Music Deaths: John Prine

JOHN PRINE, 73

Died April 7, 2020

I wrote about him back when he died as he was always one of my favorite performers.  I thought I was really knowledgeable about him, but since then, I've been on You Tube a whole lot and I find I really didn't know his songs.  And, that was my mistake.  I should have listened more.

I know whenever I'm at a bar and a solo performer is on stage and I ask for a John Prine song, that really impressed them.

John had what I consider one of his best ever songs just a year or so before his death with "Summer's End."  Watch the video and if that is not one of the saddest videos you've ever seen, let me know.  There is also a video about the making of this video.  make sure you watch it.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom and Liz's Mom

My mom, Barbara, would have been 89 today, but died in 2016 at age 85.  I am so glad that all three of us kids were with her for her last Mother's Day that year.  We were there for my Aunt Louise's 90th birthday party in Mt. Olive, North Carolina.

But, the three of us, Bob, Julie and I, had not been together for a Mother's Day probably since out twenties (I'm going to be 69 in two weeks).  Julie lives in Georgia, Bob in North Carolina and I live in Illinois.  So, I know this was extra special for her.

She died in June.

So, like I said in the last post, watch the Summer's End" video by John Prine, and do whatever you can in these days to say you love her to your mom.  Another song that brings Mom to mind is C.W. McCall's "Roses for Mama."

You never know when it is going to be your last time with her.

Liz's mom, Frances, would have been 104 today.  I got along with her very well, even if she was my mother-in-law, which I kidded her about much of the time.  We did a lot together even when Liz wasn't with us.

Whenever she would come in to see me deejaying, I always played Ernie K. Doe's "Mother-in-Law" and, in honor of her speeding ticket "Little Old Lady from Pasadena."

I Sure Do Miss My Moms.  --RoadMissingMom

Here Are Ten Sings for Mother's Day 2020: Mother and Child Reunion

And, what a strange Mother's Day it will be.

These songs were played on Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten show Friday, May 8 on Chicago's WDRV.

MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER--  Rolling Stones
MAMA TOLD ME (NOT TO COME)--  Three Dog Night
MAMA--  Genesis

MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION--  Simon & Garfunkel
MAMA KIN--  Aerosmith
MOTHER--  John Lennon
MAMA I'M COMING HOME--  Ozzy Osbourne

MOTHER--  Pink Floyd
YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--  Loggins & Messina
NO SUGAR TONIGHT/NEW MOTHER NATURE--  Guess Who

A Big Happy Mother's Day Out There To All You Mothers.  --RoadDog

And, if you want to see a good reason to call or get together with your mom right now, go to You Tube and view the late great John Prine's "Endless Summer" then watch the video of how it was made.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Tell Me A Story About How You Adore Me."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Have You Seen Your Mother (Standing In the Shadow)"

Why It Takes So Long to Do These Doggone Blogs

Take today for example.  After writing earlier about the death of Paul Tanner and his electro-theramin instrument heard on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," I got the urge to watch the video, so went to You Tube, always a mistake when it comes to time as one thing leads to another.

OK, I got the video up.  By the way, Mike Love played the electro-theramin on stage.  Well, of course, what's better than one Beach Boy performance?  So then, there were many others, including "Surfer Girl," "California Girls," "Wendy" and "Little Deuce Coupe."

One mean thing You Tube does is put other things on the page that you might want to see.   Well, that led to John Prine's "In Spite of Ourselves" with some of the funniest pictures I've ever seen.  And then, "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian."

Then, the Fratellis and about ten of their videos.  I wrote about them yesterday in connection with the streak of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Then the Donald Duck "Window Washer" cartoon which, wost of all led to "A Christmas Story."  My favorite-ever Christmas movie.  This one really took a lot of time.  I started with "A Christmas Story: The Documentary" where two fans go to the grand-opening of the house in Cleveland and visit a lot of the filming sites.

Then there were two parts of Behind the Scenes :The Christmas Story Parts 1 and 2.  And then "A Christmas Story Cast Reunion" on the Voice.

This Is Why It Takes So Long to Do These.  --RoadDog

Why It Takes So Long to Do These Dumb Blogs

Well, one thing leads to another.

In connection with son Al's death, I went to You Tube.  It is always a mistake to go to You Tube as that usually is a three hour layover.  One thing leads to another.  I hate those video offerings on the right side.  Takes up a lot of time.

Anyway, with Alfons being such a Cub fan, I looked up Steve Goodman's "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" on You Tube and found one of him playing on one of the famous rooftop places across from Wrigley Field's left field.  It was six minutes of Steve playing a guitar and singing the song.  I have to wonder how he remembered all those words.  Great video.

Then, there was one of him playing my favorite country song, "You Never Even Call Me By My Name" made ever-so-famous by David Allan Coe and also called "The Perfect Country and Western Song" which is what I called it when I played it back in the deejaying days.  Always a great sing-a-long, especially when you hit that one part.  Well, Steve did not sing that "one part" the way we've always heard it.

Then, there was that great "Lincoln Park Pirates" and "City of New Orleans" of Goodman's.

Unfortunately, Steve Goodman said he co-wrote "Name" with John Prine, well, that took more time.  I'm a big Prine fan as well.

So, That's Why?  --RoadDog


ANSWERS TO MONDAY'S WHICH CAME FIRST:  Teddy Bear (1902), Ragedy Ann Doll (1918), Yo-Yo (1929), Frisbee (1957)