Most articles about legendary songwriter Johnny Mercer end up being all about his list of memorable songs, which is understandable because it's an impressive collection that totals more than fifteen-hundred. But even though he looked more like a songwriter than a crooner he was actually a pretty good singer too, and I thought we might … Continue reading Johnny Mercer Could Sing Too
Category: Video
The Music Of The Sopranos
Most know by now that James Gandofini has unexpectedly died in Rome from an apparent heart attack. Not surprisingly, there are countless articles exploding into the media stream about the 51-year-old actor, and even though he had a diverse career most are centered around his iconic gangster character, Tony Soprano. We're doing the same here … Continue reading The Music Of The Sopranos
Slim Whitman Passes On
Earlier this year, in a post titled Slim Whitman Is Amazing, I spotlighted the long and varied career of the iconic country music star. It has now been reported that he has died at age 90 in Florida, apparently of natural causes. I've reactivated the song link on that earlier post, and have also replaced … Continue reading Slim Whitman Passes On
Bobby Sherman Has Worn Several Hats
One-time teen idol Bobby Sherman has led an interesting life. During the 1960s and 1970s he starred on TV and also had a number of million-selling records, all adding to his status as a heartthrob for a lot of young fans. And even when things started slowing down musically he still managed to find regular … Continue reading Bobby Sherman Has Worn Several Hats
Anatomy Of A Song – The Story Of A Rascal
Even though it's generally considered to be a Jimmie Rodgers Depression-era song, you would probably have to visit a vaudeville house even earlier than that to find the true roots of "In The Jailhouse Now." The first written trace is a 1915 copyright for the team of Davis and Stafford, but it was often performed … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – The Story Of A Rascal
The DeJohn Sisters Gave It Their All
You gotta hand it to the singing DeJohn Sisters. They had very little professional experience when they first hit the recording studio in 1955, but their record of a song they'd written with their brother -- "(My Baby Don't Love Me) No More" -- rocketed into the Top Ten, and the duo figured they'd found … Continue reading The DeJohn Sisters Gave It Their All
Buddy And Ella Johnson – The Rest Of The Story
A while back, one of our Anatomy of a Song posts featured the Lenny Welch classic, "Since I Fell For You." It also mentioned that the song had been written by Buddy Johnson, and was first performed by his band with a vocal by his sister Ella. I thought we should dig a little deeper … Continue reading Buddy And Ella Johnson – The Rest Of The Story
Cornelius Harp Led The Marcels
I was sorry to read that Cornelius 'Nini' Harp, the lead singer of the original Marcels, died recently in suburban Pittsburgh. Harp's age wasn't given in obituaries, but he would have been in his seventies when he died, apparently of natural causes. Although his name might not be a familiar one to some music fans, … Continue reading Cornelius Harp Led The Marcels
Fantastic Foursome – But With A Twist
It's been about a month since our last Fantastic Foursome -- you know, the special feature that gives you the chance to vote for your favorite from among four versions of a song? That particular post featured the song "Moonglow" and also mentioned how I'd always been fascinated by the way it's often partnered with … Continue reading Fantastic Foursome – But With A Twist
Did Gene Pitney Sing For Los Bravos?
In 1966, a lot of music fans thought that "Black Is Black" -- a huge hit attributed to a group named Los Bravos -- was actually recorded by pop star Gene Pitney in an attempt to get around record company restrictions. The story is still bouncing around almost a half-century later, but even though lead … Continue reading Did Gene Pitney Sing For Los Bravos?
Geezer Music Club 