Note: This will be the last Nostalgia and Now post for a while, unless a huge story breaks between now and tomorrow. We will be moving 50 miles from here and it may take a while to find new internet service, so could be back online next week or it could be even longer.
A mother and her daughters sang this song at our church recently and I liked the song so much, that I found it to share with readers. The Collingsworths sing this version:
Last week I visited David Gasten's website This Is Vintage Now website and listened to Beverly Kenney a singer I had never heard sing previously.
As soon as I heard her sing the first few words of Tea For Two I knew she was special and that her voice reminded me of Joni James.
Beverly Kenney sings the American songbook classic…
Alma Cummings started the dance marathon craze after outlasting six partners in 1923. Spectators were charged admission and the winners would receive a cash prize.
The marathons would become grueling tests of endurance for the participants trying to outlast the other couples. Attendants at the scene would try to keep the contestants awake by dabbing wet towels on their faces.
Skyliners released Since I Don’t Have You in December of 1958.
The Skyliners hit Since I Don’t Have You reached No.12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. Personally, it is my favorite doo-wop song ever to be recorded.
It was amazing that they recorded their first hit, in the first year of the group. The group stayed together till 1963, then re-formed in 1974 and have been active since then. The Skyliners still have a busy schedule of performances, mainly performing at doo-wop revival concerts across the country.
This is the original group recording of Since I Don’t Have You from 1959:
I was in my second year of high school in 1959 and hearing it today brought memories of those days to mind.
This is The Skyliners singing their signature hit 46 years later in 2005. Jimmy Beaumont is still the lead singer, all these years later in this concert, at the Sands Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Janet Vogel one of the singers in the group died a tragic death, of carbon monoxide poisoning on February 21, 1980. Her story was made into a movie Since I Don’t Have You, that will be released in September of this year. This trailer from the movie shows how tragic of a life Janet had, before her suicide and the backstage story of her life as a singer with the Skyliners.
The movie shows that there is a price to pay for success and the toll it takes on a child, who grows up in a musical environment.
DON’T READ IF YOU WANT TO WAIT FOR SHOWS TO AIR ON CBS!! THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT WILL BE SEEN ON UPCOMING SHOWS!!
Kara Monaco
Kara Monaco a former Playboy playmate has found out that game strategy trumps fame in the Big Brother house, as she and Frank Eudy, son of wrestler Sid Vicious find themselves on the block. The one who put them on the block is HOH Willie Hantz, the brother of former Survivor contestant Russell Hantz.
It looked like on the Sunday show that Willie and Frank had formed an alliance and agreed to not put each other up, but when the nomination ceremony was held Willie went back on his word and nominated Frank.
Even the HOH is subject this season to second guessing from the other players and the coach of their team. Willie apparently wanting to keep on the good side of his coach and fellow alliance members chose to put Frank up for eviction, even though he was going against his own inclination to not nominate Frank.
This could mean problems for Willie down the road, especially if Frank wins an HOH competition. The problem this year is that the coaches are constantly suggesting to HOH’s, that they need to make certain moves.
Mike Boogie and Dan Gheesling were shown on Sunday’s show making an alliance and Janelle Pierzina and Britney Haynes were also seen teaming up against the Mike and Boogie. However since then Britney has made some disparaging remarks about Janelle, saying that Janelle has never cried in the Big Brother house and she has a kid. There will be some fireworks if Janelle learns of this development and will make it more difficult to work together as the game goes on. When one coach trashes the other, that is supposedly in an alliance with the other coach, then we can expect confrontations between the two of them.
http://dogdave.com/bb.html is the best source for Big Brother news between the CBS shows. There are several links to pages that give details, of what is going on between shows and on the shows. The top of the page for today at least shows photos, of all the team members of the four teams.
One of my favorites is http://www.mortystv.com/big_brother.shtml which gives detailed descriptions of what is done and said during the day at the Big Brother House. Near the top of the page is a box giving basic information, like who has been nominated and who has won the Power of Veto and if the Power of Veto was used. For instance Shane Meaney, the house flipper won the veto and chose not to use it.
There are people who watch the live feeds and report what house guest are saying and doing. For instance Janelle said she didn’t want to be a house guest again, because of having to leave her baby, but agreed to be on the show, knowing she had a 25 percent chance of winning the $100,000 prize for coach of the winning house guest. Britney checked contract with Big Brother and they have the right to change the show at any time, which means the coaches could be forced back into game, willingly or not.
Mike Boogie is being his usual obnoxious self, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take the $100,000 prize. It will be interesting to see how much influence the coaches will have over the house guests as the season goes on.
Ian Terry of New Orleans, Louisiana is making a bad name for engineering students, with his bizarre behavior in the house and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him be one of the first to leave the show. He seems to be from a different planet, than the other house guests. It surprised me that Mike would grant him safety, but will assume Mike knows what he is doing.
One of my favorites is http://www.mortystv.com/big_brother.shtml which gives detailed descriptions of what is done and said during the day at the Big Brother House. Near the top of the page is a box giving basic information, like who has been nominated and who has won the Power of Veto and if the Power of Veto was used. For instance Shane Meaney, the house flipper won the veto and chose not to use it.
Janelle may not be smiling if she learns that her alliance teammate Britney is trashing her to other house guests.
Mike Boogie turned 42 in the Big Brother house yesterday and it reminded me of the number of older house guests this year. Nine of the 12 house guests, not counting coaches are 26 or older with Ian 21, Danielle 23 and Wil 24 being the only house guests under the age of 26.
Joe Arvin the cook is 41, the oldest of the non-coach house guests. He plans to use his cooking skills to stay in the house longer. He is not just any cook since he founded SmashMouth Burgers and Pizza in Schererville, Indiana.
It will be interesting to see as the season unfolds, just how much influence the coaches will exert over the house guests. This game is hard enough to play, without a coach constantly giving the house guests advice.
There have been reports that the coaches will enter the game, but some of the coaches may not be happy with that development, since so far all they have had to do is dress up like a horse and nominate a have-not from their team and for Dan to choose who to send home on the premiere show. If the coaches enter the game everything changes and reduces chance of other house guests of winning the money. Assume if the coaches enter the game they will get the $100,000 promised them plus the $500,000 grand prize if they win the game.
I don’t think the coach that wins should not have had to nominate a have-not from their team. What is the point of winning, when you know one of your team members will be nominated as a have-not?
Janelle is saying she is not happy with Willie to Wil and Ashley saying “I am seeing a lot of red flags with Willie”.
If Kara is evicted on Thursday night, then Dan will only have Danielle left on his team.
A young Robert Smith before he became known as Wolfman Jack, a rock and roll disc jockey.
Robert Weston Smith was born January 21, 1938 in Brooklyn New York. He became better known as Wolfman Jack, when he adopted that name while broadcasting on KCIJ, a country and western radio station. located in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1962.
