I found a couple of rare Randy Travis clips on YouTube featuring his audition on You Can Be A Star…
Hi everyone. Today’s post is going to be short because I just got back from Texas and have had a lot to do today. This morning, one of my friends at Pop Rock Nation sent me an email asking about pictures of Randy Travis on Star Search. Though I was a big fan of Star Search back in the day, I wasn’t aware that he was ever on the 80s era talent show Star Search. Nevertheless, I went searching for pictures or a video clip… and I came up mostly empty except for one thing. Back in 1983, young Randy Travis auditioned for You Can Be A Star, a talent show for would be country stars. The show aired on the now defunct cable channel, The Nashville Network. I saw a couple of episodes, but back in those days, I wasn’t a fan of country music.
Here’s a very young Randy being interviewed by Florence Henderson and singing on his audition tape. This was obviously done after he was discovered, since the audition tape is from when he was just a regular guy hoping to launch a music career.
TNN featured Randy Travis a couple of times. Here’s a very early interview and performance from when he was a rising star.
Sadly, it’s been reported that Randy Travis is very ill right now with viral cardiomyopathy, a serious illness that has affected his heart. I know I’m not alone in hoping that Randy Travis makes a complete and speedy recovery.
Incidentally, I also found a video starring a very young Alan Jackson on You Can Be A Star. He looks different today, but that voice is still the same.
I’m writing about birthday songs today because yesterday was my birthday…
Maybe I shouldn’t be talking about the fact that I just had a birthday. I turned 41 yesterday, which seems impossible. For over half my life, I couldn’t wait to be older. Once I turned 21, those years started to fly by. Suddenly, I’m 41… Should I be admitting to this? Actually, I have never been particularly ashamed of getting older. I think I look relatively decent for my age. Maybe I’d feel differently if I was working in the entertainment industry or trying to find a date. But by and large, I think being in my 40s kind of suits me. It also gives me a reason to look at the songs about birthdays done by pop artists.
Joan Jett “Too Bad On Your Birthday”
My friend Meryl posted this on my Facebook yesterday. I have to admit I hadn’t heard it until yesterday, but Meryl is very much a Joan Jett fan. This is a pretty rockin’ song, though the lyrics don’t apply to me. My husband treated me to dinner out on the town. This song is all about being dissed and ignored on your birthday. I most definitely wasn’t.
The Beatles “Birthday”
No list of birthday songs would be complete without “Birthday” by The Beatles. This song was immortalized to people of my generation when Anthony Michael Hall sang it to Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles. I would be totally stoked if someone sang this to me instead of the Happy Birthday song. Actually, no one sang anything to me yesterday. I did have some cake and ice cream, though.
Stevie Wonder “Happy Birthday”
This isn’t a song you’d necessarily play for someone on their birthday because it’s directed at someone specific. Stevie Wonder wrote this upbeat number for the Reverend Martin Luther King. Back in the 80s, Stevie Wonder was among a group of activists lobbying for a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday. The lyrics are directed to those who would lament celebrating Dr. King’s birthday, given the work he did toward promoting peace and civil rights. Ultimately, the activists won. In 1983, Ronald Reagan approved the measure to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a day of official celebration and as of 1986, we now have another bank holiday in January.
The Tune Weavers “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”
The Tune Weavers sang this song dedicated to a former lover in 1957. This song about a woman wishing her former lover a “happy birthday” was their only major hit. Though it definitely sounds like it came from the 50s, it also has sort of a timeless quality to it. It’s been covered by a number of other artists including Dolly Parton, Sandy Posey, Ronnie Milsap, and Wanda Jackson.
The Bloodhound Gang “No Hard Feelings”
This song’s title doesn’t mention the word “birthday”. It’s definitely not a “happy” song, either. Basically it’s about a guy who rudely tells his lover that it’s no longer his job to f*ck her on her birthday. My husband introduced me to this song, not because he feels this way about me… but because he feels this way about someone else. It’s sort of the anti happy birthday song. I think the melody is kind of exhilarating.
