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Blues Traveler, Susan Saint James, Victor Mature, Tony Martin, John Payne, Glenn Ford

I am a huge fan of Blues Traveler and John Popper. Can you tell me more about John Popper and if Blues Traveler is still “travelin’ ” to a city near me?
—Alice A., Kentucky

They don’t call themselves Blues Traveler for nothing—the band can be found on the road almost yearround. Chances are good they’ll play somewhere near you, and you can check their official website, www.bluestraveler.com, for tour dates. Lead singer John Popper’s vocal talent was discovered by his parents when he was just 3 years old, singing in church. “They were quick to notice that I was not only singing in tune, but harmonizing,” he says. “The music teacher who was teaching my older sisters violin said that I had true pitch and musical ability.” From then on, Popper, now 36, sang and played music—trying cello at age 5, piano at 8 and tuba at 10. Nothing took until he picked up a guitar at 11 and discovered that he knew how to play by ear. Soon after, his parents gave him a harmonica for his birthday. That was the instrument that really took; his playing was so good that he became the first harmonica player in his high school band. In 1983, he and his high school pals fomed a band that eventually became Blues Traveler.

What is Susan Saint James doing now? I always enjoyed watching her on television and would like to see her again. Is she still acting?
—Annette H., Georgia

Best known for the role of Kate, a divorced mom on the hit 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie, Saint James is running a baby gift-basket business. The mother of five started the business in Litchfield, Conn., in 1998 with her sister and a friend. The company, Seedling and Pip, sells baskets full of classic books, lullabies, and hand-knit clothing for the birth of a baby or other special occasions. The actress, 57, was raised in northern Illinois, then began modeling as a teenager. She moved to California and television, winning an Emmy for her role on The Name of the Game. She co-starred in McMillian & Wife, with Rock Hudson, playing his spouse from 1971 to 1977. Saint James, whose movie roles included Love at First Bite, still does some acting. In 1999, she starred in a production of The Miracle Worker in Torrington, Conn. She is married to Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports. Saint James has been involved with the Special Olympics for 30 years.

Would you have any information on Victor Mature, Tony Martin, John Payne or Glenn Ford?
—Angie R., New York

Louisville, Ky.-born Victor Mature, who played strongman Samson in 1948’s Samson and Delilah, was once billed by his studio as a “beautiful hunk of man.” He passed away in 1999 at age 85. John Payne, another movie star known for his handsome face, was the son of a farmer and an opera singer. He passed away in 1989 at the age of 77. Singer Tony Martin, born Alvin Morris in San Francisco, is 89 years old. He’s been married for more than 50 years to dancer Cyd Charisse. Glenn Ford, born Gwyllyn Samueal Newton Ford in Quebec, is now 87. He keeps in touch with fans through his official website, www.glennford.com. Ford will occasionally pen a message for the site himself, and his son Peter keeps visitors informed of any news on a regular basis. Peter currently is working on a biography of his father with writer Christopher Nickens. The book is scheduled for release next spring.

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