Has Supply Chain Dysfunction Reached Its Lowest Level Yet?

Pick a store, any store and you’ll find one constant: service levels are at or near their all-time lows, with several retailers believing today’s supply chain dysfunction is worse than it was when the pandemic first impacted panic buying and supply chains in March and April 2020.

Compare those uncertain times to today and it really does seem like déjà vu all over again. This time it’s not toilet paper or hand sanitizer going MIA for months at a time – it’s virtually every department in most retail stores in all channels.

The problem has been building since last summer when the Delta version of COVID-19 created a sharp spike in infections. In the past six weeks, the Omicron variant has proven to be even more transmissible, putting more workers on the sidelines and choking supply chains even further.

While the impact of COVID-19 has been devastating by itself (nearly 70 million cases and more than 850,000 deaths in the U.S.), the collateral effects of the virus have also been pernicious. With so many people out of the workforce (either because of COVID-19 or by choice), every level of manufacturing, distribution and transportation has suffered. Throw in an unhealthy dose of skyrocketing inflation and the end result is very visible to the consumer – empty shelves and few answers from retailers as to when the situation may improve. But we’re seeing visceral signs of their struggles, from early store and department closures, reduction and elimination of temporary price reductions to store signage explaining their challenges to their customers.

Is it a container load of produce sitting at sea in Los Angeles? Can manufacturers find enough workers to operate a second or third shift at their plants to fulfill the demands of their customers? Does a distributor have enough truck drivers to move product to a retailer or wholesale grocer’s distribution centers? A little bit from each sector goes a long way to illustrating how acute the problems have become.

And when customers visit a store (or shop online), they quickly realize not only how many items aren’t available, but what those products cost when compared to this time last year. And it’s not just meat – the current rate of inflation is sending everyday retail pricing to the highest levels ever.

“I know the CPI (consumer price index) is claiming a 6-7 percent annual inflation rate,” said the head of one Northeast-based chain. “I’d say a more accurate number is 12-14 percent. More than 80 percent of our suppliers have raised their prices beyond the so called 6-7 percent levels, and in more than a few cases, prices in some categories are up more than 20 percent from January 2021.”

Those increases are devastating to the many people who were struggling before the pandemic hit; it’s little wonder that food banks are now ven more critically in need of supplies than when the pandemic began.

And while many believe that at some point those container ships on a “cruise to nowhere” will be able to dock and unload their goods and more able bodies will eventually rejoin the workforce (including truck drivers), the wage element of this whole issue isn’t going to revert back to anything resembling what it once was.

Remember when $15 an hour was a barrier that retailers never wanted to clear? A year from today, expect $15 to be at the lowest end of the wage spectrum (and I’m not even including related benefits). Starting pay at distribution centers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are in the $22-25 an hour range and, even at those rates, qualified associates are very hard to find.

Given all this sobering information, the irony of the situation is that retailers and suppliers continue to post strong sales numbers and even better earnings. The truth of the matter is that those who can afford to spend (and there are millions of Americans whose savings accounts, 401k plans and other investments soared during the past two years) are buying stuff like never before. Retailers in almost every segment posted all-time record sales increases during the recently completed holiday period. And food merchants will tell you they are pleasantly surprised that in-store and online revenue remains robust. Give the retailers credit – especially those that have been able to advance their omnichannel presence. Their investments and preparation are paying dividends.

But we all know that these current halcyon times are going to ebb, although perhaps not until 2023. When that obstacle becomes reality, the most important question will be: how are retailers going to manage a whole new set of unprecedented challenges?

‘Round The Trade

Our buddy Frank Curci is back in the saddle again. The former CEO of Buffalo-based Tops Friendly Markets will be leading his former company as well as Price Chopper/Market 32 starting next month after it was announced that current chief executive Scott Grimmett will be retiring. The two upstate New York-based retailers merged their operations last year with Grimmett, who was then CEO at Price Chopper, assuming the helm at the new entity, Northeast Grocery Inc. (NGI) and Curci serving as an NGI board member and consultant. Curci knows this scenario well. In his 14-year tenure as Tops CEO, he worked with private equity firms (one of which now controls NGI) amid challenging conditions. “I’m excited about the future of this company and implementing the plans Scott and I have put in place,” Curci said. “With our now-combined footprint of nearly 300 stores, we are better positioned to leverage increased value for customers; advance shared opportunities for innovation; and fortify the depth of our expanded workforce, community, and trade partnerships, making us stronger and more competitive.” There’s little doubt in my mind that Curci’s leadership skills will further enhance the newly combined company’s ability to execute its going-forward plan. However, given Curci’s age of 70, you can bet that the hunt is already on to find a successor for the man who began his career at ShopRite in his native New Jersey.

