A Heartwarming Family Fantasy Football Story

by Kevin Burton    I am 6 feet, 1½ inches tall. My wife Jeannette is only 5’4”. But I bet you five dollars we see eye to eye!    How do I know this? I let her know recently that my brother has a whopping eleven fantasy football teams. This knowledge floated for a time, …

“Best Of My Love,” Pure Joy In 1977

by Kevin Burton     Their gospel wailing and harmonies brought out the emotion from listeners in their native Chicago. People confided as much to their mentor/father Joe.    That’s why when the singing Hutchinson sisters needed a new name for the group, they called themselves The Emotions.    Forty-five years ago, their “Best Of My …

The Maybe Box Keeps The Peace At Home

by Kevin Burton    One box in our house provides encouragement and saves us from arguments. We call it the maybe box.    This is the box that ensures that Jeannette and I stay on the same side as we fight the Great Clutter War.  Every family needs a maybe box.     The maybe box …

A Farewell To Everyday People?

by Kevin Burton    Sly Stone’s spot-on cultural signpost “Everyday People” topped the American charts 53 years ago.  But where is that message today?    The song is brilliant in its simplicity. Sung partially to the rhythm of a children’s rhyme, it contains a message even a child can understand.    “The song takes some …

A Moment To Savor With Gerry Rafferty

by Kevin Burton    The hit sniffers at United Artists wanted the title track from Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 smash album “City To City” to be the first song released as a single.    Rafferty knew better, successfully spoke up for the sonic masterpiece “Baker Street” as the first single and the rest is history.    …

Last Echoes From The Brilliant Rafferty

by Kevin Burton    Thanks to his daughter Martha, we have a new studio album from Gerry Rafferty, ten years after his death.    Parlophone Records released “Rest In Blue” on Friday.  It’s a revamping of the songs he was working on at the time of his death.    For dedicated Rafferty fans it’s a …

Beatles Are Template For All That Followed

by Kevin Burton    My wife once asked me why I like the Beatles so much. Amazingly, I didn’t have a ready answer for her. I still don’t have a short sound-bite answer.     This is a good thing I think. It means there are several aspects of their music and their cultural influences that …