If you’ve followed my blog or podcast for a while, you know I’m not a country music fan. And I could share a long list of songs that illustrate why I say that. But sure enough, somebody’s feelings would get hurt because I mentioned one of their favorites. So, I’ll skip the list. All that being said, I don’t dislike all country music. And … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: music history
I read about a guy, named Andreas Cornelius van Kujik, who promoted the occasional medicine show, or carnival, or other cheap entertainment. One of those interesting shows was called “The Great Parker Pony Circus.” And another was called “Tom Parker and His Dancing Turkeys.” Now, that’s not just a medicine show, folks. That’s entertainment! Andreas Cornelius van Kujik was a Dutch immigrant. And if … The rest of the story…
Doubt and worry. Yeah, they show up, a lot, when guys and girls first experience “love.” Because, when you’re young, with a brain full of crazy ideas, and a body full of hyped-up hormones, you don’t tend to make the best choices. Of course, there’s a better way to deal with doubt and worry and love. But I’ll get to that in a minute. … The rest of the story…
I wasn’t even a teenager, and rock music, for the most part, wasn’t played in my Dad’s house. How’s that for an icebreaker? Well, that scenario sets up something that happened back in 1966. A band, named Cream made their live debut in Manchester, England. Just three guys. But they put out some heavy, hard-hitting music. And they had the distinction of having the … The rest of the story…
At the end of the summer, in 1972, I drove my ’65 Plymouth Fury back to Texas from Kansas. And a lot of the drive was on highways 69 and 75 through Kansas, into Oklahoma, and then from Tulsa, Oklahoma on down to Houston. It was a long, 12 to 14 hour drive. And I passed the time listening to Honky Chateau, Harvest, and … The rest of the story…
🎶 People get ready. There’s a train a-coming. You don’t need no baggage. You just get on board. All you need is faith to hear the diesels humming. Don’t need no ticket. You just thank the Lord. 🎶 Yeah, those are lyrics to the old Curtis Mayfield song, “People Get Ready.” And there’s a lotta word power goin’ on in that song. When The Impressions had a hit with that … The rest of the story…
54 years ago, today, something stupid happened. And a few people made a bunch of money because of it. Yeah, apparently there were lots of people in America and England who played a part in this event. In fact, I’m sure there were plenty of them who celebrated it. And it wasn’t the only time something stupid happened like that. But I’m not gonna … The rest of the story…
John Lennon, that slightly famous Beatles guy, once said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. And I actually think he might’ve been taken a little out of context by reporters and fans at the time. Because I’ve checked into what he said, and it appeared to not be a statement made out of arrogance. But the way it was blown out of proportion … The rest of the story…
Ode to Joy is a musical and spiritual alloy. Even if Ludwig didn’t mean it that way. And of course, I’m talking about Beethoven’s Symphony #9. Or at least a section of it. If you wanna give your brain a revitalizing vacation, listen to the whole symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3217H8JppI Or you can go to the Ode section here: Imagine composing an Ode to Joy when … The rest of the story…
He said he had a dream where he heard Mexican trumpets. And I guess that’s how they became such a recognizable part of his hit song, “Ring of Fire.” In fact, it went to number 1 on March 25, 1963. And it stayed there for seven weeks. Not bad for a guy whose last name was Cash but was born into a family who … The rest of the story…