Hey, Funny Fans!

You know who’s a funny guy?—Steve Martin! This is a name that might not be so familiar to a number of the younger generations, but likely anyone in their 20’s has at least heard the name and if you’re my age, then you understand this name is interchangeable with comedy genius! 

Defunct in the modern day, Steve spent some beautiful summer weeks of his youth soaking in the sun at Camp Osceola on the West Coast. Though he was born in Waco, Texas, 1945, his family moved when he was young and he grew up in Inglewood, California where he didn’t travel far for his trip to camp.

He got his first job when he was 10. He worked sold guidebooks at Disneyland where he would work during his summer breaks from school as well as weekends. While working one day, he was captured on film in the background of somebody’s home movie which went on to be made into a short film called ‘Disneyland Dream’. This happily accounts for Steve’s first film appearance!

He attended Garden Grove High School and after graduating high school he went on to study at the Santa Ana College where he focused on theater and poetry. With a girlfriend’s helpful networking, Steve got a job quickly after college as a writer for ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’.

He also started to make a name for himself in stand-up. Continuing to grind away, his work eventually landed him appearances on ‘Saturday Night Live’. And it didn’t take long for him to hit the big screen. Steve can be seen in the hit film, ‘The Muppet Movie’ and made it real big when he landed his own feature film—the 1979 comedy classic, ‘The Jerk’.

Well known for his role in the ‘Father of the Bride’ movies as well, Steve made a big name for himself. Other talents of his always found their way into his comedy like his great musical inclination and proficiency. An accomplished author, playwright, pianist, and banjo player as well, Steve has actually gone on to embrace his musical passion these days.

Check him out singing with the great Bernadette Peters in this great scene from ‘The Jerk’ below and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Hey, Camp People!

Lots of folks who were once summer campers like yourselves have gone on to become celebrities whose names are popular in our very own households. I’ve written about nearly 100 famous folks so far who have roots in the summer camp community. Another name to add to our ongoing list is Leonard Cohen. 

He was 10 years old when he set off for his summer camp stay at Camp Hiawatha near Montreal. There he had a fine time in the mid 1940’s running around among the Canadian wilderness and enjoying friends that were his age. And even back then, Leonard had taken an interest in writing.

Born and raised in the Canadian town of Westmount, Quebec, Leonard, throughout his life, would become a singer, songwriter, musician, poet, novelist, and painter. And, though he is most known for his musical career, he aimed to be a poet and novelist from his days as a teenager until his early 30’s. In fact, he didn’t do anything with music until he turned 33 years old.

He completed his elementary and high school education throughout enrollment in three different schools—the Roslyn Elementary School, Herzliah High School, as well as Westmount High School. He was very involved in extra-curricular activities in his later days of high school and he developed a great interest in studying music as well as poetry.

By 1951, Leonard started college at McGill University, where he became president of the debate team. He also won the Chester MacNaghten Literary Competition for his poems “Sparrows” and “Thoughts of a Landsman.” He published his first poems in a magazine by the spring of 1954. Around this time, he also taught himself to play acoustic guitar and he formed a folk group called ‘Buckskin Boys’.

Things went on this way for more than ten years, using writing for his main source of income and playing music for fun. But Leonard, becoming increasingly discouraged with his low income as a writer, decided one day in 1967 that he would move to the United States in an attempt to pursue a career as a folk music singer/songwriter.

Consequently, Leonard’s writing started to diminish with fewer publications and long gaps between them as he concentrated more and more of his energy on writing and recording songs. Networking with other big names of the time like Lou Reed and David Bowie, Leonard discovered a certain amount of marketability for his own music and it wasn’t long until he created an image and a name for himself.

With his own roots in summer camp, patience and desire brought Leonard Cohen a life of fulfillment that the world can now enjoy. What will grow from the roots you stretch at summer camp? As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Famous former summer campers are all over the place. Many celebrities in the music and film industries have their own summer memories from their camp days. Some we know by their songs and others we love to watch on the big screen. Plenty of television stars have gone to summer camp as well. Soleil Moon Frye was once a summer camper just like yourselves back when she was closer to your age.

Attending Cottontail Ranch Camp in Malibu Canyon of California, Soleil—named after the sun (pronounced like So-lay)—has her own summer memories of the 2600 acres of the neighboring State Park and four-mile trips to Malibu Beach. But even before her days at camp, she was in the business.

She showed signs of interest in acting when she was only two years old and she saw her father and brother on TV. Her father got her an agent. Her mother became her manager. And by the time Soleil turned 8, she had been in five made-for-TV movies! But she really made it big when she landed the role of Penelope “Punky” Brewster at the young age of eight as well.

