After a long and notable career, crooner Tony Martin has died at age 98. Below I've reposted a earlier piece, and have also reactivated the song sample, "Stranger In Paradise." (The following was originally published in 2009.) Tony Martin — Crooner Or Cowboy? I love to watch old Western movies on TV, but I have … Continue reading Crooner Tony Martin Had Long Career
Category: Boomers
Summer Olympics Showcasing London
Just in case you missed all the zillions of news stories, I thought I'd let you know that the London Olympics are underway (and share some pictures too). I just read that Great Britain has spent almost 10 billion pounds even in these tough times, but I guess they figure it's worth it. Wendy Luck … Continue reading Summer Olympics Showcasing London
Archie Bleyer Joined La Rosa In Godfrey’s Doghouse
If you were a fan of Arthur Godfrey when he was a popular radio and TV host in the 1940s and 1950s, you probably remember the volatile star's on-air firing of popular crooner Julius La Rosa. What you might have forgotten is the name of his musical director in those days, a guy who had … Continue reading Archie Bleyer Joined La Rosa In Godfrey’s Doghouse
Move Over, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers
I've written before about singing cowboys, including one piece that compared Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. I've also profiled Rex Allen and a few others, but there was another guy who was not just a singing cowboy but also a respected band vocalist, a Broadway star, and a character actor with a long career in … Continue reading Move Over, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers
Doin’ The Hucklebuck With The OTHER Paul Williams
You might have noticed that entertainer/songwriter Paul Williams has been in the news this Summer as the subject of an award-winning documentary titled Paul Williams: Still Alive. But there is another Paul Williams deserving of some attention, a guy who was a rock and roll pioneer. His claim to fame was something called the Hucklebuck. … Continue reading Doin’ The Hucklebuck With The OTHER Paul Williams
Cooling Off With Ice Of A Different Color
It's been a while since we've had a slideshow, and I thought that the continuing heat wave might create the need for something cool. (Aside from the regular coolness that is always present on the GMC, of course.) I did something similar on Memorial Day, but in that case the pictures were of snow sculptures. … Continue reading Cooling Off With Ice Of A Different Color
The Enigma Of Annette Hanshaw
I'm always fascinated by the odd and interesting details that turn up when I dig into the stories of entertainers from the past. A good example is vocalist Annette Hanshaw, who was considered one of the best of the early jazz singers. Turns out she was also someone who fibbed about her age by a … Continue reading The Enigma Of Annette Hanshaw
Kitty Wells – Fans Mourn The Queen
I was saddened to read that Kitty Wells, known as the 'Queen of Country Music', has died at age 92. She was preceded in death by long-time husband Johnnie Wright, who died last year at age 97. Kitty was featured several years ago on the GMC and I've reposted that piece below. I've also reactivated … Continue reading Kitty Wells – Fans Mourn The Queen
Bert Weedon – Beloved By Brits
American music fans probably paid little notice when British guitarist Bert Weedon died in April at age 91. He was really never a household name in the U.S. during a long career that began all the way back to the late 1930s. But Weedon did reach a measure of stardom in his native land, and … Continue reading Bert Weedon – Beloved By Brits
Coping By Camping
After a series of days with high temperatures of 100 or more (peaking at 109 on one very memorable day), our part of the Midwest has cooled off to the mid 90s. Funny, that used to seem hot. But even with the cooler temperatures, we're still under drought conditions and there is no sign of … Continue reading Coping By Camping
Geezer Music Club 