Payson Roundup LOCAL Friday, February 6, 2015
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Rockin’ in a new era Hart, and Johnny Mathis proved that there was still a huge market for love songs with his like “Chances are” (1957). Folk music record sales exploded like never before thanks to Harry Belafonte and the Kingston Trio, while country music saw new stars emerge, such as Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Faron Young and Patsy Cline. But the end of the decade saw the frenetic music industry excitement of the previous few years diminish with Elvis Presley doing Army duty, the careers of other rock greats sidetracked by turbulent life changes, and the tragic deaths of rising stars Buddy Holley, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. A new jolt was needed, and was just a few short years away.
We continue our 10-part series chronicling the evolution of American popular music in the 20th century, 1900-1999, which looks at the music that was popular during each decade and what influenced that popularity. This week we turn our attention the century’s sixth decade. 1950-59 – Rockin’ in a new era
The June 1950 invasion of North Korea across the 38th Parallel into South Korea dj’s music got the decade trivia off to a tense beginning. After a strong response by American-led United Nations forces, the conflict dragged on, with deaths DJ Craig totaling more than one million, until an armistice took effect in July 1953. The presidency of Dwight Eisenhower was highlighted by the beginning of the 41,000-mile Interstate Highway System that would transform American travel and living patterns. The 1957 Supreme Court ruling in the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, setting aside the “separate but equal” doctrine in public education, bolstered a new civil rights movement to combat America’s continuing racial divide. Due to declining attendance and soaring popularity of television, movie theater owners installed bigger screens and better sound systems. As a result, such epics as “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and “Ben-Hur” (1959) dominated the decade’s box office. Marilyn Monroe became America’s love goddess, while a defiant new male image was forged by Marlon Brando and James Dean. The phenomenal popularity of “I Love Lucy” helped make television a fixture in nearly every American home. “What’s My Line”, “Gunsmoke”, “The Honeymooners” and “Dragnet” ruled the airwaves. “My Fair Lady” (1956) and “South Pacific” (1959) gave Broadway its biggest musical successes of the era. Top Artists/Records of the ’50s
The mellow ballads of male
This Week’s Music Trivia Question
Photo from DJ Craig
Late in the 1950s Elvis Presley changed music forever. singers Nat “King” Cole, Eddie Fisher, Tony Bennett, Perry Como dominated the pop record charts of the early 1950s, but had to share their success with the emergence of female singers Kay Starr, Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford, Teresa Brewer and the decade’s top female artist, Patti Page (with her 1950’s blockbuster hit “The Tennessee Waltz”). But revolutionary change was on the way. It had been forecasted in the 1940s “jump blues” of Louis Jordan and the postwar country sounds of Hank Williams, and by such “race” record hits as “Rocket 88” (1951) by Jackie Brentson and his Delta Cats. When 19-year-old Elvis Presley cut his first Sun Records disc, “That’s All Right”, in July 1954, forging R&B and country into the new force of rock ’n roll, the music world would not be the same again. Bill Haley & His Comets claimed the first rock and roll song to reach number one with “Rock Around the Clock” in 1955. After Elvis’ RCA debut the following year with “Heartbreak Hotel” and his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was seen by an astounding 82
percent of the television audience, he became the undisputed King of Rock ’n Roll. But rock had other royalty as well. Little Richard’s manic energy (heard in his 1956 “Tutti Fruity”); Jerry Lee Lewis’ piano pyrotechnics (1957’s “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On”); Buddy Holly’s infectious rockabilly (as in his 1957’s “That’ll be The Day”); and Chuck Berry’s combination of lyrical ingenuity and relentless drive (with in his 1958 “Johnny B. Goode”) all forged their images into the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame. Fats Domino and The Everly Brothers showed rock’s gentler side. The late 1950s saw the rise of many new “Teen Idols” – Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson, Connie Francis, the Bobbys (Vinton, Vee and Darrin), Paul Anka, Annette Funicello and many more captivated teenage record-buyers and “America Bandstand” enthusiasts. But even with the rise of rock ’n roll, there was plenty of room in 1950s music for other sounds. Crooner Frank Sinatra enjoyed his finest decade, Ella Fitzgerald established herself as the peerless female vocalist with her “songbook” celebrations of George Gershwin and Rogers &
In addition to Elvis Presley’s debut on Billboard’s pop chart in 1956 with his chart-topping single “Heartbreak Hotel”, Presley had four other hits reach number one that same year. Which of the following Presley hits reached number one, but not in 1956? A) “Don’t Be Cruel”; B) “Hound Dog”; C) “Love Me Tender” or D) “Suspicious Minds”? Last Week’s Question
