The Return, an audio movie with visuals

Hi, check out my latest project. Years in the making.

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Famous Signatures and Such

Within my family collection are various inscribed photos of famous (friends) people, written to my mother, Colleen Conte. Featured in this post is a photo from actor Dennis Cole and a photo of a Houdini movie poster and two books about and written by Tony Curtis, signed to Colleen. Also, among the items I’m offering on Etsy and Ebay is the actor Cornel Wilde’s Turquoise Bolo. Colleen had this bolo custom made by the Zuni tribe many years ago for Cornel. He wore it often as it became his trademark tie. Another one of a kind item is a Richard Conte signature block that he had made many decades ago. You can find detailed information about these items and people on their individual pages on Etsy and Ebay. My seller’s name on Etsy is KStone4U and my name on Ebay is Kris4Sale. The joy of memorabilia.

Dennis Cole and Colleen Conte

Tony Curtis and Colleen Conte

Cornel Wilde’s Turquoise Bolo

Richard Conte’s Signature Block

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Frank Sinatra

I met Frank Sinatra in the late 1970’s. He and his wife had a few of us college kids come to a bedroom at a party to thank us for being in the vocal group that sang at his mother’s funeral service that year in January 1977. The party was a Christmas Season celebration at the house of the president of College Of The Desert, Palm Desert, CA. The vocal group was called The Ensemble, directed by Dr. John Norman, affectionately known as Doc. I just saw Doc at his house a few months ago. The Ensemble, an elite 16 member vocal group that you had to audition for to get into was asked to learn a few pieces of music including Hello Dolly within a couple days and perform them in a large church at Frank’s mother’s funeral. It was quite an experience. There were large men wearing long trench coats lining the inside of the back wall of the church. Frank looked like he was grieving deeply. We felt odd singing Hello Dolly, but learned that Frank usually sang this song for his mother, Natalie “Dolly” Sinatra at his concerts. Frank was great friends with my stepfather actor Richard Conte. I was so star struck when I met Frank (much to my surprise) that I didn’t even tell him of my relation to his late friend Richard, or Nicky as his friends called him. Here’s a collage of photos of Frank and Richard, some of which came from Richard’s personal collection.

Frank Sinatra and Richard Conte

 

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Richard Conte Original Art

Richard Conte, my step-father was an artist in many respects including being a stylish colored crayon sketcher. In these unique and one of a kind instances pictured below, Richard created his own original art within the first blank pages of books about art published in the 1960’s. Unlike a framed work, you have to open the books to see the Richard Conte art work. This week I placed these vintage items for sale on Etsy.com in the collectibles category. The books also contain many beautiful illustrations.

Original Art by Richard Conte within the book, The Fauves

Original Art by Richard Conte within the book, I, Michelangelo, Sculptor

Original Art by Richard Conte within the book, The Genius Of Leonardo Da Vinci

 

 

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Shirlee Colleen Conte 1935-2014

My whole life there has been one person, my best friend, my mother who has been there through it all. This month she made her transition and my life was changed in a second. I’ve been living with her in Cathedral City, CA for the past seven months being her caregiver since her pulmonary doctor told her she may only have about six months to go.

I’ll be posting more about her and showing many more photos of her fantastic life as well as building an obituary site that people can sign into and tell their personal story of how she touched their lives. From being a child music prodigy who rode and raced a horse named Raimee to being Miss California to being a mother to being Mrs. Richard Conte traveling Europe making movies…she lived many lifetimes in one and will be missed to the depths of our hearts.

A few years ago I interviewed her in my recording studio for hours/days and once again heard the stories I grew up hearing. From her early life’s stories I have written/completed the screenplay “My Raimee” about her as a ten year old girl on a farm in Kansas meeting one of the great love’s of her life, a high spirited horse that few could ride, but that she went all the way to the race track with. This story is now part of my mother’s legacy as are the hundreds and hundreds of photos and the memories of those she touched along the way.

Shirlee Colleen Conte, AKA Shirlee Garner-Witty-Krieger-Conte

Shirlee Colleen Garner on Raimee

Shirlee Witty (Garner) MISS CALIFORNIA 1956

Colleen Conte and husband Richard Conte

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Hey There, Georgi Girl

Something they never told me, growing up was how the older you get, the more loved ones you’ll lose to the great beyond. Seems most of my articles on this site are about people I’ve known, loved and then one day heard about their passing.

