I have to admit that I was deeply saddened when I heard about the death of Naomi Judd, the mother half of the extremely successful mother / daughter duo, The Judds, who burst on to the country music scene in 1984 and put together a string of hits.
I was a bit perplexed by the statement initially issued by daughters
Wynonna (the other half of the hit-making duo) and actress Ashely Judd … (this was one EXTREMELY talented family!) ...
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
Her husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland (also a singer, who at one time sang back-up for Elvis Presley) said that “no further details about her death will be released” and asked for privacy to give them time to grieve.
The Judds had such a distinctive sound … there has always been something special about the blend of family harmony … it set this duo apart as being quite unique … let's face it, there hasn’t really ever been another mother / daughter pairing that ever achieved anywhere near the kind of chart success and worldwide love that these two did. (This was the kind of thing The Cowsills and The Partridges could only dream of!!!) And even looking at things from Wynonna's perspective, who the heck sings hit records and tours with their Mom?!?!
I always thought that Wynonna had one of the best voices out there … and some of her solo work still ranks amongst my favorites. (When Mother Naomi first announced that she was leaving the road due to an ongoing battle with Hepatitis C in 1991, Wynonna kicked her own solo career into high gear and quickly put together a string of country hits, some of which crossed over to the pop charts as well.)
Ironically, The Judds just recently made a return to performing together, making an appearance at this year’s CMT Music Awards last month. In addition, The Judds were slated to be inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame this past Sunday (May 1st) and then were going back out on the road together for an arena tour this fall, their first together in over a decade. Everything just seemed to be at a brand new high for them ... the world was once again theirs to conquer ... and die-hard fans along with everyone else alike couldn't have been happier.
Everyone, apparently, except Naomi Judd.
Something about the timing of her death just didn’t seem right. And the girls attributing it to “mental illness”??? What was up with that?
It’s no secret that Naomi battled serious bouts of depression … she even wrote a couple of books about it. Was the pressure of all that was now on the line simply too much for her to bear? Maybe she didn’t really want to step back into the limelight. Did her team around her not see this? Seriously, upon hearing this for the very first time and for it to happen at such a key career crossroads is really quite distressing. Perhaps she thought it was simply too late to back down from all these new commitments. A very emotional Wynonna and Ashley accepted the award on Sunday Night ... and the general consensus seems to be, without anybody saying anything, that Naomi committed suicide rather than face the pressure of starting her career back up again at the age of 76. Could it all have been avoided simply by saying no?
The Judds caught everybody’s attention with their 1984 release “Mama, He’s Crazy,” a song that went straight to #1 on the country charts. Thirteen more #1 Hits followed, including each of their next seven releases. (Their first chart hit single was a reworking of Elvis Presley’s tune “For The Heart,” which The Judds released as “Had A Dream” at the end of 1983. It peaked at #17 on Billboard’s Country Music Singles Chart.) Other stand-out #1 Classics include “Why Not Me,” “Have Mercy” and “Grandpa, Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days.” The number of awards they won is staggering … Grammys for Country Vocal Duo of the Year, the CMA Single Of The Year Award, the ACM Song Of The Year Award, a Best Country Song Grammy, often taking home several of these honors on more than one occasion. (Collectively, The Judds won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They earned a total of five Grammy Awards together plus Naomi won a sixth Grammy for writing their 1991 hit “Love Can Build a Bridge.” (And DIDJAKNOW? that The Judds performed at the 1994 Super Bowl Half-Time show?!?!)
The fact that Naomi lived as long as she did after her Hepatis C announcement is really quite remarkable. Just a few years after she first went public with her diagnosis, reports were that she was battling the disease successfully and it was, in fact, in remission. Prior to her country music career, Naomi worked for years as a nurse (which some suspect may have been the root cause of her Hepatis C infection in the first place.) THAT might have been the more likely cause of death we had all been expecting, but she reportedly beat the disease in 1995 ... and, to the public anyway, has seemed to have been in good health ever since. The fact that her daughters were blaming her cause of death on “mental illness” leads to all kinds of speculation. Despite their best wishes, I’m sure the truth will come out sooner rather than later. After all, the speculation is already circulating.
For the longest time I hoped the two might perform together again, but other than the rare one-off for a special occasion, it never really came to pass. Fortunately, I had the chance to see The Judds perform a couple of times before Naomi retired from the road … and was able to see Wynonna’s solo show a couple of times as well.
After Mother and Daughter stopped recording together, Daughter Wynonna kept things rolling with four #1 Hits of her own, including my favorite, “No One Else On Earth,” which crossed over to the pop charts as well in 1992.
Daughter Ashley has starred in numerous films over the years and most recently had a serious leg accident when she fell while hiking in The Democratic Republic of The Congo.
