I must be living on another planet if it took a news report about the performers smoking as part of the show being an issue at the Chicago showing of “Jersey Boys” to get me to post about one of my favorite groups “back when”. I admit that even though New York City is not all that far from our home, we don’t venture into the City that much. Hubby and I spent a lot of time there in our early years of marriage, especially around Christmas, and took the Staten Island Ferry in and back with the children when they were young…an inexpensive boat ride. But now that they are grown, we’ve kicked back and settled into a relatively rural lifestyle here in the Highland region of NJ.
Anyway, back to “Jersey Boys”, a great production that has been, and is, touring the Country, telling the history of Frankie Valli and “The Four Seasons”. According to a Cleveland article, Frankie Valli stated that there are few options for someone growing up in NJ, you can “leave town, join the mob, or become stars”. Of course I don’t feel that way about my home State, but that’s because of where I grew up. Frankie was born in Newark, a NJ City, so life was quite different for him…he probably saw and experienced things I can only imagine. Well I’m glad they chose to be stars, because they were among my absolute favorite groups in the ’60′s, I can’t think of a song they’ve done that I didn’t like.
Here’s a clip from Dave Letterman Show, Paul S. sharing his passion for the show when it was on Broadway, and then a performance by the cast from 2006 doing a medley of some of the most popular hits by the group:
And the post wouldn’t be complete without a video from the real deal, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” performed in 1967…enjoy!
We just got home from our local commemoration of this great day in the center of our town of West Milford at our war memorial. I am sure, at least hope, this is being repeated in many towns across the USA. Sitting in front of me was a frail but wonderful WWII Veteran. Sitting front and center were 2 families of our most recent casualties…I don’t like that word, I mean our most recent heroes to give their lives in Iraq. It was special to simply be able to shake a hand, give a hug to a tearful family member, to say “thank you” knowing that there were no words that could take away the pain. We thank those who have served our Nation and paid the ultimate price. Also remembered were local heroes who died in the attack on 911, names that many know nationwide from our area, like Father Mychael F. Judge who left our local catholic church to be a Chaplain for the NY City Fire Department, the image of his body being carried from the World Trade Center ruins now impressed in the minds of many, among the first if not the first victim we heard about after the attack. And Jeremy Glick, a hero of United Airlines Flight 93. So many more names that we must never forget. My son took a few pictures, one shown above.
Now, what has become my favorite patriotic song with wonderful images to stir the heart to remember, and thank you not just to NJ heroes, but all of our heroes all over the USA:
Do you remember the show “The Wonder Years” that lasted a quite a few seasons after it’s release date in 1988? It was a show that many Baby Boomers can relate to, it was our time and stirred up so many memories. When my brother and I would watch the show, we could relate, right down to the late ’50′s to early ’60′s suburban developments with their perfect streets, sidewalks, neatly mowed lawns and, for us at least, ranch style houses.
Keeping a perfect lawn was a BIG deal in those days…I suppose it is in many places today, but living where we do now, in a rural woodsy area some 40+ years later, it’s not our lifestyle…we’re more a product of the hippie years, living close to the earth, natural living, and all that came from those years when we decided to rebel against “the establishment”. Of course enjoying nature and natural living is one of the GOOD things that came from those times, but back to those lawns.
Most men were out early on Saturday mowing & feeding their lawns, and keeping them trimmed along the sidewalks. Almost every front yard had two neat “squares” of green, parted by the sidewalk that went up to the front door, and a little strip of green along the road between the main sidewalk and curb.
My Dad would brush off this ritual between men of keeping the perfect lawn as “keeping up with the Joneses” as if it was something to be scorned, as if he were above all that. But believe me, he was right out there “keeping up” himself, and I have proof of his passion for the competition, think I’ll save that for my “Memories and Nostalgia” blog.
Abbott & Costello were a comedy team that I LOVED as a child, and it was only later in life, not that long ago actually, that I found out both were born here in New Jersey. Bud was born William Alexander Abbott in 1827 in Asbury Park, NJ, where we spent days at the shore when I was a kid. Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo in 1906 in the same County that I live in now, Passaic County in Paterson NJ, about a 30+ minute drive from our rural part of the County.
It was in the mid-1930′s when they began their act on the stage, then went on to radio, and finally to Television where I remember seeing them, and the movies. Their humor was clean and funny! The “Abbott and Costello Show” began it’s TV run in 1952, a year after I was born. I would have been about 7 years old when Lou Costello passed away in 1959. There’s a lot that can be said about this great duo, including all they did to help keep morale up during WWII, and almost everyone has heard of their skit “Who’s On First”, in fact, I have it for you below, enjoy!