Part of the inspiration for the Wolfman Jack personna was derived from the style of bluesman Howlin’ Wolf. His love of horror films also influenced him in becoming Wolfman while he picked up the Jack part of his name from hipster lingo, which commonly mentioned Jack.
This is the way most rock and roll fans remember Wolfman Jack.
Wolfman Jack moved to XERF a powerful 250,000 watts station in Mexico. U.S. radio stations were limited to only 50,000 watts. A car driving from New York to California reportedly would never lose the station during the trip.
After eight months in Mexico, Wolfman Jack was managing a Minneapolis radio station, while still sending his tapes to XERF for broadcast in Mexico. He then moved to Los Angeles in 1966 and sent his tapes to another border blasting station XERB in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.
His popularity was so widespread that artists like Freddy King, Todd Rundgren and Guess Who wrote songs about the Wolfman. George Lucas a film-maker was a Wolfman Jack fan and included a scene in his movie American Graffitti with Richard Dreyfuss walking into his radio station. The Wolfman pretends to not be the Wolfman in this scene:
He was the regular announcer on the Midnight Special on the NBC television network. He is seen on Midnight Special, while the Guess Who sing a song about the Wolfman.
Wolfman Jack died on July 1, 1995 in Belvidere, North Carolina from a massive heart attack. He reportedly had just finished a promotional tour for a book, when he arrived home and died in his wife’s arms.
Music had changed after 1962 and Wolfman Jack said the happy music ended in 1962. Music became a part of the war protests of the 60′s and he longed for the days of happy songs like Short Fat Fanny, as he chose this song to illustrate a happier type of music.
One last clip that lets you hear Wolfman Jack in action:
Doris Day
I have the Doris Day album: Golden Girl Columbia Recordings 1944-1966 in my collection. The two CD set contains 48 songs, but the one song that I play the most is Again which to me epitomizes the meaning of easy listening and I never tire of hearing the song.
This YouTube video shows why I keep playing this song on my MP3 player:
Rosemary Timotea "Timi" Yuro
Born: August 4, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois
Died: March 30, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Hurt is one of my alltime favorite songs from the 1960's and even though Roy Hamilton had released it earlier Timi Yuro made it a huge hit as it topped out at No.4 on the record charts.
She also was the first to have recorded Make The World Go Away which went to No.24 on the charts.
Art Tatum
1909-1956
Art Tatum was born October 13, 1909 in Toledo, Ohio. Tatum is regarded as one of the best pianists ever, despite being totally blind in one eye and limited vision in the other eye.
He learned to play by ear at the age of three. He attracted the attention of several well-known musicians in later years. Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong are among the musicians, that made a point to hear Tatum play in Toledo.
This clip from Ken Burns Jazz shows Tatum playing the piano and the clip also quotes musicians, on how much they revered the playing of Tatum:
The next clip demonstrates how fast Tatum can play the piano in the classic Tiger Rag:
Art Tatum in The Fabulous Dorseys movie (1947)
29 clips of his music can be heard at Amazon.com. If you only listen to one song, then listen to Tea For Two. I can guarantee you have never heard this song played, at lightning speed the way that Art Tatum plays it:
Art Tatum fooled many jazz fans into thinking that more than one man was playing the piano, not thinking any one pianist could play that fast. It was mutually agreed by his contemporary pianists, that he was the best pianist of their era.
He died on November 5, 1956 of kidney failure in Los Angeles.
One of the best compilations of his music is Art Tatum: Piano Grand Master, which contains 99 songs at Amazon.com for $30.54 new and for as little as $10.99 used.
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Grand-Master-Art-Tatum/dp/tracks/B0000A1WPB/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1
Art Tatum may have died 56 years ago, but as his tombstone says “The Music Lingers On”.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1368
Daryl Lamont Keener an habitual bank robber has been sentenced to a 1,256 year sentence. He had served only part of a six-year sentence for a previous bank robbery charge. Evidently that sentence did nothing, to prevent him from ending his life of crime. Instead he participated in eight more robberies and Colorado treats repeat offenders harshly as Keener found out at the sentencing.
Keener will be 1,287 years old when his sentence ends in the year 3268, so could be the oldest man on earth at that time. It is doubtful that Keener will re-embark on his bank robbing career, after his sentence ends since he will probably be using a walker by then.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/bank-141658-gets-tricks.html
Big Brother 14 debuted for the 2012 season on Thursday night with a couple of new twists. The first twist was that four former contestants, including two winners would be coaches this season. The house guests will be competing for a $500,000 prize, given to the winner in the finale show this September.
Big Brother 2 and Big Brothers All-Stars winner Mike Boogie and Dan Gheesling of Big Brother 10 were the two returning winners, while Janelle Pierzina of Big Brother 6 and Big Brother All-Stars and Britney Haynes of Big Brother 12 will be the other two mentors, who will be competing for the $100,000 prize for best coach.
The other twist was that no house guests were given keys, because the coach of the losing team, in the head of household competition, on the inaugural show would have to choose one of his team for immediate eviction on opening night.
Personally, I hope this never happens again, since each contestant deserves one full week on the show, before being evicted, instead of being unceremoniously sent home on the first night.
This website is a great source of information worth saving to your favorites if you want to keep up to date, with what is going on in the house between the shows. Don’t go to this site if you want to wait for the shows to air, since it tells who was nominated since Thursday’s show and who won the veto, plus will tell the outcome of the veto ceremony next week.
http://www.mortystv.com/big_brother.shtml
Latest American Idol News
It is now official that Steven Tyler is not the only American Idol judge leaving the show. Tyler had announced earlier this week, that he was leaving American Idol to return to Aerosmith full-time. There have been rumors that Jennifer Lopez was resigning her job as a judge. Those rumors are no longer rumors, as Lopez told host Ryan Seacrest, that she was leaving the show to have more time, to allow herself to have more time to pursue other options in her entertainment career.
As if this wasn’t enough news about judges for one week, there is now word out, that Randy Jackson may be leaving the show as a judge, but may remain as a mentor for the contestants.
This would create openings for three judges. Mariah Carey has been mentioned as a possible judge, but there is no official word, as to whether she was actually offered the job. Adam Lambert has also been mentioned as a possible judge. With the auditions for Season 12 going on now, it is probably imperative that a new set of judges be chosen soon, so they can be filmed at the auditions, determining the fate of the contestants.
After a huge drop in ratings last season, American Idol may be having too much change, too soon for these changes to improve the ratings for Season 12. The proliferation of singing contests has reached the saturation point and I can foresee the ratings drop for the entire genre. The Voice and X-Factor return in September and The Voice being on twice in one year, could be a huge mistake since it hasn’t produced a name star yet.
With Britney Spears reportedly being a train wreck on X-Factor as a judge, this is what can be expected from X-Factor this September.
