Musical Fruitcake

Shelby F. “Sheb” Wooley was a musician and character actor who appeared in many Western movies - but is most famous for having written and recorded the most annoying rock and roll earworm ever, “Purple People Eater,” which in 1958 spent six weeks at Number One. The song has sold over 100 million copies […]

Elton Britt was a popular country singer of the 1940s, with a yodeling style often compared to Jimmie Rodgers. He released over 600 singles and 60 albums, and is best known for “There’s A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere,” which was the first country song awarded a gold record for selling more than a million […]

Before the Internet or cell phones, there was an earlier communication fad in the 1970’s: CB radio.
America was caught in a Citizen’s Band mania that painted truck drivers as counter culture heroes - highway cowboy kings who fought “Smokey Bear” at every turn. Millions of people thrilled at the chance to have meaningless conversations […]

Dickie Goodman (recognized by Billboard Magazine as the #1 Novelty Artist of All Time) is considered one of the earliest proponents of sampling in music, and was the first performer to use fragments of other people’s hits to build his own songs.
In 1956 Goodman came up with the idea of using lines from current hits […]

BoxCar Willie was an American country music singer who sang “hobo” music. His hobo persona and songs of life on the road earned him a national following.
Born Lecil Martin in 1931, BoxCar Willie was the son of a railroad man, and always seemed to have a talent for music. By his teens he was […]

Bobby Sherman first appeared on television in 1964 as a house singer on the TV show Shindig, where he would sing other performers’ hits if they were unable or unwilling to appear on the show. While on Shindig, he released a few singles in an attempt to have a recording career, but he did […]

The Dean Martin Show was a comedy variety TV series that ran from 1965 to 1974, for 245 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by legendary crooner, and Rat Pack member, Dean Martin, who was initially reluctant to do the show, partially because he did not want to turn down movie and nightclub […]