Gossip - Trivia - Nostalgia

May in Rock-n-Roll History

2011-05-03T09:54:00.033-05:00

1955 - Leonard Chess signs Chuck Berry to a recording contract after he came highly recommended by Muddy Waters.

1955 - Ray Charles reaches the top of the US R&B chart for the first time with "I Got A Woman".

1956 - For the first time in the history of Billboard's record charts, the same five songs appear in both the Pop and R&B Top Ten. They are: Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" (#1 Pop, #6 R&B), Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" (#4 Pop, #3 R&B), Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B), The Platters' "Magic Touch" (#10 Pop, #7 R&B) and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (#7 Pop, #4 R&B).

1956 - Gene Vincent records "Be Bop A Lula" It sold 2 million copies.

1958-59 - The Alan Freed Show premiers on TV with Guy Mitchell, The Del-Vikings, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Clovers, June Valli, Martha Carson and the Alan Freed Rock and Roll Orchestra.
One year later Alan Freed is in trouble when a brawl breaks out following his show and some of the estimated 5,000 teens in attendance are injured. Freed is charged with incitement of a riot and destruction of property.

1959 - The first Grammy Awards are given out and “Volare” is Record of the Year - It beat out Peggy Lee's "Fever", "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como, "Witchcraft" from Frank Sinatra and "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville.

1960 - “G.I.Blues” Elvis’ first post-Army movie is released. He ends his film career with “Change of Habit” in 1969.

1960 - Dick Clark testifies before a Congressional Committee investigating "payola", and eventually was cleared. Alan Freed and eight other DJ are accused of taking radio payola.
In the aftermath of the payola scandal, Billboard magazine reports that many radio stations are adopting what they called a "better music" format and banning Rock and Roll.

1961 - After topping the Billboard chart a month earlier, The Marcels version of "Blue Moon" hits #1 in the UK. Since 1934, the song was recorded by over 50 major artists and featured in at least 8 motion pictures.

1962 - The Shirelles get a Gold record for "Soldier Boy", originally recorded in one take and intended as an album filler.

1964 - Moody Blues group forms.
1964-65 Gerry and the Pacemakers debut on US television, the Ed Sullivan Show, with "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" 1964.
Ed Sullivan (1965) vows The Rolling Stones would never be invited back never again appear on his Sunday night variety show. He received "thousands of calls complaining" about The Stones.

1967 - Elvis Presley marries Priscella Beaulieu in Las Vegas (it lasts 5 years)

1969 - The Who released the double album rock opera "Tommy".

1971 - Ike and Tina Turner receive their only Gold record for their version of "Proud Mary", which climbed to #4 in the US.

1973 - Led Zeppelin opened their US tour. It is billed as the 'biggest and most profitable Rock and Roll tour in the history of the United States.' The group grossed over $3 million.

1976 - Soviet youths defy police and dance The Twist in Moscow's Red Square during May Day celebrations.

1978 - FM, a film about the struggles of a radio station, debuts in Los Angeles. The soundtrack features Steely Dan, Steve Miller, The Eagles, Neil Young, Billy Joel and Warren Zevon. More people bought the soundtrack than saw the film.

1980 - Pink Floyd's hit single "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)", with its chorus of kids chanting "We Don't Need No Education", is banned by the South African government. Black children, upset about inferior education, adopt the song as their anthem. The government says the song is "prejudicial to the safety of the state."

1984 - Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" is released and climbs to #1 and wins Grammys for record and song of the year. Tina becomes a solo star leaving her husband and former band mate, Ike Turner, with nothing more than 36 cents and a gas station credit card.

1993 - IRS seize Jerry Lee Lewis’ home for 1.6 million in unpaid taxes.

1994 - Randy Bachman led 1,322 guitarists who had gathered in Vancouver to play Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business", for 68 minutes and 40 seconds.

2003 - Barry White suffers a stroke and died two months later.

2004 - Rudy Maugeri, the baritone voice of the 1950s doo-wop group, The Crew Cuts, died. He was 73. Taking their name from a popular hair style of the day, the quartet formed in Toronto and went on to have several hits in the US, including the number one "Sh-Boom" in 1954 and the number three "Earth Angel" in 1955.

2009 - A anonymous fan won a two hour, one on one guitar lesson with Queen's Brian May after bidding more than £7,500 at a charity auction in London. The auction was held in support of the Action for Brazil's Children Trust, of which May is a patron.

This Month I Rock-n-Roll History

1955 - Leonard Chess signs Chuck Berry to a recording contract after he came highly recommended by Muddy Waters.

1955 - Ray Charles reaches the top of the US R&B chart for the first time with "I Got A Woman".

1956 - For the first time in the history of Billboard's record charts, the same five songs appear in both the Pop and R&B Top Ten. They are: Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" (#1 Pop, #6 R&B), Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" (#4 Pop, #3 R&B), Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B), The Platters' "Magic Touch" (#10 Pop, #7 R&B) and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (#7 Pop, #4 R&B).

1956 - Gene Vincent records "Be Bop A Lula" It sold 2 million copies.

1958-59 - The Alan Freed Show premiers on TV withGuy Mitchell, The Del-Vikings, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Clovers, June Valli, Martha Carson and the Alan Freed Rock and Roll Orchestra.
One year later Alan Freed is in trouble when a brawl breaks out following his and some of the estimated 5,000 teens in attendance are injured. Freed is charged with incitement of a riot and destruction of property.

1959 - The first Grammy Awards are giving out and “Volare” is Record of the Year - It beat out Peggy Lee's "Fever", "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como, "Witchcraft" from Frank Sinatra and "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville.

1960 - “G.I.Blues” Elvis’ first post-Army movie is released. He ends his film career with “Change of Habit” in 1969.

1960 - Dick Clark testifies before a Congressional Committee investigating payola. And eventually was cleared. Alan Freed & eight other DJ accused of taking radio payola.
In the aftermath of the payola scandal, Billboard magazine reports that many radio stations are adopting what they called a "better music" format and banning Rock and Roll.

1961 - After topping the Billboard chart a month earlier, The Marcels version of "Blue Moon" hits #1 in the UK. Since 1934, the song has been recorded by over 50 major artists and has been featured in at least 8 motion pictures.

1962 - The Shirelles get a Gold record for "Soldier Boy", originally recorded in one take and intended as an album filler.

1964 - Moody Blues group forms.

1964-65 Gerry and the Pacemakers debut on US television, the Ed Sullivan Show with "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" 1964
Ed Sullivan vows The Rolling Stones would never be invited back never again appear on his Sunday night variety show. He received "thousands of calls complaining" about The Stones. 1965

1967 - Elivs Presley marries Priscella Beaulieu in Las Vegas (it lasts 5 years)

1969 - The Who released the double album rock opera Tommy.

1971 - Ike and Tina Turner receive their only Gold record for their version of "Proud Mary", which climbed to #4 in the US.

1973 - Led Zeppelin opened their US tour, which is billed as the 'biggest and most profitable Rock and Roll tour in the history of the United States.' The group grossed over $3 million.

1976 - Soviet youths defy police and dance The Twist in Moscow's Red Square during May Day celebrations.

1978 - FM, a film about the struggles of a radio station, debuts in Los Angeles. The soundtrack features Steely Dan, Steve Miller, The Eagles, Neil Young, Billy Joel and Warren Zevon. More people bought the soundtrack than saw the film.

1980 - Pink Floyd's hit single "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)", with its chorus of kids chanting "We Don't Need No Education", is banned by the South African government. Black children, upset about inferior education, adopt the song as their anthem. The government says the song is "prejudicial to the safety of the state."

1984 - Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" is released and climbs to #1 and wins Grammys for record and song of the year. Tina becomes a solo star leaving her husband and former band mate Ike Turner, with nothing more than 36 cents and a gas station credit card.

1993 - IRS seize Jerry Lee Lewis’ home for 1.6 million in unpaid taxes.

1994 - Randy Bachman led 1,322 guitarists who had gathered in Vancouver to play Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business", for 68 minutes and 40 seconds.

2003 - Barry White suffers a stroke and died two months later.

2004 - Rudy Maugeri, the baritone voice of the 1950s doo-wop group, The Crew Cuts, died. He was 73. Taking their name from a popular hair style of the day, the quartet formed in Toronto and went on to have several hits in the US, including the number one "Sh-Boom" in 1954 and the number three "Earth Angel" in 1955.

2009 - A anonymous fan won a two hour, one on one guitar lesson with Queen's Brian May after bidding more than £7,500 at a charity auction in London. The auction was held in support of the Action for Brazil's Children Trust, of which May is a patron.

1955 - Leonard Chess signs Chuck Berry to a recording contract after he came highly recommended by Muddy Waters.

1955 - Ray Charles reaches the top of the US R&B chart for the first time with "I Got A Woman".

1956 - For the first time in the history of Billboard's record charts, the same five songs appear in both the Pop and R&B Top Ten. They are: Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" (#1 Pop, #6 R&B), Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" (#4 Pop, #3 R&B), Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B), The Platters' "Magic Touch" (#10 Pop, #7 R&B) and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (#7 Pop, #4 R&B).

1956 - Gene Vincent records "Be Bop A Lula" It sold 2 million copies.

1958-59 - The Alan Freed Show premiers on TV withGuy Mitchell, The Del-Vikings, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Clovers, June Valli, Martha Carson and the Alan Freed Rock and Roll Orchestra.
One year later Alan Freed is in trouble when a brawl breaks out following his and some of the estimated 5,000 teens in attendance are injured. Freed is charged with incitement of a riot and destruction of property.

1959 - The first Grammy Awards are giving out and “Volare” is Record of the Year - It beat out Peggy Lee's "Fever", "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como, "Witchcraft" from Frank Sinatra and "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville.

1960 - “G.I.Blues” Elvis’ first post-Army movie is released. He ends his film career with “Change of Habit” in 1969.

1960 - Dick Clark testifies before a Congressional Committee investigating payola. And eventually was cleared. Alan Freed & eight other DJ accused of taking radio payola.
In the aftermath of the payola scandal, Billboard magazine reports that many radio stations are adopting what they called a "better music" format and banning Rock and Roll.

1961 - After topping the Billboard chart a month earlier, The Marcels version of "Blue Moon" hits #1 in the UK. Since 1934, the song has been recorded by over 50 major artists and has been featured in at least 8 motion pictures.

1962 - The Shirelles get a Gold record for "Soldier Boy", originally recorded in one take and intended as an album filler.

1964 - Moody Blues group forms.

1964-65 Gerry and the Pacemakers debut on US television, the Ed Sullivan Show with "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" 1964
Ed Sullivan vows The Rolling Stones would never be invited back never again appear on his Sunday night variety show. He received "thousands of calls complaining" about The Stones. 1965

1967 - Elivs Presley marries Priscella Beaulieu in Las Vegas (it lasts 5 years)

1969 - The Who released the double album rock opera Tommy.

1971 - Ike and Tina Turner receive their only Gold record for their version of "Proud Mary", which climbed to #4 in the US.

1973 - Led Zeppelin opened their US tour, which is billed as the 'biggest and most profitable Rock and Roll tour in the history of the United States.' The group grossed over $3 million.

1976 - Soviet youths defy police and dance The Twist in Moscow's Red Square during May Day celebrations.

1978 - FM, a film about the struggles of a radio station, debuts in Los Angeles. The soundtrack features Steely Dan, Steve Miller, The Eagles, Neil Young, Billy Joel and Warren Zevon. More people bought the soundtrack than saw the film.

1980 - Pink Floyd's hit single "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)", with its chorus of kids chanting "We Don't Need No Education", is banned by the South African government. Black children, upset about inferior education, adopt the song as their anthem. The government says the song is "prejudicial to the safety of the state."

1984 - Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" is released and climbs to #1 and wins Grammys for record and song of the year. Tina becomes a solo star leaving her husband and former band mate Ike Turner, with nothing more than 36 cents and a gas station credit card.

1993 - IRS seize Jerry Lee Lewis’ home for 1.6 million in unpaid taxes.

1994 - Randy Bachman led 1,322 guitarists who had gathered in Vancouver to play Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business", for 68 minutes and 40 seconds.

2003 - Barry White suffers a stroke and died two months later.

2004 - Rudy Maugeri, the baritone voice of the 1950s doo-wop group, The Crew Cuts, died. He was 73. Taking their name from a popular hair style of the day, the quartet formed in Toronto and went on to have several hits in the US, including the number one "Sh-Boom" in 1954 and the number three "Earth Angel" in 1955.

2009 - A anonymous fan won a two hour, one on one guitar lesson with Queen's Brian May after bidding more than £7,500 at a charity auction in London. The auction was held in support of the Action for Brazil's Children Trust, of which May is a patron.

April in Rock-n-Roll History

2011-04-12T10:08:00.005-05:00

1954:
Bill Haley records "Rock Around The Clock". A modest hit, selling 75,000 copies, but just 12 months later infamy featured in the movie The Blackboard Jungle.

1955:
Elvis Presley headlines on The Big D Jamboree, a live radio show on KRLD in Dallas, Texas. Ticket price for studio audience a mere 60 cents.

1956
Nat King Cole is attacked by a group of five racial segregationists while singing onstage at the Municipal Hall in Birmingham, Alabama. The attackers were quickly arrested by police and Cole would return later that night for a second show.

On a flight Amarillo to Nashville, Elvis Presley's plane makes an emergency landing in Arkansas. It leaves him with a permanent fear of air travel.

James Brown his first chart entry recorded in his home town of Macon, GA "Please, Please, Please" debuts on the Billboard R&B chart.

Buddy Holly's first single "Blue Days, Black Nights", was released. This up-tempo, country flavored tune was a poor seller.

1957
16 year old Ricky Nelson sings his first record, “I’m Walking” a version of Fats Domino's tune" on his parents' TV show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on ABC.

Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" hits No.1 on the Cash Box best seller list and The Billboard Pop chart, and remained for the next 8 weeks.

1958
Dick Clark dedicates part of his American Bandstand TV show to the memory of Chuck Willis, who had died earlier in the day from peritonitis. Willis’ hits that included: "C.C. Rider", "What Am I Living For" and "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes".

1959
Bobby Darin records "Splish Splash". The record is a world wide hit, but is outsold in Britain by a rival version from comedian Charlie Drake.

The BBC lifts its ban on The Coasters' new single "Charlie Brown", it airs on radio's Pick of the Pops and becomes the group's best selling UK hit, reaching No.6.

Five weeks after charting on it the Billboard Hot 100, "Pink Shoelaces" by 13 year old Dodie Stevens hits No.3. Her career includes singing with Sergio Mendes and Brazil '77 and Mac Davis, but she never had another Top 40 hit.

1961
19 year old Bob Dylan debuted as a solo artist at Gerde's Folk City in New York.

At the third annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Ray Charles wins three trophies including Best Pop Single for "Georgia On My Mind". Marty Robbins is awarded a statue for Best Country and Western Performance for "El Paso".

