7 minute read
COLUMNISTS
Behind theBeat
By Randal C. Hill
I went to a garden party To reminisce with my old friends A chance to share old memories And play my songs again
That’s what Rick Nelson expected when he signed on as a specialadded attraction at a New York oldies concert at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 15, 1971. But a tactical error by Nelson led to his storming offstage, his set cut short by several tunes. A year later, via “Garden Party,” his 19th — and final —Top 10 hit, he told the world his story behind that long-ago Friday night.
Chuck Berry was the show’s headliner, with supporting acts that included Bobby Rydell, Bo Diddley, the Shirelles, the Coasters and Gary U. S. Bonds. Each of the performers — Nelson included — had been hitless since 1964, the year that a Liverpool, England quartet swept Americans off the charts overnight.
When I got to the garden party They all knew my name No one recognized me I didn’t look the same
That evening, Nelson strolled onstage with ultra-long hair, bellbottom jeans, a velvet shirt and cowboy boots. His long-time fans were aghast. Nelson would later recount to Rolling Stone, “They kept looking at me and my long hair as if they couldn’t believe I was the same person. But I couldn’t have done it any differently, except by getting my hair cut and putting braces on my teeth.”
He opened with “Be-Bop Baby,” one of his early hits, and for a while Nelson’s classics brought screams of recognition and appreciation. But, later in his set, he offered a cover version of Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me,” and the mood of the audience instantly dampened. To make matters worse, Nelson set down his guitar, seated himself at an onstage piano and launched into the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women.” What followed was a tsunami of boos.
Concert promoter Richard Nader later explained, “The people that were in Madison Square Garden were not there to hear contemporary music; they were there to escape it.”
When I sang a song about a honky tonk
It was time to leave
Nelson played one more number before exiting the stage to seek refuge in a dressing room that night.
He soon renewed performing as he had since his return to the concert stage in 1969, mixing his oldies with some newer material. Outside of the New York debacle, he never encountered any problems; on a 1972 UK tour, for example, Nelson played London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall. His song set was essentially the same as the one at the Garden, only with more newer offerings. The exuberant crowd that night demanded four encores.
Nelson would eventually create his story song about that disastrous 1971 night. In doing so, Nelson’s “Garden Party” served notice to the world that he would never again be part of any strictly oldies gig.
SENIOR LIFE Creative Commons
Rick Nelson recorded 19 Top 10 hits.
If you gotta play at garden parties I wish you a lotta luck But if memories were all I sang I’d rather drive a truck. SL
Save the Date
Take control with confidence to tackle life’s challenges
How well have you dealt with changes, misfortune, shock and disaster? Reading this Senior Life newspaper indicates you are on the road to age 100. Each of us has a measure of resilience based on our family genetics, background and Character development. Those who live a long life have mastered the Competence to keep moving on.
As a young boy during World War II, I noticed family struggles. My paternal grandparents owned and operated a farm. Workers were hard to find. Women helped with all the farm chores along with older men. Food was rationed, but we thought a fried baloney supper was a feast. Oxtail soup and duck blood soup mixed with vegetables and fruit from our Victory garden sustained our energy. This stick-to-itness is now identified as resilience.
When I started teaching at a Northern Wisconsin high school in 1959, I had neighbors on either side of my rental apartment who were veterans. They never shared their experiences, but returned home to get a job, raise a family and be good Contributors in their community. Many years later while visiting Silverius at age 92, he showed me his medals. As a Marine, he survived Iwo Jima in the Pacific. Harold, who was quiet and reserved, survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. They Coped, they fought, they were resilient.
In a recent Dear Abby column, a distraught daughter wrote about her struggling mother who cannot adjust to
Challenges of Living to Age 100
Ed Baranowski
senior living. After her spouse died, her lifestyle changed with less income and fewer contacts. Abby wrote “Change at any age can be difficult, but as people age, they can become less resilient, which is more of a challenge.” Stay Connected.
Each of us as seniors are able to bounce back. George Everly Jr., a professor of psychology at Johns Hopkins University, states: “A resilient attitude is optimistic; it’s the belief in a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Resilience starts as a child.
My mother painted me with Mercurochrome when I was cut and bleeding and sent me back outdoors to play. Kenneth Ginsberg, a professor of adolescent medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, provides 7 c’s of Resilience (mentioned in this column with a capital “C”). Coping is the strongest which includes “the knowhow to reduce stress and prepare us to tackle life’s challenges.” Take Control with Confidence. SL
Ed Baranowski is an award-winning writer, artist, speaker and seminar leader. He lives in Melbourne and can be contacted at fast75sr@gmail.com.
We are fortunate to live in this special place — in fact, many people call Brevard County their own piece of paradise. Our natural lands are unique and irreplaceable. They contribute to the health of our environment, our economy, our families and the aesthetic values of our county.
If you’ve visited Cruickshank Sanctuary in Rockledge to see a scrub jay, kayaked the Thousand Islands in Cocoa Beach or visited the Sea Turtle/Barrier Island Sanctuary, you’ve experienced one of Brevard’s Environmentally Endangered Lands.
These areas are pristine and natural today because the people of Brevard County decided to conserve and nurture these lands for families and future generations.
In 1990, residents voted to create and fund a program to acquire, improve and maintain wildlife habitat, wetlands, woodlands and lands that protect the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River.
In 2004, voters approved renewal of the program. This November, renewal of the county program will be on the ballot. If renewed by voters, this ongoing conservation effort will continue a property tax, costing the average Brevard County homeowner only $3.60 a month.
Since 1991, the program has preserved 28,000 acres of land — 2% of the total acreage of Brevard County. The program additionally protected 35 miles of Indian River Lagoon shorelines, established three nature and educational centers and created 75 miles of public use trails for hiking, bicycling, fishing, paddling and more for residents and visitors.
Why is this important? Land conservation protects natural spaces for wildlife, fish, woodlands and birds. Economic benefits include sound property values, tourism and attracting companies and employees who wish to live in our naturally thriving community. Recreational and nature educational sites and opportunities are available from Titusville to Grant, enhancing our quality of life. Our treasured Indian River Lagoon also benefits from the reduction in pollution and shoreline preservation.
We are fortunate to live in this special place — a paradise worthy of preservation. For more information, visit EELBrevard.com.
Lagoon Straight Talk
From the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition
SL
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition
The boardwalk at the Pine Island Conservation Area is a beautiful place to hike.
SUDOKU
Solution on page 26
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