Jesse Singer articles

Fleetwood Mac didn’t start as a pop band. It started with Peter Green—a blues guitarist who terrified Eric Clapton. He built the band, led it, and shaped everything it was meant to be. Then he disappeared. What followed wasn’t reinvention—it was a quiet collapse into schizophrenia that erased one of rock’s most gifted minds.

For years, the popular story was simple: Hervé Villechaize wanted to be paid the same as Ricardo Montalbán, the star of Fantasy Island, and the studio showed him the door. It’s a neat, dramatic explanation—but it skips over a much uglier reality that people were uncomfortable talking about at the time.

Some shows don’t slowly reveal they’re bad—they announce it immediately, loudly, and without hesitation. These pilots waved every possible red flag, and networks somehow took that as encouragement. One episode was already too many. An entire season felt like a dare no one should’ve accepted.

Some great directors struggle their entire careers trying to get films made. While others somehow keep getting chance and chance despite delivering poor to mediocre results. But just like how a broken clock is right twice a day—these lesser directors have managed to make something really good once (or even twice) along the way.

Baby boomers had limited channels and unlimited commitment. If a show came on at 8 p.m., you were on the couch at 7:59. Some of these shows felt edgy. A few even felt important. Others were just there—every single week. These are the shows boomers swore by…and now swear they barely remember watching.

Scotty Beckett joined Our Gang in the 1930s, instantly becoming a fan favorite with his sharp delivery and bright smile. He stole scenes without ever trying. Everyone assumed a kid that charismatic was headed for a long, golden career—but childhood fame rarely works out that way. And sadly, Beckett was no exception.

The 1980s were a golden age of TV experimentation—bold concepts, wild premises, and shows that vanished almost as quickly as they appeared. Some were cult hits, some were forgotten gems, and some were just delightfully strange. If you remember even half, your nostalgia powers are elite.

Boomers grew up in an era when radio ruled and albums were devoured start to finish. Millennials rely on playlists and algorithmic recommendations—which means a ton of boomer-beloved bands slipped through the cracks. These groups shaped entire decades, yet younger listeners barely recognize their names. Let’s fix that.

Shinki Chen’s career is one of rock’s most fascinating disappearances. In the early ’70s, he was shredding with the kind of fire that made critics call him “Japan’s Hendrix.” But just as he seemed destined for global fame, he simply turned his back on the industry forever. So what happened? Here’s the wild, true story of a guitar legend who walked away right as he was about to explode.