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Entries categorized as “Friday MP3 Shuffle” 276 results
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Minnie Pearl Edition
Today we pay tribute to a country music legend. There has been a long tradition of country comedians that goes on to this day, and none have even come close to the longevity and popularity of Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, known throughout the world as the Gal from Grinder’s Switch, Minnie Pearl. Cannon was a theater major in college who developed the Pearl character in 1939, picking up her signature hat in a Nashville department store for $1.98. One year later, she got her first chance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and was an instant success, and was regular at the Opry until her stroke in 1991. During those 51 years, she performed with everyone (on the Hank Williams at the Opry disc, Hank does two routines with Minnie) and as the years went on, she not only encourage other comedians, but she mentored artists like Vince Gill, k.d. lang and Chely Wright. Minnie was a breast cancer survivor who campaigned to fight the disease. Rare is the entertainer who can say he or she was a star for a half a century. Minnie Pearl was one of those rare entertainers, who made generations of fans laugh with her traditional homespun humor. Give Minnie a big birthday How-dee!!! by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Chuck Berry Edition
Today, we celebrate one of the true founding fathers of rock ‘n’ roll, a man who created many of the musical and lyrical archetypes that defined the sound for decades. No artist had a larger role in establishing rock ‘n’ roll as the music of youth culture, which not only changed music, but all entertainment in general. Chuck Berry’s songs are still covered to this day, as classics like “Johnny B. Goode”, “Sweet Little Sixteen”, “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Back in the U.S.A.” still endure. And when not singing about “School Days” or the “Havana Moon”, he wrote one of rock’s first important songs about race, the classic “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”. There’s simply not enough you can say about a man whose influence still reverberates, both directly and indirectly, to this day. So in honor Mr. Berry’s birthday, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle, and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Daryl Hall Edition
He is the primary half of the most successful duo in rock music history. Well into his fifties, he’s still the suave, handsome, cool frontman with the soulful voice. Daryl Hall and John Oates got started as folk duo who incorporated soul music and became progressively more pop. They hit it big with Daryl’s “Sarah Smile” and followed up by re-releasing the early tune “She’s Gone”, and they soon became chart fixtures. They recharged in the ‘80s, adding new wavey influences and became more popular than ever. Eventually, the hits quit coming, but Hall and Oates have never gone away, still playing out and still recording, and garnering more respect than ever as people can now truly appreciate their catalog. In the meantime, Daryl hosts a swell TV show, Live from Daryl’s House, where every week he hosts a band or singer and they play and kibbitz. Let’s give Daryl Hall a birthday salute by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Jody Stephens Edition
Today, let’s pay tribute to the drummer of the legendary cult power pop band Big Star. Jody Stephens was the only main stay, other than Alex Chilton, for every iteration of the band. And Jody brought some skills to the table. His work on “Oh My Soul” alone is enough to show how skilled he was, and he certainly influenced future drummers (I would guess Will Rigby of The dB’s learned a thing or two from those first two Big Star records). Jody helps keep the Big Star flame burning and works at Ardent Studios, where the band’s classic albums were recorded. I’d reckon if you stop by there when he was in, if he wasn’t recording some band, he’d probably show you around. Let’s salute Mr. Stephens by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Don Cornelius Edition
He was a journalist who came up with one of the most popular syndicated music programs ever, bringing soul, funk and hip hop stars to larger audiences. There had been tons of record hop shows on television, but none geared so specifically towards black music until Cornelius started up Soul Train here in Chicago, on WCIU-TV, Channel 26, in 1970. The show was an instant sensation, and within a year, Cornelius moved it to L.A. as it went national. He hosted the show until 1993, closing every show by saying "... and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!" Soul Train broke out beyond the African American community and became a trendsetting show, as everyone watched the Soul Train dancers (who included, briefly, future Chicago Bears great Walter Payton), the Soul Train Scramble Board and a lengthy list of great performers. Cornelius was the epitome of laid back cool, emphasizing a positive message and adding legitimacy to great music and a culture that wasn’t seen before on national TV. Let’s salute Don Cornelius by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.