Monday, June 19, 2017

Music Moves Me - Memories of a Friend

Today, on Music Moves me, the theme is "Songs with a Location in the Title".
Brooklyn rowhouses
A friend I grew up with would have turned 65 today, and I'd like to remember her in this post.

She lived most of her life in Brooklyn, and my father was a native of Brooklyn, so why not start with the location of Brooklyn for my first song?

Neil Diamond - Brooklyn Roads

Those who know me well know I am a Simon and Garfunkel fan.  So, I switch to Manhattan and offer this song, "Bleeker Street".  

My friend's husband is a musician, someone who performs in community choruses and helps to moderate a music group on Facebook.  I was honored to see him perform once, the spring after Superstorm Sandy hit New York City.  The theme of the concert was water.

Today, I immediately thought of a song about seas; I guess "Beyond the Sea" is a song with a location in it.  Isn't it?

My friend and I both went to the same high school as Bobby Darin (just not at the same time).  In fact, that wasn't his name at the time - his birth name was Walden Robert Cassotto.  Sadly, as a child, he suffered from rheumatic fever, which weakened his heart and caused him lifelong problems.  He died, from complications of surgery related heart valve replacement surgery, when he was only 37 years old.

"Beyond the Sea" was released in 1960.  That, and "Mack the Knife", are two of my favorite songs.

Finally, I have blogged about this song before, but it fits this theme so way.  Glen Campbell was born in the same year as Bobby Darin, and now, he is perhaps in the final months of his life, his mind taken from us by Alzheimer's.  This is my favorite Glen Campbell song - Wichita Lineman.  In fact, several of his hits have locations in their title.

If you are just here for music, jump to the bottom of this post and join the other dancers on the dance floor of Music Moves Me.  If you wish to join the hop, come on in, the music is fine!

The rest of this post is a small remembrance of my friend.

I remember how much my friend loved to garden.  When I think of roses, or strawberries, I think of my friend.
Today, roses are in bloom where I live in upstate New York, and the strawberries are ripe.

Here are some posts I wrote during that last period in her life.

Crocheting for charity
A backyard grows in Brooklyn (featuring her small backyard garden)
More of her backyard
Haiku in Brooklyn 

Monday’s Music Moves Me is sponsored by X-Mas Dolly, Callie, Cathy, and Stacy, so be sure and visit them, where you can also find the Linky for the other participants.

 

13 comments:

  1. Bookworm,

    What a lovely way to start the week with your tribute to a friend with today's theme! I'm sure she's smiling down on you with these nice tunes. I enjoyed listening to all of your selections. A few folks I already danced with this morning featured Glen Campbell. It's so sad he's fallen victim to Alzheimer's and that his days are few. Campbell has such a smooth voice. I always liked his style and with age I thought he got more mellow sounding to my ear. Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea" is a fabulous oldie and what a golden voice he had! Thanks for joining the 4M gals and great share, my friend!

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  2. I never heard Brooklyn Roads before... And, Mack the Knife is on my list, too.
    Glenn was and on-and-off companion, but his journey has brought him back to my list.

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  3. Losing a friend is hard. I had a good friend in college, but we had lost touch through the years. My daughter will be moving to Atlanta, where he is from, so I tried to get in touch with him through the internet. I found his obituary. :(

    The Simon and Garfunkel song is pretty, but I also liked "Beyond the Sea."

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  4. I only turn on my volume when I read your Monday blogs and I am always entertained.Didn't realize Bobby died so young.
    I am sorry for your loss and share in your grief as I lost my bff of 32 years 18 months ago and still can not delete her number from my phone!

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  5. I love your journey of locations. It's amazing how music can bring back memories of people and places, and sometimes make us dream of being elsewhere, too.

    ~Mary

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  6. What a lovely tribute to your friend! I love the flowers. Where in upstate New York are you? I'm from Niagara Falls (but I live in Austin, Texas now). I miss the HUMONGOUS trees of my home state. And Lilacs! Oh how I miss lilacs! I wanted to plant a lilac bush here but they just don't grow in this climate.

    I love how you did a theme in a theme with your song selections. I didn't know Bobby Darin died so young. Love Mack the Knife!
    And I used Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman in my playlist too. Such a great song. So sad that his alzheimers is so advanced. Poor guy.

    I'm excited to be a part of the Monday's Music Moves Me gang. Everyone has given me such a warm welcome. Looking forward to getting to know you all...and digging on some great music along the way!

    Have a good week,
    Michele at Angels Bark

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  7. The first song to enter my head when I started reading was Sting's 'An Englishman in New York'. Go figure.

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  8. Beautiful tribute to your friend!

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  9. You honor your friend and pull me in with your photos and your words. I think today is actually my friend Sue's birthday. You reminded me. I miss her so much and think of her often. Thanks.

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  10. Kind of a playlist for your friend. Very nice. (Sad reason for it, though.)

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  11. Lovely tribute to your friend. I had actually never heard either Brooklyn Roads (although I've had a pint or two at Montero's and don't live far from Erasmus HS!), loved bothe of them!

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  12. Thank you for all the entertainment here especially with the King of entertainers Bobby Darin. Fantastic... sorry I'm so late I'm still playing catch up from when I was sick & in the hospital, but I finally caught up with my email. That was the biggest thing I had to do!!! Woo Hoo

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