On today’s “ThrowBack Thursday” blog we conclude our look-back at some of the area’s most talented bands with fond memories of Franklin, Ohio’s sibling sensations, Gary and the Hornets.
We found them in the book, “The Cincinnati Sound,” author Randy McNutt’s homage to local musicians from the 1940s to the 1970s. Check it out at MidPointe Library and enjoy the musical memories on each page as much as we did!
They bantered with the King of Late Night TV, Johnny Carson, on “The Tonight Show.” *
They entertained fun-loving crowds on TV’s “Where The Action Is.” *
They were guests of Mike Douglas, another legendary TV talk show host. *
“They” were none other than Franklin, Ohio’s own “Gary and the Hornets,” three brothers upon whom the gods of music bestowed an abundance of talent...and then smiled approvingly.
If you were a kid in the ‘60s, you probably remember the Calvert Brothers’ big hits -- “Hi, Hi Hazel” and “A Kind of Hush” (often referred to as “There’s a Kind of Hush”), among others.
In the “The Cincinnati Sound,” author Randy McNutt bestowed the coveted title of “the original boy band” upon Gary “the leader, singer and guitarist” (age 12)...bassist Greg (age 14) and Steve, the seven-year-old drummer.” He recalled that the boys “often performed in Cincinnati” and that the popular Cincinnati radio station WSAI “played their local rock hits…” **
With news of the siblings’ talent spreading around the country at that time, it was no surprise that the Associated Press dispatched a reporter to interview them.
The result was an AP story, complete with photos, that appeared in the April 2, 1967, Middletown Journal. The headline read : “Gary and the Hornets: ‘Fab,’ ‘Cool,’ ‘Neat.’”
The reporter described the trio as “just three little guys who are making a big name for themselves as Gary and the Hornets, a rock ‘n’ roll band ...They’ve got the entire town swinging to their music. Lately their success has spread from college appearances to nationwide television and hit records…”
The boys’ classmates “call them ‘fab,’ ‘cool,’ ‘neat,’ ‘gear,’ ‘tuff’ and ‘mod,’” the reporter continued, “but the boys themselves are taking their success in stride.”
He added : “They wowed the PTA and other school groups. One night while playing in nearby Dayton, where their father is a newspaper printer, a man from Detroit heard them and asked to be their manager...”
“Since then -- a string of successes and more to come.”
The article then listed a few of those successes :
The brothers’ hit song, “Hi Hi Hazel” that “swept the country a few weeks ago, landing high up on the popularity polls…”
Their latest records, ‘A Kind of Hush’ and ‘That’s All for Now, Sugar Baby,’ [that] made Spotlight Review in Billboard, with the predictions that they would soon be in the Top 60 of the “Hot 100 Rock ‘n’ Roll Songs…”
Their TV appearances : once on the “Mike Douglas Show” in Philadelphia, Pa., and twice on the ‘Where The Action Is’ show in Hollywood, Calif.
The brothers had played with some of the biggest names in entertainment, the AP article continued. A few of the luminaries included “the Four Seasons, Jan and Dean, Roy Orbison and Lew Christy…”
It also reported that the boys “have been favorites at dances at Ohio State University, Ohio University, the University of Cincinnati, Miami University and the University of Dayton…”
“Requests for their appearances have been coming in steadily from every major show and from every state in the country but their mother and father have reluctantly turned down anything that would interfere with their schooling…”, the AP article continued.
It was clear that despite the boys’ national fame, their parents still stressed the importance of attending school.
“In the whole past year of excitement and national appearances, they have only missed one day of school, and that was due to an airplane cancellation,” their mother told the AP. “We’ll let them do only what we feel is in their best interest.”
Fast forward ...
The June 25, 1972, Middletown Journal published another story about the multi-talented Calvert Brothers. Only this time the brothers were moving on.
Alluding to one of their hits, the headline announced : “There’s A Kind of Hush.” It was accompanied by the subtitle : “Franklin Trio Now Defunct.”
“As the boys grew older, their interests changed. So did their audience,” wrote Journal State Editor Thom Hall.
