Although he died well over three decades ago, it would be difficult to find someone who isn't pretty familiar with Elvis Presley and his music. One reason for his continuing fame might be the countless impersonators we've been exposed to through the years, and I'm not just talking about those who often flock to Las … Continue reading Elvis Has Achieved A Type Of Immortality
Tag: Oldies
Jewel Akens Remembered For His Signature Song
I was sorry to read about the passing of R&B singer Jewel Akens, who succumbed to complications from back surgery a few days ago in Inglewood, California. Although he's most remembered for his big 1965 hit "The Birds And The Bees," he had a long career that included both performing and producing, and it lasted … Continue reading Jewel Akens Remembered For His Signature Song
Rockabilly Pioneer Sonny Burgess
Albert Austin "Sonny" Burgess - May 28, 1929 – August 18, 2017 I've written before about how common it was in the early days for rockabilly stars to come from the ranks of country music veterans, but it wasn't always that way. In at least one case, a guy who was one of the best … Continue reading Rockabilly Pioneer Sonny Burgess
Doris Day’s Rock And Roll Connection
It's likely that most fans of oldies music remember a California-based group known as the Rip Chords, a combo that epitomized a sub-genre of rock and roll known as 'hot rod music' with a big hit on "Hey Little Cobra" in 1964. You might also recall that the group seemed to go through a lot … Continue reading Doris Day’s Rock And Roll Connection
Search For A Song Leads To The Norman Petty Trio
GMC visitors who keep an eye on the 'recent comments' in the left column might already know a little about today's subject, but here's the scoop for those who don't: one of our most popular posts is a 2008 piece about a 1950s doo-wop group called The Danleers -- but I think that's mostly because … Continue reading Search For A Song Leads To The Norman Petty Trio
Movement Can Be Fascinating
The type of media file known as an animated GIF -- you know, a little picture that features repetitive simple movement -- has had its ups and downs through the years. (Pun intended.) I used to include small examples on the GMC from time to time (like the one on the left) but that type … Continue reading Movement Can Be Fascinating
Edd ‘Kookie’ Byrnes – Artist With A Comb
One of the unlikeliest recording stars of the 1950s was a guy who finessed a huge hit record by linking it to the peculiar habit of the character he portrayed on a TV show. Edd Byrnes was a young actor who played 'Kookie' Kookson on 77 Sunset Strip, a private-eye program first aired in 1958. … Continue reading Edd ‘Kookie’ Byrnes – Artist With A Comb
The Sapphires – Then And Now
I recently went to an actual movie in a theater -- something I seldom do -- and during the seemingly endless previews of coming attractions I saw one that caught my attention. It was for a film called The Sapphires, and it was about an R&B quartet from the 1960s that featured indigenous Australians -- … Continue reading The Sapphires – Then And Now
Rockabilly’s Sparkle Moore Inspired By Comics
It seems as if most performers now keep their real name when starting a career, but in the past it was very common for young beginners to choose a stage name, and they were sometimes pretty inventive. A good example of that occurred in the 1950s when Omaha-born rockabilly pioneer Barbara Morgan turned herself into … Continue reading Rockabilly’s Sparkle Moore Inspired By Comics
Robert Parker – Barefoot Singin’ Saxophonist
Being born and raised in New Orleans has always pretty much guaranteed that someone would be exposed to good music while growing up. In a lot of cases, that in turn led to a musical career like the one enjoyed by Robert Parker, who began as an instrumentalist but later added singing to his act, … Continue reading Robert Parker – Barefoot Singin’ Saxophonist
Geezer Music Club 