November 24 - Pete Best (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 25th are here: Scott Joplin (2019), Teddy Wilson (2020), Charles Theodore Pachelbel (2021), Scott Joplin; Alfred Schnittke (2022), Scott Joplin (2023), and Scott Joplin; Lilli Lehmann (2024)

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Pete Best (b. 24 November 1941) is a British retired musician who was the drummer for the Beatles from 1960 to 1962. He was dismissed shortly before the band achieved worldwide fame and is one of several people referred to as a fifth Beatle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Best

The drummer Pete Best

Was never blessed

With talent on par

With Ringo Starr.

 

 

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July 5 - Adam Young (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 5th are here: George Rochberg (2019), William Crotch (2020), Wanda Landowska (2021), George Rochberg (2022), and William Crotch (2023)

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Adam Young (b. 5 July 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the founder and sole member of electronica project Owl City. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving a Hoot

 

Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Adam Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Owl City developed a following on the social networking site MySpace. -- adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. "Owl City"

 

If you live in Owatonna

In a basement and you wanna

Have a band, but have no friend

Who’s there to help you to that end,

Fill the basement with a shipment

Of the flashiest equipment,

Record a tune, or several of them,

And hope that folks on MySpace love them.

Well, this is how success was sprung

For Owatonna’s Adam Young;

Without a band, with no committee

Adam Young became Owl City.

 

 

 

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June 5 - Laurie Anderson (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 5th are found here: Daniel Pinkham (2019), Kenny G. (2020), Peter Schat (2021), Arthur Somervell (2022), and Stan Jones (2023)

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Laurie Anderson (b. 5 June 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician, performance artist, and filmmaker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Tale in Two Rhymes

Sound your horn and wave Old Glory

For the natal day of Laurie

Anderson, whose music story

Doesn’t fit a category

Where it settles a priori.

To some she is a music god,

They hear her music and applaud,

And leave the concert thrilled and awed,

While others find her whole façade

Outré, outlandish, and, well, odd.

 

 

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July 8 - Beck; Percy Grainger (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 8th are found here: Steve Lawrence; Percy Grainger (2019), Raffi (2020), Billy Eckstine (2021), and George Antheil (2022) 

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Beck (b. 8 July 970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beck Eclectic

I considered, and said, what the heck,

I might as well celebrate Beck;

But I couldn’t decide,

Should I praise or deride?

Is it brilliant or self-centered dreck?

 

 

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

 

Percy Grainger (8 July 1882 – 20 February 1961) was a pianist and composer chiefly remembered for his folk song arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needing Weeding

 

Grainger seemed to have become bored with the tune when he re-orchestrated the piece later in life with intentional "wrong" notes, and remarked, “The typical English country garden is not often used to grow flowers in; it is more likely to be a vegetable plot. So you can think of turnips as I play it.” – adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. “Country Gardens”

The sympathetic critic pardons

Grainger’s thoughts on “Country Gardens”,

Because the thing became a danger

To the fame of Percy Grainger.

A garden near a roof of thatch

Will likely be a veggie patch,

And not a place to spend the hours

Contemplating English flowers.

A garden by a humble stoop

Will grow the makings of a soup; —

And so, my gentle friends, have mercy

On the thoughts of Grainger (Percy).

 

 

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January 10 - Jim Croce; Sherrill Milnes (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 10th are here: Johann Zumsteeg (2020), Ray Bolger (2021), and Frank Sinatra Jr. (2022)

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Jim Croce (10 January 1943 – 20 September 1973) was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fatalism

On September 20, 1973, at the height of his popularity Croce and five others died in a plane crash. -- Wikipedia

 

Jim Croce’s life was one of those

Which had a tragic early close.

Time’s not captured in a bottle; –

We can plan, but at the throttle,

In control, but never seen,

Is Fate advancing in between

The plans we make and how they end -–

And that is how it is, my friend.

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

Sherrill Milnes (b. 10 January 1935) is an American dramatic  baritone most famous for his Verdi roles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knowing Your Niche

Sherrill Milnes was always in control

In any leading baritonal role.

But it was Verdi where his virile voice

Became the world’s interpreter of choice.

 

 

 

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