Monday, October 7, 2019

October 7 - Alfred Drake; William Billings; John (Cougar) Mellencamp (The Musical Birthday Series)

Alfred Drake (7 October 1914 – 25 July 1992) was a baritone, especially known for several important Broadway roles.



True in His Fashion

Alfred Drake 
Didn’t fake.

On the stage
In his age
It was expected 
One projected,
No free ride, 
(Unamplified).
He didn’t croon
With autotune,

But held his own
In a full grown 
Rich baritone.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪


William Billings (7 October 1746 – 26 September 1800) was the most important early American composer of choral music.















Compensation

Young William Billings
Was rewarded in shillings
But later his scholars
Paid him in dollars.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ 
John (Cougar) Mellencamp (b. October 7, 1951) is an American rock singer and song writer.

A double dactyl is a biographically inspired humorous poem with very strict structural rules.   
Here are links to two definitions for those who are curious.  The first from the  
Poetry Foundation is clearer but less accurate than the second, from Wikipedia.  Take 
your pick.  The classic statement is the book Jiggery-Pokery:  A Compendium of 
Double Dactyls by Anthony Hecht and John Hollander (New York, 1967).













Double Dactyl on JCM 

Higgledy piggledy,
John Cougar Mellencamp
Living in Bloomington,
Hoosier of fame.

Bored with a sobriquet 
Hexasyllabical,
Every so often would
Alter his name.


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