The second unionization election by Amazon workers at the company’s Bessemer, AL distribution center complex will commence on February 2, slightly less than a year after the first attempt by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) overwhelmingly failed. However, that first vote was ultimately rejected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which claimed that “Godzilla” had engaged in anti-union behavior during the organizing process. This year’s election will be slightly different from the initial endeavor: voting will be done by mail only (ballots must be completed and sent in before the ballot counting begins on March 28 and, in a deal struck last month between Amazon and the NLRB, company employees will now be allowed to freely attempt to organize without retaliation within its buildings in exterior non-work areas during non-work time. Even with those changes, I’m still betting big on Amazon to prevail.

After FMI postponed its “top-to-top” Midwinter Conference in Orlando, FL, the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) switched its Chicago show from in-person to virtual, and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) canceled its annual conference in Washington, I’m kind of surprised that the NGA apparently has no plans to change its annual trade show scheduled for Las Vegas from February 27-March 1. Neither does the North American Seafood Expo which intends to “go on with the show” in Boston March 13-15. In regard to the latter two events, there’s no place I’d rather be in the middle of March than at trade shows in Vegas or Boston attended by hundreds (thousands?) of guests and exhibitors during this latest surge of Omicron. Just before presstime, we learned that FMI has rescheduled its Midwinter event to March 28-21, still in Orlando. May I inject a term that comedians often use – “too soon?”

Heather Mayo, who was hired by the Grocery Outlet in October 2019 as EVP-chief operations and merchandising officer-East, is leaving the Emeryville, CA-based discounter in March. With previous stints at Sam’s Club, boxed.com, BJ’s and IBM, she was brought in to spearhead the discounter’s growth in the East where it operates 21 franchised stores (20 in PA and one in NJ), only two more net stores than when she joined. According to the company, her duties will shift to functional leaders at the corporate and local levels. In a related piece of Grocery Outlet news, Pamela Burke has been promoted to chief stores officer, a new position. She joined the company as its general counsel in 2015 and most recently served as chief administrative officer.

Very interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal about how several large retailers plan to increase their cap-ex funding over the next year, betting that the COVID-19 headwinds will remain favorable in the near future. And while supply chains clunk along creating unprecedented out-of-stocks, many merchants remain undaunted and continue to increase their annual spend levels. One such example is Costco, which said it will increase its investment spending about 10 percent during its fiscal year (to $4 billion). That number also represents a 42 percent hike from 2020. According to the Journal story, cash on hand is the catalyst for this new spending spree among retailers. Cash and equivalents at S&P 500 listed firms show an increase of about 11 percent in the most recent reporting periods totaling a whopping $3.78 trillion. At Costco, the increased investment includes significantly more revenue dedicated to its logistics business as well as opening more projected stores than usual – 28 new club units are expected to debut this year…and speaking of Costco, the Issaquah, WA-based operator posted another stellar sales period for the month of December. During the five-week period, Costco’s net sales increased 16.2 percent to $122.2 billion from a year earlier (when sales were also robust) and by 15.9 percent when viewing comp store sales in the U.S. (11.5 percent when fuel is excluded). That’s on par with November’s comp store revenue figure of 14.3 percent (ex-gas) in the U.S. “December inflation was relatively consistent with what we saw in November, with the largest impacts in fresh foods and food and sundries,” said David Sherwood, the retailer’s assistant VP-finance and investor relations. “Moving onto merchandise highlights, the following comparable-sales results by category for the month exclude the positive impacts of foreign exchange. Food and sundries were positive high single digits. Deli and food were the strongest departments. Fresh foods were up low double digits; better-performing departments included bakery and service deli. Non-foods were positive low double digits, and better-performing departments included toys and seasonal, tire shop, domestics and jewelry. Ancillary businesses were up mid-40s. Gas, food court and hearing aids were the top performers.” Costco is indeed a juggernaut.

