A Triple Farewell

Three legendary artists have passed away in recent weeks. American actress and singer Annette Funicello passed away on April 8th, 2013 at the age of 70, due to complications from her multiple sclerosis. She began her career as a child performer at the age of 12 and rose to prominence as one of the most popular "Mouseketeers" on the original Mickey Mouse Club. She later established herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre with co-star Frankie Avalon during the mid-1960s. From a typical, teenage movie, here's sweet Annette singing the title theme to 1965's "The Monkey's Uncle," backed by...wait for it...The Beach Boys? Yep. It's actually kind of cute.    

Farewell, dear Annette.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On April 22nd, American singer-songwriter guitarist Richie Havens died of a heart attack at the age of 72. He is best known for his intense and rhythmic guitar style (often in open tunings), soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. During this infamous performance, Havens held the crowd for nearly three hours (in part because he was told to perform a lengthy set because many artists were delayed in reaching the festival location), and he was called back for several encores. Having run out of tunes, he improvised a song based on the old spiritual, "Motherless Child," that became "Freedom" (as seen in his video clip from the festival). Only a true musician can bring this much passion to an improvised song.

Farewell, Mr. Havens.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And today, April 26th, we lost American country music singer George Jones who passed away at 81 years old. Beginning his career in 1954, he is remembered for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to country singer Tammy Wynette. The flat-topped singer (also known for his hard-living lifestyle) placed multiple singles on the country charts each year during the '60s, including ballads like "Walk Through This World with Me." Released in January 1967, this single was his 57th release on the country chart and his fourth #1 hit.

Farewell, Mr. Jones.

Twistin' the Night Away

The Wrecking Crew: Part 3

Alright, it's about time I get back to writin' and continuing our fabulous series on the Wrecking Crew musicians (which is not even close to over)! First off, we're featuring American country music singer Glen Campbell, who was actually a regular guitarist amongst the first-call "Wrecking Crew" studio musicians before embarking on a highly successful solo career (something like releasing over 70 albums and selling over 45 million records, no biggie). In the mid-60s, he filled in for Brian Wilson as a touring musician on Beach Boys tours, and played guitar on the revolutionary Pet Sounds album. After the success of "Wichita Lineman" (featured here during the Country Crossovers series), Campbell scored a big hit with another Jimmy Webb song, "Galveston," which reached #4 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the country chart. Although it's widely considered an anti-Vietnam protest song, Campbell (a Republican) performed it up-tempo, conveying a more general message in a patriotic way, and it's considered the official anthem of Galveston, Texas. Other Wrecking Crew musicians included in this recording are Hal Blaine on drums (as usual), Al Casey on acoustic guitar, and Joe Osborn on bass. Here's a live performance of "Galveston" (with a studio backing track) on Campbell's own series The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joining the likes of The Beach Boys as vocal "surf music" pioneers, Los Angeles duo Jan & Dean used the Wrecking Crew musicians on their recordings too, and found peak success during the surf rock craze just prior to the British Invasion. Amongst their biggest songs like "Surf City" (featured way back here) and "Dead Man's Curve" was their #3 hit "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" released in June 1964. Based on a folk archetype of the widowed ladies in this East L.A. city, this comic song's twist was that not only did this little old lady drive a hot car, she was also a street racer. The top-notch WC musicians used on this recording are drummers Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer, pianist Leon Russell, guitarists Tommy Tedesco, Billy Strange, and Bill Pitman, and bassist Jimmy Bond, among a few others. The coolest part is that I found out this recording's personnel by looking at copies of actual contracts provided online by the Musician's Union (American Federation of Musicians; my husband was in that same union back in his professional musician days). You can check out some of these contracts for these legendary recording sessions on the official Wrecking Crew website here. Anyway, introduced by singer Lesley Gore, here's a live vocal performance by Jan & Dean.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You've probably heard of the popular New York girl group The Crystals (pictured left) who released huge hits in the early 1960s like "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me." But you may not know that their most-enduring success, "He's a Rebel," was only credited to The Crystals but was actually recorded by singer Darlene Love and her backing group The Blossoms (pictured right). Legend has it that when the real Crystals were unable to travel fast enough to L.A. from New York to record "He's a Rebel" (written by singer Gene Pitney), record producer Phil Spector had Love and her L.A.-based group record the single under the banner of The Crystals. The real Crystals had to add the song to their live repertoire, even though lead singer Barbara Alston's soft voice could not mimic Love's hearty deliver. While The Crystals are considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the '60s, this recording is among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group sound. Including all WC musicians on this song, here's a lip-synced performance by The Crystals of the original recording.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the Wrecking Crew may have its origins with studio musicians dating back to the late 1950s, the Crew was definitely at work with hits in the early '60s, playing for stars like the King of Soul himself, Sam Cooke. With his distinctive vocal abilities, Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away" is among his most popular songs, reaching #9 on the pop charts and #1 on the R&B chart after its release in January 1962. Written by Cooke, it was even successful overseas as well, reaching #6 in the UK. The recording includes WC members Tommy Tedesco and Clifton White on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums, as well as a swingin' horn section. Haven't figured where this footage comes from, but here's a great performance by the extremely talented Sam Cooke with a live band in December 1963 (one year before his untimely death).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The WC didn't just play rock 'n' roll of the '60s but were also used for traditional pop standard recordings as well, like Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen." First composed and recorded by Bert Kaempfert, the song was originally intended for singer Bobby Darin as a follow-up to "Mack the Knife." However, after seeing a 21-year-old Newton perform at the Copacabana, he decided to give it to Newton and transposed the key of the recording to fit Newton's high tenor voice (sometimes mistaken for a female!). Released in 1963, this recording reached #13 on the Billboard pop charts and #3 on the easy listening chart, becoming Newton's signature song. Before becoming one of the biggest (and longest-running) performers in Las Vegas, here's a very polished live performance by the young, self-assured Wayne Newton in 1968.

