chicagotribune--2020-01-06--From store remodels to more grab-and-go, Mariano’s under Kroger strives to stay special while adapti

From store remodels to more grab-and-go, Mariano’s under Kroger strives to stay special while adapting to shifting tastes

The challenge for Mariano ’ s , which has 44 stores in Illinois , has been to maintain its unique @ @ @ @ @ competitive , said Zain Akbari , an equity analyst at Chicago-based Morningstar who covers the @ @ @ @ @ continues to invest in many of the premium experiences that drive customers into stores , @ @ @ @ @ the envelope-pushing innovation that initially put it on the map , he said .

Jonathan Gonzalez gets his lunch at the hot bar at Mariano's West Loop store on Dec. 11, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Janet Weil used to find Mariano’s enchanting. She’d meet her husband at the oyster bar, browse the colorful Spice Shop and enjoy, as she recalls it, the “young vibe.”
But these days, Weil said as she pushed her cart through an aisle at the West Loop store, the shopping trip leaves her feeling less enthused.
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“It is banal now,” said Weil, 78, who lives in Hyde Park. “Whatever gave it some flair is gone. It is a generic, cookie-cutter store.”
Mariano’s, which was at the leading edge of glammed-up grocery shopping when it launched in 2010, still offers many of the amenities that made it a favorite among Chicagoans who wanted the upscale experience of Whole Foods without the sticker shock — from gelato to wine bars to live music.
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Pizza by the square at Mariano's West Loop location on Dec. 11, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
But the landscape has changed since Mariano’s parent company, Milwaukee-based Roundy’s, was acquired by Kroger in late 2015, as intense price competition and rise of delivery squeeze the already-slim-margin grocery business.
Conventional supermarket chains face growing threats by mass merchandisers like Walmart and steep discounters like Aldi, while convenience and dollar stores beef up their food offerings. Even Whole Foods, since being purchased by Amazon in 2017, has pared its prices, and the industry is waiting to see how Amazon’s new grocery brand, debuting this year in Los Angeles, further disrupts the landscape.
[ Whole Foods saw White Claw coming; what grocery trends will be big in 2020? ]
The challenge for Mariano’s, which has 44 stores in Illinois, has been to maintain its unique brand identity while staying price competitive, said Zain Akbari, an equity analyst at Chicago-based Morningstar who covers the grocery industry. While it continues to invest in many of the premium experiences that drive customers into stores, it has sacrificed some of the envelope-pushing innovation that initially put it on the map, he said.
“In this environment, there is more of a focus on trying to extract the most value from every square foot,” Akbari said.
[ From Dining: Inside the cult of Mariano's orange juice — why is it so good and so cheap? ]
There are more self-checkout lanes and more self-service dining options, a shift from the high-labor model that set Mariano’s apart even as it cut into profits, said Neil Stern, senior partner with Chicago-based retail consultancy McMillan Doolittle and himself a longtime Mariano’s shopper. Kroger’s private-label products have taken shelf space from what had been an eclectic assortment, he said.
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[ City Water is Chicago’s first canned local craft hard seltzer — and immediately one of the best anywhere ]
“There’s no question that in the four years it has become more like Kroger and less like the original vision of Mariano’s,” Stern said.
Mariano’s executives say staying true to the brand has been a priority as it remodels stores, tests new ideas and makes changes that reflect evolving consumer tastes.
The chain remains a destination grocery store for many shoppers, and there’s little indication the changes are driving customers away. Mariano’s saw its Chicago-area market share notch up last year to 9.8%, from 9.1% the prior year, according to The Shelby Report, an industry publication. It is fourth behind Albertsons-owned Jewel-Osco — by far the local market share leader with 25.4% — and Walmart and Costco.
[ Gotham Greens is making money farming lettuce on the South Side. Now it’s adding a 2nd greenhouse in Pullman. ]
“Are we grumbling more and shopping the same?” Stern said. “I think on the whole that’s what is happening. Customers are still shopping, they may not be as happy as before, but I don’t think it’s met with mass defections.”
The Oki Sushi station at Mariano's West Loop location on Dec. 11, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
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Mariano’s relationship with Cincinnati-based Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain with 2,764 stores nationwide, has given the local chain efficiencies of scale and access to technology that helps it navigate the rapidly changing retail environment, Akbari said. Last year Kroger reported $121 billion in revenue — twice the revenue of the next-largest supermarket chain, Boise-based Albertsons. Kroger, which bought Roundy’s for $800 million, does not break out Mariano’s revenue and profits.
[ Goodbye, food desert. Hello, Local Market. South Shore finally gets grocery store six years after Dominick’s closed. ]
After growing aggressively in the wake of the closing of Dominick’s supermarkets in 2013, Mariano’s has no new store openings planned. But it has been remodeling stores and, executives say, enhancing the things that make the brand distinctive.
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Michael Marx, division president of Roundy's. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“We’re very protective of the Mariano’s image and brand,” said Michael Marx, a longtime Kroger executive who is now division president of Roundy’s. “We want to make sure we continue to elevate Mariano’s and the experience.”
The local brand was exempted from a new Kroger marketing campaign that included new logos, advertising and signage. So well-regarded is Mariano’s that it has served as a model for some other Kroger chains as they adopt more fresh and premium items, he said.
Kroger has invested about $150 million into Mariano’s since the acquisition, including funding for nine store remodels completed last year, and it intends to sink more than $20 million into renovating 14 or 15 more stores in 2020, Marx said. Mariano’s, which employs about 9,500 store associates, also plans to hire 500 to 600 employees to staff new concepts and bolster service.
[ Brown bananas and squishy avocados no more? Food tech developed in Chicago and elsewhere could keep your produce from going bad. ]
In February, the West Loop store will introduce Tastemaker Kitchen, which will feature interactive classes and demonstrations with local chefs including Bill Kim of Urban Belly and Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno.
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The chain also is significantly expanding its wine and beer selection to include more high-end and hard-to-find brands usually found only at specialty stores or on fine restaurants’ menus, aiming to save shoppers an extra stop and money with promotions.
“We have put a full-court press on our value-add,” said Mark Rayner, director of adult beverage.
Much of the company’s focus seems to be on “reinventing” classic Mariano’s items. During a recent tour of the 72,000-square-foot West Loop store, which opened in 2012 and was remodeled in September, a small group of Mariano’s executives pointed out numerous examples.
Gelato on the main level of Mariano's West Loop store. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
At the Vero Café — which in some other stores have been converted to Starbucks — the gelato, sitting perfectly fluffed in flavors like Cannoli and Chicago Pot Hole, is now made by Elmwood Park-based A la Mode Foods rather than in the Mariano’s commissary.
“Our gelato was always good, but it wasn’t ever world class,” said Gary Zickel, who leads the food innovation group and has been with Mariano’s since before the Kroger acquisition.
[ Amazon to open new grocery store in LA next year — not Amazon Go, not Whole Foods ]
Similarly, in the prepared food section, Mariano’s Sicilian-style pizza for the past year has been made by Connie’s Pizza in the restaurant’s Bridgeport kitchen rather than in-house, making for a “consistent pizza all of the time with a flavor profile we are proud of,” Zickel said. The new pizza, made with a fermented dough that Zickel spent four months developing with Connie’s owner Michael Stolfe, has been selling better than the previous version, he said.
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A hot bar now carries newer items like lobster mac and cheese, and a 12-foot sushi case is triple the space previously dedicated to raw fish. At the beer bar, a new program called M20 offers a $3 pour in a 20-ounce pint glass of a rotating assortment of craft beers.
Shoppers peruse the selections at the hot bar inside Mariano's West Loop store. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Mariano’s has been exploring partnerships with outside restauranteurs to expand its in-store dining options, which also allows the grocer to save on labor costs. Rouxster’s Cookhouse, a concept by South Side restaurateur John Meyer, this year opened kiosks in three Mariano’s stores — West Loop, Bronzeville and Bridgeport — with a menu that includes Nashville-style chicken sandwiches, shrimp po’boys and banana pudding. It could expand into more stores, Marx said.
Not all such partnerships have been successful. Months after barbecue joint Pork & Mindy’s announced plans to open mini restaurants inside 28 Chicago-area Mariano’s last year, replacing the in-house Todds BBQ kiosks, the restaurant filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Mariano’s stopped selling its products and said it will launch a new concept called Mariano’s Smokehouse instead, a spokeswoman said.
Mariano’s feels as special as ever to some fans. Take Milan and Shanika Netisingha, who were enjoying an afternoon off from work at the wine bar at the West Loop store, he with a Stella Artois and she with a glass of red.
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The couple, who lives in North Lawndale, rendezvous there twice a week, a tradition that began shortly after the store opened and they discovered the concept of a grocery store date night: two steaks from the meat counter, grilled in the store gratis, plus a salad and bottle of wine. In addition to getting their shopping done, it’s become a favorite watering hole.
“It’s like a small-town feel,” Milan Netisingha, 40, who works in construction. “If you come on a regular basis, we all know each other.”
Once known for having piano players entertain shoppers, Mariano’s now features live bands on Friday evenings at its stores that have bars, along with $3 and $5 wine pours. The events get packed, Marx said.
The specialty cheese and meat section at Mariano's West Loop store. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
While some customers might notice that Spice Shops or other original Mariano’s concepts are gone, that’s because “what was once en vogue is not really what consumers are looking for now,” Marx said. Some oyster bars remain, while others have been removed and the space is being used for “enhanced guacamole bars,” he said.
As people gravitate toward more grab-and-go eating, rather than dining in store, Mariano’s is developing more refrigerated meals. It recently introduced a $9.99 single-serve prime rib that comes with a twice-baked potato and brussels sprouts, and is developing entrees with salmon and chicken Milanese, Zickel said.
Mariano’s also carries an extensive line of Home Chef, the Chicago-based meal kit company purchased by Kroger for $200 million in 2018. While other meal kit delivery companies have floundered, Marx said Home Chef is selling well because it offers varied options that satisfy consumers who want to spend time cooking as well as those who prefer heat-and-eat options.
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“The heat-and-eat piece is getting a lot of traffic,” Marx said.
Ultimately, Mariano’s wants to be “that total experience, that one-stop shop for everybody,” said Jim Hyland, vice president of communications at Roundy’s. That not only pertains to food. Mariano’s has opened gas stations at four suburban stores and is working on bringing fuel centers to city stores as well, Marx said.
Bob Mariano, the former Roundy’s CEO who founded the Mariano’s brand and led it until he retired in 2016, said he is too uninvolved in the business to comment on the changes to his namesake. He served as a part-time adviser until about a year ago.
But, he said, “if the customer wasn’t happy we would expect to see their share drop, and that hasn’t happened.”
“Times have changed,” Mariano said. “The customer will be the ultimate decision-maker.”
aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @alexiaer


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--Cops: Man injured during suicide attempt 79th Street Red Line station

But as the train rolled into the station , the man was struck on the platform and injured , said @ @ @ @ @ department spokesman .
Early reports indicated that the man may have tried to abort the @ @ @ @ @ hit .