Hall reported that Gary, 18, had just graduated from Franklin High School and planned to major in microbiology at Miami University. Greg, 19, had just completed a year at the University of Cincinnati… Steve, then 13, had a penchant for golf and “earns money as a caddy only to spend it on green fees…”
“But their main problem was the fact that the boys were getting older,” Hall continued. “Sure they could play Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, but it just didn’t fit their image.’” At the time, he wrote, “most of their playing is devoted to jazz and blues.”
For Gary and the Hornets, it was time to say “Bye Bye” to Hazel…
...and “Hello” to fond musical memories and new opportunities.
Today, thanks to books like “The Cincinnati Sound,” local talent like the Calvert Brothers will never be forgotten. Randy McNutt’s enjoyable read is available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
You can also relive the good old days of Gary and the Hornets and their music online at:
Sources:
* IMDb.com (entertainment website) “Gary and the Hornets”
** “The Cincinnati Sound” by Randy McNutt. Published in 2007 by Arcadia Publishers. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
The Middletown Journal, April 2, 1967. By the Associated Press. “Gary and the Hornets : ‘Fab,’ ‘Cool,’ ‘Neat.”
The Middletown Journal, June 25, 1972. “There’s a Kind of Hush -- Franklin Trio Now Defunct” by Thom Hall.
The Middletown Journal articles referenced above are available on microfilm at MidPointe Library Middletown.
They’re also available online via :
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Research Databases > Magazines and Newspapers > Newspaper Archive > Middletown Journal > (Date)
If you’re interested in music of all kinds, check out MidPointe Library’s catalog at:
You’ll find even more music, movies, and TV shows via:
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary. There you’ll find “Hoopla” with literally “hundreds of thousands of free movies, TV shows, full music albums, audiobooks, eBooks, comics and more.”
Some online searches require a MidPointe Library card. No library card? No problem! Sign up for your free card at any MidPointe location :
Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe, Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center) and onboard the “Library On Wheels,” formerly known as the Bookmobile.
Since it’s tough to find a birthday card for someone’s 403rd birthday, today we’ll just bid a simple “Happy Birthday!” to William Shakespeare (1564-1616), who “contributed thousands of words to the English language…” *
In appreciation of the author-like-no-other, we ask not one, but several, TriviaTuesday questions relating to the Bard of Avon:
What Shakespeare play contains the most lines?
2. In what Shakespeare plays did the following expressions appear?
a. “Conscience does make cowards of us all.”
b. “What the dickens”
c. “Lord, what fools these mortals be?”
d. “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
e. “Dead as a doornail”
f. “Parting is such sweet sorrow”
3. Which MidPointe Library spokesman (whose name was inspired by the Bard) recently turned down an offer to be the “mane” spokesman for the Library of Congress?
Following are the correct answers to Numbers 1 and 2, found in “The Shakespeare Book of Lists -- the Ultimate Guide to the Bard, His Plays, and how They’ve Been Interpreted (and Misinterpreted) Through the Ages”: **
“Hamlet” boasts a whopping 4,042 lines.
a. “Hamlet”
b. “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
c. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
d. “Richard III”
e. “Henry VI.” Part 2
f. “Romeo and Juliet”
3. On April 1 MidPointe Library officials proudly announced that “Shakespurr,” their friendly, book-loving mascot with a name recalling the Bard, had been offered the prestigious position of “mane” spokesman at the venerable Library of Congress.
However, immediately afterward MidPointe officials breathed a sigh of relief when Shakespurr reminded them that it was April Fool’s Day and that he had just been “lion” about the job offer.
He then continued to amuse a relieved staff with more bad puns.
*From the 2018 “Chase’s Calendar of Events.” The 2019 version is available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
** “The Shakespeare Book of Lists -- The Ultimate Guide to the Bard, His Plays, and How They’ve Been Interpreted (and Misinterpreted) Through the Ages” by Michael LoMonico. Published in 2001 by the Career Press. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
If you’re a Shakespeare fan, look no further than MidPointe Library for hundreds of works by and about The Bard! Go to:
Then continue your search for all-things-Shakespeare on thousands of sites in our eLibrary (books, audiobooks, magazines, movies, TV shows, music and research databases) available at:www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary.
