(485) DION : ABRAHAM MARTIN AND JOHN (DICK HOLLER SONGWRITER) ON THE SMOTHER'S BROTHERS TV SHOW

So proud of Dion, known for his early Rock and Roll hit "Run Around Sue," when he hit the charts in 1968 with this song, "Abraham, Martin, and John," a song written by Dick Holler.  It's become a classic tribute to Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and President John F. Kennedy.


Link to DION DI MUCCI : OFFICIAL

 "Music Critics say he is the only first-generation rock and roll artist who  has remained creative and relevant through the decades. In 1958 He had three top-forty hits. In 2007 He was nominated for a Grammy. His last three albums have some of his best work.

Dion and his music represent a special time and place . . .  a moment when a song could mean so much and a singer could sum up what it means to be young, in love and on top of the world.

A street poet and singer of extraordinary versatility, range and resonance, Dion defined Rock 'n' Roll for a generation."

Use the Google Search feature embedded in this blog to pull up past posts on Dion as well as the Smothers Brothers!

HERE IS THE SONGWRITERS VERSION:

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATON OF JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

LINK TO JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY here! if you're interested in what the library has to say about it.

(341) NOVEMBER 22 1963 JFK ASSASSINATED and OUR INNOCENT ERA ENDS

We walked around in shock, gathering at our friends houses to watch the news coverage that our President Kennedy had been killed. I never felt this kind of devastation again until 9/11. Kennedy had brought humor and glamour to the White House, he was behind the Space Program and so many other great ideas that gave us enthusiasm and hope for the future.

(340) TURBULENT TIMES TO LIVE THROUGH LATE 1963

When I think back to November 1963, I can say that the good times were rolling and we thought they would never end - until the moment that JFK was assassinated.


Elvis had "Fun in Acapulco coming out" and had put out a number of albums that year. Buddy Knox, my music partner and friend, though he would pursue his performing career for years more, had a Golden Hits album out... I had a few songs recorded by other artists out and was driving around Hollywood in a Jaguar living on songwriting residuals.


I was writing songs at American Music and recording demos for other artists, and had not completely given up on the idea of being an actor.


My friend Christine White had house parties in the Hollywood Hills and introduced me to other actors living and working on the West Coast as well as one particular agent who was very famous.


And none of us had heard of the Beatles or could imagine the impact this British group would have on music or American culture or us!

SEPTEMBER 12 1962 PRESIDENT KENNEDY and THE SPACE PROGRAM

Elvis and me loved President Kennedy. On September 12, 1962 this was his invigorating speech about a dream to reach the moon. This is posted on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, an event that shattered our idea that we're safe on our home front. How I wish we as a nation could be where we were back when Kennedy made this speech!

"We choose to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard..."

(119) TELEVISION, ELVIS PRESLEY and JOHN F. KENNEDY

An event that prooved that television was gaining importance beyond entertainment was the United States Presidential elections of 1960. Richard Nixon, the Republican, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Democrat, debated on television. This brought the campaign from the whistle stops and rubber chicken luncheons into the homes of Americans who were charmed by JFK's more youthful body language, charismatic smile, and optimistic outlook. Historians have since remarked that Nixon's dark beard, uncovered by studio makeup, gave him a dour, dark look.

Now Elvis and me always sided with the poor because we had both grown up poor and come out of nowhere. That made us Democrats, right? Except that we were also self-made men who had made it out of poverty in youth through talent, luck, and damn hard work. That made us Republicans, right? I can't tell you who Elvis voted for when he voted, I can tell you that we were both patriotic and we both believed that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a President who was going to change the world.

Now the link below is really exciting. It takes you to the JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY and links that can take you to television clips about the campaign and election. You can be sure that Elvis, me, and the guys (and any gals who happened to be around at the time) were fascinated with the machinations of politics and watched some of this coverage.

JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY HOME PAGE link above

Here is the televised debate

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Campaign+of+1960.htm