A man was seriously injured during an apparent suicide attempt Sunday on a CTA Red Line platform on the city’s South Side, according to Chicago police.
The incident occurred around 2:05 p.m. at the 79th Street Red Line station, when the man, whose age was unknown, attempted to dive in front of the train as it arrived at the South Side station, police said.
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[Major Delays] Red Line trains are running, but not stopping at 79th due to an earlier injured customer at 79th. — cta (@cta) March 22, 2020
But as the train rolled into the station, the man was struck on the platform and injured, said Officer Steve Rusanov, a department spokesman. Early reports indicated that the man may have tried to abort the suicide attempt when he was hit.
The victim was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition, according to Rusanov.
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Red Line service was bypassing the 79th Street station as of 2:47 p.m., according to the transit agency. Check the CTA website for service updates.


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--OPRF running back Nazareth Bryant accepts walk-on offer from Northern Illinois

“ He ’ s coached some of the greats , and someone who has been there , done that , @ @ @ @ @ To get instruction from him , it will only help me .
The sky is @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m ready to go and excited to compete .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ opportunity .
”

Nazareth Bryant thought he lost his opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing Division I football.
The Oak Park-River Forest senior running back endured a lengthy recruiting process in hopes of landing a scholarship offer. A few months ago, Bryant had an offer for a preferred walk-on spot at Northern Illinois, but that window closed when Bryant elected to keep looking.
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“I was thinking, ‘Do I really want to commit now?’ I was hoping something else would open up,” Bryant said. “I was looking for another opportunity. I was really starting to doubt myself when the (Northern Illinois) opportunity closed up, like maybe it was not meant to be.
"It was a tough time. I didn’t commit, ending up losing (the walk-on offer), and that got me scrambling in recruiting.”
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Eventually, Bryant received some good news: Northern Illinois came back into the picture. This time, Bryant waited less than 30 minutes before accepting a preferred walk-on spot March 17.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Bryant said the surprise offer was a big relief.
“The whole time NIU was keeping in contact with me, checking on me,” he said. “I felt they really thought I was a good player. I was looking around, being hopeful. I spent months and months thinking about my college decision, worried about money, facilities, the weight program and the football program. I responded back right away in minutes to NIU with my answer.
“NIU is a great school with great facilities and reviews. I have a few friends who go to the school. They really like it. I also know the coaches wouldn’t leave me in the dirt. It’s close to home.”
Oak Park-River Forest coach John Hoerster said Bryant has an advantage because he can play several offensive positions.
“He returned kicks for us, showed the ability to play in the slot and was our running back,” Hoerster said. “He’s pretty versatile. He’s very motivated and driven. He’s a tremendous, hard-working student and a leader with a tremendous amount of integrity. He’s a wonderful kid. He was an amazing player for us and did so much for the program."
Bryant, a two-year starter, said playing for Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock is a huge plus. Hammock was a 1,000-yard rusher at Northern Illinois and was the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens for five seasons.
“He’s coached some of the greats, and someone who has been there, done that,” Bryant said. “To get instruction from him, it will only help me. The sky is the limit with great instruction. I’m ready to go and excited to compete. I’m happy they gave me this opportunity.”
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Bryant, who has been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, is waiting to see what the coronavirus pandemic means for the high school track season. He helped the Huskies finish second in Class 3A in the 800-meter relay last season.
“It’s really tough right now,” Bryant said. “I wanted to really focus on increasing my speed and lowering my times. With the virus, I have no place to train. I have to work out at home, doing stretching and pushups. I can’t get into any gyms.
"It’s really hard, especially going into outdoor season. I haven’t been able to open up my legs. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--Watch live: Gov. J. B. Pritzker and health officials discuss Illinois coronavirus cases

Watch live as Illinois Gov .
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B. Pritzker and health officials discuss coronavirus cases in a news briefing @ @ @ @ @ Get the latest updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-03-22--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Former Chiefs safety Jordan Lucas signs a 1-year deal

What it means : The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap .
Quinn , who will @ @ @ @ @ joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season .
@ @ @ @ @ with the Cowboys in 2019 , the second-most in his career behind the 19 he @ @ @ @ @ All-Pro .
He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss , @ @ @ @ @ passes defended .
Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011 , and he spent @ @ @ @ @ the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys .
He has @ @ @ @ @ career .
The deal , for $ 70 million with $ 30 million guaranteed , @ @ @ @ @ , with Mack and Akiem Hicks , even more formidable .