The Judds were an extremely talented family who never gave up. Collectively, they all battled their demons and any falling outs they may have had along the way all seemed to be minor and quickly resolved. It sounds like Naomi Judd still had one final demon she could not overcome. It is sad that the world has lost its chance to see the duo perform one last time. (kk)
After our May Day Celebration …
OMG! What a trip!
Paul
Also from Paul ...
>>>I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your 4 part series on Paul Evans. Several years ago I received an email from Warren Cosford (Program Director of CHUM in the 70s) who had sent me Paul's demo of "I Gotta Know." It absolutely blew me away. I suggested to Warren that Paul should get with the powers that be at Presley and release this as a new single much the same way the DJ did with "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" when he did the mix with Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. I also asked Warren to please tell Paul how much I really enjoyed his duet. Warren responded with, "Why don't you tell him yourself" and sent me his email address. We corresponded back and forth for a little bit and I have to tell you that Paul was one of the nicest artists I have ever had the pleasure to talk to. I still believe he should talk to someone at Presley. It is simply too good not to be shared with the public and besides, both parties could enjoy the royalties. Just my two cents worth.
I am ordering Paul's book today. Thanks for keeping these great memories and songs alive. (Bill Tietz in Dallas / Ft. Worth)
Hi Kent,
I’m having "fun with music" again. 😋
To Bill Tietz,
I recorded the “duet” with Elvis when I had just gotten competent on my home music equipment. I was really confused when I found that Elvis had recorded “I Gotta Know” at the same tempo and in the same key as my original demo. I managed to put them both together (you heard the result) but I was warned to be discreet with whom I could send the “duet” to - the Presley organization was VERY litigious.
I did manage to show the idea to my friends that had any connection to RCA but I never seemed to be able to get the idea to the powers-that-were. When that idea failed, I suggested to anyone who would listen, an album of Elvis demos followed by the Elvis masters, with no success. And now, of course, contacting Sony/BMG is well beyond my ability.
Oh, Bill ... where were you when I needed you?
Thanks, Bill, for your kind words and good thoughts,
Paul
PS I still have my original demos of “The Next Step Is Love” and “Something Blue.”
Here’s Paul’s original demo of “The Next Step Is Love.” This is the take that won Elvis over in the first place. (kk)
Kent,
Your inclusion of the WCFL Obit in today's Forgotten Hits is a real coincidence for me. I spent all day yesterday listening to eight hours of WCFL's final rock 'n roll day.
I was converting the show from my analog tape into a digital file and telescoping (removing) most of the songs to cut its length to around an hour.
I had just started working for WLS-FM's engineering department when the end came for 'CFL. Several of us had wandered into the AM studios just before Lujack started his goodbye speech. I remember someone remarking that, "This is NOT a good thing for us [WLS]. Instead of bouncing between AM stations, now the kids will learn to search for music on the FM dial -- when we play something they don't like. They probably won't return to the AM dial for music."
The victory was indeed hollow.
Jon Morgan
It was the end of an era, for sure … and WCFL sure gave them a run for the money there for a while. (I know we constantly switched back and forth the minute one of the stations went to commercial or newsbreak … or played a song we weren’t especially fond of … back then, you’d just spin the dial … or, if you were in the car, push the next preset button … in the hopes of finding something better.) It was SUCH an exciting time in radio … I am SO glad I got to experience it all first hand. (kk)
I am still playing it safe regarding COVID, but hope to see what Ron has done at the Arcada. I envy the amount of information you put in your blog ... I'd have given up after a year!
Quick observation ... I find it hard to skim your blog when I am short of time. Even with the color changes, it is hard to discern the topics as I run past them. I don't have a solution, but would welcome something that would help delineate topics. Does this make me "complaining" boy Buell?
JM
40-year broadcaster
When I first started doing Forgotten Hits in late 1999 and I saw that the reaction to it was pretty good, I thought to myself, “Well, maybe I can keep this up for about five years” … because it was key to me to keep it interesting and relevant … and I figured that by five years’ time, we’d have covered just about everything you could possibly cover in regards to oldies music.
But the list just kept on growing … and more and more disc jockeys … and artists … started participating. I would have NEVER guessed that 2022 is now our 23rd year of doing this!!!
I still say it’s because of our mutual love of this music … to quote Me-TV-FM, this “timeless and memorable music” that will just never die … and continues to grow as more and more people discover it. The participation of our readers is key … I’ve always said that I’m just the glue that holds it all together … I provide the forum for ALL of us to share our memories and talk about how much this music means to us.
Putting together more and more “specialty” shows for weekend radio has kept it fun for me, too. Doing the year-long salute to 1967, my favorite year in music EVER … this year with all the special “guest” columns … as long as I can keep it entertaining for you out there … AND me … who knows how long we can keep it going on!!! (Hey, I’ve been saying that I’m going to start cutting back for ten years now … and then all of a sudden see that I’ve posted something new for 21 days in a row again!)
