LUCY BURDETTE: A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated music Sunday at our church. Our music director is incredible, and he’s infused amazing life into the choirs. Plus he’s a fantastic organist, and tons of fun besides. He often brings in guest musicians for special occasions. I read in the Sunday bulletin that the drummer he’d engaged to play for us tours with Mickey Dolenz and the Monkees.
This was such a blast from the past! Mickey Dolenz was my very first crush. Somehow, I persuaded my parents to let me attend a Monkees concert when I turned 13. My first (terrible) short story was about a jilted teenager who runs up the steps of the Hatteras lighthouse and finds Mickey Dolenz at the top! Trust me, if that had really happened, onlookers would have witnessed a major freak out. Apparently, Mickey and the Monkees band are still touring and this visiting drummer was going out on the road with them in several weeks. I introduced myself and asked him to say hello from Roberta.😂
So Reds, there is the question for the day. What do you remember about your first musical crush? How old were you and what drew you to him or her? Are they still alive and kicking? If you didn’t have a crush (really?), what was your first concert?
DEBORAH CROMBIE: That’s an easy one, Lucy! I was eleven when the Beatles hit the US airwaves. I fell madly in love with Paul McCartney and I have to say I never recovered. Paul just turned 84 on June 18th (of course I know his birthday) and he’s still adorable and is still performing and still writing great music. His new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, is terrific. I did the Beatles tour in Liverpool a couple of years ago with my pal Kate Charles and now I know the places he’s singing about.
And the first concert was The Beatles, in Dallas. We had seats on the 12th row, can you believe it? Of course you couldn’t hear them for the screaming, but it was still a life-marking experience. I’ve seen McCartney live twice over the years since, and they were the most joyous concerts vvvI’ve ever attended. We love you, Paul!!
LUCY: So jealous of that concert Debs–Paul was my guy as well:)
RHYS BOWEN: In school my friends were all into Elvis in a big way. We’d listen to Heartbreak Hotel and they’d all swoon. Not me. There was something about his looks I didn’t like. I think my first crush was Gordon McCrea in Oklahoma and Carousel. I had the records of both and played them non stop. But when the Beatles came along— well, who wouldn’t love them?
JENN McKINLAY: First crush was Shawn Cassidy! He had a singing career, I guess, but I crushed on him because he played Joe Hardy on The Hardy Boys Mysteries every Sunday night! This is likely where my love of amateur sleuths began. My first concert was RUSH in the New Haven Coliseum! We all packed into a friend’s ancient Datsun B210 and drove 45 minutes to get there. No cell phones, GPS, or AAA. Can’t believe we survived – LOL.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: My first musical crush..well, definitely not Elvis, I agree, Rhys, there was just no spark for me. But oh, absolutely, the Beatles. I sobbed, watching them on Ed Sullivan, and I was the vice-president of the Midwest Chapter of the National Beatles Fan Cluub. It was an actual thing! Paul, and John, oh, they were so cute, and so talented! I saw them at the Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and fairly levitated. Was that my first concert? No, I’m sure I went to many with my music critic (for the Chicago Daily News) father –I do remember having a huge crush on Roddy McDowell who I saw playing Mordred in the musical Camelot, gosh, that was in 196-something?(The bad-boy thing, I guess. I never liked Lancelot.) But the Beatles was the first concert on my own, and soon after that I was all about Paul Simon. Still am.
HALLIE EPHRON: My first concert was at the Hollywood Bowl: Joan Baez with an unknown rumpled male singer. She was terrific. He mumbled his way through a set and I, with my great prescience about musical talent, wrote Bob Dylan off as a never-gonna-be.
I’m a big baby when it comes to crowds, so concerts have never been my thing. If that weren’t the case I’d have haunted Paul Simon. Also Buddy Holly. Also LIttle Richard. Hmmm, also Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Jenn, my sister and I were absolute devotees of THE HARDY BOYS, and agreed she would get Shaun Cassidy and I could have Parker Stevenson. I understand he’s Episcopalian, so maybe I’ll run into him in a church one day…? Both those men have aged VERY nicely.
My first strictly musical crush was - don’t laugh - Barry Manilow. No, the fact he played with Bette Midler in the Baths did not tip me off. He came to Syracuse for a concert and my BFF and I got tickets. My first show, and WOW it was so good. I’m happy he’s out and proud and living his best life, and I’m happy to have listened to “Barry Manilow II” and “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling” so many times I had to replace my record player’s needle.
PS, Lucy, my Monkee was Peter Tork. Somewhere out there, there’s got to be a personality quiz that reveals who you are based on which of the Monkees or Beatles you crushed on!