1962
The Beatles' original bass player, 22 year old Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage. He couldn't play very well but was a part of the original band because he had the equipment and place to rehearse. His girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr, created The Beatle haircut for Stu, and John and Paul followed soon after. Sutcliffe is on very early Beatle tracks and included on "Anthology 1". In 1961 he left to resume painting because his headaches were getting too severe to play.

The Beatles kick off a 48 night booking at The Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.

1963
Gerry And The Pacemakers’s "How Do You Do It?" is No. 1 on the UK singles chart In the U.S,. it didn’t catch on until the Fall of 1964, when it went to No. 9.

Beach Boys' "Surfin' USA" is released and its their 2nd Billboard chart-maker, reaching No.3. The song is a note-for-note copy of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" with new lyrics. Berry sues and is granted royalties and writing credit for all further issues of the song.

1964
The Beatles set another music industry record with 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Can't Buy Me Love" at No. 1 to "Love Me Do".

Chubby Checker marries Catharina Johanna Lodders, 1962's Miss World Pageant.

The Rolling Stones release their 1st album. It sold over 200,000 copies and hit number one in the UK two weeks later, claiming the first non-Beatles album to reach the top in over a year.

1965
Freddie and the Dreamers‘"I'm Telling You Now" hits No. 1 in the U.S., two years after it had reached No. 2 in the UK.

Roger Miller wins in five categories at the seventh annual Grammy Awards.

The Hollies start their first US tour but not until a year later would they hit the US Top Ten with "Bus Stop".

1966
Jan Berry, the younger half of Jan and Dean is paralyzed after he ran his Corvette into a parked truck on a side street in Beverly Hills. For over a year, Berry was in total physical paralysis and suffered extensive brain damage never returning to perform again.Their hit streak started in 1958 with "Jennie Lee" and continued with "Baby Talk", "Surf City", "Sidewalk Surfin'", "Drag City", "Dead Man's Curve", "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" and "Popsicle". In 1978, they attempted a comeback after the biographical movie, 'Dead Man's Curve', was shown on TV.

The Beatles record "Paperback Writer" and the vocals for "Eleanor Rigby".

Buffalo Springfield debuts, opening for The Byrds in concert in San Bernardino, California.

The Spencer Davis Group scores their second UK No.1 single with "Somebody Help Me", it never hit the U.S. Top 40.

For a ticket price of 70 cents and $1.40 (US) or 5/10 shillings (UK), fans saw a live concert by Jimi Hendrix, The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens and Englebert Humperdinck at the Blackppol Odeon.

1967
While flying back to London from the US, Paul McCartney writes "Magical Mystery Tour" .

Nancy and Frank Sinatra had the No.1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, The Cashbox Best Sellers List and Britain's New Musical Express record chart with "Something Stupid".

To this day, they are the only father and daughter team to have a US chart topping single. ("Unforgettable" by Natalie Cole and Nat "King" Cole hit No. 14 in 1991)

1968
Janis Joplin, along with Big Brother and the Holding Company make their national TV debut on ABC-TV's Hollywood Palace.

Producer Phil Spector marries Ronnie Bennett of The Ronettes. Bennett, files for divorce in 1972, citing instances of alleged cruelty.

1969
After scoring a series of instrumental hits in the early 1960s including "Walk Don't Run" and "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", The Ventures hit Billboard's Hot 100 for the last time with the theme from the TV show, Hawaii Five-0.

The Fifth Dimension score their first No. 1 and their 8th Billboard Top 40 hit with "Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In".

John Lennon and Paul McCartney record "The Ballad of John and Yoko" without George and Ringo. Paul played bass, drums and piano with John on guitars.

1970
The progressive Rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer is formed when drummer Carl Palmer joins keyboardist Keith Emerson and singer / guitarist Greg Lake.

Peter Green, founding member of Fleetwood Mac, leaves the band to follow his religious beliefs.

Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" hits No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sells 2 million but never makes the Top 40.

1972
Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" became an unlikely No. 1 hit after it is featured in the Clint Eastwood film Play Misty For Me.

Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen enter the Billboard Top 40 for the 1st and only time with "Hot Rod Lincoln", a re-worked version of "Hot Rod Race",a No. 29 hit for Tiny Hill in 1951.

1973
Led Zeppelin's fifth album, "Houses of the Holy" hits Gold.

Stevie Wonder appeared on TV's Sesame Street, and performed "123 Sesame Street" and "Superstition".

1974
Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets" is No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart for the 2nd time.

Paul McCartney's LP "Band On The Run" is a No. 1 Billboard album chart and sells over 6 million copies world-wide.

1975
Elton John’s "Philadelphia Freedom", a song inspired by Billie Jean King's World Team Tennis League entry tops the charts.

1976
Peter Frampton’s album, with "Frampton Comes Alive" tops the charts and remains for 97 weeks, selling 6 million copies. It is the 4th largest selling 'live' album of all time, behind Garth Brooks' "Double Live", "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Live 1975 - '85" and "The Eagles Live".

Stevie Wonder signs the largest music contract to date with Motown for $13 million and produces a half dozen top 10 hits.

1977
In the midst of success with a top hit TV show Starsky and Hutch, David Soul tops Billboard charts with "Don't Give Up On Us".

1978
The Four Tops sing at Aretha Franklin's wedding to actor Glynn Turman. The union lasted six years.

1979
Mickey Thomas replaces Marty Balin as the lead singer for Jefferson Starship. Thomas' voice was on the 1976 Elvin Bishop hit, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love".

The Doobie Brothers’ band preforms with only the original drummer John Hartman and guitarist Patrick Simmons and cut “Black Water” topping the 1975 charts, followed by “What A Fool Believes”.

1980
The ‘50’s musical Grease finally closes on Broadway after 3,883 performances and earnings over $8 million.

A New Jersey State assemblyman introduces a resolution to make Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" the official state song. After deliberation, legislators site it the state's "rock anthem."

1981
Van Halen lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries Valerie Bertinelli, co-star of the 1980's television hit, One Day at a Time. Their union lasted 25 years.

Daryl Hall and John Oates’s "Kiss On My List" hits No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 with their 10th Top 40 hit.

1982
The duet "Ebony and Ivory", by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, hits No. 29 when it debuts on the US charts and then No. 1 in both the U.S. and UK. It’s Wonder’s first British chart hit and No. 59 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time; but in October 2007 it's named "the worst duet in history" by BBC.

1983
Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes perform "Up Where We Belong" at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, where the song wins in the Best Music category.

1984
Nate Nelson, lead vocalist for The Flamingos on their 1959 hit "I Only Have Eyes For You", dies at the age of 52.

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" LP marks its 37th week at #1 in US, the longest run in Rock history to that date. He made a $100,000 contribution to establish a 19 bed cancer research unit for a New York hospital.

1985
A court rules that the Rock group Boston has the right to record for MCA instead of CBS. The legal dispute prevented the release of the band's 3rd album for over 5 years.

"We Are The World", the Quincy Jones produced a combined effort artists effort to raise millions to help feed starving people in Africa, tops the Billboard singles chart. All 45 artists on the record were asked to "check their egos at the door."

1987
Members of the First Church of the Nazarene in Ironton, Ohio, hold a record burning when evangelist Jim Brown told them that the song "A Horse is a Horse", the theme song from the US TV show 'Mr. Ed', contains satanic messages when played backwards.

1988
Cher wins the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the film 'Moonstruck'.

Sonny Bono is elected Mayor of Palm Springs, California, 1988-1992. Then ran for the Republican nomination for United States Senate. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994 to represent California's 44th congressional district.

1989
Herbert Mills of the Mills Brothers died of viral meningitis at the age of 77. The vocal group span the 1930's, '40's and '50's with hits and are most often remembered for their 1968, #23 hit, "Cab Driver". Donald Mills, the last of the original group died in 1999.

Roy Orbison had his final Top 10 single on the US chart with "You Got It", four months after he died. The song was written by Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty and appeared on Orbison's "Mystery Girl" album that was released posthumously.

1992
The three surviving members of Queen raise over $15 million at a charity concert in memory of the late Freddie Mercury, who died in November, 1991. On stage also were David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Elton John, Guns N' Roses, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Paul Young.

1993
The Grateful Dead sang the US national anthem before the San Francisco Giants' home opener.

Paul McCartney headlines a concert at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate Earth Day with Ringo Starr, Steve Miller and Don Henley.

1994
Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley announced they had separated after nine years of marriage.

1985
Burl Ives, dies of cancer at the age of 85. He’s remembered for Top 40’s:
"Little Bitty Tear" (No.9), "Funny Way Of Laughing" (No.10) and "Call Me Mr. In-Between" (No. 19) and his famous Christmas classic "Holly, Jolly Christmas",

1986
KISS appear in full make-up at the 38th Grammy Awards and announce a reunion tour marking the first time in 15 years they appeared together.

1997
Grand Funk preform for a three concert tour to raise money for the Bosnian-American Relief Fund.

1999
A charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney is held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Performers include Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O'Connor.

2000
The heavy metal band, Metallica files suit against Napster Inc, Yale University, the University of Southern California and Indiana University for copyright infringement. Yale and Indiana were dropped from the suit after they blocked access to Napster on campus servers.

2003
Little Eva (Boyd), dies at age 57 after a long illness. Her song "The Loco-Motion" hit No. 1 in 1962.

Lynyrd Skynyrd had a hit single on the radio. Rock stations across the country played the band's "Red White and Blue", an anti-protest song that includes the line "If they don't like it, they can just get the hell out."

2004
Former American Bandstand host, Dick Clark, reveals he has had type 2 diabetes since 1994, known only to close friends and family.

2005
Johnnie Johnson, who teamed with Chuck Berry on "Roll Over Beethoven" and "No Particular Place to Go", dies of natural causes at the age of 80.

John Fred Gourrier, who led John Fred and his Playboy Band to hit Billboard with their No. 1 song "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" 1967 dies at age 63 after a long bout with kidney disease.

2006
June Pointer, the youngest of the four Pointer Sisters with No. 1 hits "Fire", "Slow Hand" and "I'm So Excited", dies of cancer at the age of 52.

2007
A fire destroys the former home of the late Country singer Johnny Cash and June Carter. The 13,880-square-foot house, located in the Nashville suburb of Hendersonville, was home to Johnny and June until their deaths in 2003. Bee Gees' Barry Gibb and his wife, Linda, purchased the property in January 2006 with plans to restore it and write songs there.

The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, settled a £30 million ($59.2 million) royalties dispute with the band's label, EMI. The suit alleges unpaid royalties on Beatles albums based on an audit of sales between 1994 and 1999. Settlement details were not disclosed.

Legendary crooner Don Ho, who entertained Hawaiian tourists for decades with "Tiny Bubbles", dies of heart failure at age 76.

2009
Phil Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his mansion six years ago. The 69 year old music producer is sent to prison for a minimum of 18 years.

According to a chart compiled for the UK's BBC Radio 2, Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" was the most played song in public places in the past 75 years.
Rounding out the top ten were: #2 - "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, #3 "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers, #4 - "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet, #5 - ("Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams, #6 - "Angels" by Robbie Williams, #7 - "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley, #8 - "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, #9 - "Magic Moments" by Perry Como and #10 - "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby.

George Harrison receive a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Capitol Records building.

2010
The Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Ramano praise The Beatles and forgive John Lennon's 1966 comment that the group was "bigger than Jesus."

After 11 years away from audiences, and bad reviews and boos during a performance, Whitney Houston insisted she played to a “tough crowd” during her first show in the U.K. after recently being hospitalized with chronic rhinopharyngitis, (swelling of the membranes in the nose and throat) that caused problems.

Happy St. Pat & St. Joe Day

2011-03-17T12:45:00.025-05:00

In honor of St. Pat’s/St. Joe’s Day a little recognition to a few great Irish, Italian and Polish-American artists. Their music and talent said it all. Bet you can remember every word and verse to so many of their great hits!

Danny Hutton - One of the three lead vocalists in the band, Three Dog Night.
Their first "Top Ten" hit was "One," 1969, and, "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," reached #1 a year later.

"Joy to the World" became the group's biggest hit, in 1971, and their final #1, "Black and White," was in 1972.
Their final "Top Ten" song was in 1974, "The Show Must Go On." They had 21 hit singles, including 11 "Top Ten" hits, also 12 consecutive gold albums, from 1969 to 1975.

The Mc Guire Sisters - Biggest selling female vocal group of the 50's.
In 1957 they recorded "Sugartime" with Steve Allen at the piano and it became their signature song. The word "sugar" appears twenty eight times in the song’s two and one half minutes.

Phyllis retired in 1986. She is a Las Vegas’s leading hostess and its unofficial ambassador entertaining royalty, social and the business elite in her 50, 00 square foot French Provincial estate home. It is filled with expensive artwork and priceless memorabilia that span over four decades of her work in the world of entertainment.

Christine enjoys an active social life in Las Vegas and is an avid golfer.

Dorothy and her husband of forty years, Lowell Williamson, live in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they are also active in community affairs and philanthropic activities.

Jim Morrison, singer/songwriter of The Doors, reportedly had an I.Q. of 149.
Morrison was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"[ and is widely regarded as one of the most iconic frontmen in rock music history.

Mariah Carey
is the world’s best-selling recording artist of the 1990s and the best-selling female artist of the millenum. Over 63 million albums and counting.

In 2008, Carey earned her eighteenth number one single on the Hot 100, the most by any solo artist.] We Belong Together was awarded with the Song of the decade by Billboard . She earned five Grammy Awards and is known for her five-octave vocal range.

Rosemary Clooney"Come On-a My House" made her a star. A household name; she became known simply as "Rosie."

"Botch-a-Me" (a cover version of the Italian song Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina ), "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" , "This Ole House", and of course her famous movie “White Christmas” and later on to success as a jazz vocalist.
She battled demons all her life with bouts of depression and alcoholism especially after hearing about the death of her friend, Robert Kennedy, while campaigning for him.

Bing Crosby - the 20th century's first multi-media entertainer: a star on radio, in movies and in chart-topping recordings.

He had 38 No. 1 singles, which surpassed even Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, his "White Christmas" has sold over 100 million copies around the world, with at least 50 million sales as singles.

Crosby played an important role in the post-war recording industry.In 1947, he invested $50,000 in the Ampex company, which built North America's first commercial reel-to-reel tape recorder. Became the first to pre-record his radio shows and master his commercial recordings onto magnetic tape.
He gave one of the first Ampex Model 200 recorders to his friend, musician Les Paul, and Paul invented multitrack recording method. Along with Frank Sinatra, Crosby was one of the principal backers behind the famous United Western Recorders studio complex in Los Angeles.

Judy Garland received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award and at 39, was the youngest recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry.
In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the ten greatest female stars in the history of American cinema. America's sweetheart is remembered for teaming with Mickey Rooney in numerous 1940's movies, The Wizard of Oz and her great TV shows of the '60's. Se was never comfortable with her appearance and hid insecurities behind pills and alcohol til her last curtain call - an overdose.

