Eric Clapton's Layla - An Enduring Song - Video

This is perhaps one of the most popular songs in the history of modern music. Layla as performed by Eric Clapton has been in commercials, spoofed, and copied many times over.

According to Wikipedia, Layla...

is the title track on the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, released in December 1970. It is considered one of rock music's definitive love songs,[2] featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, as lead-in. Its famously contrasting movements were composed separately by Clapton and Jim Gordon.
Inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison, "Layla" was unsuccessful on its initial release.[3] The song has since experienced great critical and popular acclaim. Two versions have achieved chart success, first in 1972 and again twenty years later.

Background

In 1966, George Harrison married Pattie Boyd, a model he met during the filming of A Hard Day's Night. During the late 1960s, Clapton and Harrison, as two of the top English guitarists of the day, became firm friends. Clapton contributed guitar work on Harrison's song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on The Beatles' White Album, and Harrison played guitar pseudonymously on Cream's "Badge" from Goodbye. However, trouble was brewing for Clapton. His supergroups Cream and Blind Faith had broken apart, his growing drug use would lead to a life-threatening heroin addiction, and, when Boyd came to Clapton for aid during marital troubles, Clapton fell desperately in love with her.

The title, "Layla", was inspired by a love story, The Story of Layla / Layla and Majnun (ليلى ومجنون), by the Persian classical poet Nezami. When he wrote "Layla", Clapton had recently been given a copy of the story by a friend (reportedly Ian Dallas)[5] who was in the process of converting to Islam. Nezami's tale, about a moon-princess who was married off by her father to someone other than the man who was desperately in love with her, resulting in his madness (in Persian, Majnun, مجنون, means "madman"), struck a deep chord with Clapton.[4]
Boyd divorced Harrison in 1977 and married Clapton in 1979. Harrison was not bitter about the divorce and attended Clapton's wedding with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. During their marriage, Clapton wrote another love ballad for her, "Wonderful Tonight". Their marriage later developed difficulties over Clapton's alcoholism and his extramarital affair with Yvonne Khan Kelly, and in 1985 he left Boyd altogether for Italian model Lori del Santo, with whom he had a child. Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1989 after several years of separation. Boyd currently lives with the property developer Rod Weston.

In an interview with Songfacts, Bobby Whitlock, who was a member of Derek and the Dominos and good friends with both Harrison and Clapton, explains the situation between Clapton and Pattie around the time he wrote Layla:

“ I was there when they were supposedly sneaking around. You don't sneak very well when you're a world figure. He was all hot on Pattie and I was dating her sister. They had this thing going on that supposedly was behind George's back. Well, George didn't really care. He said, 'You can have her.' That kind of defuses it when Eric says, 'I'm taking your wife' and he says, 'Take her.' They got married and evidently, she wasn't what he wanted after all. The hunt was better than the kill. That happens, but apparently Pattie is real happy now with some guy who's not a guitar player. Good for her and good for Eric for moving on with his life. George got on with his life, that's for sure.

Michael Strahan To Pay Ex-Wife $15 Million - That's Not His Wife

One tall drink of water...
Originally uploaded by Amy Loo Who.

That's a woman named Amy and they're not dating but I'm sure she wishes otherwise given her description of the photo. It's a picture taken at the Coors Convention in Hawaii. Now as for Michael Strahan, he's to pay his wife $15 million because of a prenuptual agreement he signed.

Here's the story...

NEWARK, N.J. AP — A judge has ordered NFL star Michael Strahan to pay his ex-wife $15.3 million — more than half-his net worth — holding the defensive end to the prenuptial agreement he signed.

Under the agreement, Jean Strahan was entitled to 50 percent of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his yearly income from each year they were married.

Strahan had claimed that he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife failed to ask for it every year.

But state Superior Court Judge James Convery disagreed, saying in his ruling that "the plaintiff is not credible in his claim that the defendant never asked for her separate funds."