Rihanna (featuring Chris Brown) “Birthday Cake”
I will admit I don’t know the first thing about Rihanna, Chris Brown, or their “Birthday Cake” song. I listen to this and it sounds kind of sexy… like I’d like to stuff some into someone’s mouth. It’s got kind of a Middle East meets NASCAR vibe. Listeners beware, the lyrics are racy and profane. Hmm… in that case, maybe I should listen to this song more often.
Jeremih “Birthday Sex”
What can I say about “Birthday Sex”? I didn’t have any. Next.
Ardzagank “Tsnudd Shnorhavor”
This song won’t mean anything to anyone who has never been to Armenia. I lived there for two years in the 1990s and this song, translating to “Happy Birthday”, was a hit back then. This is just an excerpt of the song, since I don’t know that readers really care that much about Armenian pop music. For me, it’s a nostalgia thing.
I’m sure there are other birthday songs I’ve missed, but I’m ready to let this subject die. After all, I’m 41 years old now… and officially middle-aged. It’s time for my Geritol.
In honor of my upcoming trip to Europe, here are a few flight songs…
This Sunday night, my husband Bill and I will be boarding a flight to Venice, Italy. From there, we will travel to Rome by way of Florence. After a couple of nights in Rome, we will board SeaDream 1 and take a week long cruise on a luxury yacht, from which we will disembark in Athens, Greece. Then we will spend three nights in Athens and come home on May 21st. Naturally, I won’t be doing much, if any, writing during the next couple of weeks. I do hope to collect some experiences that will inspire me to write when I get back to the States, though.
As much as I love to travel, I have grown to hate the experience of traveling by aircraft to my destination. This time, we’re flying “US Scareways”. Just kidding. In all honesty, I have no reason to dis US Airways. The last flight I took with them wasn’t bad at all. Most transatlantic flights in coach are pretty unpleasant, though, so I’ve invested in a new pair of Bose noise canceling headphones to help drown out some of the noise and maybe enjoy some tunes on my iPod as Bill and I journey across the pond. And while we’re flying, maybe I’ll listen to a few flight songs. Off the top of my head, the Steve Miller Band had two fitting ones…
Ahh… “Fly Like An Eagle” is a nice chilled out song to coast along the clouds to. This song has nothing to do with airplanes, really, aside from the word “fly” in its title. But it would be good to be as relaxed on the plane as Steve Miller sounds when he sings this song.
Perhaps more appropriate is “Jet Airliner”, which really is about leaving home on a jet airliner. And it’s nice and spunky, too.
If Bill and I were feeling wistful or fearful about going to Italy, I might choose a song like Peter, Paul, and Mary’s “Leaving On A Jet Plane”…
Maybe Bill was thinking of this song when he deployed to Iraq. As it stands, though, we’re happy about our trip. I look forward to seeing Bill freak out in Italy when we visit the Uffizi Gallery. He’s unusually sensitive to art and tends to get overwhelmed by masterpieces.
We won’t be on a 737 when we fly to Italy, but Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Travelin’ Band” makes pretty good traveling music.
The first time I heard this song, I was in fifth grade. The band teacher at my school had the sixth grade band students playing this. It wasn’t the most impressive rendition I’ve ever heard, but I give the teacher props for trying.
Maybe after our trip is over, I’ll be eager to go home and Joe Cocker’s version of “The Letter” will be on the brain.
Hopefully, we won’t be eager to get home because of an emergency, like we were when we took our last trip to Europe. Last November, we went to Scotland, proceeded to have a great time celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary, and came home to the news that one of our dogs was dying of a spinal tumor we didn’t know he had. I’m praying nothing like that happens this time.
Mostly, I think we’re just ready to “Fly Away”, a la Lenny Kravitz.
I’m a firm believer that people need to take vacations. I’m grateful that we’ve had the ability to travel as much as we have. I have a feeling that after this trip, our trips abroad will be sharply curtailed as my husband retires from the Army and becomes a civilian. But for now, we can have our fun…
So let’s hear it for “Vacation” time!
As of Sunday night, I will officially be on vacation for a little over two weeks. Hope you enjoy the next two weeks as much as I think I will.