Big Brother 5 Winner Tasered By Cops
Big Brother winners have a history of having run-ins with the law and Drew Daniel winner of Big Brother 5 is the latest winner, to experience a brush with the law. He reportedly injured a man, while in a domestic dispute. Now for the rest of the story, including the part where he is tasered by the cops.
http://bigbrotheraccess.com/big-brother-5s-drew-daniel-arrested-353325/
JD Hay’s Crooners is a great resource for music from the past. The fastest way to see whose music is on the site is to go to home menu and then click on full list. This will open up a window that lists Male Crooners, Female Crooners, Groups, Instrumentals, Vintage and Top Hits of the 50′s.
The list shows under Male Crooners, such diverse singers as Gordon Lightfoot, Tony Bennett, Ricky Nelson, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Vinton, plus many more male crooners.
The Female Crooners include Connie Francis, Dinah Shore, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin and Loretta Lynn and many additional female crooners.
The Groups category includes the Mills Brothers, Andrew Sisters from the 40′s and the Lennon Sisters and Four Tops and others.
The Instrumentals category ranges from Guy Lombardo to the Ventures to the Glenn Miller Orchestra to Booker T and the MG’s.
The Vintage category includes the music of Jeanette McDonald and the music of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.
The 50′s category shows the Top 30 songs of each year of the 50′s. You can see in 1953 that there was still no rock and roll songs, but in 1954 Bill Haley had Rock Around the Clock and in 1955 he made the Top 30 with Rock Around the Clock. 1956 was the first year that rock and roll started making inroads into the Top 30. Elvis Presley had four songs in the Top 15 of the Top 30, while Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent had two more songs to reach the Top #30.
By 1957 the only singers or orchestras from the past in the Top 30 were Jimmy Dorsey, Perry Como, Harry Belafonte (not really from the past but not a rock and roller), who was the last one on the list, that wasn’t part of the new wave of rock and roll music. So it is safe to say that 1957 changed the world of music from the music our mom and pop listened to…to rock and roll which took 27 of the Top 30 spots that year.
1958 showed the new era was in full force, as songs that really meant something were being sung by the younger singers. Some of those songs were named Purple People Eater (which always made me cry) and the Everly Brothers were singing about their Bird Dog. Danny and the Juniors were really rocking At The Hop, while the Coasters were singing the tear-jerker Yakety Yak.
By 1959 there was all rock and roll, with the exception of three instrumentals, with Sleep Walk by Santo and Johnny, Quiet Village with exotic jungle sounds by Martin Denny and Dave Cortez and is Happy Organ song.
There is one last category called Inspirational which includes a page of inspirational music and a few pages of Christmas songs.
There must be a thousand songs on the website if not more to listen to.
A lot of people have visited this site. Matter of a fact 1, 421,962 have visited the site since 2002.
James Dean
1931- 1955
James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion Indiana. His father moved the family to California, but he sent James to live with an aunt and uncle in Indiana, when his mother died.
Dean appeared in five movies from 1951-1952, but they were all uncredited appearances. Meanwhile, he was appearing in many television series and in live theater television productions.
He also appeared in live drama productions on television, including I’m A Fool which was shown on GE Theater. The production also starred Natalie Wood, when it was shown on November 14, 1954.
East of Eden
Dean’s next movie East of Eden would be released in April of 1955. Dean who appearing in his first starring role as Cal Trask would be nominated, for Best Actor Award for his role. He was nominated posthumously, becoming the first actor ever nominated after his death.
James Dean and Julie Harris in a scene from East of Eden:
James Dean refused to attend the premiere of East of Eden, which almost caused him, to lose his lead role in Rebel Without a Cause. Dean beat out Paul Newman for the role of Cal Trask, when they both were in the same scene, during the screen test.
East of Eden was the only one of Dean’s best known movies to be released before his death.
Rebel Without a Cause
Later in 1955, Dean and Wood would be paired again in the movie Rebel Without a Cause. This movie made a huge impression on me, when I saw it on television. I can still remember the planetarium scene in the movie.
This first clip from Rebel Without a Cause shows James Dean and Natalie Wood:
Romantic scene with James and Natalie:
Natalie Wood is the starter for a chicken race between James Dean and the villain:
James Dean is remembered for his role in Rebel Without a Cause, but Natalie Wood would be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Judy, while Sal Mineo would be nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Plato.
Some interesting trivia about the movie: Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) had submitted a script considered for the movie, but was rejected. Jayne Mansfield and Debbie Reynolds were both considered for the Natalie Wood role of Judy.
The three stars of the movie all met tragic deaths, with James Dean dying in a car accident, Natalie Wood dying in a drowning accident, which is still being investigated by the Los Angeles police and Sal Mineo who was stabbed to death. The policeman (Edward Platt) who knocks down Dean in the police station scene, would take his own life in later years. Platt is best remembered for his role as Control Chief on Get Smart television series.
Giant
James Dean would be nominated for Best Leading Actor Oscar posthumously, for his role as Jett Rink in Giant, while Rock Hudson also was nominated for Best Leading Actor. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, but only director George Stevens won an Oscar for Best Director.
James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor seen in a scene from Giant.
James telling Rock Hudson’s character and the others that he just struck oil:
Nick Adams provided the voice for Dean in some lines, due to Dean dying before production ended. Hudson had been given a choice, between Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor and chose Taylor.
Giant was the highest grossing movie for Warner Bros. until Superman was released. Sal Mineo who had appeared in Rebel Without a Cause was also cast in Giant.
Death
Dean was forbidden to race during the filming of Giant. He had been a successful car racer at the Palm Springs Road Races and had won some races and had placed in the top two in some other races.
He was eager to impress actor Alex Guinness with his new car, a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder and showed the famous actor his car. Guinness was not impressed and made this prophetic statement and told Dean ”If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.” Dean was dead seven days later after having been hit in a head-on collision.
This is all that remained of James Dean’s Porsche after the September 30, 1955 accident that ended his life at the age of 24.
September 30, 1955 started off as a normal day for Dean, as he planned to put his Porsche on a trailer on way to racetrack, but his mechanic Walter Wutherich thought it would be better for Dean to drive it to Salinas, California, so he could get used to being in the driver’s seat. Dean was stopped at 3:30 PM PDT for speeding, since he had been driving 65 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.
It was at approximately 5:45 PDT that Dean noticed a 1950 Ford Custom coupe coming toward him at a high rate of speed. He tried to maneuver his Porsche to avoid a direct hit, when the driver Donald Turnupseed crossed the middle line, causing him to hit Dean’s car head-on.
Dean was pronounced dead on arrival at Pablo Robles Memorial Hospital, which was 28 miles from the crash scene. Surprisingly Turnupseed only suffered facial bruises and a bloodied nose from the accident. He was well enough to walk and hitch-hike on his way to Tulare, California.
