A while back, I wrote a piece about T. Texas Tyler, who specialized in 'spoken' or 'recitation' songs. I was reminded of that today when I saw the news of the death of sausage king Jimmy Dean, who was once the master of the spoken song. In fact, his biggest hit -- "Big Bad John" … Continue reading Jimmy Dean – The Early Days
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.
Just A Nice Weekend Walk
Not too much going on today, so I thought it was about time we did another of those slide show thingys. It's just a series of pictures that show what happened one day when a guy was walking his dogs along a quiet country road. And -- of course -- we need the proper mood … Continue reading Just A Nice Weekend Walk
Lookin’ Good
Regular readers have certainly noticed that we have a new look. I hope it meets with your approval. I do have some practical reasons for making the change, but I kind of like how it looks anyway. I actually didn't have a big problem with the previous theme, but the new one has a couple … Continue reading Lookin’ Good
Just Twangin’ Along With Mike Seeger
One of the drawbacks of using personal experiences to put together nostalgia-themed pieces is that the process is sometimes held hostage to my own patchy memory. For example, I've written before about how my maternal grandfather would occasionally pick up his harmonica -- what he called his 'mouth-harp' -- and play a lively song or … Continue reading Just Twangin’ Along With Mike Seeger
Flying High – Domenico Modugno
For a while in the late Fifties, it was played on the radio almost continuously -- or maybe it just seemed that way. After all, a guy singing a melodic and strangely addictive song in Italian was something that certainly caught your attention. But whatever the reason, Domenico Modugno's rendition of "Nel Blu Dipinto Di … Continue reading Flying High – Domenico Modugno
Call Me A Barbarian
I'm sorry. Call me a barbarian. Tell me I'm crude and have no sense of the finer things in life. Question my intelligence if you must, but I have to confess to something. I don't get modern art. It's an opinion I've held for a long time and I know I'm not the first person … Continue reading Call Me A Barbarian
Jane Morgan Is Still Entertaining
I've written several times about 'songbirds', the female vocalists who worked their way up to pop music stardom after starting as band singers, but not everyone took that route. In at least one case, a gorgeous and talented American singer found success in her own country only after first becoming a hit in France. Florence … Continue reading Jane Morgan Is Still Entertaining
A Soldier’s Song With A Message
A 'recitation' song that first rose to popularity in the period following World War II, the deceptively titled "Deck Of Cards" actually carried a religious theme. It told the story of a young soldier trying to explain why he's playing cards during a church service. The song has reappeared from time to time in the … Continue reading A Soldier’s Song With A Message
Memorial Day Arrives Again
It seems like just yesterday that I was posting a piece with the decidedly awkward title of Memories Of Memorial Day, but it was actually a year ago. The months seem to go by so quickly these days that I can almost feel the breeze from the flipping calendar pages. But Memorial Day is once … Continue reading Memorial Day Arrives Again
Terri Gibbs Inspired By Ray Charles
While growing up, country singer Terri Gibbs often drew inspiration from the story of Ray Charles, and in fact there are a lot of similarities in the lives of the two artists. Although Gibbs was born in Florida, she grew up in Charles' home state of Georgia, and both had extensive backgrounds in gospel music … Continue reading Terri Gibbs Inspired By Ray Charles
Geezer Music Club 