The Chicago Bears have been quite active as they build their 2020 roster.
On March 18, general manager Ryan Pace made his biggest move of the offseason, trading a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
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The Tribune’s team is tracking all of the Bears’ moves — with players arriving and exiting — and providing insight into what each move means.
[ Bears draft tracker: 7-player class is complete, from a local tight end to a pair of cornerbacks and a speedy receiver ]
May 13
Former Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara is signing with the Raiders, according to NFL Network .
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What it means: Amukamara will begin his 10th NFL season in Las Vegas after the Bears released him earlier this offseason. The deal reportedly is for one year. Amukamara was a Giants first-round pick in 2011 and played five seasons with the Giants, one with the Jaguars and three with the Bears. He had three interceptions, including a pick-six, and 29 passes defended in his Bears career. The Bears cut Amukamara to clear $9 million in salary-cap space and drafted his expected replacement last month when they took Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson with the 50th pick.
May 5
Edge rusher Aaron Lynch signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, the team announced .
What it means: Lynch played two seasons in a reserve role for the Bears, totaling five sacks, 22 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 17 quarterback hits. A 49ers fifth-round pick in 2014, Lynch will join the Jaguars for his seventh NFL season. He has 20 career sacks. The Bears already had secured reserve outside linebackers to play behind starters Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. They signed former Browns first-round pick Barkevious Mingo to a one-year deal and traded a future draft pick to grab Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson in the fifth round of the draft last month.
April 30
The Bears are adding veteran safety Tashaun Gipson on a one-year deal, according to Pro Football Talk.
What it means: The Bears appear to have a starting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson. Gipson has started 104 games over eight NFL seasons, including 62 over the last four years with the Jaguars and Texans. He has 23 career interceptions, three of which came in 2019 in his lone season in Houston, and 47 career passes defended, including eight last year. He also had a pick-six in 2019.
Gipson, who will be 30 in August, signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014, when he returned six interceptions for 158 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans signed Gipson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract last year, but he finished the season on injured reserve with a back injury. They cut him this week.
The Bears are signing veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to a one-year deal, an NFL source confirmed.
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What it means: Ginn, who turned 35 this month, will join the Bears for his 14th NFL season after three with the Saints. He had 30 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games last season. The 2007 Dolphins first-round pick also spent time with the 49ers, Cardinals and Panthers.
Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara knocks a ball down in the end zone as Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn is unable to make a catch in the second quarter at Soldier Field on Oct. 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
He had three straight seasons of at least 700 receiving yards from 2015-2017, including a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 2015 with the Panthers. He has played in 15 playoff games in his career. And he also was a punt and kick returner earlier in his career, with seven career return touchdowns.
Ginn provides the Bears with a speedy, experienced competitor to join a fairly young receivers room beyond veteran Allen Robinson.
April 29
The Bears signed wide receiver and returner Trevor Davis to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: A fifth-round draft pick by the Packers in 2016, Davis joins the Bears for his fifth NFL season. Davis, 26, played in 31 games with the Packers, totaling nine catches for 122 yards. He bounced between the Packers, Dolphins and Raiders in 2019 and had seven catches for 83 yards in nine games (four starts) with the Raiders.
He also is an experienced return man. He had a career-high 24 punt returns for 289 yards (12.0 average) and 31 kickoff returns for 707 yards (22.8) in 2017. And among his three teams in 2019, he had 22 punt returns for 145 yards (6.6) and 23 kickoff returns for 506 yards (22.0).
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April 28
The Bears signed defensive tackle John Jenkins to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: The Bears are bringing back the seven-year NFL veteran to serve as depth on the defensive line after Nick Williams left for a two-year contract with the Lions. Jenkins has played for five teams since he was drafted in the third round in 2013, including eight games for the Bears in 2017. He played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last year, making five starts, with 34 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack.
April 22
Tight end Trey Burton signed a one-year contract with the Colts, the team announced .
What it means: It took Burton five days after the Bears cut him to latch on with a new team. He reunites with coach Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles for two seasons when Burton was there. Burton’s contract is for the veteran minimum, NFL Network reported, which will deduct from the $4 million the Bears owe him for this season.
The Bears cut Burton after an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he caught just 14 passes for 84 yards over eight games.
We have signed TE Trey Burton. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 23, 2020
April 17
The Bears are releasing tight end Trey Burton, the team announced.
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What it means: Burton’s tenure in Chicago comes to an end two years before his four-year, $32 million contract is up.
The Bears are cutting him after he totaled 14 catches for 84 yards and no touchdowns during an injury-plagued 2019 season. It’s the latest development for Burton in a dramatic 16-month span that started when he was a late scratch for the 2018 playoff loss to the Eagles because of a groin injury. He had sports hernia surgery last offseason, battled a groin injury over eight games in 2019 and then had hip surgery in December.
The Bears signed veteran tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, and Burton’s departure could mean they’re eyeing another in next week’s draft.
The Bears are signing former Packers offensive lineman Jason Spriggs to a one-year deal, ESPN reported.
Packers' Jason Spriggs runs a drill at training camp on July 25, 2019. (Morry Gash/AP)
What it means: The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Spriggs adds depth to the Bears at tackle after free agent tackle Cornelius Lucas left for the Redskins. Spriggs, a 2016 second-round pick, has started just nine games for the Packers in his career. He’s dealt with back and elbow injuries leading up to the 2019 season and spent the year on injured reserve. An Elkhart, Ind., native, Spriggs, who will turn 26 next month, was an All-American at Indiana in his senior season in 2015.
The Bears signed free-agent kicker Ramiz Ahmed and exclusive-rights free agents J.P. Holtz and Rashaad Coward, the team announced.
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What it means: Ahmed joins the Bears on a one-year deal as apparent competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro. He last kicked in 2018 at Nevada, where he made 15 of 20 field-goal attempts and 40 of 44 extra-point attempts. He made Nevada’s team in 2017 in a walk-on tryout and did kickoffs that season. The Bears settled on Pineiro after a wild kicking competition last year, and he was 23-for-28 on field goals and 27-for-29 on extra points in his rookie year.
Holtz and Coward return as expected. Coward is expected to compete for the starting spot at right guard with newcomer Germain Ifedi after Coward started 10 games in 2019. Holtz, one of nine tight ends on the roster, played in 14 games for the Bears in 2019 and had seven catches for 91 yards.
April 16
Defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with a one-year contract.
What it means: Veteran defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with the Bears on a one-year contract. The longtime special teams standout will be entering his ninth season with the organization after arriving via a trade during the 2012 preseason. McManis missed the final four games last season with a groin injury that didn’t require surgery. He had 11 tackles in defense last season and a forced fumble in the Week 5 loss to the Raiders in London.
McManis, a Peoria native and Northwestern product, had eight stops on special teams last season. The 32-year-old has 88 special teams tackles in the last eight seasons. He’s the third free agent in the secondary to re-sign with the Bears following safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson. All three are on one-year contracts.
April 15
Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris signed his restricted free-agent tender.
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What it means: The move ensures Robertson-Harris will be back in the fold in 2020. The Bears tendered the former undrafted free agent at the second-round level, meaning he will earn $3.259 million this season. That higher tender ensured no other teams would attempt to lure him away with an offer sheet.
Had the Bears tendered Robertson-Harris at the original-round level, they would have had only right of first refusal on an offer sheet because he was undrafted coming out of UTEP. The 26-year-old had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2½ sacks in 15 games last season. Provided he remains healthy, he figures to do well for himself in free agency next March.
By signing the tender, Robertson-Harris will be eligible to participate in the team’s virtual voluntary offseason workout program.
March 25
The Bears are bringing back third-string quarterback Tyler Bray, ESPN reported.
What it means: Bray returns for a third season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback. He spent the last two years on the practice squad behind Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel. Bray, 28, has a long history with coach Matt Nagy, dating back to their mutual arrival in Kansas City in 2013. Bray also spent the 2016 Chiefs season with new Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
He has one career pass attempt in one career regular-season appearance, in 2017 with the Chiefs. Even with the signing, the Bears could still draft a quarterback to add to their mix.
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The Bears agreed to a one-year deal with former Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, NFL Network reported.
What it means: The Bears are in need of competition at right guard with Rashaad Coward and depth at tackle behind Charles Leno and Bobbie Massie. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Ifedi played both guard and tackle during his four seasons with the Seahawks.
Seahawks offensive guard Germain Ifedi tries to stop Bears linebacker Khalil Mack during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 17, 2018. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Ifedi, who will turn 26 in June, was a 2016 first-round draft pick and started 60 games in Seattle, including 100% of their offensive snaps in 2019. He has been called for 12 holding and 29 false start penalties in his career, according to Pro Football Reference.
March 23
The Bears are re-signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract, a source told the Tribune.
What it means: Houston-Carson, a sixth-round pick in 2016, is back in the mix as a core special teams player. Houston-Carson has been one of the team’s most dependable players in that area for the last two seasons. With the addition of fellow safety Jordan Lucas, the Bears have been making sure they add depth for special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.
The Bears are bringing back veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban, news that his wife, Kate, announced on Twitter.
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What it means: Urban, 28, appeared in nine games in a reserve role last season after injuries forced some depth moves on the line beginning in October. Urban made 16 tackles and added two pass breakups. A one-year deal for Urban isn’t surprising as the Bears are going to need to add depth to the line, especially after Nick Williams departed for the NFC North rival Lions on a two-year contract. Urban will be in position to compete for a roster spot.
@AdamSchefter DE Brent Urban is re-signing with the Chicago Bears on one year deal. Per source. I’m the source. — Kate Salerno Urban (@Kate_KanSkate) March 23, 2020
The Bears agreed to terms on a one-year deal with outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Mingo, 29, looks like a replacement for Aaron Lynch. He’s a veteran that can play a backup role on defense and a core special teams player.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano had Mingo in Indianapolis and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was in Cleveland when the Browns used the No. 6 pick in 2013 on him. While he has never panned out as a pass rusher — five of his 10 career sacks came during his rookie season — he’s a reliable player that has missed only two games and he has developed as a versatile guy on special teams. The contract is worth $1.187 million. The Bears become Mingo’s sixth team in the last six years.
March 22
The Bears signed safety Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Lucas, 26, joins the Bears after playing two seasons each with the Dolphins and Chiefs. He has played in 49 career games but started just four, in 2018 in Kansas City, when he totaled 32 tackles, a sack, his lone career interception and two passes defended.
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Chiefs safety Jordan Lucas gestures during the first half of a game against the Chargers on Dec. 29, 2019. (Ed Zurga/AP)
Lucas, a former Dolphins sixth-round pick, was a key special teams player for the Chiefs last season, playing 63% of those plays. He provides more depth for a group of safeties that includes Deon Bush, who re-signed with the Bears on Friday and might compete for the starting spot alongside Eddie Jackson. Lucas’ contract is for $1 million.
March 21
Cornerback Artie Burns is joining the Bears on a one-year contract.
What it means: Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Saturday’s move, a one-year “prove it” deal that puts Burns in position to compete for a starting cornerback job opposite Kyle Fuller.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns tackles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams during a game on Oct. 13, 2019. (Kyusung Gong/AP)
Burns was a first-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2016, selected No. 25 overall by the Steelers. But he never became the impact playmaker the Steelers hoped. The organization did not pick up his fifth-year option last year and Burns fell deeper into a reserve role. Over four seasons in Pittsburgh, Burns started 32 of the 58 games he played in. He recorded three interceptions as a rookie but only one more over the following three seasons.
Burns has intriguing length and speed and offers a skillset that could allow him to replace Prince Amukamara as a reliable man-to-man cover corner. But he will certainly have to earn that role whenever the Bears are cleared to get back on the practice field. Kevin Tolliver is also in the mix for that job. And the Bears signed CFL star Tre Roberson earlier this winter to compete as well.
March 20
The Bears are signing safety Deon Bush to a one-year contract, ESPN reported.
