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BABY BOOMER COMIC STRIP THE BOOMERHEADS Bob and Barb Boomerhead are 21st Century baby boomers who really aren't up-to-speed. Their dilemmas may be familiar to you! Laugh as their 3 grown kids and dog Barnaby help them adapt to the modern-day frustrations and confusions. Read More... THE SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS
It sounds like you’re in the middle of a frat party. With a cheap organ and a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’, this South Carolina band is responsible for one of the biggest party records of all time. And believe it or not, the one-hit-wonder group still swings on stage today. Grab a beer, it’s the story of the Swingin’ Medallions and their 1966 smash hit “Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love).” Read More... THE STANDELLS
The Standells snarled their way up the charts in 1966 with the enduring smash hit “Dirty Water.” The swaggering bravado of lead singer and former-Mouseketeer (!) Dickie Dodd’s vocals, along with the bluesy and raunchy arrangement make this a favorite among current garage and punk bands and baby boomers twice their age. Read More... TONY ORLANDO & DAWN It was a very strange start! Tony Orlando & Dawn had 2 huge hits and sold millions of records before the members of the group even got together! Their out-of-the-park smashes, “Candida” and “Knock Three Times”, were recorded separately, with Tony recording in New York and the "background" singers recording their part in Los Angeles. When the group finally melded into a trio (Tony, Telma Hopkins, and Joyce Vincent-Wilson), they went on to become one of the biggest selling pop groups of the 70s. Their popular 3-year television variety show enhanced their improbable success. Read More... 25 BOOMERHEADSTONES OF 2008 Here is a list (and their obits too) of the boomerhead.com favorites who we lost in the year 2008. Most are not baby boomers, but we grew up watching, listening, and enjoying them! Click Here for all 25! Read More...
TOMBSTONE ARIZONAThe TV Western was at its peak in the 1950s and 60s. Westerns became ingrained in our psyche. So for me, a recent visit to TOMBSTONE, Arizona was not only a link back to the Old West, but also a link back to the old Western. As I watched the re-enacted gunfights and walked down the dusty streets of Tombstone, I wasn’t sure if I was being transported back to 1880 or to the set of “Gunsmoke.” Read More.... BOOMERHEADTRIPS
THE SPINNERS This group has successfully changed their lead singer 4 times and gone on to obtain Top 40 hits with each one of them. Going from ‘50s doo-wop, to ‘60s Motown soul, to the ‘70s R&B “Philly Sound,” to two Disco hits in 1980, the Spinners fall into an unusual category. But as they changed musically with the times, seamless harmonies were always their most prominent trademark. Languishing under the super-groups (The Four Tops, Temptations, & Miracles) for years at Motown, they finally broke through in the 1970s establishing themselves as the leading R&B group of that decade. Read More... SAD NOTE: Original member Pervis Jackson (top right),who had still been touring with the group, passed away at age 70 on August 18, 2008. Known for his deep bass voice, he was nicknamed 12:45, after the phrase he sang in one of the Spinners’ biggest hits, “Games People Play.” LESLEY GORE stands tall in the girl-group category where she is strangely categorized. The diminutive solo artist won over early baby-boomers in 1963 with her #1 smash hit “It’s My Party.” It was the first and biggest song of her career and embodied the trials and tribulations of young teen-age girls across America. Poor Lesley, that evil Judy, and what was Johnny thinking! Read More... BOOMERHEADBANDS
NAPOLEON XIV One of the wildest and weirdest novelty records of all times—“They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” was performed by songwriter/sound engineer/singer Jerry Samuels, aka NAPOLEON XIV. The song skyrocketed up to #3 on the charts in the summer of 1966. But when a number of radio stations stopped playing it after protests from various groups, it promptly zoomed back down. Read More... BOOMERHEADBANDS TOMMY JAMES INTERVIEW PART 4
THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW
The inside look at Tommy James & the Shondells' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show as remembered by Tommy. Also what is Tommy's favorite of his many hits? Read More... BOOMERHEADBANDS DANCING WITH THE STARS Here are the 22 daring Baby Boomers ranked from #22 to #1 who have shown their stuff on the popular ABC dance competition/ reality show. Also 4 new baby boomers for upcoming Season 8. Read More... BOOMERHEADTV
THE STORY OFTHE FOUR TOPS Few groups stay together totally intact for as long as The Four Tops--41 years. Starting as a jazz group called The Four Aims in the 1950s, they went on to become one of Motown's top-tier groups--recording some of music's most memorable tunes ever. Read More... BOOMERHEADBANDS
THE GRASS ROOTS A baby boomer favorite, The Grass Roots had over 20 hits from 1966 to 1972, being on the Billboard charts for a record-breaking 307 consecutive weeks (1967-1972). Quite a nice run for a group with such an unusual genesis—the band name was registered even before the actual band was formed! Read More.... BOOMERHEADBANDS
BEATLES TOUR--LONDON
I was a little nervous as I embarked upon My Magical Mystery Tour. I had gone on other “LondonWalks” tours, but this was different. I had been raised on the Beatles – I can’t remember a time when the Beatles weren’t a part of my life. Who would my fellow walkers be? Would they really be fans? Or just people out for a stroll? Read More... BOOMERHEADTRIPS
HARVEY KORMAN 1927 - 2008
Zany second banana Harvey Korman was one of variety TV’s most brilliant sketch artists highlighted by 10 years of “The Carol Burnett Show.” He was also a major Mel Brooks player, going down in celluloid history as Hedy (pardon me that’s Hedley) Lamarr in the 1972 comedy classic “Blazing Saddles.” Read More... BOOMERHEADSTONES
MIKE SMITH of THE DAVE CLARK FIVE 1943 -2008
He was the voice of a musical group that rivaled the Beatles in 1964—but his name has gone largely unnoticed. Mike Smith, the rather anonymous lead singer & keyboard player of The Dave Clark 5, displayed his singing or what Rolling Stone called outstanding "soul-shouting” on 17 Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1967. Read More... BOOMERHEADSTONES DENNIS YOST of THE CLASSICS IV 1943 - 2008
He had a voice that could touch you. As lead singer of one of the very first soft-rock bands ever, Dennis Yost fronted The Classics IV. 40 years after the songs were recorded—“Spooky,” “Stormy,” and “Traces of Love” remain timeless musical pieces that can transport you to a really good place. Read More... BOOMERHEADSTONES
GARY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP He is blessed with a rich and distinctive voice that can soar over lush orchestrations. He fronted a band decked out in Civil War regalia that produced 6 songs dripping in melodrama. In 1968, the group actually sold more records than the Beatles! Just a year earlier, they had been headlining at a San Diego bowling alley lounge. It’s the tale of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap! Read More...
A JAUNT THROUGH HAIGHT- ASHBURY The Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco played a unique part in the history of baby boomers. The attraction culminated in the Summer of Love in 1967, as throngs of teenagers flocked to the area. Peace, Love, Flower Power. Tune in. Drop out. The counterculture seems so long ago. Fast-forward 40 years, and a jaunt down Haight Street is definitely in order for baby boomers who want to reminisce about a time that has passed. Read More... BOOMERHEADTRIPS
CHARLES M. SCHULZ MUSEUM CREATOR OF "PEANUTS"
Just 45 minutes north of San Francisco, there is a little gem of a museum that many baby-boomers will enjoy. Read More...
. . TRANSFORMING YOUR TREASURES
Need to downsize, but you just hate to throw away that sentimental knick-knack or piece of furniture? Sometimes it just has to go! However, some baby boomers are re-inventing their "treasures." Read More...