Legacy
James Dean’s death at the age of 24 raised a lot of questions. Would he have went on to become one of the greatest actors in Hollywood history? We will never know the answer to that question.
What we do know is that is that from 1951-1955 he left behind memories of him being on Broadway, on television and in the movies. His most memorable movies were released in 1955 and 1956, when Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant were released.
Many actors never are nominated for an Academy Award in their entire career, yet Dean was nominated twice for two of the three movies he appeared in over a two-year span.
Rebel Without a Cause best exemplified for me the James Dean I remember, as a troubled youth in that movie, that couldn’t find happiness in a troubled world.
I was born in 1944 and lived the first 18 years of my life, during the old time radio era, which ended on September 30,1962, when the last two dramatic shows, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Suspense were broadcast for the last time.
There are no recollections in my mind, of our family gathering around the radio, like the family pictured above, but I still can recall hearing some of the programs. I can remember hearing Dragnet, Bob Hope, Arthur Godfrey and the Breakfast Club with Don McNeill. I can also recall my mother listening to the soap operas of that era, as she listened to Just Plain Bill, Stella Dallas, Lorenzo Jones, Pepper Young’s Family and One Man’s Family.
1960 would see the last five soap operas leave the radio airwaves, including Ma Perkins and Young Doctor Malone.
Arthur Godfrey was the most popular talk show host during the old time radio era.
Arthur Godfrey Time and Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club were the two best-known early morning shows and were often heard in our house in the mornings, though they must have been on at the same time at some point. The last Breakfast Club was broadcast in 1968, while the last Arthur Godfrey Time was broadcast in 1972.
There was something about Arthur Godfrey, that made him seem like a family friend and he could sell anything, since he came across as being someone you could trust.
Interest in Old Time Radio Rekindled In 90′s
My interest in old time radio became rekindled in the 90′s, when my mother let me listen to a set of old time radio shows. I bought a few tapes of my own, but didn’t really start collecting old time radio shows, till I found that I could buy MP3 CD’s of old time radio shows on eBay for nominal prices.
That is when I became serious about collecting old time radio shows. Previously cassettes and regular compact discs could hold very few shows, but the MP3 compact discs made it possible to record fifty half-hour shows onto one MP3 CD. I also bought the shows at MP3 CD sellers online, who were selling the shows for bargain prices. For instance, I was able to buy over 800 Jack Benny shows for only $12. To buy that many shows on a cassette or regular compact disc would have cost hundreds of dollars, before the advent of MP3 CD’s.
One key to buying old time radio shows is to always go to lowest price plus shipping, when searching for shows on eBay. For instance 441 shows of Boston Blackie and The Shadow on a DVD can be bid on for only 99 cents and this price includes shipping. The price could still go up, but probably not that much, since there are only three days left in the bidding, on this particular DVD. DVD’s hold even more shows and enable a collector, to build a large collection even faster.
I also bought a lot of shows from otrcat.com, which offers a complete sample show to listen to, of almost every show available at the website. The site also has excellent descriptions of each show, so you will know the history of that show before buying it.
The front page of the website has a New Additions feature, that sells shows that have added previously unheard episodes or obscure shows, not usually sold online by any dealer.
http://www.otrcat.com/index.php
Record Keeping, Playing MP3 CD’s
I have a filing system with my collection, with about 175 MP3 CD’s inside one large folder, which holds over 17,000 shows. I keep a notebook folder with loose leaf paper, with a sheet of paper for each show. I write the name of the show, the name of the episode and when it was listened to. That prevents me from listening to the same show more than once, unless I like the show enough to listen to it more often.
At first I listened to the episodes on a portable MP3 CD player, but later switched to a MP3 player, which plays the shows after the digital files for the shows have been uploaded into the MP3 player. Once they are in the MP3 player, the names of each episode is shown in a list on the MP3 player. After listening to the show, the show can be deleted from the MP3 player, to avoid having to go through so many shows to find one particular episode.
When I select a MP3 CD to listen to I insert the CD into the CD drive on the computer. It then shows up in the Windows Explorer files and I send the shows I want to my MP3 player, which has been connected to the tower. I can manually highlight the shows I want transfered to MP3 player and after writing the information for each episode of that show into the notebook, then manually drag the episodes of that show, into the MP3 player. In my case I use the Sony Content Transfer folder as the ultimate destination on the desktop, which is really the MP3 player.
I have a list of all my shows and how many episodes and how many CD’s and hours there are of each episode.
For example, there are 869 Jack Benny Shows in my collection on 9 MP3 CD’s which total 433 hours of Jack Benny shows.
My Favorite Old Time Radio Shows
My favorite old time radio show is This Is Your FBI, which tells true stories of FBI cases of that era and especially features stories of soldiers, who have returned from war who have been swindled out of their money, by con men who conspire to take their money.
The shows feature both the criminals making their plans and squabbling among themselves and the FBI agents working to capture the criminals. The shows are easy to listen to and keep your attention, since the shows are so well-written.
Boston Blackie is one of my favorites, because I enjoy the interplay between Blackie and Inspector Faraday. The inspector immediately suspects that Blackie committed whatever crime is being committed, because of Blackie’s criminal history as a safe cracker. However, the inspector is always proven wrong by the end of the story.
Night Watch was a precursor to COPS, with the main difference, that it is an old time radio show from the 1950′s that uses a reporter in the police car to record every word spoken during a night on patrol.
The show will touch the listeners emotionally, as it touched me. One of the episodes is about a lady who leaves her kids in the car, while she goes into a bar. The older child is trying to watch out for the younger child.
Another emotional part of the shows is when parents are told, that their child is in trouble for breaking a law. This show is one of the more riveting shows of old time radio but it wasn’t on the air long, so all we can do is enjoy the shows, as the policemen question the victims and criminals to get to the truth of whatever situation is being heard. This is true reality radio at its best.
The Great Gildersleeve is my favorite comedy of old time radio days. Harold Peary’s portrayal of Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve is right on the money. His character was first heard on Fibber McGee and Molly, but he later had his own show with him, as the water commissioner of Summerfield, less than two years after his first appearance on Fibber McGee and Molly.
Gildersleeve’s home consisted of his nephew Leroy and his niece Marjorie and the cook named Birdie. Gildersleeve comes off as a bombastic oaf, who likes to be in charge of whatever is going on at the time. He also has an eye for the girls and is intent at Christmas time to maneuver the girls, to where they will be standing under the mistletoe.
I never tire of hearing the same Christmas shows, since they represent so well, what Christmas was like in the 1940′s and 1950′s. It is funny hearing Gildersleeve worrying about how much someone is spending on his Christmas present. He is determined to spend not one penny more than what someone spends on him
Richard LeGrand who portrays the local druggist Richard Peavey is one of my favorite characters on the show. The mild-mannered Peavey is an excellent contrast, with the more in-your-face Gildersleeve. His drugstore is an oasis away from the turbulent Gildersleeve home, which always seems to be in chaos.