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What it means: The $1.4 million deal means Bush will return for a fifth season in Chicago. The Bears are in need of a new starter at safety alongside Eddie Jackson after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed with the Cowboys. It remains to be seen whether Bush will get a chance to compete for the starting spot or if the Bears have someone else in mind to fill that role, either through free agency or the draft. Bush, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has started eight games over four seasons. He played in 15 games in 2019, playing 5% of the Bears’ snaps on defense and 63% on special teams. He had eight tackles and two passes defended.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to Dallas to play for Cowboys.
What it means: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Clinton-Dix’s one-year deal in Dallas is worth $4 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, a similar “prove it” deal to what he signed with the Bears last March. It’s no surprise the Bears allowed Clinton-Dix’s contract to expire or that the 27-year-old safety is moving on, now joining his fourth team since 2018.
Dix was signed to play free safety, per source. That would mean that Xavier Woods would move to strong safety https://t.co/2zyAabm4Oh — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 20, 2020
He will reunite in Dallas with his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Clinton-Dix had two interceptions last season for the Bears, including a 59-yard touchdown return against the Redskins in Week 3. He was solid on the back end of the defense. But the Bears also awarded Eddie Jackson a record-setting extension in January, dishing out $33 million guaranteed and keeping Jackson under contract through the end of the 2024 season. There was little chance the Bears were going to spend big to fill that second safety spot.
While the Bears were happy with Clinton-Dix’s play last season, they would ideally like to find a second starting safety who has a more complementary skill set to Jackson, a defensive back who will allow the Bears to use Jackson’s biggest strengths as a free-ranging ball-hawk more easily. General manager Ryan Pace has had success identifying safeties in the draft. He chose Jackson with a fourth-round pick in 2017 and scooped up Adrian Amos in Round 5 two years earlier. The Bears may still browse the bargain bins of free agency for help and depth at the position. But keep a close eye on next month’s draft as well.
March 19
The Bears are bringing back long snapper Patrick Scales on a one-year deal.
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What it means: Scales, 32, will return for his sixth year in Chicago. One of those years, 2017, was spent on injured reserve, but he played in all 16 games each of the last two seasons. He’ll be back with a special teams unit that also includes returning punter Pat O’Donnell and kicker Eddy Pineiro.
The Redskins are signing former Bears offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas to a two-year deal .
What it means: The Bears will be in search of a new swing tackle after Lucas leaves for the $5.3 million deal. Lucas started a game in September and then the final five of the year filling in for injured Bobby Massie. The Redskins will be his fifth team in seven NFL seasons.
March 18
The Bears have acquired Nick Foles from the Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next month’s draft.
What it means: No one is more invested in learning what this move means than Mitch Trubisky, the incumbent starting quarterback who has received multiple votes of public confidence from general manager Ryan Pace since last season ended.
Trubisky’s inconsistency and the unraveling of the Bears offense in 2019 was well-documented and created a new sense of urgency behind closed doors at Halas Hall. So while Pace has publicly said he expects Trubisky to be the starter when next season begins, the Bears’ desire to create real competition opens the door for Foles to slide into the starting role fairly easily and soon.
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Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Foles’ chemistry with the offensive coaching staff — he spent time in previous stops with coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is a major plus. And his understanding of Nagy’s offensive system gives him a chance to hit the ground running when the the Bears get the all-clear to begin practicing this spring or summer. In giving up a fourth-round pick for Foles, the Bears have only two selections in the top 150. Foles’ contract with the Jaguars, which the Bears will inherit, runs through 2022 and has a base salary of more than $15 million for this season. Before long, Pace and Nagy will have to communicate their vision for their quarterback situation. It will be interesting to see when the team schedules those first public comments.
Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams worth $10 million.
What it means: A day after the Bears released him, Floyd found a new home in Los Angeles, reuniting with first-year Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who was Floyd’s position coach with the Bears in 2017 and 2018. The Bears exercised the fifth-year option on Floyd’s rookie deal last year but wiggled out of it Tuesday, freeing themselves from a $13.2 million commitment. Now Floyd gets a one-season “prove-it deal” in Hollywood. The Bears, for what it’s worth, are scheduled to play the Rams in Los Angeles next season.
March 17
The Redskins are signing inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Pierre-Louis leaves the Bears after one season. He did a nice job filling in for most of four games after Roquan Smith was injured. He had 37 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, three passes defended and an interception and also played on special teams. His play earned him a deal worth up to $3.45 million as he joins his fifth team for his seventh year in the league.
The Bears are signing edge rusher Robert Quinn to a five-year deal and releasing Leonard Floyd, NFL Network reported .
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What it means: The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap. Quinn, who will turn 30 in May, joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season. He had 11 ½ sacks with the Cowboys in 2019, the second-most in his career behind the 19 he had in 2013 as an All-Pro. He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and three passes defended. Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011, and he spent his first seven seasons with the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys. He has 80 ½ sacks in his career. The deal, for $70 million with $30 million guaranteed, makes the Bears defensive front, with Mack and Akiem Hicks, even more formidable.
Floyd’s departure isn’t entirely surprising given he was owed $13.2 million in 2020. Floyd had a career-low three sacks in 2019. The Bears’ No. 9 overall draft pick in 2016 never quite lived up to the expectations for him. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said multiple times he likes what Floyd provided in coverage and on run defense, but the Bears also noted his pass rushing production was not where they would like it to be. Floyd becomes Pace’s second first-round pick to leave, behind Kevin White.
Chase Daniel is headed to the Lions on a three-year deal, ESPN reported .
What it means: It was known the Bears likely weren’t going to bring Chase Daniel back for a third season as Mitch Trubisky’s backup, so he moves on to be the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Bears quarterback Chase Daniel sits on the bench before the first half against the Lions at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The Lions will be his fifth team in 11 seasons, a remarkable career for someone who has made only five starts. For the Bears, Daniel was a veteran presence to help guide Trubisky through coach Matt Nagy’s offense, and he also served as a team leader and the Bears’ representative to the NFLPA. He also started three games, throwing six touchdown passes and four interceptions. His presence is valued enough that the Lions gave him a $13.05 million deal, which contains a voidable clause.
The Lions agreed to terms with defensive lineman Nick Williams on a two-year deal.
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Bears defensive tackle Nick Williams celebrates after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins at Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Nick Williams, 30, received his first significant pay day in the NFL after totaling six sacks last season when his playing time expanded because of injuries on the defensive line. Williams appeared in all 16 games with five starts and totaled 42 tackles. He’d made just 19 tackles with no sacks in 28 previous career games.
The Bears will hope to replace a chunk of Williams’ playing time (he was on the field for 49 percent of the snaps) with greater health. Akiem Hicks’ injury led to a lot of his playing time.
Can say thank you enough to the McCaskey family and the @ChicagoBears organization for giving me the opportunity. Thanks to my teammates and to the fans! Big Bear 97 Out ✌🏾 #OnePride 🦁 What’s good 😤 pic.twitter.com/9kVcmREelU — Nicholas Williams (@NickWilliams_98) March 17, 2020
The Lions are re-tooling their defensive front with coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn under pressure to break out of losing ways in Detroit and Williams is expected to be just one new piece along the defensive line, a familiar face the Bears will see twice a year. He reportedly will earn $10 million over the next two seasons. That’s not a bad deal for a guy that was on a minimum-salary benefit contract last year.
March 16
The Bears agreed to terms with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham on a two-year deal.
What it means: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears will guarantee Jimmy Graham $9 million on a two-year deal that could be worth up to $16 million.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a 33-year-old veteran in the twilight of his career. But it also speaks to the Bears’ desperate need for production at tight end. Last season, six Bears tight ends combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns, woeful production for an offense that relies heavily on the tight end. Graham, in a 2019 season that could be characterized as ordinary at best, provided the Packers with 38 catches, 447 yards and three touchdowns.
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Bears GM Ryan Pace, of course, has familiarity with Graham from their days together with the Saints. From 2010 to 2014, Graham averaged 77 catches, 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and was selected to three Pro Bowls. That was a long time ago. And while it’s difficult to forecast how much Graham has left in his tank, he will be given every opportunity to be a major difference-maker in the Bears offense. His arrival also raises legitimate questions as to whether the Bears are ready to pull the plug on Trey Burton for 2020, even with $4 million of guaranteed money still owed.
The Raiders agreed to terms with former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on a three-year deal.
What it means: The Bears say goodbye to their 2016 fourth-round pick, a player who served them well when they needed him during the 2019 season.
Kwiatkoski earned himself a solid new deal when he filled in for eight starts last year while veteran Danny Trevathan was injured, totaling 76 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks, four passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. The Bears had to decide between trying to keep Kwiatkoski or Trevathan, and they went with the latter. Kwiatkoski’s deal is for $21 million with $13.5 million in guarantees, NFL Network reported.
March 13
The Bears tendered restricted free agent defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris .
Roy Robertson-Harris (95) goes after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins for a sack in the second quarter t Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The tender is believed to be at the second-round level, making it unlikely another team will try to sign him. The Bears have the right of first refusal and would receive a second-round draft pick if they didn’t match another team’s contract offer. Robertson-Harris, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2 ½ sacks in his third season on the field.
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March 12
The Bears signed inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension, NFL Network reported.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan flips over in the third quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 5, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears bring back a key piece of their defense on and off the field. The eight-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 later this month, had 70 tackles, two for a loss, four quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble over nine games in his fourth season with the Bears. He sat out the remainder of the year with an elbow injury. He will team up with Roquan Smith for a third season. His return, on a deal that could be worth $24 million, could signal the departure of inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski to another team in free agency.
Feb. 21
The Bears released cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel signs autographs on Nov. 24, 2019 at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears cleared $13.5 million in salary cap space when they cut the veterans. But they now must find a starting cornerback to pair with Kyle Fuller and a speedy, deep-threat wide receiver to replace Taylor Gabriel.
Prince Amukamara, 30, started 44 games over three seasons with the Bears. He had three interceptions and a touchdown, all in 2018, along with 29 passes defended over three years. Gabriel, 29, had 96 catches for 1,041 yards over two seasons with the Bears. He was limited to nine games in 2019 as he dealt with two concussions. The Bears very likely will add to both rooms in the offseason. But cornerbacks Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson and wide receivers Javon Wims and Riley Ridley are among the current players who could compete for playing time after the roster moves.
Feb. 20
The Bears signed veteran tight end Demetrius Harris to a one-year contract.
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Browns tight end Demetrius Harris tries for a catch in front of Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmunds (34) during the second half on Dec. 1, 2019. (Don Wright/AP)
What it means: Demetrius Harris, 28, joins the Bears to potentially fill a role as their “Y” blocking tight end. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Chiefs in Kansas City when Bears coach Matt Nagy was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator there. He had 57 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns with the Chiefs. The Browns released him in February after one season in which he had 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The addition of Harris is likely the first of several moves to rebuild the Bears tight ends room this offseason.
Jan. 29
The Bears signed CFL cornerback Tre Roberson to a two-year contract.
Calgary's Tre Roberson celebrates an interception against Ottawa during the second half of the Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 25, 2018. (Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
What it means: Tre Roberson, 27, picked the Bears from nine NFL contract offers after he had an All-Star season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2019. The former Indiana and Illinois State quarterback, who spent time with the Vikings on their practice squad in 2016 and in training camp in 2017, had seven interceptions and two touchdowns in his second season in the CFL. The 6-foot, 190-pound Roberson provides needed depth at cornerback in a room that includes Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine and Kevin Toliver.