In September of 1947, pianist and composer Francis Craig, accompanied by vocalist Bob Lamm, released his debut song that went on to top the charts for 17 weeks, longer than any other song in the first half of the 20th century. Last week’s question asked if you could name Craig’s smash hit. The choices were A) “Near You”; B) “I’ve Heard That Song Before”; C) “The Gypsy” and D) “Buttons and Bows.” The correct answer was “Near You”. Each of the other songs was also a mega hit in the 1940s. “I’ve Heard That Song Before” by the Harry James Orchestra, was number one for 13 weeks in early 1943. “The Gypsy” by The Ink Spots was the song of the year in 1946. “Buttons And Bows” was a huge number one hit for Dinah Shore in late 1948. Have a great Rim Country week! DJ Craig, (928) 468-1482 www.djcraiginpayson.com
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CROSSWORD
Get out and enjoy the warm weather Christopher Creek is where this ghost walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Sorry, fella, we don’t serve spirits.” This week we continue with the third of four in a series of Christopher Creek ghost stories. We move on, now, to apparitions, which, for my money, another week are spookier than manifestain the creek tions. Having been present for a lightning strike and a light fixture falling from the wall, my expeRod Britain rience with thin, wispy or smoky visions is zero. The reader should be reminded we have to rely on other’s accounts. In may be pointed out, however, that these are not individual encounters. These spirits have been have been seen on multiple occasions and they seem to hang around the same general area. She woke to find them near her bed. The man was standing and the woman was seated in the corner. They were both dressed in pioneer clothes - she in a long dress with an apron; he in work clothes, perhaps overalls. He wasn’t standing over the bed so as to be threatening. They were older folks and may have been holding a conversation although no words were heard. While they were talking, the woman was doing something in her lap - perhaps mending - as
sell out. Taste of Rim Country is March 7 at the Payson Public Library. The Reveal
Rod Britain photo
Rain and melting snow brought up the level of Christopher Creek recently. she rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. That was the way they were described to me by Karen Thornton, a retired school librarian, a CKFD board member and a Payson Library volunteer. She lives in a cabin she built just down from the carwash. She graciously agreed to allow me to tell of her ghostly encounter. When asked if she thought she knew her spooky visitors, Karen replied, “No!” Upon first hearing her story, something clicked in my memory. It was a picture. The Christopher-Kohl’s Fire District board, effective Jan. 20, has made Bob Lockhart, former Payson fire marshal, its new fire chief. It was a cool, pretty day in the Creek for the Hashknife Pony Express handoff in front of 25 patient souls gathered to witness the annual event. A number of folks from Payson made
the trip for lunch and joined in to greet the riders as they passed by. By last Thursday night the easy, warm rains came, and as they arrived you could almost detect a bit of that salt/sea smell. By Saturday evening we had received almost two inches, making January’s total just shy of three-and-a-half inches. Up See Canyon the rain was more significant and along with the melt-off brought about a fairly significant rise in the Creek. CKFD personnel put up barricades Friday evening to prevent motorists from driving into the roaring waters. Warm weather arrived and by Tuesday the temperature was in the 60s and that looks to continue into next week. It’s a great time to work outside! This is just a quick reminder to get your ticket. They are going quickly and will surely
My request for another interview with Karen Thornton was answered with an invitation to come for lunch. To test my theory as to who her nighttime visitors may have been, there needed to be a face to face meeting to ask more questions and show her some pictures. We sat at her kitchen counter. She closed her eyes and when asked again she described the woman and answered specific questions. Then she went through the same and described the man again answering some pertinent queries. When she opened her eyes she was shown a picture of a woman. “Oh, my God, that could very well be her,” were her exact words. “Who is she? Who IS she? Her hair’s the same, her clothes… the same rocker. Who is she?” Next she was shown a picture of the couple and asked if she recognized the man. “Oh, wow, who are they?” she asked. “The hair’s the right color, but the moustache I don’t remember. He could very well be the guy. Who are these people?” She was quite excited when she was told the couple must have felt obliged to come visitin’. After all, you built your cabin on their ranch. Karen, meet John and Kate Bowman … and that’s another week in the Creek.
Solution to 2/3 puzzle