Judge Hooker played by Earle Ross and Gildersleeve have a tempestuous relationship, that keeps them from being on good terms most of the time. He is also the opposite of Mr. Peavey and I can’t recall the two of them interacting much on the show.
The show to me seemed to lose its spark, when Harold Peary left the show. I have nothing against Willard Waterman, who was in a lose-lose situation trying to replace Peary, but nobody could really replace Peary.
I have only listened to 38 of the over 500 shows in the series.
CBS Radio Workshop was one of the most innovative shows during the old time radio era. I liked Program #6 The Voice of the City in which life on New York streets was recorded. I also enjoyed Evening on Broadway and it probably better depicted the sounds, of people talking to each other on a busy sidewalk.
The Enormous Radio program in the series of shows on the CBS Radio Workshop was about a radio that picked up the conversations of neighbors, instead of regular radio programs.
Ex-Urbanites was a dramatic presentation of how city-dwellers moving to the suburbs, found out that the suburbs were not as great, as they expected and the travel especially became a burden.
There are too many excellent programs to mention them all, but this first link will take you to where you can read about the CBS Radio Workshop and the second to a website, where you can actually listen to the shows.
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-CBS-Radio-Workshop.html
http://archive.org/details/CBSRadioWorkshop
Those who want to only listen to the shows and are not interested in buying them for themselves, there are many websites, that make it possible to hear hundreds and in some cases thousands of shows for free.
Archive.org is one of the best sites online to listen to free old time radio shows.
http://archive.org/search.php?query=old%20time%20radio
OTR.net has over 12,000 free old time radio shows to listen to, including 442 Fibber McGee and Molly shows, 610 Jack Benny shows, 468 Great Gildersleeve shows and 406 Gunsmoke shows.
Radiolovers.com does not come close to the content of the above two websites and you will notice many of your favorite shows, that are missing from the list of shows. However there are some lesser-known shows that are on the list, that may not be found elsewhere on the internet.
Oldradioworld.com has a lot of the same shows found on the other websites, but still a good resource.
Oldtimeradiofans.com has some soap operas that aren’t mentioned in some of the other websites.
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/
The following website is the best resource for old time radio information, since it lists most of the shows, that were ever broadcast on old time radio. The site may not be all-inclusive, but it is the closet thing out there. There are lists of old time radio programs and who was heard in each show and a list of actors that tells how many shows and lists the shows they were heard in.
This website has a wealth of information about old time radio.
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2home.html
This link within the above site takes you to a list of program logs that can be found. This list doesn’t include some of the better-known shows.
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2-jukebox-main.html
This is what the Mel Blanc Show page looks like:
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Mel-Blanc-Show.html
To my knowledge there is no other website that has this many old time radio photos and ads. Someone could literally spend hours at this website.
The home page for the above sites has even more links to more old time radio information, plus has a lot of information about other nostalgic topics.
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/
What old time radio means to me can be found in the old time radio shows, that remind me of a simpler time, when families ate dinner together at home and not at a crowded restaurant, except on special occasions.
What old time radio means to me…..
Listening to Gildersleeve arguing with Judge Hooker or Fibber McGee over the price of a Christmas present.
Listening to Kingfish trying to pull a fast one on the gullible Andrew H. Brown on Amos and Andy.
Listening to Joe Friday questioning a witness or criminal on Dragnet.
Listening to Mrs. Brooks the teacher talk in the car, as her student Walter Denton drives her to school. How many students drive their teachers to school today?
Listening to the criminals on This Is Your Life plan their next crime.
Listening to the sounds of Broadway on CBS Radio Workshop.
Listening to a live big band radio remote, when big band era was thriving.
Listening to the incessant doorbell ringing on Fibber McGee and Molly.
Listening to the contents of the closet crashing to the floor on Fibber McGee and Molly.
Listening to Boston Blackie and Inspector Faraday make sarcastic remarks toward each other.
Listening to Richard Diamond serenade his girlfriend Helen, after solving the crime for that show.
Listening to the Bickersons bickering with each other endlessly on The Bickersons.
Listening to Chester A. Riley act like a nincompoop in front of family and friends on Life of Riley.
Listening to the great organ music on Nick Carter.
Listening to Groucho Marx ask the same question over and over to a You Bet Your Life contestant.
Listening to Johnny Dollar itemizing his expenses out loud on Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
Listening to the great sound on Gunsmoke…probably the best sounding old time radio show.
Everyone knows how popular NASCAR is among racing fans, but one fan took it to the extreme by continuing to watch the races for 18 months after their death.
He even had a gal pal that talked to him during the races, that liked him so much that she continued to cash his Social Security checks, even though he was dead. She didn’t get the memo, that she was supposed to stop cashing his checks after his death.
Neighbors probably became suspicious when Charles Zigler suddenly disappeared, yet there was no missing person report filed until recently and no obituary for him appeared in the local newspaper.
Linda Chase who was his girlfriend, saw he had died in his chair and left him there for 18 months. It is strange that his relatives waited 18 months, before they reported him missing, saying they had not seen him for a while.
Needless to say, Ms. Chase won’t be cashing any more of Charlie Zigler’s SS checks, since they don’t have a bank in the federal prison in Michigan, where she will be watching NASCAR races from in the future.
This list of foods identified with the 50 states has some surprises. For example, when I think of Louisiana I don’t instantly think of muffaletas, but that is the food yumsugar.com chose as the food identifiable with Louisiana. My first choice of food from Louisiana would be gumbo or Natchitoches meat pies. Some might even say crawfish is more identifiable with Louisiana.
It surprised me that Kansas not Kentucky is the state that shows fried chicken as their iconic food. Arkansas page shows that chicken and dumplings is the food best known in the state.
Peach pies have been around in Georgia since 1571. Hawaii’s iconic food is spam musabi, The spam is grilled and a mori sheet covers the rice.
We can thank Idaho for inventing finger steaks in 1957. Pizzeria Uno in Chicago introduced deep dish pizza in 1943 and is still being enjoyed 69 years later.
Kentucky introduced the Hot Brown Breakfast Sandwich in 1926, which consists of bacon, turkey, tomatoes and Mornay sauce.
The afore-mentioned muffaleta sandwich was first made by Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans in 1906. It is a cold cuts and olive sandwich, which is best left out for a few hours.
It is no surprise that clam chowder is the favorite food for Massachusettians and when you see the photo on the page you may want to hustle up the ingredients to make some, especially on a cold winter day.
Michigan grows the most tart cherries in the U.S. so it is understandable, why Michiganians like their cherry pie.
