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BBHQ Boomer Essays: |
| 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. |
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When we think of the "boomer years," we usually think of the 60s and
70s. The excitement and turmoil of the 60s tends to put the 50s in the
shadows. But the 50s does not belong there. Most boomers were born in the
50s; and whether we realize it or not, the 50s made a huge impression on
us. So this week, I'd like to take brief look back at the 50s... mostly
in pictures. Please come along with me. It'll be fun. I am one of the earlier boomers. But I have to work hard to remember much from the 50s. But if I can rewind past Woodstock, the Beatles, John Kennedy, and the Vietnam War, there is a lot of neat stuff back there. It was a great and fascinating time! As far as most of us boomers can remember, TV has always been there. And jet airplanes. And space travel. And Disneyland. And rock and roll. And portable radios. For most of us, the word polio has never made us shudder. But all of those things, and many more, came into the mainstream in the 50s. The Beatles, the Stones, Tempations, and on and on... they are rock and roll. But they all admit that they got their inspiration from 50s rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Elvis, the Everly Brothers, the Platters, Little Anthony, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Darin, the Fleetwoods, Fats Domino. Yeah; rock and roll was born in the 50s:
Our war was the Vietnam war. But to our Uncle Harvey, the war was in a place called Korea. That war did not last as long as did the Vietnam war; and it claimed fewer U.S. casualties. But we were on the brink of war with the Chinese in the early 50s. Had they entered the war on the side of North Korea -- and that was a distinct possibility -- well, things would have been drastically different for all of us.
Oh yeah... the 50s had their sex stars. There were fewer of them. But the biggest of them was bigger than Madonna, Britney, and... whatever else you got... all put together. This is Marilyn Monroe appearing before about a jillion soldiers in Korea in the 50s:
The great sports cars of the 60s that we remember all followed in the tracks of the great cars of the 50s. This is a version of the 1958 Corvette:
GM could not build that car today; the government would not allow it. But that might explain why nobody is as excited about cars today as we all were 50 years ago.
 So there is a quick look at the 50s. When I have time, I'll reach back there again. Life was not perfect in the 50s; but it was a lot of fun; and, most of the time, a lot more pleasant.
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Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History
Membership details here.
Terrific boomer memorabilia!!
Remember this?
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If you like what we're doing here at BBHQ, please help us by buying stuff through our link to Amazon.com:
| 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? |
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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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