Sometimes music memories seem quite unlikely. Listen to four unrelated songs that became associated in a child’s mind because of his father’s fatal illness.

“The Yellow Rose of Texas” by Mitch Miller is considered by many to be the second #1 hit single of the Rock era. Johnny Lee charted with it too. Hear the music.

Teen Angel · Mark Dinning · 1960
  Play the song.  

I have lived most of my life in the southwestern part of Dallas County, Texas.
There is a road that runs east/west for many miles through the area. Camp Wisdom Road—named for an nearby Boy Scouts camp—runs through south Dallas and westward into [...]

Some musicians work their whole lives for a hit song, but it never happens. Some musicians have that magic hit only once.

Sherry · The Four Seasons · 1962
  Play the song.  

Some of our grandchildren were visiting us over the weekend. At one point on Saturday evening I came across my youngest granddaughter. She was playing games on one of the computers in my home office. And at the same time she was grooving [...]

Number One Hits of the Rock Era

1955

(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock · Bill Hailey & The Comets

The Yellow Rose Of Texas · Mitch Miller

Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing · The Four Aces

Autumn Leaves · Roger Williams

Sixteen Tons · “Tennessee” Ernie Ford

1956

Memories Are Made Of This · Dean Martin

Rock And Roll Waltz · Kay [...]

Laurie (Strange Things Happen) · Dickey Lee · 1965
  Play the song.
A few days ago, as I was passing a group of grandkids watching TV in the afternoon, I overheard one of the children’s cable networks publicizing a “Halloween In April Week.” The station was apparently reprising some of its October programming—six months later—to [...]

I think Connie Francis was the greatest female vocalist from the late fifties through the mid sixties. (True: I was a young boy then, and in love with her voice.) But it wasn’t just my opinion, it was much of America’s (and the world’s) too.

It was the first number one single by a female singer in the rock era, the first to have “rock and roll” in the title, and the first number one single for RCA Records.

I was turning six years old in the summer of 1957, when Patti Page’s
Old Cape Cod peaked at position #3 and was on the charts for 17 weeks.
To me, it’s one of the classic summer songs of that era.