Category Archives: Music

“I still get a chill when I sing, ‘You Don’t Own Me.’ I find some new feeling in it every time.” –Lesley Gore

Posted on May 2, 2026 by sheila

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

Posted on April 29, 2026 by sheila

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

Posted on April 29, 2026 by sheila

“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 →

Posted in Movies, Music, On This Day | Tagged | 7 Comments

“I don’t represent anything.” — Liz Phair

Posted on April 17, 2026 by sheila

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 →

Posted in Music, On This Day | Tagged | 15 Comments

“To me, music is no joke and it’s not for sale.” — Ian MacKaye

Posted on April 16, 2026 by sheila

“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 →

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“Sometimes I can sing it when I can’t say it.” — Carl Perkins

Posted on April 9, 2026 by sheila

“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 →

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“It sounds like something from a Woody Guthrie song, but it’s true; I was raised in a freight car.” — Merle Haggard

Posted on April 6, 2026 by sheila

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 →

Posted in Music, On This Day | Tagged | 9 Comments

“I never retired.” — Doris Day

Posted on April 3, 2026 by sheila

“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 →

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“I heard Ruth Brown, and I just found my kind of music,” — Janis Martin

Posted on March 27, 2026 by sheila

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 →

Posted in Music, On This Day | Tagged | 10 Comments

“Memphis amateurs are the world’s professionals.” — Rufus Thomas

Posted on March 26, 2026 by sheila

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie was filled with deep cuts, so appreciated if you care about this story, and not just Elvis’ story, but the environment from which he came. Memphis. Beale Street. Thomas was a singer, yes, and he recorded … Continue reading →

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