I've written many times about songbirds -- not the feathered variety but the ladies who sang during the big band era -- and how some of them went on to become solo stars and even movie icons. But I also enjoy writing about someone like Jane Harvey, who didn't quite reach superstar status but still … Continue reading Jane Harvey – Seven Decades Of Artistry
Category: Seniors
Fantastic Foursome – Shining In New England
Today's Fantastic Foursome song has several unusual qualities. For example, it's one of very few songs with lyrics that don't rhyme -- but each verse is a haiku. (Or so they say -- I'm no expert on the Japanese poetic form.) The lyrics also mention sycamore trees and meadowlarks, neither of which are commonly found … Continue reading Fantastic Foursome – Shining In New England
Jo Ann Castle – Queen Of The Ragtime Piano
Much of Jo Ann Castle's long career has revolved around Lawrence Welk, who christened her the Queen of the Ragtime Piano when she joined his TV family more than a half-century ago. But even though she was still in her teens when she made her first guest appearance on his show (playing the accordion!) she … Continue reading Jo Ann Castle – Queen Of The Ragtime Piano
The Return Of The Slideshow!
Veterans of the GMC might recall that posts featuring slideshows -- usually filled with pictures of oddities -- used to show up fairly often. I'm not sure why we've neglected them for so long, but I'm happy to report that they're back! Art takes a lot of different forms and some can be unusual and … Continue reading The Return Of The Slideshow!
Teddy Randazzo Persevered
Brooklyn-born Teddy Randazzo was certainly in the right place at the right time to make it as a rock and roll star in the 1950s. Every street corner seemed to be filled with talented, good-looking guys determined to make it big and Randazzo was no exception, but he just never seemed to click in a … Continue reading Teddy Randazzo Persevered
The Delightful Dozen – The Top Posts Of All Time
Here's a idea that occurred to me when I started thinking about how the same few articles seem to show up again and again under the 'Busiest Posts Lately' section in the left column. Obviously there's something about them that keeps bringing people back and that's great, but there are actually a lot of other … Continue reading The Delightful Dozen – The Top Posts Of All Time
The Two Sides Of Hugo Winterhalter
I came up with the title of this piece -- and the picture -- by borrowing from one of Hugo Winterhalter's best albums because I thought it was pretty descriptive of the talented musical director, who flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. The idea of The Two Sides Of Winterhalter (now out of stock) was … Continue reading The Two Sides Of Hugo Winterhalter
Rethinking One-Hit Wonders
I've always said that I dislike the 'one-hit wonder' label, but a couple of things have occurred to me lately. First of all, writing about lesser-known musical artists is a big part of what the GMC is all about, and it's almost impossible to do that without including one-hit wonders. The other thing is that … Continue reading Rethinking One-Hit Wonders
Anatomy Of A Song – A Cowboy Legend
The subject of today's Anatomy of a song is a Western classic that has had several different names during its 65 years of life. Mostly it's been known as "Ghost Riders in the Sky" or "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky," but its official ASCAP title omits the 'Ghost'. On the other hand, it has sometimes … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – A Cowboy Legend
A Superstar Named Vernon Dalhart
Would it surprise you to learn that the very first million-selling record in country music -- "The Wreck of the Old 97" backed by "The Prisoner's Song" -- was made way back in 1924? And would you be even more surprised to hear that the record wasn't made by a legend like Jimmie Rodgers, but … Continue reading A Superstar Named Vernon Dalhart
Geezer Music Club 