LUCY: I’d be surprised if that quiz doesn’t exist Julia! Red readers, tell us about your first musical crush…
Gene Kelly . . . does it get any better than "Singing in the Rain"?
ReplyDeleteI was [and still am] a country music fan and Johnny Cash was always my favorite . . . .
Gene Kelly was special Joan! I love country music too, my favorite was Emmilou Harris.
DeleteJoan, I loved Gene Kelly in brigadoon. He was a wonderful dancer.
DeleteDiana
Joan, one of my first movies was An American in Paris. We saw it at a drive-in in Tucson when we lived there for a short time when I was around 4 yrs old. I absolutely fell in love with him.
DeleteI loved Gene Kelly!!
DeleteThe Brady Bunch episode where Marcia is positive she can get Davy Jones to perform at the prom comes to mind.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/55irsORLsZQ?si=l1AarxFXFgW4goSO
My sister had a life size poster of Shawn Cassidy on her bedroom wall and got my older sister to take her to a concert. We did love the Hardy Boys on TV.
I saw Mickey Dolenz in concert as part of the Down By the Riverside summer series in Rochester, MN a few years ago. Sorry to tell you, Lucy, it was awful. He needs to retire.
I do remember that episode Brenda! Sad about Mickey Dolenz:(. We saw Paul Simon last weekend and came to the same conclusion. It must be a difficult decision when you're so famous and talented!
DeleteMy very first musical crush in the 1960's was George Harrison. While everyone was swooning over Paul MCartney and John Lennon I was busy observing the "quiet" Beatle. And that crush never wavered especially when he went out on his own and proved to the world how talented and creative he was musically. I also loved that on a personal level he was a "tree hugger", meditator and gardener. Everything about his quiet demeanor appealed to me. When the 70's rolled around I was also drawn to the more quiet sound of pop folk and my new musical crushes James Taylor and John Denver. Although Taylor returned to his Massachusetts roots as a young person I never saw any of his concerts. In the end I think his "sound" conformed with my life style at the time ~ Friday nights in Rockport and a dynamic as well as confusing and ever-changing time for a young person especially a woman to experience. Denver on the other hand was another story. I went to several of his concerts. Eventually I stopped listening to James Taylor but not so with John Denver. I attended one of his last concerts just before he was killed and I will always be a fan forever. On a personal level both Taylor and Denver had their own demons including struggles with alcoholism and depression. But on a professional level I will always remember John Denver as being attentive, polite, engaged and personable when I met him. And his commitment as both an environmentalist and humanitarian were so impressive. Sometimes I think being so personally involved with the world's issues often coincides with the highs and the lows of emotional and mental well being.
ReplyDeleteLucy ~ Thank you so much for bringing up so many wonderful memories of when The Monkees were so popular. I remember always being late getting to CCD classes because I never missed watching their weekly TV show in its entirety. Years later..in the 1990's... they were part of a couple of free concerts in Boston which was so much fun to attend. "Hey, Hey we're the Monkees and people say we monkey around..." :-)
Evelyn, you were so much deeper than I was::. I was choosing basically on which one I thought was the cutest!
DeleteLOL, Lucy...Maybe I was an old soul in a young body without knowing it. :-) But also looking at the hen scratching I wrote on the back of my Meet the Beatles album there was still no denying that one dimensional thinking I had as a teenager of 14. Scribbled all around the photo of George Harrison were the words "the cutest". My cousin wrote all over the back of her album "Mrs. George Harrison". (Years later she would marry someone with the surname Harrison...no relation to George...haha) I think we both greatly downgraded the worth of those albums by the doodling we did on the back of them. I had less of a physical crush on John Denver but was very pleasantly surprised when I eventually met him to see how tall he was as well as very handsome without his signature "granny" glasses. You're right...I guess I wanted it ALL...the looks and the personality. :-)
DeleteOh gosh. I'm not sure this counts but I played my Ballad of Davy Crockett record until it disappeared. I crushed on Fess Parker though he wasn't the singer. First big time crush was Mickey Dolenz. Maybe because I remembered him as Circus Boy? My middle sister claimed Davy Jones. I remember attending concerts in New Orleans and Austin, but not Houston. I did see some theater in the round musicals. I think my first concert was in Austin: the Association.
ReplyDeleteAnything counts Pat! I was talking about the Monkees this past weekend. Jealous of my good friend who instead saw Bruce Springsteen 4 times!
