This release is a new presentation of a 1997 album titled Charlie Rich - Feel Like Going Home, a compilation of music that he recorded through the years for several different record companies. It's now been added to the Epic/Legacy Essential series and is the same music with different packaging, so this review applies to … Continue reading REVIEW: Feel Like Going Home – The Essential Charlie Rich
Category: Oldies
Jerry Reed And His Friend Mr. Smirky
It seems to me that there have always been actors I like to call "Mr. Smirky". You know the kind of guy I'm talking about -- they appear in a lot of movies and are very popular with their fans, but always seem to play a variation of the same character. He's smooth, cracks wise, … Continue reading Jerry Reed And His Friend Mr. Smirky
Celebrating The New Year With Ray Stevens
In the early 60's I was working in radio, mostly as a DJ but sometimes with added duties that included everything from minor tech work to programming. It would have been nice if the added responsibilities had resulted in higher pay, but working for a small-town radio station at that time meant that you pretty … Continue reading Celebrating The New Year With Ray Stevens
Granting Absolution To Pat Boone
I have a modest proposal, but before you say no I would ask you to remember what time of year it is. After all, 'tis the season to be...er, jolly, or something like that, but what I had in mind was something closer to forgiveness. After many years of relegating him to the penalty box, … Continue reading Granting Absolution To Pat Boone
Same Place, Different Music – From Buddy Holly To Mozart
Life is full of coincidences but it still strikes as a little funny the way things happen sometimes. I'm thinking specifically about a couple of musical revelations I've had, although revelation might be too strong a word. These weren't instances where I slammed my forehead and said, "wow!", but rather moments that set me on … Continue reading Same Place, Different Music – From Buddy Holly To Mozart
Close Encounters Of The Celebrity Kind
We might as well admit it. It's obvious that we're all fascinated by celebrities. In fact, you could probably say that our endless interest forms part of the very definition of the word. According to the dictionary, a celebrity is someone who is "held up for public acclaim", which our society certainly does with an … Continue reading Close Encounters Of The Celebrity Kind
Tinkering With Tubes Leads To Adventures In Paradise
As I was growing up it seemed as if music was always around me in one way or another, so it's not remarkable that I formed an appreciation for it. Even when I was young, I would endlessly spin the old records we had stacked up around the house and I also listened to all … Continue reading Tinkering With Tubes Leads To Adventures In Paradise
Ozzie And Harriet – Ricky And Me
An objective listener would probably not have been too impressed when Ricky Nelson began to sing on the Ozzie And Harriet TV show in the 1950s, but I certainly was. He had always seemed to me to be just a regular kid, a lot like me, even if his family and mine were actually pretty … Continue reading Ozzie And Harriet – Ricky And Me
Did Rock & Roll Kill Your Hit Parade?
I don't really recall Your Hit Parade as a radio program, but after it made the jump to TV in 1950 it eventually became a regular part of my family's viewing schedule. The show, which was also sometimes called the Lucky Strike Hit Parade (since the American Tobacco Company paid the bills) had a pretty … Continue reading Did Rock & Roll Kill Your Hit Parade?
Who Was The REAL All-American Boy? Elvis, Bobby Bare, Or…
I've written before that I wasn't a devotee of early rock music in the fifties, but I wasn't immune to its allure. Even though I was more fond of big band music and modern jazz, I have to admit that I was definitely aware of the new stuff pouring out of jukeboxes. After all, it … Continue reading Who Was The REAL All-American Boy? Elvis, Bobby Bare, Or…
Geezer Music Club 