Sometimes...

[H]

I can be so ignorant of events around me.
In the mid-1980s, my aunt worked at the Shalimar Resort (I was the night manager there earlier this century; it's now an Econolodge). One Thanksgiving they had me with them for dinner in the Shalimar's restaurant. According to the write-up I recently read, that evening's entertainer was interned in a cemetary about a mile from where I then lived -- and, although I expected he had some while ago, I didn't know about his passing at the time. The last of his band, Joe Boatner died in may of 1989, the year the group was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Now, the older members of this forum, and those who've listened to the 'oldies' stations, might recall the name of the group and some of their songs?

[H]

This may not be a proper place to add this but, in sense...
I opened my email, finding a message from a fairly close cousin; his mom and mine were a duet on local radio during WW2, the McLain Sisters; I once had a record of them singing "Pistol Packin' Mama" but the only version I now have is by Gene Vincent, which hasn't all the lyrics of the McLain Sisters' version.
Anyway, my aunt -- the younger of the duet -- just passed away at age 89.

[H]

I opened my email, finding a message from a fairly close cousin; his mom and mine were a duet on local radio during WW2, the McLain Sisters; I once had a record of them singing "Pistol Packin' Mama" but the only version I now have is by Gene Vincent, which hasn't all the lyrics of the McLain Sisters' version.

The past two weeks haven't been the best. Nevertheless, I did find other lyrics to this song, as done by Bing Crosby. It was a long time ago I listened to the record, much of my life ago; from what I've learned, local talent was employed by many radio stations in the early days and that record may have been a studio version? I thought some of our older members might know more about this?

[OldAirmail]

So many people, like Joe Boatner of the Ink Spots, have passed away that the world looks a little dimmer.


Songs from the Platters were playing through my head all day long.

One of my favorites
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nRU0GEBmWc[/youtube]



Sometimes what I hear nowadays sounds like someone with Tourette syndrome.

As I said, the world looks a little dimmer.

[Hagar]

Now, the older members of this forum, and those who've listened to the 'oldies' stations, might recall the name of the group and some of their songs?

Yes, I've heard of the Ink Spots but they were before my time. I don't remember any of their songs but one of their hits was resurrected by Windsor Davies and Don Estelle, stars of the popular TV comedy series "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". It topped the UK singles charts for 3 weeks in 1975 - Whispering Grass

[H]

I wasn't really around for the 1940s, let alone the 1930s (although my oldest 1st cousin was born in 1934 -- but she lives ½-way across the state). With a quick search, I've found that there was a succession of "Ink Spot" groups and Joe Boatner led one of them late 1950s into the 1960s; Bill Kenny (main original singer) and, perhaps, Watson of the original group (formed in the 1930s) only occasioned to accompany this later group.

As to my other interest, I'm wondering about the venue of radio stations around the time of WWII. It seems many in the U.S. offered local programming, rather than the now more common national/international feeds. Just wondering how it was elsewhere, as well.