Arts & Entertainment
Maurice "Bugs" Bower's Life in the Music Business
Garden City resident shares excerpts from his book, "Nice Stories About Nice People."
“Bugs” Bower's name sounds like a character out of the "Bugs Bunny" cartoons. Sure enough, Maurice Bower was nicknamed "Bugs" since he ran as fast as "Bugs Bunny," according to his WWII Army buddies.
The name has stuck with the Garden City resident over the years, and he is a character all right.
Being a character is maybe why Bugs has been so successful, because people remember his glittery eyes, happy personality and great stories. Or maybe it was the songs he wrote like "Celebration" (great song for any occasion!) and the unusual "Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini."
Those qualities make him the perfect person to tell a story of "Life in the Music Business," about the famous singers and television people he met while he had a career as a musician, music arranger and producer.
Bugs shared excerpts from his book, Nice Stories About Nice People," on Wednesday at the Shelter Rock Public Library in Albertson.
Dr. Bower's musical resume reads like a Who's Who in the entertainment world of the 1950s to 1970s with stars like Perry Como, Bing Crosby and Liza Minelli, along with his nine Gold Record Million Seller Awards, two Grammys and music books.
For information on the purchase of Nice Stories About Nice People, email bgsbo@aol.com or call 516-775-8688.