No library card? No problem! Get your free card at any MidPointe location (Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe, Liberty Township (2nd floor of Liberty Center) and onboard our roaming “Library On Wheels,” formerly known as the Bookmobile!
You can find images of MidPointe’s beloved lion mascot, Shakespurr, on MidPointe’s social media, at all MidPointe locations and “in person” at special events in the area.
His friendly image also brightens the exterior of MidPointe’s “Library On Wheels.”
P.S. Sometimes he goes along for the ride.
On today’s ThrowBack Thursday blog, we feature a popular local rock band from the 1960s, one of several featured in author Randy McNutt’s homage to “The Cincinnati Sound.” * Then, in a 1965 newspaper article, we learn the band members’ opinions on the then-controversial topic of hair length for male high school students... **
One of the most popular teen bands in the mid-1960s was composed of “high school boys from Middletown” who “performed at fraternity dances and parties in Cincinnati, Oxford, and Middletown.” *
They had the talent, the hair, the matching outfits and business savvy. Proof of the latter : a manager, their own business cards * as well as their own advertisement in the back of the 1966 Middletown High School Optimist yearbook. ***
They were The Intruders.
Around 1965, the Intruders included Kent Goforth, Pete Weitzenkrone, Paul Goodwin, Dave Johnson, Terry Harrison and John Reagan, according to “The Cincinnati Sound.” *
In one photo, band members appear ready to begin the beat at any moment, donning their matching plaid jackets and light-colored trousers.*
In a 1965 Middletown Journal article, they were “shaggy-haired cutups” expressing their opinions about a recent school rule that dictated the hair length of male students.
Like many of their male counterparts, three members of the school’s “most popular combo, the Intruders,” who were “known for their shaggy hair-dos,” were having none of it. Interviewed by reporter Lynne Withey, three Intruders shared their opinions:
In the days of mop-topped Beatles, fewer crew cuts and flourishing local rock bands, the Middletown High School rule -- “all boys must have a space the width of two fingers between hair and eyebrows” -- became a contentious topic.
“Kent Goforth says he wears his hair long because it’s ‘different’ and claims ‘the school should do more about teaching and less about haircutting. However, he feels that if long-haired students get into trouble, they deserve to have their hair cut.”
“Paul Goodwin...agrees with Kent and adds that long hair doesn’t interfere with a student’s scholastic ability…”
“John Regensburg offers a practical reason for the long hair: ‘The band gets more jobs.’”
Even today images of the Intruders abound. They’re appear on the group’s Facebook page -- a bit more mature and minus the plaid jackets -- but rockin’ the music like it was 1965.
No matter.
It’s only rock ‘n’ roll but we like it.
Sources:
*”The Cincinnati Sound” by Randy McNutt, with foreword by Jim LaBarbara. Published in 2007 by Arcadia Publishing. Available onshelf at MidPointe Library and in e-book format.
** “2-finger ruling’s a jab in the eye, high school’s long-haired boys say,” by Lynne Withey, Middletown Journal, October 17, 1965. Available for viewing on microfilm at MidPointe Library-Middletown and online via www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Research Databases > Magazines and Newspapers > Newspaper Archive > Middletown Journal.
***1966 Middletown High School “Optimist Yearbook.” That year and many others are available for viewing in the Ohio Room at MidPointe Library-Middletown (cannot be checked out).
We’ve got it all!
The 1966 Middletown High School ‘Optimist Yearbook” and many other years are also available for viewing on MidPointe’s Digital Archives:
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Digital Archives > The Optimist Middletown City School District High School Yearbooks > Year
If you’re a rock fan, check out MidPointe’s catalog of thousands of works by artists representing many genres.
You’ll also find music, TV shows, books and more on our eLibrary. One of the most popular sites is Hoopla with literally “hundreds of thousands of free movies, TV shows, full music albums, audiobooks, eBooks, comics and more…”
Please note: a MidPointe Library card is required to access some online sites.
No library card? No problem! Sign up for a free library card at any MidPointe location :
Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe, Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center) and onboard the “Library On Wheels” (formerly known as the Bookmobile).