As for topic titles, we’ve done it both ways. One thing I’ve found about keeping it more of a constant flow is it just might make you read something you otherwise might have skipped over, only to find out that you really enjoyed it because it struck a nerve or maybe it wasn’t something you had thought about or considered before. Quite often, those turn out to be some of the best comments we get!
So yeah, I’ll keep going back and forth on this. (A good percentage of our readers read it every single day – others try to catch up on the weekends or as free time becomes available. We try to keep it digestible … but believe me, I know how easy it is to fall behind. I swear if I take just one night off, I’ll be in here for six hours on a Sunday trying to catch up to all the mail!) kk
By the way, you can listen to Larry Lujack’s Sign-Off Address To The Nation (as well as literally HUNDREDS of other classic radio airchecks) here:
https://www.radiotimeline.com/
The Beach Boys kick off their 60th Anniversary celebration on June 17th with the release of a greatly expanded (and newly cleaned-up and mixed) edition of perhaps their most complete Greatest Hits Collection yet …
“Sounds Of Summer’ will now be spread out over THREE CD’s featuring a total of EIGHTY tracks … every Top 40 Hit the band every had plus just about every key album track you’d ever want to own in cleaned-up sound. (Yes, I WILL be buying some of these songs for the 15th time again, just to be able to listen to this all the way through as a stand-alone tribute to one of the greatest bands that ever existed.
A variety of special editions will also be made available, including a limited edition, individually numbered 6-LP set packaged in rainbow-foil slipcases!
Planned release configurations include: A 3-CD softpack (featuring the tracks as listed below); a 1-CD remastered edition of the original compilation; a 6-LP Super Deluxe Edition pressed on 180-gram black vinyl (standard); a 6-LP Super Deluxe Edition, also pressed on 180-gram black vinyl (but released as a numbered, limited edition with a rainbow foil slipcases and four lithographs, exclusive to online store); a 2-LP remastered edition of the original compilation (standard weight vinyl); a 2-LP remastered edition of the original compilation (180-gram vinyl with tip-on jacket and a lithograph, exclusive to online store); and a Digital Edition (including a Dolby Atmos presentation of the original 30-track album.)
Of the 80 tracks, the new release will premiere 24 new mixes including two first-time stereo mixes, plus 22 new-and-improved stereo mixes, including some which have employed current digital extraction technology to present mono tracks into stereo for the first time.
Seriously, how can you beat this collection? (And where are you going to get more bang for
your buck??? You can pick up all 80
tracks for only $30!!! Heck, you
couldn’t DOWNLOAD ‘em for that!!!)
The Beach Boys, ‘Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys’ Expanded Edition Track Listing
Disc 1
1. California Girls (1965)
2. I Get Around (1964)
3. Surfin’ Safari (1962)
4. Surfin’ U.S.A. (1963)
5. Fun, Fun, Fun (1964)
6. Surfer Girl (1963)
7. Don’t Worry Baby (1964)
8. Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
9. Shut Down (1963)
10. Help Me, Rhonda (1965)
11. Be True To Your School (Single Version) (1963)
12. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (1964)
13. In My Room (1963)
14. God Only Knows (1966)
15. Sloop John B (1966)
16. Wouldn’t It Be Nice (1966)
17. Getcha Back (1985)
18. Come Go With Me (1978)
19. Rock and Roll Music (1976)
20. Dance, Dance, Dance (1964)
21. Barbara Ann (1965)
22. Do You Wanna Dance? (1965)
23. Heroes And Villains (1967)
24. Good Timin’ (1979)
25. Kokomo (1988)
26. Do It Again (1968)
27. Wild Honey (1967)
28. Darlin’ (1967)
29. I Can Hear Music (1969)
30. Good Vibrations (1966)
Disc 2
1. All Summer Long (1964)
2. Good To My Baby (1965)
3. This Whole World (1970)
4. All I Wanna Do (1970)
5. Disney Girls (1971)
6. Kiss Me Baby (1965)
7. Let The Wind Blow (1967)
8. Forever (1970)
9. Sail On Sailor (1973)
10. Long Promised Road (1971)
11. Cotton Fields (1970)
12. Pom Pom Play Girl (1964)
13. Wind Chimes (Smile) (1966/1993)
14. I Went To Sleep (1968)
15. Farmer’s Daughter (1963)
16. Let Us Go On This Way (1977)
17. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone (1972)
18. The Night Was So Young (1977)
19. Marcella (1972)
20. You’re So Good To Me (1965)
21. Aren’t You Glad (1967)
22. Baby Blue (1979)
23. It’s About Time (1970)
24. Roll Plymouth Rock (1966/1993)
25. Surf’s Up (1971)
Disc 3
1. Add Some Music To Your Day (1970)
2. It’s Ok (1976)
3. Goin’ On (1980)
4. San Miguel (1969)
5. The Warmth Of The Sun (1964)
6. Everyone’s In Love With You (1976)
7. All This Is That (1972)
8. California Saga (1973)
9. Feel Flows (1971)
10. Wendy (1964)
11. Girl Don’t Tell Me (1965)
12. Let Him Run Wild (1965)
13. All I Want To Do (1968)
14. Susie Cincinnati (1970)
15. Vegetables (1967)
16. Time To Get Alone (1969)
17. Where I Belong (1985)
18. I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (1966)
19. Little Bird (1968)
20. Til I Die (1971)
21. (Wouldn’t It Be Nice To) Live Again (1971)
22. Friends (1968)
23. Devoted To You (1965)
24. Can’t Wait Too Long (1968)
25. California Feelin’ (1978)
With both the Mike Love / Bruce Johnston version of The Beach Boys AND Brian Wilson (with Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplain) out touring this summer, a full-blown concert tour / reunion just wasn’t in the cards. (And we all remember how well that 50TH Anniversary Tour worked out!!!)
