Thank Canada…for Gordon Lightfoot, Eh
Lest we forget the great Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian singer/songwriter who turns 74 today. Here's a reminder of his influence.
When Johnny Cash Made ABC Censors Walk The Line
The Smothers Brothers - Dick and Tom - are hailed as freedom-of-speech heroes for their battles with CBS network executives who censored, and eventually cancelled, their trippy 1967-69 "Comedy Hour." But few followers of music and TV history are aware that Johnny Cash also stood up to the company men who attempted to police his 1969-71 TV variety show.
When Glen Campbell Visited Glen Campbell
As I slowly wind down from the excitement of seeing the legendary Glen Campbell perform his fabulous hits last night at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, I think back to those days when his "Goodtime Hour" was the hot show on prime time TV, and the time he made a surprise visit to a tiny village named Glen Campbell, not far from my hometown. Hey, when you're growing up in a rural county on the fringe of the Boondocks, the visit of a big celebrity creates quite a stir.