Goodbye January, Hello February, & American Singers’ Tribute
The first month of the new year is gone, just like that! Did I blink? I guess I did because January went by too fast.
What did I like most about last month? I created a few art sketches (Snoopy & Friends New Year Party celebration & Tennessee Vols Mascot logo) that I enjoyed creating. This brings me to my mental debate to take part in the April A to Z Challenge this year. I really want to but I’m dragging my heels on firmly committing to the month-long task. I’m sure I’ll buckle and throw myself into the project happily. Luckily, I have time to get motivated with sign-up for the annual event begins March 1st.
What did I like least about January? That’s a no brainer, clobbering my chin on our outside steps.
What am I looking forward to in February? Besides chocolate and flowers for Valentine’s Day, jk, but seriously I hope to get a lot of sketching done and online house hunting done. I want very, VERY much to be in a new home before this year ends. I have to be extra careful to not blink too many times for fear 2019 will vanish as January did.
What do you have planned for this month?
Now for a bit of random. Life is for the living but as I get older I notice the number of people dying. The list of famous deaths in January 2019 is fairly extensive, many I do not know but I decided to pay this small tribute to only the American singers from this list.
The first day of the new year, Pegi Young, ex-wife of Neil Young passed from cancer. She was 66-years young. I admit I didn’t know the name or her mewsic.
On the 2nd, Captain & Tennille mewsician Daryl Dragon, age 76, died from renal failure. Toni Tennille was at her ex-husband’s side when he passed. The Captain & Tennille TV show was a favorite program from the 70s and their pop mewsic was instrumental in my teen years with ‘Muskrat Love’ and ‘Love Will Keeps Us Together’.
Clydie King, 75, died on the 7th. She’s best known for her session vocals. She recorded mewsic under her name and in the 70s recorded under the name Brown Sugar with her R&B #44 R&B single, “Loneliness (Will Bring Us Together Again)”
One of my mewsic-lovin’ blog buds introduced me to American R&B singer, Denise LaSalle, 78, who died on the 8th and last year, I featured Denise in my ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ #BoTB.
On the 10th, 67-year-old Larry Cunningham founder and creator of Motown’s 1970s R&B group, the Floaters passed after a long illness. In 2013 Larry released Essence of Grace, a beautiful Christian mewsic album.
Singer, mewsician, businesswoman (co-founder of Dolphin Records later renamed to Dolton Records), Bonnie Guitar passed on the 12th at the age of 95. She’s one of the first female country artists to have a cross over hit in 1957 with ‘Dark Moon’ found on my playlist. I didn’t recognize her name but I do recall coming across one of her hit songs a few years ago, ‘Candy Apple Red‘.
The name Carol Channing didn’t grab my attention but when I saw her photo I recognized singer from the 70s on TV variety shows. Carol was more than a singer. She was an actress (Broadway mewsical ‘Hello Dolly’ is where she got her big break), dancer, and comedienne. It was from Hollywood Squares that I remember her best. The starlet was 97 at the time of her death on the 15th.
Lead guitarist for American Sound Studio House Band, The Memphis Boys, and leading session mewsician, Reggie Young passed away on the 17th at his home in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. He was 82. I didn’t know the man but he had an illustrious mewsical career doing various recordings with a lot of famous artists. According to Wikipedia these big names include: Elvis Presley, Berrilee Rush, B.J. Thomas, John Prine, Dusty Springfield, Herbie Mann, J.J. Cale, Dionne Warwick, Roy Hamilton, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, the Box Tops, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard, Joey Tempest, George Strait, and The Highwaymen.
Why is it I do not remember the band Blue Cheer? They were most active from the late 60s through the early 70s and active sporadically until 2009. One of their best recordings is their ‘Summertime Blues‘ cover. Anywho, the band’s longest running member and drummer, Paul Whaley died on the 28th at the age of 72.
Two-time Academy Award nominee, singer/songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist James Ingram, died on the 29th. He was 66. Another name I do not know but since the start of Ingram’s career (1973), he’s charted the Top 40 hits eight times. That being said, I totally recognized his most popular song featuring Patti Austin ‘Baby Come To Me'(1982).
The month winds down with the death of Harold Bradley on the 31st. Again, a name unfamiliar to me but was one of the most recorded guitarists in mewsic history says Wikipedia and was a part of the Nashville A-Team session players. Bradley did recordings with Elvis, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Slim Whitman, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and The Byrds to name just a few. He recorded three albums as a pop guitarist under the Columbia Records label in 1960s Misty Guitar, Guitar for Lovers Only, and Bossa Nova Goes to Nashville. In 2007, he was inducted into the Country Mewsic Hall of Fame. He was 93 when he died.
May these souls RIP!
I’m linking up taking a coffee break for some with Random Tuesday Thoughts with Stacy Uncorked and joining Eugenia at BrewNSpew for Tuesday Chatter this morning and you’re invited to come with and let me remind you to visit again tomorrow for not-so Wordless Wednesday.