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--Taylor Swift and Kanye West’s 2016 phone call leaks: Read the full transcript

West : It 's just like the San Fran clique , you know , that type of thing , like he stays down the street from Mark Zuckerberg and s -- like that .
So I was talking to him and I was like , `` Bro '' … Like me , I 'm in personal debt .
I 'm in debt by a good like 20 , 30 million , ever since the fashion , and still have not made it out of it .
So that 's part of the reason why I had to go to Roc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it allowed the whole town to try to feel like they could control Kanye or even talk to me like I 'm regular or have agents do it , but they saw they could n't .
It 's like even in debt , he moves around like he 's like a billionaire .
I 'm like , yeah , I 'm a cultural trillionaire !
I might have financial debts .
So I told Ben Horowitz , I was like , `` You guys , you , Mark Zuckerberg or whoever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean that up . ''
So I 'm sending Ben Horowitz my current balance .
That means that l 'm not up 50 , not up 100 million , not up 200 million , not up 300 million .
No -- negative 20 million , currently .
I , Kanye West , the guy who created the genre of music that is the Weeknd , that is Drake -- the guy who created… Every single person that makes music right now , favorite album is `` The College Dropout . ''
Every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm rich enough… Like , I went into debt to my wife by 6 million working on a f -- ing house , less than like a few months ago , and I was able to pay her back before Christmas and s -- like that .
So , you know , when I talk about Nike , the idea that they would n't give me a percentage , that I could make something that was so tangible , when Drake was just rapping me into the motherf -- ing trashcan , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that showed my creativity and expressed myself , that also could be a business that I could have a five-times multiple on and actually be able to sell it for like a hundred million , 200 million or a billion dollars , that was very serious .
Every conversation , every time I 'd scream at Charlemagne ( Tha God ) or scream at ( radio host ) Sway , that was really , really , really serious .
And it also was with my family .
I felt like , look , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy with some cool red shoes from Nike five years ago , I was going to be visiting my daughter , as opposed to be living with her .
It would 've been like , enough is enough .
It would n't have been cool anymore , because it would have been a group of people , including my wife , that all had at least like 500 , 400 million in their account .
And then you get the angry black man at the party talking about `` I 'm the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm the one that did this ! ''
But it never realized itself .
So that 's one of the things I just talked to Ben… And I talk about it on the album .
Talk about personal debt and s -- .
Just the idea like , `` Oh s -- , this dude with this f -- ing Maybach that makes f -- ing $ 50 million a tour still has n't lined it up or came out of the point when AEG and Live Nation would n't give him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after `` Watch the Throne '' [ West 's joint album with Jay-Z ] , because I got no deal .
But I still was doing my creative projects on my own , shooting a film , doing a fashion show , just trying to be very Disney , be very visceral , be creative .
And…

