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Free to Be... You and Me is a cult classic for many kids of the 1970's. Gwyneth Paltrow even credits this film as one of her inspirations to become an actor. Hey man, whatever floats your boat. First released in November 1972, and later in 1974 as a television special, "Free to Be...You and Me" featured songs and stories to illustrate and define core values such as individuality, tolerance, and happiness with one's identity.
Now I have to admit to being a bit young for this the first time around - but if vintage can extend to fashion than why not kids stuff too? There are quite a few installments from this series floating around out there. It's hard work, but we here at LAist are dedicated to your happiness and so we're going to wade through for only the best of the best.
This clip is of Rosey Grier singing that "It's Alright to Cry," and it's priceless 70's. It is supposed to especially reach out to boys that it's ok to show their feelings. Now that's all well and good, but before you laugh off Rosey, he has lead a really remarkable life. A graduate of Penn State (go Nittany Lions!), he went on to play professional football for 12 years first for the Giants and then for the Los Angeles Rams. He was part of what is regarded as one of the best defensive lines in NFL history known as the "Fearsome Foursome", along with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Lamar Lundy.
It gets better. After a career-ending injury in 1967, he was a bodyguard for U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. He was there the night Kennedy got killed but was guarding Kennedy's wife at the time and after hearing the guns shots rushed ahead to capture the assasin.
Remaining mostly in Los Angeles ever since, he serves on Milken Family Foundation board of trustees and is a big advocate of community affairs.
Rosey, what else have we missed?
