by Kevin Burton “There are no boring towns, just boring people,” said my first editor. Not all his nuggets were golden. That one was, and is. My wife Jeannette and I are not boring people Thus we were in no danger of being bored, though we made the curious choice of Newton, Kansas …
Category Archives: music
Tempering Expectations For McCartney Album
by Kevin Burton I think writers borrow the whole Dickens thing too much. You know, best of times-worst of times. But here I think, it fits. As a Beatles fan I am of course looking forward to “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” PaulMcCartney’s first new solo album in six years, set for release …
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Seals and Crofts Music Sticks To Your Ribs
by Kevin Burton I like barbecue sauce. I love cayenne pepper and other hot spices. But I don’t have to have it on everything, all the time. And so it is with screaming guitars and scene-stealing guitar solos. They are cool sometimes, but I can live without them. So it was that …
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December 1963, Oh What A Song, For The Guy
by Kevin Burton Here’s what we know about the female character from “December 1963 (Oh What a Night,” the Four Seasons’ fifth and last number one hit: She had the ability to walk. She walked into a room. That’s all we get. No eyes of blue, no golden hair, no perfume in …
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International Women’s Day, Because Why Not?
by Kevin Burton Tomorrow dear reader, is International Women’s Day. When I gave my wife Jeannette those glad tidings she said “What does that mean?” An excellent question from an excellent woman. “Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination,” is the invitation from the International Women’s …
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Neil Sedaka And How I Loved His Second Act
by Kevin Burton I love laughter, I love rain, and I love me some Neil Sedaka. So the news that Sedaka died Feb. 27 at age 86, stung. I never knew the man of course. Never got within 100 miles of him as far as I know. Yet he was a friend …
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Pilot On Holly’s Plane Crash Was Not Qualified
by Kevin Burton The 21-year-old pilot of the plane that crashed on this day in 1959, taking the lives of three famous young musicians was not qualified for the flight, according to published accounts. The crash, which took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) has been …
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Disabled Musicians Make Sound Beyond Limits
By Kintan Andanari The Straits Times (Singapore) When Siti Sakinah Zainal sits at the piano, fingers poised on its keys, she begins not by looking at the conductor’s purple baton, but by listening intently. She focuses on the sound of his slow, measured breath, amplified through his microphone. On cue, she starts Georges …
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Ten Joyful Words From Around The World
by Kevin Burton Happiness is a sunny place to be on a slow and sweet Saturday morning. Happiness has its shadings and degrees. Happiness observes no borders, but it is expressed differently and more specifically in the various parts of the world. This we explore today with a list from Merriam-Webster dictionary. …
Push Past Failure, Try, Try Again In 2026
by Dictionary Scoop Truman Capote once said, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” In the same vein, Benjamin Franklin claimed: “He that can have patience can have what he will.” Patience and perseverance are fundamental when it comes to conquering the anguish of things not going as planned. Numerous scientists, inventors, …
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