In addition to the $15.3 million, Convery awarded Jean Strahan hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support

Jean, who married the football player in 1999, said she was elated with the ruling.

"It pays to tell the truth, and I told the truth," she told the New York Post for Saturday editions. "I never asked for a penny more than the prenup that Michael and his lawyers wrote and made me sign. And all I ever asked for was that to be upheld."

Carolyn Kepcher From The Apprentice At Another After Party

Carolyn Apprentice, originally uploaded by charlespham.

Here's Carolyn Kepcher at another Apprentice After Party, this one after season 5 of the show. She's with photog Charles Pham.

The Apprentice Carolyn Kepcher with Arleen and PopVulture

carolyn with arleen and me, take 1, originally uploaded by popvulture.

Carolyn Kepcher, the star of all of the Apprentice shows until Donald Trump fired her last fall, is seen here with the ever-smling PopVulture at the 2005 Apprentice After Party.

George Ross From The Trump Organization With Arleen and PopVulture

george with arleen and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

The ever-daring and present PopVulture is in this photo of George taken at the 2005 Apprentice After Party, and who appeared on The Apprentice from the first year to 2006.

Sugar Ray Leonard and PopVulture At The Apprentice 2005 After Party

sugar ray leonard and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

What's Sugar Ray Leonard doing at the 2005 Apprentce After Party? Well, he's working with Mark Burnett on the then-new "Contender" show, so I guess he got invited! Anyway, PopVulture gets around!

Omarosa From The Apprentice 1 Gets Down At The 2005 After Party

omarosa gets down, originally uploaded by popvulture.

Actiing every bit as one would expect, according to PopVulture, Omaroda, the famously outspoken and energetic face of the first Apprentice, holds court at the 2005 After Party.

Craig From Apprentice 3 with Jen, Arleen, and PopVulture

craig with jen, arleen, and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

If you remember, Craig famously tangled with Kendra Todd on Apprentice 3, and came in second to her. He's here with PopVulture and her friends.

Tana At The Apprentice After Party With "PopVulture"

tana and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

PopVulture gets around. Here's another photo of her with The Apprentice second-place finisher Tana at the same 2005 after-party.

Kendra Todd And "PopVulture" At The 2005 Apprentice After Party

kendra and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

Kendra Todd won Season 3 of "The Apprentice." PopVulture's friend Chris Tragos snapped this photo of her with Kendra at "The Apprentice" Season 3 after-party at Planet Hollywood in New York City. It seems that PopVulture is in the media business, and so was invited to the event.

The Apprentice, Randall In NYC 2005

The Apprentice, originally uploaded by spychic.

Back in April, I this person happened upon a group filming a reality TV show and snapped a few shots. Little did I know he was later to become the winner of THE APPRENTICE.

Congratulations Randall!

[Filming of the "The Apprentice", NYC , April 14, 2005]

NFC Divisional Playoffs - New Orleans Saints Beat The Philadelphia Eagles 27-24

Big-play Saints ride magic carpet into NFC title game
Photo Wire

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Who needs Mardi Gras when you're one game from the Super Bowl?

Deuce McAllister and rookie sensation Reggie Bush gave this battered city a reason to throw itself a party, carrying the New Orleans Saints where they've never been before -- one game from the Super Bowl.

To constant chants of "DEUCE!" or "REG-GIE! REG-GIE!" the Saints used an assortment of spectacular plays to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24.

"This year, some things have happened for us and it's like, wow, this may be destiny," McAllister said.

Outside the Lines
"Outside the Lines" (Sunday on ESPN, 9:30 a.m. ET), takes a look at Peyton Manning's legacy. Full details
"It means everything," Bush said. "All that stuff we went through as a team, these are the type of games we live for. And this game is even bigger for the city."

The Saints are the first team in NFL history to make a conference championship after losing 13 or more games the previous season.

With victory secured for the Saints (11-6) on McAllister's powerful rushes for a clinching first down to run out the clock, team owner Tom Benson did his "Benson Boogie" on the field. The players hugged and saluted their long-suffering fans while a jazz band belted out tunes.

