Like many country music stars, Melba Montgomery -- who recently turned 78 and is still active -- can look back on a career that was remarkably diversified. She's a talented songwriter who has also found a lot of success as a singer, not only as a part of several different duos but also as a … Continue reading The Multi-Talented Melba Montgomery
Category: Nostalgia
Anatomy Of A Song – A War Ballad Beloved By Both Sides
Our recent post about British singer Anne Shelton mentioned that she was the first to record an English version of the German song, "Lili Marlene," a World War II musical piece that has a fascinating history, including the fact that it became a favorite for fighting men on both sides. That fact alone makes it … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – A War Ballad Beloved By Both Sides
British Servicemen Loved Anne Shelton
As our regulars know, songbirds -- the ladies who sang in the big band era -- are often featured on the GMC, and today we're taking a look at one of the best of the British practitioners of the art. Not the legendary Vera Lynn (who is still around at age 97) but rather the … Continue reading British Servicemen Loved Anne Shelton
Jan Garber – The Idol Of The Airwaves
One of the longest careers by a bandleader would have to be the one enjoyed by Jan Garber, who was sometimes billed as 'The Idol of the Airwaves' during his early radio days*. He was barely an adult when he led his first group and was still directing musicians nearly six decades later, almost up … Continue reading Jan Garber – The Idol Of The Airwaves
Earworms – The Immaculate Exception?
As I said in the first edition of Earworms, the songs that get stuck in your head are usually not those that were big hits. Or to put it another way, the biggest sellers are already pretty familiar so it seems to me that they'd pop into your head once in a while anyway. But … Continue reading Earworms – The Immaculate Exception?
Zeke Manners And The Beverly Hillbillies
I couldn't resist including the 'Beverly Hillbillies' in the title of this piece, but I should confess a couple of things. First of all, I'm not referring to the TV show, but rather a Western swing band that actually called itself the Beverly Hill Billies (although some sources do spell it 'Hillbillies'). I should also … Continue reading Zeke Manners And The Beverly Hillbillies
Betty Jane Rhodes Had A Roller Coaster Career
She was just 15 when she first sang in a Hollywood film, and within a year was co-starring in two Jungle Jim movies, but in spite of her early start Betty Jane Rhodes had plenty of ups and downs over the course of her career. She managed to find spots in a number of films … Continue reading Betty Jane Rhodes Had A Roller Coaster Career
Saluting Silly Songs – A New Special Feature
Welcome to the first edition of a new Special Feature known as Saluting Silly Songs. And I know what you're thinking -- why in the world is this goofus adding another Special Feature to the GMC? Doesn't he have more than enough of them already? Truthfully, I sort of surprised myself too, but it actually … Continue reading Saluting Silly Songs – A New Special Feature
The Surprising Story Of Sam The Sham
You might be surprised to learn that biggest-selling record to ever come of out of Sun Studio in Memphis was not recorded by Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash or any of their famous contemporaries. It was instead 1965's "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. You might also find it a little strange … Continue reading The Surprising Story Of Sam The Sham
Machito And His Brother-In-Law
We haven't featured Latin jazz in quite a while, and even though the subject might bring to mind guys like Xavier Cugat, Perez Prado, and Tito Puente, there were many others who were a big part of the history of the music. The popular bandleader known as Machito was an early star who had a … Continue reading Machito And His Brother-In-Law
Geezer Music Club 