[…] “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” has been burnished in the hearts and minds of generations since 1939…. And while the Judy Garland version has been a prized and much-loved version for generations, this story explores the virtues of a 1963 version by Ray Charles… The story also links to some other mentions of Ray’s music, as well as some connections — real and imagined – to a David Bowie song in the first case, and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” in the latter instance […]

[…] This topics page offers capsule summaries and live links to 30 story choices at this website on love stories – or related love and relationship themes…The stories deal with love stories in popular and historic books and film, and also in various songs and film soundtracks… Love relationships among musicians, authors, and others are also explored as part of biographical treatments in some of the stories [….]

[…] Etta James – famous in recent years for a brief feud. with Beyoncé over her classic song, “At Last” that the Obamas danced to at a 2012 Inaugural Ball – had a long career as a pioneering voice in blues, jazz and early rock, and came to fame with Chess Records of Chicago in the 1960s. Her story, her rough life, and her famous song all explored in this story […]

[…] Over the last 50 years or more, members of the politically prominent Kennedy family of Massachusetts have brought national attention to the plight of coal communities, coal miners, and/or coal/environment issues… This story profiles two of them: Robert F. Kennedy in Kentucky and Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate on coal mine safety… While acting on public policy matters, these Kennedys worked to help coal miners, their communities and families, or to spotlight coal-related safety and environmental issues […]

[…] “Arabesque,” a 1966 film starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, is a romantic spy thriller revolving around deciphering a secret hieroglyphics message, an Arab oil magnate, and a threatened foreign minister… It was one of a number of films to appear in that era’s James Bond craze, though not rising to Bond-level notice… However, the film’s score, by Henry Mancini, did receive a Grammy award nomination, and this story includes and explores Mancini’s “Arabesque” music & other history […]

[…] This story profiles John F. Kennedy in West Virginia, during his 1960 presidential campaign, featuring his involvement with coal miners and coal communities… It also includes a long sidebar on his daughter, Caroline, more than a decade later, in her mid-teens, when she became involved with research and field work for a documentary film project on coal camps in rural Tennessee […]

[…]This topics page offers more than 20 story choices on oil & petrochemical fires, spills, explosions, pollution, and community & worker safety threats from the likes of major corporation such as: Exxon, Shell, BP, Chevron, Du Pont, Dow Chemical and others over the last several decades […]

[…] This “topics page” provides thumbnail sketches and links to a selection of detailed stories on the promotion of tobacco products, cigars, and/or cigarettes by various popular sports, TV and film stars involved in various print and TV advertising spots on behalf of one or more tobacco companies […]

[…] A somewhat forgotten song born more than 50 years ago in the San Francisco hippie music scene of the late 1960s – “White Bird”– holds up quite well for any era, and has an optimistic if somewhat dreamy quality about it, but also a kind of determination… This violin-infused song, its group, and the times are reviewed in this story, with song sample and the somewhat circuitous history of the group in gaining recognition and its hit song aired… Album, book & other story links from that period also included […]

[…] In the tumultuous late 1960s, and especially 1968, as America struggled through a series of wrenching socio-political crises – the Vietnam War, civil rights strife, political assassinations, urban riots – a number of popular songs would come to mark or “time-stamp” that era in social memory… Songs by Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and the Chambers Brothers, in particular, became part of that era’s defining soundtrack – music often used in later film and TV documentaries and other uses to evoke late 1960s turmoil & protests… Others from Marvin Gaye in the early 1970s also called out the troubles, as well as civil rights issues, explored in songs from Bob Dylan and Nina Simone to Pete Seeger and Motown. Story includes music & book links […]

[…]They were arguably one of the most important and popular singing duos to come out of the 1950s – Don and Phil Everly – commonly known as The Everly Brothers…During their recording career, and especially in their early years, their guitar-driven ballads and extraordinary harmonies swept the nation off its feet… This piece tracks their careers, their breakup, reunion, legacy, and impact on rock ‘n roll & country music. Includes song samples, video clips, book & album links […].

[…] This story uses two notorious toxic chemical waste sites – one in Kentucky, known as, “Valley of the Drums,” and another in New York, named Love Canal – as examples and introduction to the larger story of toxic waste dumping that surfaced in the U.S. in the late 1970s as a major national environmental & public health issue… These and other examples – including exploding toxic waste dumps, newspaper headlines, an ABC-TV special, investigative books, photos & others sources – are used to explore how the nation’s Superfund law (for addressing more than 40,000 toxic waste sites) took form at the behest of angry citizens, the battle in Congress, and its signing into law by President Carter in December 1980. Related film and book sources are also listed with live links […]

[…] This topics page offers more than a dozen football story choices, including: Joe Namath’s 1960s career and his famous Super Bowl III prediction; a famous tackle by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Chuck Bednarik on NY Giant’s star running back, Frank Gifford; the “500-Yards Club” of single-game passing performances by a select list of NFL quarterbacks; the riveting 1958 Colts-Giants overtime championship game that set the modern, big-time pro-football business juggernaut in motion… and much more […]

[…] Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were key troubadours of the 1960s, probing the woes of racial discrimination, social injustice, and the Vietnam War with their music. Their sound, together and separately, marked the era. And for a time, they were also lovers… This story tracks some of those years and their careers, together and apart, their other partners, Joan’s activism & more… A sampling of album covers, photos, news stories, and books are included… Story culminates in the mid-1970s with the Baez hit, “Diamonds & Rust,” as well as the revived Dylan-Baez musical performance relationship of mid-1970s through mid-1980s […]