14 Comments
15andmeowing
Yup. I am lazy- I didn’t read the # 🙂
Cathy Kennedy
Ellen,
Yeah but I bet you could’ve read the number if you wanted where I’d have to go ask Google for help. 😉
Birgit
Those sillies are funny and I was too lazy to read that number:) I love snow which is what we got in January and with the cold, it was so nice walking and hearing the snow under my feet. I don’t like it that one day it is bitter and the next we break the record for warmth-my bones suffer. Tomorrow is supposed to be freezing rain and horrible. January has been a bit tough…Jan 15th was a year to date that my mom passed. My hubby was a bit of a jerk (ADHD and depression) so my brother doesn’t want to see him at all because he is so angry. My hubby doesn’t even realize how my brother is and my hubby did apologize to me which was good or he would have been sent to the moon. Someone ran into our car which meant another accident and one of our beloved pussy cats died unexpectedly last week. Naddie was 13 1/2 yrs old and my hubby found him…he was and still is so upset and I am sad. I do hope to be in my craft room this month because it has been sorely neglected and I miss it. You know, we can all be jerks from time to time, there are no excuses but if one sees this and apologizes, then the other party needs to just get a grip and let it go. Hell, I had to put up with my brother’s 3 ex wives and they were not nice people(he picks the wrong type). Look at me vent! Sorry about that. Anyhoo, I know you will find the right home for you and you will love it…not the actual moving day but being in the home you and your hubby will love.
Cathy Kennedy
Birgit,
I’m sorry your January wasn’t a good one. I recalled reading that it’s the anniversary month of your mother’s passing which I knew would be hard for you. Has your husband always suffered from ADHA & depression? I remembered you telling me about the ADHD. I guess it’s hard for anyone who doesn’t live with him to understand how he is but even at that, I know it’s gotta be hard on you at times. I’m sure you see the man that you fell in love with and you’re able to deal with the situation better than most. Are you saying someone hit your car and then ran? Oh, I’m sorry about your kitty dying but wow, 13.5 years in age is super old for a cat! Naddie lived a very long life and I’m sure you made all the better. I can imagine how upsetting it is for you both. Do you have other kitties and doggies? If not, then maybe y’all need to get another when the time is right. I’m sure having a new kitty to love is a help with the grieving process. It’s okay to vent. We all need to do that sometimes. Some people just think it’s all about them without considering other people’s feelings. I know you love your brother but family is the worse at doing this sorta thing. The moving process as painful and difficult that it’ll be, I am determined to stay focused and happy with THAT headache because when that day comes it’ll be a dream come true! 😉 Thanks for sharing a cup of coffee with me, my dear.
Rain Frances
Thanks for the funnies Cathy 🙂 Oh, I’m with you…I want SO MUCH to be in my forever home, actually our deadline is June 30th – that’s when our lease ends. We are going to ask the landlord if he’d be willing to rent to us monthly if we can’t find a place…I”m online every day checking out properties, but nothing has come up yet.
Your A-Z challenge would be tough for me. I don’t think I can blog every day! But it’s giving me an idea that maybe I can do an art challenge for myself…A-Z in April for painting, drawing or pastels…or maybe even the digital stuff if I get motivated! In October I came up with a Ghostober theme that I did every day, mind you I posted it mainly on Instagram, a spooky creepy piece of art with a little description each day. I loved it…the hamster wheel is turning in my head lol…I don’t know that I’ll have the time if I’m house hunting but I’m going to think about it! 🙂
Cathy Kennedy
Rain,
Blogging every day is hard. Normally, I’ve already started my A2Z posts but haven’t yet. The only thing I have is an idea where I want to go this round. Maybe I can start soon. I know once I do, I’m like a bulldog and won’t let go until the last sketch is completed. 🙂 House hunting is time-consuming. Hopefully, we both will get what we want this year. That would be so pAwesome! Thanks for stopping in today. I’m checking back in-between house chores, so I’ll be over for a visit soon!
Jacqui Murray
The humor is priceless. I am so ready for the day.
Cathy Kennedy
Jacqui,
Laughter is an essential ingredient to life I believe and something I wouldn’t ever want to live without. So, yes you’re right it’s priceless! 🙂
messymimi's meanderings
The only reason i didn’t read the number is because i kept loosing track, there were no commas and i had to count, but i think it was in the quadrillions.
Thanks for the reminder about the A to Z, and i hope you share plenty of sketches this month!
Cathy Kennedy
Mimi,
I hope to get into the groove of working on my A to Z sketches soon. I think I know the direction I want to go if I just get moving on it. 🙂 I don’t know if I could read that number without first looking up the place values of each digit. That’s a big number! lol
My GBGV Life
You made us laugh with that square of four quotes! Good luck house hunting. My mom is a Realtor, but she hates looking at houses, so she does all the office stuff and not the showing homes stuff.
Cathy Kennedy
We made good progress over the weekend house hunting. Well…actually, we knocked off 9 houses on our list. Of these, there is only one that shows potential but it’s too expensive right now. Maybe, the price will drop. cross fingers & say a prayer We have three more to check out hopefully this weekend but I want to find several more to add to the list before we venture out next. So, glad to make you laugh this morning. I liked those funnies, too. 😀
Sandee
What did I like most about last month? Our yacht club function. We had a great turnout and a great time was had by all.
What did I like least about January? It’s over and we’re heading toward spring. I hate winter.
What am I looking forward to in February? Our first cruise of the season is next weekend. We’re supposed to have rain, but we’re going anyway.
What do you have planned for this month? A visit to see the great grand babies. We’re looking forward to that.
I was way to lazy to ready the number. You know I’m a couch potato.
Have a fabulous day my friend. Hugs and love. ♥
Cathy Kennedy
Sandee,
The number is too big for me to read but if you give me that many dollar bills then maybe I will feel like counting them! lol