Vol. 26 No. 15
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April 2017
PAYING TRIBUTE TO
Ol’ Blue Eyes By Anthony Welch
R
ick Blessing sang in jazz clubs in Los Angeles for more than 30 years. While he performed many of Frank Sinatra’s hits, he never really thought about performing a full-on tribute to “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” “Friends kept coming up to me and saying, ‘Rick, you should be doing Sinatra. You’re him,’” Blessing said. “I had no idea it was going to be that much fun.” He created the Sinatra tribute eight years ago, and it quickly gained notoriety in Los Angeles. Then in 2012, he returned to his home state of Colorado and continued to entertain audiences with Sinatra’s classics and a little bit of comedy included in the act. Blessing’s repertoire includes more than 200 standards and 35 of Sinatra’s hits. A typical
See TRIBUTE, page 2
Romance in Bloom at Briarhurst Manor By Becky Hurley This is another in Life After 50’s Historic Restaurant series. Some restaurants are known for decades of family ownership and beloved recipes. Others, like The Briarhurst Manor in Manitou Springs, enjoy a reputation for beautifully-prepared traditional cuisine in a turn-of-the-century setting. Located on
Settling in Tips for buying your retirement home See Page 8
Manitou Avenue and overlooking Fountain Creek, The Briarhurst is celebrating its 137th year – and a colorful past. Recently named one of the country’s Top 50 Most Romantic Restaurants by Open Table, the mansion’s pink sandstone exterior and wood-paneled interior remain beautifully preserved. “We’re always a popular stop on local historic tours,” says Marketing and Sales
Now Showing
Spring time means Pueblo’s Mesa Drive-In is open See Page 9
See MANOR, page 5