Drummer of the Week: John Stamos

I used to watch Full House all the time when I was a kid. My favorite character was always Uncle Jesse -- he was hilarious and he was a musician. It's kind of creepy now watching old episodes when the Olsen Twins were babies since I'm the same age as them. Whenever he said "Capiche?" I wanted to blurt out "CAPICHE!" just like they did.

Stamos is proficient in guitar, keyboards, and an excellent vocalist, all of which were seen on Full House. But my favorite episodes were of him playing drums. I still remember when the Beach Boys were on Full House singing "Kokomo"; it was one of my favorite episodes ever.

John Stamos played drums in the "Kokomo" music video. He's also toured with the Beach Boys during the summer on and off for several years, mostly playing percussion.

Check out this video of John Stamos playing with the Beach Boys on Dancing with the Stars.

Here's a video of him doing a drum solo during a Beach Boys show:

Reason #43439180 Why I Love Angelina Jolie

I've been an Angelina Jolie for a decade, long before she became a household name. When I was 15, I sent her a fan letter and I actually received an autographed picture of her from Tomb Raider a few weeks later. I wonder how long it would take if I tried sending a letter now. Since 2001, I've seen all of her films the day they are released. The Tourist, with Johnny Depp, is coming out next Friday and I can't freaking wait.

Journalist Andrew Morton, who wrote the biography Diana: Her True Story, recently published a book about Angelina. I was hesitant to buy it -- I was sure it was a bunch of tabloid rumors, and what could be in it that Angelina Jolie has not admitted herself? She's one of the most honest, open celebrities out there. But I read some reviews and people said it didn't portray her negatively so being the curious fan that I am, I decided to read it.

I flipped to the picture section first, and what did I find? A picture of Angelina Jolie playing drums with Joey Covington, the drummer from Jefferson Airplane. In Chapter Seven, pages 134-136, Morton writes about how Angelina was very self-destructive around 1997 -- suicidal, cutting herself, etc. (She has spoken in-depth about all this on television). She contacted Joey Covington who told her to give him a list of people she hated to place on the different drum heads. Who did she have on the list? Her father (no surprise there) and her agent.

"I sincerely believe drums helped save her life," says Covington. "They gave her a focus and a sense of achievement." She started lessons to maybe jam with her then-boyfriend Timothy Hutton's band. She even bought an electric drum kit so she could practice in her apartment.

Of course, I have no idea how truthful Morton's information is, or if playing drums "helped save her life." All I know is, this is super cool information, and I have one more reason to admire her.