The 2016 phone call between Taylor Swift and Kanye West that transfixed the world when Kim Kardashian published three minutes of it on Snapchat to paint Swift as a liar has now been leaked, in its 25-minute entirety. It’s not known who let the full video recording that was made by one of West’s associates out of the bag, but it paints a much more interesting picture of the conversation -- and of both artists’ state of mind at the time -- than the heavily edited snippets that Kardashian first presented to the world.
Variety transcribed the entire 25-minute conversation, included below, for fans of either or neither artist to judge.
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A full account of the phone call establishes that, as they discussed West’s forthcoming song “Famous,” the hip-hop titan never did read Swift the “I made that b---- famous” line that she ultimately reacted against, putting their former feud back in motion. In fact, at one point, she expresses relief that he did not use the B-word in the song, so far as she knew. “I thought it was going to be like, ‘That stupid, dumb b----’,” she tells West. “But it’s not.”
West does tell her that he is thinking of saying “I made her famous,” without including the “b----” part of the line. At this point in the conversation, Swift’s tone subtly changes, as she says, “Well, what am I going to do about it?” He responds, with a chuckle, “Uh, like, do the hair flip?”
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She reminds him that she had two multi-million-selling albums before he rushed onto the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 to steal her thunder. "It's just kind of like, whatever, at this point. But I mean, you've got to tell the story the way that it happened to you and the way that you've experienced it. Like, you honestly didn't know who I was before that. Like, it doesn't matter if I sold 7 million of that album ["Fearless"] before you did that, which is what happened. You didn't know who I was before that. It's fine."
The transcript does corroborate that Swift indicated that she was okay with the line that goes “I feel like me and Taylor Swift might still have sex” and understood it as tongue-in-cheek. Much of the conversation, though, is dedicated to debating whether that was preferable to an alternative line, “I feel like Taylor Swift might still owe me sex.” West said that Kardashian preferred the “owe me sex” version rather than the “might still have sex” line.
"I feel like with my wife, that she probably didn't like the 'might still have sex' because it would be like, what if she was on a TV show and said 'Me and Tom Brady might still have sex' or something?" West says. Swift responds, "You have to protect your relationship. Do what's best. You just had a kid. You're in the best place of your life. I wouldn't ever advise you to f-- with that." She argues against the "owe me sex" line preferred by Kardashian because, in what might be an understatement, feminists will object.
The conversation wasn’t just a blip in the careers of either Swift or West. For Swift, the repercussions were monumental. Blowback was immediate after Kardashian leaked the excerpts, resulting in headlines like The Verge’s “Kim Kardashian Used Snapchat to Prove Taylor Swift Was Lying About Kanye West’s ‘Famous.’” Swift soon retreated from public view in wake of the backlash against her, finally returning with the largely dark “Reputation” album and tour, which used snake imagery to play off the serpentine emoticons Kardashian used in her tweets when she lashed out against Swift.
The call starts with West asking if Swift will actually "release" the song for him on Twitter -- even though later he admits he still hasn't finished it yet. Swift is taken aback by the idea, but West argues, "You're got an army. You own a country of mother--ing 2 billion people, basically, that if you felt that it's funny and cool and like hip-hop, and felt like just "The College Dropout" and the artist like Ye that you love, then I think that people would be like way into it. And that's why I think it's super-genius to have you be the one that says, "Oh, I like this song a lot.'" After she balks, he adds, "You don't have to do the launching and tweet. That was just an extra idea I had."
At one point, Swift says, "I need to think about it, because you know, when you hear something for the first time, you just need to think about it. Because it is absolutely crazy. I'm glad it's not mean, though." Later, West says, "I'm going to send you the song and send you the exact wording and everything about it, right? And then we could sit and talk through it." At the close of the call, West promises, "I'm gonna go lay this verse, and I'm gonna send it to you right now." Swift says, "Send it to me. I'm excited."
Swift’s camp has always contended that West never followed up on his repeated vows to send her the entire song, with or without the “that b----” line.
The conversation also includes a seven-minute monologue on West's part in which he free-associates about being "a good like 20, 30 million" in personal debt, and how "it allowed the whole town to try to feel like they could control Kanye or even talk to me like I'm regular." But, he added, "It's like even in debt, he moves around like he's like a billionaire. I'm like, yeah, I'm a cultural trillionaire!"
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He contends, “I, Kanye West, the guy who created the genre of music that is the Weeknd, that is Drake … Every single person that makes music right now, (their) favorite album is ‘The College Dropout.’ Every single person that makes music. But,” he laments, “I went into debt to my wife by $6 million working on a f--ing house, less than like a few months ago, and I was able to pay her back before Christmas and s-- like that. So, you know, when I talk about Nike, the idea that they wouldn’t give me a percentage, that I could make something that was so tangible, when Drake was just rapping me into the motherf--ing trashcan, that I could have something that was tangible that showed my creativity and expressed myself, that also could be a business that I could have a five-times multiple on and actually be able to sell it for like a hundred million, 200 million or a billion dollars, that was very serious.”
Kanye West and Taylor Swift attend The 57th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. ( / Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)
He also suggests that keeping up with the Kardashians, financially, was a major strain on him. "With my family. I felt like, look, if I'm just the angry black guy with some cool red shoes from Nike five years ago, I was going to be visiting my daughter, as opposed to be living with her. It would've been like, enough is enough. It wouldn't have been cool anymore, because it would have been a group of people, including my wife, that all had at least like 500, 400 million in their account. And then you get the angry black man at the party talking about 'I'm the one that put Kim in the dress! I'm the one that did this!'"
"I'm 100% going to be like a multi, multi, multi-billionaire. I think it's fun that I can like be like Charlie Sheen and be like, 'Hey, like, I got AIDS.' …. I told Drake that the other night. I was like, 'Yo, Drake, I'm in personal debt.' And for me to tell Drake, the f--ing number one bachelor in the world that can f--ing rap anybody into a trashcan, that lives four blocks down the street from my wife and like basically f--s all of her friends, that I'm in personal debt, it's such a like putting down the sword or ... showing the hand, that I don't have my poker face on with any of you guys."
Even disinterested observers may spend months reading into the psychology of the full phone call. Is West gaslighting Swift by prefacing what plainly seem like derogatory lyrics by first suggesting that she should be excited to premiere the song herself... or just genuinely expecting her to share in his sense of mirth? Did Swift think the lines that West did reveal to her were in good fun and harmless... or was she caught unaware and just in people-pleaser mode (a theme of the “Miss Americana” documentary) when she signaled her tentative okay? Did West already have the “b----” line in mind and disingenuously withhold it... or was it something he added later, legitimately not imagining it would add extra levels of offense, on top of a “made her famous” assertion Swift was clearly already not happy about? Is his glee after the call wraps up at having secretly filmed it satisfaction in having caught her in a “gotcha” moment... or does he imagine she might later share his exultation in bringing a historic summit to light?
That's before fresh and inevitable questions of intermarital debt exchanges, and, given West's repeated Apple fixation, whether "Steve Jobs-type music" is an actual genre.
Hardcore fans of either artist may not have their mind changed about which is the snake. And not many followers of either have yet heard or read the entire phone call, since it's mostly been a series of excerpts going viral on social media. But for now, Swifties are claiming some vindication and enjoying making the #KanyeWestIsOverParty hashtag be one of the top trending global items on Twitter, the way #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty trended the day Kardashian released her snippets.
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Who leaked the 25-minute video and why? That remains a mystery. Clearly the original source was within the West camp, but whether it was put out into the world to embarrass him or for other purposes remains unclear. Some sources have suggested it might have been let out by a disgruntled former employee, but the Mirror newspaper in the UK has run with a story with the (purely speculative) headline: "Kanye West's Taylor Swift call 'leaked by Kris Jenner' as 'coronavirus stole headlines.'" Whoever the source, getting a further deeper peek into the mystery is clearly intriguing millions of people looking for a distraction from more apocalyptic things, however un-sports-like it might seem to the principal parties.
As one tweeter said: "This whole 'rewatch classic sporting events during quarantine' thing just leveled up."
The full transcript follows.
West: [To someone outside room.] Lock that door and then stand on the other side of it until I knock for you … No, lock the doors up.
West: [Resuming a conversation in progress with Swift, her end initially unintelligible.] …old school s--, yeah. I'm doing great. I feel so awesome about the music. The album's coming out February 11, I'm doing the fashion show February 11 at Madison Square Garden, we're dropping the album February 12th that morning. It's like…
Swift: [Inaudible.]
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West: Oh, thank you so, so much. Yeah. It feels good. It feels like real Ye, Apple, Steve Jobs-type music. So my next single, I wanted you to tweet it. It's a good Friday to drop it. It's a good Friday song. So that's why I'm calling you, that I wanted you to put the song out.
Swift: Oh, wow. Like, um, what would people… I guess it would just be, people would be like, "Whyyyy is this happening?" They would think I had something to do with it, probably.
West: Well, the reason why it will be happening is because it has a very controversial line at the beginning of the song about you.
Swift: [Apprehensively.] What does it say?
West: So it says… and the song is so, so dope. And I've literally sat with my wife, with my whole management team, with everything and tried to rework this line. I've thought about this line for eight months. I've had this line and I've tried to rework it every which way. And the original way that I thought about it is the best way, but it's the most controversial way. So it's gonna go Eminem a little bit, so can you brace yourself for a second?
Swift: [Sounding resigned.] Yeah.
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West: Okay. All right. Wait a second, you sound sad.
Swift: Well, is it gonna be mean?
West: No, I don't think it's mean.
Swift: Okay, then, let me hear it.
West: Okay. It says, um,… and the funny thing is, when I first played it and my wife heard it, she was like, "Huh? What? That's too crazy," blah, blah, blah. And then like when Ninja from Die Atwoord heard it, he was like, "Oh my God, this is the craziest s--. This is why I love Kanye," blah, blah, blah, that kind of thing. And now it's like my wife's favorite f--ing line. I just wanted to give you some premise of that. Right?
Swift: Okay.
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West: So it says "To all my Southside [N-word] that know me best, I feel like Taylor Swift might owe me sex."
Swift: [Laughs, relieved.] That's not mean.
West: Okay. Well, this is the thing where I’m calling you, because you’re got an army. You own a country of mother--ing 2 billion people, basically, that if you felt that it’s funny and cool and like hip-hop, and felt like just “The College Dropout” and the artist like Ye that you love, then I think that people would be like way into it. And that’s why I think it’s super-genius to have you be the one that says, “Oh, I like this song a lot. Like, yeah, whatever, this is cool, whatever.” It’s like, I got like s-- on my album where I’m like, “I bet me and Ray J would be friends, if we ain’t love the same b----.”
Swift: Oh my God! I mean, I need to think about it, because you know, when you hear something for the first time, you just need to think about it. Because it is absolutely crazy. I’m glad it’s not mean, though. It doesn’t feel mean. But oh my God, the buildup you gave it, I thought it was going to be like, “That stupid, dumb b----.” But it’s not. So I don’t know. I mean, the launch thing, I think it would be kind of confusing to people. But I definitely like… I definitely think that when I’m asked about it, of course I’ll be like, “Yeah, I love that. I think it’s hilarious.” But, um, I need to think about it.
West: You don't have to do the launching and tweet. That was just an extra idea I had. But if you think that that's cool, then it's cool. If not… I mean, we are launching the s-- like on just good Fridays on SoundCloud, on the site, s-- like that.
Swift: You know, the thing about me is, anything that I do becomes like a feminist think-piece. And if I launch it, they're going to be like, wow, like, they'll just turn into something that… I think if I launch it, honestly, I think it'll be less cool. Because I think if I launch it, it adds this level of criticism. Because having that many followers and having that many eyeballs on me right now, people are just looking for me to do something dumb or stupid or lame. And I don't know. I kind of feel like people would try to make it negative if it came from me, do you know what I mean? I think I'm very self-aware about where I am, and I feel like right now I'm like this close to overexposure.
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West: Oh. Well, this one, I think this is a really cool thing to have.
Swift: I know, I mean, it's like a compliment, kind of. [Chuckles.]
West: I have this line where I said… And my wife really didn't like this one, because we tried to make it nicer. So I say "For all my Southside [N-word] that know me best, I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex." And my wife was really not with that one. She was way more into the "She owes you sex." But then the "owe" part was like the feminist group-type shit that I was like, ahhhhh.
Swift: That's the part that I was kind of… I mean, they 're both really edgy, but that's the only thing about that line is that it's like, then the feminists are going to come out. But I mean, you don't give a f--. So…
West: Yeah, basically. Well, what I give a f-- about is just you as a person, as a friend….
Swift: That's sweet.
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West: I want things that make you feel good. I don't want to do rap that makes people feel bad. Like of course, like I'm mad at Nike, so people think, "Oh, he's a bully. He ran on stage with Taylor. He's bullying Nike now," this $50 billion company.
Swift: Why are people saying you're bullying Nike?
West: Because on "Facts," like, I say, "Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy, they line up for days / Nike out here bad, they can't give s-- away."
Swift: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that's just what you do, though. I mean, I wouldn't say that it's possible to bully a company like Nike. But I mean… um, yeah, I mean, go with whatever line you think is better. It's obviously very tongue-in-cheek either way. And I really appreciate you telling me about it. That's really nice.
