Gone Home

A tribute to Alvin Lee, who walked away from the mammoth success of Ten Years After to pursue his solo muse. A true '60s guitar legend, Lee passed away on March 6.
by David McGee
 

 
 

George Beverly Shea Turns 104, Honored with Graham Library Exhibit

An indispensable component of Billy Graham's Crusades with his ministry in song, GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA, a towering figure in 20th Century gospel music, turned 104 on Feb. 1. A look back at a life writ large.
by David McGee
 

 

 

When Robert Mitchum Was Like So…

In 1957, while filming in Trinidad with director John Huston, ROBERT MITCHUM became obsessed with Calypso music, so much so that he made an entire album of it, for Capitol, with Johnny Mercer's blessing. It's good stuff. Let's ...
by David McGee
 

 
 

When Patti Page Left Her Mark On Me

WHEN PATTI PAGE LEFT HER MARK ON ME: A sweet childhood memory of a chance encounter with Patti Page--radiant, with a scent of roses--in front of her parents' home in Tulsa. By David McGee
by David McGee
 

 

 

A Classic Animated Christmas

From the vaults, classics indeed: 1939's 'Peace on Earth,' the only cartoon ever nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize; from 1913, Ladislas Starevitch's pioneering and amazing stop-motion animated 'The Insects' Revenge' (plus a pr...
by David McGee
 

 
 

A Thanksgiving Celebration in Song

Reflections on Thanksgiving in song. Music by Larry Yazzie and the Native Pride Dancers, Douglas Spotted Eagle, Johnny Cash, Mary Chapin Carpenter, George Winston, Celtic Women and, by way of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Vince...
by David McGee
 

 

 

Always Sweethearts In Song

As The Canadian Sweethearts, Bob Regan and Lucille Starr never had big hits during their prime years of 1963-1967, but they made wonderful records in a folk-country vein, with some straight-ahead honky tonkers spicing up their ...
by David McGee
 

 
 

‘I Try To Write a Terrific Song’
Hal David: In His Own Words

Saluting the magnificent artistry of the late HAL DAVID, who, with and apart from Burt Bacharach, spoke volumes about the human condition in his captivating, unforgettable lyrics—truly a voice for all time.
by David McGee