But that doesn’t mean these guys will be loafin’! (The celebration doesn’t end here by any stretch!) After “Sounds Of Summer” makes its mark as the CD set to be listening to “all summer long,” this fall will see the next release from the band’s on-going series of full album reissues with ALL kinds of bonus tracks, alternate takes, live cuts and more. Next up: “Carl and The Passions - So Tough” (1972) and “Holland” (1973). There are also plans for a television tribute special … as well as a brand new, feature-length documentary.
For the best and most complete coverage I’ve seen on all of this, be sure to check out this Second Disc posting …
Joe Marchese brings up a good point when he mentions that nothing from The Beach Boys’ reunion album, “That’s Why God Made The Radio” is being included in the new set. A revamped “Beach Boys: 50 Big Ones” 2-CD set to commemorate their 50th Anniversary included the title track! Now we’ve got ANOTHER new package, offering up half again as many tracks, and it’s nowhere to be found … and that just doesn’t seem to be right … it certainly has earned its spot up there with The Beach Boys’ most recognizable tunes! (See, that’s why I’ve got to keep buyin’ ‘em … each new release leaves off something you had before, forcing you to hang on to EVERY edition! Lol They’re no dummies!!!) kk
Speaking of The Beach Boys, here's a SMILER from Mike Wolstein ...
How true, how true!!!
Hello Kent,
I finally just got caught up with my Forgotten Hits addiction ( I was way behind ) and just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your 4 part series on Paul Evans.
Several years ago I received an email from Warren Cosford (Program Director of CHUM in the 70s) who had sent me Paul's demo of "I Gotta Know.") It absolutely blew me away. I suggested to Warren that Paul should get with the powers that be at Presley and release this as a new single much the same way the DJ did with "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" when he did the mix with Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. I also asked Warren to please tell Paul how much I really enjoyed his duet. Warren responded with, "Why don't you tell him yourself" and sent me his email address. We corresponded back and forth for a little bit and I have to tell you that Paul was one of the nicest artists I have ever had the pleasure to talk to. I still believe he should talk to someone at Presley. It is simply too good not to be shared with the public and besides, both parties could enjoy the royalties. Just my two cents worth.
I am ordering Paul's book today. Thanks for keeping these great memories and songs alive.
Bill Tietz in Dallas / Ft. Worth
We’ve heard from about four or five readers now who have ordered copies of Paul’s book after our interview ran … you’ll enjoy it!
And you’re right … he’s a SUPER nice guy.
In fact, he’s STILL talking about how much he enjoys Tommy Roe’s new song “80” …
Congratulations to Tommy Roe. I loved the song - the idea. “80” - One for our side! Who says we can’t?
Thanks, Tommy.
Paul Evans
And here’s Tommy’s reply …
Thank you, Paul ... and yes, we Rock On ‘til our last breath, and count our blessings with every new song we write.
And thank you, Kent, for sharing your readers’ comments.
I posted your link on my Facebook and Instagram sites and got really good response as well. Thanks again for you post.
T.
MICKY DOLENZ is at the Chiller Theatre this weekend, but he also began his tour with Rascal Felix Cavaliere last weekend at the American Music Theater in Lancaster, PA. For more dates go to his website: https://mickydolenz.com/
(photo by Tom Honan)
Lots of talk this past week about Paul McCartney’s new US Tour (Got Back) and some of the songs making the set list this time around …
And, in other Beatles-related news …
Dhani Harrison has resurrected his father’s Dark Horse Records and will be reissuing some of the label’s releases from the ‘70’s, including artists like Ravi Shankar (‘Shankar Family & Friends’ and ‘Ravi Shankar’s Music Festival from India’), Splinter’s ‘The Place I Love’, ‘Harder To Live’ and ‘Two Man Band’, (Naturally!!! I just bought expensive imports of these three Splinter albums a couple of years ago!) Henry McCullough ‘Mind Your Own Business’, Stairsteps ‘2nd Resurrection’, ‘Attitudes ‘Attitudes’ and ‘Good News’, Keni Burke ‘Keni Burke’ and Jiva ‘Jiva.’