West: Oh, yeah. I just had a responsibility to you as a friend. I mean, thanks for being like so cool about it.
Swift: Thanks. Yeah, I really appreciate it. The heads-up is so nice. You'd be surprised how many people just do things without even asking or seeing if I'd be okay with it, and I just really appreciate it. I never would have expected you to tell me about a line in one of your songs. That's really nice that you did.
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West: You mean like unexpected s-- like you taking the time to give someone a really, really valuable award and then they completely run for president right afterwards? Like unexpected in that kind of way? [Laughs.] [A few months earlier, at the 2015 MTV Awards, Swift presented West with his lifetime achievement award, followed by a rambling speech in which he acknowledged he had smoked pot beforehand and was going to run for president.]
Swift: [Laughs.] We have not talked about what happened.
West: I just thought that was wavy. It was vibey. The funny thing is, I thought about the weed and the president, both of those things I thought about in the shower the day before and just started laughing like crazy. I was like, I gotta say that I had just smoked some weed and then say I'm gonna run for president… So those are my bases of… I knew I wanted to say the thing about going to like the Dodgers game with my daughter and like getting booed and that being scary, and I knew I wanted to say like me changing and thinking about people more since I had a daughter. And then I wanted to say the weed thing. And then I wanted to say the president thing. And everything else was just like off the cuff.
Swift: Oh my God. It was definitely like it stole the show... And then the flowers that you sent me. I Instagrammed a picture of them and it's the most Instagram likes I've ever gotten. It was like 2.7 million likes on that picture of the flowers you sent me. Crazy.
West: It's some connection or something that I think is really important about that moment when we met on stage. There's something that I think is really important about that, and where humanity is going, or now where me and Kim are, and having a family and just everything, the way things are landing. So it's always… Relationships are more important than punchlines, you know.
Swift: Yeah, I mean, I don't think anybody would listen to that and be like, "Oh, that's a real diss" -- like, "She must be crying about that line." And I think because of how crazy and strange and fateful the way we met was, I think we have to pick our moments to do stuff together and make sure it's only really cool stuff.
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West: Yeah, exactly. We can't have it like be somebody else's idea that gets in front and they're like… Because if you're like a really true, creative, visceral, vibey type person, it's probably hard for you to work at a corporation. So how can you give a creative creative ideas and you're working in a house of non-creativity? It's like this weird… So whenever we talk directly… Okay, now what if later in the song I was also to have said, uh… "I made her famous"? Is that a…
Swift: [Apprehensively.] Did you say that?
West: Yes, it might've happened. [Laughs.]
Swift: Well, what am I going to do about it?
West: Uh, like, do the hair flip?
Swift: Yeah. I mean… Um… It's just kind of like, whatever, at this point. But I mean, you've got to tell the story the way that it happened to you and the way that you've experienced it. Like, you honestly didn't know who I was before that. Like, it doesn't matter if I sold 7 million of that album ["Fearless"] before you did that, which is what happened. You didn't know who I was before that. It's fine. But, um, yeah. I can't wait to hear it.
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West: I mean, it's fun. It's definitely… You're ready to trend. That's all I can say.
Swift: Uh, what's the song called?
West: Uh, it might be called "Hood Famous."
Swift: Oh, cool. Is it going to be like a single-single, or is it going to be a SoundCloud release? What are you doing?
West: Oh, this one right here is like f--ing Song of the Year-type territory.
Swift: Oh my God. Amazing. That's crazy. Oh my God. Speaking of Song of the Year, are you going to the Grammys?
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West: Uh, you know what? I was thinking to not do it. But I think that this song… You know what? I'm going to send you the song and send you the exact wording and everything about it, right? And then we could sit and talk through it. But if the song goes and f--ing just…
[The video goes out momentarily, as the filmer's phone battery apparently dies. When it resumes, they are still discussing whether West might attend the Grammys.]
Swift: … they just look at us and go… [Unintelligible] …Even if we've made an incredible achievement, it's harder for people to write down our names for some reason. That's just human nature. It's envy. It's asking people in our industry to vote for the people who are already killing it.
West: Yeah. It's like so many people wanted Meek Mills (sic) to win because Drake was just killing it for so long, and they were just like, "We just need, like, Meek Mills (sic) to, like…" But I think, you know, okay... So that has my mind going through a lot of places to problem-solve. I was talking to Ben Horowitz -- do you know this guy? He's a VC. Ben Horowitz out of San Fran. But he's down with that.
Swift: I know that name. I don't know him.
West: It's just like the San Fran clique, you know, that type of thing, like he stays down the street from Mark Zuckerberg and s-- like that. So I was talking to him and I was like, "Bro"… Like me, I'm in personal debt. I'm in debt by a good like 20, 30 million, ever since the fashion, and still have not made it out of it. So that's part of the reason why I had to go to Roc Nation and the touring deals evolved, and it allowed the whole town to try to feel like they could control Kanye or even talk to me like I'm regular or have agents do it, but they saw they couldn't. It's like even in debt, he moves around like he's like a billionaire. I'm like, yeah, I'm a cultural trillionaire! I might have financial debts. So I told Ben Horowitz, I was like, "You guys, you, Mark Zuckerberg or whoever, Tim Cook, you guys have to clean that up." So I'm sending Ben Horowitz my current balance. That means that l'm not up 50, not up 100 million, not up 200 million, not up 300 million. No --negative 20 million, currently. I, Kanye West, the guy who created the genre of music that is the Weeknd, that is Drake -- the guy who created… Every single person that makes music right now, favorite album is "The College Dropout." Every single person that makes music. But I'm rich enough… Like, I went into debt to my wife by 6 million working on a f--ing house, less than like a few months ago, and I was able to pay her back before Christmas and s-- like that. So, you know, when I talk about Nike, the idea that they wouldn't give me a percentage, that I could make something that was so tangible, when Drake was just rapping me into the motherf--ing trashcan, that I could have something that was tangible that showed my creativity and expressed myself, that also could be a business that I could have a five-times multiple on and actually be able to sell it for like a hundred million, 200 million or a billion dollars, that was very serious. Every conversation, every time I'd scream at Charlemagne (Tha God) or scream at (radio host) Sway, that was really, really, really serious. And it also was with my family. I felt like, look, if I'm just the angry black guy with some cool red shoes from Nike five years ago, I was going to be visiting my daughter, as opposed to be living with her. It would've been like, enough is enough. It wouldn't have been cool anymore, because it would have been a group of people, including my wife, that all had at least like 500, 400 million in their account. And then you get the angry black man at the party talking about "I'm the one that put Kim in the dress! I'm the one that did this!" But it never realized itself. So that's one of the things I just talked to Ben… And I talk about it on the album. Talk about personal debt and s--. Just the idea like, "Oh s--, this dude with this f--ing Maybach that makes f--ing $50 million a tour still hasn't lined it up or came out of the point when AEG and Live Nation wouldn't give him a deal." The debt started after "Watch the Throne" [West's joint album with Jay-Z], because I got no deal. But I still was doing my creative projects on my own, shooting a film, doing a fashion show, just trying to be very Disney, be very visceral, be creative. And…
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Swift: I mean, I'm sure you've thought about this up and down, but I mean, is there a way to monetize these in a way that you thought would still feel authentic but make them into a multibillion dollar company?
West: Well, that's what we're going to do. That's what we're in the plans of. I'm 100% going to be like a multi, multi, multi-billionaire. I think it's fun that I can like be like Charlie Sheen and be like, "Hey, like, I got AIDS." You know, like…. To me, I told Drake that the other night. I was like, "Yo, Drake, I'm in personal debt." And for me to tell Drake, the f--ing number one bachelor in the world that can f--ing rap anybody into a trashcan, that lives four blocks down the street from my wife and like basically f--s all of her friends, that I'm in personal debt, it's such a like putting down the sword or putting down the hand or opening, showing the hand. That I don't have my poker face on with any of you guys. I'm just me. I'm just a creative. You know, everything I did, even when it was mistimed, whatever it might've been from a… It's always like from a good place, and I know that I'll overcome it and I know that the world will overcome it. Because, like, I'm going to change the world. I'm going to make it… I'm gonna make people's lives better on some post-Steve Jobs, Howard Hughes-type shit. Like, I'm going to do things with education. I'm going to do things that help to calm down murders in Chicago or across the globe. Things that help to calm down police brutality, to equalize the wealth amidst the class system. Because there's a bunch of classes of wealthy people that hate Obama because he's more social and he wants the people who don't have anything to have everything. And in my little way, by learning how to design, design is something that's only given to the rich currently. The exact color palette that Hermes uses versus the color palette that Forever 21 uses -- a color palette is extremely important. Color is important. You know, the knowledge of proportions… you know, the size of our house versus the size of someone else's houses, and just the dynamics of that proportion. Like, I don't want this conversation to go too, too long, but I wanted to give you a bit of where I'm at and the perspective that I'm at and the way… the fact that I am the microprocessor of our culture. Meaning like, I can figure out how to give Rihanna a Mary J. Blige-type album. I can figure out how to get the fashion world to accept my wife, and thus the whole family. I can figure out a lot of impossible… I can figure out how to make something that you're wearing to the airport, five years after the entire globe was like, "Hang that [N-word] alive and f-- him, and let's watch him die, slowly, publicly." So, it's a lot. I figured that out for myself, so it's a lot of s-- that we collectively, with the power that you have and your fans, the power my wife has, the power that I have, that we can do to really make it where it's not just the rich getting richer, but… You know, make it not just a f--ing charity, not singing for Africa, but change things in a way that people can experience s-- themselves, a piece of the good life. You know?
Swift: Yeah. I mean, they're amazing ideas and amazing concepts, and I definitely would love to talk to you more about it. I know you have to do something right now, but I love that that's where you're headed. And it's been like that. I mean, when we went to dinner, there were the rumblings of those ideas. I like that you're always thinking outward. And over the last six, seven, eight years, however long it's been since that happened, I haven't always liked you, but I've always respected you. And I think that's what you're saying when you say like, you know, "I might be in debt, but I can make these things happen, and I have the ideas to do it, and I can create these things or these concepts." Like, I'm always going to respect you. And I'm really glad that you had the respect to call me and tell me that as a friend about the song, and it's a really cool thing to do, and a really good show of friendship. So thank you.
West: Oh, thank you too.
Swift: And you know, if people ask me about it, look, I think it would be great for me to be like, "Look, he called me and told me the line before it came out. Like, the joke's on you guys - we're fine."
West: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I think that's pretty much the switch right there.
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Swift: Yeah. Like, you guys want to call this a feud, you want to call this throwing shade, but you know, right after the song comes out, I'm gonna be on a Grammy red carpet, and they're gonna ask me about it and I'll be like, "He called me and sent me the song before it came out." So I think we're good.
West: Okay. I'm gonna go lay this verse, and I'm gonna send it to you right now.
Swift: [Taken aback.] Oh, you just… you haven't recorded it yet?
West: I recorded it. I'm nuancing the lines -- like the last version of it says, "Me and Taylor might still have sex." And then my wife was like, "That doesn't sound as hard!"
Swift: Well, I mean, she's saying that honestly because she's your wife, and like, um… So I think whatever one you think is actually better. I mean, obviously do what's best for your relationship, too. I think "owes me sex," it says different things. It says… "Owes me sex" means like "Look, I made her what she is. She actually owes me." Which is going to split people, because people who like me are going to be like, "She doesn't owe him s--." But then people who like thought it was bad-ass and crazy and awesome that you're so outspoken are going to be like, "Yeah, she does. It made her famous." So it's more provocative to say "still have sex," because no one would see that coming. They're both crazy. Do what you want. They're both going to get every single headline in the world. "Owes me sex" is a little bit more like throwing shade, and the other one's more flirtatious. It just depends on what you want to accomplish with it.
West: Yeah, I feel like with my wife, that she probably didn't like the "might still have sex" because it would be like, what if she was on a TV show and said "Me and Tom Brady might still have sex" or something?
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Swift: You have to protect your relationship. Do what's best. You just had a kid. You're in the best place of your life. I wouldn't ever advise you to f-- with that. Just pick whatever… It's cause and effect. One is gonna make people feel a certain way, and it's gonna be a slightly different emotion for the other. But it's not… It doesn't matter to me. There's not one that hurts my feelings and the other doesn't.
West: Yeah. It's just, when I'm pointing this gun, what I tried to do differently than two years ago, is like when I shoot a gun, I try to point it away from my face. So one is a little bit more flirtatious and easier… I think, so really, that means the conversation is really: One is like a little bit better for the public and a little bit less good for the relationship. One is a little bit worse for the public and better for the relationship.
Swift: Yeah. I can hear it. But it's your goals, really. I mean, you always just go with your gut -- obviously. But, um, amazing. Send it to me. I'm excited.
West: All right, cool. Thanks so much.
Swift: Awesome. I'll talk to you later.
West: All right, cool. Peace. Bye.
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West: [To cameraman.] We had to get that on the record.
Cameraman: [About interruption.] I'm sorry. The battery on this thing died.
West: It’s just when it dies… You get some s-- like Kanye talking to Taylor Swift explaining that line? There’s gotta be three cameras on that one. We can’t miss one element.


