by Kevin Burton Toward the end of his life my father said it was strange getting old because many of his friends and relatives had died and he was left behind. I understand where he was coming from. But I extend that to teachers and public figures. Even though I don’t interact …
Category Archives: 1970s
Musical Genius Thom Bell Dead At 79
by Kevin Burton Just as Philly Soul is unfairly overshadowed by Motown and Stax, Thom Bell didn’t always get the credit he deserved. The producer, arranger and songwriter died Dec. 22 at the age of 79. I never heard his name mentioned in the 70s when I was soaking in his Sound of …
For Comfort Or Style, Jeans Are Ubiquitous
by Kevin Burton If your workplace observes casual Friday, one thing you might be reaching for today is your favorite pair of jeans. They are commonly called blue jeans, though some of them are not blue. I own one black pair that I rarely wear. Approximately 450 million pairs of jeans are …
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Disaster At Who Concert Still Haunts Band
I’ve written a lot about the Beatles and Beatlemania, but there is another side to the craziness of rock and roll. Yesterday was the 43rd anniversary of the tragedy at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati when eleven people were killed in a stampede to get into a concert by The Who. There was no …
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Christmas Top 40: Up On The Housetop
by Kevin Burton We don’t have Santa images at my house. For us, Christmas is about Jesus. But there is one Christmas song I have always loved that doesn’t fit that mode. Hundreds of artists have recorded it. Possibly the most famous version was made by Gene Autry in 1953. It was …
Lennon’s Thanksgiving Concert Appearance
by Kevin Burton On Thanksgiving night 1974, two of England’s best musical exports, John Lennon and Elton John appeared together in concert. The appearance was Lennon paying off a bet of sorts. His song “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night,” had just reached the top of the US Hot 100, something Lennon was …
News At My (And On My) Fingertips
by Kevin Burton On the next-to-last night of our Upper Midwest vacation we found ourselves watching the clothes go round. We were in Norfolk, Nebraska, boyhood hometown of Johnny Carson, when we gathered our quarters and the Tide Pods Jeannette had bought for the occasion, and took advantage of the Hampton Inn’s coin …
Visiting Johnny Carson’s Boyhood Home Town
by Kevin Burton There was a time when one man captured this nation’s attention, made us laugh and in a way, held us together. And that national smile began with the first five notes of that song, The Tonight Show theme. “Daaaaa dum dum daaaa daaaa….” You heard those notes and …
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“Free Man In Paris” Peaked At Number 22
by Kevin Burton Oh my goodness how did I ever miss this one? Earlier this year to mark the year 2022 I did a series of posts about songs that peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It turns out one of my all-time favorite songs, “Free Man in Paris,” …
The Bible Is What’s Happening Now
by Kevin Burton The late comedian Flip Wilson had an ongoing gag featuring a hip, fast-talking preacher who strayed for comedic effect, far from a right interpretation of the Bible. His Flip Wilson Show aired Thursday nights on NBC from 1970 to 1974. The recurring preacher segment came from what he called “The …
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