161024  October 24, 2016

        Memphis, TN - Big issue this week, thanks to a handful of classmates who sent me things to publish. I also had stories sent in by Rainer Klauss and Mike Crowl which I hope to share with you next week. I truly appreciate their continued efforts, along with John Drummond to help me fill the site with fun and informative stories. I also appreciate all who email responses for the trivia and other comments vial emails and while not true stories are still informative

A Football Story

Taylor Wright

Class of 66

        First, a comment about Mike Crowl's "Taylor Wright Story" last week.Yes I was a mama's boy and yes all my friends who happened to meet my mom instantly commented on her beauty. We were close as she was only 16 years older than me. However, I reserve the right at a later date to comment on my friend Mike and some of his escapades in high school.

        This story happened in the 10th grade during spring football practice with Coach Godsey as the head football coach. Most of you remember coach. He appeared as a stern disciplinarian some of the time,however he was quite the jokester and comical at times.

        I took the liberty of missing practice one day to finish a science project that was fast approaching the due date and upon returning the next day I was confronted by him in the locker room as to why I had not been at practice the day before. I told him that I needed to work on my project because I couldn't afford a bad grade. He gave me a serious look and said, "Son, what's more important, science or football?" Of course being politically correct at the time out of fear of running laps I answered "football sir. He replied, "That's right and don't you forget it and don't miss practice again without a credible excuse."

        That story has always stuck in my mind and whenever I would run into him from time to time I would remind him of it and he would just give me that sly grin and perhaps a slight twinkle of the eye as he must have remembered many of those stories of times now past.

Meeting Lesley Gore

Jim McBride

LHS '65

        Your story on Lesley Gore last week reminded me of meeting her about twenty years ago. At that time, I was honored to be President of Nashville Songwriterʼs Association International. Each year we had a Legends Concert featuring songwriters who had achieved great success nationally and internationally. That particular year, as president, I got to introduce the songwriters at the show held at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry. It was an awesome show to say the least.

        Mac Davis (great guy) sang “In The Ghetto”, Maurice Williams (great guy) sang “Stay”, Peter Yarrow (nice guy) sang “Puff the Magic Dragon” standing alone in the spotlight and it was amazing. Jackson Browne (friendly guy) was also there. Browne had recorded a cover version of “Stay” and was there to sing it with Williams. Richard Carpenter (no comment) of The Carpenters was there as well.

        Last but not least was Lesley Gore.

        Lesley was very nice, quiet spoken and still sang great. She did “Itʼs My Party and “You Don”t Own Me”. Connie Francis and Lesley Gore were two of my favorite female singers back in the day, Ronstadt would be added to the list a little later. I enjoyed getting to spend some time with all these great songwriter/artists. Mac Davis was, is and will always be a “good ole boy”. At the end of the show, we presented the performers with plaques of appreciation from NSAI. I presented Lesley with hers, got a hug and everybody went home happy. Well, maybe not RC. 

        P.S. Several years later, I would meet the lady who co-wrote “Judyʼs Turn to Cry”, the sequel to “Itʼs My Party”. Beverly Ross was her name and she wrote another little song you may remember titled “Lollipop."

        BTW, this weekʼs song is “I Willl Follow Him” sung by Peggy March and currently in an Apple commercial. I wouldn't mind having the royalties on this one either. 

LAST WEEK'S TRIVIA

        Besides Jim's correct answer, we also got the following correct response.

        Trivia Answer - I Will Follow Him was the title to the song. It was sung by Little Peggy March. I remember listening to it several times, but since it seemed to be more of a "girly song" I didn't care for it all that much. I did enjoy it if I was slow dancing with one of those beautiful girls from LHS though. 

        I don't know the product that is advertised for it. One reason would be I tend to "mute" all the commercials. 

        OMG what a coincident. That commercial was just now playing with all the balloons. Holy Molly!!. The Iphone 7!!! Can you believe that. I'm not lying.  - Dwight Jones, LHS '64

Little Peggy March

        Peggy March (born Margaret Annemarie Battavio, March 8, 1948, Lansdale, Pennsylvania) is an American pop singer. She is primarily known for her 1963 million-selling song "I Will Follow Him". Although she is sometimes remembered as a one-hit wonder, she continued to have success in Europe until the 1970s.

        She was discovered at age thirteen singing at her cousin's wedding and was introduced to record producers Hugo & Luigi. They gave her the nickname Little Peggy March because she was only 4 ft 9 in tall, she was only 13, the record she did with them was "Little Me," and her birthday was in March.

        On April 24, 1963, her single "I Will Follow Him" soared to number one on the U.S. charts. She recorded the song in early January 1963 and it was released on January 22, when she was only 14. March became the youngest female artist with a number one hit, at 15, in late April 1963, a record that still stands for the Billboard Hot 100.