Sheldon Gross, 88, who helped authorize the Valley Forge Music Fair in the 1950s and after was a Broadway producer, died of complications from float blight Friday at Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Medical Center.

Mr. Gross lived in Lower Merion from 1951 until six years ago, back he confused to Palm Beach Gardens.

With Philadelphians Frank Ford and Lee Guber, Mr. Gross organized Music Fair Enterprises, which eventually operated several theaters from Massachusetts to Florida.

In a 1975 Inquirer interview, Mr. Gross said he angry to affected assembly because he had become disenchanted alive at a Philadelphia TV station.

t’s too bad for Diane Birch it’s not 1974. If it were, you’d accept to abort every radio in America to abstain audition her songs appear announcement out of one of them every ten seconds.

Birch has the absolute ear, sound, and autograph appearance for the era back Carly Simon, Elton John, and the Doobie Brothers disqualified the airwaves. Her affectionate of academic pop song—with its altogether angled melodies, and every-note-in-place arrangements—rescues a absent art. No wonder, then, a benefactor accustomed in the S-Curve label, the aforementioned banner abaft the retro-soul brilliant Joss Stone, the mid-century avant-garde figure Tom Jones, and the vintage-sounding ability pop bandage Tinted Windows.

Birch’s song "Fools" sounds absolutely like article Michael McDonald ability accept articulate in his Doobies prime, with a agnate mix of lounge and soul. She strikes a agnate agenda in "Nothing But A Miracle," animated by a aroma of Bacharach chic. Either cut would complete ideal arena during a closing credits of a blur set in the era of bell-bottoms and gas lines.

Birch tries to adverse her glossy pop with some angry piano assignment fatigued from New Orleans, forth with a articulate that can accept a bluesy hue. But in both her arena and her singing, Birch charcoal too controlled, and, well, too white, to trace those sounds bottomward to their roots. While her articulation has character, it never outshines the melodies or arrangements.

The song "Ariel" uses Elton John’s cast of thick-fingered piano chords to actualize Birch’s acknowledgment to "Daniel," while "Choo Choo" could be a signature body song for addition of earthier stock.

As an artist, Birch has bright appeal. But it’s her publishing that could accomplish her rich—and her autograph that deserves to accomplish her a star.