DeleteI listened to the Monkees a lot in early high school, but never had a crush on one of them. My first crush was George Harrison (my older sisters had already claimed John and Paul), and my first concert was the Beatles playing in Dodger stadium in 1966, tickets an astronomical six dollars. My sisters and I each brought a friend, and my dad drove us - then sat in the car reading until the concert was over.
ReplyDeleteA different kind of crush was what adolescent me felt when I watched Tom Jones on TV. It was his sexiness, but I didn't realize it at the time!
I also saw Joan Baez at the Hollywood Bowl, Hallie, probably in the early seventies. Don't think Dylan was there! Fun memories.
I still love Tom Jones! I saw him in concert in a theater in Cleveland in the 90s. That man can sing!
Deleteso funny about the older sisters 'claiming' the other Beatles!
DeleteMy first musical crush was Michael Jackson. My first concert was Prince.
ReplyDeleteBut of course!
DeleteThe Beatles, of course. In high school, Richie Havens. I got to see him at the local college. A bunch of us saw Peter, Paul, and Mary. We were into folk music, and my parents liked them, too. Simon and Garfunkel, of course. Even my dad had a tape he played in the car. And then there were the mams and Papas.
ReplyDeleteall good choices Beth!
DeleteI'll answer the second question first: My first concert was The Statler Brothers with opener Helen Cornelius. Loved the show. Harold Reid even stopped the show when I was trying to take a photo of the singing group with my Kodak Instamatic so I could get a good shot. And Helen Cornelius was great and good looking too. But I was ten and while I could see pretty, it didn't really mean that much to me. But I did get to meet her after her set and still have the signed photo of her.
ReplyDeleteBut I wasn't really into music that much until about three years later. Once I got into listening to (pre-heavy metal days) American Top 40 (Sundas from 9am - 1pm with host Casey Kasem) music regularly, I don't think I had anything that would qualify as a "crush". I'd see various women in music videos and I might think they were pretty but never had a "crush".
That changed once metal began to rule the world. You had the videos from tons of band with hot women and little clothing. I mean, music videos gave model Tawny Kitaen a whole second career with her making out with both Whitesnake singer David Coverdale and various hoods of fancy sports cars.
But the one singer that I'd say I had a musical crush on is German metal singer Doro Pesch. I first discovered her in the mid-80s when she was still fronting the band Warlock. They had their album 'Triumph and Agony' and their mega-metal anthem "All We Are".
Blonde, beautiful, could sing like a demon and just all around crush-worthy. And get this, didn't actually use her beauty as a marketing tool to advance her music career. It was all about the music and performance. It's been that way for more than four decades.
And unlike most people, I've actually gotten to meet my "crush" (who I joke is the only woman I ever wanted to have kids with...until I met the dynamic Jessi of course, who I recently wrote about on my Facebook page for those who saw my Trivia Night update post from this past week).
It took many years, but I finally saw her live and had a very brief interaction with her as she signed the cover of my copy of 'Triumph and Agony' from the stage after the first time I saw her live.
Then some time later, she played a show 20 minutes from my doorstep. After the show, I got to meet her for real as she stopped to chat and take photos with fans on the way to her tour bus. The photo is my Facebook profile picture.
Along the way from Warlock and her incredible solo career, I've worshipped her from near and afar. I've bought everything she's released and was at one time part of her fan club. I had my original T-shirt that became so full of holes from wearing it so much that my mother finally had to sneak it out of the laundry in order to toss it away (I've got a new one now). And there's still a signed poster of her 'Angels Never Die' album cover hanging on the back of my door. That's been there for about thirty years or so, I think.
All Hail Doro Pesch, the real Metal Queen!
Amazing stories Jay--you are a serious fan!
DeleteWow, Jay! I love that you are such a fan!
DeleteWhy did I think Elvis was a movie villain when I saw his photos in movie magazines a few years before he died? I remember when he died because it was on the news. Our teacher explained the importance of watching the news and reading the newspapers. I grew up reading the comics in the newspapers.
ReplyDeleteJulia, did you see the Murphy Brown episode where Murphy was Not a fan of Barry manilow then discovered that her baby Avery loves Barry Manilow’s music?
Lucy, though I didn’t have musical crushes, I recognized names like Shaun Cassidy because of the Hardy Boys tv series.
Here’s a bit of movie trivia for fans of Shaun Cassidy. His mother is Shirley Jones, the actress from the partridge family and from musicals like Oklahoma.
Diana
Diana, you might be interested to know, too, that Shirley Jones costarred with Rhys's crush Gordon McCrae in both musicals she mentioned, Oklahoma! and Carousel.
