IYCMI - 6 Great Columns From This Week - A Great Video, a Duke Ellington Memory, and I will miss my friend, Steve Frank.
We featured a lot of great, original content this past week. Below are six highlights of columns -- and a move by a state public employee union to not have to go into the office.
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Requiescat In Pace, Steve Frank
This year has started with a lot of my friends in politics passing away. Doug LaMalfa, Joel Fox, Michael Reagan, and now Steve Frank. If the politics of Heaven are as heated up there as they are down here, we have sent some great reinforcements through the pearly gates!
I first met Steve in 1988, when I was very new to politics. Steve spent a good amount of time sizing me up, but once he realized that, like him, I was a strong conservative, he spent a lot of time guiding my involvement in politics. When he and I met, I was a campus activist with Young Americans for Freedom. As I became more involved and “promoted up,” Steve always helped me do even more. Eventually, I became Chairman of Cal-YAF from 1990-1993, and Steve was on my small group of advisors — and had no shortage of advice. Steve played an instrumental role in my decision to get involved with the California Republican Assembly, where Steve guided me up the ranks to eventually serve two years as State President (1995-1997). Perhaps it was during my next challenge—serving as Executive Director of the California Republican Party (1998-2001) —when Steve, along with our mutual friend Lorelei Kinder, was an invaluable source of input and support.
We didn’t just talk about politics. Steve loved to talk about his two daughters as they grew up, and I reciprocated with many stories about my son and daughter (who are now in high school). Steve has prepared me now to become a good grandpa — but I have some time before that happens!
Steve was serious when it was needed. Funny, whenever he didn’t have to be serious. He was thoughtful. And perhaps Steve’s greatest gift is that, whether you were with him or on the phone, he was present. No one else mattered during that time. It was just you and Steve (or whatever other co-conspirators we had) — and it really made for a deep friendship.
There was a funeral service for Steve on Friday that I couldn't attend. But if I had been there, I would have quietly told Steve, “My friend, you lived a full life. You were dedicated to our country, to our cause, and to your family. You made my life so much better with your active and caring interest in who I am and what I do. And I will miss you more than you could ever know.”
Rest In Peace, my friend.
Recently, I wrote a piece about Steve for this site—a California Patriot Profile. You can read more here if you have a few minutes to learn more about this important friend in my life.
BELOW ARE SIX STORIES FROM THIS WEEK THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED!
After you read this, be sure to check out the video below!
One Video…
2A Champion Colion Noir Lights Up New CA Gun Control Effort — No one does it like Coilon — Worth the time!
On This Date…. in 1941
On this day in 1941, Duke Ellington released “Take the ‘A’ Train,” the song that would become the signature anthem of his orchestra and one of the most enduring standards in American music.
Born in 1899, Duke Ellington was more than a bandleader — he was a composer, arranger, and architect of big band jazz. Leading his orchestra for more than five decades, Ellington built a sound rooted in precision, swing, and individuality. He wrote parts tailored to specific musicians, turning players like Johnny Hodges and Cootie Williams into stars in their own right.
“Take the ‘A’ Train,” composed by Billy Strayhorn, became the theme song of the Ellington Orchestra. Its bright melody, driving rhythm, and polished brass captured the optimism and sophistication of wartime America. The song climbed the charts and helped solidify Ellington’s orchestra as one of the premier jazz ensembles in the country.
Below is a video of Duke Ellington performing “Take the ‘A’ Train.”
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Jon
Beautiful tribute to Steve. He was a great friend tat will be deeply missed.