Everyday Creation
Dave Loggins, Second Cousin to Kenny, was a Master of Songwriting
Singer-songwriter Dave Loggins, a second cousin to Kenny Loggins, gained initial success when Three Dog Night recorded his song "Pieces of April." It reached 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. Dave Loggins went on to write 14 number one country hits for artists such as the Oak Ridge Boys, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire and Kenny Rogers. His duet with Anne Murray, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do," became a number one country hit in 1984, earning them the Vocal Duo of the Year award at the Country ...
This Texas Icon was Part Serious, Part Satire and "Kinky" Through and Through
Kinky Friedman, who formed the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, was known for outrageous song titles such as "Get Your Biscuits In The Oven and Your Buns In Bed" and "Ride 'em Jew Boy." He was a good writer not only of songs but also detective novels, stories for Texas Monthly and more. One of his pieces in the magazine was a beautifully written tribute to Lottie Cotton, a woman who had cared for him and his siblings. He wasn't born in Texas but moved there at a young age. In ...
Hall of Fame Songwriter Mark James was Hooked on Creating Hits for Other Performers
After serving in the Vietnam War, Mark James moved to Memphis and soon his songwriting career took off. In just two years — 1968 and '69 — he wrote "Eyes of a New York Woman," "Hooked on a Feeling" and "It's Only Love" for B.J. Thomas. Next, he wrote "Suspicious Minds." He recorded his own version to little acclaim, but the song became a major hit for Elvis Presley, revitalizing Presley's career. James also co-wrote "Always on My Mind," which won two Grammys and became a number one hit...
The Sherman Brothers Wrote an Oscar-Winning Score for Disney but Weren't Always a Harmonious Pair
Richard Sherman and his brother Robert wrote two hit songs — "Tall Paul" and "You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful (And You're Mine)" — before Walt Disney hired them to write exclusively for him. In 1965, they won an Oscar for Best Original Score for the film "Mary Poppins." The score included "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee." The latter also won Best Original Song. The Sherman Brothers wrote "It's a Small World" for a 1964 New York World's Fair ride that later ...
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was an Accidental Hit for Doug Ingle and Iron Butterfly
Vocalist and keyboardist Doug Ingle is known for writing Iron Butterfly's iconic rock song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," originally over 17 minutes long. The song, which had only 30 words, turned out to be a happy accident for the band. It reached 30 on Billboard's Hot 100 and the album reached number four on the 200 chart. You can go to this video to hear the full 1968 version of the song with "CD sound and 3D" visuals. Below the video, there are a lot of fond remembrances, including this one: "My d...
Virtuoso Saxophonist David Sanborn Did a Bang-Up Job Throughout His Stellar Career
David Sanborn learned to play the alto sax at age 11; by his early teens, he was playing in blues clubs. As a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he performed at Woodstock; in the '70s and '80s, he collaborated with such major artists as Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen. Sanborn also released his own albums, 17 of which made Billboard's 200 chart, and four reached number two on the jazz chart. His single "Bang Bang" peaked at number 53 on Billboard's Hot 100...
Guitarist Duane "Rebel Rouser" Eddy Influenced Hendrix, Springsteen and Many Others
Guitarist Duane Eddy, whose signature sound was known as twang, began playing guitar at age five and later became an early rock music influencer. John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival referred to him as "the first rock and roll guitar god." Eddy recorded "Rebel Rouser" in 1958. The song, which really shows off that signature twang, reached number six on Billboard's Hot 100. His highest charting song was "Because They're Young," which peaked at number four. This episode's th...
Moody Blues Co-Founder Mike Pinder wasn't Describing Himself When He Wrote "Melancholy Man"
Singer, songwriter and musician Mike Pinder co-founded the Moody Blues in 1964. The British band initially played R&B and covers before shifting direction toward original songs. Pinder wrote 27 songs for the band, including "Melancholy Man," which appeared on the 1970 album "A Question of Balance." The song reached number one in France but was never released as a single in the U.S. The photo in this episode's thumbnail was extracted from a photo of the entire band taken when they ar...
Allman Brothers Guitarist Dickey Betts Thought of Himself as a "Ramblin' Man"
Dickey Betts, who played lead guitar for the Allman Brothers Band along with Duane Allman, was crucial in the development of Southern rock. After Duane's death in 1971, Betts became the band's leader. Betts also wrote the lyrics to their biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man," which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. To hear "Ramblin' Man" and see some nice images, check out this lyric video. Or you can watch the Allman Brothers sing the song in concert at the University of Florida in 1982. He...
Clarence Henry, who opened for the Beatles, Scored a Hit Singing Like a Frog on "Ain't Got No Home"
Clarence "Frogman" Henry opened for the Beatles 18 times during their 1964 U.S. tour. He was known for his hit song "Ain't Got No Home," which he created extemporaneously while playing at a New Orleans club in 1956. The song reached number three on Billboard's R&B chart and number 20 on the Hot 100. To find out how Henry got the nickname "Frogman," you can listen to this tribute. To watch him live singing "Ain't Got No Home," go to this video on YouTube. And check out the go-go boots on...
