It seems to me that I often open by writing about how a name might be unfamiliar to modern music fans, and I'm guessing today's spotlighted singer will baffle most. And yet, Yma Sumac was a pretty big deal in her day. A flamboyant performer whose voice covered more than four octaves, she was a … Continue reading One Of A Kind – Yma Sumac
Category: Retirement
Country Catalyst – Back To The Teepee
We're overdue for another edition of Country Catalyst, the Special Feature that offers a classic country song while hoping to open a few ears and make some new fans. As it happens, today's song is another one with an American Indian theme, sort of like our previous post, but this one has quite a pedigree. … Continue reading Country Catalyst – Back To The Teepee
Johnny Preston Got A Boost From The Big Bopper
Exactly six years ago today we spotlighted J.P. Richardson, better known as the Big Bopper, a DJ and songwriter-turned performer who had the misfortune to go down in the same 1959 plane crash that took the life of Buddy Holly. But just before that, he was instrumental in getting another rock and roller off to … Continue reading Johnny Preston Got A Boost From The Big Bopper
Barney Bigard Chose The Clarinet
Regular visitors to the GMC might remember that I once played the clarinet myself, and that probably contributes to my fondness for spotlighting clarinetists from the past. (The real thing, not hapless amateurs like me.) One of the best was Barney Bigard, whose career began in the 1920s and stretched for a half-century -- even … Continue reading Barney Bigard Chose The Clarinet
Elizabeth Cotten – Pete Seeger’s ‘Almost’ Nanny
Folk music legend Pete Seeger is someone you probably remember, but did you know that one of his musical influences might have been his 'almost' nanny? Although Pete was pretty much on his own by then and housekeeper Elizabeth Cotten wasn't exactly Mary Poppins, she did take care of his younger step-siblings while attending to … Continue reading Elizabeth Cotten – Pete Seeger’s ‘Almost’ Nanny
Five-Star Favs: It All Began On MTV
Yes folks, it's time for another edition of Five Star Favs, the GMC Special Feature that has a pretty simple premise: it spotlights one of my tip-top, all time favorites. And a few of those might surprise you. For example, my infatuation with today's featured song began about thirty years ago when I saw it … Continue reading Five-Star Favs: It All Began On MTV
What, Another Singing Actor?
We might seem to be in a bit of a rut by featuring yet another actor/singer, but the story of Bill Hayes is a lot different from that of a recent GMC subject, Eddie Albert. For one thing, in 1955 he charted a #1 hit record -- "Ballad Of Davy Crockett" -- and for another, … Continue reading What, Another Singing Actor?
The Tornadoes – Not The Tornados
If you're a fan of guitar instrumentals from the early 1960s, you might remember a group known as the Tornados, a British combo that had a #1 record with "Telstar" in 1962. But we're instead going to spotlight the Tornadoes, an American band that also had a couple of hits (although not as highly charted), … Continue reading The Tornadoes – Not The Tornados
Eddie Albert Was A Singer?
Although most would now remember Eddie Albert as the actor who played the city-bred farmer on TV's Green Acres in the late 1960s, some of us will also recall that he had a long career that stretched from big movie roles in the 1940s and 1950s to countless TV appearances well into the 1990s. But … Continue reading Eddie Albert Was A Singer?
Hutch Hutchinson – High Society’s Favorite Gigolo
One of the most fascinating stories from the early jazz age would have to that of Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson, who left behind a budding career in the US in fear of the Ku Klux Klan, only to become a star in Europe. In fact, during the 1920s and 1930s he was one of the biggest cabaret … Continue reading Hutch Hutchinson – High Society’s Favorite Gigolo
Geezer Music Club 