Today’s TriviaTuesday question recalls those pioneers of aviation, Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, Ohio. Since today, April 16, marks the 152nd anniversary of Wilbur’s birth, we ask the following :
What toy ignited the brothers’ curiosity about aeronautics?
A gift from their father -- a small toy helicopter “powered by twisting a rubber band” -- was all it took for the curious and analytical young siblings to eventually build their own version...and future craft that would change the course of history.
The brothers observed that when they let the helicopter go, its “rubber band unwound, causing the propeller to spin quickly and the helicopter to fly in the air. As the propeller slowed down, the helicopter wobbled, then fell to the ground.”
In time the boys “experimented with their own versions of the toy helicopter,” and discovered that “the bigger the helicopter was, the quicker it fell to the ground...”
Think about it.
A father’s thoughtfulness, a rubber band and a child’s toy led to man’s conquering the skies...and a visit to the Moon.
Sources:
The bulk of information for this blog was derived from “First Flight -- The Story of the Wright Brothers” written by Caryn Jenner, published in 2003 by DK Publishing. Available for check-out in MidPointe’s juvenile biography section.
The date of Wilbur Wright’s birth was noted in the 2018 “Chase’s Calendar of Events.” The 2019 edition is available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
No library card? No problem! Sign up for your free card at any MidPointe location -- Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe, Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center) and onboard MidPointe’s “Library On Wheels” (aka the Bookmobile). Then...
SAVE SOME ‘SPACE’ ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR “SUMMER READING”!
Soon MidPointe Library will again present its long-running and popular “Summer Reading Program.” This year’s theme is “A Universe of Stories”!
A local tradition, the reading program blasts off June 1 and touches down for what is sure to be a happy landing on July 31.
During the “spatial” adventure, individuals of all ages can attend free, fun and appropriately-themed programs featuring out-of-this world guests!
They’ll also be encouraged to take part in our read-for-prizes activity in which patrons can check out and enjoy books, books, and more books about Outer Space (or any subject they desire), keep track of their reading (or being read to) and win prizes for their efforts! Audiobooks and eBooks, count, too!
See you at Summer Reading!
Until then, “Live long and prosper.” *
* Dr. Spock, aka the late Leonard Nimoy, on the former TV series “Star Trek.”
Early rock’n’roll showman and famous TV host, the late Dick Clark, was no stranger to the Middletown, Ohio, area.
With the instincts of a detective, the star of the decades-long hit series “American Bandstand” could spot real talent a mile away.
He found it here.
Clark’s musical relationship with Southwest Ohio is recalled in the engaging book, “The Cincinnati Sound,” by Randy McNutt. (*) It’s a veritable music time capsule.
McNutt’s paean to local music features vintage photos of homegrown artists performing at the gone-but-not-forgotten LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park in Middletown as well as other venues.
According to McNutt, one of the locals with whom Dick Clark had a working relationship was Middletown native Dale Wright. Wright “recorded in Cincinnati and performed there regularly” and “participated in many of Clark’s traveling rock-and-roll shows” during the 1960s…..” (*)
Dick Clark wasn’t the only big name to introduce hometown performers like Dale Wright and the “Wright Guys” to local teen audiences. Popular Cincinnati Disc Jockey Dusty Rhodes of radio station WSAI is also pictured in McNutt’s book presenting the Wright band to a LeSourdsville audience in the park’s “Stardust Gardens” sometime around 1965. (*)
Wright, whose real name was Harlan Riffe, was the subject of a September 1973 interview published in the Middletown Journal in which he looked back on his musical career. (**)
He had returned to Middletown to visit his mother, Mrs. Martha Riffe of Manchester Road, and was interviewed by Journal Staff Writer Dorothy Damele. At the time, she reported, Wright was “emcee of a radio talk show on WNVL-Radio near Lexington, Ky.” (**)
The article recalled some of Wright’s career highlights to date:
Writing the song titled “She’s Neat” “which sold three-quarters of a million discs when he was only 18…” (**) (***)
“...working for Dick Clark as backstage road manager on ‘American Bandstand’...and “emceeing the road shows when [Clark] was absent…” (**)
Regularly appearing on Cincinnati TV entertainment programs (**)
Working in promotions and as ‘special talent’ at Cincinnati TV station WKRC (**)
Wright’s “personal seven-year management contract” with Chuck Conners, then-star of the TV western series, “The Rifleman,” which called for using Wright’s talents “in the show.” Not long after the signing the show was canceled “although Wright did appear in the next-to-last episode...” (**)
Dale Wright passed away in Lexington, Kentucky, on April 15, 2007.**** To his contemporaries and local music historians he’ll be remembered as one of the many who brightened daily life with the sound of music.
