STAGE COUP MEDIA/Publishing
social media
  • Home
  • John Edward LaFave
  • Right Reverend John
  • Sanctum
  • Back to SCR

"Young Love, First love ..." Sonny James.

2/24/2016

 
Picture

      Sonny James died. When I heard about it while driving yesterday it brought back many memories. Being raised in Pontiac, Michigan (yeah the car place) my musical influences were mostly Sixties Rock, Motown and such. But, there was a period of time when Country Music (aka "Country and Western" as it was known back then) made its mark on my young and impressionable heart. I say heart... yes, a girl was involved.
     She was my first steady girlfriend. It lasted a few years, I was about thirteen and her name was Thelma (and before you react yes, John Lennon's first girlfriend was likewise named Thelma, so there).
     Thelma's father was a factory worker with a bad drinking problem. He wasn't around a lot. But her mother Margaret was quite memorable. She spoke in a heavy German accent and was a huge Country/Western fan. In fact, she was more like or may have actually been a ... Groupie (the jury's still out). On several occasions Margaret would drag Thelma and I to weekend Jamborees ... large open field events with big name Country artists like Bill Anderson, Hank Thompson, Skeeter Davis and yes ... Sonny James. Margaret was a fan (and friend it seems to most) but none more than Sonny James. She talked about him all the time. And when Thelma and I did see him perform, Margaret was backstage.
     So with all of that as a background to our fledgling relationship, Country Music had a way of slipping its way into the fabric of my and Thelma's little affair. We soaked it up by osmosis.
     But, no song stuck to us more than Sonny James huge hit "Young Love." It sold millions. It was sort of our song, I know … not very cool, but fitting (we kept it to ourselves). By the way, that relationship ended very badly (but that's a story for another time). For now...
 
SONNY JAMES 1929 - 2016
RIP
John

<<Previous

    Author

    JOHN EDWARD LAFAVE is a Songwriter/Artist/Author living in Nashville, TN. He is the Founder/Owner of STAGE COUP RECORDS... And yes its true, JOHN and RIGHT REVEREND JOHN are one in the same. The right reverend part is a tongue-in-cheek pen and stage name John has used at various times to various ends. And, at one time, many years ago he was an Ordained Minister, founding GMA a Third World Non-Profit doing relief work to several countries in the Late-Eighties/Early-Nineties. But, even though John has retired from "the ministry" he still has a hard time burying this right reverend dude. Plus ... RIGHT REVEREND JOHN likes to Rock (what are you gonna do?)

    Archives

    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.