Missouri is known for Kansas City barbecue, which is served with cole slaw, potato salad and baked beans.
Nebraska naturally is known for their Omaha steaks, which were served on passenger trains in the 1940′s.
New York is famous for Buffalo wings, which were invented naturally in Buffalo, New York.
New Jersey is known for their hoagie sandwiches, which are Italian-styled subs that include whatever kind of cold cuts you choose.
Ohio gives us Cincinnati Chili, unlike most chilis in that it is a plate of spaghetti covered with a mound of cheese and secret chili sauce.
Oklahoma has designated Chicken Fried Steak as their favorite meal, even though it reportedly originated in Texas.
Pennsylvania’s choice is a no-brainer, since Philly Cheesesteak is overwhelming the favorite in Pennsylvania and it is becoming more popular throughout the United States, as more fast food places begin serving their versions of Philly Cheesesteak.
Tennessee is known for its mountain stack cakes, that look similar to a stack of pancakes, but only in appearance.
Texas naturally shows Beef Chili as their favorite food.
Utah has one of the more off-the-wall foods as their page shows Jello Pretzel Salad. Crushed pretzels make up the base of this treat with cream cheese in the middle and berry Jello on top.
Vermont claims Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream as their state food, since it has been served since 1978.
Virginia chooses ham biscuits as their most popular food.
West Virginia coal miners took the next food to work with them. It was the pepperoni roll, which didn’t need to be frozen so was a perfect lunch-time treat.
Wisconsin features beer brats which consisted of bratwurst poached in beer (not sure what poached means) and grilled with onions and butter.
These have been short descriptions of some states, that were picked at random. For the entire list and photos of the food of each state:
Reggie Jackson stated last week that Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez should not be in the Hall of Fame due to his admitted use of steroids.
Reggie Jackson made the classic mistake, of not knowing when to shut up. He questioned whether Alex Rodriguez should be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame, because Rodriquez admitted using steroids during his career.
Jackson must have momentarily forgotten that the Yankees are signing his paychecks, since he is a special advisor for the club. Statements like he made only cause friction between him and Alex Rodriguez. It is a given that Rodriguez used steroids for many years, but it was not the place of Jackson to publicly throw Rodriguez under the bus.
Rodriguez will find out like most Hall of Fame eligible players, that Hall of Fame voters have long memories, when it comes to voting on Hall of Fame candidates who have used steroids.
Then to compound an already bad situation, Jackson goes on to trash six present Hall of Famers, Phil Niekro, Kirby Puckett, Gary Carter, Don Sutton, Bert Blyleven and Jim Rice. He stated that none of the six players deserved to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The family and friends of Gary Carter and Kirby Puckett can’t be too happy, to hear another Hall of Famer saying that their relative doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame.
How can Reggie Jackson face these players at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this summer, after trashing them publicly?
Knowing that Jackson doesn’t think they belong in the Hall of Fame, should make for some awfully awkward moments at Cooperstown this summer.
If they have a dinner for the Hall of Famers, hope they sit Jackson between Jim Rice and Don Sutton. Those three won’t have much to say to each other. Jackson may issue an apology to those players and the families of Puckett and Carter, but the damage has been done and his words won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Ernest Borgnine 1917-2012
Ernest Borgnine has died in Los Angeles at the age of 95 due to renal failure. He was born as Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His wife of 39 years Tovah survived him. Borgnine served in the U.S. Navy from 1935-1945. His mom talked him into pursuing an acting career and he appeared as a male nurse in Harvey on Broadway in 1951.
Ernest Borgnine as seen in a scene in From Here To Eternity.
Two years later Borgnine appeared in the movie From Here To Eternity in 1953 as Sgt. Fatso Judson. Borgnine had appeared in three movies in 1951, including China Corsair, The Whistle At Eaton Falls and The Mob.
He also made his television debut in 1951 in Captain Video and His Video Rangers. He appeared in many television programs including two episodes of Waterfront in 1954.
Burt Lancaster introduces this trailer for the movie Marty that won Ernest Borgnine an
Academy Award.
Borgnine’s twelfth movie Marty would win him a Best Actor Oscar defeating much better known actors in James Cagney, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Spencer Tracy. Marty was only one of six movies that Borgnine would make in 1955.
1956-1961 would be busy years for Borgnine as the free-lanced in television, while making movies on the side. Then he won the starring role in the television series McHale’s Navy. The show would run from 1962-1966 and the show’s popularity caused his marriage to Broadway star Ethel Merman to last only 32 days, since she couldn’t handle seeing him receive the adulation of the fans. She devoted a chapter of her life story, to her marriage to Borgnine which consisted of one blank page.
After McHale’s Navy ended he appeared in an episode of three different television shows, then acted in 12 consecutive movies before appearing in a TV movie The Trackers.
Ernest Borgnine describes his experiences filming Poseidon Adventure.
Borgnine appeared in the blockbuster Poseidon Adventure in 1972. Airwolf would be his next television series that lasted more than a few episodes, with Borgnine appearing in 55 episodes from 1984-1986.
He mostly acted in movies till he appeared in Single Guy which ran from 1995-1997.
One constant of Borgnine’s career was that he made a lot of movies from his first one in 1951 to his last one The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez, which was completed this year and is in post-production. His movie career spanned 61 years from his first movie to his last one.
This list of his movie and television appearances shows just how a prolific an actor, that Ernest Borgnine was:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000308/
One thing about Ernest Borgnine that most fans don’t know is that he was the first center square in the history of the Hollywood Squares television program.
Other interesting facts about Ernest Borgnine:
He is only actor to appear in all four Dirty Dozen movies.
Lives in same home that he bought in 1965, living there till his death 47 years later.
Earned only $5,000 for his role in Marty, which won him the Academy Award.
His wife Tovah who survived him was 25 years younger than Borgnine.
Just a few quotes from Ernest Borgnine at imdb.com
[on his marriage to Ethel Merman]: Biggest mistake of my life. I thought I was marrying Rosemary Clooney.
[on why he wanted to star in "McHale's Navy" (1962)]: Theater business was disappearing and so were night clubs, which I don’t like to play anyway because they keep me up too late. There were TV guest shots, but how many times can you play Ed Sullivan? My biggest pay was from industrial shows, but they don’t come along too often.
Where can we find the great actors we had yesteryear, guys like Spencer Tracy and Gary Cooper and Edward G. Robinson? You know, I was talking to Lee Marvin the other day and we agreed that we were the last of a breed. We’re the last who had the opportunity of working with these fine actors. I feel very humble. It makes me feel that I’ve got to try that bit harder.
Ernest Borgnine may have only won one Academy Award, but that doesn’t mean none of his other movies haven’t entertained theater goers, who saw his movies for the last 61 years and enjoyed watching McHale’s Navy on television.
