this week. According to Holiday Insights , Aug. 15 is the birthday of Napoleon Bonaparte, Julia Child and living celebs Debra Messing, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lawrence. Madonna turns 66 on Friday, and her ex/super-actor Sean Penn turns 64 on Saturday.
Saturday also marks the birthday of eminent activist Marcus Garvey. A festival in Clermont commemorates Garvey's birthday on Aug. 17. Read our weekend guide tomorrow for details.
One last salute: James Baldwin was born Aug. 2, 1924. If you haven't read his eloquent, lyrical works, check out this audiobook of "Sonny's Blues, " a semi-autobiographical novella that's a quick sit and takes you deep into the author's world and psyche.
🔥Fire Japanese Steakhouse ignites excitement
Attention, Leesburg-area Asian food lovers and those who don't mind driving for a little sushi and hibachi, The Fire Japanese Steakhouse is now open at 1401 Citrus Blvd., Leesburg.
The restaurant replaces a former Japanese eatery known as Osaka's.
📰 News from the past and present
🌴 Buon Ferragosto! Today is, for all intents and purposes, Italian Labor Day. Nobody's working Aug. 15 in Italy, and the trains and planes are way too crowded. It can be the worst day to be in Italy if you're a tourist, hot and chaotic. The holiday originates from Feriae Augusti , the festival of Emperor Augustus, and goes back to 18 BCE.
🚫 Which chains have closed locations in 2024? A look at the companies shutting down Florida locations .
🎙This week in local history: Leesburg native Johnny Thunder
We wish our biggest happy birthday to Leesburg-born living legend Gil Hamilton, aka Johnny Thunder, born Aug. 15, 1932. The R&B and pop singer is known for his famous tune " Loop de Loop " and lives in Winter Park.
His tune "Loop de Loop" was pretty much a nursery rhyme set to music, and it reached No. 4 on the Billboard chart the week of Feb. 9, 1963. The earworm has been covered by Harry Nilsson, the Walkmen and Spongebob Squarepants . Bob Dylan called him an inspiration.
According to an Orlando Sentinel article, Gilbert Leroy Hamilton, a "6-foot singer with an easy laugh, grew up harmonizing with the choir at Mount Bethel Baptist Church in Okahumpka, a small, rural congregation of about 150 people outside Leesburg."
Read about Thunder's amazing career trajectory, from road manager for the legendary Drifters to a twist of fate facilitated by none other than Jackie Wilson and a stint with the Ink Spots .
🔌 Help us stay connected! Don't forget to share your news, forward this email, and share your recommendations and pics with us. Email news@dailycommercial.com .
Bye for now!
JG
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: 🎂Happy Bday to a living Leesburg legend
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