Tim McGraw, American singer (both parents have Irish ancestry)
Eleven consecutive albums debut at Number One on the Billboard albums charts.
Over 40 million in album sales.
Twenty-one singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country 100 chart.
Three singles became the No. 1 country song of the year ("It's Your Love", "Just To See You Smile", and "Live Like You Were Dying"), 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and 3 People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II Tour with Faith Hill is the highest grossing tour in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music.

Frankie Valli, (Francis Stephen Castelluccio), lead singer of The Four Seasons, one of the biggest music acts of the 1960s and carried on to the ‘70’s Disco period til today.

Valli scored 29 Top 40 hits with The 4 Seasons, one Top 40 hit under The 4 Seasons' alias 'The Wonder Who?', and nine Top 40 hits as a solo artist. As a member of group
Valli's number one hits included "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man", "Rag Doll" and "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)".
As a solo artist, Valli’s number one hits with the songs "My Eyes Adored You" and "Grease". "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" reached number two in 1967.
"You're Ready Now," a Valli solo recording from 1966, became a surprise hit in Great Britain as part of the Northern soul scene and hit number eleven on the British pop charts in December 1970.
Valli is a supporter of heritage-related causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). In 2006, he received the NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala. In 2008, NIAF presented a scholarship in his name to an Italian American music student during the Foundation's East Coast Gala.

Perry Como - recorded many albums of songs exclusively for the RCA Victor label between 1952 and 1987, and is credited with numerous gold records. Como had so many recordings achieve gold-record status that he refused to have many of them certified.

Between 1944 and 1958, Perry Como had 48 hits on Billboard's charts
Fourteen songs treached #1 on at least one of the three Billboard charts (sales, disc-jockeys, jukeboxes): "Till The End Of Time" (1945); "Prisoner of Love" (1946); "Surrender" (1946); "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba" (1947); "A - You're Adorable" (1949); "Some Enchanted Evening" (1949); "Hoop-De-Doo" (1950); "If" (1951); "Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes" (1952); "No Other Love" (1953); "Wanted" (1954); "Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)" (1956); "Round And Round" (1957); and "Catch a Falling Star" (1957).

His famous recording of “Ave Maria” was produced in a church. Perry wanted it to be truly authentic religious experience for his listeners and asked the parish priest be present during recording to insure every word of the song was a true prayer. During concert tours he was frequently asked to sing it, but out of respect to the virgin Mary would always say “this is not the time nor the place”.

Dean Martin (Dino Paul Crocetti,) singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "Mambo Italiano", "Sway", "Volare" and smash hit "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?".
Nicknamed the "King of Cool",he was one of the members of the "Rat Pack" and a major star in four areas of show business: concert stage/night clubs, recordings, motion pictures, and television.
Dean didn’t think motion pictures were his best format. He loved entertaining a live audience both in Vegas and on TV and fostered a great and sometimes skeptical reputation of making the song sound better with the help of a drink.
Audiences agreed with his style, the look of an angel, with a touch of the devil and a scotch.

Pat Benatar (Patricia Mae Andrzejewski ) singer and four time Grammy winner. During the 1980s, Benatar had two RIAA-certified Multi-Platinum albums, five RIAA-certified Platinum albums, three RIAA-certified Gold albums and 19 Top 40 singles, including "Love Is A Battlefield", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", and "We Belong". Benatar was one of the most heavily played artists in the early days of MTV.

Peter Paul Cetera, singer, songwriter, bassist, producer of "Chicago”

After leaving the group, his first single, "Glory of Love" (the theme to the movie The Karate Kid, Part II), was a US No. 1 hit in 1986. It went on to win an ASCAP Award for Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures.

Producing another No. 1 hit single, "The Next Time I Fall," a duet with Amy Grant, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In fact, Solitude/Solitaire outsold Chicago 18 (#35), the first Chicago album without him.
"One Good Woman" and "Save Me," the original opening theme for the television show Baywatch.
In 1992- "Restless Heart", as well as two other successful singles: "Even a Fool Can See" and a duet with Chaka Khan, "Feels Like Heaven."

John Curulewski , nicknamed "JC," was one of the original members of Styx.
The band is best known for the hit songs "Lady" 1975, "Come Sail Away" 1977, "Babe" 1979, "The Best of Times" 1981, "Too Much Time On My Hands" 1981, and "Mr. Roboto" , 1983. Other hits by the band include "Show Me the Way" , 1990, "Don't Let It End", 1983 and "Renegade", 1978. The band has four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.

Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski , known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz".
King's other songs included "Slow Poke" and "You Belong to Me". His songs introduced waltzes, polkas, and cowboy songs to country music.
King refused to change his band's sound at the Grand Ole Opry, over the years being the first to introduce drums, horns, the accordion, and electric instruments including the pedal steel guitar to country music. His band also introduced Nudie Cohn's customized 'rhinestone cowboy' outfits to the Opry which later became popular with Nashville and country musicians, including Elvis Presley.
He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974.

Eugene Bertram Krupa , the youngest of nine children in the family of Bartlomiej Krupa and Anna (née Oslowski).
Krupa.was an influential American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.
Many consider Krupa to be one of the most influential drummers of the 20th century.
One of his pupils was Kiss drummer Peter Criss
The 1937 recording of Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra featuring Gene Krupa on drums was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In 1978, Gene Krupa became the first drummer inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

Wladziu Valentino Liberace , better known by only his last name Liberace , was a famous entertainer and pianist. During the 1950s–1970s he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world.
His New York City performance at Madison Square Garden in 1954, earned him a record $138,000 for one performance.
By 1955, he was making $50,000 per week at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and had over 200 official fan clubs with a quarter of a million member fans. An unheard of $1,000,000 per year from public appearances, and millions from television during his early career.

Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek,
musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, and The Doors of the 21st Century (renamed Manzarek-Krieger) since 2001. He is the oldest former member of the Doors.

Although The Doors' active career ended in 1973, their popularity has persisted. According to the RIAA, they have sold over 32.5 million albums in the US alone. The band has sold 90 million albums worldwide.

Bobby Vinton
is an American pop music singer of Polish origin.
Billboard Magazine called Bobby Vinton "the all-time most successful love singer of the 'Rock-Era'". From 1962 through 1972, Vinton had more Billboard #1 hits than any other male vocalist, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

Vinton found his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile. The song was titled "Roses Are Red (My Love)."
His most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet", followed by “There I’ve Said it Again”, “Mr. Lonely”, “L-O-N-E-L-Y Lonely Nights”, “Please Love Me Forever”, “I Love How You Love Me”.
The "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40, notably with "Ev'ry Day of My Life", and “Sealed With a Kiss”
Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish: "My Melody of Love". After Vinton was turned down by seven major labels, ABC Records bought Vinton's idea, resulting in a multi-million selling single that hit #3 on the Hot 100, #2 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart, and #1 on the AC chart in 1974.

Soundtracks of your Mind

2011-02-28T20:51:00.032-06:00

A sampling of some of the top 100 Rock-n-Roll songs of all times. Do you count these among the "soundtracks of your mind" to quote our OGR Disc Jockies?

Money
Pink Floyd Its considered a hit if your record was on the chart for 15 weeks... Floyd's lasted 15 years!!

Life in the Fast Lane
Eagles brought fame to the Hard Rock Park, Myrtle Beach, SC in 2008 - this song had a roller coaster named after it.

Foreplay / Long Time Boston Who needs air guitar? Wanna turn your desk into an air Hammond Organ just turn up the speakers and GO!!!!

Brown Sugar
The Rolling Stones If your young grandchildren ask, tell 'em its a Martha Stewart song about baking sweet treats.

Down on the Corner
Creedence Clearwater Revival Everything there to put a smile on your face including a cow bell and catchy sing-along vocals.

Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison --- Van Morrison once told Time Magazine he's written 300 songs better than this one. I think NOT!!

Pinball Wizard
The Who A rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind kid who can play pinball?

American Woman
Yep - believe it or not...The Guess Who really spend the first minute of the song spelling out the title.

Beast of Burden
The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger' self-imposed penance identifying himself as the ultimate jackass.

Nights in White Satin
The Moody Blues prove their diversity with rock and roll. It's a haunting classic.

Sunshine of Your Love
Cream Reportedly one of Jimi Hendrix's favorite records, as he frequently included this song at his own concerts

Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple Perhaps one of the easiest guitar tunes to learn - sometimes "KISS" ("keep it simple stupid") is the best.

Don't Stop Believin'
Journey Another great example of a rock song making a big impact on a classic series, this case, the Sopranos' finale.

More Than a Feeling
Boston Toll booths across the country should blast this 24/7.

House of the Rising Sun
The Animals The earliest recording of this folk song is from 1933, but historians think it might date back to the 1600s.

Another One Bites the Dust
Queen Queen bassist John Deacon proves he can easily transition to the '70's Disco sound.

Kashmir
Led Zeppelin Repeatedly in interviews, Robert Plant saidthis is one of his favorite Zeppelin songs. No one can argue that!!

Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd Five song jukebox domination plan: 'Free Bird,' 'Life's Been Good,' 'Kashmir,' 'Stairway,' and 'Stranglehold.'

Ciao for now!! Winnie

HEARTS TO YOU

2011-02-10T15:06:00.012-06:00

Here’s a partial list of “Heart” Songs compliments of who-sang-that-song.com.
See how many you remember. If you are truly adventurous make a wager with your Valentine - no one is a loser on this one.

1954
Gang That Sang 'Heart Of My Heart', The Four Aces
Heart Of My Heart - Max Bygraves
Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight - McGuire Sisters
Young-At-Heart - Frank Sinatra
Heartbeat - Ruby Murray
Heartless - Frankie Vaughan
Hearts Of Stone - Charms
Hearts Of Stone - Fontane Sisters
If I Give My Heart To You - Doris Day
If I Give My Heart To You - Denise Lor
If I Give My Heart To You - Joan Regan

1955
Forgive My Heart - Nat King Cole
Heart - Eddie Fisher
Two Hearts - Pat Boone

1956
Can You Find It In Your Heart - Tony Bennett
Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley

1957
Heart - Max Bygraves
Your Wild Heart - Joy Layne
With All My Heart - Jodie Sands
With All My Heart - Petula Clark

1958 - Not one Heart song

1959
(All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings - Paul Anka
Broken-Hearted Melody - Sarah Vaughan
Heart Of A Man, The - Frankie Vaughan
Heartaches By The Number - Guy Mitchell
Heartaches By The Number – Ray Price
Heartbeat – 1959/1960 Buddy Holly
Just Ask Your Heart - Frankie Avalon

1960
He Will Break Your Heart - Jerry Butler
Heart Of A Teenage Girl - Craig Douglas

1961
Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart - Neil Sedaka
Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart - Connie Francis
Every Beat Of My Heart - The Pips
Heartaches - The Marcels
Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn) - Joe Dowell
Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley
Heart And Soul - Cleftones
Three Hearts In A Tangle – Roy Drusky

1962
Don't Break The Heart That Loves You - Connie Francis
Dear Lonely Hearts - Nat King Cole
Your Cheatin' Heart - Ray Charles
When The Boy In Your Arms (Is The Boy In Your Heart) - Connie Francis
Unchain My Heart - Ray Charles

1963
Half Heaven-Half Heartache - Gene Pitney
Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts - Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans

1964
Anyone Who Had a Heart - Cilla Black
Anyone Who Had a Heart - Dionne Warwick
The Door Is Still Open To My Heart -Dean Martin

1965
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat - Herman's Hermits
Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches - Paul and Barry Ryan
Evil Hearted You - The Yardbirds
Heart Full Of Soul – The Yardbirds
Heart Of Stone - The Rolling Stones
Your Cheating Heart - Elvis Presley
You're Breakin' My Heart - Keely Smith

1966
Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart - Roy Orbison
Love's Just A Broken Heart - Cilla Black
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin

1967
Expressway To Your Heart - Soul Survivors

1968
Heartache - Roy Orbison
Me The Peaceful Heart - Lulu
Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache - Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon

1969
Bless Your Heart – Isley Brothers
Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin

1970
Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
Affair Of The Heart - Rick Springfield

1971
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Bee Gees

1972
Heartbroken Bopper – The Guess Who
Heart Of Gold - Neil Young

Be Still My Beating Heart - Sting
Beat Of My Heart, The – Foreigner

1973
Heart Of Stone - Kenny

1974
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) - The Rolling Stones

1975
Heartbeat - Showaddywaddy

1976
Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
Good Hearted Woman – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Heart On My Sleeve - Gallagher and Lyle

1977
Look Into Your Heart – Aretha Franklin

1978
You're In My Heart - Rod Stewart

1979
Broken Hearted Me - Anne Murray
Heart Of Glass - Blondie

1980
Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) - Mint Condition
Deep Inside My Heart – Randy Meisner
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen

1981
Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart) - Ottawan
Heart Like A Wheel – Steve Miller Band

1982
Crying My Heart Out Over You – Ricky Skaggs
Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
Heart Attack - Olivia Newton-John
Heart Of Stone – Suzi Quatro
Heartlight - Neil Diamond
Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight - Eddie Rabbitt

1983
Heart And Soul - Huey Lewis & the News
Heartache Avenue - Maisonettes
Heart To Heart - Kenny Loggins
Heartbreaker - Bee Gees
Heartbreaker - Dionne Warwick
I've Got A Rock 'N' Roll Heart - Eric Clapton

1984
Foolish Heart - Steve Perry
Heart Of Rock & Roll - Huey Lewis & the News
Young At Heart - Bluebells
When You Say You Love Somebody) In The Heart - Kool and the Gang

1985
Fortress Around Your Heart - Sting

1986
Captain Of Her Heart, The - Double
Each Time You Break My Heart - Nick Kamen
Every Beat Of My Heart - Rod Stewart
Heart Of Gold - 1986/1987 - Willie Nelson

1987
Change Of Heart - Cyndi Lauper
Cross My Broken Heart - The Jets
Half Past Forever (Till I’m Blue In The Heart)– T.G. Sheppard
Heartache - Pepsi and Shirlie
Open Your Heart - Madonna

1988
Everything Your Heart Desires -Daryl Hall & John Oates
Heart - Pet Shop Boys
Heart Turns To Stone - Foreigner

1989
Dial My Heart - Boys
Hand On Your Heart - Kylie Minogue
Hide Your Heart - Kiss

1990
Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart – Randy Travis
Heart Of Stone - Cher
Heart Of Stone - Taylor Dayne
Heart-Shaped World (trouble) - Chris Isaak

1991
Every Heartbeat (belongs to you) - Amy Grant
Explain It To My Heart – Chicago

1992
Hold On My Heart – Genesis

1993
Can’t Break It To My Heart -Tracy Lawrence

1994
Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Ru Paul

1995
Open Your Heart - M People

1996
If He Should Break Your Heart - Journey

1997
Here In My Heart – Chicago

1998
Heartbeat - Steps

1999
From The Heart - Another Level

2000
From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart - Britney Spears
Hammer To The Heart - The Tamperer featuring Maya
Heart Of Asia - Watergate

Happy Valentine's Day!
Winnie

This Month's Musical History Oldies

2011-01-14T19:15:00.017-06:00

1948: The Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour debuts on the Dumont network, a spinoff of Major Bowes' popular radio series. Teresa Brewer and Pat Boone, among others, are discovered via the program.