With Southwest Ohio home to many entertainers, and Cincinnati’s role in TV and radio history, it’s no wonder books like “The Cincinnati Sound” are a favorite of local music and media lovers!
That’s why for the remainder of April we’ll continue to salute local performers of the past, using “The Cincinnati Sound” as our guide.
In the meantime, may your days be filled with the sounds of music, old and new!
Sources:
*”The Cincinnati Sound” by Randy McNutt. Published in 2007 by Arcadia Publishing. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
**”Wright’s still talking, this time on own show” by Dorothy Damele, Staff Writer for the Middletown Journal. Published September 8, 1973. Available for viewing on microfilm at MidPointe Library’s Middletown location or online at:
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Research Databases > Magazines and newspapers > Newspaper archive > Middletown Journal.
Readers can find an image of the record, “She’s Neat” by Dale Wright with the Rock-Its on tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFG1l2hs2Ck
An image of the record, “Dale Wright -- She’s Neat : The Fraternity Sides” can be viewed at:
About the Photos:
Four photos accompanying this article can be found in “The Cincinnati Sound” :
Cover: Dale Wright and the Wright Guys performing in a Cincinnati-area school auditorium
Dale Wright, actress Donna Loren and Dick Clark sharing a “Dr. Pepper”
Dick Clark introducing the Wright Guys at LeSourdsville Lake
WSAI Disc Jockey Dusty Rhodes introducing Dale Wright and the Wright Guys (in striped shirts) at LeSourdsville Lake’s Stardust Gardens.
The photo of Dale Wright sitting amidst a pile of records (on the Fraternity label) is from the December 1, 1957, Middletown Journal, available on microfilm or online. (Check Sources above for instructions)
In the mood for music? Make MidPointe Library your source for music and music history! Visit: www.midpointelibrary.org > Catalog Search
Music > (or) Movies and TV shows.
All you need to borrow items and/or access online material is a free MidPointe Library card!
Sign up for yours at any MidPointe location: Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe and Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center).
OK, Baby Boomers and local-TV historians, here’s a TriviaTuesday question just for you:
What Cincinnati TV personality, often seen in maritime attire, was scheduled to appear with Dick Clark, host of the hit TV show “American Bandstand,” during a musical program in 1962 at (the now long-gone) LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park in Middletown?
If you answered “Skipper Ryle,” aka Glenn Ryle, give yourselves a pat on the back!
After perusing “The Cincinnati Sound,” (*) a highly entertaining book on the history of local entertainment, we were inspired to search our database of old local newspapers (**) for photos of superstars who appeared at LeSourdsville Lake.
Lo and behold, we found a Friday, May 11, 1962, article in the Hamilton Daily News Journal titled “Dick Clark at Lake June 17 ; Glenn Ryle will also appear.”
For those too young to know, Clark was the decades-long host of ABC-TV’s legendary “American Bandstand” show where the country’s most popular musical entertainers performed and audience members danced to the hits of the day.
If you grew up watching Cincinnati TV, you probably have fond memories of Glenn Ryle. Not only was Ryle the host of “Saturday Morning Dance Party,” he was also the beloved star of WKRC-TV’s long-running children’s program, “The Skipper Ryle Show.” There he assumed the character of a “Skipper” in naval-themed attire.
Interestingly, many of the articles and advertisements published on that 1962 newspaper page were devoted to the start of LeSourdsville Lake’s 41st anniversary season.
Many locals will recall the park’s musical venue, Stardust Gardens, where entertainment royalty like Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton and Middletown’s own McGuire Sisters performed.
