In The Matter Of 1950s
Rock And Roll Legend One Ricky Nelson (1940-1985)-Yeah, “Poor Little Fool”
Rock And Roll Legend One Ricky Nelson (1940-1985)-Yeah, “Poor Little Fool”
By Sam Lowell
You never know what idea
will germinate in your head when you need to find a subject to write about
after “the boss,” site manager Greg Green, tells you to find some “freaking”
thing to write about since I had not written anything in a while (that “freaking”
only a for public consumption but gives you the drift of what he really said).
Then, as if by magic, an idea came to me as I was driving up to Olde Saco in Maine
to see my old friend and comrade Josh Breslin, who also has been remiss about
assignments lately but apparently has a golden shield to protect him from Greg’s
wrath. Most of the way up U.S. 95 until you hit about Hampton in New Hampshire
the local NPR station will get you
through the time. Then the signal dies out and for a few minutes you get a mix
of that station and another coming out of the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
This college station, like all such operations, is really an amateur operation.
I remember one time previously the amateur DJ apologized for the quality of his
home-made tape which went awry but something had happened to the machine. I
yelled out to myself as I was driving along “what the hell this is beautiful.”
On the day that I was heading to Josh’s though I was given a chestnut since the
DJ that day was playing for some reason I never fully understood because I arrived
at Josh’s before the set was over a raft of Rickey Nelson songs from the 1950s.
will germinate in your head when you need to find a subject to write about
after “the boss,” site manager Greg Green, tells you to find some “freaking”
thing to write about since I had not written anything in a while (that “freaking”
only a for public consumption but gives you the drift of what he really said).
Then, as if by magic, an idea came to me as I was driving up to Olde Saco in Maine
to see my old friend and comrade Josh Breslin, who also has been remiss about
assignments lately but apparently has a golden shield to protect him from Greg’s
wrath. Most of the way up U.S. 95 until you hit about Hampton in New Hampshire
the local NPR station will get you
through the time. Then the signal dies out and for a few minutes you get a mix
of that station and another coming out of the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
This college station, like all such operations, is really an amateur operation.
I remember one time previously the amateur DJ apologized for the quality of his
home-made tape which went awry but something had happened to the machine. I
yelled out to myself as I was driving along “what the hell this is beautiful.”
On the day that I was heading to Josh’s though I was given a chestnut since the
DJ that day was playing for some reason I never fully understood because I arrived
at Josh’s before the set was over a raft of Rickey Nelson songs from the 1950s.
Of course the 1950s was the now classic age of rock and roll
and the time when I came of musical age, began seriously listening to the radio,
the rock and roll radio where Mr. Nelson had a number of hits starting with Poor Little Fool which was
one of the songs in the set the DJ played that day. I am dating myself, but it
cannot be helped I was as likely to watch Rickey as part of the Nelson family
on television on the Ozzie and Harriet
Show. There he played the younger brother of two of what was supposed to be
a model television family for 1950s emulation. A family where all the so-called
problems they faced, that were the subject of the program were resolved without
trouble by the end of the half hour. As it turned out Ricky also had musical
talent and so that is where I want to place the blame.
and the time when I came of musical age, began seriously listening to the radio,
the rock and roll radio where Mr. Nelson had a number of hits starting with Poor Little Fool which was
one of the songs in the set the DJ played that day. I am dating myself, but it
cannot be helped I was as likely to watch Rickey as part of the Nelson family
on television on the Ozzie and Harriet
Show. There he played the younger brother of two of what was supposed to be
a model television family for 1950s emulation. A family where all the so-called
problems they faced, that were the subject of the program were resolved without
trouble by the end of the half hour. As it turned out Ricky also had musical
talent and so that is where I want to place the blame.
Yes, place
the blame and some fifty plus years I am still ticked off about it. See not
only was Ricky on television and out on tour singing his ass off but he was a
very good looking 1950s-style suburban boy. In short, a guy girls, suburban
girls and Acre neighborhood of North Adamsville where I grew up girls thought
was “cute.” And that is where the bone I have to pick with Mr. Nelson, or his
memory, starts. Starts with one Teresa Green who was in my class in elementary school
and who I had a serious crush on (funny, old-fashioned term isn’t it). And who
I tried to take to about seven church or school dances but who would not give
me the time of day for one very specific reason. She was “saving herself” not
her expression but that was the idea for Ricky Nelson.
the blame and some fifty plus years I am still ticked off about it. See not
only was Ricky on television and out on tour singing his ass off but he was a
very good looking 1950s-style suburban boy. In short, a guy girls, suburban
girls and Acre neighborhood of North Adamsville where I grew up girls thought
was “cute.” And that is where the bone I have to pick with Mr. Nelson, or his
memory, starts. Starts with one Teresa Green who was in my class in elementary school
and who I had a serious crush on (funny, old-fashioned term isn’t it). And who
I tried to take to about seven church or school dances but who would not give
me the time of day for one very specific reason. She was “saving herself” not
her expression but that was the idea for Ricky Nelson.
That was the
start and many grievous nights for a few weeks after until I took Linda Pratt
to the school dance I moped about the lost of Teresa and the burning hatred I
had for Ricky despite liking some of his songs. Adding insult to injury though
when I got back home, I mentioned to my long-time companion, Laura Perkins who
writes here occasionally, by the way that is by mutual consent the way we like
to speak of our relationship after a combined five divorces, I mentioned hearing
Ricky Nelson on the radio on the way to Maine. Suddenly she got swoony, got
giddy and told me that she had had a serious crush on Mr. Nelson when she was
young. Thought he was cute. Then I mentioned old elementary school flame Teresa
and her “saving herself” for Ricky. Laura then said if I had known her then and
had asked her for a date she too would probably have said she was “saving herself”
for that bastard Ricky. So you can see why I am seeing red when the name Ricky
Nelson comes up now.
start and many grievous nights for a few weeks after until I took Linda Pratt
to the school dance I moped about the lost of Teresa and the burning hatred I
had for Ricky despite liking some of his songs. Adding insult to injury though
when I got back home, I mentioned to my long-time companion, Laura Perkins who
writes here occasionally, by the way that is by mutual consent the way we like
to speak of our relationship after a combined five divorces, I mentioned hearing
Ricky Nelson on the radio on the way to Maine. Suddenly she got swoony, got
giddy and told me that she had had a serious crush on Mr. Nelson when she was
young. Thought he was cute. Then I mentioned old elementary school flame Teresa
and her “saving herself” for Ricky. Laura then said if I had known her then and
had asked her for a date she too would probably have said she was “saving herself”
for that bastard Ricky. So you can see why I am seeing red when the name Ricky
Nelson comes up now.
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