1965:
Paul Simon drops out of law school to pursue music full-time.

1968: At a White House luncheon to discuss the rise in urban crime, Eartha Kitt gets into a notorious spat with First Lady Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson, declaring, "Vietnam is the main reason we are having trouble with the youth of America. It is a war without explanation or reason." Although accounts of the entire argument differ, Kitt is subsequently blackballed in America.

1973: The Rolling Stones
hold a benefit concert at the Los Angeles Forum for victims of the recent Nicaraguan earthquake, raising over $200,000 for the cause. (Lead singer Mick Jagger personally contributes an extra $150,000.)

1974: The sitcom
Happy Days starring Ron Howard and Henry Winkler premiers

1975: Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago officially declares today Bobby Vinton Day.

1977: President Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Concert takes place the night before the swearing-in, featuring performances by Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin, among others. John Lennon and Paul Simon are among those spotted in the crowd.
And again in 2009 Aretha sang the National Anthem at President Obama's Inauguration.

1985: USA Today readers select Cleveland, OH, as their choice for the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1990: Eric Clapton
kicks off an unprecedented eighteen-night concert stay at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

1996: Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson.

Medal of Honor

2011-01-08T18:59:00.004-06:00

Courage.

You're a 19 year old kid.

You're critically wounded and dying in
the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .

It's November 11, 1967 .
LZ (landing zone) X-ray.

Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out.

Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again.

As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.

You look up to see a Huey coming in. But... It doesn't seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.

He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety.

And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!
Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.

He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient,Captain Ed Freeman, United States Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho.

May God Bless and Rest His Soul.

I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we've sure seen a whole bunch about Lindsay Lohan, Tiger Woods and the bickering of congress over Health Reform.

Medal of Honor Winner Captain Ed Freeman

Holiday Movie Trivia for the OGR-ers

2010-12-27T10:48:00.014-06:00

Tis the season.

Oh, holiday parties and family gatherings

And yes, those few moment where you find yourself in a conversation lull before the spiked eggnog takes effect or the dreaded mistletoe spotted. So if a “silent night” moment hits when talking with your boss or weird uncle, here’s a bit of useful trivia to entertain the whole gang.

Miracle on 34th Street:
Even though "Miracle on 34th Street" is one of the ultimate Christmas movies, studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck insisted on a May release because he believed more people saw movies during the summer months.

The studio’s PR department was given the difficult task of marketing a movie about Santa Claus while trying to keep the fact that it was a Christmas movie secret.
Zanuck not only insisted on a Summer release of this holiday movie but wasn’t fond of the project to begin with because it was so corny and wouldn’t attract an audience.

Well, prove Darryl wrong and it ended up nominated for a Best Picture Oscar won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay, among others.

It’s a Wonderful Life:
Actor, Cary Grant, not Jimmy Stewart was originally cast for the staring role. But when Frank Capra came on board, he rewrote the part for Stewart.

And thanks to Kellogs and the 1940s, the movies effects departments routinely used corn flakes painted white as snow. One hitch though, when actors walked through the "corn snow," the crunching of the flakes was so loud that dialogue couldn't be recorded. Frank Capra wanted live dialogue in his snow scenes, so he called upon the effects department at RKO Studio to create a new kind of artificial snow. The result: a new chemical snow, blown through a wind machine, for a truly silent night.

"Wonderful Life" was a box office flop in 1946 and couldn’t recoup its production costs. Over the next 30 years and as TV sets invaded household America, networks searched for family oriented holiday programs and “It’s a Wonderful Life” became an annual holiday program.
A Christmas Story:

"A Christmas Story" is considered one of the most beloved Christmas movies around, but its existence is entirely because of the success of director Bob Clark’s previous effort "Porky’s" -- a teen sex comedy that's far less beloved.

Jack Nicholson wanted the role of The Old Man, but the studio wouldn’t consider the actor's fees, which would have doubled the budget.

In 2005 the original home of "A Christmas Story" went up for sale. Avid fan Brian Jones bought it on eBay for on eBay for $150,000. Then added another $500,000 in exterior restoration to make it look exactly like the movie. Turned it into a museum and bought the house next door for a gift shop.
Home Alone:
Joe Pesci kept kept forgetting he was staring in a family movie and not “Goodfellas”. He kept dropping the F-bomb during production. Director Chris Columbus told Pesci to say the word "fridge" instead of that other word.

Daniel Stern agreed to have that tarantula crawl on his face for only one take. He had to pantomime the scream, though. Screams tend to freak out the spiders, and it's never a good idea to do that when they're on your face.
Elf:
If you look quickly, you’ll see that Peter Billingsley makes a cameo as the elf Ming Ming at the beginning of the film. He is, of course, better known for playing the lead in another Yuletide yarn: "A Christmas Story."

The twelve-second belch Buddy busts loose after downing a two liter bottle of Coca-Cola is real, dubbed by voice actor Maurice LaMarche. That’s some serious talent.

From Winnie and the OGR staff, we wish you and your families, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Legends and Wishes for a Blessed Christmas

2010-12-20T21:22:00.010-06:00

The Legend of the Snowflake

Long ago, a gleaming star led the way
To a child born in a manger.
Today it is believed that snowflakes
Are little pieces of that special star
That leads us to the light of the world,
Jesus
The Nativity Scene
Legend has it that Saint Francis of Assisi constructed the first nativity scene. His depiction included live animals. Francis knew that all the earth can be "holy land."
Robin's Red Breast
Legend has it that a little brown bird shared Bethlehem's stable. One night as the holy family lay sleeping, she noticed their fire was going out. So she flew down and fanned the fire with her wings throughout the night. In the morning, she was rewarded with a red breast as a symbol of her love for the newborn king.
la Bafana and Babouska
As Legend has it on Jan. 6, presents are delivered by a kind ugly witch called Befana riding a broomstick as she searches for Baby Jesus. The three kings asked her to follow them, but she was to busy cleaning house to leave. She missed the Star, lost her way and has been flying around ever since, leaving presents for good children and coal for the bad ones. In Poland a similar legend is told as the gifts are brought to the children by Babouska.
Spider
Legend has it that a poor woman had no decorations for her Christmas tree. She went to bed wondering how she would explain the unadorned tree to her children on Christmas Day. Angels prompted the house spiders to cover the tree with webs and on Christmas morning the branches covered with spider webs turned to silver by the rising sun.
The Legend of the Christmas Candle
The legend of the Christmas Candle foretells good luck, good health, and happiness during the year if burned on Christmas Day. Once lighted, it must be allowed to burn until it flickers out. Today people hold to the tradition of placing a Christmas candle in each front window of their houses as a welcoming symbol of friendship.
The Donkey
Legend has it the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday followed Him to Calvary. Appalled by the sight of Jesus on the cross, the donkey turned away but could not leave. It is said that the shadow of the cross fell upon the donkey’s shoulders and back. A cross marking found on many donkeys today remains a testimony of the love and devotion of a humble, little donkey.
The Rooster
Legend has it, the rooster has only crowed once at midnight to announce the birth of the Baby Jesus. For this reason, Spanish and Latin American countries call their midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the Mass of the Rooster, or Misa Del Gallo.
The Christmas Cat
Legend has it a small tabby cat crawls out from beneath a pile of straw in the stable. Mary says "I'm sorry Cat, I think no creature in this barn is going to get rest tonight." So it curls up and began purring, softly at first, then steadily louder and soon the barn was filled with the cat’s calming purr. Mary , was so pleased she reached down and gently traced her first initial, the letter M, on the cat's forehead, in thanks. So today all Tabbies are marked with the letter “M” as a symbol of Mary’s love.
The Legend of the Christmas Rose The Christmas or Snow Winter rose blooms at Christmas in winter in the mountains of Central Europe. Legend has it a little shepherdess named Madelon tending her sheep saw the wise men and shepherds bringing gifts for the Maji. Having nothing to give, she began to cry. An Angel brushed away the snow and showed her a white flower tipped in pink - the Christmas Rose. To this day, parts of central and northern Europe break off a cherry tree branch at the beginning of Advent and keep it in water so flowers burst into bloom at Christmas time.

Haven’t we all experienced that conversation “lull” at the office Christmas Party or the family get-together. Well, don’t panic, just dazzle them and feel free to quote some of this useless trivia. Then duck cause what’s flying towards you probably won’t be Santa and the reindeer.

Did you know: Santa’s sled would weigh 333,333 tons loaded with one toy for every child on earth?
Did you know: it would require 214,206 reindeer and Rudolph to pull a 333,333 ton sleigh?
Did you know: that if Santa ate every snack left for him both the weight of the sled and number of reindeers would double?

DO NOT Add a sign to the back of his sleigh - WIDE LOAD DO NOT FOLLOW
Remember he has an automatic coal dispenser at the ready.

So Merry Christmas to all OGR's listeners around the world including those in:

North Pole, Alaska
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus, Georgia
Rudolph, Wisconsin
Noel,Missouri
Merryville, Louisiana
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, West Virginia
Bethlehem, Georgia
Jolly, Texas

Thanksgiving

2010-11-18T17:31:00.018-06:00

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.

THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.

TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

To you, and your family, wishes for a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

Winnie

November 11

2010-11-07T13:20:00.016-06:00

This is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from Carol, a special person and OGR listener. I thought it a great tribute for November 11, Veterans’ Day and a small way to honor family, friends and all who sacrificed and served in the military.

It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.

It's the Soldier, not the politicians
That ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..

It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.

Pray for our men and women Who have served and are currently serving our country
And pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom....

THESE COLORS DON'T RUN

AMEN!

"War of the Worlds" and Crypt Tunes

2010-10-19T13:03:00.007-05:00

TUNE IN OGR ON
Saturday, October 30th for a special airing of the 72nd anniversary of the 1938 broadcast adaptation of H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” by Orson Welles. The original broadcasted over Mercury Theatre on the Air, a CBS radio network, scared audiences all over the country with vision of aliens landing in New Jersey.

DJ Jitar will rebroadcast the complete original airplay, uninterrupted, on Our Generation Radio on October 30, 2010 starting at 6 PM Eastern Time.

Be sure to tune in and get everyone ready for Halloween.

Sit back and enjoy a small glimpse of radio's hay-day, just as our Moms and Dads did, when words played a triple role that of sight,sound and imagination.

Orson Welles, 1937
The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast, a series of simulated "news bulletins", led listeners to believe an actual alien invasion by Martians was happening.

What made it more realistic was Mercury Theatre running it without commerical interruption. Sensationalist accounts in the press occurred about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast but the precise extent of listener response has been debated. Widespread outrage followed the broadcast. It was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode secured Orson Welles' fame.

Halloween always a time for scary songs, but not the overplayed "Monster Mash", "Werewolves of London", or "Witchy Woman". Try downloading one or two of these classics for a haunting change of pace.

"Rumble", Link Wray & His Ray Men, 1958, used unheard of musical techniques for distortion and feedback. The song is "the only instrumental single banned from the radio airwaves as it had a rough sound and said it sounded like a street fight.
And once a long standing theme song from two of my fav local TV shows Son of Svengoolie and Screaming Yellow Theatre.

"I Put a Spell on You", Screamin Jay Hawkins, 1956. His most successful recording, was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

“Bad Moon Rising" , Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John Fogerty. No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969.
The song has been recorded by at least 20 different artists, in styles that range from acoustic folk to reggae to psychedelic rock to zydeco.

“Tubular Bells” , Mike Oldfield, 1973, not a single word is spoken in an all hell breaking loose theme from THE EXCORIST.

"Gloomy Sunday", closely associated with Billie Holiday, who scored a hit in 1941. Unsubstantiated urban legends tell that it inspired hundreds of suicides, and was dubbed the "Hungarian suicide song" in the United States.

From ghoulies and ghosties, Long-leggety beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us.

WINNIE-BOO wishes you a devilishly-delightful Holloween!

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

2010-10-07T10:12:00.008-05:00

The “Queen of Disco” after years of touring the U.S. and Europe now embarks on a new second act: teaching.

Gloria Gaynor, singer, actress and author is back in school studying psychology and hopes to one day open a Los Angeles healing and recreational center. Her goal to teach teens and parents life skills. “I want to teach them how to survive.”

And who better - her famous chart-topping, disco song, “I Will Survive”, is still played in nightclubs and radio. Its rated 97 on Billboard’s “Greatest Songs of All Times” with over 14 million copies sold and earned her a Grammy Award.

Gloria’s life long passion for song roots back to her early childhood where she was one of six children growing up in a tiny Newark, NJ flat.
Listening to the radio with dreams of becoming a singer as great as Nat King Cole or Sarah Vaughn.
Honing her skill, she joined school choirs and glee clubs. After high school, singing with house bands in local bars and clubs.'
Soon thereafter, on the road and auditions.
Columbia Record label signed her and she recorded her 1975 first disco hit, “Never Can Say Goodbye”.
The National Association of Discotheque Disc Jockeys crowned her disco queen in 1976.

Two years later Gloria took a serious spill on stage that left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Emergency surgery, months in a half body brace, and while still in recovery, Gloria records “I Will Survive”.
She is not surprised by the song’s staying power all these years - it just magnifies her own personal belief with its timeless lyrics.

As many OGR’ers know, like Gloria, we can not only fulfill our childhood dreams but then go on to reinvent ourselves too.

Ciao for Now!! Winnie

IDES OF MARCH

2010-09-14T20:26:00.010-05:00

Did those 4 unassuming young boys in a Berwyn, IL (just outside of Chicago) Shopping Center lot ever think that after nearly 46 years, they would still be together?

Originally introduced as the Shon Dels they quickly became known as The Ides of March.
The winning combination: start with four high school boys, a blue collar suburb, a basement band , a great mix of music and talent. Their only goal, just impress the girls.

Now, the proof. Forty-six years later, the Ides of March “hit the street permanently“.

Berwyn renamed Home Street.
Jim Peterik recalls: “ I used to walk down that very street to school. I never thought in a million years that it would one day be named “The Ides of March Way”.

Plus all of the original members are still active in the band. Jim Peterik, Mike Borch, Bob Bergland, Larry Millas and four others added over the years (Chuck Soumar, John Larson, Scott May and Dave Stahlberg) equal the talent behind some great, and very recognizable hits: “L.A. Goodbye”, “Vehicle” and “You Wouldn’t Listen”.

