You Take My Breath Away...Not

1981. Rex Smith was the Justin Timberlake of my day. He was the star of lite FM, with every station playing his smash hit, "You Take My Breath Away" and touring around with his swashbuckling golden tresses a la early Frampton.

Cast in New York's Public Theater production of _Pirates of Penzance,_ playing opposite Linda Rondstadt, Rex sang and danced and did the Johnny Depp "open shirt and reveal manly chest" thing with extraordinary verve. The high boots, poofy shirts, and pirate getup created the perfect hormonal--if still virginal--storm.

We--my mother, my sister, and I--lived just a five-minute Read more