SINCE I WAS A WEE LAD, I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH GREAT MUSIC OF EVERY GENRE YOU CAN IMAGINE - ROCK, POP, JAZZ, PROGRESSIVE, CLASSICAL, EVEN FOLK. I ACTUALLY SAW PETER, PAUL & MARY IN TULLY GYM - Florida State University 11/5/65. I SAW THE BEATLES IN THE GATOR BOWL - Jacksonville, Florida 09/11/64. IT WAS A HAPPENING! AT LAST COUNT, I HAVE SEEN OVER 140 MUSICAL ARTISTS, MOSTLY WITH MY BRIDE OF 51 YEARS. I SAW IKE & TINA TURNER IN DOAK CAMPBELL STADIUM 10/08/71 WITH, AT THE TIME, MY FUTURE ONE AND ONLY. THE RUMOR WAS THAT MORE PEOPLE ATTENDED IKE & TINA THAN THE HOMECOMING GAME AGAINST MISSISSIPI STATE THE NEXT DAY - WE WON 27-9. NOLES WERE NOT VERY GOOD THEN. BOWDEN DIDN'T SHOW UP 'TILL 1976.
Of course - the downside of listening to music extremely loud since I was a kid is that I have been wearing a great pair of hearing aids for almost 4-5 years now. I still listen to great music every day. My kids find new music that I love too. Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Alabama Shakes and many more find their way to my phone and my laptop. I also have around 250 LPs of classic rock like Vanilla Fudge, Blood Sweat & Tears and, of course, the Beatles.
TODAY IS ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC
Here are just a few of my favorite performances by musical artists young, old and in between. It's my birthday - Read on and Listen!!!
1- THE BEATLES - This live tune, GET BACK, is from the last live concert ever by The Fab 4 - 01/30/69 performing atop The Apple Building, 3 Saville Row in London.
The earth is 4.8 billion years old; and in all that time just imagine how lucky those of us were, who happened to live in the tiny fraction of time to witness the Beatles! - Anonymous.
2 - Buddy Rich & His Orchestra - One of the greatest jazz drummers in history gives a killer performance of Birdland, written by Weather Report in Cologne Germany 03/08/80. WE saw this amazing drummer and his band in the early 70's while in architecture school at Auburn University!
Rich was the greatest drummer to ever have drawn breath - Gene Krupa - Jazz Drumming Legend.
3- TOM JONES
I have seen Tom Jones five times - first time in the early seventies in Tallahassee. He was amazing then and is still touring for crazy fans at the age of 84! Here he is performing one of the greatest covers of all time - KISS - originally a major hit by Prince.
“Hugely entertaining and some of the musical performances would ultimately become once-in-a-lifetime events.” – Chicago Sun-Times 9/29/07
4 - The Best Opening Scene in Film History - John Travolta - Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
I remember this movie from 1977 when John Travolta had great hair! LOL! The opening scene of the star walking down the street with a can of paint in his polished shoes with the great tune Stayin' Alive by The Bee Gees is simple yet iconic! IMHO!
"Saturday Night Fever'' was Gene Siskel's favorite movie, and he watched it at least 17 times. We all have movies like that, titles that transcend ordinary categories of good and bad, and penetrate straight to our hearts - Roger Ebert.
5 - PRINCE
No music list will ever be complete without at least one Prince tune. I saw this brilliant artist in Tampa in 2004. After a mesmerizing, rocking 2-1/2 hours he closed with Purple Rain. OMG! It lasted almost thirty minutes. Every single note was utter perfection.
When someone asked Eric Clapton what it was like to be the greatest guitar player in the world, he responded: "I don't know, ask Prince."
6- THE AVETT BROTHERS
Since the early 2000's, The Avett Brothers have been putting out great music. From North Carilina - they combine, folk, rock, bluegrass, honkytonk and ragtime for great award-winning tunes. My kids told me about this group. I listened and became a fan. I saw them in 2017 at Cascades Park in Tallahassee. Fabulous! Ain't No Man rocks smooth!
Always remember there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name - Seth Avett.
7- Delbert McClinton
I have always said about great country music - Great country music always tells a story. And the dudes and dudettes from Texas tell it better than anybody. Here is the great country, blues, rocker Delbert McClinton performing LONE STAR BLUES!
In the early ’70s, way before the term Americana was coined, some artists were already deep into the sound. Delbert McClinton is near the top of that list. There just aren’t many of his peers still active, vibrant, and releasing new music - McClinton famously taught John Lennon the basics of the harmonica when he toured in Bruce Channel’s band in the early ’60s with The Beatles - American Songwriter.
8 - Tina Turner
One of a kind - The incomparable "Queen of Rock and Roll" knew how to deliver any song, fast or slow - loud or soft, with power and artistic beauty. She performed internationally and recorded the greatest cover ever - written by John Fogerty of Credence Clearwater Revival - Tina Turner performs PROUD MARY for 80,000 of her closest friends at Wembley Stadium.
I loved her version of Proud Mary! It was different and fantastic. I was also so happy because she chose my song, and it was her breakthrough record. I was so honored - John Fogerty.
9 - BEETHOVEN'S 5th
Ludwig van Beethoven - the master composer said of music - "Music should strike fire from the heart of man and bring tears from the eyes of every woman". I couldn't agree more. Here is, IMHO, the greatest Classical/Romantic work ever composed - The First Movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Beethoven was almost completely deaf when he composed this amazing work.
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man - E.M. Forster - Novelist.
10 - QUEEN
I close this list of great music with one of the greatest rock tunes ever recorded by one of the greatest rock bands in history - QUEEN combines perfect harmonies with an amazing arrangement of a classic rock tune - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY! This tune has had over one billion views on You Tube!
I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend - Freddie Mercury
Like anyone asked to make a list of their favorite songs, I have left so many off. I just wanted to show all the diverse music I have listened to and loved throughout my life.
Happy Trails and turn it up!
D.L.Stafford
And one last thing - I grew up singing in church - Written many years ago, here is one of the greatest gospel songs ever recorded by The Gaither Vocal Band and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound together- SWING DOWN SWEET CHARIOT!
Gospel music is the purest thing there is on this earth - Elvis Presley.
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