“Michael,” also known as “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore” is a folk song that dates back to the Civil War. A true slave song, it was first noticed at St. Helena Island, one of the Sea Islands of South Carolina. … Continue reading →
Joe Dowell only had two hits in his career and just one number one, “Wooden Heart.” “Wooden Heart” was first heard in the movie, G.I. Blues which starred the king, Elvis Presley. It’s probably good for Joe Dowell that Elvis … Continue reading →
“Tossin’ and Turnin’” is truly one of rock and roll’s great standards. If you pick up any oldies compilation, especially from the early Sixties, there’s a good chance “Tossin’ and Turnin’” will be on it. Billboard Magazine named it the … Continue reading →
I don’t think it would surprise anyone to learn that Gary U.S. Bonds is not his real name. Gary was born Gary Anderson in 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida. He started singing publicly in church but when his family moved to … Continue reading →
Pat Boone first hit the charts in 1955. His first hit was “Two Hearts” and then he began covering the hits that were done by black artists during the rise of rock-and-roll. He covered “Ain’t It a Shame” by Fats … Continue reading →
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SAU6PO “Running Scared” was Roy Orbison’s first number one song, after hitting the Top 40 three times in 1960. He would be back for another number with “Pretty Woman” in 1964. Listening to the song might remind you of listening … Continue reading →
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MR587G I wonder if Rick Nelson would have been the star he was if it hadn’t been for the Ozzie and Harriet television show. Rick (then called Ricky) was the younger of two brothers, sons of Ozzie and Harriet and … Continue reading →
“Mother-in-Law” could be considered a novelty song. I guess it depends if you like your mother-in-law or not. Ernie K-Doe certainly has some issues with his. The song was written by Allen Toussaint, who was an American songwriter, musician, arranger … Continue reading →
Del Shannon’s real name is Charles Weedon Westover and he was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan which is just 60 miles from where I was born, Battle Creek. In fact, when he got out of the Army, he went to … Continue reading →
“Blue Moon” is another song that is an American classic. It was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934. It became a number one hit by the Glen Gray Orchestra in 1935 and a number two hit by … Continue reading →