George Harrison created Dark Horse Records after Apple Records stopped releasing product. In addition to releasing his own album on his new label as Apple Records was slowing down. He released his own album, ‘Thirty Three and a Third,’ in 1976 and continued to sign other artists.
But it’s not all nostalgia … Dhani, who now runs the label, has already signed artists like Billy Idol and Joe Strummer. (kk)
And check this out ...
Mal Evans, longtime roadie and companion of The Fab Four kept diaries of all their comings and goings ... which are now going to be released in book form! (Talk about a unique, fly on the wall perspective!!!) Mal was their sidekick and confidant throughout Beatlemania, serving as both roadie and road manager beginning in 1963 and carrying on right up thru the Apple Records years, working as their personal assistant. (He even produced Badfinger's "No Matter What" single for the label!) He remained close with the Fabs right up until his untimely death in 1976 when he was shot dead by California Police after pointing a rifle at them (reportedly while on Valium and confused)
Noise 11 is reporting that the estate of Mal Evans has teamed with Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack, PhD, to publish the biography of Mal Evans sourced from his diaries, manuscripts and photographs.
Mal Evans diaries were discovered in a publishers basement in New York in 1986 and returned to his family. The Estate of Mal Evans has now teamed up with Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack, PhD, to see these memoirs published. (Under the HarperCollins Dey Street Books banner, Womack is expected to develop the diaries into two volumes for release in 2023 and 2024.
(Womack has already authored other books on The Beatles, including "Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road" and the "End of the Beatles and John Lennon, 1980: The Last Days in the Life.")
“What I’ve discovered in this archive is more than I could have ever truly imagined,” says Womack. “I am honored and thrilled to present this biography and accompanying materials with the historical integrity that they deserve.”
The first volume of the book, which will feature the full-length biography, will be
published in 2023. A second volume, with the Evans’ diaries,
manuscripts, and numerous other artifacts, to be published in 2024. (kk)
Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams was Cousin Brucie’s guest on last Saturday Night’s program … and Frank B. was there (as always!) to give us a recap …
kk …
Carl Was Impressed With The Way Cousin Brucie Pronounced His Last Name = Giammarese.
The Buckinghams Will Be On 44 of 57 Stops Of The "HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR" This Year.
Carl Said He Loves Singing All The Old Hits. As A Writer, You Want To Know That You're Able To Write New Material.
Carl & Lisa McClowry Did A Duet Version Of "DON'T YOU CARE." They Also Co-Wrote “I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER." Carl Said It's Getting A Lot Of Plays On Spotify.
Carl Said A Tornado Passed Through His Neighborhood A Few Hours Before He Talked To Cousin Brucie -- Was This Near You?
FB
We had some REALLY bad storms here last night. (Ironically, I talked to Carl a couple of times Saturday afternoon ... he told me he was so busy getting things ready for the Happy Together Tour that he forget to even mention the Cousin Brucie appearance. The Buckinghams were asked to step in at the very last minute when Chuck Negron dropped out. I think this may be the 8th or 9th time they've been on the bill.)
You still hear the music on the radio every single days some 55 years later … quite amazing … and the fans just love seeing it being performed live as part of this superstar tour. They had a few conflict dates due to prior bookings but they’ll make every Happy Together show they can. (If I’m not mistaken, one of the places they WON’T be on the bill is when the shows comes thru Chicago! Happy Together will be back at The Genesee Theatre on August 6th.) kk
From Carl:
As you know, we are on the Happy Together Tour This Year. It came to us late because we are replacing Chuck Negron. We already had nine dates booked during the summer, so we had to work around them.
As always, it’s a great tour to be a part of. Right now, it is playing 53 dates and we will play on 44 of them.