Peterik took his talent one step further and co-wrote another memorable hit for Sylvester Stallone and the film “Rocky III”, “Eye of the Tiger”, while he was in the band Survivor, which he co-founded.

One thing for sure, good music as well as good bands stand the test of time and are always on air at Our Generation Radio. As they say, Don’t touch that dial!

Ciao for Now, Winnie!!

George Weiss

2010-09-03T15:11:00.023-05:00

Famous for co-writing numerous songs including “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “What A Wonderful World”, and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. ….George David Weiss, 89, has died.

Radio, TV and even Broadway were his media and audiences loved his music, including these recorded by famous singers.....
"Lullaby of Birdland" Ella Fitzgerald
" Surrender” Perry Como
“Oh! What It Seemed to Be”,Frank Sinatra
“Confess” Patti Page
“Wheel of Fortune” Kay Starr
“That Sunday, That Summer” Nat King Cole

Perhaps the most legendary story revolves around “Cant Help Falling In Love” written for Elvis’ movie “Blue Hawaii” when new songs were being sought for the film.

Weiss recalled how it happened. Presley’s publishers “Passed out scripts to the 15-20 songwriters and said ‘If you get into the picture, good, if you don’t to damn bad’.

When they heard “Can’t Help Falling in Love” there was a 20 second silence and then one of them said, slowly, “That’s nice, but we want another ‘Hound Dog’. Just proves that even the experts can be wrong.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was such a huge hit for Elvis that it became the trademark closing song for many of his stage performances. I can attest to that. I was privileged to see one of his last live performances a few weeks before he died. He truly captured the heart of every female in the audience.

Weiss is also credited with the 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and The Tokens took it to No. 1.

Odd that a song based on a 1939 South African song “Mbude” (Zulu for lion)would resurrect years later. Weiss began thinking about it and came up with the notion that the lion was sleeping and nobody had to worry, so he incorporated that chant into the song and changed some melodies. Proof that all things old are new again.

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” was a team effort with Bob Thiele, and recorded in 1967. Later featured in the 1987 Robin Williams movie “Good Morning Vietnam”. A song and movie that both attained classic status and took another turn perhaps as the unofficial theme song for saving the planet.

Here’s to George whose love for music made this a “wonderful world” for this and future generations of OGR-ers.

A Safe and Happy Labor Day to all.
Winnie!!!

Baby Boomer Pride

2010-08-03T20:19:00.020-05:00

I'm passing this on as I did not want to be the only BABY BOOMER reading it.

Actually, it's not a bad thing to be called, as you will see.

BABY BOOMERS are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem.

BABY BOOMERS remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them.

BABY BOOMERS remember World War II, Pearl Harbor , Guadalcanal , Normandy and Hitler.

They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing.

They remember the 50 plus Peacekeeping Missions from 1945 to 2005, not to mention Vietnam.

If you bump into a BABY BOOMER on the sidewalk he will apologize.

If you pass an BABY BOOMER on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady.

BABY BOOMERS trust strangers and are courtly to women.

BABY BOOMERS hold the door for the next person and always, when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.

BABY BOOMERS get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like any filth or dirty language on TV or in movies.

BABY BOOMERS have moral courage and personal integrity. They seldom brag unless it's about their children or grandchildren.

It's the BABY BOOMERS who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.

This country needs BABY BOOMERS with their work ethic, sense of responsibility, pride in their country and decent values.

We need them now more than ever.

Thank God for BABY BOOMERS!

I was taught to respect my elders.

It's just getting harder to find them.

Winnie

And every BABY BOOMER remembers the thrill of a live concert on a Friday Night/Date Night.....

Tune in Friday Night, August 13,2010, for a special live event on Our Generation Radio.

DJ Glee and DJ Rick Wrigley are hosting a live performance of the Sensational Epics at the Capital Senior Center in Columbia SC.

The Epics are a high energy, show band that will get your blood pumpin’ and your feet stompin’. The show starts at 7 PM Eastern time and the concert at 7:30.

"Be There or Be Square!"

Do you Remember......

2010-07-23T22:20:00.026-05:00

In 1954, the first transistor radio by Texas Instruments with predicted sales of 20 million radios in three years. It fell short only 100,000 purchased the first year because of performance problems.
Oh by the way…..None of the major radio makers including RCA, Philco, and Emerson were interested.
Then Raytheon siezed the market in 1955 with their version for $49.95 including 4” speaker and sound quality. A little bit of sticker shock when the average annual salary was around $4,000.
Wasn’t long before RCA, Zenith, DeWald and Crosly began flooding the market.

Just in time for us baby-boomers to start listening to our '55 favorite artists' Top Hit Singles:
Bill Haley & His Comets Rock Around the Clock - becomes the first Rock and roll single to reach Number One on the American charts. The film Blackboard Jungle premieres in New York City featured "Rock Around the Clock" over the opening credits—the first use of a rock and roll song in a major film.
Tennessee Ernie Ford Sixteen Tons
Four Aces Love is a Many Splendoured Thing
Chuck Berry Maybellene recorded for Chess Records in Chicago
Frank Sinatra Love & Marriage
"Let Me Go, Lover" Joan Weber
"Hearts of Stone" Fontane Sisters
"Sincerely" McGuire Sisters

"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" Perez Prado
"The Yellow Rose of Texas" Mitch Miller

Dot Records introduces Pat Boone, with an advertisement in Billboard magazine calling him "a great new voice"

Little Richard records "Tutti Frutti" with significantly cleaned up lyrics (originally "Tutti Frutti, good booty" among other things.

Oh my!!! . Our record players, transistors, Walkman, 8-track, cassettes were our "musical magic lamps" bringing us the beginnings of great music, memories and more.

So don't touch that dial ---- Today, it's OGR!!!
Winnie

HAPPY 4th of JULY

2010-07-01T22:11:00.025-05:00

Summer and the 4th of July go hand-n-hand and our love for these “all American foods” some of whose origins circle the world. So as we salute America, fire up the grill, spend time with family and friends, enjoy some facts about the:

Hot Dog

Originates as the Frankfurter Wurst in 1480’s - Frankfurt Germany
Named The "dachshund" or "little-dog" sausage by 18th Century Bavarian butcher Johann Georg Lahner,
By 1870, Coney Island, German immigrant Charles Feltman sold them on rolls.
Perhaps the most famous, is Chicago, IL basedOscar Mayer and its symbol, the Wienermobile, that’s toured the U.S. over 70 years.

Hamburger
15th Century a hashed sausage delicacy.
Late 18th century, Sailors visiting ports in Hamburg, Germany and New York, brought this food and term "Hamburg Steak" into popular usage.
1826, the first printed American menu listed hamburger was Delmonico's , New York and later at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Potato Chips
Tradition says the original potato chip recipe was created in Saratoga Springs, New York on August 24, 1853. A complaining patron kept sending back his thick, soggy fried potatoes. A frustrated chef George Crum kept making them thinner and crispier. In turn, they became a regular menu item the "Saratoga Chips".
After some trial and error, Joe “Spud” Murphy produced the world's first seasoned crisps, Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar. Yum!!!

S’mores
The first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the publication "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts" of 1927. And Ladies we’ve been lovin 'em ever since.

Kool Aid “Oh Yeah”
Invented by Edwin & Kitty Perkins of Hastings, Nebraska in 1927 t o reduce shipping costs, by removing the liquid from his “Fruit Smack” drink and Kool-Aid powder, the result..
In the 1950's Kool-Aid Man, a frosty pitcher filled with Kool-Aid, became the company's mascot. He was known for bursting suddenly through walls of children's homes and proceeding to make a batch of Kool-Aid for them. His famous catch phrase:"Oh, yeah!"

Popsicle “If its Popsicle, Its Possible”
1905, eleven year old Frank Epperson, left a stir stick in a mixture of powdered flavored soda and water out on a cold night in San Francisco. The next morning, a frozen treat he named the Epsicle was born. Eighteen years later he introduced it to the public and renamed it “Popsicle” at the insistence of his children, when filing for a patent.
1939, “Popsicle Pete” was introduced on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century radio program as having won the "Typical American Boy Contest." Listeners were told to
send in wrappers for prizes from the manufacturer. “Pete” remained in print and TV ads and activity books until 1995.

Coppertone “Don’t be a paleface”
An American sunscreen and sister brand to Bain de Soleil, which is targeted to adult females.
1944, pharmacist Benjamin Green invented a lotion to darken tans. In 1953, the company became famous when it introduced the Coppertone girl, an ad showing a young blond girl in pigtails staring in surprise as a Cocker Spaniel sneaks up behind her and - well you get the picture

To all our OGR listeners, their families and friends, we wish you a safe and Happy 4th. Remember our troops and all who have served to keep freedom alive.
God Bless America!!

Winnie and the OGR Staff and Management

Memories Cruzin

2010-06-25T12:45:00.023-05:00

Want to do some great "memories cruzin"?

Check out this website, compliments of our DJ, JimmyB http://www.lov2xlr8.no/broch1.html

Time travel with great classic cars and more memory joggers.

I did.

This Kaiser reminded me of the one Dad drove during the worst '55 Christmas Eve snow storm after having the traditional Eve Dinner and Santa's arrival at our Aunt's house.

WOW! You have to remember that back in the '50's there was very little attention paid to street snow removal especially after mid-night on holidays.

Not that would have helped this tank of a car. Tiny, slow motion wipers struggling to keep the heavy snow off that sliver of a front window. Dad scraping frost off the inside front window, carving a peep hole while driving.

Barely a car heater; Mom little Sis and me shivering, wrapped in blankets.

Traction, even if the car had any it was no match against snow half way up the hubcap.
Kaiser traded in the following Summer.
Now its a Ford Fairlane with a stand-out two-tone paint finish, in cream and mint green. That was a classic car.

Dad loved driving it and any excuse for a Sunday outing would do. A few miles to the local White Castle for 7 cent burgers, Robert Hall for clothes or an all day venture to Wisconsin and we were gone. Shares of Johnson Car Wax soared - never remember a time when Dad wasn't washing and waxing that Fairlane or every car thereafter.

Carpooling to work was a challenge in a "little Nash Rambler". He tolerated the horrible ride, contortions to get in and out of and no leg room. Ed Begley Jr. would have been proud of Dad's shrinking carbon footprint.

"Oh My!".... Hope you have the chance this Summer to visit a local classic car show, or at least enjoy a trip down memory lane, http://www.lov2xlr8.no/broch1.html

Ciao for now!!!

Flag Day

2010-06-14T12:21:00.013-05:00

Remember the Pledge of Allegiance to the “grand old Flag”
on Flag Day, June 14 and the next 364. Fly her proud as a symbol both to those who defended her and a reminder to those who would destroy her.
Never forget Life, Liberty, Freedom, Pursuit of Happiness and God.

The Flag at Ground Zero

Replicas of the Star Spangled Banner Flag (15 stars, 15 stripes) are flown at two sites in Baltimore, Maryland: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and Flag House Square.

Marine Corps War Memorial (Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia

Lexington, Massachusetts Town Green

The White House, Washington, D.C.

Fifty U.S. Flags are displayed continuously at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.

Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington, Virginia

By Congressional decree, a Civil War era flag (for the year 1863) flies above Pennsylvania Hall (Old Dorm) at Gettysburg College[citation needed]. This building, occupied by both sides at various points of the Battle of Gettysburg, served as a lookout and battlefield hospital.

Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge NHP, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania .

At U.S. Customs and Border Protection Ports of Entry that are continuously open.

Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment,

Bridgewater, New Jersey, Thirteen Star Flag. (Act of Congress.[citation needed])
By custom, at the Maryland home, birthplace, and grave of Francis Scott Key;.

At the Worcester, Massachusetts, war memorial; at the plaza in Taos, New Mexico (since 1861); at the United States Capitol (since 1918); and at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Slover Mountain (Colton Liberty Flag), in Colton, California. July 4, 1917 to circa. 1952 & 1997 to present.

At the ceremonial South Pole as one of the 12 flags representing the signatory countries of the original Antarctic Treaty.

The surface of the Moon, having been placed there by the astronauts of Apollo 11,
Apollo 12, Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17.

Nashville National Cemetery, Nashville City Cemetery over the grave site of Sea Captain William Driver who in 1831 nicknamed the 24-star flag "Old Glory" and hid the famous flag from Rebels during the Civil War.

June 6 - Sixty-six Years Ago

2010-06-08T12:51:00.019-05:00

June 6, sixty-six years ago the Allied Invasion of Normandy, FR - a fight for democracy at the cost of thousands of lives.

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough” said Robert Capa, photographer, who landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Taking over 100 picture of the event then sending the film to London for processing. A London darkroom technician dried them to quickly, the emulsion melts and less than 12 usable pictures told the landing at Omaha.
In 1954, Capa lived his own words. He died after stepping on a land mine in Indochina.

Crossword puzzles were the focus of British intelligence weeks before the invasion. The London Daily Telegraph published the answers to one that included key code names. “Overload” and “Neptune” (code names for the over-all operation and the landing operation) “Utah” and “Omaha” (the two American invasion beaches), and “Mulberry” (the code name for the artificial harbors planned after the invasion).
British Intelligence interrogated Leonard Dawe, a school headmaster and puzzle-maker. Conclusion, it was just a coincidence.

D-Day “Bigots“. was the code word for anyone who knew the time and place of the invasion. Reverse it and “to-Gib” used on papers of those traveling to Gibraltar for the invasion of North Africa in 1942.

The Allied forces hoodwinked Hitler in a unique way. Ingenuity and diversions. Its effect created two phantom fleets of bombers out of thin air.
First, parachuting dummies outfitted with firecrackers that exploded on contact behind enemy lines. Then Allied planes dropped strips of aluminum foil cut to a length to match German radar waves.

D-Day secrets almost exposed in Chicago at a postal sorting office when a package sent from Supreme Headquarters in London arrived a few months before the invasion and was accidentally opened. Critical invasion timetables and locations were seen by many unauthorized Chicago postal workers who were put under surveillance. The FBI concluded the U.S. General’s Aide, of German decent, was overtired and mistakenly addressed the package to his sister.

General Eisenhower said a single person “won the war for us”. Not Gen. George Patton or Gen. Douglas MacArthur. It was Andrew Higgins who designed and built the amphibious assault crafts used by Allies to storm the Normandy beaches. A shortage of steel prompted him to buy the entire 1939 crop of Philippines’ mahogany and his New Orleans company produced these now famous crafts.

This U-505 is on display at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. On June 4, the U.S. forces captured the sub off the African coast fearing a key code was broken and the Allied war effort compromised. The captured sub and its crew were hid until the end of the War and the Germans assumed it was lost at sea.

Freudian slips and D-Day remembrances. 2004, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin referred to the “INVASION OF NORWAY” instead of “Normandy“. Last year while attending an event with President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown refereed to “OBAMA BEACH” instead of “Omaha Beach”.