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--Thank you, Kenny Rogers, for the greatest karaoke duet ever: ‘Islands in the Stream’

For married karaoke couples of a certain age , performing `` Islands in the Stream '' together is akin to @ @ @ @ @ of their vows .
For younger singers , even a semi-ironic duet of `` Islands @ @ @ @ @ and confront the kind of heavy sentiment — `` I ca n't live without you @ @ @ @ @ '' — that are often easier to sing than to say aloud .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ to one another with a kiss or a wink — and only you and your @ @ @ @ @ 're really feeling .

It's a scene familiar to sing-along enthusiasts around the world.
Every night, in karaoke bars spanning from Bangkok to Brooklyn, a pair of lovebirds will invariably hit the stage, grab their mics and begin bopping their heads in semi-awkward unison as a gentle burst of strings and guitars glides over the speakers. As the opening verse kicks in and the duo begins to sing, it becomes clear to everyone in the room that, for the next four minutes or so, we'll all be "Islands in the Stream":
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Baby, when I met you, there was peace unknown
I set out to get you with a fine-tooth comb...
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When Kenny Rogers died Friday at the age of 81, he left behind a remarkably expansive pop-culture legacy, which included chart-topping albums, hit TV Westerns and a beloved fast-food chicken chain. But one of Rogers’ less-discussed feats is the decades-long karaoke success of “Islands in the Stream,” his smash 1983 duet with Dolly Parton.
Like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" or Frank Sinatra's "My Way," it's a song every regular karaoke-goer has been compelled to perform (or forced to endure) during their career. And while there are several equally popular contenders for best karaoke duet of all time — ranging from "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" to "Shallow" — none are as defiantly sincere, nor as ah-ha accessible, as "Islands in the Stream."
It’s not hard to understand why people have been singing “Islands in the Stream” to one another for nearly 40 years: After all, it’s a near-perfect specimen of sturdily constructed soft-rock, co-written by Bee Gees members Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb just a few years after the success of “Saturday Night Fever” (Barry Gibb, who also produced the tune, even recorded a leaner, airier demo version of the song that circulated among fans for years). And though some of the brothers Gibb’s lyrics are a bit byzantine (“there was a peace unknown”?), they’re connected by a stream of gorgeous melodies.
Still, Rogers initially felt stranded during the recording of “Islands,” spending four days trying to perfect his own version, with little success. “I finally said, ‘Barry, I don’t even like this song anymore,’” Rogers told People in 2017. “And he said, ‘You know what we need? We need Dolly Parton.’” After Rogers convinced his fellow pop-country legend to join him in the studio, “the song was never the same,” he recalled. “It took on a personality of its own.”
The response to “Islands” was immediate. Released on Rogers’ 1983 album “Eyes That See in the Dark,” the song quickly hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 knocking out Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (which itself would go on to become a karaoke standard in the years to come). Country and pop stations alike put the song in seemingly perpetual rotation, and 15 years after its release, “Islands” returned for a cameo appearance on the charts via “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are), the 1998 hit from Fugee member Pras that sampled Rogers’ tune for its chorus.
But not every chart-topping, genre-crossing hit becomes a karaoke hit. What's helped make "Islands" such a go-to public duet is its sheer frankness — the way both vocalists declare their love in such unequivocal, unapologetic ways:
And we rely on each other, ah-ha
from one lover to another, ah-ha
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For married karaoke couples of a certain age, performing "Islands in the Stream" together is akin to making a very public renewal of their vows. For younger singers, even a semi-ironic duet of "Islands" allows them to express and confront the kind of heavy sentiment — "I can't live without you if the love was gone" — that are often easier to sing than to say aloud. It's a song you can perform to one another with a kiss or a wink — and only you and your partner will know what you're really feeling.
Of course, you don't need to be in love to perform "Islands in the Stream" at karaoke — though if not, you might want to prepare for some slight awkwardness (I can't count the number of times I've seen a pair of karaoke-jesters tipsily take on the song as a joke, only to lose their cool upon realizing they'd forgotten the song's bluntest lyric: "making love with each other, ah-ha").
Nor do you have to be a great singer: Though Parton's vocals on "Island" range from subdued to sublime, Rogers' straight-shooting, deceptively casual-seeming approach on "Islands" make it seem like a song that even us amateurs can replicate.
That may be why, as soon as we're all allowed to congregate and sing together again, "Islands in the Stream" will immediately ring out at karaoke joints worldwide: It's a song that encourages us to be in harmony, both musically and emotionally.
And even if we're doing so in a tiny room full of strangers, watching our promises of devotion spill across the bottom of a beer-splattered TV monitor — well, how can we be wrong?
Brian Raftery is a journalist and author of “Best. Movie. Year. Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen” and “Don’t Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--They opened a new bookstore in the West Loop, and then closed it 2 days later due to the coronavirus

Ramirez : Bookselling came to me as a happy accident .
Honestly , I wasn ’ t a big reader @ @ @ @ @ into it working for the book division at Tower Records in Sacramento .
I moved @ @ @ @ @ open a Tower store in Schaumburg as a head book buyer and have been here @ @ @ @ @ challenge is getting readers to appreciate the wonders of the short story , and the @ @ @ @ @ reader , the one whose trust you gain .
We just met a customer recently @ @ @ @ @ first edition of “ Stoner ” by John Williams as a gift , and she @ @ @ @ @ conversation began by talking about books that we both loved .

Javier Ramirez and Mary Mollman opened Madison Street Books, in the West Loop, on March 14; two days later, they shuttered it temporarily due to the coronavirus. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Business partners Mary Mollman and Javier Ramirez threw a grand opening party on March 14 for their new store, Madison Street Books, complete with a balloon arch and a morning-to-night roster of activities. Two days later, they — like countless other Chicago businesses — shut down temporarily “in consideration of the health of our neighbors, patrons, employees and friends” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
After offering curbside and hand delivery for a few days, the store is now fully closed due to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. However, it’s still offering $1 shipping on books ordered through madstreetbooks.com.
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As is fitting during a pandemic, Mollman and Ramirez answered these questions by email. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and space.
Q: What drew you to the book business? What are the biggest challenges and rewards of being a bookseller (in regular, non-COVID-19 times, I mean — because we’ll get to that)?
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Ramirez: Bookselling came to me as a happy accident. Honestly, I wasn’t a big reader growing up and basically stumbled into it working for the book division at Tower Records in Sacramento. I moved to Chicago in 1995 to open a Tower store in Schaumburg as a head book buyer and have been here ever since. The biggest challenge is getting readers to appreciate the wonders of the short story, and the biggest reward is the return reader, the one whose trust you gain. We just met a customer recently that had received a signed first edition of “Stoner” by John Williams as a gift, and she cried over it. That conversation began by talking about books that we both loved.
Mollman: I’ve been a book lover since I was a child. When it came time for a second career, bookselling was a no-brainer. I started at The Book Stall in Winnetka, and Javier and another great bookseller named Robert McDonald taught me. The greatest challenge is the fact that Chicago is somewhat considered a “flyover” city by the publishing industry, but the Midwest is a passionate place for readers and I’d like to help solidify that reputation. The biggest reward is helping someone find their “just right” book.
Q: How did you choose your location, and what made you settle on the simplicity of naming the store after the street?
Mollman: For years, everywhere we went, my husband would hear me say, “That space would make a great book store.” We were walking in the West Loop one night, and the space had a giant “FOR RENT” sign in the window. On a whim, we called. The name was Javier’s choice. He distilled it down to something that totally said Chicago.
Q: How are you handling the fact that you’ve invested so much in opening a business, only to have to temporarily shutter it almost immediately due to the coronavirus?
Mollman: Needless to say, it’s a bummer, but the health and safety of all our patrons, neighbors and fellow citizens is what’s most important. That said, I am grateful for the support we have had from customers with online orders. Our web store information went up on social media, and the response has been overwhelming. It warms my heart.
Madison Street Books is planning to continue its children's program, Toddler Jams, online during the closure. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Q: Parents face the demand of how to keep their kids entertained while schools are closed. I see you’re still having your Wednesday Toddler Jams — “a place for kids to let loose and parents to connect” — but virtually. Are virtual events going to be the way to go for a while?
Mollman: Virtual Toddler Jam with Miss Dawn-Marie was amazing today. We had 87 viewers! We’ll start doing virtual recommendations at 5 p.m. nightly, and a rotating recommendation display each morning at 11 a.m. on social media. We had originally planned a PJ Story hour on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. and will most likely start doing that virtually as well.
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Q: Why is Chicago such a vibrant place to sell books, and how is it coming together in a trying time?
Ramirez: Chicago is home to some of the most talented writers in the country, hands down, present company included. Booksellers here are a tight-knit group, and are more than happy to share trade secrets and discuss what books we love or hate. And the sales reps from the big four publishers and smaller presses make their home here, so we have direct access to what is happening in the industry.
Q: In a crisis, it can help to think of the future; what books are you looking forward to?
Ramirez: You’re gonna regret asking me this question. If you can read the first page of “The Book of Atlantis Black” by Betsy Bonner and not want to invest the next 12 hours of your life reading it, then something is wrong. With you. “Godshot” by Chelsea Bieker is another favorite. “Bubblegum” by Adam Levin. Really looking forward to “The Seventh Mansion” by Maryse Meijer and “Pew” by Catherine Lacey, both hailing from Chicago. “Living Dead” by Daniel Kraus, yet another Chicagoan.
Q: Any recommendations that anxious people can turn to during these chaotic times?
Mollman: If one is truly anxious, “My Age of Anxiety” by Scott Stossel is good. Jenny Lawson goes at anxiety with truth and humor. Dave Eggers is always funny, and I always like Kevin Wilson. His most recent “Nothing to See Here” is really enjoyable.
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Ramirez: I go back to the short story. Anything by George Saunders. Essays by David Sedaris.
Kathleen Rooney’s latest novel, “Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey,” is forthcoming in August.