[…] 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 […]

Republican Crisis “Nixon’s Checkers Speech” September 1952 Endangered VP candidate, Richard Nixon, discovers the “magic” of television. Post Watergate “The Frost-Nixon Biz” 1977-2009 The multi-media cottage industry that followed the Frost/Nixon interviews. Politics & Celebrity “1968 Presidential Race” Republicans Celebrity support — from John Wayne to Billy Graham — helped Nixon win in ’68. On … Continue reading “Nixon-Related Stories”
Topics Page: 1950s-2000s →

[…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 […]

[…] 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 five of them: John F. Kennedy in West Virginia; Robert F. Kennedy in Kentucky; Caroline Kennedy in Tennessee; Ted Kennedy on coal mine safety; and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on coal/environment issues… While running for political office, acting on public policy matters once in office, or in various other public service roles, these Kennedys worked to help coal miners, their communities and families, or to spotlight coal-related safety and environmental issues […]

[…] 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 18 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 […]

[…] In early 1966, a young law school graduate named Ralph Nader was summoned to testify at U.S. Senate hearings on automobile safety on the merits of a book he had written…But a furor erupted shortly thereafter when it was learned that the world’s largest corporation, General Motors, had hired private investigators to try to find dirt on Nader to discredit him as a Congressional witness… Nader would go on to national fame, founding a movement in the 1960s that would spark changes in government, politics, and investigative journalism that reverberate to this day […]

[…] In late 1964 a memorable spy film named “Goldfinger” arrived in theaters – the third in a series featuring British secret agent, James Bond, played by actor Sean Connery. The “Bond films” were based on novels penned by former British intelligence officer Ian Fleming… “Goldfinger” became something of a spy film trend-setter & template for 22 more “Bond films” to follow, one of the world’s most lucrative film franchises to date… “Goldfinger” song also featured, along with film screen shots, magazine covers & more […]

[…]“Please Please Me” was the Beatles’ first No. 1 hit – the 1963 song that energized “Beatlemania” in the U.K. and became the take-off point for the Beatles’ rise to international fame and fortune… It was also the song that typified that early “Beatles sound” that powered numerous hits to follow and the group’s rise in America in 1964… But there were also a few interesting quirks with this song’s production and its subsequent release in America […]

[…]“Cycles” is the name of a song Frank Sinatra recorded in July 1968, written by Gayle Caldwell. The song rose on the pop charts in late 1968, prompting an album of the same name. “Cycles,”the song, is vintage Frank Sinatra, and he delivers it in that “wee-small-hours” style he is known for from his earlier years… Story covers song history & fan reaction […]

[…] Dion DiMucci – better known as “Dion” from his 1950s doo-wop fame – flourished as a pop recording artist through the 1960s. This story recounts parts of his career, touching on his family life, his battle with drugs, and how he explored various musical genres in later years, from Christian music to the blues roots of rock `n roll. Dismissed by some critics as being defined by his teen idol years, a range of artists – including Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and others – have cited his influence. Six songs also included […]

[…] In 1967, at the age of 66, jazz master Louis Armstrong recorded a song titled, “What A Wonderful World.” Armstrong’s very poignant, gravelly-voiced version of this song – brimming with his ebullient character and optimism – is regarded as a classic… However, this song had a rough beginning as it was opposed by an ABC Records executive… And 20 years after its first release, it was revived, by above all things, a Vietnam War movie […]

[…] Yogi Berra, the famous Hall-of-Fame, New York Yankee baseball player, in addition to becoming a sports celebrity of his day, also became something of cultural icon know for his “famous sayings” – sparking a bit of cottage industry in book publishing… Berra’s story not only captures the baseball aura of his times, but also shows how his sports popularity seeped into popular culture in a novel way, as Yogi Berra’s celebrity is now in its eighth decade […]

[…] This story covers the history of the Beatles’ first hit song, “Love Me Do,” their first recording sessions at EMI’s Abbey Road studios in London, how their manager Brian Epstein pushed to get them a recording contract in the early 1960s, and how their relationship with recording engineer George Martin developed around that song and thereafter…The story also includes mp3 versions of 4 songs and also tracks 20-year and 50-year history surrounding “Love Me Do” & the Beatles […]

[…] Advance Publications is a sprawling media empire of leading magazines, newspapers, cable TV and websites owned by the Newhouse family of Long Island, New York. In recent years the Newhouse/Advance empire has ranked among the 50 largest privately-held companies in the U.S. This article dips into the 90 years of Newhouse empire-building history, with some focus on the newspaper and magazine parts of the story, celebrity and political issues, and the Newhouse publishing and media impact on America culture…[…]

[…] In 1963, American Bandstand, the popular nationally-televised dance show was still going strong with its youthful host, Dick Clark. However, 1963 would be the last year the show would originate from Philadelphia, as it would move to California in 1964… Still, in 1963, Bandstand was the place for new artists to debut their songs, and the show hosted more than 200 guests that year. This story highlights some of those guests and provides a 1963 day-by-day listing of artists & their songs […]

[…] This “topics page” provides thumbnail sketches and links to 14 baseball stories at this website, including in-depth profiles and photos of Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Honus Wagner, Christie Mathewson, Lou Gehrig, and others […]