England Swings

Once again, blog posting has come to a halt as my free evenings have been spent tuned into the Olympics on TV! The amazing athleticism aside, I've really enjoyed seeing footage from around London and I'm reminded what a fun and beautiful city it is. I had the privilege of visiting London four summers ago and I still can't wait to go back someday. 
During the 1960s, "Swinging London" was a catch-all term that applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in this city, and of course music of the "British Invasion" (from America's perspective) was well underway.
Anyway, I thought I'd do a quick post with songs about London, as these tunes have been playing through my head as I've watchd the Olympics (if you were hoping this post was going to be all about the British Invasion, you'll just have to check out those previous posts here).

The song that presents the most stereotypical picture of England at this time was "England Swings (Like a Pendulum Do)" by American country singer Roger Miller. Written by Miller and released as a single in 1965, this catchy, little ditty reached #3 on the country chart, #8 on the US pop chart,  and #13 in the UK.  If you're interested in seeing this song get a go-go booted makeover, there's a funny version by Patty Duke here. Anyway, looks like I'll be hearing "Bobbies, two by two" in my head the next time I watch the Olympics. Sorry, no live performance footage of this song.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Released in late 1965, this next song comes from Donovan's second album, Fairytale, where he developed his British folk sound. His "Sunny Goodge Street" foreshadows the jazzy feel and descriptions of life in urban London, which Donovan would explore further in the following years.
And what do ya know, Goodge Street is an actual location in Central London around the corner from the British Museum, as pictured in this tube station signage. So here's some nice live footage with that soothing voice of the Scottish singer-songwriter doing what he does best.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 This next "London" tune is classic one that you rarely hear on the oldies radio stations these days (maybe only on Sirius XM). From Los Angeles, The Rose Garden was an American folk rock musical group that formed in 1967. Although very short-lived, they did enjoy one hit single with "Next Plane to London," which reached #17 on the US Billboard chart at the end of '67. Complete with pleasant lead vocals by Diana DeRose, here's another wonderful tune from this bygone era of Sunshine Pop! 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And of course, it's kind of silly to have a post with songs about London and not include London's anthem. We all know I love "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks so much that it was already featured it in it's own post last summer (if you missed it, check out the details here). And since it's that good, I'll post it again here. This time, I'll use a video that includes photos of those lovely sites around this marvelous city. From the 1967 album Something Else by The Kinks (one of my favorites in my record collection), here's that good ol' "Waterloo Sunset."