[…] This story generally covers the biography of Russian poet and author, Boris Pasternak, and particularly his struggles with his famous novel, “Doctor Zhivago,” a decades-long project showcasing epic Russian history that casts the individual vs. the state – a book that helped him win a Nobel Prize, which he was prevented from collecting, since the novel’s views on Soviet ways were less than flattering … Laudatory press & literary reaction in the West are also covered here, using headlines, photos & critic commentary… Along the way there are real-life Pasternak love stories apart from his novel, confrontations with Soviet authorities, CIA involvement, and more, plus new biographies, memoirs, films & research that continue to probe the Pasternak/Zhivago sagas to this day […]

[…] This story presents a detailed overview and synopsis of the 1965 Hollywood epic, “Doctor Zhivago,” an Oscar-winning David Lean film set in the time of the Russian Revolution staring Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger and others… The story includes numerous screenshots from the film, samples of the award-winning soundtrack including “Lara’s Theme,” and a recap of early and later film reviews, critic quotes, director and screenwriter comment, box office standing $$, and awards received […]

[…] A 2009 TV ad featuring a memorable Moody Blues song riff is used to set up a longer story on how this British group found their grove in the late 1960s to become musical innovators with what became known as “progressive” and “orchestral” rock… A key album, Days of Future Passed, and two of its hit songs are explored – “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon” – to showcase the Moody Blues lyrical and musical talents, who became fan favorites and an influence on other musicians of that era […]

[…] In the early 2020s, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Paul Simon, Sting, Stevie Nicks, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and dozens of other rock stars, made mega-million dollar music rights deals, selling their song catalogs and/or royalty rights to the big music labels, new investment players, and other entertainment interests…These artists and their deals are profiled, along with brief career re-caps, song samples, and a listing of more than 50 other artists who have also sold music rights… A major shift and consolidation in music power is occurring, and streaming in the digital age is now one of the primary drivers […]

[…] This story covers the 1963 Army-Navy football game – a rivalry classic that in 1963 had the added weight of the nation’s mourning of an assassinated President, the beloved John F. Kennedy… The game, delayed but played at the insistence of Jackie Kennedy and the Kennedy family, was played in Philadelphia with 102,000 fans… A Life magazine cover story headed for newsstands featuring Navy star QB, Roger Staubach, had to be replaced at the last minute by one honoring JFK…Includes game summary, player profiles, photos & Rogers Staubach history […]

[…] In the mid-1980s, the Dow Chemical Co. began an upbeat advertising campaign with the theme, “Dow Lets You Do Great Things,” featuring a catchy tune and optimistic young graduates eager to join Dow’s business. The $50 million-plus PR campaign was designed to fix some bad corporate optics — including the likes of napalm, Agent Orange, and dioxin pollution that had plagued the company from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. This story reviews that history, the college protests & clashes with Dow recruiters over napalm & the Vietnam War, the company’s environmental troubles, battles with EPA, a Jane Fonda controversy, and more — also covering the company’s more recent advertising campaigns, its environmental record, and worker/community safety issues […]

[…] “Topics Page” with links to 10 stories at this website that focus on coal history, coal politics, coal activists, coal & Congress, strip mining, strip mining history, strip mining politics, famous books about coal and /or strip mining, environmental & community impacts of coal, and more […]

[…] This “topics page” includes links to Nixon & Watergate-related stories — among them: Nixon’s famous Checkers Speech; Nixon celebrities 1968; Nixon & Jefferson Airplane 1960s song, “White Rabbit”; Pentagon Papers history & Nixon “plumbers” unit; Nixon & Kent State; David Frost TV interviews w/Nixon post-Watergate; Paul Conrad Nixon cartoons; Nixon & the environment … and more […]

[…] In 1974 and 1975, President Gerald Ford vetoed two successive strip mining reclamation bills sent to him by the U.S. Congress – bills that had gone through months of arduous debate and years of grass roots political activity. This story details those battles, including: background on strip mining’s impacts, citizen and environmental lobbying, key House and Senate players, important newspaper stories, a famous “protest convoy” of some 400 coal trucks that barreled through Washington, and more … With extensive sources and book list […]

[…] On March 18, 1967, the oil tanker, Torrey Canyon, one of the world’s early “supertankers,” loaded with 121,000 tons of Kuwati crude oil, ran aground off southwest England, spilling its entire cargo, polluting British and French coastlines, and killing all manner of bird and marine life… A weeks-long drama unfolded trying to contain large oil slicks at sea, even bombing and burning the wreck, to little avail… Complicated corporate ownership structures and “flag of convenience” operation complicated legal redress and damages compensation, though some improvements did result… Still, the spill remains the largest in UK history, while the oil spill carnage at sea has continued for decades […]

[…] This story covers the love affair of Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe…. He, the famous baseball player; she, the beautiful movie star – seen in the 1950s as the perfect, all-American, love story… But alas, theirs became a star-crossed union that ended in divorce – but not completely… With the celebrity- and Hollywood-obsessed media, their story – chiefly through the twists and turns of Monroe’s career in Hollywood, with the Rat Pack, and the Kennedys (and her premature death) – stayed alive for decades… Includes a history of related books, films, photos & magazine covers […]

[…] This story reviews two poignant songs from the Elton John / Bernie Taupin catalog of the early 1970s: “The Greatest Discovery,” from John’s second album, ‘Elton John’, and “Talking Old Soldiers,” from ‘Tumbleweed Connection’, his third album. Story includes full songs, listener comments, photos & related Amazon.com product links […]

[…] On the heels of the Ken Burns four-part PBS documentary on Muhammad Ali released in September 2021, this story looks back at more than 20 other Ali films from 1970 through 2021 – documentaries, dramas, fictionalized accounts, and/or compilations… These films vary in quality and content, but they reveal something of the man and his impact on sport and culture, as well as those making the films… Still, absent all the Ali film making, there hasn’t been a good documentary that lays out Ali’s total career and post-career economic impact throughout the sports-entertainment realm, foundation world, and larger national and global economies […].

