Category Archives: Interviews

When Sean Connery offered me a Scotch …

Posted on August 25, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Sean Connery nudged my arm as a waiter hovered with a tray of champagne, and said, “They have Scotch, you know.” We were on the terrace on Elton John’s house on the cornish that overlooks Nice … Continue reading →

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Why Omar Sharif preferred bridge to movies

Posted on July 10, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Omar Sharif, who has died of a heart attack in Cairo aged 83, was an international movie star who was always rather embarrassed about the way he earned a living. He said, ‘The things going … Continue reading →

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How James Horner came to write the ‘Titanic’ song

Posted on June 23, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – American composer James Horner, who has died in a plane crash aged 61, won an Academy Award along with lyricist Will Jennings for “My Heart Will Go On” sung by Celine Dion in “Titanic”, and … Continue reading →

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When Peggy Lee wondered ‘is that all there is?’

Posted on May 26, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Miss Peggy Lee, who was born 95 years ago today and died on Jan. 21 2002 aged 81, had come close to death in 1985 and she laughed when she told me, “Don’t you know … Continue reading →

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Recalling … Ernie Harwell, voice of the Detroit Tigers

Posted on May 4, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The first baseball game I ever saw was at Tiger Stadium in Detroit in 1970 and a bonus of living across the river in Windsor, Ontario, was that I was able to hear the club’s … Continue reading →

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Why Carolyn Jones did not want to kiss Elvis Presley

Posted on April 28, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – When I interviewed Carolyn Jones, who would have turned 85 today, she told me she had been sick but she did not tell me she was dying. Famous as Morticia in the 1960s TV series … Continue reading →

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A birthday card from Paris from Gregory Peck

Posted on April 5, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Gregory Peck and I were born on April 5 and when he turned 80 he sent me a card from Paris on which he wrote, “This French graffiti describes perfectly how it feels to be 80 … Continue reading →

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Why vet and author James Herriot never got rich

Posted on February 24, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett The stories of veterinarean James Herriot, who wrote “All Creatures Great and Small” and died 20 years ago today aged 79, remain immensely popular and they attract many tourists to Yorkshire but they did not make him … Continue reading →

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Why Jon Stewart should listen to Johnny Carson

Posted on February 13, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett Count me among those who will hate to see Jon Stewart walk away from “The Daily Show” and I wish he could have heard what Johnny Carson told me about his own temptations to quit “The Tonight … Continue reading →

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Warrior Andy McNab loves a good story like ‘Mamma Mia’

Posted on February 2, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett Things you might know about Andy McNab: He was a highly decorated SAS soldier; he wrote the bestselling “Bravo Two Zero” about his time in combat in the Gulf War; and he writes action thrillers, the latest … Continue reading →

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