In March of 2014, my great friend and collaborator in the arts, Georgi Streetman (entertainer, singer, dancer, writer, painter, director/producer, inspirationist) took her final bow. Around 1989, I first met Georgi in San Diego, CA. She performed as a dynamic stage presence entertainer in a variety of situations. I had just moved to the North County San Diego area from L.A.. Somewhat by accident I started doing live sound engineering to make ends meet, having come from a decade of recording studio music production.

Georgi and I worked as a team in various venues from New Age Churches to an elite weekly breakfast club for authors called The Inside Edge. Georgi, being the music director (and performer) of the events and me being the sound engineer (occasional performer).

We must have co-worked well over four hundred events including a Georgi Streetman Concert that we recorded and later mixed into a CD album. Close to ten years ago, Georgi moved to South Dakota and I moved to Mount Shasta.

The extraordinary thing about it is we never had any kind of conflict all those years. Our shared love of the arts and dedication to doing an excellent job, as well as her purity of intent and honest communication made the two of us a perfect team. She could look at me from across a large room and I’d know what she was thinking – change the mix – look up and see her nodding “yes”.

So, once again I say goodbye to a cherished friend. And, more than ever before, now I feel just how much she means to me. Thank you, Georgi Girl. You’re the best of the best.

Georgi Streetman

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Steve White Blues

When I began drafting this article, Steve White was alive and strummin’. On April 22, 2011, just before midnight, my beloved friend broke through to the other side. Steve was like Ray Charles…he always was and always would be there giving us the groove, so real and solid in his musical communication that no one could deny.

The one known as Steve White Blues finally placed a completion frame on his life’s work. Now begins the legacy.

Steve is/was one of my all time favorite studio collaborators from San Diego. We co-created around ten song rewrite/productions in my studio over the years, plus he recorded various other songs as a regular studio client and we loved every minute of it. When Steve started a take, he finished it…all the way without hesitation. In the studio, where people stop and start at will, to have a performer so true and dedicated that he went from start to finish on a track without even considering stopping and dissecting, it was rare and exciting. It was a fan experience.

I wish we could’ve done a lot more in the studio, but fortunately Steve got the opportunity to travel abroad and find his global audience. His unique style now lives on as an influence in the music of many spanning continents.

Our collaborative work has been released on two independent albums: Better Days – Steve White and WhiteStone Collection. I also created a super cool YouTube video for the song, Kung Fu Chopper Pilot.

Steve is/was a true Americana Singer-Songwriter, mixing blues, country, folk, R&B and pop into a contagious feel good groove. Check out his musical legacy at SteveWhiteBlues.com, CDbaby.com, etc. Here’s to you, good buddy. You truly mastered the art of Steve White Blues.

Steve White and Kristopher Stone

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That’s Rock n Roll Musical

In 1979, I was in a really high energy musical called “That’s Rock n Roll” at College of the Desert. We also performed at Disneyland. In those days I was known as Kristopher Witty. Unique to most musicals, during this show our audience would participate cheering us on and getting rowdy. Ray Limon did a great job choreographing the show and inspiring us. Terry Nicholson wrote/directed the show based on well known songs, Dr. John Anello was the music director and Bruce Healey did the band arrangements. Truly a highlight of my musical theatre days in College.

Kristopher and Stephanie

Kristopher and Beth

Kristopher – Elvis Medley

Kristopher dipping Beth

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Vicki Star, famous beader

Vicki Star is a world famous beader. She makes beautiful works, writes instructional books, appears at conventions and teaches classes all around. I know her from my time in San Diego where we were sweeties for nine years. Also, I was blessed with her family. Spending the holidays with them was great. As you can see here, they have a unique sense of humor.

Vicki Star’s Family, spoons stuck to noses

Speaking of famous people, Vicki’s grandson Malcolm Stumpf is a movie star – playing Madonna’s young son in The Next Best Thing, the star teenager in Wild Tigers I Have Known, etc. I haven’t seen Malcolm for around ten years, however we’ve recently become ‘friends’ on FaceBook along with Vicki’s daughter, Chrystal Star, who’s also in show biz doing script supervision and P.A. work.

