July 7th is a important date for me. Today would of been my grandpa George's 88th birthday. In June, it marked 11 years since his passing and it still doesn't feel real. That said, I know he has been with me every step of the way since that dreadful Sunday back in June 2011. My grandpa and I were inseparable. We would make late night ice cream runs during my childhood on LBI, we would watch football together (he was the only reason why I watched it) since I'm not a sports person. Mostly and most importantly, he introduced me timeless music. To celebrate the great man my grandpa was and quite frankly still is, here are 10 songs that sum up his music taste and songs that I still love to listen to today.
5. "Rock Around The Clock"- Bill Haley & His Comets (1954)
Many consider this landmark song by Bill Haley and His Comets to be the blueprint for rock n roll. However, The Rock Hall of Fame would argue that 'Rocket 88" By Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston would be the true winner. Regardless , this song is a masterpiece for its simplicity in its lyrics and musical composition. The song is your basic 12 bar blues along with lyrical themes of the 50s. It would make perfect sense that my grandpa would dig this tune as he graduated high school in 1952. Rock n Roll wouldn't explode on the scene for about another 2 years so he was a young buck witness history being made. Fun fact to add. Rock Around The Clock would be the opening theme for Happy Days during its 1st season run.
4. "I'm Gonna Hire A Wino to Decorate Our Home"- David Frizzell (1982)
I didn't discover this song until after my grandpa's passing. I was rummaging through his stuff and I came across a record titled "I'm Gonna Hire A Wino to Decorate Our Home" After listening to it, I got why he loved it. The song is performed by David Frizzell who is the younger brother of country legend Lefty Frizzell. Tired of her husband bar hoping, the narrator convinces her husband to build a bar within their home so they could save money and nurse hangovers effortlessly. It's tongue in cheek and very amusing. Despite it's silly context, still can't help but shed a tear when I hear it.
3. "Hey Good Lookin'- Hank Williams (1951)
The King of Country music was no stranger to my grandpas repertoire. He would sing this classic while sitting at the kitchen table playing his Sudoku puzzles. When I first heard it, I thought he was being silly and was just trying to flirt with my grandmother. Turns out it was a legendary country tune. Hank Williams was dubbed 'The Hillbilly Shakespeare" which I don't find fitting. Hank knew how to craft catchy and simple songs with lyrics that truly spoke to the American people. He would go on to inspire Bob Dylan. Hank Williams passed away on New Years Day in 1953 due to alcohol poisoning and a drug overdose. His legacy lives on.
2. 'Folsom Prison Blues" Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two (1968)
This Johnny Cash classic was a staple of my childhood.My grandpa was the ultimate Johnny Cash Superfan. He loved everything about The Man in Black and of course even loved the biopic Walk The Line starring Joaquin Phoenix. the version that was played most often was from At Folsom Prison with the iconic self-introduction from the man himself. The song became a staple for what is now considered Outlaw country. Cash would again do a live album from inside the walls of a prison. That prison being San Quentin which gave us the classic "A Boy Named Sue". Merle Haggard just so happened to be in the audience. Cash played a big influence for what was to become of the late great Merle Haggard.
1. 'I Walk The Line"- Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two (1956)
This is the song that is forever associated with my grandpa and I. He would always hum the iconic opening guitar riff from Luther Perkins and would sing it constantly with or without the recording. It was the first Johnny Cash song I've ever heard and it made me a lifelong fan. Years later, I would visit Nashville and tour the Johnny Cash museum and I was moved to tears on how impactful Johnny Cash was and still is in Americana. I knew he was right there on the tour with me. This song and my bond with my grandpa means so much to me that I now have The song title tattooed on my left inner forearm. Now wherever I go, he follows.
Happy 88th grandpa. 88 never looked so good.
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