DeleteDiana, I haven't, but it doesn't surprise me - Manilow's softer songs would be perfect for soothing babies!
DeleteI saw Shirley Jones in a local production of Carousel, her voice was still in good condition
DeleteMy Deaf classmates LOVED the KISS musical group because of the makeup and costumes. I think they must also have been loud enough for my classmates to hear it he music with their residual hearing?
ReplyDeleteDiana
Diana, the Maine School for the Deaf once hosted Blue Man Group for their students - the trio is VERY theatrical and visual and they play LOUD percussion!
DeleteOnce again the Reds have exposed me as “odd person out.” I have never had a musical crush. Sigh…pondering the loss. ;-) Happy Monday, all. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteit's okay Elizabeth:)
DeleteIt's never too late, Elisabeth - look up Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. Definitely the cool indy rock guy for women of a certain age.
DeleteJust may do that..but my certain age is older than your certain age…and I need to stop laughing thanks for lifting my spirits. Elisabeth
DeleteAt the beginning of the sixties, my first crush was French Canadian Pierre Lalonde. He had a popular musical TV show that I wouldn’t miss. He was a kind of crooner, very charming that I could compare to the actual Michael Bubbly.
ReplyDeleteAt eleven , I had reached my actual size and my parents brought me to see and hear him sing in a kind of big bar (no sure how to call the place) available for adults only but my father knew the manager and my mother lent me clothes and did my hair and makeup. I’ll never forget it but he’s been replaced by many others over the years.
My favourite English group have always been The Beatles, especially Paul and John.
I had booked a room for visiting Liverpool without knowing it was in the same block that the Beatles Museum. While taking the tour, I was most impressed when I entered the white room with the white piano and the simili white clothed John Lennon singing IMAGINE with the words written on the wall.
I could have stayed there hours.
What an experience, Danielle! And I love that your parents took you to see him by dressing you as an adult. That seems VERY French! In English we'd call a club with singing either a cabaret or a nightclub. The French would say boîte, I believe.
DeleteLucy, what a great post,cquestion, and answers! I think my first musical crush was Herman of Herman’s Hermits. (Peter Blair Dennis Bernard Noone) My first concert was Herman’s Hermits, opened by The Animals, at the Canton War Memorial Auditorium in Canton, Ohio. Maybe the summer going into 7th grade? Then, summer of ‘67 I saw the Monkees in Boston Garden. The friend I saw Herman’s Hermits with flew out from Ohio to see The Monkees with me. Peter Tork was favourite.. My Mom and brother saw both concerts with us. My friend & I bought the more expensive tickets, and my Mom & brother the cheapest. We just saw James Taylor Friday night at Tanglewood, in Lenox, MA and James was great. Lots f clapping and laughter, no screaming like the Monkee days…
ReplyDeleteOh yes we screamed so loudly that I doubt we heard much music!
DeleteI honestly don't know who my first musical crush was. I did listen to the Monkees and I loved Davey Jones - the British accent. I listen to the Beatles. Also the Beach Boys. I don't think I listed to "current" music until I was in junior high and my first cassettes were Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." I loved Billy Joel, but I didn't crush on him.
ReplyDeleteI also don't remember attending any concerts in my teens. I couldn't afford them. It was something I didn't do until I was an adult. Most memorable is definitely Tony Bennett when he came to Pittsburgh. It was his birthday. He made them turn off all the electronics to demonstrate the acoustics of Heinz Hall and he was amazing.
Liz...I remember when Tony Bennett's career as a singer was "jump started" for the second time in his sixties by his very capable manager, his son Danny. I went to see him twice at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, MA. He also sang a song without a microphone as proof of his vocal abilities and it was very impressive. A truly remarkable talent and I agree with you...Tony Bennett was indeed amazing.
DeleteDidn't Tony sing with Lady Gaga too? I remember those songs as amazing...
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteLet's try this again.
DeleteLucy, yes. She was devastated when he died. He also did collaborations with k.d. lang, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Billy Joel, Queen Latifah, and Willy Nelson - to name a few.
Evelyn, I managed to find it. My memory did not fail me. I saw him on his 80th birthday.
His collaboration with Lady Gaga was fabulous.
DeleteHe was such a music genius...and he recognized the talent of other artists. Despite all the theatrics and sometimes outrageous costumes that Lady Gaga was famous for Tony Bennett was very aware of her incredible vocal range that was often unappreciated and lost in her style of music. When she was on the verge of quitting music he came to her rescue and told Gaga that her amazing voice leant itself strongly to the style of Jazz. They collaborated on an album, a forever friendship was born and it was a win/win situation for both of them. His last two performances with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in celebration of his 95th birthday and following his Alzheimer's diagnosis were remarkable. At 95 years of age his voice was still as smooth as silk and the bond between the two performers was very obvious. I will always remember this Radio City Music Hall concert as being one of the most emotional and personal venues I ever saw.
