This is a different kind of post for the GMC. First of all, the only music I can find that features the spotlighted performer is on a video. But it's also different because I'm going to give you the basics, but then point you toward a couple of other places that do a much better … Continue reading In Appreciation Of The Amazing Viola Smith
Category: Retirement
Baltimore’s Own Ronnie Dove
Over the course of Ronnie Dove's long career, which began well over a half-century ago, the talented singer has been a little hard to classify. In his later years he's often been called a country crooner, but he was also an important part of the early days of pop music. And even though he officially … Continue reading Baltimore’s Own Ronnie Dove
Saluting Silly Songs – An Echo From The Past
Today's edition of Saluting Silly Songs was born when I began thinking about certain current events, specifically those surrounding a couple of instances of satire. One example is the tragic situation connected to the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, but it's an earlier controversy about a movie -- The Interview -- that more closely relates to … Continue reading Saluting Silly Songs – An Echo From The Past
The Legend Of Whispering Jack Smith
Most legends have at least a partial basis in fact, and that would appear to be the case with Whispering Jack Smith, a crooner who flourished in the 1920s and 1930s. But even though his soft baritone singing voice was a little unusual, it's not clear whether it was really caused -- so the story … Continue reading The Legend Of Whispering Jack Smith
Billy Lee Riley – True To His Roots
Regular visitors to the GMC know that we like to occasionally turn the spotlight on one of the lesser-known rockabilly singers from the early days of rock and roll. Guys who might not have reached the level of stardom enjoyed by the likes of Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis but still managed to make their … Continue reading Billy Lee Riley – True To His Roots
Anatomy Of A Song – From Movies To Doo-Wop
This edition of our Anatomy of a Song feature showcases a classic that's a little unusual. Like many of the old standards, it was written for a movie way back in the golden days of Hollywood musicals, but in this case it also became a hit record decades later for a doo-wop singing group. Written … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – From Movies To Doo-Wop
Bebe Daniels – The Forgotten Star
I'd be willing to bet that most of us don't remember actress/singer Bebe Daniels, even though she was a pretty big star for a while and made a lot of movies. (Her IMDB filmography has 230 entries.) Part of the reason for that lack of recognition might be that she was at her peak way … Continue reading Bebe Daniels – The Forgotten Star
Frank Fontaine – The Crooning Comedian
I'm sure some of us remember Frank Fontaine doing his Crazy Guggenheim character on Jackie Gleason's TV show many years ago, but I honestly don't recall whether I found his silly drunk act funny at the time. (For the record, he was actually a non-drinker.) I do know that it seems pretty unfunny to me … Continue reading Frank Fontaine – The Crooning Comedian
Earworms – Sometimes A Segment Is Enough
The frigid weather we're experiencing helped lead to my latest Earworm, and it also proved that --- as we all know -- sometimes just one phrase from a song does the trick. (Or maybe we should say a 'segment' since we're talking about worms.) It happened for me when I contemplated prying myself out of … Continue reading Earworms – Sometimes A Segment Is Enough
Harry Reser Was A Special Picker
When you think of the banjo you would normally visualize either bluegrass or folk music, and we've featured plenty of both here on the GMC. But the banjo has been around for a long time and its popularity in the early part of the last century made it a natural fit for many of the … Continue reading Harry Reser Was A Special Picker
Geezer Music Club 