CREATIVE RE-IMAGININGCleaning out your garage, attic, or closet? Find an interesting piece of junk while out on a stroll? Unleash your imagination! Read More... ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS
The Animals had their beginnings as the blues-based Alan Price Combo. But things started to change when deep-voiced Eric Burdon joined in 1962 as lead singer. The band’s name was switched to The Animals. Eric became a dynamic front man as he would howl and growl his way through the group’s repertoire. "House of the Rising Sun" remains one of the true classic rock and blues songs of the era. Read More.... BOOMERHEADBANDS
TOMMY ROE
Known mainly for memorable bubble gum hits like “Dizzy” and “Sweet Pea,” Tommy Roe’s successful early rocker era (“Sheila”, “Everybody”) is sometimes overlooked—as are his songwriting credentials. He wrote many of his Top 40 records (11 in all) between 1962 and 1971, making him one of the most commercially successful singer/songwriters in the singles market and AM Radio. Starting out in a Billy Holly mode and ending up vying for title of bubble-gum king, Tommy Roe has had a dizzying career. Read More... BOOMERHEADBANDS STUFFED PASTA SHELLS Stuff those pastas with this delicious combination of ingredients and have your guests guessing what’s inside. It’s an interesting side dish that is sure to perk up any festive meal. It even looks fun to eat! Read More... BOOMERHEADCHEF ISAAC HAYES 1942 - 2008
Isaac Hayes’ enduring musical theme song, “Theme from Shaft, ” is only part of a huge legacy. Younger audiences know him as “Chef” from “South Park.” But his writing credentials and contributions to soul, R&B, disco, and pop music are highly regarded by both music critics and fans. In a career that spanned over a half century, Hayes was able to infuse an energy so infectious into his records that they are as fresh today as they were decades ago. Read More.. . BOOMERHEADSTONES
JOHN PHILLIP LAW
1937 - 2008
Despite 50 starring roles in international films, John Phillip Law never quite attained the stature of A-list actor. But as a huge consolation prize, he ensured a place in pop culture history as Pygar, the strikingly blond, bronzed, but blind angel in one of the biggest cult films ever—1968’s “Barbarella.” Read More... BOOMERHEADSTONES
MRS. MILLER
The operatic warbling of Mrs. Miller singing the rock tunes of the mid-sixties is truly a bizarre novelty. It was 1966 when the 59-year-old choir lady/housewife released 2 of her off-kilter pop albums. Tackling such songs as the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, she sang in the style of your Aunt Mildred at a music recital. The cringe-worthy results proved hilarious and she extended 15 minutes of fame into a lucrative 18 months of enjoyable parody. In the process, Mrs. Miller would become one of the first successfully marketed “so-bad–it’s-good” commodities. Read More... BOOMERHEADBANDS
MR. EDWhat do George Burns, Francis the Talking Mule, and Studebaker have in common? They were all instrumental in bringing the first of the fantasy sitcoms of the ‘60s onto our TV screens. Before Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and My Favorite Martian, MR. ED had us suspending our belief, by making us accept a talking horse as a reality. Read More... BOOMERHEADTV
2007 DEATHS OF BABY BOOMERS & THEIR FAVORITES
Dan Fogelberg, Evel Knievel, Mr. Whipple, Yvonne DeCarlo and
  the rest.... Here is the list (and obits too) of some of the people we loved and lost in 2007. Read More... MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS
They scorched up the charts circa 1965-1967. Their brand of rock-pop craziness could yank you out of your seat and throw you into a frenzy. They specialized in revved-up re-tellings of old rocker songs. Their signature song and biggest hit was the wild and crazy “Devil With A Blue Dress On”. The song is a classic. Read More... FORT SUMNER, NEW MEXICO
A visit to Fort Sumner is vital in any Billy the Kid odyssey. This rural town is where Sheriff Pat Garrett killed Billy in 1881. There are 2 museums plus Billy the Kid's actual gravesite. Read More...
THE “GHOST TOWN” OF LINCOLN,NEW MEXICOIt was the site of Billy the Kid’s most infamous escape and the turbulent Lincoln County War. It now stands bizarrely frozen in time, enabling you to literally touch the history of the Wild West. Read More... BOOMERHEADTRIPS
ROSWELL UFO MUSEUM! It was 1947. Sightings of “flying discs” were being reported from various sections of the country. The nation was ready and looking..... Read More...
LEAVE IT TO BEAVER Besides “I Love Lucy” there are very few black and white sitcoms from the ‘50s that are still actively seen on TV. This chestnut is one of them. “Leave it to Beaver” has quietly gone into iconic stature leaving fellow family sitcoms (Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, Ozzie & Harriet, & Donna Reed) in the dust. Why is that? It’s got to be more than its catchy title. Read More.... BOOMERHEADTV
BOBBIE GENTRY Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” stands out as one of the greatest narrative recordings of the rock era. Interspersed with mundane dinner table conversation giving this masterpiece an eerie flavor, the song weaves an intriguing tale of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of one Billie Joe MacAllister--circumstances that people still debate 40 years after the record was released! Read More... ARTHUR LEE & LOVE Eclectic cult rock group, “Love”, will be of specific interest to older West Coast babyboomers. Even though Love never quite made it big nationally, their influence on the 60s music scene was substantial during their brief heyday. Their third album, “Forever Changes”, is included on many contemporary music critics’ best album lists. Read More.. BOOMERHEADBANDS ALSO: BUCKINGHAMS, PETTICOAT JUNCTION, CHARLES SCHULZ'S "PEANUTS", STEPPENWOLF , PETRIFIED FOREST, BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT , ORIGINAL ERNIE PYLE GRAVESITE AND MORE! |