About Music

When I was a young I enjoyed hearing my grandmother tell about my affection for The Weavers recording of this song. Their version of "Goodnight Irene" was popular when I was two years old. So I heard it on the radio and on jukeboxes. According to my grandmother (who was a nurse and an excellent pianist), this scene played out in a restaurant with a big, lit up jukebox.

Anyway, I loved "Goodnight Irene" and would play it over and over. As it played I would sway (dance?) with the music and hug the jukebox, as the sound and vibrations transported me into another dimension. The best part of this tale is that I remember that jukebox. It was green. "Goodnight Irene" is the first popular song I fell in love with. And this story is one of my earliest memories.

Music has always affected me in ways no other art does. I grew up in a house with my grandparents, who were both musicians ... but they had day jobs. My grandfather was a barbershop quartet bass and a backup singer for various recording sessions, mostly done in D.C., when I was a little kid. My exposure to their music and that of their friends who came over to sing, standing around the piano, left quite a mark on me.

And, I suppose others have a story about a childhood memory of a particular song. There's mine.