Act Naturally

Country Crossover Hits: Part 4

For our final Country Music Crossover post, we're featuring American singer-songwriter and actor Ricky Nelson, who first began his entertainment career in 1949 playing himself in his family's radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (followed by a successful TV sitcom of the same name in the late '50s). In 1957, after recording his first single and debuting as a singer on the TV series, Nelson's music career took off and he was the first teen idol to utilize TV to promote hit records. From 1957 to 1962, he had 30 Top-40 hits (more than any other artist except Elvis Presley and Pat Boone), including "Poor Little Fool," which was the first #1 song on then newly-created Billboard Hot-100 chart. When his career came to a halt in the wake of the British Invasion in the mid-'60s, he moved more towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre and had one last hit with "Garden Party" in 1972. Unfortunately, like quite a few iconic singers, he was killed in plane crash in 1985. Released in 1961, this rockabilly tune seems to make the lists of crossovers, hitting #9 on the US pop chart and #2 in the UK. Written by singer Gene Pitney with Cayet Mangiaracina, here's 21-year-old Ricky Nelson performing "Hello Mary Lou" on that All-American TV series.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At 4 foot 9 inches tall, next is Little Miss Dynamite, country pop singer Brenda Lee, who was a young girl with a mature voice when she was discovered. Although she sang rockabilly and country music from a very young age, her record label she signed with in the mid-50s decided to market her exclusively as a pop artist, thus none of her best-known recordings from the 1960s were ever released to country radio (despite her country sound). In 1960 at 15-years-old, Lee recorded her signature song "I'm Sorry," which hit #1 on the Billboard pop chart and was nominated for a Grammy. Even though it was not released as a country song, it was among the first big hits to use what was to become the Nashville Sound, which emphasized stringed-instrumental sound with smooth vocal harmonies. In time, this country pop tune has become accepted by country fans as a standard of the genre, and is a fixture on many "country oldies" programs. Even peaking at #4 on the R&B chart and #13 in the UK, this song is considered as one of the "finest teen pop songs of the era" (Allmusic). In this (unfortunately poor quality) video, the adorable Brenda Lee sure makes singing like this look so easy.    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next up, it's American singer/guitarist Buck Owens who had 21 #1 hits on the country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos. Originally from Texas, he moved to Bakersfield, CA where he drew up his inspiration for his purely American music, and pioneered the Bakersfield Sound (a reaction against the over-produced  honky-tonk Nashville Sound in the 1950s). Owens was also known for co-hosting the hilarious TV variety series Hee Haw from 1969 to 1986. This next country tune became a crossover hit in a roundabout way. Released in March of 1963, "Act Naturally" was his first chart-topping hit on the country chart, staying at #1 for four weeks and making Owens a country superstar. In 1965, The Beatles brought more attention to this song with their (still country) cover version of this tune, featuring Ringo Starr on the lead vocals. Released in the US as the B-side of "Yesterday," it actually peaked at #47 on the singles chart (their adorable performance on Ed Sullivan here). Later in 1989, Owens and Starr teamed up for a brand-new version, also creating a lighthearted music video for it (here), and this duet peaked at #27 on the country chart. Now for a performance by the original, Buck Owens & His Buckaroos on the Ranch Show in 1966.      

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We'll finish this series with the American country music singer-songwriter and musician Merle Haggard who, like Buck Owens, helped create that Bakersfield Sound with his band The Strangers. Unrelated to his troubles with the law in his younger days, Haggard aligned himself with the growing outlaw country movement in the late '60s (a subgenre of country music whose artists had a raw sound and scruffier look in contrast to those clean cut singers of the Nashville Sound, wearing those rhinestone-covered Nudie suits ). In many of his songs, his guitar playing and voice gave country a hard-edged, blues-like style, and even into the '90s and 2000s, he has continued to release successful albums. Of his 38 #1 country hits, one of his most popular songs is "Okie from Muskogee," which also became a minor pop hit, reaching #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after its release in September 1969. Written by Haggard with his drummer Roy Edwards Burris during the height of the Vietnam War, this tune was first intended as a patriotic statement in support of the troops, but now has become more of a spoof than redneck anthem, as hippies (who are derided in the lyrics) seem to enjoy the humor in it; even counterculture acts like the Grateful Dead and Phil Ochs have cover versions of their own. From 1969, here's Merle Haggard performing "Okie from Muskogee" with The Strangers.    