DeleteNever was a big concert goer – probably because they were not an accessible thing. At summer camp (church camp), there was a comment from the leaders on the pop poster on the wall – really verboten ‘of the lovely looking girl’ (yup a Monkees poster!). It stayed up all through camp. Noone told them who it really was. The Fifth Dimension played a test afternoon at university in a small ‘theatre’ underneath the chapel. The room was slightly bigger than our current living room, high ceiling, good acoustics, and I happened upon it as I was taking the shortcut from the dining hall back to our room after lunch. Great concert! I wanted Barry Manilow to sing his advertisement collation while we signed the documents at our wedding (does anyone have any idea what papers we actually signed? Oh, and I was vetoed for some mushy pap.) Living in Cape Breton, I have been to many Rita MacNeil and Men of the Deeps concerts and the Rankins, both in larger venues (800 people) and small (120 with great acoustics) at our town Playhouse. Both will make you weep with pride and emotion.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the best was Canada Day 1992 when we took the kids to Parliament Hill in Ottawa. It was a day of many memories. First the kids agitated to go (The Arrogant Worms were playing and they loved them. Michael was 12). Second, Queen Elizabeth was to be there – we were late (as usual) and too far behind in the crowd to even wave. The day was hot and sunny and the Uber Driver was as usual unable to make up his mind, stubborn and determined not to have a good time and CHEAP! There was food on the grounds (chicken), so we walked around and around looking for something less expensive. Last child was 2 and in a push chair. The ground was perhaps lawn. Guess who was not pushing the kid. Other than the food, everything was free. We were walking around the back streets around Parliament Hill hungry and cranky, when a motorcade comes by, and suggests we move back, so we did a step or two, and waved to The Queen as she passed us by. She waved back – a private audience of 5. Went back and bought the chicken… Later in the afternoon, while lazing about on the lawns, the first chords of the The Last Saskatchewan Pirate rippled across the grounds and the crowd went wild! The day ended with fireworks under the trees in the area behind the buildings with very robust whiffs of strong ‘cigarettes’, a sprinkling of rain, and what didn’t even seem like a long drive home.
Margo ~ I became a huge fan of Natalie MacMaster who plays Cape Breton Fiddle music and the group Leahy back in the 1990's...both with Canadian roots. And I love K.d Lang!
DeleteI love McMaster, and saw her in concert about ten years ago.
DeleteMargo, what a memorable day!
DeleteEdith ~ I defy anyone who could sit still during any of Natalie MacMaster's concerts! I've seen her at both Boston Symphony Hall and Harvard University's Sanders Theatre. No matter the venue...large or small...it didn't take long before the foot stomping began and even some dancing in the aisles. If the blues had a grip on you that soon dissipated the second that woman put that fiddle on her shoulder. Such joyful and captivating music and Cape Breton (Scottish style) step dancing!
DeleteNot sure I had a crush when I was young - although maybe Ricky Nelson. But later, already in my early to mid-twenties it was Gordon Lightfoot, and I mean big time! What a voice! I even wrote a story (very bad) about . . . Well never mind, it was a wonderful fantasy, something I really needed at the time.
ReplyDeleteMany a young lady discovered what's now called fanfic without even knowing it, Judi. I had a series of stories where a thinly-veiled version of me was Starsky's (of Starsky and Hutch) kid sister. It was also something I needed as a 13-year-old who didn't fit in well where I was.
DeleteLike Joan, I grew up in a country music household so my very first musical crush was Johnny Cash. Then by around middle school age, when one begins to assert one's own musical tastes, I had the Simon and Garfunkel Greatest Hits album and it was virtually the soundtrack of my life for a few years. I still have a great soft spot for Paul Simon and am sad to hear that he failed to recognize when it was time to retire.
ReplyDeleteI liked Barry Manilow well enough when he was popular, but I have a great much more recent story. He toured through Columbus about 10 years ago and a group of us went just for a laugh. Kind of a laugh at ourselves, really, at our own age and revisiting our youth. But oh my goodness, that man put on a great show! He was already in his 70's by then, and long since out and proud, but he had that arena full of women mesmerized. It was truly one of my all time favorite concerts.
