Buddy Holly # 13 in Rolling Stone's Top 100 artists

In 1972, Don McClean introduced our generation to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in the # 1 song"American Pie". 

It started like this:     

"A long, long time ago...I can still remember How that music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And, maybe, they'd be happy for a while. But February made me shiver With every paper I'd deliver. Bad news on the doorstep; I couldn't take one more step. I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride, But something touched me deep inside The day the music died."

The "day the music died" was on this day in 1959, a big triple loss for pop music. 

McClean's tune got me very interested in Buddy Holly, a native of West Texas.

I bought his records. I visited his grave during a business trip to West Texas about 20 years ago. I have followed the creation of The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, TX.

I learned that Paul McCartney was also a huge fan of Buddy Holly. He toured England in 1958!

The Beatles recorded Holly's "Words of Love" in one of their early LP's. The Rolling Stones recorded "Not fade away", another of Holly's songs.

Buddy Holly was only 22 but ".....In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Holly #13 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time."

You can hear Buddy Holly's influence in every rock song recorded over the years. You can specially hear it in garage bands or every 15-year old who has played a rock guitar.

Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed in the same plane crash. They were not as popular as Holly but Valens had incredible potential since he was only 17!

The day "the music died", a sad day in the history of rock.

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June 29, 1941: DiMaggio got 41 & 42 in a doubleheader

On this day in 1941, the amazing Joe DiMaggio singled in the sixth inning in the first game of a doubleheader to tie George Sisler's A.L. consecutive-game hit record of 41 games. 

In the second game, he set the record at 42 games with a single in the seventh inning.  

His next goal was the N.L. record of 44.  

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1979: Weaver won # 1,000

On this day in 1979, the Orioles opened the season by beating Chicago.    It was Earl Weaver's 1,000th win as a manager, all of them with Baltimore.

Weaver became the O's manager in July 1968, won the 1970 World Series, the 1969 & 1971 AL pennants, plus the 1973 & 1974 AL East titles.   

In 1979, Weaver's O's won 102 and returned to the World Series but lost to the Pirates.  In 1980, the O's won 100 games but finished 3 behind the Yankees.

He retired in 1982 with 1,480 wins and a .582 winning pct.    He went into The Hall of Fame in 1996.

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Why do we love George Washington?

We remember another of George Washington’s birthdays. Back in our early days in “el exilio”, we used to celebrate this day exclusively. No Presidents’ Day but rather President Lincoln on February 12th and President Washington on the 22nd. I regret that we changed that.

George Washington was vital to the success of the new American nation. Our friends at Power Line call him the indispensable man and they are right:

Today is the anniversary of the birth of George Washington. Of all the great men of the revolutionary era to whom we owe our freedom, Washington’s greatness was the rarest and the most needed. At this remove in time, it is also the hardest to comprehend.

Take, for example, Washington’s contribution to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Washington’s mere presence lent the undertaking and its handiwork the legitimacy that resulted in success. The convention’s first order of business was the election of a presiding officer. Washington was the delegates’ unanimous choice.

Washington led an army of colonists and then held together the new constitution by serving as the first president. He could have been “president for life” or reelected to a 3rd term. However, he respected the constitution and set the example by walking away from power. We’ve had orderly transfer of power ever since and that’s no small accomplishment in world history. He died in 1799.

He was indeed the indispensable man to the new nation. Where would we be today without the work or presence of George Washington?

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We remember Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007)

We remember Boris Yeltsin who was born on this day in 1931.  He died in 2007.

It's hard to think of Boris N. Yeltsin without recalling the end ot the USSR.  I can still remember Yeltsin with a Russian flag and surrounded by lots of happy faces. That was a happy moment for him and the Russian people.

Yeltsin was consequential, although he had his problems. At the same time, no one is perfect, specially the leader of nation without any democratic traditions.

 

How will Yeltsin be remembered?

 

My guess is that history will be kind to Yeltsin.  

 

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1944: Siege of Leningrad

On this day in 1944, the siege of Leningrad ended.  It was the 900-day German-enforced containment of the city and cost thousands of Russian lives.

We discussed Hitler's decision to invade the USSR with Barry Jacobsen.

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