"I think it means a tremendous amount," quarterback Drew Brees said. "You could see it and feel it after the game, people still standing and yelling and screaming."

It was the veteran McAllister with his two touchdowns and team playoff mark of 143 yards rushing, and the rookie Bush with his collection of magnificent moves, that made the difference in the raucous Superdome.

"It's my first opportunity to be in the playoffs, I didn't want to be one and out," McAllister said. "I didn't want to say, 'If I had done this or prepared differently, we would have been successful.'

"It's just the determination of this team and this city -- to give them everything we have."

Even after Brees' high pitchout got away from Bush with 3:18 remaining and Philadelphia recovering, the Saints would not be denied. Their defense held Brian Westbrook, who was brilliant for the Eagles (11-7), near midfield.

McAllister became the first Saints player to rush for more than 100 yards in the playoffs.

"Deuce was fantastic tonight and they weren't going to stop him," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "He ran his heart out."

McAllister scored on a 5-yard run and an 11-yard pass in the third quarter.

The Eagles, who won six in a row after losing quarterback Donovan McNabb, got a superb performance from Westbrook, who rushed for 116 yards and scored twice, including a 62-yard run that was a franchise playoff record.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia's run of success ended, but he combined with former Saints receiver Donte' Stallworth on an Eagles-record 75-yard touchdown in the first half.

McAllister, who missed 11 games last season with a knee injury, has been overshadowed by the spectacular Bush and surprising seventh-round draft pick Marques Colston. But he came through when he was needed most against the NFC's hottest team.

So did Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner whose arrival after Houston passed on him in the draft lifted the spirits of the Gulf Region. He scored on an eye-popping 4-yard run in the first half and had an equally scintillating 25-yarder to set up one of John Carney's two field goals.

So let the parties begin -- at least until the conference title game.

"There's still a lot of work to be done," said Payton, the NFL Coach of the Year. "We just hope we can put a little kick in their step Monday and Tuesday, and give them something to look forward to next weekend."

McAllister's 28-yard run set up Carney's 33-yard field goal for an early lead. And Carney's 23-yarder in the second quarter that made it 6-0 also was the result of a long run -- by Bush.

The rookie started to his right, but with a bunch of Eagles in his way, he reversed field. After faking going down the middle, he sped to the left sideline and picked up 25 yards.

Brees then threw his best pass of the half for a 35-yard gain to Devery Henderson behind Rod Hood, who was in for injured Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia's best cover cornerback.

Garcia trumped that with his perfect pass to Stallworth beyond Fred Thomas, the longest pass play and longest touchdown in Philly's playoff history.

The Saints accepted the challenge and marched 78 yards in 14 plays. Bush pulled off another stunner when, from the Eagles 4, he was stopped up the middle, broke right and outraced the defense to the corner of the end zone for a 13-7 lead.

But Philly's resourcefulness on third downs highlighted an 80-yard drive to the go-ahead TD on a 1-yard leap over the pile by Westbrook. Garcia found Reggie Brown for 32 yards and Hank Baskett for 25 on third-down plays, with both receivers wide open.

The half ended in confusion. First, punter Steve Weatherford gained 15 yards and a first down when he saw his kick was about to be blocked and he took off to the right. Then Brees' desperation pass into a group in the end zone momentarily was caught by Colston. William James then ripped it loose, and the Saints stayed on the field hoping for a video review by the replay booth. The Eagles, meanwhile, headed to the locker room, soon followed by the officials.

Game notes
Eagles All-Pro tackle Shawn Andrews injured his neck in the first half and was taken to a hospital with swelling. ... Eagles LB Shawn Barber injured his ankle. ... The Saints also beat the Eagles 27-24 here during the season. ... Stallworth finished with 100 yards on three catches for Philly, while Colston had five for 55 and seldom-used tight end Billy Miller caught four passes for 64 yards for the Saints.