It's no secret that entertainers often come up with stage names to simplify their real names, but that's not the case with singer Jimmy Jones, who was born in Birmingham, Alabama, as James Jones, so the "Jimmy" was just a natural nickname. We can forgive him for that. Jones was a singer and songwriter, but … Continue reading Jimmy Jones Was For Real
Smokey the Bear, the US Forest Service's lovable mascot, just turned 75. That might not surprise you because it's received a lot of publicity, but did you know Sam Elliott, the gravel-voiced actor who has been Smokey's voice for many years, also turned 75. . . .on the same day? Of course Elliott wasn't the … Continue reading Smokey Is A Geezer
My dad was orphaned as a pre-teen, and I'm not sure what he took away from his early years except one thing. . .his given names. His natural parents gave him the moniker Abraham Lincoln. I don't know if they were history buffs or just admirers of the 16th president, who was and is considered … Continue reading Abraham Lincoln Reversed
I quit smoking over forty years ago, but it's something that comes to mind once in a while. I don't mean that I get the urge (although it took me a long time to lose that) but just things connected to smoking. For example I once wrote about cigarette lighters, and I also wrote about … Continue reading A Treasure In The Junk?
The other day my youngest grandson, Jack, was visiting and when he was leaving I said, "Slip out the back, Jack", then broke into laughter. I tried to explain that it reminded me of Paul Simon's big hit song, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", but he wasn't too impressed since he had never heard … Continue reading Earworms – Slip Out The Back, Jack
I've always enjoyed traveling the highways, but it was more interesting when I was a kid. Today's interstate highways are great in terms of efficiency and safety, but the high speeds and limited distractions are kind of. . .boring. I sometimes long for the days when cross-country highways like US 40 and US 66 were … Continue reading A Kid’s Favorite Roadside Attraction
It's pretty common knowledge that a large portion of the Earth's population eats bugs. In many areas insects are the major source of protein and are even considered a delicacy. We also know that experts say that eating more insects could alleviate some of the world's hunger problems because the are very rich in nutrition. … Continue reading No Bug Buffets For Me
I see that the musical, West Side Story, is coming back to Broadway, where it started over sixty years ago. Of course this isn't exactly an earth-shaking event, since it has been revived several times before, but it got me to reminiscing. No, I didn't see the original stage show. In fact as a clueless … Continue reading West Side Story Redux
It's been over four years since our last Five Star Fav so I probably should explain that it's a special feature that spotlights one of my favorite recordings. It's similar to Anatomy of a Song, but instead it focuses on a specific version of a particular song, one that I like so much that I've … Continue reading Five Star Fav – It Began As A Blues Standard
Anyone who is a long-time visitor to the GMC might recall that I've generated a number of posts featuring slideshows of unusual sculptures. I've always been fascinated by the imagination and talent it takes to create these (the sculptures, not my posts) and I'm always happy to find some new examples. In the past I've … Continue reading A Sculpture Double-Header
Geezer Music Club 