Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Who was your favorite singer, before discovering Gordon Lightfoot?

johnfowles · 09-26-2006, 05:16 PM

many thanks to Ruth (GG) for diGGing this one up I spent a pleasant time rereading the various postings and realised that I had intended contributing. In the fifties at a boarding school in England the older boys ruled the sounds we heard, from the likes of Johnny Ray and Frankie Laine, I will never forget "Jezebel" from Frankie. Then the fad for skiffle music brought Lonnie Donegan to my attention (sometime later he recorded amusing ditties about chewing gum stuck to ones bed and his father being a "dustman" {garbage operative}) and was instrumental in instilling in me an early appreciation of folk music. Indeed I am sure that his 1958 UK hit cover of the Kingston Trio's initial hit "Tom Dooley" largely conditioned me to realising the promise when I first heard Gord.
(It was some time before I discovered that Lonnie was a he)!! But for me there is no doubt that my interest in music really began in earnest in the wonderful summer of 1957 when two of my main early favourites came to the fore, as they procudsced far more attractive sounds me far more appealing sounds than the early Rock and Roll of Elvis and Bill (kiss-curl) Haley, although I was very partial to Gene Vincent.Then in quick succession in 1957 came "Bye Bye Love" by Don and Phil., then if I have my chronology correct Diana by Paul Anka , then the Everly's follow up hit "Wake Up Little Susie" and finally the unbelievably tight and brilliant sound of the Crickets, which for myself at about the same time as for John Lennon brought the fantastic discovery that wearing glasses (as I had just had to start) was perfectly OK since Buddy Holly wore them. I and most of my classmates were devastated by his death in February 1959. Buddy was my number one until I first heard Gord on Montreal radio in 1966.and I made the pilgramage to Lubbock TX and Clovis NM in 1999.
I had posted an anecdote on a BH google group before I left whifch yoiu might like to see at:-
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.f...d26e7ce?hl=en&
Buddy has been much on my mind recently because it was recently revealed in BH circles that the copyright on recordings in the UK is only 50 years so in February 2009 all of Buddy's material will be free issue and the collection of various unissued bootlegs etc will be freely available. In anticipation of this fact a group of dedicated fans have already assembled a 10 CD collection.
full details of this the "Purple Chick" set can be seen at:-
1 for men only:-
http://www.bigozine2.com/
Watch out on their opening page for the well-endowed Betty Chestnut
full details for all who may be interested starts at:-
http://www.bigozine2.com/features06/BHcomplete.html

which is complete with a comprehensive set of 4 pieces of artwork per CD
(If anybody with a high speed comnnection is interested in hearing these CDs please PM me)

09-26-2006, 05:16 PM	#103
johnfowles Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: New Jersey U.S.A. ex UK and Canada Posts: 4,846	many thanks to Ruth (GG) for diGGing this one up I spent a pleasant time rereading the various postings and realised that I had intended contributing. In the fifties at a boarding school in England the older boys ruled the sounds we heard, from the likes of Johnny Ray and Frankie Laine, I will never forget "Jezebel" from Frankie. Then the fad for skiffle music brought Lonnie Donegan to my attention (sometime later he recorded amusing ditties about chewing gum stuck to ones bed and his father being a "dustman" {garbage operative}) and was instrumental in instilling in me an early appreciation of folk music. Indeed I am sure that his 1958 UK hit cover of the Kingston Trio's initial hit "Tom Dooley" largely conditioned me to realising the promise when I first heard Gord. (It was some time before I discovered that Lonnie was a he)!! But for me there is no doubt that my interest in music really began in earnest in the wonderful summer of 1957 when two of my main early favourites came to the fore, as they procudsced far more attractive sounds me far more appealing sounds than the early Rock and Roll of Elvis and Bill (kiss-curl) Haley, although I was very partial to Gene Vincent.Then in quick succession in 1957 came "Bye Bye Love" by Don and Phil., then if I have my chronology correct Diana by Paul Anka , then the Everly's follow up hit "Wake Up Little Susie" and finally the unbelievably tight and brilliant sound of the Crickets, which for myself at about the same time as for John Lennon brought the fantastic discovery that wearing glasses (as I had just had to start) was perfectly OK since Buddy Holly wore them. I and most of my classmates were devastated by his death in February 1959. Buddy was my number one until I first heard Gord on Montreal radio in 1966.and I made the pilgramage to Lubbock TX and Clovis NM in 1999. I had posted an anecdote on a BH google group before I left whifch yoiu might like to see at:- http://groups.google.com/group/alt.f...d26e7ce?hl=en& Buddy has been much on my mind recently because it was recently revealed in BH circles that the copyright on recordings in the UK is only 50 years so in February 2009 all of Buddy's material will be free issue and the collection of various unissued bootlegs etc will be freely available. In anticipation of this fact a group of dedicated fans have already assembled a 10 CD collection. full details of this the "Purple Chick" set can be seen at:- 1 for men only:- http://www.bigozine2.com/ Watch out on their opening page for the well-endowed Betty Chestnut full details for all who may be interested starts at:- http://www.bigozine2.com/features06/BHcomplete.html which is complete with a comprehensive set of 4 pieces of artwork per CD (If anybody with a high speed comnnection is interested in hearing these CDs please PM me)