I'm jealous, Susan! I definitely would have gone; I suspect his style of singing, based on the great crooners of the 40s, is something that ages well. It's all about delivering the emotion.
DeleteI also loved the Beatles and Paul was my favorite. But my first musical crush was Dean Martin. When I was little, I went to all of his movies and absolutely swooned when he sang. I loved his TV variety show which was full of humorous skits and a lot of music..
ReplyDeleteI had a thing for crooners and I kinda still do. (I never loved Elvis, but I love his voice, rich, powerful and expressive, and I still listen to his greatest hits album from time to time.)
My first concerts were all classical. I didn't see any rock concerts until I was in college.
This is a fun topic, Lucy! Just a few years difference in age seems to create a dividing line. If everyone here included their age at the time of their crush, it would be interesting to track. The Monkeys were fun to listen to, but I was too old to crush on their antics.
Dean Martin? SO interesting. And he was much better than his image, don't you think? He was actually talented.
DeleteDean Martin grew up in Steubenville, Ohio, and despite his onscreen, lounge lizard persona, was never an alcoholic drunkard. I had a crush on him, too.
DeleteOur (my twin and my) first musical crush was John Denver. I don't remember this, but my little sister tells us that we went to her and basically told her she HAD to ask mom and dad for John Denver concert tickets for her upcoming birthday. She did, and the three of us went to the concert with friends. We waited at the backstage door and got to meet him and have him sign our Rocky Mountain High album. After that we were fanatics.
ReplyDeleteYay, Gillian!!! I am delighted to "meet" another fanatic John Denver fan! I followed his entire career, was fortunate to have a quick private audience with him and attended a slew of his concerts. I absolutely adored him!
DeleteIt's so fun to see Country Roads catch fire at the World Cup! So many great songs!
DeleteYES!!! :-)
DeleteI also crushed on John Denver, Gillian, and had so many of his albums. I've heard he was a genuinely nice person and always took time for his fans, which is lovely.
DeleteOh this is so funny, you all! I love how we all had friends who dipped a certain musician So he was there alone – – my friend Debbie picked Paul, So I went with John. When Debbie and I had a big fight over something, I could have Paul again. (Can I just say… Can you believe he sang at Taylor Swift‘s wedding?? She’s so fabulous, and a Beatle sang at her wedding! That’s so hilarious!)( I always thought I would marry one of them, come to think of it. )
ReplyDeleteAnd my final digression: did you see the article about training AI Large language models, and one of the questions they asked was: who is the best Beatle? To see if they could convince the AI that the best one was Ringo. Since, it went unsaid, that obviously that was the wrong answer.
LOL Hank, I love the fight scene:)
DeleteHA! I wish I remembered what it was about....
DeletePaul not only sang at Taylor's wedding, he sang I Want To Hold Your Hand for the first time in public since 1964!
DeleteFor me it was always Elvis. I even belonged to his "Return to Sender" fan club. In some ways, his life was dramatic and sad, losing a twin brother at birth, losing his beloved mother too early, being manipulated by so many, and seemed to have a kind heart. I went to one of his last concerts which was disappointing because he'd gained so much weight and seemed to be high or sick. I remember where I was when he died as many people did.
ReplyDeleteNorma, I've thought his life story would make a great opera - from poverty to the heights and then the fall. I suppose his estate keeps a very tight control over his intellectual property, though.
DeleteI think I was 6 or so when Here Come the Brides was on and there he was-Bobby Sherman! That love transfered to Paul Michael Glaser from Starsky and Hutch and Parker Stevenson and so on. The one that won my heart more than any other was singer songwriter Dan Fogelberg.
ReplyDeleteI love how you can tell our eras from our crushes... SO sweet to think of all of us back then. xx
DeleteDavy Jones of the Monkees was my first musical crush when I was about 13. My first concert was Beach Boys / Chicago at (then) Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro when I was 16. Went with my husband
ReplyDelete(boyfriend then) and two high school friends. It took us two hours to get out of the parking lot! Then we had to take the friends home first then got to my house at around 3am. My mother was having kittens! There was no way to contact her then to let her know I was safe (long before cell phones!). She was pacing the floor when we got to the house. Funnily, my dad was in bed. When she woke him up to tell him I wasn’t home yet, he said, “Don’t worry, she’s with John, she’s fine.” He really liked my husband even then.
