My uncle had a television set at his house, and when us kids saw a television set for the first time, we were afraid of it! We wondered how they could get all those "little people" in such a little box! Hey, we were 10-12 years old, and television was new to all ov us! At that time, there were few televisions across the country.

In the late 1950's, my father bought a television set, and we watched shows like Lucy; the Honeymooners; My Little Margie; Leave It To Beaver; Ozzie and Harriet; 77 Sunset Strip; Life of Riley; Flash Gordon; the Millionaire; Ed Sullivan; Gunsmoke.

But, there was one television show that was a must-see on our list...and that television show was American Bandstand. The "oldest American teen-ager," Dick Clark, hosted the show for many years, when it was broadcast "live" out of Philadelphia...EVERYDAY! At the time, Dick Clark was probably in his mid-twenties.

"Music is the only language, in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing."  John Erskine

Because of American Bandstand...it was television and rock and roll that teamed up, to spread the music of rock and roll throughout the country. As kids, we watched all singers and groups blossom, and most appeared on American Bandstand to showcase their talents. Almost all were unknowns at the time, and all were trying to make a name for themselves in this new music called rock and roll.

What was so fascinating, was the fact that many of the singers were so young...in their teens or early twenties...and they were not only singing songs...but they were writing the songs they sang! Singer/songwriters like Smokey Robinson; Buddy Holly; Carol King; Neal Sedaka; Paul Anka; Leslie Gore and many others. So many of the hits they wrote and sang back in the 1950's are still popular in the year 2007! Amazing! What a great time to grow up!

At the community center down the street where we lived, we attended dances every week. Everyone showed up...there was Peggy Sue; Nadine; Long Tall Sally, Lollipop...the little town flirt...all at the community center "splish-splashing" the night away! There was only one type of dance that was popular at the time, and it was known as "Band-standing," which was similar to jitter-bugging! Everyone on Bandstand did it, and so we learned from the dancers on the show.

It was exciting to get off from school in the afternoon, and we would race home, so we could see all the new singing stars on American Bandstand! One after the other, the biggest stars of the new rock and roll era, would make their presence known...Little Richard; Jerry Lee Lewis; Buddy Holly; Connie Francis; the Platters; Fats Domino; Chuck Berry; the Coasters; the Drifters; Temptations; and Elvis somebody-or-another...and the list was endless!

There were no oldies at the time...everything was new...real time...and nobody had heard or seen anything like it before! This was the beginning of rock and roll! I think historians would say that the song, Rock Around The Clock in 1954, by Bill Haley and the Comets started it all, and Elvis appeared on the national scene in 1955. As an eleven year old, I saw the movie, Love Me Tender in 1956, and when Elvis got shot in the movie, all the girls in the theatre were crying, and tears were running e streets!

But, the rock and roll era was not liked by everyone! As a matter of fact, it was down-right hated by many parents; school officials; churches; and something called "the establishment," all frowned on rock and roll right from the beginning! "Rock and roll was corrupting our kids," was the cry from many parents! Certain songs were banned by the Church, such as Wake Up Little Susie, by the Everly Brothers!

But, it wasn't until later in the mid-1960's, when rock and roll was more acceptable by the "establishment," when the drug culture came on the scene. After all, parents thought it was best for their kids to be having fun with music...than to get into the hazards of drugs!

If a person was over 30 years old at the time. that person was considered "old people," not trusted, and part of the "establishment!"

But, rock and roll was here to stay, and in 1960 Mo Town came onto the scene, and brought great stars onto the scene such as the Supremes; Smokey Robinson; Marvin Gaye; the King and Queen of soul, etc. I remember little Stevie Wonder, when he was just ten years old, singing Finger-tips (1&2). Singer/songwriter's had block-buster hits, and they were so young! How could so much talent exist throughout the 1950's and '60's?

"Ah...music...a magic beyond all we do here."  J.K. Rowling

Later, the television shows, Shindig and Solid Gold added to the popularity of rock and roll. Also spreading the word on rock and roll, was the long-running television show, the Ed Sullivan show, where many newcomers got their start...including Elvis and the Beatles.

It was 1964...and the British Invasion...and I was a freshman at the University of New Mexico, and rock and roll continued to dominate the airwaves. By this time, rock and roll was more acceptable by (old people) and the Beatles; the Rolling Stones; the Animals; Herman's Hermits led the way, and the Monkees were one of the few groups that rivaled the Beatles in popularity at the time!

As kids, we couldn't afford 45 rpm records, but we had a friend down the street, whose parents were rolling in dough, and bought their "child" everything she wanted, and we would go over to her house and "twist the night away!" I learned to take wax off the dance floor at a young age, and in the early 1960's, dancers split apart...and danced on their own. The dance craze was now called...the "slop" and in the year 2007, the slop is still around, it's just called something else!

The American Music Awards...I loved to watch because there were all the "biggies" in the rock and roll era! Gladys Knight; Aretha; John Denver; the Jacksons; Barbara; Peter, Paul and Mary; the Carpenters; Bobby Darwin; Three Dog Night; Dave Clark Five; Chicago, and even Bill Cosby had a top twenty hit with a song called, The Little Old Man!

Woodstock...one big orgy of sex and drugs! Can you imagine a party of sex and drugs of over 500,000 people! It was a time of free-love, drugs and booze! There was one famous band member who said, "If you remember the 1960's...you wern't there!" And, to this dope-head I say...I remember the 1960's because I WAS there!

And, the 1960;s were violent and turbulent times...not only because of the war in Viet Nam...but, the 1960's were a time of change in America! The Civil Rights movement; Women's Liberation...equal rights for all...the Black Panthers; the Brown Berets; and even the Gray Panthers (old people over 30) got involved!

Civil disobedience; rebellion; cities burned in the "long hot summers" year after year in the 1950's! The Congress of the United States and the White House just didn't get it! The government of the United States was not governed by the Congress or the White House! In a democracy, the government had to be governed by the PEOPLE of the United States! The protest songs of the time, reflected the mood of the People and the country! Year after year, cities burned to get the message across to the "dope-heads in the White House and the Congress!

Original music...was the name of the game during this long period of time. In the early 1970's was a change for rock and roll...on one side was the "heavy-metal," which I didn't listen to...and on the other side was something called "disco!" I have no idea what "disco" is, but I liked the beat, and I liked it. I don't care what the so-called "experts" called it.

In the mid-1990's, I was taking a computer course at a local community college, and the Rolling Stones were in town.(Albuquerque, N.M.) The community college was located near the football stadium where the Stones were to perform. That night, I got out of class about 6:30 at night, and the Stones concert was about to begin. I was stopped at a traffic light near the stadium, and amazingly, I noticed 40-50 year olds taking their children to a Rolling Stone concert! Amazing! What a difference a generation makes!

I've always admired musicians...song writers...heck...people that can carry a tune! I've only written one song in my life, which was entitled, "I Left My Heart In Algodones." The song hit number 256 on the charts in Borneo...or was it Bulgaria? Anyway...that's where I left my heart and my song-writing career ended...in Algodones!

"Only sick music makes money today!"  Friedrich Nietzhe

Fifty years of a true musical explosion...and I was so fortunate to be there when it all happened. You have to wonder where so much musical talent came from! And before I close, I can't do so, without mentioning everyone's favorite musical group of the last 50 years...the adorable Chipmunks...Simon...Theodore and Alvin...
A-L-V-I-N..... A-L-L-L-L-L-L-L........V-I-I-I-I-I-N!!!

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