Happy Birthday to the Late Johnny Cash!

Happy Birthday to the late Johnny Cash!

Unfortunately I don’t have a Johnny Cash story to share, as I never got to see him perform live. But he was a pretty big hit in our home, growing up.

One time I did get to DJ at the Knitting Factory in NYC after his death for a Johnny Cash diabetes benefit. Whenever I deejayed I always threw some Johnny Cash in the mix (although one uptight goth rocker didn’t dig it and I got flack for it — screw him, ha-ha, how could you not love JOHNNY CASH?!)

Here are a few amazing tunes from the legendary JOHNNY CASH!

It Ain’t Me Babe

One Piece at a Time

Folson Prison Blues

Jackson

And Johnny Cash’s impersonation of Elvis! (Perhaps the first Elvis impersonator ever? This is hysterical!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G8jeVrzJ9U

The Lord’s Prayer — 1970s Billboard Hit

Sister Janet Mead

Here’s another 1970s hit, “The Lord’s Prayer” which was actually sung by a singing nun named Sister Janet Mead.

I’ll never forget when this song first came out. I was a little kid and my little sister’s hamster just died. When this song came on the radio, she sang, “My hamster who walks in heaven.” Too cute!

ENJOY (I love the footage where she’s actually singing with her band. Too cool!)

The Lord’s Prayer

Mocedades – Eres Tu

Mocedades

In the 1970s Mocedades was the only group to have a hit song in the Top 40, sung entirely in Spanish.

The name of that song was “Eres Tu.”

It’s a most gorgeous song, check it out:

Eres Tu

And here is the English translation:

Like a promise, you are, you are
Like a summer morning
Like a smile, you are, you are
Like that, like that, you are

All my hope, you are, you are
Like fresh rain in my hands
Like a strong breeze, you are, you are
Like that, like that, you are

[Chorus:]
You are like the water of my source
(Something like that, you are)
You are like the fire of my home
You are like the fire of my bonfire
You are like the wheat of my bread
You are

Like a poem, you are, you are
Like a guitar in the night
My whole horizon, you are, you are
Like that, like that, you are

[Chorus]

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

Charlie Askew – American Idol contestant

I didn’t expect to pick a favorite so early in the American Idol game this season, but from day one, I fell in love with Charlie Askew.

He has a sweet, unique voice. He’s adorable as all hell. And I just love his stage presence and style. And from all the comments on You Tube, it seems he’s already stole America’s hearts!

Check him out, doing Elton John’s “Rocket Man”:

CHARLIE ASKEW

My favorite Charlie Askew quote is “I glorify weirdness.”

On a side note, I wasn’t going to watch the show this year. In the beginning I did not like the bickering between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, but that has subsided, thank you Jesus!

I never even heard of Nicki Minaj before this show and she really turned me off because she just seemed mean. But now, watching the show, she grew…

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Two Oldies, But Goodies, From Gilbert O’Sullivan

Gilbert O’Sullivan (photo swiped from Google search)

I just LOVE these two songs!

Get Down

CLAIR

Both songs remind me of very good things in my life.

Get Down, about a dog, is so about my needy cat Derick — oh how I love him so! So bad, but such a sweetie.

“Get Down” is one of those songs you have to play at least THREE times in a row!

And “Clair,” I used to baby sit a little girl named Claire, who made such a big impact on my life. She was an old soul in a little girl’s body, so wise beyond her years. I had so much fun with her until her family moved away.

A few years later, Dennis and I went to visit her. She was 13 at the time. Growing up and such a pretty little lady. Now Claire is in college. I dropped her an email about a year ago and told her how much she inspired me. (One of her favorite games was pretending we were old ladies complaining about the price of real estate!)

For a short or long time, you just never know who will touch your life! (And what songs will remind you of them!)

Note: on one of the You Tube songs, someone wrote that Gilbert O’Sullivan reminds them of Paul McCartney. I have to agree!

Happy Birthday to Lou Christie!

Lou Christie

Today is the birthday of one of my all time FAVORITE, FAVORITE, FAVORITE singers, Lou Christie!!

I saw him perform twice, with my husband, in recent years. I always loved the song, “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” then one summer I heard “The Gypsy Cried.” At first that song weirded me out (it is a scary song about a gypsy telling a guy beware of love!) Then I found the song comical. I started exploring his other music and loved everything. Each song is a true work of art — the voice, the production, the background vocals. I even learned that one of his back-up singers was in The Delicates, famous for the song “Black and White Thunderbird” — a song my husband and I got a kick out of .

So, Happy Birthday Lou! There are so many great songs by this man, but here are a few that I favor:

I’m Gonna Make You Mine

If My Car Could Only Talk

The Gypsy Cried

Chuckie Wagon

Happy Birthday Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono

Today Yoko Ono turns 80!

So much bad stuff written about this lady, but I can’t participate in hating on someone who was the wife of my favorite Beatle, John Lennon. People are people and we all make mistakes.

I actually met her in a bathroom once in NYC when I went to see a play she wrote about the life of John Lennon. She was very nice to me and my friend Linda. (Interesting side note, I also met John Lennon’s other great love, May Pang, at a party — and she was super duper cool! I spilled wine on my dress and May helped me clean myself up. Then she gave me a ride to another party in her SUV).

Anyway, I do like Yoko’s work. In some of the experimental recordings she did with John, it reminds me a bit of Diamanda Galas and also some of the experimental music Lydia Lunch did with Roland S. Howard. (I have the CD upstairs, but can’t remember the name of the track I’m thinking of).  I also think she was very pretty in her hey day. And stylish.

I just heard this song today by Yoko and think it’s pretty cool.

Yes, I’m a Witch

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

Tommy Mara

Tommy Mara “The Pavarotti of Doo Wop”

By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

Some people are just born to sing and it sure didn’t take Tommy Mara long to find his voice.

As a boy, he sang classic hits such as “More” while his grandmother played piano. He’d sing whatever his grandmother wanted him to sing, and even wore a fedora.

But Mara didn’t limit himself to his grandmother’s favorite Frank Sinatra songs, as he quickly moved on to rock, playing drums and singing in a high school rock band. Music flowed naturally for Mara, as it went from being a hobby to a serious career. The Italian singer from Brooklyn easily made the transition from Battle of the Bands to wedding bands, and then being in all kinds of rock groups, including southern rock. But it was doo wop that “rang like a bell” for Mara and because of his…

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Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

David (left) and Adrian Mowry of Beaucoup Blue (Photo Courtesy of Beaucoup Blue)

Last week I interviewed Adrian Mowry of Beaucoup Blue and had my article published in the Westfield Alternative Press.

You can read the full article here, as well as enjoy the You Tube video: http://www.thealternativepress.com/articles/beaucoup-blue-father-slash-son-guitar-duo-to-perform-i

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