It's often difficult to pin down key moments in the early days of rock and roll, but one event that seems a likely candidate occurred in 1954 when a jive band led by a set of identical twins appeared on TV's Colgate Comedy Hour, hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Most experts feel that … Continue reading Origins Of Rock And Roll – The Treniers
Tag: Oldies
Elvis Presley Would Have Been A Geezer By Now
I couldn't let Elvis Presley's birthday pass without marking the occasion. He was born on January 8th, 1935, so that means he would have been 78 if he'd survived. Think about that -- Elvis would have been a geezer. (The thought of that has apparently caused a few folks to get busy with their photo … Continue reading Elvis Presley Would Have Been A Geezer By Now
The Six Teens – A Very ‘Average’ Group
I would think that basing your doo-wop group's name on something that changed as soon as any of the members had a birthday would be a little silly, but that's what six friends in Los Angeles did in the mid-1950s when they added up their ages and divided by six. The result was sixteen, which … Continue reading The Six Teens – A Very ‘Average’ Group
Fontella Bass And Her Song
Although she should not be labeled a 'one-hit wonder', it's difficult to think about Fontella Bass and not immediately remember her signature song, 1965's "Rescue Me." The talented R&B singer, who was 72 when she died in her home city of St. Louis on December 26th, had several other good-charting records during her career, but … Continue reading Fontella Bass And Her Song
The Quotations Had A Lot Of Imagination
It's always fun to listen to a doo-wop group sing the rhythmic gibberish that was often part of the music. You know the kind I mean -- 'papa ooma mau mau' and the like. One of the best was a Brooklyn-based quartet known as the Quotations, who not only had all the odd sounds down … Continue reading The Quotations Had A Lot Of Imagination
Penguins’ Lead Singer Cleveland Duncan
Cleveland Duncan, the lead singer of the Penguins, a doo-wop group best-remembered for the 1950s super-hit "Earth Angel," has died in Los Angeles at age 77. Although the group has never been featured on the GMC, I did find a connection -- of sorts -- to an earlier piece. It seems that the Penguins encountered … Continue reading Penguins’ Lead Singer Cleveland Duncan
A FINE Mess – The Chiffons VS George Harrison
I'm sure most of us remember the Chiffons, a girl group that had some big hits in the 1960s, including several that featured 'fine' in the title. Among them were "One Fine Day," "A Love So Fine," and the 1963 chart-topper, "He's So Fine," which was the group's biggest hit -- but would later be … Continue reading A FINE Mess – The Chiffons VS George Harrison
Shining A Spotlight On Tibby Edwards
Our society is so star-obsessed that we sometimes forget that the evolution of music also depends on lesser-known performers. Guys like Tibby Edwards, who was never a big star but still managed to be in the middle of things during the early years of rock and roll. In fact, at one point he shared the … Continue reading Shining A Spotlight On Tibby Edwards
Link Davis Changed With The Times
I never cease to be amazed by the diversity of sounds that influenced early rock and roll, a diversity that even existed within each of the genres themselves. For example, what we now call rockabilly had room for rising young blues rockers like Elvis Presley alongside country music veterans like Link Davis, who first appeared … Continue reading Link Davis Changed With The Times
Don’t Forget Tommy Sands
When I first thought about featuring actor/singer Tommy Sands on the ol' GMC, I almost moved on to another subject because I was sure I had already covered the former teen idol. But apparently not, according to the handy dandy 'search' feature (which is much more reliable than my memory), so here we go. One … Continue reading Don’t Forget Tommy Sands
Geezer Music Club 