C.J. Snare of Firehouse Hadn't Found His "Love of a Lifetime" When He Wrote that Song
C.J. Snare, frontman and main songwriter for Firehouse, wrote the hit "Love of a Lifetime" before joining the band. The song was Firehouse's most successful single, reaching number five on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1991. To watch Snare performing the song with Firehouse, go to YouTube. The comments below the video are a really nice tribute to Snare as well. Here's one of them: "Rest In Peace CJ. Glad that I met you 3 years ago on the 30th anniversary of Firehouse debut album performance. Very co...
Singer, Songwriter and Raspberries Founder Eric Carmen Had Hits All by Himself
Eric Carmen, whose aunt was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, had a natural talent for music even as a kid. In 1970, he founded the Raspberries, known for their hit single "Go All The Way," which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. He launched a successful solo career in 1975 with such hits as "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" and "All by Myself." In the chapters, you'll see two of his album covers, one of which also is used in this episode's thumbnail. Carmen's song...
Singer Steve Lawrence of "Steve & Evie" Fame Had His Own Top-10 Hits Including "Go Away Little Girl"
Steve Lawrence had a successful solo career with four top 10 hits in the early 1960s: "Pretty Blue Eyes," "Portrait of My Love," "Party Doll," and "Go Away Little Girl." The latter reached number one in 1962. Lawrence, who died in March 2024, was best known as half of the singing duo Steve & Eydie with his wife, Eydie Gormé. They were married for 56 years, remarkable longevity for a show-biz couple. The image in the thumbnail is of Lawrence's double CD "Winners!" / "Come Waltz With ...
Randy Sparks Formed the New Christy Minstrels and Wrote Their Hit Song, "Today"
Randy Sparks, who died in February 2024, began his career during the folk music craze of the late 1950s and early '60s. In 1961, the singer-songwriter merged his group with two others to form the New Christy Minstrels. Sparks wrote "Today" long before the Minstrels made it a hit in 1964. The song reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can watch the group singing "Today" here. You'll also see a lot of comments by viewers who have fond memories of the song. And here's a fun little de...
Musician and Funny Man Mojo Nixon was Best Known for "Elvis is Everywhere"
Mojo Nixon died while hosting the Outlaw Country Cruise in February 2024. His family said he left this earth "after a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar, taking no prisoners ..." He was 66, enjoying himself until the end. Nixon (birth name Neill Kirby McMillan Jr.) believed that you could make fun of anything as long as the joke was funny and you accepted the consequences. Known for songs such as "I Hate Banks" and "Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My 2-Headed Love Child," he r...
Superstar Toby Keith Didn't Need to be a Cowboy to Score His First #1 Hit
Toby Keith was a superstar in country music and outside of that genre. A singer-songwriter whose music often reflected personal experiences, he had 65 singles on the country charts, including 20 #1 hits. "Should've Been a Cowboy" was his first #1 hit. He wrote it in a matter of minutes during a hunting trip. "Red Solo Cup" was his most popular mainstream song. To watch the official music video of "Should've Been a Cowboy," go to YouTube. To listen to "Red Solo Cup," go here. It's from "Gre...
Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson of the Controversial Band MC5 Knew How to "Kick Out the Jams"
The MC5 (Motor City 5) probably was known best for the controversies it created and for the influence it had on other musicians. The band put out three albums, "Kick Out the Jams" (live 1969), "Back in the USA" (1970) and "High Time" (1971), and had one well-known single, "Kick Out the Jams." You can hear various versions of "Kick Out the Jams" on YouTube. Here's one of them (listener beware, the group's controversial profanity is at the beginning). And here's a video about the band itself....
Tony Award-Winner Chita Rivera's Decades-Long Career on Broadway Included a Rousing "All That Jazz"
Chita Rivera, Broadway's "first triple threat," became a star in 1957 with her role as Anita in "West Side Story." She won a Tony Award for her role in "The Ring" in 1986 and a second Tony in 1993 for "Kiss of the Spider Woman." Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute, which references the song "All That Jazz" from the Broadway musical "Chicago," in which she starred as Velma Kelly. This video, from the 1982 TV special "Broadway Plays Washington," really showcases her talent. It begins with ...
Melanie, a Soloist at Woodstock, Had a #1 Hit with "Brand New Key"
Melanie was 22 and relatively unknown in the U.S. when she was invited to perform at Woodstock. Her set, which began at 1:30 a.m. in front of a throng of people holding lit candles in the rain, inspired her to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," which became her first U.S. hit. Another of her songs, "Brand New Key," was her biggest hit, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1971. To hear Melanie sing "Brand New Key," check out this charming video. The photo of Melanie i...
Shangri-Las' Lead Singer Mary Weiss Led the Way on "Leader of the Pack"
Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the Shangri-Las, achieved fame at 15 with the hit song "Leader of the Pack." Her personal life wasn't easy, though, and she put a lot of her own emotions into the song. The Shangri-Las had their very first hit in 1964 with "Remember (Walking in the Sand)." Weiss was 14 at the time. By 1968, the group had disbanded amid legal disputes. The photo of Weiss accompanying this episode was cropped from a group publicity shot taken in 1964 and distributed by Red Bird...
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