[…] In the late 1950s and early 1960s there came a series of recordings by Ben E. King with the Drifters, and Ben E. King as a solo artist – hit songs that lit up the music charts and became soulful classics that still resonate today. The best known of these is “Stand By Me.” …This story reviews King’s career with the Drifters and as a solo artist, includes four full songs, two used in film reviving their chart performance (25 years later in one case), and how “Stand By Me” was used at 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle […]

[…] In 1969, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) brought an anti-trust lawsuit against American automobile companies for conspiring to hold back and delay the use of pollution-control technologies for motor vehicles. Called the “smog conspiracy” case, it alleged that Detroit’s then “Big Four” automakers – American Motors, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, along with the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) – had conspired for sixteen years (1953-1969) to prevent and delay the manufacture and use of pollution-control devices for automobiles. This story tracks that case, the history of the Los Angeles air pollution behind its origin, details on some of the technologies held back, case outcome & protests, also pointing to the longer story of continued automaker recalcitrance in battling clean air and fuel economy laws to the present day […]

[…] Henry “Hank” Aaron, professional Hall-of-Fame baseball player for 23 years, held the all-time home run record at 755 for 31 years between 1976 and 2007… This is the story of how he achieved that singular athletic accomplishment under much personal duress, battling the Jim Crow south in the minor leagues, and later, a very ugly chapter of American racism, hate mail, and death threats as he approached Babe Ruth’s home run record in the early 1970s… But Henry Aaron was much more than a baseball champion, as numerous civic and civil rights awards attest, as well as considerable business and baseball front-office success… And most of all, he was a good and decent man who had only set out from Mobile, Alabama to fulfil his boyhood dream of playing baseball […]

[…] This topics page offers more that two dozen story choices that include some focus on the use of music in film, whether in soundtracks or with notable songs linked to particular movie scenes, TV shows, or conveying special emotional impact or other quality… Among topics, for example, are: Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” used in PLATOON and other films; “Philadelphia Morning” and other songs from Bill Conti’s first ROCKY film score; reggae music from THE HARDER THEY COME; the love theme from LOVE STORY; Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run” song for WORKING GIRL; DIRTY DANCING songs, “Love is Strange” and “Do You Love Me?”; two theme songs from James Bond films; a story on THE BIG CHILL soundtrack; and others. Among artists with film songs profiled are: Louis Armstrong, the Beach Boys, Fats Domino, Bill Haley, the Righteous Brothers, Link Wray, Moby, Bruce Springsteen, Rogers & Hammerstein, and others […]

[…] Citizen activists’ objections to, and battles with, Interstate Highway projects in several American cities is the focus of this story… Beginning with superhighway imagery dating from the 1939 World’s Fair and General Motors’ Futurama exhibit, “highways & horizons,” profiles of freeway fights in several American cities are offered, including those in San Francisco, Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, along with a separate feature section – “Highways & Race” – on freeway dislocation of African American and other minority communities. Environmental activist contributions are also covered, as are “road gang” and highway trust fund politics… Also included are numerous photos and book-cover links to more than 30 freeway- and auto-related books and other sources […]

[…] They were called “The Mamas and The Papas,” and for a brief time in the mid-1960s they made beautiful music together. Their sound was distinctive and inventive, with gorgeous male-female harmonies that helped create “folk rock” music… They became part of the Los Angeles / Laurel Canyon music scene, along with the Beach Boys, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and others then on the leading edge of folk-rock innovation. This story reviews their serendipitous rise, phenomenal success, and internal strife, along with 12 of their hit songs and lots of photos[…]

[…]“MacArthur Park” is a song written and composed by songwriter Jimmy Webb in 1967 and first recorded by Irish actor and singer, Richard Harris. It became a No. 2 hit on the Billboard music charts in June 1968, also topping charts in Europe, Australia, and Canada….Added to this song’s considerable musical history – and perhaps more interestingly – are its cast of characters & storyline, most notably Webb himself, the talented Oklahoma songwriting phenom who finds quick L.A. success, wealth, & 1960s seductions before finally saving himself and his career.. All is covered in this story, with two full songs and lots of links & photos […]

[…] This story offers a sampling of the stunning artwork of John Clymer, an American illustrator and painter who did more than 80 covers for “The Saturday Evening Post,” one of America’s popular large-format magazines that flourished in the mid-20th century, distinguished in part by its lush cover art that captured American culture and landscapes… Clymer’s work at the Post, from 1942 to 1962, was especially noted for his Western, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific Northwest landscapes and outdoor scenes, many quite stunning… A second part of Clymer’s career is also covered, referencing his work on wildlife, frontier trappers, Western history, and Native American subjects… Some of Clymer’s art now sells at $300,000-to-$500,000 [….]

[…] The story of Paul & Linda McCartney, from the time of the Beatles break-up in 1970, through his first solo album, the successful Wings years, and beyond… Linda’s untimely death from cancer in 1998… Story also covers Paul’s later solo career, with links to albums, books, and Linda’s published photography… Paul’s song & lyrics for “Maybe I’m Amazed” featured for importance and meaning to the McCartneys [….]

[…] “The Ecstasy of Gold” is the title of a song composed by Ennio Morricone and used to great effect in the 1966-67 film, “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.” This story samples that song and recounts the plot of the film, dubbed a “spaghetti Western” in the 1960s, though later becoming a classic… The film made Clint Eastwood a star, and also featured Eli Wallach in a memorable role… The Ecstasy of Gold song has become a classic, used on various occasions for its stirring, rising tempo and uplifting energy – from Metallica concerts and sporting events to mainstream TV advertising… The entire Ennio Morricone soundtrack used in this film – and others he composed for Sergio Leone films — became quite successful […]

[…] In the summer of 1963, a well known author and New York literary figure named George Plimpton – an amateur sportsman at best – set out to experience the role of quarterback on an NFL team: the Detroit Lions. He joined their summer practice under the ruse of a former Harvard QB trying out for a backup slot. His plan was to write about the experience, publishing the highly successful book, “Paper Lion,” later made into a film. Plimpton – a New Yorker with an upper crust pedigree, who edited “The Paris Review” and knew everybody from Hemingway to JFK – continued to infiltrate other professions and write about them: boxing, baseball, basketball, soccer, auto racing, trapeze acrobatics, as well as tamer ventures, including stints with the New York Philharmonic, as a stand-up comic and Playboy photographer…In any case, this piece chronicles the very interesting life of George Plimpton […]

[…] A new and exciting sound was in the air at the Woodstock music festival of August 1969… It wasn’t exactly rock ‘n roll; it was something else. But it was powerful, rhythmic, and beckoning – and it was coming from a new band few had heard of – Santana, led by Mexican American guitarist Carlos Santana…. Santana’s Afro-Latin instrumentals at Woodstock had the whole place rocking, and soon sent this unknown group soaring to the top of popular music – and on to 50 years of continued music making… This story recounts Santana’s Woodstock launch and impressive album production since, offering music samples “Jingo” and “Soul Sacrifice” and period photos […]

[…]“You Only Live Twice” is the name of the fifth James Bond film, as well as the title of its theme song, performed by Nancy Sinatra. This story covers and samples both theme song and other music from the film, as well as incorporating story plot, photos from the film, and background on how Nancy Sinatra was selected to do the theme… There is also brief background on Bond-creator and author Ian Fleming, history on Nancy Sinatra’s career and hit songs, and links to books and CDs on the James Bond films […]

[…] In the 1970s, there were few musicians more successful than Elton John, the British singer and piano player who partnered with lyricist Bernie Taupin to turn out some of the decade’s most signature and enduring popular songs… This story details Elton John’s extraordinary rise in the 1970s – his litany of albums, chart-toping singles, his concert success, his stage antics, his wealth, and his personal demons… But also his generosity on a number of fronts, his AIDS Foundation, and his support of various social causes… But in the end, it is the legacy of the Elton John / Bernie Taupin song catalog of indelible music that has enriched the world for more than 50 years […]

[…] Dick Groat grew up in the Wilkinsburg-Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania in the 1940s, and would become a talented two-sport All-American and collegiate hall-of-fame athlete at Duke University, then joining the Pittsburgh Pirates professional baseball team while also playing pro basketball briefly for the Ft. Wayne (and later, Detroit) Pistons in the NBA… With the Pirates, Groat would have an exceptional 1960 season, winning the National League batting title and MVP award while serving as team captain as the Pirates beat the NY Yankees in the 1960 World Series… Groat would also play on the championship 1964 St. Louis Cardinals team, and after 13 years in major league baseball, he returned to basketball, serving 40 years (1979-2019 ) as a color commentator radio analyst for University of Pittsburgh basketball games […]

[…In early 1972, a little-known American musician named Harry Chapin was launched into national prominence after singing a poignant song titled ‘Taxi’ on ‘The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’… Chapin would go on to have a prolific recording and concert career, and also became a committed social activist working on world hunger and other issues, often donating his concert proceeds to charitable causes… His musical legacy includes No. 1 hit, “Cat’s in the Cradle,” plus other singles and albums…He died in a car crash at 38; received Special Congressional Gold Medal posthumously for his activism at Carnegie Hall musicians’ tribute…]

[.. ] In late May of 1969, an album of music with some stunningly beautiful songs was issued by a group named Crosby, Stills and Nash… Three of those songs are reviewed, along with some history on the impact of this group on singer-songwriter, folk-rock era of the early and mid-1970s, as well as political/counterculture influences…. Listener and musician comment are also enlisted in song reviews, and story is enlivened with photos, album covers, and lyrics, as well as a listing of books and photos on David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young [….]

[…] Jane Fonda, Hollywood film star and sometimes controversial activist, became a national fitness leader in the 1980s. Her rise to this position was something of an accident, but it would bring her a new identity, a new career path, and a considerable cash flow….Although a controversial anti-Vietnam War activist in the 1970s, during the 1980s and beyond, she became a trusted fitness leader for millions, touching off an exercise boom and a home video revolution. The “Jane Fonda workout” permeated the larger culture as her best-selling books and videos swept over America… This story recounts that history as well as much of her biography in film and her various activist involvements up through the 2010s […]

[…] Baseball fans in the summer of 1961 had a special treat that brought them to the sports pages daily. A “home run race” developed that summer between two New York Yankee teammates: Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. They were seeking to topple the venerable single-season home run mark of 60 set by Babe Ruth in 1927 – which Maris broke with his 61st home run on the last day of the season… This story provides a detailed account of the Mantle-Maris race — controversies and personal travail included — along with photos, press accounts, game-by-game home run tabulations, and the books and one film that followed in its wake […]

[…] For a time in the 1950s-1960s era, Carole King and Gerry Goffin made beautiful music together…They became, at a young age, one of America’s most creative and productive songwriting teams, as well as husband and wife…. They rose to fame turning out pop and rock `n rolls for the fabled New York City / Brill Building song publisher, Aldon Music. Their story is one of great accomplishment, though touched by personal sorrow, love undone, and rocky travels ahead for each…. This story tracks some of that history, its music, and cultural context [….]

[…] In 1971 a secret history of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was prepared by the Pentagon, which became an explosive document when it was leaked to the New York Times and Washington Post, revealing that the American public was misled, deceived, and lied to about the real nature of U.S. involvement in Vietnam for more than two decades. These “Pentagon Papers” became the source of one of the country’s fiercest battles over freedom of the press vs. government secrecy; a battle given dramatic form in the 2017 Steven Spielberg Hollywood film, “The Post” – which, with other popular history surrounding these papers, is also explored in this story […]

[…] In August 1966, a “religion-and-pop music” controversy emerged after the Beatles’ John Lennon was quoted in the media saying “the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.” In reaction, a ban on Beatles music began to take hold, led by a number of radio stations and the KKK in a few locations… “Beatle Bonfires” occurred, where Beatles’ albums and other Beatles’ paraphernalia were burned in protest… The controversy came just as the Beatles were to begin a 14-city North American concert tour… This story tracks the Beatles’ “Jesus controversy” during that tour, how they tried to deal with it, how the media and their fans reacted, and what impact it and the tour had on the Beatles’ musical future […]

[…] In 1972-73, “The Harder They Come,” a film about a struggling Jamaican youth who becomes a music star and then a criminal, arrived at the box office with a very appealing soundtrack of Jamaican reggae music. The soundtrack gradually became a breakthrough for reggae in the U.K., the U.S., and beyond… The Jamaican songs – by Jimmy Cliff and several other Jamaican artists – are loaded with political nuance and social commentary, frequently referring to oppression, inequality, and social injustice. This piece explores the music (offering 9 full songs), the artists, and the times […]

[…] John DeLorean had been a rising star on the GM fast track; a good bet to run the place as CEO. But DeLorean had done the unthinkable: he quit his high-level post (some say he was fired), heading off to found his own auto company… DeLorean had ruffled feathers at GM and didn’t exactly fit in; dating starlets, roaring around in Italian sports cars, and advocating “socially responsible” auto technology… He also wrote a “tell-all” book about GM, and for a time looked as though he might pull off the impossible with his gull-wing sports car… But in L.A., he was caught (but not convicted) in a career-damaging cocaine drug bust… Still, his legend and car culture contributions were memorialized in the “Back to the Future” films, and his cars are still sold today […]

[…] Colossal earth-moving machines became symbols in the 1960s-1970s fighting over environmentally-damaging surface coal mining… These machines laid waste to tens of thousands of acres as they uncovered near-surface coal… A trio of these machines, then chewing through southeastern Ohio, became involved in a controversial proposal: to cross, and temporarily shut down, a major interstate highway to get to the coal on the other side. This story covers the history leading up to that crossing – a “line-in-the-sand” confrontation between those opposed to strip mining and those who saw it as vital for energy, jobs, and local economies […]

[…]Fats Domino, a rhythm and blues piano player from New Orleans, was one of the early creators of rock ‘n roll music, although his considerable contributions to that genre are not always given the full recognition they deserve. This piece covers his career, his hit songs, and the role his music played in helping move the nation toward integration… Domino would sell more than 60 million recordings between 1949 and 1962, and in his full career, would be second only to Elvis Presley in total sales… Includes extensive photos and six complete songs[…]

[…] A topics page offering a selection of stories on Democratic politicians and Democratic history, including those involving presidential campaigns and various candidates, among them: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Gene McCarthy, Bill Bradley, Jerry Brown, and others… Democratic celebrities are also featured in a few of these stories, including Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt and others […]

[…] A topics page offering a selection of stories on Republican politicians and Republican history, including those involving presidential campaigns and various candidates, among them: Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, and others… Spiro Agnew appears in one story about 1960s pop music lyrics; Geo. W. Bush & Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visit Graceland in another; and David Frost conducts his famous Nixon TV interviews in a third… Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen also have their “Republican moments” in a few of theses stories […]

[…] Profile of Beatles’ 1965 song, ‘In My Life,’ written by John Lennon and released on the ‘Rubber Soul” album. Ranked No. 23 on Rolling Stone‘s ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time,’ the song has become a fan favorite, heard frequently at funerals, weddings, anniversaries and other occasions. Full song & lyrics included, along with Lennon background and comment on the song, studio production history, significance in Beatles discography, and sampling of fan and critic comment […]

[…]“Soylent Green,” a science fiction film with conspiracy and murder-mystery elements, tells the story of a dystopic New York City set in the far-off future after the world has gone to hell… Overpopulation, food riots, and severe pollution are the norm. Poverty abounds – except for the ultra rich – and every available space is crammed with desperate residents. Although dated by today’s standards, the film has its prescient moments, touching on present-day concerns such as global warming, polluted and dying oceans, the widening rich-poor chasm, overpopulation / immigration, the remoteness and unaccountability of ever-enlarging food corporations, and the emergence of a politically-corrupt corporate state […]

[…September 18th,1965 was “Mickey Mantle Day” at Yankee Stadium, a special day to honor the prodigious baseball career of the New York Yankee superstar, then in his 15th season…Joe DiMaggio was there to introduce him, along with assorted VIPs, including then Senator Robert F. Kennedy…This story, with photos, also captures Mantle’s remarks that day, and covers a few vignettes from his storied career, as well as some sportswriter impressions of Mantle’s impact on the game […]

[…] In 1961-62, an unlikely advocate of a popular dance called “The Twist” was First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, wife of then newly-elected President John F. Kennedy… The song & dance were originally crafted in a somewhat bawdy version by Hank Ballard, an African American R&B artist. Dick Clark of “American Bandstand” fame, then recruited African American Chubby Checker to record a more conservative version that became popular & swept the nation… Jackie Kennedy, however, provided something of a cultural imprimatur on the song & dance by incorporating it into White House parties […]

[…] In his run for the White House in 1960, Jack Kennedy sought out the help of a range of VIPs – including sports stars… One of the latter was famous baseball slugger, Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals, recruited by Kennedy while campaigning in 1959… This profile explores the help Musial gave Kennedy on the campaign trail as well as the friendship formed between the two, and their meeting at the 1962 All-Star game in Washington, D.C. and subsequent Musial & family visit with JFK at the White House […]

[…] One of the first major rock ‘n roll songs of the 1950s – and still ranked among the world’s all-time Top Ten best-selling singles – is “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets. It is widely considered to be the one song, more than any other (although a culmination of decades-long blues, R& B, and other influences), that brought rock `n roll into mainstream culture around the world. This story tracks the tale of that song, the rise and fall of Bill Haley (who became wildly popular in Europe for years but lost favor in the U.S.), the sometimes unforgiving nature of the music business, and the vagaries of pop music stardom […]

[…] In January 1969, an oil well blow-out at Union Oil’s offshore rig in the Santa Barbara Channel six miles off the California coast, began one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history. …Killing sea birds and marine mammals, and washing up in a thick blanket of black crude oil onto miles of Santa Barbara beaches, the spill became a televised disaster, helping spur a national environmental movement, and in the process, making President Richard Nixon and his Administration unlikely partners of Congress in creating a new federal framework of environmental protection laws […]

[…] In 1951, Norm Van Brocklin, quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams professional football team, did what no other quarterback (QB) had done before or since: completing passes for a record-setting single-game total of 554 yards… His record still stands. This story also covers Van Brocklin’s career with the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, his passing accomplishments in championship games, and his statistics in the context of other 1950s QBs… Also included is a listing of the 15 other QBs who have had 500-yard games, coming close to, but not surpassing, Van Brocklin’s record […]

[…In the 1970s, CBS featured Mary Tyler Moore in a 30-minute sitcom as Mary Richards, an independent, professional woman working at a TV station in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The top-rated, half-hour show soon had a following of millions… It became, in many ways a statement of the times; a weekly story about women coming into their own, asserting their place in the male-dominated work world….This story also covers the career, real life struggles, and politics of Mary Tyler Moore, and also profiles MTM Enterprises, a highly successful TV production company co-owned by Moore…]

[…] At the peak of the psychedelic rock music era in the summer of 1967, a song named “White Rabbit” by the Jefferson Airplane (full song included) was a big part of that summer’s soundtrack. Written by Grace Slick, and based on the “Alice in Wonderland” story, the song not only became a Top 10 hit, it also became controversial and a lightning rod for Nixon-era social critics and politicians, including Vice President Spiro Agnew and TV personality Art Linkletter, both of whom would single it out publicly as among songs helping to lead young people into drugs use […]

[…]This topics page includes links & thumbnail sketches for eight Frank Sinatra-related stories at this website: two about women he married, Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow; two about his politics during the JFK years with the Rat Pack and the years thereafter; two profiling songs and their context (“Cycles” and “Summer Wind”); another on his early years as a teen idol in the 1940s; and one his photographer role for Life magazine covering the 1971 Ali-Frazier fight at Madison Square Garden in New York […]

[…] This “topics page” provides thumbnail sketches and links to 22 stories at this website that feature or include magazine-related content from the last 100 years – including selected cover art, illustrator profiles, advertising art, political stories, civil rights stories, business stories, sports stories, and more… Cover samples are typically included throughout the stories from a range of magazines – Time, Life, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Fortune, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, The Saturday Evening Post, New York Magazine, Wired, and others […]

[…] Promoted as “the fight of the century,” the March 1971 titanic boxing match between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali was that and more, as these two fighters came to represent differing sides of the social and political angst then eating at the nation… Both the personal and political histories surrounding this fight, and the legacy of all three Ali-Frazier bouts of the 1970s, including Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, are presented in this story, along with some photos taken by celebrity photographer Frank Sinatra […]

[…] The 1966 Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby,” not only became something of an important departure for pop music in its time, it also inspired at least one piece of sculpture in the Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool, England, which is covered in this story… History on the Beatles’ making of “Eleanor Rigby” is also covered, along with the complete song, its lyrics, samples of its single-edition cover art, plus a complete Ray Charles “Eleanor Rigby” cover version […]

[…] This story profiles the history of Frank Sinatra’s 1966 song, “Summer Wind,” providing the full audio of the song and its lyrics… The song’s chart performance is covered and an interpretation of the lyrics is also offered, along with mention of the song’s use in film and advertising. Highlights of Sinatra’s year of 1966 are covered, along with some discussion of the famous Gay Talese “Esquire” magazine piece of April 1966, “Frank Sinatra Has A Cold” […]

[…] This “Topics Page” offers thumbnail sketches and links to 14 stories at this website that include history about famous athletes who have lent their name and/or image in print, radio, and/or TV advertising on behalf of various products or marketing efforts. Among those included are: Olympics star and pro golfer Babe Didrikson; football stars Frank Gifford and Sammy Baugh; 1930s aviatrix Elinor Smith; baseball stars Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson and others; soccer legends Pelé, Zidane and Maradona; and 1930s tennis star, Ellsworth Vines […]

[…]Canadian born Joni Mitchell is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of the late 1960s-mid-1970s period who came into mainstream notice with a series of albums — “Clouds,” “Ladies of the Canyon,” “Blue,” and “Court & Spark” – each with poignant, personal and moving songs. This story samples that music, Mitchell’s writing history, her biography & the social context, including Woodstock & Laurel Canyon period, later jazz explorations, and her music industry & personal relationships with David Crosby, David Geffen, Graham Nash, James Taylor, Charles Mingus & others […]

[…] Includes movie trailer for “Love & Mercy,” the 2015 film on Brian Wilson, the singer- songwriter-composer known, most famously, for helping lead and musically inspire the Beach Boys rock ‘n roll group through their rise in the 1960s. While many regard Wilson as the genius composer, arranger, and studio whiz behind the group’s early success, he also had his personal demons, which become a focal point in this film. …This story also includes links to other Beach Boys history & music at this website […]

[…] This “topics page” provides thumbnail sketches and links to more than two dozen stories at this website, including those covering: Rachel Carson & her book “Silent Spring;” Kentucky author & activist Harry Caudill; Cuyahoga River pollution history; strip mining at Paradise, Kentucky; Union Carbide and General Electric advertising (Carbide on pesticides, GE on coal); and several stories covering oil industry mishaps in Montana, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh & the Gulf of Mexico […]

[…] Three of Union Carbide’s “giant hand” magazine ads from the late 1950s and early 1960s are used in this story as segues into some 1980s history on chemical plant safety and the use of toxic chemicals… Two of the ads tout the Union Carbide pesticide “Sevin” (carbaryl), and one boasts of the company’s agricultural science help to India, the latter of which leads into a review of the 1984 Bhopal toxic gas disaster and aftermath… Politics, regulation, and proliferating chemical use are also explored […]

[…] In 2014-2015, a painting for a ‘Saturday Evening Post’ magazine cover illustration by artist John Falter came up on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ TV program, valued at between $200,000 and $250,000… Falter’s work, and that of other ‘Saturday Evening Post’ illustrators, has been rising in value in recent years… This piece explores Falter’s work for the ‘Post’ and some of the sales of those paintings in recent years […]

[…] On December 1st, 1970, an offshore oil rig operated by the Shell Oil Co. in the Gulf of Mexico exploded and caught fire. Four workers were killed and 37 others were seriously burned, some jumping from the burning rig to save their lives…. The Shell platform and wells burned for nearly three months. A large oil slick formed, covering more than twenty miles at one point, oiling some Louisiana islands and beaches. Oil slicks of smaller size were visible in the Gulf five months after the incident… At the time, the Shell blowout was the worst offshore oil disaster to have occurred in the Gulf of Mexico […]

[…] The Beatles, with their 1966 album, “Revolver,” continued to push the boundaries of popular music with new studio techniques and novel songs, venturing further into what became known as psychedelic music. “Tomorrow Never Knows” was one of the songs in that genre, with a sound all its own… John Lennon consulted a Timothy Leary book and Tibetan sources for help with the lyrics… And in 2012, the song also made a cameo in a “Mad Men” TV episode […]

[…]Harry M. Caudill (1922-1990) was a writer and activist who did battle with the coal industry and political establishment in a life-long effort to improve his Eastern Kentucky homeland and the larger Appalachian region. During the 1950s and 1960s, he rose on the issue of coal mining’s destructive effects on land and people, publishing a landmark 1962 book, “Night Comes to the Cumberlands,” that helped convince JFK and LBJ to bring federal help to the region …This account provides an overview of his and his region’s struggles with coal mining, its environmental effects, and some of their battles[…]

[…] “I Love Lucy,” a 1950s television sitcom starring comedienne Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz, dominated TV like no other program had before, and few since. Generating 30-to-40 million viewers per episode, “I Love Lucy” (and subsequent Lucy shows) helped make CBS a leading television network, brought in tens of millions in advertising, and enriched Lucy and Desi beyond their wildest dreams, making them entertainment moguls with Desilu Studios… The“Lucy effect” has reverberated throughout the world for nearly 70 years – in TV reruns, TV publications, and the TV nostalgia industry – generating tens of millions well into the 2010s […]

[…] In November 2014, the Taschen publishing house released its “JFK/Norman Mailer” book, a spiffy new photography/politics book featuring 300 JFK campaign photos built around Norman Mailer’s famous 1960 Esquire magazine piece – “Superman Comes to The Supermarket.” The 370-page book takes a unique historical cut on politics, campaigning, journalism, and photography… This piece provides an overview of its contents along with a few photos and a profile of Mailer […]

[…]“Legend of a Mind” is the name of a 1968 Moody Blues song about a man named Timothy Leary, a former Harvard University instructor and research psychologist who became something of a “pied piper” for LSD drug use in the 1960s… This story includes the Moody Blues song as intro and period piece, and also a detailed history on Leary & associates, as well Leary’s run-ins with Art Linkletter, Richard Nixon, his prison escape, and his global flight from the law […]

[…] This “topics page” provides thumbnail sketches and links to 36 stories at this website on female careers in music, film, sport, politics, publishing and other endeavors… Some offer in-depth biographical profiles with extensive photos, and in the case of recording artists, mp3 song files… Among those featured, are: Ali MacGraw, Anna Q Nilsson, Ava Gardner, Babe Didrikson, Barbara Lewis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Davis, Billie Holiday, Carly Simon, Cyd Charisse, Dinah Shore, Gisele Bündchen, Grizabella from “Cats,” Janis Joplin, Lady Gaga, Keira Knightley, Linda Ronstadt, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Martha & the Vandellas, Meryl Streep, Mia Farrow, Pearl White, Petula Clark, Princess Diana, Rachel Carson, Rosie The Riveter, Sarah Palin, Skeeter Davis, Taylor Swift, the Ronettes, The Shirelles, and Tina Turner […]

[…] This story covers Sen. John F. Kennedy’s run for the White House in 1960 – from the primary elections and the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, through the extensive fall campaign, long election night, and photo finish. An introductory narrative of JFK’s successful White House run is offered, followed by a detailed listing of his campaign itinerary for the entire year, city-by-city, along with related speech topics, photos, and other anecdote… Extensive sources are also included with additional photos and links to his earlier presidential campaigning in 1957, 1958 and 1959 […]

[…] In 1961, an extraordinary display of courage came from hundreds of ordinary Americans who stood up to racial bigotry in the South. They rode buses to make a point about senseless segregation… Some were beaten; many went to prison. Before it was all over more than 60 “Freedom Rides” carrying more than 400 riders – black and white; liberal and conservative; Protestant, Catholic, and Jew – would crisscross the South in protest. Many were college students; some from the seminary. They came to lend their presence and put their bodies on the line. Their actions were innocent and non-violent. This is part of their story – with photos, prison mug shots, Kennedy political history, and more […]

[…] In 1971, a country music song titled “Paradise,” by singer-songwriter John Prine, told the tale of 1960s-1970s strip mining in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where Peabody Coal Co., operating a gigantic strip mine shovel named Big Hog, supplied coal to a TVA electric powerplant… In the process, the small, rural river town of Paradise, KY was bought out and bulldozed… Story also covers other similar “small town removal” cases at the hand of strip mining… John Prine biography and recording history also included […]

[…] In early 1963, a song by country singer Skeeter Davis with the title “The End of the World” was doing something that no other recording had done then or since then – making its way into the Top Ten of four of the nation’s music charts… This story covers the history of that song, the biography of Skeeter Davis, and the success of some of her country and pop music hits… Includes photos & music sample […]

[…] A couple of Floyd Cramer’s instrumental piano hits of the early 1960s are the focus of this piece, as the “countrypolitan” Nashville sound began to permeate pop music at the time… Cover versions of Cramer’s hit song “Last Date” by Skeeter Davis, Emmylou Harris, and Conway Twitty are also discussed, as well as his Cramer’s work with Elvis Presley and Chet Atkins […]

[…] This story explores the history of several Cuyahoga River fires in the Cleveland, Ohio region, circa 1890s to 1969; their influence on national environmental history & public policy; and some related music from Randy Newman, R.E.M., and Adam Again… Includes photos, political cartoons, and some music […]

[…] Surprised beachgoers in Santa Monica, California were astounded to find President John F. Kennedy swimming on their public beach… So were ten secret service agents charged with protecting him… Story of the famous photo of JFK amid admiring beach crowd taken by L.A. Times photographer Bill Beebe… Part of JFK’s “inner boy” making an escape, and a national moment of an American president mixing with the masses […]

[…] In March 2014, actress Keira Knightley and the 1960s’ Zombies teamed up to do a Chanel perfume TV ad to the tune of “She’s Not There”– attention-getting music that backs the ad’s “mystery” mini-plot… The article lays out some of the ad’s screenshots & plot, and also offers an in-depth look at the history of the Zombies and other uses of their music in film, TV and advertising, along with 3 song samples […]

[…] In the staid Eisenhower 1950s, when pop radio featured mostly standard fare, a Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey named Alan Freed began to shake things up with his what he called “rock ’n roll” music – the upbeat rhythm & blues music then primarily performed and followed by black Americans… Freed soon made a name for himself with upbeat broadcasts and live stage shows, taking R&B and rock ’n roll to New York and throughout the country… Later hit with charges of inciting “rock ’n roll riots” and implicated in a national “payola” scandal, Freed suffered a reversal of fortune that left him dead & financially ruined at 43… His story and his impact on music & popular culture are covered here […]

[…] Includes back story & biographies of two professional football players – Philadelphia Eagles’ linebacker, Chuck Bednarik, and New York Giants’ running back, Frank Gifford – leading up to a famous November 1960 game & collision between the two… Also about a transition era – football prior to Super Bowls, media glare & pop culture focus – kind of “old school” meets “new era”… Workman-like players vs. those with media appeal, public personas & second careers in media, advertising, entertainment […]

[…] Frank Gifford, a talented New York Giants football player in the 1950s & 1960s, became a popular figure in New York & nationally and a familiar face in print & TV ads. He also became one of the first professional athletes to successfully venture into TV sports broadcasting, first with CBS and later — for 25-plus years — on ABC’s “Monday Night Football” program. Gifford’s celebrity, in fact, would span nearly six decades, helped in later years by his marriage to Kathie Lee Gifford, books & magazine stories about him, his own publishing, and a controversy or two […].

[…]“Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber might also be called “Adagio for Tears” since it is known for evoking very powerful emotion and sadness among its listeners. Used in film scores from “Elephant Man” to “Platoon,” Barber’s Adagio has also been used at prominent state & celebrity funerals, such as those for FDR, JFK. Grace Kelly & others – also played following 9/11. Electronic dance and trance DJs have recorded versions as well… This piece looks at the history and reception of “Adagio for Strings” and its related choral version, “Angus Dei”[…]

[…This topics page provides links to ten Kennedy family stories at this website – 8 stories on John F. Kennedy and 2 on Robert F. Kennedy. The JFK stories deal with his career as a U.S. Senator and his White House run in 1960; his involvement with Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack; his visit to Ft. Worth, Texas hours before he was assassinated, and a tribute site & statue erected there in 2012. Two RFK stories cover his work in Brooklyn, NY (and a commemorative memorial there) and his bid for the 1968 Democratic Presidential nomination…]

[…] This “topics page” lists 14 stories at this website which include civil rights-related content. Among stories listed are several related to civil rights & music; civil rights & television; civil rights & art; and civil rights & politics – stories which include performers & artists such as: Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Norman Rockwell, Petula Clark, Harry Belafonte, Martha & the Vandellas, U2, and others. Also listed are stories on Jackie Robinson and Barack Obama, and others with sections on Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King […]

[…] They were named The Crystals, The Shirelles, The Ronettes, and more. Their music was buoyant & optimistic, befitting a time when a new young president took office…The “girl-group sound” also became a key source of innovative song-writing & novel instrumentation, powering the industry to new heights with millions of records sold to approving Boomer kids… This piece reviews the era & its leading groups w/18 full song samples included […]

[…] In 2012, the citizens of Fort Worth, Texas dedicated a statue and tribute site to former President John F. Kennedy commemorating his November 22, 1963 visit to their town. JFK made his final public appearances & speeches there before being assassinated only hours later that day in Dallas, Texas. This story covers JFK’s speeches and events that day with period photos, audio of one speech, and other history on that ill-fated 1963 Texas trip […]

[…] Let loose on official Washington in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ralph Nader’s teams of law school and college students were sent to investigate government agencies and corporations… A small cottage industry of publisher-worthy paperbacks resulted, some becoming bestsellers, all with messages that stirred the public policy pot. …Official Washington was challenged and changed, investigative journalism was re-ignited, and public interest advocacy became a much more prominent part of the culture. This article examines how the Nader teams and reports came about and what effect they had […]