The Times of My Life

I’ve had the time of my life.

After listening to the new Black Eyed Peas song The Time, it made me reminisce about the original song and the memories flooded back of the summer I moved to the cities and “ Nobody puts Baby into a corner”.  It made me reflect on how important music continues to be in my life and how there are milestones in our lives that we can “ stamp” with a song.   The first chords of All About Soul by Billy Joel draw a gigantic smile to my face not just for memory but because it’s one of my all time favorite songs.

A while back I posted on Facebook asking people to list their favorite Christmas songs.  The radio stations had just gone 24/7 in October with Christmas music, and I thought if I have to hear Feliz Navidad one more time, I would have to commit Hari Kari. Putting the positive spin on the issue, I asked people to list the Christmas music that they could hear over and over again.  My number one choice was The First Noel. It has always been and continues to be my favorite of Christmas songs. As a child I was fascinated with the Shepherd part of the Nativity. All these smelly, dirty sheep farmers were in the inner circle.   It certainly makes more sense to me today.

The joy of listening to the oldies station is that it becomes your passport to the timeline of your life.  I once remember a radio station whose logo was “ the Music of Your Life” and it was.  How did they know I secretly jammed to Crocodile Rock  when I was 7th grade, or that Jive Talking drove me to college.  Carrying my Rufus albums and Marvin Gaye records to high school parties where no one had heard Mercy, Mercy Me or Sweet Thing let alone even know what R and B was

My life was lived according to American Top 40.  I was there when Michael and the brothers hit the chart, when Mary McGregor recorded music as a folk singer on Motown, the premiere R and B recording studio. Klaatu and Carpenters introduced me to Aliens in Calling Occupants and of course the monumental impact of the Beatles A Day in the Life.

College brought me to the bar with Disco and my divas Donna Summer, Cher (her third of five recording careers), Gloria Gaynor and one of my all time favorite songs,  I’m Doin Fine Now by NYC.  U2 got me through my first years of teaching along with the Boss and REO.  Jokingly, I suggested we name our first child (gender unknown) Kyrie after a Mr. Mister song popular at his birth. Lucky for him, his mother was not to be swayed by pop radio. The stories go on for at least all of the years I have lived.

Please note that not every song has the great AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH moment attached to it like Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl). I turn anything off that is by the Eagles and Nickelback.  I just don’t have the time to waste on those songs. Trust me, there are others.

Thanks to the radio and recorded music, my life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue- thank you Carol King for the great words. You and James have been there the whole time. As I slowly go to Carolina in my Mind, I can bless my 100 years of Wanna Be Startin Something .  I am truly a Juke Box Hero who has had The Time of My Life.
You Spin Me Right Round.

Keith