Tuesday, December 27, 2022

In Memoriam 2022: The Great Gig in the Sky

 

A tribute to some of those stars that burned brightly in our lives. There is always a wide spectrum of contributors and these are just a few that I happen to highlight.

link to video after each

Michael Lang— co-creator and producer of the Woodstock music festival. This show turned out to be a defining moment in music history.

Some others on the leading edge of the early rock and roll era:

Jimy Sohns—Lead singer of the Shadows of Knight (“Gloria”)

 Gloria

Ronnie Spector—Lead singer of the Ronettes (“Be My Baby”)

Be My Baby


Jerry Lee Lewis—”The Killer,” like him or not, one of the undisputed pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll.

Whole Lotta Shaking


Bobby Rydell
—Pop star and actor in the late ’50s and early ’60s, considered a teen idol

Kissing Time

And some pop/rock/country

Gary Brooker—Singer, pianist and primary composer for Procol Harum

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Loretta Lynn—Country music legend

You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man

Meat Loaf—Singer/actor best known for his multi-platinum 1977 album Bat Out of Hell

I Would Do Anything For Love

Olivia Newton-John—Beloved singer and Grease star (this video is hysterical!)

 Physical

A few breaking barriers: 

Ramsey Lewis—Jazz keyboardist who scored a top 10 hit in 1964 with “The In Crowd”

The In Crowd

Vangelis—Electronic music composer best known for the score of Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner, 1492 (give it 1:42 and stand back!)

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou

Rosmarie Trapp—Last of the original von Trapp family, of The Sound of Music fame (this is priceless)

Maria von Trapp teaches Julie Andrews to Yodel