The End of the World

Country Crossovers: Part 3
Our next group of Country music artists begins with the hugely successful singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor Kenny Rogers. Although he is mainly considered a country artist, this Texan has charted more than 120 singles across different music genres and has topped the country and pop album charts for more 200 individual weeks in the US alone. Starting off with some rock hits in the late '60s with The First Edition (like "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In"), Rogers decided to take his group into more of a country direction, and recorded (in one take) their first country pop single, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town." Released in 1969, this major hit reached #6 on the US pop chart, and was even a bigger success in the UK reaching #2 on their singles chart, eventually selling more than 7 million records. Rogers continued with this band until 1976 when they split and he launched a successful solo career. Live on The Mike Douglas Show, here's Kenny Rogers & The First Edition.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next, it's one of country music's best-known artists and biggest-selling female artists Tammy Wynette. Known as the First Lady of Country Music, she dominated the country charts in the late '60s and early '70s, scoring 17 #1 hits, and helped define the role of the female country singer in the 1970s. In 1968, she co-wrote (with her producer Billy Sherrill) and released the most successful record of her career, "Stand By Your Man," which reached #1 on the US country chart and crossed over to the pop chart at #19. Elevating Wynette to superstar status, this song also hit #1 in the UK after it was finally released there in 1975. Placed at #1 on CMT's list of Top 100 Country Music Songs, this country tune is one of the biggest selling hit singles by a woman in the history of country music (despite its lyrics being derided by the Feminist Movement of late '60s and early '70s). In 2011, the original recording was selected by the US Library of Congress to be preserved, chosen for its cultural significance. Here's one of the most influential country singers performing her Grammy Award-winning signature song, live on The Johnny Cash Show.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An acknowledged influence on Tammy Wynette, Skeeter Davis was one of the first women to achieve major stardom as a solo vocalist in the country music field. Starting out as a part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late '40s, followed by becoming a solo star in the late '50s, she scored her biggest hit in 1963 with "The End of the World." With this single peaking at #2 on the Billboard pop chart, #2 on the country chart, #1 on the Easy Listening chart, and even #4 on the R&B chart, Davis' four-chart Top-10 accomplishment has never been duplicated by any other artist in Billboard chart history. With its smooth vocals and sophisticated production (appealing to audiences beyond traditional country music listeners), this song is considered one of the foremost examples of the Nashville Sound. Davis did go on to release other country music and crossover pop hits, but as this was her signature song, she sang it at every concert appearance she made after its success. From 1965, here's Skeeter Davis' live performance on The Bobby Lord Show.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last but not least, it's American country music singer Leroy Van Dyke who, in his 50 years-plus career, has recorded over 500 songs with dozens of them making it into the charts. In August of 1961, he released his most successful single "Walk on By," which spent a ground-breaking 19 weeks at #1 on the country chart. Also crossing over to the pop charts peaking at #5 in the US and in the UK, this classic country tune was later named by Billboard magazine as the biggest country music record in history (based on sales, plays, and weeks in the charts). Currently at the age of 82, Van Dyke still continues a full performance schedule and sounds great, singing his signature tune here, as well as his 1956 hit "The Auctioneer." As my parents listened to a wide variety of music, I grew up being very familiar with the 1988 cover version of "Walk On By" by Asleep At The Wheel. Here's a live performance by Leroy Van Dyke at the height of this song's success.

Double the Chart-Toppin'

Country Crossover: Part 2
Today's post features four, crossover country music songs that scored both #1 on the country chart and the pop chart.

