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Or, click the drop-down arrow and take your pick! The BBHQ Merchandise Mart Pictures, Posters & Autographs Alfalfa Muhammad Ali Woody Allen Beatles Jimmy Buffett Carol Burnett Eric Clapton Roy Clark Sean Connery Joe Cool Kirk Douglas Clint Eastwood Elvis Bob Feller W.C. Fields Harrison Ford the Godfather Andy Griffith Katherine Hepburn Dustin Hoffman the Honeymooners Bob Hope Martin Luther King Laurel & Hardy Life magazine Little Rascals Robert Mitchum Mickey Mouse Muppet Show Paul Newman Newman & Redford Jack Nicholson Peter, Paul & Mary Playboy logo Post, Time magazines The Lone Ranger Rat Pack Ronald Reagan The Riddler Rocky Mickey Rooney Simon & Garfunkel Spanky & Scotty Shirley Temple James Stewart - "Harvey" James Stewart - "It's a Wonderful Life" John Travolta John Wayne Woodstock

BBHQ Boomer Essays: The Leader of the Band

Our Boomer-In-Charge here at BBHQ, Hershel Chicowitz, writes frequently about current events... from a boomer perspective. He is sometimes funny, sometimes provocative, sometimes a little of each. We hope you get a kick out of our Boomer Essays.

Fall, 2004: An only child alone and wild A cab'net maker's son His hands were meant for diff'rent work And his heart was known to none He left his home and went his lone and solitary way And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay A lot of people write to BBHQ asking us what happened to all the great music we grew up with..... you know, the music that had meaning, music that had words.... music that touched your heart. Well, thank goodness for tapes, CDs, and oldies radio stations. But of course, that is not what they are talking about. We address that issue in several essays here at BBHQ. "Where has All the Music Gone?" remembers some of the great songs, and introduces a new artist with an oldies flavor. "When Music was Fun" reminds you of all the silliness we enjoyed with our music. "When the Music had Words" points out how important the lyrics are in our music. Today, I offer another example of great music.... great music that is still out there. A quiet man of music Denied a simpler fate He tried to be a soldier once But his music wouldn't wait He earned his love thru' discipline A thund'ring velvet hand His gentle means of sculpting souls Took me years to understand He has not had a commercial hit song in a long time, but he has a small and enormously loyal audience, and he has given birth to a magnificent collection of great music. Dan Fogelberg. Reading his biography at www.danfogelberg.com, it is instantly obvious that Dan did not choose to write music - it chose him: "He's four years old, standing up on a box in front of his father's big band, baton in hand, conducting. Though his dad stood behind him, doing the real work, for Dan it was a foreshadowing of what his life would be -- following in his father's footsteps to become the leader of the band. "It was an amazing feeling," he declared decades later. 'To be immersed in music. It felt both very magical and powerful. And I was fearless.'"     The leader of the band Is tired and his eyes are growing old But his blood runs thru' my instrument And his song is in my soul My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man I'm just a living legacy To the leader of the band         - Leader of the Band Click here to listen to the chorus of "Leader of the Band." (The BBHQ JukeBox includes "Leader of the Band" and other great songs by Dan Fogelberg. Click here for more information about our JukeBox.) "The Leader of the Band" is on Dan's "Innocent Age" and the "Very Best of Dan Fogelberg" albums. There is a link to each of these CDs near the end of this essay. Though Dan says he gets inspiration from several sources, I see in him, unmistakably, Paul Simon. Essentially, he is a poet. He writes from the heart. And anyone with a heart cannot help but be moved by his words and music. He is a national treasure, a gift to our generation... and generations to follow. Now that we love Now that the lonely nights are over How do we make love stay? Now that we know The fire can burn bright or nearly smolder How do we keep it from dying away?         - Make Love Stay Recently we received some very sad news about Dan Fogelberg; he has cancer. One of his biggest fans asked that we post this message: As you may have heard, entertainer Dan Fogelberg has recently been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and has entered a program at Harvard Medical School. Doctors there have embarked on an experimental treatment plan for him. A singer/songwriter, Dan's career has spanned 40 years and he has sold over 20 million albums. As a baby boomer, his songs reached many of us personally. His album "Nether Lands" sang of the beauty of the mountains, while "Exiles" spoke of the pain of divorce. As one of his many fans, the news brought great sadness to me. Cancer is an insidious disease that can strike anyone at anytime. Dan is only 53 years old; he had been to see his doctor two years ago. At that time, he checked out fine. In two years, his cancer has aggressively developed and has spread to his bones. I am writing this to encourage you to take action. Learning about Dan's struggle caused me to take the following actions: I called and made an appointment to go to my general practitioner. It has probably been three years since my last visit and although I cannot get prostate cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer can be deadly. If it has been longer than a year since your last doctor appointment, call today and get one scheduled! It could save your life. I had promised the American Institute for Cancer Research to send letters to my neighbors requesting a donation. Since it was a task I really did not look forward to I was procrastinating. I sent the letters yesterday. If you can donate time or funds to one of the cancer societies, please do so. Dan has a link on his website www.danfogelberg.com to the American Cancer Society Donation Page. From his web site, you can link to another site http://www.thelivinglegacy.net/wishes.html to post good wishes for Dan. Please add your healing wishes and prayers. I did and I am sure your prayers and thoughts will reach a higher power; sometimes that is all we can do. God Bless, Phyllis Wessler-Brownson And it's run for the roses As fast as you can Your fate is delivered Your moment's at hand It's the chance of a lifetime In a lifetime of chances And it's high time you joined in the dance It's high time you joined in the dance         - Run for the Roses Dan Fogelberg died on December 16, 2007.

