1950-1959

To quote my fellow Hoosier, the great Kurt Vonnegut, on the wonder of the Beatles: “I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, ‘The Beatles […]

INCOMPLETE 6-10-12 This video is a link from You Tube. All copyrights remain with the original copyright holders. FROM AN AMERICAN STORY

“Before Elvis I used to lie in bed at night with the lights off, and listen to country music very low on the radio, the tiny orange lights of the tube amplifier shining through the slits in the radio’s back. I sang his songs in front of the mirror. I imitated his smile, raising the […]

This video is a link from You Tube. All copyrights remain with the original copyright holders. (See out link policy) “NEW YORK CITY, 1952…When I was in second grade in New York City I was forced by my parents to wear short pants to school and an “I Like Ike” button on my shirt. I […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xlqtTZ27ms&feature=youtube_gdata_player This video is a link from You Tube. All copyrights remain with the original copyright holders. FROM AN AMERICAN STORY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZBUb0ElnNY&feature=youtube_gdata_player This video is a link from You Tube. All copyrights remain with the original copyright holders. I was ten when Elvis came along. Before Elvis I used to lie in bed at night with the lights off, and listen to country music very low on the radio, the tiny orange lights of the tube […]

My father was working as a producer on Your Hit Parade, the earliest music program on television. Over time he moved to Batton, Barton, Durstine & Osborne, one of the ad agencies for the show, which was sponsored by Lucky Strike. My first words, I like to say, were “L.S.M.F.T” (“Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco”). […]

This video is a link from You Tube. All copyrights remain with the original copyright holders. (See out link policy) Before Elvis I used to lie in bed at night with the lights off, and listen to country music very low on the radio, the tiny orange lights of the tube amplifier shining through the […]

If I thought about it, it seemed clear that elements of my generation had always been singled out for disapproval, going back to the birth of rock and roll and the invention of the teenager. The first wave of disapproval had been at “juvenile delinquents” (who scared me, actually. Not that I actually saw any; […]

If I thought about it, it seemed clear that elements of my generation had always been singled out for disapproval, going back to the birth of rock and roll and the invention of the teenager. The first wave of disapproval had been at “juvenile delinquents” (who scared me, actually. Not that I actually saw any; […]