First, it's American country and gospel singer Jeannie C. Riley from Texas. Her debut single in 1968, "Harper Valley PTA," was an international smash-hit and made her the first woman to top both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the US Country chart (a feat unrepeated until 1981 by Dolly Parton). The song is about a widowed woman named Mrs. Johnson who confronts members of the PTA after her daughter brings home a note from school that's critical of Mrs. Johnson inappropriate behavior and dress. Just four weeks after the song's release, it sold over five and a half million copies, and earned Riley the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, as well as nominations in major pop categories. Apparently, the phrase "sock it to me" used in the final, memorable line of the song was ad libbed at the recording studio at the suggestion of someone at the session. Written by Tom T. Hall and covered by dozens of other artists since, here's the original classic sung by the Texan beauty .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next up, it's another fellow Texan, the country music singer, TV host, actor, and businessman known as Jimmy Dean. Although he's mostly remembered today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he first rose to fame in 1961 with his country crossover hit "Big Bad John," followed by his TV series The Jimmy Dean Show (which gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national exposure). Written by Dean and Roy Acuff, "Big Bad John" tells a story of American folklore (similar to Paul Bunyan or John Henry), and earned Dean the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. In addition to reaching the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the country chart, and easy listening chart, this million-selling single was also a big hit in the UK at #2 on their singles chart. No live performances available, but here's a nice photo montage (and by the way, I don't know if you noticed the resemblance but Jimmy Dean actually was a distant cousin of actor James Dean!).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next, we have American country and pop singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro, who first began his music career in 1962 as a guitarist for Roy Orbison. Going on to have a string of pop and country hits in the '60s and '70s, he scored his biggest hit in 1968 with "Honey," a tear-jerking single about the death of a young man's wife. Written by Bobby Russell and recorded by Goldsboro in one take, this song hit #1 the week Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Scoring the highest position on three different US Billboard charts (pop, country, and easy listening), this tune also reached #1 in Australia and #2 in the UK, selling millions of copies. As his first country hit, it marked a transition in his career, and he continued to remain a fixture in the country Top-40 into the 1980s. In the mid-'70s, he hosted a TV variety series called The Bobby Goldsboro Show, but eventually retired from full-time performing in the '80s. With lovely orchestration and tragic lyrics, here's a performance of Goldsboro's "Honey."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, we'll concluded with one of the most successful country and Western singers of his era, American singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Marty Robbins. While joining the US Navy at 17 and stationed in the Solomon Islands (South Pacific) during WWII, he learned to play the guitar and became writing songs to pass the time during the war. In October of 1959, he released his best-known song "El Paso," featured in the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trails Songs (my mom had this album and I've never forgotten it; my sister really loved it as kids). Written by Robbins, this country & western ballad was huge hit for both the country and pop charts, being the first #1 song of 1960, and earned him the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961. Later, Robbins was named Artist of the Decade (1960-69) by the Academy of Country Music. In addition to his love for music, Robbins was also an avid race car driver and he competed in over 35 NASCAR races with six top 10 finishes (I just thought that was great random fact!). Anyway, with its first-person narrative (told by a cowboy in El Paso, Texas), haunting vocal harmonies, and eloquent Spanish guitar accompaniment, I think you'll enjoy the distinctive Tex-Mex feel of this genre classic.

Farewell, Banjo Man

Wow, these last few months have been rough for the music world. Last Wednesday on March 28th, American musician Earl Scruggs passed away from natural causes at the age of 88. As an amazing banjo player with about a 67-year career, he perfected and popularized a three-finger banjo-picking style (now even called "Scruggs style") that is a defining element of bluegrass music.
These next few tunes actually tie in with the Country Crossover Series that we'll be continuing this month. In the fall of 1962, with singer Jerry Scoggins, Lester Flatt and Scruggs recorded "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" for the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. The theme song became an immediate country music hit reaching #1 on the country chart and #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 later in '62.

Played by Flatts & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, this next bluegrass instrumental was written by Scruggs and first recorded in 1949. Now a standard in bluegrass repertoire, a re-recorded version of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" was used in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie & Clyde (check out a classic car chase scene here), and even peaked at #55. This Grammy-award winning tune is one of the fastest and most rhythmically challenging pieces for the banjo, and only very skilled 5-string banjo players can play it at the same speed and beat that Scruggs could. Here's a great live performance from 1965, featuring Scruggs doing what he did best.