Personal Stories of the Chicowitz: Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History A Trip to the Dentist The Chicowitz Gets Dumped - Again! Just Shoot Me! He Sleeps with the Fishes My Little Girl, Princess Why am I Still Single? The Plastic Surgery Saga Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House... Not! Middle Age and the Mazdamobile Down for the Count That Dirty Dancing Me and You and a Dog Named Princess Contemplations on the Hereafter A Camping We Will Go Travels with Princess - Part 1 Tool Time with the Chicowitz The Chicowitz Goes Country ... and 120 other boomer stories Win prizes in the BBHQ Weekly Trivia Contest View answers to the daily trivia question Access 18 books in our Trivia Library Name that Tune Name that Tune - the 70s edition What's in a Number What's in a Number - the R&R edition The Name Game Who Said That? The Boomer Movie Quiz All of the above, plus: View lyrics to over 750 boomer-era songs Search 750 song lyrics for a word or phrase Search the title and artist of over 4,000 oldies Access the BBHQ School Registry Print the home page, 60s & 70s verbal collages All of the above, plus: Play 200 classic oldies from your computer. View the lyrics as the song plays Membership details here. Terrific boomer memorabilia!! Remember this? Click here to own a memory of Woodstock; $9.00 including shipping. "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," 55 songs: 2 CDs and a DVD from their 2003 concert tour. Click here to order this great collection.

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Personal Stories of the Chicowitz:     Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History     A Trip to the Dentist     The Chicowitz Gets Dumped - Again!     Just Shoot Me!     He Sleeps with the Fishes     My Little Girl, Princess     Why am I Still Single?     The Plastic Surgery Saga     Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House... Not!     Our House - Part 2     Our House - Part 3: Reclaiming the Past     Middle Age and the Mazdamobile     Down for the Count     That Dirty Dancing     Contemplations on the Hereafter     Tool Time with the Chicowitz     The Chicowitz Goes Country     Born to be Screwed     Mr. Brownthumb     The Mixer - A Singles Story     Crab Cakes Midlife Crisis:     The Defining Moment     The Saga Continues     Fighting Back     The Straight Scoop In December, Traditions of Christmas:     1997: The Christmas Tree     1998: Remembrance.... and Friends     1999: Christmas Cards     2001: Songs & Stories     2002: The Gift of Giving     2003: Decorating the Tree     2004: The Christmas Pin     2005: The Making of the Christmas Card     2006: Christmas on a Toothpick     2007: The Paper Route Years     Merry Christmas, Y'all     Hershel's Wish List: 2004     The "A" List Teach, Preach & Nag:     Courage and Class: Tony Snow     The New American Dream     A Grateful Heart     Things We'll Learn     The Death of a Friend     The Age of Non-Responsibility     "Thank You": Another Dying Phrase     The Saturday Night Live "Curse"     The Boomers, the Xers and Beyond     Rules, Boundaries and Consequences     It's for the Children     "American Beauty" - an American Nightmare     Of Values and Legacies     School Violence: Lessons from the Past     The Boomer Lyrics are with Us Everywhere     Everybody's Got a Story     Power to the Boomers     My Kingdom for a Plain Burger     Perception is Reality?     Oh Woe is Us!     It's Soooooo Hard     Take Care of Yourself     Public Service     The Universal Apology     The Leader of the Band Travels with Princess:     A Camping We Will Go     A Camping We Did Go     Travels with Princess - Part 1     Travels with Princess - Part 2     Me and You and a Dog Named Princess     Savannah: Midnight in the Garden     Time to Think     On Top of Old Smoky     The Fall Leaves and Such A View from Hurricane Alley:     The Big Scare     Before the Storm     After the Storm Katrina:     Intemperate Thoughts     Information Misload     Wet Dream Election 2004:     JF Kerry: Just the Facts     A Discussion of the Issues     The Election 2004 Quiz     Find a Bush Lie -- Collect $5,000     Talking Dirty in Washington     I Believe - The George W. Bush Edition     Inside John Kerry     Why Character Matters - Part Umpteen     Reporting for Duty     Is it Safe Yet?     Why We/They Hate Bush     Ronald Reagan: Hard-Wired Decency     What I Am     Nov. 8: Post-Mortem Election 2006:     I Believe -- the Election 2006 Edition     A Civil Debate