Continuing its recent pattern of strong sales and earnings performances was Albertsons. The Boise, ID based chain posted a net sales increase for its third quarter of 8.6 percent to $16.7 billion. Comp store revenue also jumped 5.2 for the period ended December 4. On the digital front, Albertsons’ digital sales grew 9 percent over last year’s comparable figure. On a two-year stacked comparison, digital growth has skyrocketed by 234 percent. Profit-wise, Albertsons’ adjusted earnings were $457.2 million versus $386.6 million last year. Spurred by strong sales and earnings (especially from its growing e-commerce business), Albertsons (ACI) share price has grown steadily over the past 18 months rising from $16 per share when it debuted as a publicly-traded company in late June 2020. Shares were as high as $37.85 last month before flattening to the $29 per share range during the middle of January.

I knew I was getting old even before I read the recent release of Kroger’s Top 10 emerging food trends for 2022. Among the categories that the big chain considers “hot” are the growth of umami-based foods (if I have to tell you what that is, then you’re even older than me); the spike in the usage of “everything” seasoning (couldn’t they have just stopped after bagels?); the continued popularity of plant-based foods (ask a millennial or Gen-Zer for a better understanding); the focus on hyper-local (a term that’s been bandied around for at least 20 years that seems more realistic as a buzzword than something that’s executable); “Grocery Glow Up” – I have no idea what that means so I’ll defer to the press release which notes that “emulating restaurant and travel experiences at home with ‘Instagram-able’ meals is trending today. Raising the bar when recreating dining experiences at home and have been met with the premiumization of frozen food as well.” (yes, that explanation certainly clears things up for me. I hope that makes sense to at least one of our readers); and the “Tequila Explosion” (finally, I can relate). Whatever happened to the ham & cheese sandwich served with a Budweiser?

Local Notes

After a nearly two-year wait, the new Whole Food Market in Towson, MD has finally opened. The 59,119 square foot unit debuted earlier this month and marks the retailer’s fifth Baltimore area store and 11th location in Maryland.

Phillips Crab House in Ocean City, MD, the cornerstone of the Phillips family’s seafood business, has closed after 66 years in business. Originally opened as a small carryout crab shack in 1956 to sell surplus crabs left over from the family’s Hoopers Island crab processing plant, the restaurant grew both in size and stature over the years, serving millions of meals to out-of-town visitors and Eastern Shore locals and making proprietors Bryce and Shirley Phillips local celebrities. The property is now under contract for sale. “As our family has grown, so have our business interests, and we’re investing more and more into other areas outside the restaurant industry now. As we move forward, we will continue to build on the strong foundation that our original Crab House location gave us.” said company CEO Steve Phillips. “Phillips remains firmly planted in Maryland and will dedicate their resources to support their Baltimore restaurant location, Baltimore culinary center network of franchise locations and the growth of their foodservice, retail, club and business interests.”

Rite Aid announced it will be closing 63 stores in the near future in what promises to be the beginning of other future shutdowns. The move is expected to save about $25 million annually, the Camp Hill, PA-based drug chain said, adding that the move will help “reduce costs, drive improved profitability and ensure that we have a healthy foundation to grow from.” Late last year, rival CVS said it will shutter 900 retail stores over the next three years.

Some news from Wakefern as it pertains to key executives. Jeff Reagan, whose career at the Keasbey, NJ based co-op began in 1987 and who was most recently senior VP-retail marketing, has left the company. Also departing Wakefern is VP-merchandising Prag Shah, who has joined The Giant Company (TGC) as VP-omnichannel merchandising center store. In his new job, Shah, will be responsible for managing and developing merchandising strategy for the merchant’s grocery, dairy, frozen, GM and HBC departments. Shah’s arrival has created two other executive level changes at the Carlisle, PA-based Ahold Delhaize USA brand. Rebecca Lupfer, who oversaw the center store merchandising platform, now becomes divisional VP of the Mid-Atlantic where she will supervise the Giant and Martin’s brands in Central Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. And Sepidah Burkett, who ran the territory that Lupfer will now manage, shifts to the new position of VP-distribution operations for TGC. She will play a vital role in helping the retailer complete its self-distribution transition in partnership with TGC’s sister company, Ahold Delhaize Supply Chain. Specifically, Sepideh will now lead perishable distribution and assume responsibility for the transition to new tools to deliver the largest change in the supply chain in TGC’s 99-year history. Parag and Sepideh will report directly to John Ruane, senior VP-omnichannel merchandising. Lupfer will report to Glennis Harris, senior VP-customer experience. Their positions go into effect the first week of February 2022.

