Music Of My Years-Before I Was Born 1955-1961

It's hard to tell you when it all begin for me.  Wish I could but I wasn't even born yet.

Life in Lincoln Illinois in the late 50's was like any other small town in the Midwest.  Most of the happenings are at the local malt shop, or the teenage boys racing on the outskirts of town on some two lane blacktop in around Route 66.  Hard to understand what the BIG MAN had in store for me.  Lincoln Illinois downtown area was a block square with the country courthouse in the middle of town.  My mom and her sister were big record buying teens who probably flocked down to either the Kresge's or Woolworth's although there was a Lincoln TV and Record Store, at least three record stores within walking distance, unlike the long driving distance that I have to overtake today in order to get anything.  My Aunt Virginia was into more of the teen idol crap of the day, Frankie Avalon and Paul Anka figure greatly into this.  There was some Elvis Presley 45's in the collection as well, Teddy Bear and Big Hunk O Love to which I'm sure Mom bought.  There was plenty of Johnny Mathis LPs and Percy Faith too but I'm guessing Grandma Ambrose listened to those. 

Life was very tough for Grandma Ambrose and family, she was married to Archie, a person that I never knew all that much when I came about in 61.  But he was a very tough and abusive asshole who would spend many a time and money down at the local bars and then come home and terrorize Grandma.  I heard horror stories about that and best not to comment but Archie isn't considered a Grandpa in my life even he passed away in 2007.  So basically I think Mom spent most of her days getting away from that and being a cheerleader and working at the Dog N Suds. 

Dad on the other hand was a grease monkey type dude who would go around stealing hubcaps in the car and getting into trouble once the sun goes down.  He worked at many of the gas stations around Lincoln at that time, an old Star station that was in the local parking lot of the A and P.  Down the road was Eisner's, across the street was a malt shop to which kids would play the juke box and dance around just like in the movies you see today.    The old Star station was no bigger than the computer room at my GF's place, in fact I think the bathroom was bigger than that gas station, but later Dad would move over to Clark.  At some point around 1959 or so, I'm sure Grandma Ambrose went up to the station to get the old 59 Biscayne filled up and I'm sure Dad was flirting around with Mom at that time.  Needless to say one thing lead to another and a big fight with Archie led Mom and Dad to sneak away in the middle of the night to the Justice Of The Peace in 60.

At that time, I was probably basking in the great white light in the great beyond.  Maybe I was up somewhere at some Record Store in the sky or talking to Buddy Holly about rock and roll and he suggested a route to the new promised land, I don't recall myself.  But somehow the beginning led to some town that was 20 years behind the times.  And in a driving blizzard of a Alberta Clipper one night 51 years ago begins the story untold.  They said once you move toward a different light you would not return for some time. And as I made my way toward open light, it looked like a new and exciting beginning.  And seeing covered faces and then..SMACK!

And the banshee screams of being a newborn.  Life is just beginning.

The Music Of The Times.
Sweet Little Sixteen, Rock And Roll Music-Chuck Berry
My Heart Is An Open Book-Carl Dobbins Jr.
Alley Oop-Hollywood Argyles
It's Late, Poor Little Fool, Hello Mary Lou, Sweeter Than You-Ricky Nelson
Walking To New Orleans, I've Been Around, I Want To Walk You Home-Fats Domino
I Only Have Eyes For You, Mia Amore-The Flamingos
A Big Hunk O Love, Teddy Bear-Elvis Presley
Just Born To Be Your Baby-Perry Como
Diana, Something Has Changed Me, Don't Gamble With Love-Paul Anka
Just Ask Your Heart, Bobby Sox To Stockings-Frankie Avalon
To Know Him Is To Love Him, Don't You Worry My Little Pet-The Teddy Bears
Sinbad-Bobby Freeman
Little Darlin'-The Diamonds
Maria, Gina, It's Not For Me To Say, Wonderful Wonderful-Johnny Mathis
Daddy Cool-The Rays
It's All In The Game-Tommy Edwards
Under The Boardwalk, Lonely Winds-The Drifters
Dream Lover-Bobby Darin
Buzz Buzz Buzz-The Hollywood Flames
Rockin Robin, Over And Over-Bobby Day
So Fine-The Fiestas
I'm Sorry, I Need To Be Needed-Brenda Lee
Among My Souvenirs, Lipstick On Your Collar-Connie Francis
New River Train-Bobby Helms
I Understand How You Feel-The G Clefs
Maybe-The Chantels
Handy Man-Jimmie Jones
Sorry I Ran All The Way Home-The Impalas
You'll Never Tame Me-Bobby Rydell
Toot Toot Toosie Goodbye-Al Jolson
Wake Up Little Susie, Problems, Since You Broke My Heart, When Will I'll Be Loved-Everly Brothers
Willie And The Hand Jive, Ring A Ling-The Johnny Otis Show
That's My Desire, The Way You Look Tonight-The Lettermen
Honest I Do-The Innocents
Tallahassee Lassie, Way Down Yonder In New Orleans-Freddy Cannon
I've Had It-The Bell Notes
Alimony-Frankie Ford (with Huey Piano Smith And The Crowns)
Am I The Man, Lonely Teardrops-Jackie Wilson

All of these came from the collection of my mom and Aunt Virginia and I know there's more that I have forgotten but these are the ones that stand out most.  The majority of the songs were teen idols or MOR pop but I'm surprised of how much black R and B records that were in the collection.  Dad didn't have any 45's but I'm guessing he was more into hillbilly country music than rock.  But that's just a guess since I really wasn't around to notice things but that's another story for another time.........