Thanks for the fun music, Mr. Scruggs!

Country Crossovers

Country Crossovers: Part 1
Alright, folks, time for something completely different! Finally, we're going to talk about that purely American music called Country. And more specifically, those country songs that crossed-over from the US Billboard country charts into the pop charts. Even if you're more of a pop/rock person yourself, you still might enjoy hearing these classics that your parents (or maybe even your grandparents) likely listened to.

Of course we must begin with American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, one of the most influential musicians in the 20th century. With songs and sound spanning many genres including country, rockabilly, rock n roll, blues, folk, and gospel, "The Man In Black" obviously had great crossover appeal, and is known for his distinctive bass-baritone voice. Originating from Arkansas, his music represented his life, echoing themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption. Released in April of 1963, one of his many signature songs is "Ring of Fire," co-written by June Carter (Cash's future wife) and Merle Kilgore (although Cash's first wife at the time claims that Cash himself co-wrote the song and gave Carter the song-writing credit because "she needed the money"). With its mariachi-style trumpet accompaniment, this tune became the biggest hit of his career, staying at #1 on the country charts for 7 weeks and reached #17 on the pop chart. Nice to see the often somber yet humble Johnny enjoying this live performance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also from Arkansas, the songs of country music singer and guitarist Glen Campbell have been in the country chart over 74 times, with 27 of those singles reaching the Top-10. First establishing his career as an in-demand session guitarist in the '60s, playing on numerous hits with "the Wrecking Crew" (you know, that elite group of session musicians that played on recordings for The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, The 5th Dimension, Nat King Cole, etc!), Campbell became a solo artist in the late '60s and made history by winning four Grammy Awards in both country and pop categories in 1967. In the same year when he received Country Music Awards' top honor as 1968 Entertainer of the Year, he released one of his biggest hits, "Wichita Lineman," written by Jimmy Webb (who also wrote "Up, Up and Away" and "MacArthur Park"). Referred to as "the first existential country song," it topped the country chart and reached #3 on the US pop chart, becoming certified Gold by January '69, and is now among those 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Due to his current Alzheimer's diagnosis, there was a nice tribute to Campbell at the 2012 Grammy Awards last month, and I thought he sounded great singing his "farewell" (it was quite touching seeing the whole audience singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" along with him). Anyway, here's that beauty of a song, "Wichita Lineman," performed by all-American Glen Campbell in December 1968.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As an American country music singer who was successful in pop music crossovers during the early '60s era of the Nashville Sound, Patsy Cline is one of the most influential and acclaimed female vocalists of the 20th century. Known for her bold contralto voice, she was a pioneer in the country music industry, and is viewed by some as an icon similar to legends Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, often voted as one of the greatest singers of all time. A follow-up to her hit "I Fall to Pieces," her 1961 single "Crazy" reached #2 on the country chart and #9 on the pop charts by early '62, becoming one of her signature tunes. Written by then-unknown Willie Nelson, this beautiful ballad with its complex melody suited Cline's vocal talent perfectly, and is also listed among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In this clip, she is wearing a headband to cover up the scars on her forehead from a life-threatening car accident she had been involved in earlier that year. Sadly, while at the height of career, she died in a private plane crash in 1963 at the age of 30. Another beauty taken too soon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We'll conclude this post with American singer-songwriter and actor Roger Miller, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs during the mid-1960s Nashville Sound era. After serving in the US Army, he began his music career as a popular songwriter in the late 1950s, and reached peak success as a recording artist in the late '60s. Released in January 1965, "King of the Road" was a chart-topping country hit for Miller and became a highly popular crossover record, reaching #4 on the Billboard pop chart. Selling a million copies by that May, it won him numerous awards and earned him a royalty check worth $160,000 that summer. The humorous lyrics tell a story of a hobo who enjoys his freedom as a "king of the road." (For the younger kiddos like me, you may recognize Miller's voice from Walt Disney's 1973 animated film Robin Hood as the "whistling" Rooster character). Here's fun footage of Miller playing with Johnny Cash on the latter's TV show.