Rodney Dillard has been promoted to executive VP-operations for Food City’s (K-VA-T) Chattanooga division. Dillard, who has been in the retail grocery business for 37 years, will be replacing Rick Bishop, who has been promoted to EVP-operations for Food City’s Tri-City division. The Tri-City role was previously held by John Cecil, who plans to retire after 42 years of service. “It has been a real pleasure to work with Rodney as part of our Food City team and watch his continued growth as a leader and see him continue to build a great group of future leaders from within his district,” said Steve Smith, Food City president and CEO, in a statement. “We’re excited to have Rodney continue to lead our stores to exceed customer expectations within the greater Chattanooga area.” Dillard began his grocery career in 1985, as a courtesy clerk for Red Food Stores. He joined Food City as a district manager in 2015, when the company acquired 29 Bi-Lo supermarkets in Chattanooga and North Georgia. Dillard will be responsible for overseeing 31 stores.

As we ring in the New Year with hope, we also must acknowledge some deaths that have occurred during the past 30 days. I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Polsky, Bortnick and Fanaroff families on the passing of Mark Polsky, 74, one of the owners of the former Magruder’s Supermarkets. I met Mark shortly after Dick Bestany and I acquired Food World in May 1978. I was told by several vendors that Mark was the toughest guy in in the market. Whether it was negotiating a deal with a supplier or firing back at a sales rep when he thought he was being misled, Mark could be unpleasant. But if that was your takeaway, you really didn’t know the man. Once you penetrated the veil (and it wasn’t an easy veil to penetrate), you found that Mark was one of the nicest guys in the business, a true teddy bear in wolf’s clothing. He was also smart and worldly, with a wisdom about many things far beyond the grocery business. As we became friendlier through the years, I once asked Mark if he could lighten up on the Dr. Jekyll act. He said absolutely not, explaining his “bad cop” persona was the most effective way of getting results as an independent retailer that operated in a land of chain store giants. If you called on Mark only a handful of times, you probably left the meeting pissed off or intimidated. But those vendors who called on Mark and Magruder’s for a longer period got to know a different Mark – one who was considerate, somewhat flexible and extremely knowledgeable about his craft. That’s the Mark that I remember and I’m deeply saddened over his passing.

Also leaving the planet in the last 30 days was Betty White, who had one of the greatest careers in show business history. White died 17 days before her 100th birthday and was still an active performer up until her death. She was considered one of the best television comedians of all time. In her career, which spanned eight decades, White won eight Emmy Awards (including a lifetime achievement honor). Most of her success came later in life in two iconic roles – “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1973-1977), where she played Sue Ann Nivens, the annoyingly upbeat and manipulative host of a household hint segment at the TV station where Mary Tyler Moore worked. More than a decade later her star brightened again when she played Rose, the clueless housemate alongside three other aging women in “The Golden Girls” (1985-1992) which was set in Miami. All told, Betty White appeared in 123 film and TV roles dating back to 1945. Any mention of Betty White seemed to put a smile on everybody’s face.

Another “personality” has also died. John Madden, Hall of Fame football coach, TV broadcaster and video game impresario died late last month at the age of 85. Same as with Betty White, who didn’t like John Madden? As a coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to his retirement in 1979, Madden posted the highest regular season winning percentage (.759) of all time and helped his team win the 1977 Super Bowl. When he joined CBS Sports as a color analyst later in 1979, he knew little about TV and even less about the nuances of the job. He changed all of that very quickly. From his visiting pre-game practices to his use of the “Telestrator” to the unique relatable expressions he coined (“wham,” “doink,” etc.), he made football enjoyable and watchable for many who had little or no interest in the game as well as long-time fans who found his style refreshing and funny. Madden was also a magnet for companies that  wanted to utilize him as a spokesman. Remember “Tough actin’” Tinactin, an athlete’s foot remedy, and Miller Lite? He also worked with Electronic Arts to produce his own football video game that since 1988 has sold tens of millions of copies, with sales in the billions. If you haven’t seen it already, watch the recently released 90-minute documentary simply called “All Madden” that aired last month on CBS and is now available on several streaming channels.

Also, from the sports world, Sam Jones has left us. When I began watching the NBA in the early 60s, Jones was a constant presence as the shooting guard for the perennial league champion Boston Celtics. In fact, during his 12-year NBA career (1957-1969) Jones’ teams won 10 titles (including eight straight championships). Sam Jones was an uncannily accurate shooter who perfected the 15-foot bank shot (non-existent in today’s game.) His number “24” was retired in 1969. Jones was 88 when he passed.