I’ve attached the schedules
Best,
Carl
|
2022 Buckinghams Happy Together tour schedule |
|||||
|
Date |
City |
Venue |
|||
|
Wed |
Jun |
1 |
Clearwater |
FL |
Ruth Eckerd Hall |
|
Thu |
Jun |
2 |
Jacksonville |
FL |
Florida Theatre |
|
Fri |
Jun |
3 |
Biloxi |
MS |
IP Casino Resort & Spa |
|
Sat |
Jun |
4 |
Hiawassee |
GA |
Anderson Music Hall |
|
Sun |
Jun |
5 |
Melborne |
FL |
King Center for Performing Arts |
|
Mon |
Jun |
6 |
Daytona Beach |
FL |
Peabody Auditorium |
|
Wed |
Jun |
8 |
Charleston |
SC |
Charlston Music Hall |
|
Thur |
Jun |
9 |
Durham |
NC |
Carolina Theatre of Durham |
|
Fri |
Jun |
10 |
New York |
NY |
Palladium Time Square |
|
Sat |
Jun |
11 |
Westbury |
NY |
Theatre at Westbury |
|
Sun |
Jun |
12 |
Lowell |
MA |
Lowell Memorial Auditorium |
|
Wed |
Jun |
15 |
Quakertown |
PA |
Univest Performance Center |
|
Thu |
Jun |
16 |
Jim Thorpe |
PA |
Penn's Peak |
|
Fri |
Jun |
17 |
Staten Island |
NY |
St. George Theatre |
|
Sat |
Jun |
18 |
Northhampton |
MA |
Calvin Theatre |
|
Sun |
Jun |
19 |
Lynn |
MA |
Lynn Auditorium |
|
Fri |
Jul |
8 |
Lincoln City |
OR |
Chinook Winds Casino Resort |
|
Mon |
Jul |
11 |
Sacramento |
CA |
Crest Theatre |
|
Tues |
Jul |
12 |
Jacksonville |
OR |
Britt Pavilion |
|
Thu |
Jul |
14 |
Tucson |
AZ |
Tucson Music Hall |
|
Fri |
Jul |
15 |
Las Vegas |
NV |
The Smith Center |
|
Sat |
Jul |
16 |
Scottsdale |
AZ |
Talking Stick Resort Ballroom |
|
Sun |
Jul |
17 |
Costa Mesa |
CA |
Pacific Amphitheatre |
|
Sat |
Jul |
30 |
Wallingford |
CT |
Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre |
|
Sun |
Jul |
31 |
Wilkes-Barr |
PA |
F.M. Kirby Center for the Arts |
|
Mon |
Aug |
1 |
Ocean City |
NJ |
Ocean City Music Pier |
|
Tues |
Aug |
2 |
Englewood |
NJ |
Bergen Performing Arts Center |
|
Wed |
Aug |
3 |
Syracuse |
NY |
Landmark Theatre |
|
Fri |
Aug |
5 |
Manistee |
MI |
Little River Casino Resort |
|
Sun |
Aug |
7 |
West Allis |
WI |
Wisconsin State Fair - Main Stage |
|
Tues |
Aug |
9 |
Rochester |
NY |
Kodak Center |
|
Wed |
Aug |
10 |
Kettering |
OH |
Fraze Pavilion |
|
Thu |
Aug |
11 |
Nashville |
TN |
Ryman Auditorium |
|
Fri |
Aug |
12 |
New Buffalo |
MI |
Four Winds Casino Resort |
|
Sun |
Aug |
14 |
Northfield |
OH |
MGM Northfield Park |
|
Thu |
Aug |
18 |
Shipshewana |
IN |
Blue Gate Performing Arts Center |
|
Fri |
Aug |
19 |
Aurora |
IL |
Paramount Theatre |
|
Sat |
Aug |
20 |
St. Charles |
MO |
The Family Arena |
|
Sun |
Aug |
21 |
Kansas City |
MO |
Muriel Kauffman Theatre |
|
Tues |
Aug |
23 |
Louisville |
KY |
Kentucky State Fair |
|
Wed |
Aug |
24 |
Effingham |
IL |
Effingham Performance Center |
|
Thu |
Aug |
25 |
Des Moines |
IA |
Hoyt Sherman Place |
|
Sun |
Aug |
28 |
Deadwood |
SD |
Deadwood Mountain Grand |
|
Mon |
Aug |
29 |
Grand Island |
NE |
Nebraska State Fair |
In addition, The Buckinghams have Cornerstones shows booked for Milwaukee’s Summerfest on June 23rd, The LaPorte Civic Center in La Porte, Indiana, and then back at The Genesee Theatre on October 1st, all featuring the very best of Chicago ‘60’s Rock with The Ides Of March, The Cryan’ Shames, The New Colony Six and The Shadows Of Knight. (kk)
May 2nd would have been Leslie Gore's
76th birthday. She was one of the great pop vocalists of our time.
Her song, "Immortality", which came out in 1975, after her huge run
of hits had ended, was one of her best, and contained lyrics that appeared to
be a message which stated that she knew she wasn't going to be around for a
long time. I find it a bit spooky to listen to those lyrics, knowing that
she'd passed on at a very early age (68, in early 2015) from lung cancer.
Maybe it was just a coincidence.
And May 4th would have been Dick Dale's
85th.