In later years LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park became Americana Amusement Park. It closed in 2002. ***
Sources:
* “The Cincinnati Sound” by Randy McNutt with foreword by Jim LaBarbara, published in 2007 by Arcadia Publishing. The accompanying photo of Dick Clark promoting an early 1960s visit to LeSourdsville Lake can be found on page 97. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
** Past copies of local newspapers including the 1962 Hamilton article referenced above can be found at www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Research databases > Newspaper Archives.
***From Wikipedia. “LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park.”
The 1950 photo of Stardust Gardens at LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park and the 1958 park entrance can be found on MidPointe Library’s Digital Archives:
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Digital Archives > LeSourdsville Lake
Use your free MidPointe Library card to check out many music-related items, both on-shelf and online!
MidPointe’s also your gateway to copies of previous local newspaper articles:
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Research Databases > Newspapers and Magazines.
In addition, decades of past copies of the Middletown Journal are available on microfilm at MidPointe’s Middletown location.
No MidPointe library card? No problem! Sign up for your free card at any location: Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe and Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center).
Today -- somewhere in the world -- someone is watching reruns of the classic 1950s American TV comedy, “I Love Lucy.”
In vintage black and white, the zany adventures of housewife Lucy Ricardo, her Cuban entertainer-husband Ricky Ricardo (portrayed by real-life spouse Desi Arnaz), and their neighbors, the Mertzes, entertained viewers as a weekly sitcom for six seasons.*
For the show’s stars and their audience, “I Love Lucy” became a genuine case of art imitating life.
In the 1953 episode titled “Lucy Goes To The Hospital,” ** Lucy-the-TV-character gives birth to “Little Ricky,” who would later be portrayed by a child actor. The pregnancy was written into the show due to the real-life pregnancy of its star, Lucille Ball.
The show and the dual pregnancies so captivated the country that newspapers including the Middletown Journal kept readers apprised of Lucille Ball’s condition. ***
On January 19, 1953, the actress-comedienne gave birth to her second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV. The baby the world awaited, Desi Arnaz Jr.’s sweet color portrait graced the cover of the very first issue of “TV Guide” dated April 3-9, 1953.
Desi Jr. eventually became an entertainer and is perhaps best known as a member of the ‘60s rock group, “Dino, Desi and Billy.” Interestingly, the trio included Dean “Dino” Martin Jr., the son of famous singer-actor Dean Martin.
A testament to its appeal, “I Love Lucy” the sitcom, “has run in syndication for over sixty years, creating one of TV’s most celebrated legacies.” *
“...Over its dominant run, ‘I Love Lucy’ won five Emmy Awards, including two for Best Situation Comedy and one for Lucille Ball as Best Actress in a Continuing Performance…” **
You just can’t argue with the facts:
We still love Lucy.
* “1001 TV Shows You Must Watch Before You Die.” Published in 2015 by Universe Publishing. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
** “The Platinum Age of Television - From I Love Lucy to The Walking Dead - How TV Became Terrific” by David Bianculli. Published in 2016 by DoubleDay. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
*** Local news articles researched for this blog were :
“Lucy’s Baby Due Today” from January 19, 1953, Middletown Journal.
“Lucy’s Real Story Just like Script -- New Baby is Son” from January 20, 1953, Middletown Journal.
Copies of past issues of the Middletown Journal are available online at
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > Research Databases > Magazines and Newspapers > Newspaper Archive > Middletown Journal.
They can also be accessed on microfilm at MidPointe’s Middletown location.
If you’re a fan of Lucille Ball, check out MidPointe Library’s collection of all-things-Lucy, including the two books referenced above!
Go to :
And don’t forget to peruse our eLibrary, which contains Hoopla with its literally “hundreds of thousands of free movies, TV shows, full music albums, audiobooks, eBooks, comics and more.”
Check out any item with your free MidPointe Library Card, available at any of our five locations : Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe and Liberty Township (second floor, Liberty Center).
The image of the TV Guide cover, dated April 3-9, 1953, is from Google.
Vinyl’s back, Baby!
If you’re a child of the ‘60s, ‘70s or well before, you probably grew up listening to long-playing, vinyl music albums (LPs) and their smaller kin, the 45 rpm records. Even the hardcover slips that encased LPs were works of art with their enchanting, often outlandish, but always creative, images.
You may have thought them all doomed to the dustbin of music history.
