Well, now . . .

Peter Noone, the Herman of the British pop-rock band Herman's Hermits, does not shrink from a fight, or even a little blogospheric dust-up, from what I see.

First, Noone challenged Baltimore singer-songwriter Niki Lee on her indelicate comments about the middle-aged fans who came out to see Noone, Bobby Sherman and Davey Jones at a '60's reunion concert at Pier Six in 1998. Then, after I reported this in a Random Rodricks blog item yesterday, he got back to me, too.

I had suggested that Noone's harsh response to Lee's blog post gave him away as overly sensitive. On reflection, I would adjust that observation. Had Lee attacked Noone personally, he could be accused of having shed the thick skin necessary to be an aging pop-rocker still hoofing the performance circuit. (He seems to be doing quite well with concerts, by the way, though obviously with enough time on his hands to Google himself daily.)

But, in this case, he was defending his fans, not himself. (Though you could argue an attack on Noone's fans constituted an attack on the singer.)

Before we go on, I should mention that when Miss Lee, a talented musician in her own right, called me to report Noone's e-mail the other day, she was quite upset. I don't think she realized how her words could offend -- or that they would even be read by somone mentioned in the blog -- and that's a common experience in the blogosphere. The difference in this case is, someone called her on it. (And as a longtime newspaper columnist, whose words are examined by an ever-growing audience through the Internet, I say: Welcome to the club.)

Here is Peter Noone's e-mail to me, (with some of his choice adjectives eliminated in an effort to tone down the dialogue toward what I hope will some day be peace between Herman and Miss Lee):

"I do Google myself daily. It is a service they provide for free.  . . . How disgusting to call Bobby Sherman fans balding old ladies!
Perhaps you don't see my point but it is a valid one, you have to agree?
My email to her was not about me, it was about her lies about the crowd . . .
Give me a break. How would you like to be one of Bobby's fans and be called
balding and old?
She was 12 when she was in  love with Bobby and SO WERE THEY.
Luckily they're not faded and jaded . . .
This Niki  . . .  really disturbed me with her diatribe.
Surely you haven't got an argument with me on that?
If she had been so cruel to anyone except women she would be on Bill
O'Reilly. I am just checking to see if you are on her side or will out her as a nasty
cheat? No bald women were there. The roadie was bald and she confused him with an old Bobby
Sherman fan."

Now that that's done, and both sides having expressed themselves, let's move on, shall we? I would very much like to see harmony between these two musicians -- and would agree to broker the peace. Mr. Noone plays at Hershey Park in July, and I would be glad to escort Miss Lee to Chocolate Town for a meeting. I would even suggest a duet of "Mrs. Brown."