Magic Jewball

What are the benchmarks of your life? You know, the things that make you realize how much time has passed? Your high school or college reunions? Round decade New Years? For me, it’s Simon LeBon’s birthday. How crazy is that? But once, a long time ago, a young Duran Duran fan was listening to the WLIR morning show before going off to grade school when a caller-in announced the fact that, since it was Simon LeBon’s birthday and since it was his 25th, then it was only fifteen years till he would be forty! Egads! The horror! That was like…. my parents’ age or something close to it. I was amazed and awed by this fact and told all my friends, who were all also suitably shocked. These were cute guys! And one of them might be forty in an amount of time we could wrap our heads around. It was a stunning piece of news.

Since Simon LeBon’s birthday was exactly three weeks after mine, I still had the banner which said happy birthday that my friends had draped across my desk and I hung it up that day. I did not take it down for over twenty years.

You might think that I forgot that (well, clearly I didn’t, I’m recounting it right now), but I didn’t. As a matter of fact, exactly fifteen years later, I was in Madison Square Garden to see Depeche Mode with North of the City (duh, I always see DM with North – we’re going to Zagreb in the Spring!) and I told her this very story. And the punch line was, Simon LeBon was forty years old today! It had happened! Ha! Actually, the real punch line was that he looked fifty, but no matter.

Yes, now you know what today’s punch line is. It’s twenty-five years since WLIR’s morning show and ten years since the Depeche Mode concert. Simon LeBon is fifty years old today. And looks sixty. Happy birthday, Simon! And thanks, anonymous caller, I never forgot you either.

Remember when Simon looked like this? No, me either.

By the way, I just finished Andy Taylor’s autobiography (I know! Who knew he could write? Or read.) and it’s well worth it should you be looking for behind the scenes stories about two decades too late. Also, anything bad about anyone is immediately followed by “But to be fair, he’s just a high-spirited guy! or “But I’m sure I was awful too.” Whatever, Andy!

But, I am here to tell you what you always wanted to know but were never stalkery enough to check. Andy Taylor, Simon LeBon, and Nick Rhodes’ kids are all friends on Facebook. You’re welcome!

Title comes from (well not originally, but for me):
Yes – Tempus Fugit

As far as Duran Duran, I’ve already used my top two songs, New Religion and Careless Memories, so let’s go with #3, the song so creepy the Deftones remade it.
Duran Duran – The Chauffeur