Happy Birthday Little Richard!

Little Richard France

On December 5, 1932, Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia with a father who was a church deacon who owned a nightclub. When Richard was a child, family members nicknamed the small skinny kid, “Lil’ Richard.” He would grow up to shake up the rock and roll world as Little Richard.

Little Richard first break came after Sister Rosetta Tharpe heard the 14-year-old singing and invited him onstage with her at a concert. His first big hit, “Tutti Frutti,” came in 1955, and it would be followed by other classics like “Long Tall Sally,” “Lucille,” and “Good Golly Miss Molly.”

In 1966, Little Richard performed a show in France. Fortunately, much of the show was recorded, so you may watch part of the performance below to celebrate his birthday. [Update: Unfortunately, the video is no longer available.]

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    Trailer for Hank Williams Biopic “I Saw the Light”

    Hank Williams Movie

    Earlier this year, we saw a short preview of actor Tom Hiddleston as country music legend Hank Williams in the upcoming movie I Saw the Light. Now, we get a longer look at the Hank Williams biopic in a new trailer.

    Hiddleston did all of his own singing in the film, so in the two-minute trailer, we hear Hiddleston singing Williams’s 1951 song “Hey Good Lookin’.” The clip also illustrates that the movie explores Williams’s turbulent love life and problems with alcoholism.

    I Saw the Light hits theaters in general release on March 25, 2016.

    What do you think of the trailer for the Hank Williams movie? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    The Beatles’ Impact On Album Covers

    Beatles album covers
    In the following video, Nerdwriter1 explores the effects The Beatles had on the covers of record albums. In the video, he explores how The Beatles led a trend that changed albums “from a marketing tool to a work of art.”

    He begins with a brief background on the development of record album covers generally. Then he discusses how The Beatles’ album covers helped change things. Ultimately leading us to what he calls “the Holy Grail of album covers,” which is, of course, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), which was designed by Peter Blake. Check out “How the Beatles Changed Album Covers.”

    What is your favorite album cover? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Tom Jones: “Elvis Presley Blues”

    Elvis Presley Blues

    The 75-year-old Tom Jones continues to create interesting music, and he is releasing a new album that includes a cover of Gillian Welch‘s “Elvis Presley Blues.” While it may seem unusual for Jones to cover a folk/Americana singer-songwriter like Welch, Jones has always been willing to sing great songs, no matter what the genre.

    Jones’s cover of “Elvis Presley Blues” is also interesting because Jones was friends with Elvis Presley. Welch’s song is a tribute to Presley and a lament, as the singer thinks “about the day he died,” comparing Presley’s world-changing shaking to the steel-driving man John Henry. Jones, who also was famous for “shaking it,” seems the perfect person to sing the song. His version and the video featuring Jones watching video of his friend makes the song more personal, adding a new poignancy to the lyrics.

    “Elvis Presley Blues” appears on Jones’s upcoming album Long Lost Suitcase. Check out the video for the song.

    Long Lost Suitcase, a CD being released as a companion of sorts to Jones’s recent autobiography Over the Top and Back, hits stores December 5. Jones’s website describes the new album as “a catalogue of tracks that have impacted on Tom throughout his legendary career.”

    What do you think of the new Tom Jones video? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Marty Brown: “King of Music Row”

    King of Music Row

    Singer-songwriter Marty Brown has been busy recording new music in Nashville, and we cannot wait for the new release. One of the recordings will be his official version of the song that launched his comeback career on America’s Got Talent, Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Also, during recent studio sessions, he recorded the song “King of Music Row,” by Tom Douglas and Kathy Ashworth.

    Brown was recently featured in PBS station KET’s story “Kentucky Life.” The segment on Brown tells about his run on America’s Got Talent and also shows him in the studio in Nashville recording “King of Music Row.”

    Although we are always especially excited about Marty Brown’s original songs, the new recording seems a perfect fit for Brown’s story and his voice. The song speaks in the voice of a songwriter, singing about “what needs to be written just right.”

    The first verse of “King of Music Row” tells of slipping into The Bluebird Cafe, the famed Nashville songwriters’ hangout. So it seems appropriate that Brown has performed “King of Music Row” at that venue. Check it out.



    Photo via YouTube. Leave your two cents in the comments.

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