Dan Reeves, veteran football coach and former Dallas Cowboys running back died late last month at the age of 77. He played quarterback at the University of South Carolina and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys in 1965. During his eight-year playing career he was a versatile and durable player who helped his team win a Super Bowl (vs. Miami in 1972) before transitioning into a career in coaching. His first head coaching job was for the Denver Broncos in 1981 when he became the youngest coach in NFL history at the time. He later became head coach for the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons before retiring in 2003. All told, his 190 coaching victories rank him ninth in NFL history. Unfortunately, his teams lost all four times they appeared in the Super Bowl. A statement by the Denver Broncos accurately depicted his image, “Coach Reeves set the foundation for the Broncos’ decade of dominance in the 1980s and championship tradition for years to come. Reeves coached the Broncos with integrity, character and toughness, along with sincere appreciation for his players and coaches.”

I was sad to hear of the passing of Ronnie Spector, the lead singer in the 60s group The Ronettes. Spector led an interesting life filled with sorrow, but in the end, joy. As the wife of the late convicted murderer and music producer Phil Spector, she gained fame with the “wall of sound” hit “Be My Baby” (1963), a truly great song. Unbeknownst at the time and for many years later, Ronnie Spector was physically and emotionally abused by her crazy and destructive boyfriend and later husband. In her memoir, she said she had been held prisoner during the relationship and that Spector had surrounded her with guard dogs before she divorced him in 1974. In 2007, The Ronettes were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Keith Richards, who made the presentation speech for the group said, “We remember them warming up backstage when we (The Rolling Stones) were on the same tour in the 1960s. They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound. They didn’t need anything.”

Other recent music industry related deaths include two people you may not be very familiar with. Michael Lang died earlier this month at the age of 77. Although Lang had a long career as concert promoter, producer and artistic manager, he will forever be known as the co-producer of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969. In a series of serendipitous events, Lang met entrepreneur Artie Kornfeld in Woodstock in the late 1960s. The two New York natives had the idea of producing a music festival in upstate New York that would ultimately attract 400,000 rock and roll fans. After legal hurdles prevented the festival from taking place in Woodstock, Lang befriended local dairy farmer Max Yasgur, who allowed the group to hold the three-day event on his property. “Woodstock” remains one of the most famous imprints on popular culture ever, but it turned out to be financial disaster for Lang, Kornfeld and their financial partners. Lang can be seen in many scenes of the subsequent 1970 documentary film, “Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music” (worth seeing by any measure).

Ralph Emery has also passed on. The 88-year old country music personality was generally regarded as the most popular radio and television broadcast personality of that genre. He began working the graveyard shift at Nashville’s flagship station WSM Radio, home of The Grand Ole Opry. Over his long career, Emery also hosted several television shows, including a role as prime time host on the former Nashville Network from 1983-1993. However, there is one incident that I remember vividly involving Emery. In 1968, the musical group The Byrds released one of the greatest albums of the past 60 years – “Sweetheart of The Rodeo,” (although it didn’t sell very well when first released). The Byrds’ music had already been shifting to a more country-rock sound, and with the release of their new album and the addition of the great Gram Parsons, the shift was complete. The record utilized many Nashville studio session players and shortly after its release, The Grand Ole Opry invited the group to appear (they were the first rock group to play the Opry). Emery and many in the audience didn’t appreciate the band’s long hair and loud sound, and Emery ultimately gave the group the cold shoulder. Parsons and the Byrds’ leader Roger McGuinn responded by penning the song “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man,” a biting characterization of what they thought of Emery.

We also lost several notable actors including Sidney Poitier, who arguably paved the way for many Black actors to succeed in Hollywood. Poitier, 94, a native of the Bahamas, began his acting career with small parts in the late 1940s. A few years after that, film directors noted his acting talent and began to cast him in more meaningful roles, including “No Way Out” (1950) and “Blackboard Jungle” (1955). By the late 50s, he had become a marquee listed performer. From “The Defiant Ones” (1958) to “A Raisin In The Sun” (1961), Poitier’s star was rising even more rapidly. In 1964, he won his only Best Actor Oscar for “Lilies of the Field,” playing a handyman who helped a group of German nuns build a chapel in the southwestern U.S. desert. Other impactful films in which Poitier starred included “In The Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” and “To Sir, With Love” all released in 1967. As he was as an actor, Poitier remained low-keyed and unassuming in his retirement. When asked about his role in opening the door to a new generation of Black actors, Poitier said, “History will pinpoint me as merely a minor element in an ongoing major event, a small if necessary energy. But I am nonetheless gratified at having been chosen.”

