Bobby Vee (Robert Thomas Velline) April 30, 1943 - October 24, 2016 Having written recently about the infamous 1959 Clear Lake plane crash that claimed Buddy Holly and the others, I thought it might be worth mentioning one more of the era's singers who also had a connection with the event. You might even say … Continue reading After Clear Lake — Bobby Vee
Category: Video
Tennessee Ernie And The Caravelles
As a young teenager with eclectic music tastes, one of my favorite records was Tennessee Ernie Ford's tribute to coal miners, "Sixteen Tons." Of course, I wasn't the only one who found a lot to like about that song -- after all, it rocketed to the top of both country and pop charts -- but … Continue reading Tennessee Ernie And The Caravelles
A Group Called Smith
The members of newly formed musical groups often choose quirky and unusual names for their aggregations -- usually something that's sort of cool-sounding, but at the same will be remembered by ever-fickle fans. Maybe that's why I find it so fascinating that in at least one case, a group chose a name that was unusual … Continue reading A Group Called Smith
Honky-Tonk Swingin’ With Hank Thompson
Fans of modern country music might not immediately recognize his name, but for a couple of decades the charismatic and talented Hank Thompson was one of the biggest stars around, a master of Western Swing who was equally at home with romantic ballads or pure honky-tonk. Henry William Thompson was yet another of the many … Continue reading Honky-Tonk Swingin’ With Hank Thompson
The Seeds — Not Pushing Hard Enough?
Calling a musical act a 'one-hit wonder' is a pretty common occurrence and one that is usually meant as a mild put-down, but there have been some musicians who achieve a measure of popularity without quite reaching even that plateau. They might hit the charts for several songs and have some solid record sales, but … Continue reading The Seeds — Not Pushing Hard Enough?
Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez And His Happy Organ
Teenage boys in the 1950s were not that much different from now in at least one respect -- risqué double-entendres usually made us snicker and dig an elbow into our friends' sides. That might have helped explain why a relatively unknown keyboardist named Dave Cortez rocketed to the top of the charts in 1959 with … Continue reading Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez And His Happy Organ
The Winky-Dink Revolution
I have to thank Lil' Sis for the inspiration for this post. It's the story of one of the earliest instances of interactive entertainment, a TV program that even Bill Gates once saluted as a revolutionary use of the medium -- a 1950s show called Winky-Dink And You. Co-producer Jack Barry also served as host … Continue reading The Winky-Dink Revolution
Nagasaki — The Song, Not The City
For the last sixty-plus years, the name Nagasaki has stirred thoughts of a city in Japan with a history that includes being the site of the last wartime use of a nuclear device. But in the pre-war years, jazz fans probably most often thought of it as the title of one of the most popular … Continue reading Nagasaki — The Song, Not The City
Harpers Bizarre — Beyond The Bridge
A while back I wrote about a group called the Danleers, and I coined the phrase 'One-Hit Plus Wonders'. It was my silly way of recognizing that sometimes musicians are a little more than just a simple One-Hit Wonder. To help prove the point I direct your attention to Harpers Bizarre, a California-based group popular … Continue reading Harpers Bizarre — Beyond The Bridge
Some Stray Cats Are Musical
Listening to music while flipping through old family pictures today, I encountered an interesting coincidence. Just as I was enjoying a tune by the rockabilly revival group Stray Cats, I happened to run across a photo that included a kitten. More about the music later, but let's talk about the picture. It's from a color … Continue reading Some Stray Cats Are Musical
Geezer Music Club 