“Punky Brewster” never got the greatest ratings, however, the character of Punky became a huge hit with young children the world over and is an 80's icon. Her fun and funky style and personality are fondly remembered by many. Soleil went on to  attend a private high school in the San Fernando Valley as well as New School University in New York for a year.

Soleil was childhood friends with Ms. Melissa Joan Hart (a.k.a. Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and she ended up playing the role of Sabrina’s best friend, Roxie King on the show. Aside from her successful television career, Soleil has also appeared in a number of movies. She even directed a film called “Wild Horses” and she wrote a screenplay about a group of high schoolers who have strange encounters in a cafe.

 Have a blast at Cottontail Ranch Camp like Soleil! You can check it out for yourself right here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! 

-John

Hey there, Summer Campers!

We talk about so many celebrities who were once summer campers like yourselves, but instead today, I have someone who never went as a camper. She was, however, a cabin leader for a handful of years at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Georgia. I’m talking about country music singer, songwriter, and actress, Jennifer Nettles.

Next to the Oconee National Forest, Rock Eagle Camp boasts 1500 acres of gorgeous woodsy land with a 110-acre lake named after the camp. While she may have been at a different juncture in her life than most folks are when they encounter the summer camp experience, it was just as influential for her when she went as a cabin leader.

Her passion in life—singing—drew her to Rock Eagle Camp like a magnet as she was a member of their Clovers & Company performing arts group for six years prior. She was also involved in tons of extracurricular activities between school assemblies, community theater, and her Southern Baptist church in the small town of Douglas, Georgia.

She graduated from Coffee High School and moved on to Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, studying Sociology as well as Anthropology. It was during her college years that she made a productive move with her music, partnering up with one Cory Jones—a University of Georgia student of classical guitar—to form the acoustic duo Soul Miner’s Daughter. They put out two albums together.

After college, she continued her musical career in her early 20’s, forming the Jennifer Nettles Band. The band, consisting of Brad Sikes on the drums, Scott Nicholson playing piano, Wesley Lupold playing bass, Mike Cebulski on percussion, and—of course—Jennifer, put out five albums altogether.

In 2003, Jennifer formed Sugarland with Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush to push her career beyond what she had been able to do yet. Three years later, Sugarland was nominated for a Gammy award for Best New Artist.

She most recently made her acting debut in NBC’s made-for-TV-movie, ‘Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors’ in which she played the role of Dolly Parton’s mother and then played another role in the following year on the hit series ‘Underground’. Following her dreams, Jennifer has found incredible success throughout her life. What successes will you find throughout your life? Be sure to check out Rock Eagle Camp in Georgia if it sounds like the right camp for you and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

The world is certainly camp crazy. From singer/songwriters to famous athletes and big-name Hollywood stars, it seems EVERYONE goes to camp! Writers—such as myself—are no exception. I, however, am not famous. Marta Kauffman, on the other hand, is a name that lots of people know. Co-creator of the hit sitcom ‘Friends’, Marta Kauffman is responsible for a cultural craze that became popular the world over.

Long before Marta joined forces with David Crane—her co-creator of ‘Friends’—she attended summer camp at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. This camp has sat on 90 acres of northeastern Pennsylvania for nearly 70 years as it saw its beginning as a camp site in the year 1950. This mountainous and woodsy setting provided Marta with a space where she work on personal growth by means of fun activities and adventures, as well as friends to share the experiences.

She went to school at Marple Newtown High School near Philadelphia and became incredibly interested in acting—so much so that in her senior year, she directed her school’s production of ‘Our Town’, a play from 1938 by Thornton Wilder. She enjoyed her own independent studies when it came to the works of playwrights and had a great appreciation for the talent for acting.

After high school, she attended Brandeis University where she continued her dedicated study to the Theater. And after four years of hard work and relentless studying, she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree and went on to pursue a writing career in the world of television.

Starting with a single episode of ‘Everything’s Relative’ in 1987, Marta continued to work on quick single-episode jobs as well as co-creating a few different series. It took her seven years in TV until she and David Crane launched their breakthrough series, ‘Friends’. Their show reached enormous popularity and ran for an entire decade before hitting their widely-celebrated finale.

Marta kept up her writing career after ‘Friends’ and has remained busy to the present day with her current TV show ‘Grace and Frankie’. Camp Ramah put Marta on an awesome and determined path that stuck with her all throughout her life. Perhaps Camp Ramah sounds like a good match for your soon-to-be-camper. Check them out on their website right here and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John