But, vinyl lovers, you would be wrong.
An apparent vinyl resurgence has taken over the country, according to news reports. Even the city of Middletown can boast of a music store that specializes in “new and vintage LPs, compact discs, cassettes and 8-track tapes” and more…” So popular has the store become that it plans to expand to a larger location.*
To celebrate the comeback of vinyl, we present our TriviaTuesday question with a nod to the book, “Goldmine’s Essential Guide to Record Collecting”:
Q : What album is “widely believed to be the first Jazz LP ever released?”
A : “Released in 1949, Charlie Parker’s ‘Bird Blows The Blues’ is widely believed to be the first jazz LP ever released...other jazz artists swiftly migrated, likewise, to the new format: by the end of 1949, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Gene Krupa and Duke Ellington all revolved at 33, taking advantage of the new format’s sonic versatility to expand their musical horizons far beyond the confines of the old 78…” **
Sources:
*From “Store outgrows downtown locale” by Ed Richter, Journal-News, March 31, 2019.
**From “Goldmine’s Essential Guide to Record Collecting” by Dave Thompson. Published in 2017 by F + W Media. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
Image of Charlie Parker, “Birdland” [New York City] from
Into record collecting?
Look no further than MidPointe Library! Use your free library card to also check out “Goldmine -- Record Album Price Guide, 10th Edition” (2019) by Dave Thompson, as well as the Goldmine guide mentioned above.
If you’re not a collector, but still love music, check out MidPointe’s diverse on-shelf and e-offerings representing numerous musical genres.
Or…
There you’ll find Hoopla with its literally “hundreds of thousands of free movies, TV Shows, full music albums, audiobooks, eBooks, comic books and more…” including “Vinyl Me Please - 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection” and “Records Collecting Dust -- A Documentary Film About the Music and Records That Changed Our Lives.”
No library card? No problem! Sign up for your free card at any of our five locations:
Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe and Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center).
Then enjoy a day filled with the magic of music!
Today we roar a big farewell to MidPointe Library’s furry, friendly mascot, Shakespurr, recently named “mane spokesman for the Library of Congress”! Join us as we bid congratulations and good luck to our longtime lion luminary as he looks forward to a new lair in Washington, D.C.! Follow the link for de-tails….
...Of which there are none because today is April Fools Day!
Happy April Fool’s Day to you!
And, no, our big guy isn’t going anywhere!
Did you know that historians believe the observance of April Fools Day started in France in the 1560s? * No joke.
If you or someone you love is a harmless prankster, have we got the goods for you!
Check out MidPointe Library’s collection of jokes, pranks (no doubt superior to today’s blog) and fiction related to April Fool’s Day!
Or peruse our vast online databases! They’re accessible at:
All it takes to check out an item or access our online offerings is a FREE MidPointe Library card!
No library card? No problem! Sign up for your FREE card today at any of our five locations: Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe and Liberty Township (2nd floor of Liberty Center).
Did we mention it’s FREE?
Because that is not a joke.
*From Chase’s Calendar of Events, available at MidPointe Library.
When she was younger, Cincinnati author Heather Lester wrote scripts to make home movies with her siblings.
She savored the poetry of Shel Silverstein (“I still can recite some of the poems today”) and the “intricate illustrations” of Richard Scarry. In high school she composed poetry.
Inspired by her children…
Today, this self-described “Mother, Author and Bookkeeper,” who still loves books with rhyme and detailed illustrations, finds literary inspiration from her three children.
The result : the publication of three colorful juvenile picture books, each with its own special theme : acceptance, the value of imagination, and kindness.
It all began with her first book, “I Love You For You,” published in 2017.
“This book idea came to me as my children grew and I realized that they are their own unique persons,” Lester recalls. “We can be the same in a lot of ways, but there are things they want to do that I would never choose. I want to encourage them to follow their own path and make sure they know I will always love and support them.”
Bookkeeper and the recipient of a business degree from Miami University, Lester followed her own new path when she converted a lifelong love of “writing and telling stories” into composing that first book. “I never really thought about writing a book until 2017,” she says.
