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Hi everyone,

The Dearly Departed Weekend is really shaping up. The first events, El Coyote and Spahn Ranch, have sold out. We didn’t even have the opportunity to post ticket links on social media. We appreciate the support. A couple more events are very close to being announced so please continue watch these newsletters for information. Everything is announced here first.

Related to the 50th Anniversary of Helter Skelter, the trailer for Quentin Tarantino's new film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has finally been released and it's just as good as I'd hoped. Hollywood history nerds needed a cigarette after watching this. I am so happy with this... and I'll be able to share something really fun about this movie with you guys a little closer the release date.

See the trailer HERE.

If you’ve been waiting for the next installment of the Dearly Departed Podcast, wait no longer! Mike Dorsey and I tackle Rebel Without a Cause. We talk about the “curse,” which is pretty inefficient because one person died in the 1950s, one in the 1970s and then the 1980s. But it makes for a good story. You can listen here and check out the podcast facebook page here.

James Dean's last stop, Blackwell's Corner - Road to Salinas

Some of you may remember when we retraced James Dean's last trip for a mini documentary, Road to Salinas. If you’d like to retrace Jimmy's last day with us, we’re bringing back the James Dean Death Ride Tour this September. We ran it last year with the intention of it happening only once. This is because a stupid marathon literally closed down the city streets, making it impossible for businesses to open that day. Especially if that business, y’know, utilizes said city streets. Anyway, the point is we’re bringing it back by popular demand. We hope you’ll join us. Tickets here.

Speaking of stupid marathons, there’s another one of them this Sunday. Which means that once again, we won’t be able to run our business for the day. “It brings money to the city” but that money never makes its way to folks like us. Oh … there was a point to this. So yeah, we won’t be open on Sunday. Don’t come by that day. We won’t be there and you won’t be able to drive down the streets anyway.

Some of you might remember that I was on an episode of The Girls Next Door a few years ago. Myself and 3 Playboy bunnies in the back of a hearse for an entire day. I was certainly living out someone's fantasy. Bunny Bridget Marquardt and I have kept up a friendship since then and this week I was a guest on her podcast, Ghost Magnet. Bridget loves ghosts and her show is all about the spooky. Have a listen, we had a great time.

We have some exciting events that we will be open for though. We’re very excited about the new Vicky Hamilton Wild Rock Tour that’s debuting soon. Vicky was on the Sunset Strip scene during the height of the 1980s rock ‘n roll action. She was the first Guns ‘n Roses manager and took a (figurative) bullet for the band when four of the five members moved into her one-bedroom apartment. Of the four members who moved in, three of them were junkies. And that’s just the beginning. She also managed Poison and Faster Pussycat and worked as a consultant for Motley Crue and Stryper. She’ll give us all the gossip. It’s a rare opportunity to this information firsthand so dust off your spandex and headbands, rat your hair and join us!

Vicky Hamilton and Slash

We also have a couple of parties/gatherings coming up at the shop. One of the Hollywood’s Haunted Restaurants event. On Saturday April 6 at 6:30pm, two good friends of ours are leading this one. James Bartlett is the author of the Gourmet Ghost books, which details LA’s haunted restaurants. James is an encyclopedia on the subject. If you’re interested in Hollywood, in food, in ghosts or all of the above, he’s your guy and you’ll want to attend. Our own Brian Donnelly is also part of the evening. He’s an encyclopedia on everything and he’s bringing his extensive collection of Old Hollywood restaurant memorabilia so you can some very cool artifacts in person. This is a FREE event but tickets are limited. You must have a ticket for admission and they are available here.

We’re also having a birthday party in honor of Liberace turning 100 this year! This will take place on May 12 after the tours are finished for the day. We’ll have cake and crowns because the theme is Queen for a Day (Yeah, come and get me). If you’d like to be especially festive, which would appropriate given the honoree, it might be nice to dress up in your snazziest outfit. So mark your calendar, come on out and sparkle a spell.