One year for Christmas, my mother bought me a copy of the album Why Can’t We Be Friends by War. This album has two hits, the title track and Low Rider. While I love these songs, this is an album that I would have never bought for myself. It had probably been out for a …
Category Archives: Influences
Steve Martin in Concert
Over the years, I have seen several high-profile comedians in concert. The first of these was Steve Martin. Steve came to my attention with his appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Saturday Night Live in the mid-1970’s. I memorized his comedy routines from his first album Let’s Get Small and would share …
The Michael Franks Concert
In 1985, I saw a guitarist named Stanley Jordan on the Tonight Show. I was amazed at his technique and the sounds he was able to get out of the guitar. He used a finger tapping technique similar to what you’ve seen Eddie Van Halen do up on the fretboard of the guitar. But he …
Seeing Historic Concert Performances
It’s not that often that you get to be at a noteworthy rock and roll performance. I’ve had the opportunity to see a couple of musicians in concert as they were preparing to record live albums. I saw Jimmy Buffett in Memphis on August 1, 1978. This was exactly a week before he started recording …
Remembering George Klein
George Klein is the first radio DJ whose name I remember knowing. He was a DJ on WHBQ, the most popular AM radio station in the part of the country where I grew up. This was at a time when people listened primarily to AM radios because that was about the only thing around. WHBQ …
Comedy Influence on Religious Songs
I grew up listening to comedy albums. I listened to them enough to have some comedian’s routines memorized. It would be hard to not be influenced by some of these routines even when they weren’t the most spiritual stories. Here are three songs that I can site direct influences from comedy routines.
Springtime in Cleveland
It was spring of 2007 and I was on a business trip in the Cleveland, Ohio area. It was the week before Easter and the weather was warm in Tennessee before we left. It was also warm in Cleveland when we arrived. I had checked the weather before we left Tennessee and I saw that …
8-Track Memories
In January of 1978, my friends and I started getting out on weekends to spend time together. We would occasionally go to the movies, go bowling or visit an arcade. Most of the time, we would ride the streets of our little town in search of girls to talk with. During this time, an 8-track …
Boston Concert
August 15, 1978 marked the eve of the first anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. This would be the first time I would visit Memphis on August 15 that I remember but this first trip was not to attend an Elvis Candlelight Vigil. I’m sure the Elvis fans gathered there that year just as …
Fifth Beatle
I’m not old enough to have been in the group The Beatles but I am old enough to remember them when they were still together. I was almost 2 years old when they arrived in the U.S. for the first time. I was 8 years old when Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the group. Meet the Beatles is …