Tragic stories have always been a part of music history, and have played out in almost as many varieties as there are performers who've lived them. But one of the most most poignant types of tragedies is when a performer throws away his opportunity, and that would be the case with R&B pioneer Little Willie … Continue reading The Tragedy Of Little Willie John
Author: BG
BG (aka The Big Geez) is a retiree who who has spent over a decade generating the Geezer Music Club, where he tries to prove that geezers can stay in touch with today's world. . .and still find time for the trimming of ear hair.
The Reluctant Crooner – Rudy Vallée
Yes folks, I'm writing about crooners again. It's a subject that has always fascinated me, and my interest has resulted in a number of articles that date all the way back to my Crooner Conundrum piece from four years ago. But today's subject -- Rudy Vallée -- was a different kind of crooner. For one … Continue reading The Reluctant Crooner – Rudy Vallée
A Crooner Named Clint Eastwood
In a recent piece about James Darren, I mentioned that many of the rising young actors of the era were also promoted as singing stars, but one that might surprise you is a guy who is now better known as a legendary superstar and director. That's right, folks. Clint Eastwood was once one of those … Continue reading A Crooner Named Clint Eastwood
Hitting The Target With Pure Prairie League
Album covers have always been a tried and true way to attract the attention of potential buyers, so it's not surprising that a lot of attention is paid to designing and composing them. The right kind of cover can really hit the target with potential buyers, and if it's successful enough it might even spawn … Continue reading Hitting The Target With Pure Prairie League
The Many Faces Of Johnny Cymbal
Although its beginning might be reminiscent of the Marcels' "Blue Moon," Johnny Cymbal's hit record of "Mr. Bassman" had a personality of its own. But even though Cymbal's signature song helped make him a teen idol in 1963, a later piece -- performed under a different name -- would end up being his biggest hit. … Continue reading The Many Faces Of Johnny Cymbal
The Elegance Of Nancy Wilson
I've written several times about my radio experiences in the early 1960's so I won't repeat all that, but I did want to mention again how we had a large shelf of record albums that we slowly worked our way through, playing a cut from each. The result of doing that day after day, week … Continue reading The Elegance Of Nancy Wilson
James Darren Is Still Entertaining Fans
Although it happens even now, the 1950s saw the heyday of the practice of crafting parallel singing and acting careers for young, rising stars. Names like Tab Hunter, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian are still familiar to most of us, but at their height they were enormously popular. The same could be said of another performer … Continue reading James Darren Is Still Entertaining Fans
Hittin’ Those Highways One More Time
As difficult as it might be to believe, September is fast approaching and that means that the last few weeks of Summer are rapidly evaporating. Anyone who is planning a road trip might want to get it done -- not just the planning, but the trip too. I've always enjoyed driving on scenic highways and … Continue reading Hittin’ Those Highways One More Time
Appreciating The Past With The Louvin Brothers
I'm well aware that most of today's music lovers are probably not huge fans of old-style traditional country music, and I do understand that because for a long time I too dismissed it as 'hillbilly stuff'. But I have come to appreciate it more and more through the years, not only because of the links … Continue reading Appreciating The Past With The Louvin Brothers
From Sand To Sunday – The Chordettes
I've always been fascinated by performers with extended careers who manage to transition into different kinds of music. I suppose that in some ways they're just following trends by giving the public what it wants, but it can't be easy to reinvent yourself and those who did it successfully should be applauded. A while back … Continue reading From Sand To Sunday – The Chordettes
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