A Boomer Remembers...:     I Remember the 50s     The 60s: Life was Sweeter     The New American Dream     Another Side of the Greatest Generation     Where has all the Music Gone?     Memories of the Sock Hop     Remembering the Chairman of the Board     Restless in Seattle     The New Math     We Are Not One Boomer     "And Here's to You, Joe DiMaggio"     The Days of Summers Past     The Seeds of Character     A Letter to a Teacher     I Want a Clark Bar!     When Music was Fun     Decoration Day - The Measure of Sacrifice     11/22/63: We Remember     Flashback: The Y2K Hysteria     When the Music had Words     Ronald Reagan: Hard-Wired Decency     The Great Carsoni     Love Songs of the Chicowitz     Do You Remember These?     V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N -- We're on Vacation!     A Watergate Success Story Straight Talk on Social Issues:     Money 101: Incentive     Health Care: Solutions     Dr. Jack - A Man for Our Times     Misplaced Outrage: The Imus Affair     Global Warming Warning     Sin Offsets     Immigration: Good Fences     July, 2006: The Price of Freedom     Oh, Woe is Babs!     "Fair and Balanced"?     Lower Education     Boomer Retirement: "Hell No, We Won't Go!"     Social Security for Dummies     Feelings over Facts     Talking Down the Economy     The Little Red Hen     The Singles' Journal: Marriage     The Shadow IRS     The Dumbing Down of America     The Next, Great Entitlement     Voting Our way to Fairness     Straight Talk on Energy     We are Losing the Culture War     A Taxpayers' Bill of Rights     The Greedy Hand Extends its Reach     My Kingdom for a Candidate     Another Hat in the Toilet     We Have Met the Enemy     I'm From the Government & I'm Here to Help You     B. Clinton: The Case Against the President     B. Clinton: The Case For the President     Charlton Heston: The Culture War     Head Start: The Difference between Red and Blue     Labor Day - The Entrepreneur     It's Lonely at the Top     Kids on Drugs     Roe v. Wade Reality     Stem Cell 101     Vietnam: From a Distance     Iraq: Another Vietnam - ? Freedom:     What Makes America Great     Another Side of Freedom     The Purest form of Democracy     Threats to Freedom Mostly, Just Silly Stuff:     Sin Offsets     Menopause: Just for Laughs     The Fat Tax     Cell Phones & Other Crimes & Misdemeanors     Like Father, Like Son     Where Have You Gone, Walter Cronkite?     A Dire Warning to all Boomers     An Aging Boomer's Final Call to Action     BoomerSpeak     "American Pie": a Fresh Interpretation     Hail to Thee, My Alma Mater     Rock On!     The BBHQ Exam Story     Great Quotations     The $2.5 Million Pyramid     I Double-Dare You! The Terrorist Attack of 2001:     The Best of Times     Showing Your Patriotism     "All We are Saaaaaaaa-ying..."     2004: Is it Safe Yet? The Chicowitz on Iraq:     Politics for Dummies - Part I     Peace in Our Time     Yankee Go Home!     Bullhorn Responsibility     Blood for Oil!     Why We Fight     They Said - Part 1     They Said - Part 2     Why They're Wrong ** There's even more: The BBHQ Archives **

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The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you?

The BBHQ Book of the Month is "Vinyl Highway," by Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee. Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story. It's pretty cool.

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	Or, click the drop-down arrow and take your pick! The BBHQ Merchandise Mart Pictures, Posters & Autographs Alfalfa Muhammad Ali Woody Allen Beatles Jimmy Buffett Carol Burnett Eric Clapton Roy Clark Sean Connery Joe Cool Kirk Douglas Clint Eastwood Elvis Bob Feller W.C. Fields Harrison Ford the Godfather Andy Griffith Katherine Hepburn Dustin Hoffman the Honeymooners Bob Hope Martin Luther King Laurel & Hardy Life magazine Little Rascals Robert Mitchum Mickey Mouse Muppet Show Paul Newman Newman & Redford Jack Nicholson Peter, Paul & Mary Playboy logo Post, Time magazines The Lone Ranger Rat Pack Ronald Reagan The Riddler Rocky Mickey Rooney Simon & Garfunkel Spanky & Scotty Shirley Temple James Stewart - "Harvey" James Stewart - "It's a Wonderful Life" John Travolta John Wayne Woodstock