Thank you, Sylvia, for clearing up a vague memory for me. A Capitol Fourth (TV show on PBS) had the band Chicago on the other night. As I was watching, I told my husband I thought I had seen them in concert with the Beach Boys the summer after my freshman year in college. I was positive the Beach Boys were there, but wasn’t sure it was Chicago. Thanks for clarifying! — Pat S
DeleteI was fortunate enough to see the Beach Boys at the free concert on the National Mall in the mid-eighties - I'm not sure the Capitol Fourth was televised back then! They were ROCKING and tens of thousands of people turned out for such a good show. They had Ringo Starr on drums! It's still a fond memory of mine, and has also left me with the ability to tell when the mall is actually packed or when attendance is light and scattered...
DeleteFirst crush was George Harrison, first concert was Joan Baez. Best concert was Gordon Lightfoot, at the height of his Sundown fame. Most jealous of sister concert: Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteVoices I loved even as a kid, though I didn't crush on the singers: Elvis, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, among others.
GOrdon LIghtfoot, oh so great! Oh, the beach boys--did I see them in person? YOU;d think I'd remember specifically, bit I feel like I did. But they were mostly the image and the dream and the sound, not the individuals.
DeleteWe were just talking about Gordon Lighfoot yesterday! He also wrote songs that other performers are better known for, like Early Morning Rain. Peter, Paul & Mary made it a hit.
DeleteGordon Lightfoot was our other big crush. I still go back and listen to his very first album, just called Lightfoot. His voice was so sweet and pure. What a prolific songwriter! When we had a sailboat, I made a cassette of songs about sailing or the sea--and many of them were from Gordon.
DeleteSo many fun memories! Especially all the different eras of musicians.
ReplyDeleteMy first musical crush was probably Roy Rogers, when I was about six. Trigger, Dale Evans (a wife with a different last name! Who wore cowgirl outfits!), and the ranch, all added to Roy's folksy appeal. Plus, he was so handsome. I can only remember one song, the show's theme, Happy Trails to You.
All the rest of my crushes, except Tony Curtis, have been unconventional. Willie Nelson is my always and forever, not just because of his singing, but like Dolly Parton and Carole King, Willie has been a prodigous songwriter for so many other artists. One of the best concerts I have been to was him and John Fogerty on stage together.
Gene Wilder succeeded Tony Curtis as my movie crush. See? Unconventional. But funny has always been an attractive trait for me.
First concert: Chicago, 1971, with my newly minted cop husband. We were surrounded by fans smoking pot, and I couldn't enjoy myself at all. My second concert, in 1974 with a boyfriend, was way better. We sat on the floor of the Univ of Cincinnati fieldhouse, about 25' from the artists, to hear the acts. The headliner was Procol Harum, and the second warmup group was Golden Earring. But the most memorable act, of whom I remain a fan to this day, was Billie Joel. Just him, his piano, and a harmonica atfached to a shoulder harness. He was brilliant, and he stole the whole show.
Karen, I'm a big Willie Nelson fan too. Have you read his "IT'S A LONG STORY: MY LIFE"? I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved him even more after I read it. One of my very favorite moments in it is him saying that when he got into tax trouble because his business manager hadn't paid his taxes, the media mocked him for having so little cash on hand, having given so much of his money away to friends and family. His reaction was something very close to this: "Here, I thought that's what making money was for -- to be able to provide for the people you loved."
DeleteNo, I haven't, Susan, but I definitely will now!
DeleteHis concerts and tours have always been family affairs. His sister Bobbie was his piano player until she died in 2022, and his kids have all worked and traveled with him.
Willie Nelson always feels like a "real person."
DeleteROY ROGERS! Somehow that made the Hardy Boys bubble up.
DeleteLoved the Beatles (Ringo Starr - swoon) and The Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger).
ReplyDeleteI saw the Stones in concert when they were here in San Diego in the 1960's for just a few dollars and then again the the 90's for almost $100. in the nose bleed section of the stadium.
Bobby Sherman first, then John Denver, then Kris Kristofferson, who I saw live at Ontario Place for my first concert. Saw The Monkees at the PNE (Pacifiic National Exihibition in Vancouver) when it was just Mickey and Peter. They were still awesome. I was a Peter girl. Now all of the above but Mickey are gone 😪.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, can you feel how much I envy you all for being at so many epic concerts and seeing the greats perform live? I have to admit I’m deeply relieved by Hallie’s dismissal of the unknown Bob Dylan, because although we all now acknowledge his genius, he’s such an acquired taste that I’d have written him off too if I’d seen him then!
ReplyDeleteI think early rappers got the same kind of incomprehending response from plenty in my generation.
DeleteFirst musical crush: Bobby Sherman! But Donny Osmond was a close second. Must be the hair!
