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- Maddy on “I’m not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.” – Marilyn Monroe
- Mike Molloy on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Much Ado About Nothing
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- Jincy Willett on “There’s nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be.” — Joey Ramone
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- sheila on “Listen, I never meant to make money. I never wanted it. I’m a singer, man.” — Gene Vincent
- Pat on “Listen, I never meant to make money. I never wanted it. I’m a singer, man.” — Gene Vincent
- sheila on “There’s nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be.” — Joey Ramone
- Jincy Willett on “There’s nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be.” — Joey Ramone
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- Biff Dorsey on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- Dave on Review: The Chronology of Water (2025)
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Category Archives: Music
“It’s the sexiest toughest chord change in all of rock ‘n roll.” – Steven Van Zandt on “Rumble.” Happy Birthday, Link Wray
When Link Wray wails “Have you heard the news? There’s good rockin’ tonight” in his version of “Good Rockin’ Tonight” … it sounds like a threat that could topple civilization. And when he goes up the octave? Forget about it. … Continue reading
“I still get a chill when I sing, ‘You Don’t Own Me.’ I find some new feeling in it every time.” –Lesley Gore
It’s her birthday today. Below you will find a clip of Lesley Gore, performing “You Don’t Own Me”, on the now-mythical 1964 T.A.M.I. Show, directed by Steve Binder (who also would end up directing Elvis Presley’s phenomenal 1968 “comeback special”). … Continue reading
Posted in Music, On This Day
45 Comments
“Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.” — Tom Lehrer
It’s his birthday today. Tom Lehrer was a staple in our household. Just like the Raunch Hands were. We had a Tom Lehrer songbook and we’d play it on the piano. I had no context for him. It was like … Continue reading
Posted in Music, On This Day, Personal
2 Comments
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson
“Ninety-nine percent of the world’s lovers are not with their first choice. That’s what makes the jukebox play.” – Willie Nelson Legend. It’s his birthday today. I will never ever forget his performance of “America the Beautiful” in the telethon … Continue reading
“I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair
It’s her birthday. I don’t mean to go on and on in a generational way because of course we are not a monolith (after all, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are Gen X. Ew.) … but “I don’t represent anything” … Continue reading
“To me, music is no joke and it’s not for sale.” — Ian MacKaye
“People ask me: ‘What is punk? How do you define punk?’ Here’s how I define punk: It’s a free space. It could be called jazz. It could be called hip-hop. It could be called blues, or rock, or beat. It … Continue reading
“Sometimes I can sing it when I can’t say it.” — Carl Perkins
“The music was new, the kids were just eatin’ it up. They were claiming it as their own music. But I really think when the kids were comin’ to the sock hops and to the rock and roll shows, I … Continue reading
Posted in Music, On This Day
Tagged Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Rufus Thomas, Sam Phillips, Sun Records
2 Comments
“It sounds like something from a Woody Guthrie song, but it’s true; I was raised in a freight car.” — Merle Haggard
It’s his birthday today. “There were so many things I loved about the thirties. I could find many reasons for wanting to live back there. Such as trains was the main method of travel, the glamour of trains always appealed … Continue reading
“I never retired.” — Doris Day
“I like joy; I want to be joyous; I want to have fun on the set; I want to wear beautiful clothes and look pretty. I want to smile, and I want to make people laugh. And that’s all I … Continue reading
“I heard Ruth Brown, and I just found my kind of music,” — Janis Martin
Cultural history is peppered with What Ifs. What if someone like Janis Martin had gone the distance? What if she hadn’t lapsed into obscurity? Would she have carved out a small space for women in rock ‘n roll (alongside the … Continue reading