Tune Tuesday – Feeling Good

An amazing voice was silenced on this day in 2003 when Nina Simone passed away. She was a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter who went on to be a civil rights activist. She was born Eunice Wayman in February of 1933. As a child, she showed promise on the piano and would go on to play … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Feeling Good →

Tune Tuesday – Judy In Disguise With Glasses

John Fred (Gourrier) died on this day in 2005. His career in the music biz started in 1956 when he formed the band, John Fred and the Playboys. He was 15 years old. The first single that charted (#82) for the band was "Shirley" and the instrumentation was by Fats Domino's backing band. Their only … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Judy In Disguise With Glasses →

Tune Tuesday – For What It’s Worth

It was on this day in 1966 that Canadian and American talents combined in Los Angeles. The result was a band that would enjoy a Top Ten song and give us two Classic Rock Legends. The Buffalo Springfield brought Canadians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Palmer together with Americans Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – For What It’s Worth →

Tune Tuesday – Town Without Pity

The great Gene Pitney was born on this day in 1940. In total, he charted 16 Top 40 hits in the US. His hits include, "Love My Life Away", "Only Love Can Break a Heart", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "24 Hours from Tulsa", "Mecca", and my favorite, "Town Without Pity". "Town Without Pity" … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Town Without Pity →

Tune Tuesday – Village of Love

For Tune Tuesday, I have to feature one of the artists that was introduced to me by my dad. He and my Godfather grew up together and loved listening to music together. They listened to blues stuff from Jimmy Reed, Motown, and plenty of R&B artists. Back in the day, local artists actually got airplay … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Village of Love →

Tune Tuesday – Jerome Kern

Born on this day 141 years ago, one of the great contributors to the Great American Songbook - Jerome Kern. He was born January 27, 1885. Jerome Kern was one of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century. He wrote more than 700 songs that were used in over 100 stage … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Jerome Kern →

Tune Tuesday – What’s Going On

It was on this day in 1971 that Tamla Records (a division of Motown) released Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. According to many stories, it almost wasn't released. From songfacts.com: According to the book Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves & Demons of Marvin Gaye, Motown head Berry Gordy initially refused to release this song, calling … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – What’s Going On →

Tune Tuesday – Hats Off To Larry

There was no shortage of possibilities to feature today on Tune Tuesday. Musical birthdays include Bo Diddley (1928), Skeeter Davis (1931), Paul Stookey (1937), Mike Nesmith (1942), Davy Jones (1945), Jeff Lynne (1947), and Ellie Goulding (1986). However, I have decided to focus today on a Hometown Hero. Born today in 1934 in Coopersville, Michigan … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Hats Off To Larry →

Tune Tuesday – Jingle Bell Blues

Happy 76th birthday to ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons! Billy was born outside of Houston, Texas. Music was a part of his life right from the start. His father was an orchestra leader and concert pianist. When he was five, his mom took him to see Elvis Presley. Two years later, his dad took him to … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Jingle Bell Blues →

Tune Tuesday – Wind Parade

Today, we shine the light on another hometown hero. Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, better known to the music world as Donald Byrd, was born on this day in 1932. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother introduced him to jazz music, and his uncle gave him his first trumpet. He attended Cass technical … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Wind Parade →