Peter Bogdanovich, known more as a director than an actor, has died at the age of 82. While training to be an actor in New York, Bogdanovich first gained success writing about film. By 1964, he left New York for Hollywood with the goal to become a film director. His first effort, “Targets,” (1968) was inspired by the Charles Whitman Texas tower shooting of 1966 and was produced by the greatest “B” film executive of all-time, Roger Corman. After that, Bogdanovich struck gold with “The Last Picture Show” (1971), an adaptation of author Larry McMurtry’s novel about a depressed Texas town and its inhabitants. The movie, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, included relatively unknown actors at the time including Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms and Cybill Shephard as well as veteran character actors Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson. Shot in stark black and white, the film’s cinematography was stunning. Bogdanovich followed that success with acclaimed films “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972) and “Paper Moon” (1973). Then came the dark days, during which Bogdanovich directed a series of disappointing and expensive films. In 1985, he declared personal bankruptcy, claiming he had “$21.37 in the bank and $25.79 in his pocket.” He later rebounded to direct a series of generally well-received lower budget movies and two successful books. He also enjoyed a mild comeback as an actor, playing Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, the psychiatrist who treated Tony Soprano’s shrink, Dr. Melfi in “The Sopranos.”

Bob Saget, the comedian who first gained fame as the widowed father Danny Tanner on the TV show “Full House,” died unexpectedly earlier this month at the age of 65. By the time that Saget had graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1978, he was already doing stand-up comedy. After appearing in the Richard Pryor film “Critical Condition” (1987), he was offered a part on “Full House,” a new show which also featured John Stamos, Lori Loughlin, and twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The show proved to be unbelievably popular and ran for eight seasons. While “Full House” was his career door opener, Saget always thought of himself as a standup comic. Having seen Saget perform several times, I can attest that his live persona in no way resembled Danny Tanner’s. Saget was profane, raunchy and utterly hilarious. He will be missed.

I am sad to report the passing of Dobie Gillis. I mean, the person – Dwayne Hickman – who portrayed the cheery All-American character who starred on the very popular TV series “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (1959-1963). Hickman, with his dyed blonde hair and his oddball crew of friends, including Maynard G. Krebs  – played by Bob Denver, who would later go on to greater fame on “Gilligan’s Island”; part-time girlfriend Zelda (Sheila James); and the object of his unrequited obsession, Thalia Menninger – played by Tuesday Weld – led a weekly comedy adventure showing what it was like to be a teenager in the late 1950s. By today’s standards, the show is nearly impossible to relate to, but in the day it represented what White America believed to be how adolescents behaved. Unfortunately for Hickman’s career, he never came close to repeating the success of Dobie Gillis. He appeared on a handful of TV shows in the 1960s before shifting to the other side of the camera, becoming a program executive at CBS. In his 1994 memoir, “ Forever Dobie: The Many Lives Of Dwayne Hickman,” he recalled an incident that occurred when he took his wife, Joan, to the hospital to await the birth of their son. “When I walked into the labor room, the nurse was asking her questions as she filled out her chart. When she finished, she looked up and said, ‘Thank you, Mrs. Gillis, I’ll be back in a few minutes.’ “Joan grabbed my hand and said, ‘Promise that if anything happens to me, you won’t name this boy Dobie!’” Hickman was 87.

And just before presstime, we learned of the passing of Meat Loaf, the larger-than-life rock & roll singer whose first album, “Bat Out of Hell” in 1977, was one of the best debuts by  any rock singer in the past 50 years. Born Marvin Aday in Dallas, Meat Loaf’s strong three-and-a-half octave voice could reach shrieking levels but his presence, especially live, was powerful. The theatrics were not unintended – “Meat” (a name his dad gave him when he was just four days old) began his career as an actor, appearing on the stage in “Hair” and, in a brief  but unforgettable role in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Although he never reclaimed the  success of his first album, Meat Loaf would remain a steady performer, still touring into his early 70s and releasing new albums from time to time, the last being “Braver Than We Are” in 2016. The likeable and beefy performer was 74 when he passed.