[…] In 1962, during a time when the Cuban missile crisis was unfolding, Bob Dylan wrote a song titled, “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall,” a classic protest song filled with forebodings on war, social injustice, and other dreads, but left for the ages to interpret… The story here provides some background on the Dylan song in those times, subsequent reception and interpretation of Dylan’s work, and his legacy since then […]

[…] University of Washington students were among the many who rose up in protest following the May 4th,1970 shooting deaths of four students at Kent State University in Ohio during Vietnam War protests over President Richard Nixon’s military incursion into Cambodia… One photo captures a freeway occupation in Seattle during that protest […]

[…] In June of 1962, a series of three articles under the title “Silent Spring” began appearing in The New Yorker magazine. The articles – excerpted from a blockbuster book of the same name by Rachel Carson – offered disturbing accounts of how chemical pesticides were contaminating the environment… A national uproar followed… This account revisits book, author, controversy & legacy at its 50th anniversary […]

[…] This “topics page” lists 12 Beatles stories published at this website, with links to each story, including: the first U.S. Beatles concert in 1964; the Beatles’ activities and rise in America during 1964; a profile of the song “Dear Prudence” & “White Album” history;” the Beatles & Nike battling over the use of “Revolution” in a Nike TV ad; history of Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson & the Beatles song catalog; John Lennon history during the time he wrote the song “Watching the Wheels,” and a story on the “Paul-is-dead” rumor & the time of the Beatles’ break-up […]

[…] In 2011, Norman Rockwell’s painting, “The Problem We All Live With,” depicting a famous 1960 school desegregation scene in New Orleans, was displayed in the Obama White House. This article explores that painting and other Norman Rockwell civil rights paintings, as well as related history on magazine cover art dealing with African American and civil rights topics during the late 1950s and early 1960s […]

[…] Part 2 of the history of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack and their dealings with the 1960 presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy and his presidency thorugh 1963…. The story picks up at 1961 JFK inauguration and also covers Sinatra’s falling out with JFK, some history on Rat Pack & JFK friends such as Marilyn Monroe, and ends with a “Rat Pack Postscript” on lives & careers beyond the Rat Pack years […]

[…] In 1965, a new rock ’n roll group from the U.K. named the Rolling Stones, produced a hit song known as “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” which became a kind of all-purpose, anti-establishment anthem for the ’60s’ generation, also helping create a kind of musical boundary line separating old from new… At that point, some mainstream rock ’n roll groups, following the lead of folk and protest, began adding “message” to their music […]

[…] “Love Story” is the name of a 1970-71 best-selling novel and blockbuster film that swept the nation of its feet, surprising literary critics & Hollywood. Though considered sappy today, in the early 1970s both book and film were perfectly timed, and they permeated popular culture through and through, making bundles of money… Book’s tale, characters, biz history recounted here […]

[…] In 1968, a hard rock band named Iron Butterfly came out with a 17-minute song that became something of a psychedelic anthem in the Summer of 1968… ”In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” went on to sell tens of millions of albums worldwide and was also used by Fidelity Investments to pitch Baby Boomers in a 2005 TV ad…Iron Butterfly was an early influence on the heavy metal rock sound that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s[…]

[…] In 1959, a singing group from the Pacific Northwest named the Fleetwoods rose briefly to the top of the pop music scene with a few top hits that were sweet and melodic with good harmonies, engaging arrangement, and innocent lyrics… The style flourished briefly as the pop music landscape was soon to be transformed by the Beatles and other British groups a few years later…But for a time, the Fleetwoods’ sound became very popular […]

[…] In 1966, the most popular song of the year wasn’t from the Beatles or the Rolling Stones… Rather, it was a song about a Special Forces military group called the Green Berets… It sold millions of copies…But there’s more to this story than just music…. There’s also some politics via JFK & RFK, a paperback book, more music, and a Hollywood film made by Hollywood actor John Wayne […].

[…] This is the movie trailer for 1983’s “The Big Chill,” a film about eight former 1960s’ college friends who gather for an unscheduled reunion following a friend’s untimely suicide. The film became something of a landmark in its influence on the subsequent use of original, pre-existing rock songs in commercial advertising […]

[…] In 1969, the year the Beatles made their “Abbey Road” album – and their last year as a functioning rock group prior to their break up – there was also a “pop rumor” that spread around the world that Beatle Paul McCartney had died in a car crash and had been replaced by a look alike… The story proved to be a giant hoax as Life magazine would report on its cover in early November 1969 […]

[…]”The Loco-Motion” is the name of 1962 dance song authored by famous Brill Building song-writing duo, Carole King & Gerry Goffin, and recorded by a young artist known as Little Eva… Two other artists — Grand Funk Railroad, an American rock band of the 1970s, and Kylie Minogue, an Australian pop star of the 1980s, also had hits with the song. “The Loco-Motion,” it turns out, is one of a very few songs that managed to top the popular music charts in three separate decades […]

[…] This video shows Bob Dylan performing the complete version of “Only A Pawn in Their Game” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. Following the murder of black civil rights worker Medgar Evers in Mississippi on June 12th, 1963, Dylan was moved to write the song about the incident, which he titled “Only a Pawn in Their Game”[…]