Earworm of the Day: Rip It Up

A little Rockabilly to keep you from resting quietly tonight...

Of all the versions of the song I've heard through the years, hers is actually my favorite, possibly because it's a girl thing (although, cute as these two are, they don't hold a candle to Wanda Jackson) Still, every time I listen to Jackson, my throat hurts for hours afterward. Like Rod Stewart and Bonnie Tyler after her, she belts her songs out in such a dry, wild fashion, I imagine she must have had nothing left of her vocal cords but burrs, after a few decades.

Earworm of the Day: (Lookie Lookie Lookie) Here Comes Cookie

I was well into adulthood before I realized that the band on WGN's broadcasts of Bozo's Circus usually played this tune when Cooky the kooky cook clown entered…

I was today years old when I learned about the amazing Cleo Brown as a human being, and not just a voice occasionally heard on my playlist. She was not only the remarkable pianist who replaced Fats Waller when he left NY's radio station WABC, she subsequently (reportedly) inspired Dave Brubeck in the early days of his career.

As she matured, she left show business, got baptized, and went on to pursue a career as a nurse, and only later returned to music...  to sing gospel for her church and a small few other performances.