ReplyDeleteFirst concert: I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but my best friend in middle school and I went to hear the Bay City Rollers. We were SO there!
HA! That is CLASSIC!
DeleteNeil Diamond ❤️
ReplyDeleteI think I saw him in Vegas ages ago... The audience was full of major league fans.
DeleteWhen I was five, I used to listen to the 45 of "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio over and over, but that was an obsession with the song, not a musical crush. I tried never to miss "The Monkees" show, and I love listening to the Beatles, but I think my first musical crush was Mick Jagger. I still have the Stones' debut album from 1964! Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant was another crush from about the age of 15. The first rock concert I went to was to hear Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and two other musicians I don't remember in a short-lived group called Blind Faith. I loved "Cream," so when I heard Eric Clapton was playing in Vancouver, about three weeks after we moved there in the summer of 1969, I begged to go to the concert alone (I didn't know anyone in Vancouver yet). Instead, my mother, who HATED rock music, insisted on going with me. She sat next to me at this totally cool concert, wearing earphones to block out the noise, holding a tiny flashlight, and reading a book. I would have died of shame, but luckily, there wasn't a soul in the whole enormous concert hall who knew me!
ReplyDeleteYour mother would make a great book character!! So much right out there on the surface!
DeleteYou obviously had better self esteem than I, Kim. It didn’t matter whether I knew anyone in the place, I was terribly embarrassed when my mother brought a book to a Giants baseball game! Luckily it wasn’t crowded so she sat back in the shaded rows and my dad, sister and I watched the game! — Pat S
DeleteElvis. I've been a fan since I was 6 years old and I still am at 74. I was blessed to see him in Vegas in 1974 and was able to get a seat at a table next to the stage.
ReplyDeleteOMG so jealous - what a memory that must've made!
DeleteIf I was being snarky I would say Leonard Bernstein. He was fascinating to listen too. But the truth is
ReplyDeleteit was Patsy Cline, what a voice closely followed by Peggy Lee who allows me to snap my fingers as I remember that talented lady.
Coralee, today all my favorite artists are women, with Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt leading the way.
DeleteI didn’t care for Elvis at all. I fell for Pat Boone 🤗 His 45 recording of “April Love” was my first ever record. I wrote his name in chalk all over my family’s unfinished basement. 😁
ReplyDeleteI also loved seeing him in a few movies. I had a whole scrapbook of clippings of Pat Boone.
I loved the Monkees and thought my parents were SO unreasonable to not let me (a fourth grader at the time) go see them in concert in San Francisco! I think Mickey was my favorite (like Karen, a sense of humor goes a long way).
ReplyDeleteI had a big crush on Bobby Sherman (from watching him on Here Come the Brides) because he was so cute! Then I found out he could sing and I got to see him in concert at a local theater-in-the-round! He was still cute and sang fine, but he was so short! Kind of killed the crush.
I think my very first concert was Donovan at the Oakland Coliseum. My friend’s mom drove us and attended the concert with us. I think we were in 7th grade. He wasn’t a crush and I barely knew his music, but it was a chance to go to a “rock” concert (though was he rock or more folky?). — Pat S
Really liked Donovan and Elvis. Marjorie
ReplyDeleteI loved Paul and when the Beatles first played on Ed Sullivan, my sisters were away at college and my parents had gone somewhere so I had the TV and the house to my self and could scream with impunity! As a French student, I fantasized over Jacques Brel.
ReplyDeleteNow if only Paul Newman could have sung, I think we would have a unanimous winner!
Atlanta
I never had a crush on any musician, and my musical interests were not in the “pop” class.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the number of variety shows plus Ed Sullivan and the Bell Telephone Hour I was exposed to a lot of different singers more classical and Broadway performers that I looked forward to watching whenever they appeared. It was their voices rather than their looks that appealed to me and most of you probably wouldn’t know any of them. This included singers such as Robert Merrill, Alfred Drake, Richard Kiley and John Raitt,
Yay for team Shawn Cassidy with Jenn! (I was also a Hardy Boy's fan!!) First concert . . . I think it was Loverboy in 1982. (With an outside possibility it was actually Cheap Trick at the Wisconsin State Fair -- but I think that was 1984.) ha ha!
ReplyDeleteAlso forgot to mention Prince as a favorite. Had a Prince song at my wedding in 1992, one of his few ballads. Marjorie
ReplyDeleteMy comment did not publish but also had a Prince song during my wedding in 1992. One of his few ballads
ReplyDeleteMarjorie
Love, love, loved the Monkees. I still have my albums. Shawn Cassidy was my musical crush.
ReplyDelete