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.