Her imaginative children then inspired her to write another book after she observed them playing outdoors. “How many uses can you find for a stick from the yard?” Lester asks. “Well, my kids can find several!” Their inventiveness prompted Lester to write “The Green Scarf” which “inspires kids to be creative.”
Another Lester book, entitled “I Can Be Kind,” stemmed from the author’s “hope for how I want my kids to be,” she says. “I can see the effort schools and parents are making these days to make sure kids are kinder to each other, and I wanted to write a book that shows them that changing the world can be done with a grand gesture, or it can be done with something as simple as being kind…
“So, yes, my children are a great inspiration for the books I write.”
Writing for the audience…
When composing juvenile literature, Lester always considers the age of her readers. “I’ve been writing for children ages 3 to 10,” she says. “You definitely have to take age into account. You need to make sure you use words they can understand and stories they can relate to,” she advises, crediting a book editor for “making sure I am using words appropriate for the age” of her audience. “There might be a lesson, it might be funny, it might be something they can see a role model in, or it might just be fun. I will never be able to appeal to every child in the world, but if I can connect to some, and I am happy with my work, then I think I have done my job well.”
The necessities : finding time to write, searching for an illustrator…
For Lester, “the most challenging part of the writing process is finding the time to write. I need more time to work out my ideas and finish some of the books I have started.”
The author uses her phone and scraps of paper to save ideas and later transfers the notes to her computer. Then she usually begins to write “at night after my kids are in bed.”
As an author of children’s picture books, Lester knows the value of a talented illustrator. Her search for these specialty artists has been successful.
She discovered Vicky Fieldhouse after perusing “pages and pages of illustrators” on a dedicated website. “I was just really drawn to her style,” Lester recalls. Fieldhouse eventually became the illustrator for “I Love You For You” and “The Green Scarf.”
The work of illustrator Amanda Appiarius is featured in Lester’s other book, “I Can Be Kind.”
“I saw Amanda’s work on another book she illustrated for a charity in Cincinnati and fell in love with her style,” Lester recalls. The end result was another successful collaboration between author and artist.
A finished manuscript, final checks, then on to publication…
Once a manuscript is finished, Lester has “lots of people read it before it goes to print,” she explains. “I can look it over a thousand times, think it’s perfect and then a friend will read it and point out a mistake I looked over. In addition to an editor, I think it is very important to get feedback from several people, especially my target audience of children.”
With manuscript and artwork good to go, publishing is the next step.
“I would describe my process as self-published,” says Lester. “I am working with the publishing house, ‘For Good Media.’ The owner has been amazing at providing advice and connections. She also secured my ISBNs (short for International Standard Book Numbers which uniquely identify a work). I could not have done all this without her…”
Introducing a book to the public…
These days, published work in hand, Lester enjoys “interacting with children in schools,” visiting bookstores and participating in book fairs.
“My favorite visit was when my son’s first-grade teacher asked me to come to the class and speak to the children,” she recalls. “It was fun to see the surprise in their eyes when they realized their friend’s mom is an author!”
“I had them do an activity, talked to them about the process of writing a book, and then read a few books to them, including one that was not released yet. I love getting feedback from children. They see things in a different way, and since they are the ones I’m writing for, I want to know what they think of my books and how I can improve them.”
There are more stories to tell…
The future looks bright -- and busy -- for this local author.
Lester currently has several children’s books “in the works” and is “considering writing middle-school and adult fiction. I feel like I have several stories to tell.” She says she’s “not afraid to cross over and write for different ages.”
Contemplating her literary achievements so far, this “Mother, Author and Bookkeeper” muses :
“It was all a leap of faith, but I am so glad I took the jump.”
MidPointe Library loves local authors!
Today’s featured author was one of many writers who greeted the public at MidPointe’s ReadLOCAL event last year at its West Chester location.
You can find all three of Heather Lester’s books at MidPointe’s website:
We’re also proud to feature local authors like Heather Lester on this monthly blog via our Facebook page:
Local authors are welcome to write and do research at any of MidPointe Library’s five locations -- Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe and Liberty Township (second floor, Liberty Center).
They can also reserve a meeting room at four of our locations : Middletown, West Chester, Trenton or Monroe by clicking here: http://midpointelibrary.evanced.info/spaces