MEMORIAL DAY

2010-05-27T20:21:00.003-05:00

REMEMBER THEM

If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and one backward glance when you are leaving, for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not always have. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
Dak To, South Vietnam

Recited by Tom Selleck upon receiving the 2009 TV Land Hero's Award for Magnum, P.I. An OGR gentle hero in his own rite and an accomplished actor who once again pulled unexpected audience emotion, uncontrollable tears and unbounded patriotism.

Though he insisted he is not worthy of that same category as there are others more deserving, he was proud that the Smithsonian recognized Magnum, P.I. as the first series to portray the Vietnam Vet in a positive light. " Now in today's world our vets are treated with respect and we know it wasn't always that way."

His real life crusade is the "Wall that Heals", part of the Vietnam War Memorial, a 45-foot aluminum trailer that travels across the country to people who may not have the opportunity to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Actor Tom Selleck, left, attends an event unveiling a traveling exhibit called "The Wall That Heals", part of the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Museum, in Washington, Thursday, March 26, 2009. At right is U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nick Adams, 21. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).

This Memorial Day take a quiet time to reflect on our friends and family who served, returned or proudly remember as the "gentle heroes you left behind".

The ABC's of Grown Old

2010-05-06T18:47:00.020-05:00

Dedicated to our Moms who first taught us the Alphabet and then these life-lesson ABC's.
How many of these TV Moms can you recognize??

Lucille Ball "I Love Lucy" 1951-57
Accept your body as is.
Bold is beautiful.
Cherish your health.

Jayne Wyatt "Father Knows Best" 1954-60
Don't worry about wrinkles; they're just antique smiles.
Enjoy the simple things in life.
Find an age you like and stick with it!

Donna Reed "The Donna Reed Show" 1958-66
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
How old you are is your own business!
Its easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

Barbara Billingsly "Leave It To Beaver" 1957-63
Just remember...what was I saying?
Keep the faith.
Lie about your age.

Yvonne DeCarlo "The Munsters" 1964-66
Mend fences.
No one said getting older is easy!
Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Florence Henderson "The Brady Bunch" 1969-74
Pick your friends wisely.
Quit whining.
Remember the good ol' days.

Carolyn Jones "The Addams Family" 1964-66
Surround yourself with what you love.
Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

Marian Ross "Happy Days" 1974-84
Until you make peace with who you are,
you'll never be content with what you have.
Volunteer...everyday.

Elizabeth Montgomery "Bewitched" 1964-72
When you say I'm sorry, look the person in the eye.
Xpect happiness in life.

Reba McEntire "Reba" 2001-07
Young at heart (slightly older in other places).
Zzzzzzz...take plenty of cat naps

Happy Birthday and Mother's Day, Mom!!!

TWINKIES!!!

2010-04-14T16:03:00.019-05:00

No, no, not the slang term - ITS Twinkie, that sweet snack cake that turned 80 this year. Picture 80 candles a Twinkie - next to impossible.

One of my wonderful memories as a kid was running to the snack counter for this treat. Gems, those two small, golden sponge cake cream filled morsels. A special treat along with my chocolate Kayo drink or 8 oz. bottle of Coke on a Saturday night. Nutrition value, ha-ha, 300 empty, sugar laden Twinkie calories weren’t even on the radar back then.

Created by James Dewar a bakery manager for Hostess (Continental Bakers) and, yes, made in Chicago. Hostess still cranks out over 500 million each year. Got to wonder if you did a term of existence experiment, which would have a longer shelf life a Twinkie or a can of Spam. I’d wager, Spam cause just on appeal alone, Twinkies wins.

Did you know that in the ‘50’s Buffalo Bob hawked them on the Howdy Doody Show?

Archie Bunker (“All in the Family ’70’s sit-com) had one every day in his lunchbox. Hell for Edith to pay the one day she forgot to include Twinkies in Archie’s lunch.

The phrase “big Twinkie” is introduced in the ‘84 “Ghostbuster” movie.

Pinky and the girls in ‘78’s movie “Grease” talked about Twinkies and wine at their pajama party.

In ‘94, “The Simpsons” Apu proved “you cannot hurt the Twinkie it always regains it form.

In “Zombieland”, 2009, a quest for Twinkies goes head-to-head with the undead.

And if that isn't enough, theTexas State Fair introduced the fried Twinkie. It quickly spread to other state fairs across the U.S., as well as some establishments that specialize in fried foods.
Just freeze the cake, dip it in batter and drop it in the fryer.

What an American icon!! Yep its off to the fridge for a cold glass of milk and you guessed it!!

Chow and Ciao for now!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

2010-04-02T09:36:00.012-05:00

(circa 1907)

What I learned from the Easter Bunny!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There's no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.

(circa 1910)

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans.

Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.

The grass is always greener in someone elses basket.

To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

May the joy of the season fill your heart.

(circa 1915)

AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
Happy Easter!

Jimmy Brazelle, Baritone Saxophone, The Sensational Epics

2010-03-24T09:50:00.020-05:00

Perhaps one of man’s greatest legacies is leaving the world a better place than he found it .

Jimmy’s deep faith in God , a compassion for fellow man and his love of music are proof of one man who did just that.

We extend prayers and condolences to his family. Friends, fans and The Sensational Epics were blessed to have known Jimmy, a special "shagger".

May a little bit of Jimmy live on in each of us.

"Philosophy for Old Age" by George Carlin

2010-03-03T10:09:00.020-06:00

Special thanks to DJGlee. I just had to share it with you.

To George's memory and we
OGR-ers fortunate to have shared times with this man; a genius of words, thoughts and humor. Whether we tuned in The Ed Sullivan Show, Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Jack Parr and later Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show or Tony Orlando & Dawn, George made us laugh in the moment then stopped us dead in our tracks hours later when the real meaning of his comedic words hit home.

So combine the 10 Commandments and George’s “ Philosophy for Old Age” you can “be the best that you can be”.

1. Throw out nonsense numbers.
This includes age, weight and height.
Let the doctor worry about them.
That’s why we pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep Learning.
Learn more about the computer,
Crafts, gardening, whatever….
Never let the brain idle.
An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
And the devil’s name is ALZHEMERS.

4. Enjoy simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.
Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen.
Endure, grieve and move on.
The only person who is with us
Our entire life is ourselves.
Be alive while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with whatever you love.
Whether its family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants
Hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health.
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even
the next county, to a foreign country,
But not where guilt is.

10 Tell the people that you love them at every opportunity.

And Winnie’s thought for the day:
LIVE every moment to its fullest
Let God LAUGH at your plan and listen to His for you.
LOVE. Keep friends close, enemies closer and your guardian Angel, closest.

Valentine Trivia

2010-02-11T09:01:00.011-06:00

1. Does the Date of Valentines Every change?
No
Yes
Maybe

2. Which Patron Saint is Valentines named after?
Saint Nick
Saint Valentine
Saint Aphrodite

3. What does the word Valentine mean?
Heart
Sweetheart
Love

4. How did sailors send messages to their loved ones while at sea in the old days?
Bottle
Sea Post
Carrier Pigeon

5. What fruit is also known as the "love apple"?
Tomato
Grape
Apple

6. Sailors often scratched or carved designs on bone, tusk or wood to give as a love token, this hobby was called?
Tatting
Whittling
Scrimshaw

7. What is the winged child shooting arrows at unsuspecting Valentines called?
Cupid
Cherub
Claude

8. What part of the body must Cupid's arrows hit to be effective?
Head
Heart
Rearend

9. What is the Greek word for Cupid, God of Love?
Eros
Venus
Zeus

10. Who are Shakesphere's "Star-crossed Lovers"?
King Tut and Cleopatra
Romeo and Juliet
Fred and Wilma

11. What type of bird symbolizes Valentine's Day?
Robin
Dove
Swan

12. What happens to someone struck by Cupid's arrow?
Lovesick
Headache
Measles

13. Do doves mate for life?
Yes
No
Maybe

14. According to English tradition - what happens "to the first man a woman sees on Valentine's Day?
Dies
Marry Him
Kiss Him

15. What flower is most commonly symbolic of Valentine's Day?
Lilly
Red Rose
Poinsettia

16. What color is the symbol of warmth and feeling?
Red
Orange
Yellow

17. What color is the symbol of purity and faith?
Blue
White
Pink

18. What date was the first recorded Valentine sent?
1838
1415
1972

19. Where do you "wear your heart" if you are quick to show your feelings?
Chest
Hand
Sleeve

20. What do you need to kiss to turn it into a Prince?
Gerbil
Frog
Snake

1. No
2. Saint Valentine
3. Sweetheart
4. Bottle
5. Tomato
6. Scrimshaw
7. Cupid
8. Heart
9. Eros
10. Romeo and Juliet
11. Dove
12. Lovesick
13. Yes
14. Marry Him
15. Red Rose
16. Red
17. White
18. 1415
19. Sleeve
20. Frog

Baby Boomers Then and Now

2009-12-29T10:45:00.011-06:00

Then: Long hair
Now: Longing for hair

Then: A KEG
Now: An EKG

Then: Acid rock
Now: Acid reflux

Then: Moving to California because it's cool.
Now: Moving to California because it's hot.

Then: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your parents
Now: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your kids

Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor
Now: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor

Then: Seeds and stems
Now: Roughage

Then: Popping pills, smoking joints
Now: Popping joints

Then: The President's struggle with Fidel
Now: The President's struggle with fidelity

Then: Paar
Now: AARP

Then: Killer weed
Now: Weed killer

Then: Hoping for a BMW
Now: Hoping for a BM

Then: The Grateful Dead
Now: Dr. Kevorkian

Then: Getting out to a new, hip joint
Now: Getting a new hip joint

PEACE, LOVE AND SOUL - EVEN MORE MEANING TODAY!!!

New Years Traditions & a Soupy Sales Blooper

2009-12-27T17:06:00.011-06:00

Whether clinking champagne glasses with friends and family, watching the ball drop in Times
Square or setting off firecrackers at midnight; the world transitions the old and welcomes the new with different customs or superstitions.

In Germany, as soon as clock strikes 12 at night, people are seen hugging, kissing and wishing each other "Gutes Nue Jahr" or "Happy New Year". Bells of churches start ringing loudly. Champagne and wine flow lavishly and fireworks light up the sky.
It is considered very auspicious by the people to have carp (a type of fish) or herring and toast made with champagne or sekt. Cabbage and carrots are also eaten to bring in financial stability. For Silvester, lentil (or split pea) soup with wieners is very popular. It is prepared a few days before the New Year. People also share meat and cheese fondue with family and friends as the New Year feast.

In some towns in Italy, watch out for falling objects. People shove their old sofas, chairs and even refrigerators out of windows on New Year's Eve so they can buy new ones.
Or, take the current year’s coins, place them face up on the window sill on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck.
On New Year’s Day, Italians serve lentils, raisins, and oranges, symbols of riches, good luck, and the promise of love. (Bring on the Pepto!!)

In Denmark young people pound on their friends' front doors and throw shards of pottery, collected from the past year, against the sides of houses. (And we thought we had it loud!)

In Greece, singing children go door-to-door, carrying fruit, a paper ship or star and a green rod cut from a cornel-tree. They tap the family members on the back with the rod for luck. It's customary to throw a pomegranate wrapped in silver foil on the threshold, to spread the seeds of good luck for an abundant year. (Caution, slippery when wet.)

In Iceland , a pantry window is left open and the frost is gathered and saved in a pot marked with a cross, for prosperity to the home. Icelanders believe that elves move into the house on New Year‘s Eve, and could be coerced into giving treasure to those who intercepted them at crossroads.

In Armenia on New Year‘s Eve, goodies are lowered down the chimney on a rope. (No mention if a roaring fire is part of this ritual!)

In Poland pickled herring is eaten to insure luck and prosperity. (Burp!)

In Ecuador, people make straw stuffed dummies and burn them in effigies at midnight, symbolically getting rid of the past. (Checked the smoke detector batteries!)
(The ultimate beach party!)

In Rio de Janeiro, on New Year’s Eve, more than a million people gather on the beaches to honor the "Mother of the Sea," who brings good fortune.
Even the color of underwear Brazilians wear on New Year’s Day has meaning.
Pink brings love, yellow, prosperity; and white, peace and happiness. (Hanes & Fruit of the Loom stocks soar!)

British say,
Take out,
Then take in,
Bad luck will begin,
Take in, then take out
On New Year’s Day, don’t sweep or you will sweep your good luck away, or take anything out of the house-even trash. (Husbands Holiday!)
To insure abundance, bring in new things and if you carry something out, be sure to bring something else in first, preferably a coin concealed outside the previous night.

In Southern U.S. and the Caribbean its tradition that certain foods are eaten, such as Hoppin' John, a dish of field peas or crowder peas (black-eyed peas) and rice, chopped onion and sliced bacon, or substitute ham hock or fatback for the conventional bacon; optional green peppers or vinegar and spices. Eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck, and it's eaten by everyone.
The peas, or beans with little black “eyes,” signify coins. Fill your plate with them and your cup will run over, as in the 23rd Psalm. Serving Collard greens symbolizing green money and wealth, and cornbread for gold. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," demonstrates frugality, and brings an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.

In Vienna, Austria, pigs are let loose in restaurants and everyone tries to touch them for luck as they run by. In homes, a marzipan pig, with a gold piece in its mouth, is suspended from a ribbon and touched instead. (Ms. Piggy must be a citizen of Austria!)

In Spanish-speaking countries, at midnight, people put 13 grapes into their wine or champagne glass. The grapes represent the 12 months of the old year and 1 for the new year. At midnight, after a toast, people eat the grapes as quickly as possible, making a wish on each one.

For Japanese it’s a customary money tree. Pine and cypress branches are decorated with old coins, paper pomegranates and flowers.
Or, old coins strung on colored threads in the shape of dragon and put at the foot of children's beds. It is called "cash to pass the year", to be saved and not spent.
Today, a money gifts are given in red envelopes.

Now the brain teaser -- and in memoriam to a funny, special comedian who died in 2009. How many of you remember this Soupy Sales telecast that got him in trouble....
On New Year's Day 1965, miffed at having to work on the holiday, Soupy Sales ended his live broadcast by encouraging his young viewers to tiptoe into their still-sleeping parents' bedrooms and remove those "funny green pieces of paper with pictures of U.S. Presidents" from their pants and pocketbooks.
"Put them in an envelope and mail them to me," Soupy instructed the children. "And I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico!" He was then hit with a pie.

Several days later, a chagrined Soupy announced that money was unexpectedly being received in the mail. He explained that he had been joking and announced that nonreturnable contributions would be donated to charity.
As parents' complaints increased, WNEW's management felt compelled to suspend Sales for two weeks. Young viewers picketed Channel 5. The uproar surrounding Sales' suspension increased his popularity.
Sales describes the incident in his 2001 autobiography Soupy Sez! My Life and Zany Times.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! See ya on the radio...that's OGR.