His New York Times obituary tells more about the life of Ernest Borgnine:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/movies/ernest-borgnine-tough-but-tender-actor-is-dead-at-95.html
Aneta Corsaut seen portraying teacher Helen Crump on the Andy Griffith Show from 1963-1968.
Aneta Corsaut was born November 3, 1933 in Hutchinson, Kansas. She would be best known for being Opie’s teacher, Helen Trump on the Andy Griffith Show. Aneta was also Andy’s girlfriend while on the show.
Aneta Corsaut and Steve McQueen in her movie debut with Steve McQueen in The Blob in 1958.
Aneta Corsaut was first seen by movie audiences in her movie debut, in 1958 when she portrayed Jane Martin in The Blob, which was also the movie debut for Steve McQueen.
She was mostly a free-lance actress after being seen in The Blob, until she assumed the role of Helen Trump on the Andy Griffith Show in 1963. She stayed with the show till the last episode and appeared in 66 episodes. She married Andy Taylor on the first episode of Mayberry RFD in 1968.
Aneta returned to free lancing after leaving the Andy Griffith Show and was seen in Days of Our Lives as Blanche Dailey in 1984. She would later appear in Matlock in three different roles, with her most important role being her portrayal of Judge Cynthia Justin. She made her last appearance as an actress in a May 1992 episode.
She died three years later on November 6, 1995 in Studio City, California of cancer at the age of 62.
It has been 17 years since she passed away, but Andy Griffith fans will continue to remember her for years to come.
The late Andy Griffith in a scene from No Time For Sergeants.
The first time I heard of Andy Griffith was when he appeared in the movie No Time For Sergeants. He played Will Stockdale a mountain boy, who is drafted into the U.S. Army. He had already played the part in the Broadway play by the same name three years, before the 1958 movie was released.
The funniest scene of the movie to me was when he was named PLO (Permanent Latrine Orderly). He rigged the toilet seats to stand up all at once, which shocked the inspecting officer to say the least. However, this scene of him being tested by a corporal for manual dexterity may be even funnier. Don Knotts plays the corporal, who is utterly frustrated by the way Andy’s character Will Stockdale puts the two links together. Don Knotts appears at about the 1:15 mark.
I hadn’t even known Andy Griffith had appeared in A Face in the Crowd in 1957, in a dramatic role unlike the Andy Griffith I had known in No Time For Sergeants and on the Andy Griffith show.
Andy received top billing in the movie portraying an Arkansas hobo Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes who becomes rich overnight. This is a scene from A Face In The Crowd:
Made Television Debut On U.S. Steel Hour
Andy had made his television debut on the U.S. Steel Hour when he played Will Stockdale on television. He played the role on Broadway, on television and in the movies, which probably has not been done very often, by any actor in the same role.
He also made the movie Onionhead in 1958, so it was a very busy year for him.
Danny Thomas Show Role As Sheriff
Andy got a big break when he appeared on a Danny Thomas episode in 1960, where Danny is given a ticket, by a small-town sheriff. Andy is perplexed when he finds out that Andy is not only the sheriff, but also the justice of the peace.
The Danny Thomas episode led to the formation of the Andy Griffith show which was shown that same year, on the CBS television network. 249 episodes later the Andy Griffith show would complete its run.
He appeared on Mayberry RFD for two years, then had two series fail in short order, when Headmaster lasted 13 episodes in 1970, followed by the New Andy Griffith show which lasted only 10 episodes. He didn’t return to another series until 1979 when Salvage One only last 19 episodes. He had appeared in three series since leaving Mayberry RFD, but only 42 shows were made of those three series combined.
Seven years later Andy tried again for a hit series and he struck gold with Matlock which ran from 1986-1995. He appeared in various television series and movies till he made his last acting appearance in Play the Game in 2009 at the age of 83.
Andy non only was an actor, but recorded gospel songs. This is Andy singing How Great Thou Art:
I looked at Andy Griffith and saw a role model, for the right way to live life.
My wife and daughter surprised me in 2006, when we went to Mt. Airy, N.C. to see Andy’s boyhood home. I didn’t know we were going to stay there that night and it was the surprise of my life, when I found out we were actually spending the night there. Hampton Inn rents out the home to tourists and it was something I will never forget. I even played baseball with my grandson in Andy’s backyard.
The late Andy Griffith’s boyhood home in Mt. Airy, NC.
Andy had also made some comedy records early in his career. I had the record that has him giving his impression of seeing his first football game. He said in his monologue that 5 or 6 convicts were running up and down the field blowing whistles. The game was played in a cow pasture and Andy concludes saying that the object of the game must be to keep from being knocked down or stepping in something.
The only remaining actors still alive from Andy Griffith are Jim “Gomer Pyle” Nabors and Betty “Thelma Lou” Lynn.
I was 15 when the first Andy Griffith show was televised in 1960 and was 23 when the last show aired, so have been watching Andy Griffith during the first eight original years and in 44 years of re-runs.
Andy, Thanks for the memories and RIP.
Andy Griffith 1926-2012
Andy Griffith died this morning at his home on Roanoke Island, North Carolina at the age of 86.
Death has taken another star of the Andy Griffith Show. George Lindsey who portrayed Goober on the show had passed away on May 6.
Andy Griffith’s character Andy Taylor was one of the most beloved characters on television. The show revolved around him and he saw early in the show’s run, that it would be better to play the straight man for off the wall characters like Barney Fife played by Don Knotts, Gomer Pyle who was portrayed by Jim Nabors, Otis Campbell being portrayed by Hal Smith and the aforementioned George Lindsey as Goober.
Life Lessons Taught
Andy taught his son Opie Taylor well, trying to bring him up without a mother in the home. Many shows dwelt on Andy telling Opie, how to deal with life’s problems the right way.
Whatever problem Opie may have been experiencing Andy always had the right solution , to any problem that might arise. This video from the show in which Opie killed a bird with a slingshot is an excellent example of how Andy taught his son to do the right thing.
The interplay between Andy and Barney Fife was a huge part, of the success of the show. Don Knotts suggested that the show needed a deputy and that move guaranteed the success of the show. Andy asks Barney about the Emancipation Proclamation, which shows how Andy could rile up Barney.
When Don Knotts left the show after five years, Andy proved he could still draw the fans. as the show’s ratings stayed strong, after the departure of Knotts.
I can remember watching Andy Griffith and Don Knotts in No Time For Sergeants movie, many years ago and we watched the movie three times in a row, since that was allowed in the 50′s.
We have lost an American icon in Andy Griffith, one day before the July 4th holiday. Andy Griffith represented everything, that is great about America. He leaves a rich legacy behind of television shows and movies, in which he appeared.
Andy Griffith will be missed.
