(Above: Dick Biondi - front left - was the last surviving member of the WCFL airstaff in this photo.) 2023 is in the books. As we have seen in recent years, many parts of our pop culture, as they age, leave us each year. This past year saw some big names pass on. As it … Continue reading 2023 rewound: voices we lost last year
1950s
Rest in peace, Ed Ames: “Who Will Answer?” (1968)
Ed Ames passed away on May 21, 2023 at the age of 95. He was the lead singer of the Ames Brothers, who were a force in the pre-rock and roll days. Between 1948 and 1954, before the chart we know as the Hot 100 took form, the Ames Brothers charted 23 hits, including three … Continue reading Rest in peace, Ed Ames: “Who Will Answer?” (1968)
Rest in peace, Burt Bacharach: A celebration of his greatest songs
(Above: Burt with Dusty Springfield on his television show, 1969) In terms of loss to the Great American Songbook, this is a big one. Burt Bacharach passed away yesterday at the age of 94. Just the numbers on Bacharach's career are staggering. He won a Grammy award six times, which was a much lower number … Continue reading Rest in peace, Burt Bacharach: A celebration of his greatest songs
2022 in review: acts that we lost this year
(Above: The Killer, ironically, passed on in October.) 2022 was, by all accounts, a difficult year once again in terms of popular culture. For the last several years we've been seeing more and more of the acts that we grew up with aging and passing on. During more "normal" workload years for me - when … Continue reading 2022 in review: acts that we lost this year
Rest in peace, Vera Lynn: “We’ll Meet Again” (1939)
"Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?" That line, in Pink Floyd's "Vera," was my introduction to the existence of Vera Lynn. At the age of 11, with a fresh copy of The Wall in hand, I didn't necessarily understand all of the references (or all of the material, for that matter) contained in it. … Continue reading Rest in peace, Vera Lynn: “We’ll Meet Again” (1939)
Rest in peace, Little Richard: “Long Tall Sally” (1956)
Richard Penniman passed away today at the age of 87. Like anything about Little Richard, that sentence doesn't tell the whole story. Little Richard began his recording career in 1951 with RCA Victor. His early sides for them, including "Taxi Blues," didn't go anywhere on the charts. But in 1956 the world changed. Richard, recording … Continue reading Rest in peace, Little Richard: “Long Tall Sally” (1956)
Rest in peace, Phil Phillips: “Sea of Love” (1959)
R&B singer John Philip Baptiste passed away Saturday at the age of 94. You know him as Phil Phillips, who - from a pop standpoint - had one hit: 1959's "Sea of Love," recorded with The Twilights as the backing group. Originally released on the Khoury record label, it was later picked up by … Continue reading Rest in peace, Phil Phillips: “Sea of Love” (1959)
Rest in peace, Jack Scott: “Leroy” (1958)
Jack Scott passed away yesterday in Michigan after suffering from congestive heart failure at the age of 84. His may not be a name that's immediately familiar to you. Let's fix that. Scott was born Jack Scafone in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1936. His family relocated to the Detroit suburbs when he was ten … Continue reading Rest in peace, Jack Scott: “Leroy” (1958)
Rest in peace, Doris Day: “Everybody Loves a Lover” (1958)
Word circulated through the media this morning that actress and pop star Doris Day passed away at the age of 97. In a bit of irony, I got the news in my Facebook feed just as I was beginning a lecture in a communications class about death and mourning on social media, and how that … Continue reading Rest in peace, Doris Day: “Everybody Loves a Lover” (1958)
Rest in peace, Peggy Sue Gerron: Buddy Holly & the Crickets, “Peggy Sue” (1957)
(Above: Jerry and Peggy Sue Allison) Word has come out of Lubbock, Texas by way of TV station KCBD that Peggy Sue Gerron has passed away at the age of 78. You likely don't know her, but you know the song that was written for her. Peggy Sue dated Jerry Allison in high school, and … Continue reading Rest in peace, Peggy Sue Gerron: Buddy Holly & the Crickets, “Peggy Sue” (1957)
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