One Solitary Life

2009-12-17T11:19:00.010-06:00

How times change. My Christmas card themes over the last 40 years ranged from traditional, cute, a few “far side”, and even the first Pee-Wee Herman holiday card. But the one I remember every years that drew the most comments was:

One Solitary Life
He was born in an obscure village.
The child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another obscure village Where he worked in a carpenter shop Until he was thirty.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never went to college.
He never visited a big city.
He never travelled more than two hundred miles From the place where he was born.
He did none of the things Usually associated with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty three His friends ran away.

One of them denied him.
He was turned over to his enemies And went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing The only property he had on earth.

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave Through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race.
And the leader of mankind's progress,
All the armies that have ever marched,
All the navies that have ever sailed,
All the parliaments that have ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned put together Have not affected the life of mankind on earth As powerfully as that one solitary life

On behalf of OGR our wishes to you and your loved ones for a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with health, prosperity, friends and good music.

Happy Birthday DJ Jimmy Davis

2009-12-11T20:22:00.007-06:00

December 12, 2009
Dedicated to OGR's DJ Jimmy Davis with wishes for a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Remember age is just a number. It's not how many breaths you take, but what in life, takes your breath away.

Baby Boomers Then and Now

Then: Long hair Now: Longing for hair

Then: A KEG Now: An EKG

Then: Acid rock Now: Acid reflux

Then: Moving to California because it's cool. Now: Moving to California because it's hot.

Then: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your parents Now: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your kids

Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor Now: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor

Then: Seeds and stems Now: Roughage

Then: Popping pills, smoking joints Now: Popping joints

Then: The President's struggle with Fidel Now: The President's struggle with fidelity

Then: Paar Now: AARP

Then: Killer weed Now: Weed killer

Then: Hoping for a BMW Now: Hoping for a BM

Then: The Grateful Dead Now: Dr. Kevorkian

Then: Getting out to a new, hip joint Now: Getting a new hip joint

Winnie Salutes you!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-25T20:08:00.002-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

Happy B-day JimmyB

2009-11-09T08:02:00.007-06:00

Gucci, our "Woof" reporter wishes you a Happy Birthday with B-day quotes from other famous OGR personalities...

"May you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine." -Frank Sinatra

"For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday." - John Glenn

"Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Jack Benny

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." - Lucille Ball

"The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything. "- Oscar Wilde

"Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young." - Fred Astaire

"You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake." -Bob Hope

And Winnie's favorite…
"From birth to age eighteen, a girl needs good parents. From eighteen to thirty-five, she needs good looks. From thirty-five to fifty-five, she needs a good personality. From fifty-five on, she needs good cash". -Sophie Tucker

Happy Birthday, JimmyB (Sto lat!!!)

"INJUN SUMMER"

2009-11-01T22:13:00.006-06:00

INJUN SUMMER
John T. McCutcheon
Chicago Tribune
September 30, 1907

Yep, sonny this is sure enough Injun summer.

Don't know what that is, I reckon, do you?

Well, that's when all the homesick Injuns come back to play; You know, a long time ago, long afore yer granddaddy was born even, there used to be heaps of Injuns around here—thousands—millions, I reckon, far as that's concerned.

Reg'lar sure 'nough Injuns—none o' yer cigar store Injuns, not much. They wuz all around here—right here where you're standin'.

Don't be skeered—hain't none around here now, leastways no live ones. They been gone this many a year.

They all went away and died, so they ain't no more left.

But every year, 'long about now, they all come back, leastways their sperrits do. They're here now. You can see 'em off across the fields. Look real hard. See that kind o' hazy misty look out yonder? Well, them's Injuns—Injun sperrits marchin' along an' dancin' in the sunlight. That's what makes that kind o' haze that's everywhere—it's jest the sperrits of the Injuns all come back. They're all around us now.

See off yonder; see them tepees? They kind o' look like corn shocks from here, but them's Injun tents, sure as you're a foot high. See 'em now? Sure, I knowed you could. Smell that smoky sort o' smell in the air? That's the campfires a-burnin' and their pipes a-goin'.

Lots o' people say it's just leaves burnin', but it ain't. It's the campfires, an' th' Injuns are hoppin' 'round 'em t'beat the old Harry.

You jest come out here tonight when the moon is hangin' over the hill off yonder an' the harvest fields is all swimmin' in the moonlight, an' you can see the Injuns and the tepees jest as plain as kin be. You can, eh? I knowed you would after a little while.

Jever notice how the leaves turn red 'bout this time o' year? That's jest another sign o' redskins. That's when an old Injun sperrit gits tired dancin' an' goes up an' squats on a leaf t'rest. Why I kin hear 'em rustlin' an' whisper in' an' creepin' 'round among the leaves all the time; an' ever' once'n a while a leaf gives way under some fat old Injun ghost and comes floatin' down to the ground. See—here's one now. See how red it is? That's the war paint rubbed off'n an Injun ghost, sure's you're born.

Purty soon all the Injuns'll go marchin' away agin, back to the happy huntin' ground, but next year you'll see 'em troopin' back—th' sky jest hazy with 'em and their campfires smolderin' away jest like they are now.

"How beautiful the leaves grow old.
How full of light an color are their last days."

--John Burroughs

War of the Worlds on OGR and Crypt Tunes

2009-10-28T20:46:00.041-05:00

TUNE IN OGR ON
Saturday, October 30th for a special airing of the 72nd anniversary of the 1938 broadcast adaptation of H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” by Orson Wells. The original broadcasted over Mercury Theatre on the Air, a CBS radio network scared audiences all over the country with vision of aliens landing in New Jersey.

DJ Jitar will rebroadcast the complete original airplay, uninterrupted, on Our Generation Radio on October 30, 2010 starting at 6 PM Eastern Time. Be sure to tune in and get everyone ready for Halloween. Sit back and enjoy small glimpse of radio's hay-day just as our Moms and Dads did when words played a triple role of sight,sound and imagination.

Orson Welles, 1937
The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast, a series of simulated "news bulletins", led listeners to believe an actual alien invasion by Martians was happening. What made it more realistic was Mercury Theatre running it without commerical interruption. Sensationalist accounts in the press occurred about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast but the precise extent of listener response has been debated. Widespread outrage followed the broadcast. It was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode secured Orson Welles' fame.

Halloween always a time for scary songs, but not the overplayed "Monster Mash", "Werewolves of London", or "Witchy Woman". Try downloading one or two of these classics for a haunting change of pace.

"Rumble", Link Wray & His Ray Men, 1958, used unheard of musical techniques for distortion and feedback. The song is "the only instrumental single banned from the radio airwaves as it had a rough sound and said it sounded like a street fight.
And once a long standing theme song from two of my fav local TV shows Son of Svengoolie and Screaming Yellow Theatre.

"I Put a Spell on You", Screamin Jay Hawkins, 1956. His most successful recording, was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

“Bad Moon Rising" , Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John Fogerty. No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969.
The song has been recorded by at least 20 different artists, in styles that range from acoustic folk to reggae to psychedelic rock to zydeco.

“Tubular Bells” , Mike Oldfield, 1973, not a single word is spoken in an all hell breaking loose theme from THE EXCORIST.

"Gloomy Sunday", closely associated with Billie Holiday, who scored a hit in 1941. Unsubstantiated urban legends tell that it inspired hundreds of suicides, and was dubbed the "Hungarian suicide song" in the United States.

From ghoulies and ghosties, Long-leggety beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us.

WINNIE-BOO wishes you a devilishly-delightful Holloween!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OGR

2009-10-08T10:02:00.009-05:00

Birthday Wishes OGR’s for continuous on air entertainment since

It first hit the Internet, Oct. 8 2008

Real music for all generations

That’s ages not years is OGR’s motto

Hey, its tunes from the 40’s through today with

Daily live broadcasts

And talented DJ’s who keep you entertained

Yes, OGR has the best of both

Worldwide Internet Radio at its finest

It broadcasts live on-air musical group performances and

Something for every listener’s taste...

Here is the one place to be

Enjoyment for listeners is OGR’s creed

So, Happy Birthday OGR, and cheers to a worldwide classic

Ciao for Now and let's party all year long!!

Winnie

2009-09-28T12:29:00.038-05:00

AND WE WONDER WHY WE'RE IN SUCH A MESS?

THEN V. NOW...

A little house with three bedrooms and one car on the street.
A mower that you had to push to make the grass look neat.

In the kitchen on the wall we only we had one phone and no need for recording things. Someone was always home.

We only had a living room where we would congregate,
Unless it was at mealtime in the kitchen where we ate.

We had no need for family rooms

or extra rooms to dine.

When meeting as a family those two rooms would work out fine.

We only had one TV set, and channels maybe two,
But always there was one of them with something worth the view.

For snacks we had potato chips that tasted like a chip,
And if you wanted flavor there was Lipton's onion dip.

Store-bought snacks were rare because my mother liked to cook,
And nothing can compare to snacks in Betty Crocker's book.

Weekends were for family trips or staying home to play,
We all did things together -- even go to church to pray.

When we did our weekend trips depending on the weather,
No one stayed at home because we liked to be together.

Sometimes we would separate to do things on our own,
But we knew where the others were without our own cell phone.

Then there were the movies with your favorite movie star,
And nothing can compare to watching movies in your car.

Then there were the picnics at the peak of summer season,
Pack a lunch and find some trees and never need a reason.

One time the music that you played whenever you would jive,
Was from a vinyl, big-holed record called a forty-five.

The record player had a post to keep them all in line,
And then the records would drop down and play one at a time.

Oh sure, we had our problems then, just like we do today,
And always we were striving, trying for a better way.

Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun,
How can you explain a game, just kick the can and run?

Ciao for now!!!!

Winnie

Summer Songs...

2009-08-27T21:45:00.031-05:00

Did you ever notice how music just feels different in the summertime? As Summer draws to a close,memories made and replayed....

Of picnics, summer camps, vacations, juicy burgers hot off the bbq, or a favorite beverage in a frosty mug.

"Cruisin" with car windows or rag top down, blastin those tunes in Dolby.

Or the beach with the breeze carrying the unmistakable scents of water, sand and sun-tan oil.

Summer songs make seasonal memories, only second to those holiday tunes played over the air as early as October coinciding with stores greedy seasonal hype.

So what's the next anthem for 2009? The Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”; Lady Gaga’s “LoveGame” or Phoenix’s “1901” - grab your car keys. sunglasses, sunscreen and cast your vote.
Then load your I-pod with some of these past Summer "Hit Parade" favorites and reminise.

1964 - "UNDER THE BOARDWALK" - The drifters, The opening line references their prior hit "Up on the Roof", the occasional thermal weakness of a rooftop getaway and sets the stage for an alternate meeting location, under the boardwalk.

1966 - "SUMMER WIND", Frank Sinatra sang one of the greatest summer songs ever recorded backed with Nelson Riddle's big band. Soulfully traces the promise of romance, as elusive as the summer wind.

2007 - ‘EVERYTHING”, Michael Buble makes you want to head out to that old Route 66 highway, drop the top bury the speed limit guage and sing--”You’re a falling star, you’re the get away car, you’re the line in the sand when I go to far, you’re the swimming pool on an August day, and you’re the perfect thing to say.”

1967 - “BROWN EYED GIRL”, Van Morrison with its infectious “Sha la la la la la la la la lal te da” that you sing on you way to the beach.

2004 - “YEAH“, Usher, “Forget about game, I’m a spit the truth” And in truth the song ruled that summer.

1970 - “IN THE SUMMERTIME”, Mungo Jerry. The perfect ‘70 summer tune suited for warm , lazy days even when the actual words were replaced with “dee-dee-dees” and “you can shish right up and touch the sky”.

1972 - “SUMMER BREEZE” - Seals & Crofts. Many endless summers trying to figure out the meaning of “Summer breeze makes me feel fine - Blowing through the jasmine in my mind”. Jasmine in my mind - huh - but it's an unforgettable song.

1966 - “CHERISH”, The Association blaring through my first Zenith transistor radio at 15 minute intervals by every AM radio station in town.

1975 “LOVIN’ YOU” - Minnie Riperton - everyone remembers...“La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…Ooooooo”.

1977 - “JET AIRLINER” - Steve Miller Band - "sweet old jet air liner carry me on back home" as we sang off-key and mastered both air guitar solos and chug a lugs.

1983 - “THAT SUMMER FEELING” - Jonathan Richman. Kinda makes you look back at past summers when that summer felling arrives each year.

The Sensational Epics who immortalized the sun, sand and "shaggin" theme for decades. The song, "Any Other Way", a top pick and first slot on their CD "Sun, Sand, Surf & Suds Vol 2.

...... to quote two of our own OGR DJ's Glee and JimmyDavis , both members of the The Sensational Epics....
"We may grow old, but will never grow up."

Ciao for Now, Winnie.

Winnie's Top 11 Reasons Why.....

2009-08-24T12:22:00.018-05:00

It's Fun to be Female

1. We won't ever have to worry about male-pattern baldness or a toupee.

2. We can manipulate our height with a killer pair of hi-heels.

3. We can banish wrinkles with a handy-dandy concealer.

4. We automatically get 3/4 of the shared closet _NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!

5. No one would ever expect us to mow the lawn in the blazing hot sun or any other time!!!

6. We can remember important dates like birthdays or anniversaries without writing them down.

7. We leave the bug killing to someone else.

8. We can cry our way out of a speeding ticket.

9. We never walk out of the house with tiny pieces of tissue stuck to our face.

10. We are abnormal if we don't own at least 100 pairs of shoes.

11. We get to live with those adorable, balding,

bug-killing,
lawn mowing males

with notes on their hands
and little pieces of tissue stuck to their faces.

This list can go on to infinity. So go ahead, add to it while sipping that cold ice tea or lemonade and enjoying these last days of Summer. Don't forget the SPF 25.

See you on the radio that's OGR!!!!
Ciao for now!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARJOHN!!!!

2009-08-03T13:42:00.014-05:00

All of us at OGR wish ARJohn, co-host, of the A&J Show, the best birthday ever. Although the author is unknown for these famous or infamous quotes, somehow they fit ArJohn’s wit and humor.

“It is - What - it is.”

“Growing old is mandatory. Growing Up is optional.”

“Just be happy I’m not a twin.”

“Inside Every Older Person is a Younger Person Wondering What The Hell Happened.”

“Age improves with Wine.”

“I’ll have a caffe mocha vodka valium latte to go.”

“My Indian name is Run with Rum.”
“Time flies when you are having Rum.”

“Sarcasm, just one more service I provide.”

“Equal Opportunity ANNOYER.”

“Never go to Bed Angry, Stay up and Plot your Revenge.”

“I started out with Nothing and I Still have Most of It Left.”

“I am having an OUT-OF-MONEY Experience.”

