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    Bubble fever

    An art critic takes on George W. Bush's nude bathroom paintings: President's inner life confounds

    Tyler Rudick
    Feb 9, 2013 | 9:12 pm

    The world's hottest emerging artist got a burst of high-profile publicity this week thanks to a hacker named Guccifer and some apparent holes in AOL security.

    After months of teasing us about his recent painting lessons, George W. Bush unwittingly burst onto the international art scene when The Smoking Gun posted two rather intimate self-portraits culled from Guccifer's stash. A spokesperson with the Secret Service confirmed that an investigation is underway and did not deny the legitimacy of the hacked material.

    Thematically, the new crop of the paintings comes as quite the surprise. The first depicts a particularly vulnerable W. as he takes in the shower, his face fully obscured were it not for a shaving mirror. The second portrays another bathing scene that shows only the president's legs and feet in the tub.

    While it's nice to see the president take some artistic risks, I was a little disappointed not to get another awesome portrait of former First Dog Barney.

    As an fan of the Scottish Terrier— who sadly passed in early February at the age of 12 — I was looking forward to seeing the little dude painted in a number of fun scenarios: Decked out in a holiday sweater, hanging at the pool in sunglasses, playing poker with friends, etc.

    Beneath that "I'm gonna dress up my dog" exterior, there's a naked man in his mid-sixties pondering life's great questions.

    But maybe we've had W. all wrong.

    Beneath that "I'm gonna dress up my dog" exterior, there's a naked man in his mid-sixties pondering some of life's great questions. There's a man trying to scrub away the mistakes and coming to grips with his own mortality and legacy.

    Or maybe not.

    Click through the slideshow above and be sure not to miss the photo of W. standing next life-sized cutout of himself dressed as either an "artiste" . . . or Saddam Hussein (it's hard to tell).

    George Bush, email hacked, February 2013, artist
      
    The Smoking Gun
    unspecified
    news/entertainment

    The coolest of cats

    Friends share memories of Houston musician Scott Gertner, who died this week

    Craig D. Lindsey
    May 2, 2025 | 5:30 pm
    Scott Gertner
    Courtesy Cindy Gertner
    undefined

    Scott Gertner, one of the most prominent figures in Houston’s music and nightlife scenes, has unexpectedly passed away.

    A brief statement by the musician’s family did not share a cause of death. It thanked people for their condolences, asked for privacy, and stated that funeral details would be shared soon. [Update: A representative for the family tells CultureMap that Gertner died of natural causes. He will be buried on Monday, May 5.]

    Gertner was, without hyperbole, the coolest of cats. As a multi-talented, thrice-Grammy-nominated musician and singer, no one could resist his soulful stylings. As a nightclub owner, he knew how to open up the right spots at the right time. Before its closure in 2010, Scott Gertner’s Skybar was Montrose’s jazz temple in the sky, where people could check out live music while gazing at the stars. (Skybar also attracted celebs like Luther Vandross, Steve Harvey, and Shaquille O’Neal, so the stars weren’t just in the sky.) A decade later, he opened up Scott Gertner’s Rhythm Room on Memorial Dr., luring people in with live grooves and a mouth-watering menu.

    In my previous life as a nightlife reporter, Gertner was the person I usually contacted whenever I needed intel on jazz clubs in the city. (I also believe that, during one of these sitdowns, I surprised him one day with a 12-inch single he recorded in the late ‘80s for CBS Records, a lost item I picked up at a nearby record store.)

    But I know I’m not the only person who has sparkling memories featuring Gertner. I reached out to a few friends and asked them what they’ll remember the most about the late, great, swaggerific impresario:

    T.J. Callahan, film critic/radio personality: “We had many fantastic CBS Radio Houston Christmas parties at the Skybar. Scott was always the most gracious host and fun performer.

    “Also, two of my close friends went to high school at HSPVA with Scott. They are all musicians. During our college years, Scott was playing at the old Ruggles on lower Westheimer, back when everyone cruised that area on the weekends. Every time we passed by the restaurant, my friends and I would scream ‘Gertner’ out the car window, like he was going to hear us and come out and say hi. Hey, we were 18. The boys were so excited Scott had a real gig.”

    Russell V. Guess, music producer/former Skybar bartender: “When I tell you I wouldn’t know half the people I know — I wouldn’t have made a good deal of the money I’ve made in my life — and not have had many of the experiences (too many!) that made me who I am if not for this man, it isn’t an exaggeration at all.

    “But there’s so much more to remember about the guy. A true artist, bandleader, music lover, and businessman. I soaked up so much game about music and nightlife, a course more valuable than any class I could’ve taken. To know him personally was a privilege not to be taken lightly; he’d hit you with that smile that always said everything his words didn’t. Always the encourager, he supported me in and outside the nightlife. Even after I stopped working for him, we’d still text each other on our birthdays since they were 11 days apart. I was always welcome wherever his venue was located and, if he was there, that smile and a hug was soon to follow.”

    Mark Towns, jazz guitarist: “One of the first times I heard Scott play was back in the heyday of Cody’s, when he was on bass and vocals with Paul English’s incredible band. That group was something special — Paul on piano, Kirk Whalum and Johnny Torres on saxophones, and Scott bringing his unique energy and voice to the mix. The vibe was electric at those shows.

    “Later, Scott held down Wednesday nights at Cody’s in the Village, and those nights became legendary. It was the hottest night of the week, and, as the story goes, Scott was making more money that one night than the club owner was making all week. That’s the kind of draw and charisma he had.

    “From there, Scott opened the Skybar at the original Cody’s location on Montrose, and I was honored when he hired my Flamenco Jazz trio to play a Wednesday night series there, sponsored by The Wave radio station. We alternated Wednesdays with Joe Carmouche’s excellent trio — great times. He also was the gracious host for the CD release party for my first album, Flamenco Jazz Latino, at Skybar.

    “Back in the late 1980s, way before Skybar and those Village Cody’s Wednesdays, Scott and I played together at the legendary Blues Jam with Ardis Turner (RIP) at Live Bait on Greenbriar — me on guitar and Scott on bass. Too bad there are no recordings of that. We had some wild jams.

    “There was a weird kind of synchronicity with Scott — I’d run into him all over Houston, at all hours, in the most random places. It happened often. The last time I saw Scott was at the Rhythm Room last year. We ended up talking for a long while. He was extremely interested in hearing details about some health issues that I had firsthand knowledge about.

    “Scott was a great singer, a great guitarist, a great bassist, and a powerful presence on stage and off. As a performer, a businessman, a leader, and a cultural force, Scott Gertner enriched Houston’s music world. I’m grateful our paths crossed.”

    obituaryscott gertnerdeaths
    news/entertainment
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