One of the longest-running and most intriguing careers in popular music has been that of singer/songwriter Sonny Curtis, who is still active after more than a half-century in the business. Along the way, the Texas native has had connections with everyone from Buddy Holly to Mary Tyler Moore. Like Holly, Curtis grew up in the … Continue reading Waylon’s Hero – Sonny Curtis
Category: Oldies
Paris Sisters Spanned Two Eras
All-girl singing groups have been a part of music for a long time, and have often featured singing sisters. During the heyday of the big bands, groups like the Andrews Sisters were big stars, and in later decades there were pop groups like the Shangri-Las and others, but there were some that stretched across both … Continue reading Paris Sisters Spanned Two Eras
A Wake-Up Call From The Jersey Boys
Although I've enjoyed 'oldies' music for a long time, I actually came a little late to that appreciation. I've written before about my teen years and how my eclectic music tastes included everything from jazz to country music, but I think I always had my ears open to the latest thing too, and as time … Continue reading A Wake-Up Call From The Jersey Boys
The Evolution Of Chris Montez
I remember when the news broke about the 1959 plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), along with the pilot. But I didn't realize at that time how Valens' death affected the Chicano rock movement. Valens was the undisputed star of the Hispanic pop music world. … Continue reading The Evolution Of Chris Montez
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
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
Another “You Pick ‘Em” Musical Poll
Nothing much going on today, so I thought I'd offer up a couple of different versions of a song that Mrs. Big Geez and I differ on. You might recall that I did the same thing a month or so ago, in a piece called Choosing Young Love. I might also mention that my version … Continue reading Another “You Pick ‘Em” Musical Poll
Seeking The Real Thing
I was noodling around recently and found my attention drawn to a video of that famous 1971 TV commercial -- you know, the one where a bunch of singers tell us that they'd like to "teach the world to sing" while guzzling a Coke? According to the information I've found -- which is on the … Continue reading Seeking The Real Thing
Rock & Roll Comes To Lawrence Welk
Most of us are familiar with what was a pretty common occurrence during the early days of rock and roll -- guest appearances by rising musical stars on TV shows. Producers of the shows recognized the burgeoning popularity of the new music and quickly realized the boost in ratings that could come their way, so … Continue reading Rock & Roll Comes To Lawrence Welk
The Dee-Lightful Lenny Dee
To many, organist Lenny Dee was the ultimate lounge performer. And for many years he played to that image, with a popular live act and a number of successful albums with goofy covers and titles like Dee-lightful and Double Dee-light. But he was also a very skilled instrumentalist, one who is still celebrated for his … Continue reading The Dee-Lightful Lenny Dee
Geezer Music Club 