I was born in 1964, just three months after The Beatles came to America.
As far back as I can remember, music was always a part of my daily life.
My parents grew up in the 1950’s when “rock & roll” was born, watching 21 year old Elvis making his national debut on the Ed Sullivan show. I recall my Mother sobbing uncontrollably in August 1977 at his unexpected demise at age 42, unaware I wouldn’t understand the grief she was experiencing until years later upon my hearing Eddie Van Halen died.
There was almost always a radio on or vinyl record playing at home. I recall dancing (ok, toddlers twirl) and having favorite songs that I would ask to be played “again!”. Elvis, Bill Haley, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin, The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys, Chubby Checker, and so many more that became a source of income for me as I got older when my Dad would say: “For a quarter…Who is singing this?” and if you wanted that .25 cents you better know the answer, so I worked really hard on memorizing all the songs and artists I could just to be able to take my winnings to the candy store several blocks from our house.
Dad would also play music from the big band era and there I would be introduced to, and fall in love with, the DRUMS. Drummers Buddy Rich & Gene Krupa were two of Dad’s favorites. I begged my Dad for a drum set. Nope. Girls don’t play drums, he said. (Years later I’m sure I threw the name Karen Carpenter back in his face.)
As I got older, the music I was listening to was more of my own choosing sometimes to the dismay of my father who disliked pretty much any music that came out after 1969. He despised the fact that Cheap Trick did a remake of “Ain’t that a Shame” (Fats Domino) and I’m sure he almost stroked out hearing me blast Van Halen “Dancing in the Street” off a cassette in my car as I pulled into his driveway the summer of 1982.
The music of the 1970’s carried me through my elementary & middle school years. I honestly loved nearly all of it. From Easy listening (The Carpenters, Bread, Chicago) to ..dare I say it.. disco, to pop and hard rock (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Queen, Rush, Fleetwood Mac, Sweet, Boston, ABBA) The list of what I didn’t care for would be easier to list, but you get my point. I still recall the very first time I heard Van Halen in 1978. The song was “Running with the Devil”. I was 14 and I was in love with EVH. Weren’t we all?
My freshman year of high school began in the fall of 1979. I didn’t have a lot of money to buy entire (vinyl) albums so it was easier and more cost effective for me to buy “singles” on 45 rpm. I do believe I wore out my first 45 of “My Sharona” by The Knack within a month of purchase. I would later do the same with Joan Jett’s “I love Rock and Roll”.
Because I became a mother at an early age (I was not quite 19) I didn’t get an opportunity to go to many live concerts. Lack of money the major reason. Thankfully, the birth of Music Videos (MTV Channel) filled that void, although of course not the same as live music but was still better that just listening to a vinyl record or cassette tape.
The year 1987 is a memorable one for me. Not just because my second child was born that year, but also that was the release of Def Leppard’s Hysteria album. Their best selling album to date (20 million copies worldwide) with seven (7) hit singles: “Animal”, “Women”, “Hysteria”, “Armageddon It”, “Love Bites”, “Rocket” and the infamous “Pour Some Sugar on Me”. It is also the last album that featured Steve Clark before his untimely death in 1991. This album was the gateway to how and why I am passionate about local live music bands today……..