The New York Times obituary for Andy Griffith:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/arts/television/andy-griffith-actor-dies-at-86.html?pagewanted=all
Marilyn Scott
Marilyn Scott is 62 and has had a few breaks, during her singing career, but never has had a hit higher than #19 on the charts, when her Last Day and Start Falling singles from her Avenues of Love album climbed to #19 and #25 on the Billboard chart respectively.
She first attracted attention in 1978 when she recorded Brian Wilson’s God Only Knows as a single release. It went to No.61 and it led to her being signed to Atco Records and her debut album of Dreams of Tomorrow. Marilyn was 30 at the time.
Allmusic.com credits Marilyn with having recorded 14 albums during her 36 year recording career. Marilyn’s Smile album includes You Don’t Know Me, sung only the way Marilyn can sing it.
Marilyn singing You Don’t Know Me in this smooth jazz sound, with her vocals laid on top of the beautiful background music.
Marilyn singing at her best on Close Enough from her Take Me With You album.
Marilyn singing Just To See You Again Live in a riveting performance.
Marilyn singing I’m Calling You from her Take Me With You album and also was in her Handpicked album.
I have the following Marilyn Scott albums in my collection:
Walking With Strangers is surprisingly available at Amazon.com, in used condition for one cent, but a new CD cost only 16 cents. I don’t recall how much I spent in 2004 for this 2001 album, but it was more than 16 cents.
An Amazon review for this album.
Passions of Patchy may be off the beaten path, compared to mega music sites like Pandora and Spotify, but that in no way means the content is not as good. There may not be as much musical content as the afore named sites, but this is not just a musical site.
Before you even scroll down to the music icons, there is a CLICKS icon for links, which take you to some very interesting sites, including a link to make your own license plate, then emailing it to someone, that is just one of many links.
The CHUCKLES icon provides a plethora of jokes like this:
I am not offended by all the blonde jokes, because I am not dumb and I am not blonde – Dolly Parton
You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a smart woman with a dumb guy. – Erica Jong
Six year old Del says the best way to have someone to fall in love with you is to tell them you own a bunch of candy stores.
The section is broken down to 27 categories. Caution: It is addictive and time-consuming, once you start reading the jokes.
TOUCH SOMEONE -This is the first of the music sections and includes Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings and the REM classic Everybody Hurts. Rock Around the Clock seems to be out-of-place on this page, but it really doesn’t matter when you can hear Johnny Mathis sing his standard Misty.
The bottom row of icons is where you find most of the music on the page in jukebox format with list of songs to choose from.
BLUES IN MY EYE JUKE JOINT – This page consists of three jukeboxes consisting of songs like I’ve Been Loving You Too Long sung by the late and great Etta James which reminds us again of how great of a singer she was. The jukebox also includes current singers like Susan Tedeschi, singing It Hurt So Bad. Jonny Lang has his clothes in his matchbox and is heard singing Matchbox, a driving blues number that really jumps. There is an option at the bottom of each jukebox to play all the songs in jukebox. A lot of the songs may not be recognizable, due to them being sung and played by some of the blues pioneers of the past.
LOST IN THE 50′S AND DOO-WOP – Having grown up during this era, this is my favorite music on the entire website. The Lost in the 50′s page has six jukeboxes, filled with the songs, that baby boomers like me grew up with.
Some of favorites from the jukeboxes:
I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
Locomotion – Little Eva
Harbor Lights – The Platters
Shotgun – Jr. Walker and the All-Stars
Hurt – Timi Yuro…..one of the most emotion packed songs ever.
Lost in the 50′s…..this song takes me back to the 50′s, like no other song can do.
You next will find the DOO WOP jukebox on the bottom row of the Lost in the 50′s page. When you go to the Doo Wop page, there will be three speakers holding the doo wop music including songs like:
Blue Velvet – Clovers….This is nothing like the Bobby Vinton version as it gets the full doo wop treatment.
A Thousand Miles Away – Heartbeats….Doo wop music at its best.
Earth Angel – Penguins….A classic doo wop song that will live on forever, as long as there is music.
In The Still of the Night – Five Satins….This song was so well-known that it was included, as part of Ronnie Milsap’s song Lost in the 50′s.
SATIN SMOOTHIES - Is next as you return to the home page where you find two jukeboxes, where you can find the songs my parents grew up with, plus some we remember as teenagers. These songs were the chart-toppers, before Bill Haley and the Comets and Elvis Presley changed music forever in the middle 50′s.
These are just a few of those songs:
Old Cape Cod – Patti Page….You will be very fortunate, if you can find a song like this being recorded today.
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole….This has to be the best of Nat King Cole’s hits that has become a standard.
In The Mood – Glenn Miller Orchestra…. When you think of the big band era, this is one of the first songs, that come to mind and it sad we lost Glenn Miller during the war.
Lazy River – Mills Brothers….This was one of the premier groups of this era, who epitomized the music of the era.
SUNRISE GOSPEL – This page has only one jukeboxes but will bring back memories, to those of us who grew up in church in the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s, plus some more recent songs. The artists are not listed, but that sounds a lot like Dolly Parton on Farther Along.
Some of my favorites from this page:
Beyond the Sunset….song written by a blind person after a group of people were viewing a sunset together and thus the title of the song, since the blind writer said they looked beyond the sunset. The reading that goes with this song makes it even more special.
Family Bible….Willie Nelson wrote this song, but sold the rights to it for only $50 to Claude Gray, the country music singer.
Precious Memories….sang this at funeral once for a lady who attended our church. What a great thought to think of the precious memories, even though the loved one is gone.
TWO STEPPIN’ JUKE BOX - Last but not least, Patchy’s Passion includes three jukeboxes for country music fans.
The list includes:
Don’t Rock the Jukebox – Alan Jackson….This song really rocks out and tells the story of a man, who is too sad over his breakup with his girlfriend and doesn’t want to hear the Rolling Stones on the jukebox, but wants to hear George Jones instead.
He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones….This song has been chosen as the best country music song ever, on many lists of Top 100 songs.
Sweet Dreams – Patsy Cline…. also recorded by Tommy McLain of Pineville, Louisiana, who attended my high school in the 60′s. His recording of Sweet Dreams outsold Don Gibson, the writer of the song and the immortal Patsy Cline. His version went to No.15 on the Billboard chart.
For the Good Times – Ray Price….Has it really been 42 years since Ray Price recorded this country classic? It is true and also it is true that Ray Price is still actively singing at the age of 86. The 2010′s started his eighth decade of being active in country music.
Passions of Patchy was created on March 17, 2000, which she dedicated to her mom Candy, who was dying of cancer. This page tells about the last months of her mother’s life. If this doesn’t make your eyes tear up, then it may be time to have your pulse checked:
http://dapatchy.com/gospel/journal.html
You could spend hours at this website listening to the music and going to some of the links at the website.
Most of all though it is all about the music.
To go back in time to hear some of the music from the past that we never became tired of:
