Portage County, 1956

While going through my father's belongings I found this trophy.  Apparently he was on the Portage County Championship Bowling Team in 1956, and was proud enough of it that he kept it for the rest of his life.

Silhouttes

 

I've listened to this song for years, and always enjoyed the harmonies.

Then I made the mistake of listening to the words, and they're so stupid they kind of ruined it for me.

Full lyrics HERE.

My Heart

 I just love the way he says "heart."  It always makes me smile:

Full lyrics HERE.

Just Something Silly I Did:

 I saw this graphic from a 1954 toothpaste advertisement:

And added vampire fangs:

Minnie & Rod

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Minnie Pearl and Rod Brasfield were close friends, and even though their material hasn't aged well it's still fun to see them enjoying each other's company.

Minnie Pearl has a smile that could turn winter into spring.  :D

Sad to Say

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Harry Belafonte was a favorite of my mother's.  While in college in the 50s, she sneaked off to see him perform live.

She had most of his albums, and now I have them.

Full lyrics HERE.

He never washed his face and he never combed his hair...

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Full lyrics HERE.

Talk.

Yet another excerpt from Eddie Cantor‘s autobiography The Way I See It, © 1959:

“Lack of communication is the big problem in marriages today… I’d much rather see a husband and wife argue, even heatedly, than see one of them go silent and walk out of the room.”

Note those quotes? This is the opinion of Dr. Robert G. Foster, who directs the marriage counseling training program at the Menninger Clinic. He said it first-- but I sure will second it! In fact, I’ll go even farther and offer a suggestion. Why can’t a couple plan for conversation exactly as they plan a picnic or a shopping trip to town? As for where’s the time to come from, they can take it from TV. Instead of blankly tuning in to something neither really wants to see, they might map an evening this way! “Nine to ten p.m. … Turn off set… talk.”

There are some rough spots in the book, some attitudes and opinions that  (although common at the time) would be considered coarse and backward today, but overall he was surprisingly progressive for someone who came to fame as a vaudeville performer in the 20s.

Hmmm...

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This seems like a weird song for a newlywed to sing, but it just occurred to me:  maybe his inspiration was his old group, The Crickets, with whom he'd recently parted ways.

Full lyrics HERE.

Not Fade Away

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We all know now how their stories ended, but when this was filmed nobody knew:

This colour clip was shot silent in 1955 in Oklahoma City while Holly and Elvis Presley were working the two bottom slots on a country package tour headlined by Hank Snow — and apparently represents not only the earliest film footage of Holly but that of Elvis as well (he's dressed in a neon-bright green shirt).