Did you listen to your parent' music ?

[FromtheSOUTH]

Some of my earliest memories as a child are sitting in front of ye olde CD player, listening to my Dad's music. Elvis, Johnny Cash, George Thorogood (Was my favorite) Eagles, etc, etc. To this day, my old man can do a spot-on cover of Jerry Lee Lewis' Great Balls of Fire, and I can remember him singing that song since my childhood. Though he never played in a band or sang professionally, this is probably what inspired me to start singing in my teens. I figured, if that old fart can do it, why can't I?

 

[DrCobweb]

My mother liked swing and big band; my dad was into Appalachian music (Carter Family, etc.) and old-time country/folk (Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, Mac Wiseman, etc.). Yeah, I picked up on that. Dad played guitar (at age 87 he still plays, and has his own group) and got me started as a player. He bought a Wurlitzer jukebox (78 RPM) when I was a little kid, put it in the basement, and filled it with stuff by Elvis, Bing Crosby, Lefty Frissel and folks of that era. So even before I was old enough to handle a record player, I could play music when I wanted to just by pushing the buttons. Later on, when I veered off into jazz, rock and R&B they were very tolerant, even encouraging.

My own kids (now adults with families of their own) definitely dig a lot of the same music I do. They're not as much into classical as I am (yet), but both love great rock, blues, R&B and jazz. They each branch into their own areas, but the core of their own collections are the albums we had around the house when they were growing up. We took 'em to a lot of concerts when they were young (Allman Brothers, Santana, George Thorogood, Arlo Guthrie, whatever) and also to local jazz clubs to hear small combos up close. My son took up guiter & bass (along with a brief stint on trombone in high school), and my daughter went with the sax. The cool thing was seeing them come home from the library with albums they had discovered on their own, exploring and digging deeper into the music.

 

[RAMI]

Funny, I don't even know what my parents listened to. But I do remember a copy of the Beatles album "Something New", which I think was a compilation of 2 albums for North American release. I Remember liking it and thinking everything about it, even the picture, was the coolest thing in the world.

 

[Xdrummer]

Bob,

I do not doubt the numbers - I was only full time for about 7 years and part time for a lot of years - It is possible my actual gig count may be higher, but so many years were a blur I can only guess. I get the impression you do a lot of solo stuff - I'm sure that if I sang well enough to do a solo I would have a lot more gigs under my belt.

Speaking of debauchery - and going back to the parent theme. When I came off the road, my dad and I spent a night in a bar, shooting pool and trading road stories. I was actually trying to shock him and he kept coming back with better stories - I don't know if it is good or bad, but my dad was a more warped musician than I.

He played in Chicago during the the depression - and there were times where he and his bandmates were hauling ass out the back door of some "speakeasy" grabbing instruments on the way while cops were coming in the from door to bust the place up. He was even playing in a couple of places when rival gangs came in to shoot up the place.

I had a great story about seeing a guy get stabbed in a bar I was gigging - he had a better story about seeing several people gunned down by gangsters in a bar he was playing. I had some good stories about band sluts - he had better stories about band fluzzies. I had stories about some name musicians I opened for, he had stories about playing with the Dorsey brothers. I finally gave up trying to impress him.

It's kind of sad when the old man has better rock and roll stories than I do (I and truly beleive I did/saw some disgusting things).

 

[Lt. Bob]

Bo . I get the impression you do a lot of solo stuff -

I do now. It's the only way to gig as much as I need to in Florida.
But until I moved here in 2006 I had never done a solo thing 'cause I hated the very idea of it and, in Lousiana, you can play every night with bands ... a 4 piece can work every night and even 6-8 piece bands can work several nights a week.
I was primarily known as a hired gun and if I played 7 gigs in a week I might play with 4 different bands!
Usually guitar w/country bands .... bass w/rock bands and sax w/jazz or soul bands.

So I never did a solo 'till Fl. but it was only a few weeks after moving here that I started doing solo.
I loathed it at first but I'm quite comfortable with it now.
It's pretty good for your singing and playing really ..... be good ... or suck. Those are your two choices!

 

[Manslick]

My Dad played Sinatra so I grew up listening to that.
Also Glenn Miller.
I think it still sounds good.
Music was always in the house so I was born into it.
There was a piano in my Grandmothers (Dad's side) house and my Grandfather (Mom's side) had a guitar.
I guess it skipped my parents.
My Dad sang all the time.
I remember singing Hey Jude in the car once while riding with my Mom.
When I stopped part way thru she said don't stop.
So I suppose it goes both ways.
I recall hearing the theme from Laura and my guitar teacher laughed when I asked him about it.
He said my parents would say they knew I'd come back.

 

[BroKen_H]

Great question. My dad listened to Dixieland jazz and honky-tonk piano...he liked instrumental music (like Al Hirt, Floyd Cramer, etc) and I used to love that stuff. My music tastes run from Classical and cool blues to Dixie Dreggs (which btw are instumental) to bluegrass to gospel to heavy metal. I don't think there's a single genre I won't listen to. I like SOME rap, electronica, country, but very picky about those. But if it's bluegrass or hard rock, I'm on board..as long as it's Christian. Sorry, gave up on secular music long ago!

 

[Flei]

Great thread...

My parents' music collection was huge in my musical development. They listened to the Beach Boys, The Mammas and the Pappas, Fleetwood Mac, Earth Wind & Fire and lots of great singer/songwriters from the 70's. The funny thing is that the music I make is nothing like the tunes I grew up on, but it gave me the love for music.

Equally as influencial...
I got to go back stage and meet Dolly Parton back in 1981. She had a "wardrobe malfunction" while I was back there. That was quite a site for a 7 year old... First then

 

[joro]

I am still listening to my Mother's music......it was the 60's and 70's........


who could ask for anything more?

 

[Bobbsy]

Speaking as an oldie....

I think there was a huge musical shift in the late 50s but, since then a lot of the differences have been subtle.

My parents listened to typical big band stuff, crooners and so on, never getting into "rock and roll". I can appreciate the skill of The Andrews Sisters, The Mills Brothers, Bing Crosby and so on and even listen occasionally--but it never became "my" music.

However, since the late 50s/early 60s I've been listening to mainly rock music--and, while there are slight differences in taste, my kids (one just turned 30, down to 8) listen to pretty much the same stuff as me. About the biggest difference is that I haven't adopted rap/hip hop style--but we all listen to things like Green Day and Cold Play. I've also introduced my kids to groups like the Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd etc. and they've become fans.

(OT aside...my daughter got lucky in the the lottery for tickets for the Live 8 concert in 2005 and gave me a running commentary of the bands she was seeing. However, you may recall that they were running very late at the end and my daughter was faced with the decision of leaving without seeing The Who and Pink Floyd...or missing the last train home. Responsible parent that I am, I told her to crash in the park or whatever but don't miss those bands! As it worked out, the train company laid on extra departures and said daughter admitted later that the Floyd and the Who were better than any of the modern bands earlier.)

Anyway, I didn't really listen to my parents' music--but my children listen to mine!

 

[Biempi]

I only had a mom, and she only listened to soft rock radio. I did listen to it, and I did enjoy it. I still do, but I enjoy most all music.

 

[Telegram Sam]

Washington Square,
Whipped Cream and Other Delights,

followed a decade later by,

3 Dog Night, Neil Diamond,
and Elton John (all of whom I saw in "concert" with my parents).

No wonder I got into drugs and became a social outcast.