Trivia

Every Friday, throughout the year, WGCU and Sheldon Zoldan have presented a little bit of history, a little bit of music, with a lot of music. As we close out the year, Fridays in December will go to honoring five musicians, singers, and songwriters who left us in 2022. Today we honor Ronnie Spector who died January 12, 2022.

The "Snowstorm of the Century" in the United States occurred on November 28, 1950. The Song of the Day, "Fifteen Feet of Pure Snow" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, doesn't talk about that history but, then again, no one is quite sure what the song is about.

Rosemary Clooney was a hitmaker in the early 1950s, but she wasn’t the type of entertainer to select songs that were filled with salacious lyrics. But on November 18, 1954 ABC’s radio stations banned the Song of the Day, “Mambo Italiano,” not understanding some of the words, thinking they might be suggestive.

Veterans Day didn’t start out honoring all veterans. It began as Armistice Day, which first was celebrated on Nov. 11, 1919, one year after the fighting in World War I ceased. The name changed in 1954, when the holiday honored veterans of all wars.

The Song of the Day for November 4 is "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash. It's the only Song of the Day that has been used for a window-cleaner commercial.

The stock market crashed October 28, 1929, today known as Black Monday. The Song of the Day, "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?," became the anthem during the Great Depression.

Sometimes, the best things are the least complicated. The husband-wife songwriting team of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote “Rocky Top” in 10 minutes. The University of Tennessee marching band played the song for the first time October 21, 1972. They’ve never stopped playing it.

Leonard Bernstein, who is considered one of America’s greatest conductors, died October 14, 1990. He was 72 years old. One of his most popular Broadway songs is "Maria." Bernstein's original premise for "West Side Story" might have been a bit different, but the song's meaning would remain the same.

Jose Feliciano sang the "Star Spangled Banner" on October 7, 1968 at game five of the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, to mixed reviews.

James Dean was a star when he died in a car crash on September 30, 1955. He then became a superstar. The Song of the Day, “James Dean,” was on the Eagles’ “On the Border” album in 1974.