I got a call from Pam in August of 2016 telling me that Dick was playing at
Durty Nellie's in Palatine. We up met there, and it was a wild (and very
loud) show. He was 79 years old at the
time and still played like it was 1958. After chatting up the audience
and tuning his guitar, he said "OK, now I'm going to make your ears
bleed!” He wasn't kidding.
What was surprising was that the turnout was much smaller than you'd expect. I
estimated maybe 150-200 people.
Mike Wolstein
Now this is interesting …
For the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band show coming up at Chicago’s City Winery on July 16th, it looks like they’ll be doing one set of their greatest hits along with a second set of Bob Dylan songs!
If you’re local, you can get tickets here …
Then, on August 24th, it’s Jim Peterik’s Guitar Madness, where Jim will talk about his INCREDIBLE guitar collection (valued into the millions of dollars based on the Me-TV Collectors’ Choice program we saw.) Wow … I didn’t even know about this one!
Jim and the rest of The Cornerstones Of Rock guys will be performing October 1st at The Genesee Theatre as well. Relive the music of our local heroes … The Buckinghams, The New Colony Six, The Cryan’ Shames, The Ides Of March and The Shadows Of Knight!
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/07005C87DB6D4FD3?brand=genesee&camefrom=CFC_GENESEE
And Pop, Rock And Doo Wop have some GREAT shows coming up all over the country in the months ahead …
You can find all of the details here …
But just check out some of the artists who will be appearing …
La La Brooks, original lead singer of The Crystals, Lou Christie, The Cyrkle, The Grass Roots, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Jay and the Americans, The Lettermen, Bobby Miranda, original lead singer of The Happenings, Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Shades Of Blue, Dennis Tufano, original lead singer of The Buckinghams …
Be sure to get on their mailing list to stay updated for any shows that may be coming to your area. (kk)
And, speaking of tours, The O’Jays have just announced their final tour …
Once we have the official dates and cities, we’ll pass the information along …
But for right now, we have only received this press release statement …
Soul/R&B Legends The O'Jays Celebrate 60 Years With Final Tour!
Last Stop On The Love Train! Coming Soon To A City Near You!
After more than 60 years electrifying people all over the world, the mighty, legendary, R&B / Soul kings The O’Jays are set to embark on their final tour! Featuring original members Eddie Levert Sr and Walter Williams Sr, who have been singing together for over 70 years!
The O’Jays are touring history, a connection to an era and a sound that formed the soundtrack for the lives of several generations. In 1972, Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters with whom the O’Jays had been working for several years, signed the group to their Philadelphia International label.
With this magic formula, often called The Sound of Philadelphia, The O’Jays scored their first number 1 and million-selling song, “Backstabbers:, followed by more chart-topping pop and R&B singles including “Love Train,” “Put Your Hands Together,” “For The Love of Money,” “I Love Music,” “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love),” “Livin’ For The Weekend” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”
This success propelled The O’Jays to be the first black vocal group to perform in arenas throughout America during the 70s and 80s. Eddie Levert Sr, Walter Williams Sr, and Eric Nolan Grant, who joined the group in 1995, continue to thrill fans today.
“The reason that this is our last tour is because, between Eddie and I, our ages will be over 160 years old by the end of the tour. I will be 60, and Eddie... you can do the rest of the math. But really, we wanted one last tour to say goodbye to our friends, family and fans, and ride The Love Train together, one last time.” - Walter Williams Sr
“I was thinking that I would quietly retire, but our fans and my body weren’t having it ... The love and physical benefits of performing keeps us on the younger side of our age. This tour is a celebration of all of our lives and the struggles and joys that got us to today. It is time for us to say goodbye and we would like to do it in person. Please come join us as we play the music we have shared together over the past 60 years, one last time.” - Eddie Levert
Throughout their career The O’Jays have achieved 10 Gold albums, 9 Platinum albums and 10 #1 hits. It’s been a long journey but thanks to the fans the LOVE TRAIN is still going strong!
The O’Jays were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 and honored with BET’s LifeTime Achievement Award in 2009. In 2013, they were inducted into The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame.
Please don't miss this train at the
station
'Cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you
For more information: http://www.mightyojays.com/
Even Robert Feder was spreading the word last week about this year’s Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees …
Radio legend John Records Landecker, who’s currently hosting evenings at Nexstar Media news / talk WGN 720-AM, and WXRT 93.1-FM, the Audacy adult album alternative station, are among the 2022 inductees to the Hall of Fame of the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66. This year’s other honorees are Styx, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, Dan Fogelberg, The New Colony Six, Jim Peterik, Dennis DeYoung and Mercury Records. The second annual Hall of Fame ceremony will be June 5 at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. (Here is the link for tickets.)
How’d you like to pick up one of these???