“Remember, as far as anyone knows, we are a normal family.”

“I’d be a vegetarian if BACON grew on trees.”

Diplomacy: "The art of telling someone to go to hell and having them look forward to the trip."

AND….as ArJohn said many times to ArJane….. “It doesn’t matter where you go in life It ‘s who you have beside you."

And Winnie's favorite: "My Column, My Rules"

Ciao for Now!!!

Ice Cream

2009-07-23T11:01:00.018-05:00

“I scream, You scream, we all scream for Ice Cream” heard round the world, July 19, National Ice Cream Day .

In 1984, the month of July was declared National Ice Cream Month by President Ronald Regan. So to the millions of cones, scoops and sundaes we OGR’s have enjoyed, a little tribute to this universal treat….

Americans consume the most in the world -about 15 quarts a year.

Although chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are the traditional favorite flavors and once enjoyed roughly equal popularity, vanilla is the most popular with chocolate the runner up.

In the Mexican town of Dolores Hidalgo ice cream flavors include beer, cheese, cactus petal, avocado, tequila, corn, black and red mole, pigskin and shrimp.

Haagen-Dazs anything but an exotic Scandinavian recipe.
The Brand name was created by a Polish immigrant, Reuben Mattus and his wife, Rose.
For years they sold ice cream but it never did well till the ‘60’s when they invented the name Haagen-Dazs and put it on a map of Denmark.
The two dots over the “a’ in Haagen bear no such usage in Danish.

Carl's Ice Cream (also known as "Carl's Frozen Custard" is a roadside ice cream stand located at 2200 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Since 2005, the stand, with its Art Moderne architectural facade, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Carl Sponseller founded it in 1947.
The 1940s era Electro Freeze machines continue to serve the frozen treat.
The ice cream is hand scooped, with a signature “twist” added to the top by the disher.

Evinrude outboard motor was invented due to ice cream.
In 1906 Ole Evinrude fiancé wanted ice cream while they were picnicing on a Wisconsin lake.
He rowed to shore and then realized if he had a motor the trip would be easier and less likely the ice cream would melt.
So the birth of the famous Evinrude!!

Spumoni, or spumone (from spuma "foam"), is a molded Italian ice cream made with layers of different colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts.
August 21 is National Spumoni Day in the United States.
November 13th is National Spumoni Day in Canada.

When Jackie Gleason dined he often ordered roast beef with a scoop of ice cream on it.

The ice cream soda, is a float (United States and East Asia),
a spider (Australia and New Zealand)
or a brown cow (Hong Kong).

“Overrun” to ice cream is the amount of air inserted into it during processing. Ice cream would be a solid un-scoop able mass without.
Don’t pay for air, cheaper ice cream is loaded with it.

Before Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s Prime Minister, she was a chemist investigating the air in ice cream and studied methods of ice cream quality by injecting it with air.

President Barack Obama does not like ice cream or sweets.
Perhaps stemming for his teen part-time job at Baskin-Robbins in Hawaii.
But his first date with Michelle, he took her to a Baskin-Robbins
and .....“I asked it I could kiss her.
It tasted of chocolate”

In 1986 when Clint Eastwood ran for mayor of Carmel, Calif., ice cream was a major campaign issue.
It seems town leaders banned the sale of ice cream cones. Eastwood won and it was "bye-bye" to
that ordinance.

See you there. We'll save you a spot. It's our treat......

Winnie and I will never say no to one of these cold ones -

Ciao for now!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DJ RICK WRIGLEY

2009-07-08T20:31:00.008-05:00

Winnie writes……
Hail to our Chief!!
Our own DJ Rick Wrigley is celebrating his birthday. We all wish him the best along with a few well chosen quotes to enjoy and ponder......

And like Bactine (introduced in 1950 as the first modern day antiseptic product replacing iodine) may it help take the sting out of the upcoming 364 days…..
"Time and Tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty."

"Inside every older person is a younger person - wondering what the hell happened."

"Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative."

"Age is a number and mine is unlisted."

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."

"Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair."

"As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can't remember the other two."

"Thanks to modern medical advances such as antibiotics, nasal spray, and Diet Coke, it has become routine for people in the civilized world to pass the age of 40, sometimes more than once."

"When I have a birthday I take the day off. But when my wife has a birthday, she takes a year or two off."

"The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left."

"Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter."

"You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake."

"Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough."

"Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act."

"Men grow old, pearls grow yellow, there is no cure for it."

"Life is one long process of getting tired."

"Let us respect gray hairs, especially our own."

"Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you have not committed."

"When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not."

"Call this an unfair generalization if you must, but old people are no good at everything."

"Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen."

"Of late I appear To have reached that stage When people who look old Who are only my age"

"I'm sixty years of age. That's 16 Celsius."

Good Old 4th & Summer

2009-07-01T10:43:00.018-05:00

In a few days, as we are watching our local fireworks displays screaming their salutes to the Stars and Stripes and a Happy Birthday America, remember how “Our Generation” understood freedom and independence in simpler way.

Remember our parent’s pride as they told us of their WWII and the Korean War experiences. Returning to a free country and for their buddies who died for freedom and independence.

Remember starting every school day with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. We never thought twice about saying “One Nation UNDER GOD“, because President Eisenhower and our Nation believed it was a basic American freedom and liberty to add these words.

Remember when we never locked a door. Freedom was a front door left open and backed by a flimsy latched hook and eye wood screen door.

The only “Intruders” we knew were ants at a family picnic.

Security was a full moon.

“Motion detector lights” were flickering fireflies when we stepped out on the front porch to enjoy the freedom of a warm Summer night.
Remember how we’d beg Mom for a Mason jar to catch those fireflies.

And a remedy for mosquitoes, was Dad lighting a few “punk” sticks, then watching their thin trails of smoke inch up to the moon.

Remember the clanging bells of the Good Humor Ice cream truck.

Racing after it and slapping down a nickel borrowed against next week’s allowance for a Dixie Cup or ice cream bar.

Remember sitting on the front porch, visiting with the neighbors, and listening to the AM radio’s music drifting through the front room window.

Remember hot summer nights. No air conditioning and sleeping on the front room floor. Windows, wide open and a small oscillating table fan giving little relief as we stood taking turns standing in front of it to keep cool.

Remember neither we or our neighbors were well-to-do; yet we never worried about any of them stealing from us. We’d borrow tools, a cup of sugar or, a favor. It was always a returned with a handshake or “anytime you need it, just ask”.

So get out there and de-isolate the kids and grand kids from the TV, video games and the computer.

Celebrate our Nation’s Birthday.

Savor the freedom of indulging in an extra piece of good old-fashioned fried chicken and ice cold watermelon.

Share some with friends and neighbors and welcome those famous “intruders“.

Stop that ice cream truck. Pull out that currency and thank God His name is on it.

Make room on the front porch for family , friends and fireflies and treasure freedom while watching fireworks screaming salutes to the Stars and Stripes.

From Winnie, Happy 4th to all!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD

2009-06-20T21:34:00.019-05:00

Dedicated to our Dads who we look up to both here and in Heaven. …

The things you taught me I will always know.
How could I not? The roots have sunk so deep:
All lessons of the heart that I will keep
No matter who I am or where I go.

A Tribute to some of the TV Dads we grew up but they could never top the life lessons we learned from our Dads.

Leave it to Beaver, Ward Cleaver, Hugh Beaumont - 1957~63. An inquisitive but often naive boy named Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood. The show has attained an iconic status in the United States, with the Cleavers exemplifying the idealized suburban family of the mid-twentieth century.

The courtship of Eddie’s Father, Tom Corbet, Bill Bixby - 1969~72 The show centered around Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby), a handsome, thirtyish magazine publisher and widower from Los Angeles who had shouldered the responsibility of raising his freckled-faced, six-year-old son, Eddie (Brandon Cruz), who often cleverly manipulated his father about getting a new wife.

All In The Family, Archie Bunker, Carroll O’Connor - 1971~79. The show ranked #1 in the yearly Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. As of 2008, The Cosby Show has been the only other show to top the ratings for at least five consecutive seasons. TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time ranked All in the Family as #4. Bravo also named the show's protagonist, Archie Bunker, TV's greatest character of all time, breaking ethnic, racial, feminist, religious, moral barriers and more.

Father Knows Best, Jim Anderson, Robert Young - 1954~60. A total of 203 episodes were produced, running until September 17, 1960, and appearing on all three of the television networks of the time.

Bonanza , Ben Cartwright, Lorne Greene -1959~73 as a widowed father raising his sons Pernell Roberts
Dan Blocker and Michael Landon
Lasting 14 seasons, it is among the longest running Western television series (second behind Gunsmoke) and continues to air in syndication

Make Room for Daddy, Danny Williams, Danny Thomas 1953~64. Danny Thomas played Danny Williams, a successful comedian and nightclub entertainer. Jean Hagen was his wife Margaret, Sherry Jackson their daughter Terry, and Rusty Hamer their son Rusty. Louise Beavers played the maid Louise.
The series was responsible for the creation of another long-running sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show. In the seventh season, Danny Thomas is arrested by Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) and detained in the small town of Mayberry

The Andy Griffith Show, Sheriff Andy Taylor, Andy Griffith - 1960-68 portrayed a widowed sheriff in a fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts), a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and a young son, Opie (Ron Howard).

My Three Sons, - 1960~72, chronicled the life of an aeronautical engineer and widower Steve Douglas, played by Fred MacMurray, and his three sons, proving that raising sons can be more challenging than daughters.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet , October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starred the real life Nelson family. Ozzie Nelson, as the Dad and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson (née Hilliard), and their young sons, David Nelson and Eric Nelson, better known as Ricky, the real life, teen age singing idol for millions of screaming teen girls.

The Flintstones, Fred Flintstone, as Fred Flintstone - 1960~66, the first prime-time animated series geared for adults.

Little House on the Prairie, Michael Landon as Charles Phillip Ingalls - 1974~83. It aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1974, to March 21, 1983, bumping the long-running Adam-12 series to Tuesday nights.

The Cosby Show, Cliff Huxtable, Bill Cosby - 1984-92. Having aired for 197 episodes (201 in syndication), The Cosby Show is the third-longest running U.S. comedy with a predominantly African-American cast, surpassed only by The Jeffersons and Family Matters.

Home Improvement is an American sitcom starring Tim Allen, which aired 1991 to 1999. The show was created by Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra and David MacFadzean. In the 1990s, it was one of the most watched sitcoms, winning many awards. The series launched Tim Allen's acting career and also was the start of the television career of Pamela Anderson, who was part of the cast for the first two seasons.

Kids learn from what their parents are,
and so You are my book of life, the thoughts I reap;
Only in your arms I quiet sleep;
Under my words your voice sings soft and slow.
From you I learned the rules of right and wrong
Against which I at times had to rebel,
Though with regret I carry with me still.
How lucky I am to have been loved so well,
Even as I pushed against your will,
Relying on a father fair and strong.

Happy Father's Day!!

Winnie

DO YOU REMEMBER

2009-06-05T21:33:00.020-05:00

Any wonder why some baby boomers can’t do long hand division. Blame it on Texas Instruments Calculator Slide Rule T130. Invented by T.I. and in 1973 they released the “slide rule” calculator for $149.95. Followed in 1982 with the first solar powered one, any math genius could do complicated calculations just about anywhere - except in the dark.

The first American born sub-compact was born on April 1, 1970 - American Motor’s April Fool joke. The “groovy” Gremlin SIX-Series 40 in psychedelic colors.

Milton Bradley introduced The Mouse Trap Game in 1963. The goal was to build a mouse trap and catch your opponent’s rodent.

Polaroid’s The Swinger capped the swinging ‘70's trend in 1972. It took black-and-white wallet size pictures for a cheap price of $19.95. Polaroid’s award winning ads featured the then unknown beauty, Ali MacGraw, grooving to the Swinger jingle - in a bikini. Her career and Swinger sales soared.

The best selling movie track of all times, Saturday Night Fever, merged pop culture innovations of the period. The Panasonic 8-Track player, a.k.a., the “Dynamite” or “Plunger” let disco freaks PUMP IT UP. Without an automatic track changer, you had to hit the plunger.

Apple Lisa 1, was the 1st computer to use a Graphical User Interface, featured a 12” black-and-white screen, 1 megabyte of memory, two floppy drives named “Twiggy” after famous skinny model and the very first “Mouse” and “Trashcan” all for the low-low price of $9,995.00.

Tang. by General Foods, 1959. In ‘65 it accompanied the astronauts from Gemini spaceflights through the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, establishing Tang as a futuristic food.

Panasonic "Toot-a-Loop” - 1970 was an AM radio designed to be wrapped around the wrist complete with stickers to accessorize the bold ‘70’s fashion statement.

The advent of the “Couch Potato” emerged in 1954 when RCA began production of the first 15” color TV, followed that same year with the 21” screen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the 1st President broadcast in color. And at the time when NBC was owned by RCA, it used the Howdy Doody Show to sell color television sets in the 1950s.

Ah, the good old days, in our memories or for sale on E-bay. Ciao for now!! Winnie

REMEMBER THEM

2009-05-20T21:06:00.016-05:00

REMEMBER THEM

If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and one backward glance when you are leaving, for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not always have. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
Dak To, South Vietnam

This Memorial Day take a quiet time to reflect on our friends and family who served, returned or proudly remember as the "gentle heroes you left behind".

Gossip - Trivia - Nostalgia

May in Rock-n-Roll History

April in Rock-n-Roll History

Happy St. Pat & St. Joe Day

Soundtracks of your Mind

HEARTS TO YOU

This Month's Musical History Oldies

Medal of Honor

Holiday Movie Trivia for the OGR-ers

Legends and Wishes for a Blessed Christmas

Thanksgiving

November 11

"War of the Worlds" and Crypt Tunes

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

IDES OF MARCH

George Weiss

Baby Boomer Pride

Do you Remember......

HAPPY 4th of JULY

Memories Cruzin

Flag Day

June 6 - Sixty-six Years Ago

MEMORIAL DAY

REMEMBER THEM

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'DonnellDak To, South Vietnam

The ABC's of Grown Old

TWINKIES!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Jimmy Brazelle, Baritone Saxophone, The Sensational Epics

"Philosophy for Old Age" by George Carlin

Valentine Trivia

Baby Boomers Then and Now

New Years Traditions & a Soupy Sales Blooper

One Solitary Life

Happy Birthday DJ Jimmy Davis

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy B-day JimmyB

"INJUN SUMMER"

War of the Worlds on OGR and Crypt Tunes

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OGR

Summer Songs...

Winnie's Top 11 Reasons Why.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARJOHN!!!!

Ice Cream

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DJ RICK WRIGLEY

Good Old 4th & Summer

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD

DO YOU REMEMBER

REMEMBER THEM

REMEMBER THEM

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'DonnellDak To, South Vietnam

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
Dak To, South Vietnam

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
Dak To, South Vietnam