Here’s some of Vicki’s work and a link to her main site…

Vicki Star’s Tiny Treasure Boxes

http://vickistar.com/index.html

Vicki Star, Unknown Dudes, Kristopher Stone

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Tony Curtis

I met Tony Curtis at the Playboy mansion one day back in the 1980’s. I loved his characters in movies as I was growing up, so it was a thrill to meet him. He was also a friend of my mother, Colleen. For those who don’t know, Tony was a great painter artist and created a huge number of paintings. Also, he and his wife Jill Vandenberg did wonderful work on their ranch, the Shiloh Horse Rescue and Sanctuary, founded by Jill and her family. Tony’s artistic legacy lives on and the Shiloh Ranch continues to save lives. Thank you, good people.

Tony Curtis and Colleen Conte

Tony

Tony Curtis art

Tony Curtis and wife Jill Vandenberg

Tony Curtis and Colleen Conte

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Cornel Wilde, movie star, friend

Many years after my stepfather Richard Conte made his expansion (as I call it), another movie star entered my mother’s life, Mr. Cornel Wilde. Recently, I found two handwritten notes from Richard (Nicky) Conte to his wife Colleen (my mother) reminding her to be sure and get a certain movie poster to Cornel Wilde as a gift. Mom had always said that Richard knew his time was short and that he wanted her to hook up with Cornel. Cornel was a full package of talent – actor, writer, director, producer, soundtrack composer, fencing champion, artist, linguist, etc. I got to know Cornel pretty well. We all went to dinner and different events together. One event that stands out was the New Year’s Eve party at The Playboy Mansion. The theme of the party was lingerie, so most of the women and some of the men were dressed for bed time. It was quite a scene. Cornel and Colleen actually got married on a cruise ship in international waters, but then never had it officiated in the US, so she remained Mrs. Richard Conte. Years later, when Cornel made his expansion, at the time he was working on the sequel to his movie The Naked Prey from 1966. He gave me the script to read and was considering me as the soundtrack artist. I wrote a story based on his 1972 TV movie, Gargoyles before I met him. Cornel was a man of solid integrity and he sincerely loved my mother, Colleen. I sang an original song, Somebody Loves You at his funeral in 1989. Here’s to you my friend.

Cornel Wilde and Colleen Conte, photo by Kristopher Stone

Cornel Wilde and Colleen Conte at La Cage Aux Folles Restaurant in L.A. photo by Kristopher Stone

Cornel Wilde

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Alice Jones, puppeteer clown

I met Alice Jones in Palm Desert during our college daze. She is truly an angel among us and a long time cherished friend. She now lives in L.A. with her loving husband Lee Scott, a movie sound editor. Alice has performed for the children of many famous people at private parties throughout the years. One time I went with her to Goldie Hawn’s house for the birthday party of little Kate Hudson. Kate was less than three feet tall, then. I personally helped little Kate make a puppet out of a small paper bag by drawing a face on it. She was adorable and looked just like her mother. Kurt Russell was there too. I’ve seen Alice recently on my visit to the L.A. area. She’s always clowning around. Love that girl.

Alice Jones and Kristopher Stone 1980’s

Alice Jones, Holly Jenkins, Karin Spritzler, Lee Scott, Kristopher Stone

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Richard Conte, famous actor

If you’re over 60, you probably remember the famous actor Richard Conte. He was my mother’s third husband and she is now his widow. His friends knew him as Nicky from his given name Peter Nicholas Conte. I knew him as my step-father when I was in high school and we still feel his presence in our lives. He performed in 66 movies and 25 TV shows. His last American movie before shooting 20 some films in Europe was The Godfather. He was considered for the lead role that Brando ended up playing and was cast in the character of Don Emilio Barzini, the rival mob boss that was out to take Brando’s character down. His legacy lives on in what is called “film noir” (vintage films – primarily stylish Hollywood crime dramas) as his new following and presence online expands.

Richard Conte and wife Colleen

Richard Conte and Vittorio De Sica

Peter Nicholas Conte (Richard Conte)

Peter Nicholas Conte (young Richard Conte)

Richard Conte Collage

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Welcome!

You are at the site of Kristopher Stone. I apologize for the ads. I have no control over what they are and where they are placed.

Kristopher Stone Performance

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