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
The Lost Voice Of Ann Richards
I've written a lot of posts about various Songbirds -- the ladies who got their start by singing with the big bands -- and even though many of them went through bad times, most managed to persevere and have a nice career. However, that wasn't always the case. Ann Richards seemed to have everything going … Continue reading The Lost Voice Of Ann Richards
Country Catalyst – Heartbroken And Haunted
For today's edition of Country Catalyst, the recurring special feature that's designed to bring new fans to country music, we have a quintessential tearful story-song, something that's always been a mainstay of the genre. First recorded in 1959 by country star Lefty Frizzell in a departure from his usual honky-tonk style, "Long Black Veil" was … Continue reading Country Catalyst – Heartbroken And Haunted
Booker Ervin – What Might Have Been
The music world has always had more than its share of performers who died much too soon, in some cases making their mark in a big way but still leaving their fans wondering what might have been. In many cases drugs or drinking have played a part, but for some it was just having the … Continue reading Booker Ervin – What Might Have Been
Del Reeves – The Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo Kid
Franklin Delano Roosevelt carried the hopes and prayers of a lot of Americans when he rose to prominence in the midst of the Great Depression, so much so that many new parents named their offspring after him. That was obviously the case with Franklin Delano Reeves, who was born just a few days after FDR … Continue reading Del Reeves – The Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo Kid
Geezer Music Club 