5,000 CD storage & player
If I ever generate a credible salary again, this would be a logical purchase. Of course, I would need ten of these: Brennan B2 Review: Your CD Collection At Your Fingertips (2020 Updated) (luxe.digital)
Scott Paton
Honestly, for what this is and what it can do, that’s really not a bad price! My first thought was I want to keep my CD’s in their jewel cases with all the photos and liner notes … but it sounds like this is really more just a way to scan in all of your music into one place … and 5000 full length CD’s is one heck of a lot of storage! (kk)
Just finished reading your blog. You are too kind. For me to be mentioned in the same breath as my heroes Duane Eddy and Bobby Vee gave me goose bumps!
I loved your alternative book title … Paladin's another hero.
FYI, the book is now available at Amazon. Didn't figure on so many book titles beginning with "No Strings Attached" but at least mine is literal. Just requires a little scrolling to find it.
Thanks again for the support.
Hope to see you somewhere along the way.
Jim
I started reading through Jim Nowoc’s “No Strings Attached” this weekend and am quite enjoying it.
The chapters move thru rock and roll history in chronological order … and having also grown up here in Chicago, there are so many relatable parallel places and experiences that I can immediately connect to. (I’m especially enjoying some of these earlier chapters as I didn’t connect to music until the 1964 British Invasion. Jim’s a few years older than me so he was there from the beginning and got to experience “Rock Around The Clock,” Elvis Presley and American Bandstand first-hand as they were happening.)
Of course the journey of his now infamous guitar play into some many connectable paths … imagine being able to meet so many of these artists that were so influential and inspirational to you as a youngster and then decades later, being able to relate these experiences as they sign your keepsake. (Again, I can relate … I am CONSTANTLY amazed and reminded about how fortunate I am to have been able to meet and interact with so many of MY music idols from back in the day.)
I can only recommend that you pick up a copy if you made a similar journey down the path of discovering and falling in love with rock and roll music.
You can pick up a copy here:
Kent,
I agree with Ed#1 that SURFIN' HOOTENANNY should have been a bigger hit than what it was.
As for Giorgio, his only record here in OKC was his charted song of LOOKY LOOKY (on Atco) from 1969.
And when you show surveys from different towns, I always like to see what records were played on their surveys that weren't on ours (OKC)
Larry
I wasn’t quite as knocked out by Al Casey’s “Surfin’ Hootenanny” as you guys were … but it didn’t exactly tank … “Surfin’ Hootenanny” made The Top 40 in both Music Vendor (#38) and Cash Box (#39) … it only failed to achieve Top 40 status in Billboard, where it peaked at #48. (kk)
>>>Speaking of Tommy Roe in today's FH, years ago and I think maybe I still have it, I had (have) a copy of SHEILA, except it is misspelled. It is spelled SHIELA. I also have his original recording on Judd. Always did like the records that Tommy Roe put out. My favorite is probably the one he recorded for EVERYBODY. (Larry)
We were IN OKC when Everybody was out and it was the main 45 I bought there!
Clark Besch
>>>You are right about when there were two rock and roll stations being in the same market, that some records were played on one station and not the other. I can't really think of too many examples here in the OKC area, but one I do know is that the Music
Explosion's LITTLE BIT OF SOUL was played on both KOMA and WKY. But their follow up, SUNSHINE GAMES, was played only on KOMA. Most of the Uniques’ records were played only on KOMA. (Larry)
Yes, but often KOMA and WKY agreed MUCH more than WLS and WCFL did with charting and airplay, IMO.
Clark
And here’s a fun one from Geoff Lambert’s weekly music sheet …
Did you know Jimmy Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin met Elvis on May 11th 1974?
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham were in Los Angeles for the launch of their record label Swan Song. The night after the launch party at the Bel Air Hotel, the three attended Elvis Presley's concert at the Forum. At some point, Elvis must have been alerted to the presence of the rock group in the audience because during the show - which was taped and later released on record as 'Live in L.A'. - he can be heard saying to his band, 'Wait a minute. ... If we can start together, fellas, because we've got Led Zeppelin out there. ... Let's try to look like we know what we're doing, whether we do or not'. Jimmy Plant also revealed a funny turn near the end of the evening. 'At that meeting, Jimmy Page joked with Elvis that we never sound-checked - but if we did, all I wanted to do was sing Elvis songs', Plant said. 'Elvis thought that was funny and asked me, 'Which songs do you sing?' I told him I liked 'Love Me' -- 'Treat me like a fool / Treat me mean and cruel / But love me'. So when we were leaving, after a most illuminating and funny ninety minutes with the him, I was walking down the corridor. He swung 'round the door frame, looking quite pleased with himself, and started singing that song: 'Treat me like a fool ... ' I turned around and did Elvis right back at him. We stood there, singing to each other'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORYYee94OhU
If you’d like to subscribe, drop him a line at geoff.lambert@btinternet.com
