As you might guess, Gogi Grant was not her real name. She was born Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg in 1924 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A singer from a young age, she won several talent shows until one day she got the attention … Continue reading →
Morris Stoloff was a musical producer for Columbia Pictures. He worked on the music for many of the pictures that came out of Hollywood during the Forties and Fifties and even into the Sixties. No other work he did got … Continue reading →
“Hot Diggity” is what I call a cross-over song. But not from, say, country to pop, but instead from pre-rock and roll to full blown rock and roll. Perry Como was certainly one of the establishment. He had been around … Continue reading →
The first record released by Elvis for RCA was, of course, “Heartbreak Hotel”, but that was not the first recording he made. That honor goes to “I Got a Woman” which was a cover of a record by Ray Charles … Continue reading →
I now present another instrumental. In fact, this is the only time in the entire rock era that an instrumental followed another instrumental in the number one spot. Previously, we had “Lisbon Antigua” and now there is “Poor People of … Continue reading →
We know that instrumentals were very popular in the Fifties and extended into the Sixties as well. Today, we seldom see an instrumental on the charts. This song by the famous orchestra leader, Nelson Riddle, was written by three Portuguese … Continue reading →
The Platters were one of those rare groups of the Fifties that were liked by the kids and were also liked by the parents. Rock and roll was, after all, a rebellion of sorts. It was a whole new style … Continue reading →
We continue with more “firsts.” “Rock and Roll Waltz” was the first number one song in the rock era by a female. It was the first number one to have the phrase “rock and roll” in it’s title and it … Continue reading →
We have made it to 1956. “Memories Are Made of This” was the first number one of 1956. By then, Dean Martin was a household word in America. He was born Dino Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio in 1917. He started … Continue reading →
How well I remember “Tennessee” Ernie Ford. He was an actor that could sing and a singer that could act. He had his own television show and he had one of the biggest hits of 1955. His famous line was … Continue reading →