I'll Be Home for Christmas Discography

I thought this year I would share with you the discography I have been working on of all the recordings of "I'll Be Home for Christmas." I can hear you asking, "A what?" Simply put, a discography is like a bibliography (those pesky things we had to put at the end of term papers) but for recorded media. I had to decide on a style guide for the list & I chose MLA because it seemed the least complicated.

If you are looking for other songs by Kim Gannon, check out this discography. It is pretty extensive, & like mine, a work in progress.

So, here is the discography in all it's incomplete glory. I am also attempting to compile many of recordings in my iTunes library. How many do you have on your Christmas playlist?

Everlasting Lights on The Common in Greenwich, NY 2013

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" Discography (MLA) by Patricia F. Dolton

Aly & AJ. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Acoustic Hearts of Winter. Hollywood Records. 2006. CD.

Anderson, John. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas. Time-Life Music. 2003. CD.

Anka, Paul. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Songs of December. Decca Records. 2012. CD.

Archuleta, David. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas from the Heart. Jive. 2009. CD.

Atkins, Chet. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The Essential Christmas. Columbia Records. 2002. CD.

Bennett, Tony. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The Classic Christmas Album. Sony Music Entertainment. 2011. CD.

Bennett, Tony. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Snowfall. Columbia Legacy. 2007. CD.

Botti, Chris. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. December. Columbia Records. 2002. CD.

Boyle, Susan. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Home for Christmas. SYCO Music. 2013. CD.

Buble, Michael. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas. Reprise Records. 2011. CD.

Buble, Michael. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Let It Snow!. 143 Records. 2007. CD.

Celtic Woman. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Home for Christmas. Manhattan Records. 2012. CD.

Chenoweth, Kristin. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas. Sony Classical. 2008. CD.

Chesney, Kenny. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. All I Want for Christmas is a Tan. BNA. 2003. CD.

Clarkson, kelly. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Greatest Hits, Chapter 1. RCA Records. 2012. CD.

Como, Perry. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Complete RCA Christmas Collection. real Gone Music. 2012. CD.

Connick, Jr., Harry. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Harry for the Holidays. Columbia Records. 2003. CD.

Cook, Russell. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas Traditions. North Star Records. 2004. CD. (prev. pub. as White Christmas with Woods ‘N Strings Music.)

Crosby, Bing. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas with Bing Crosby & Friends. St. Claire Entertainment Group. 2007. CD.

Day, Doris. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Crooners Christmas. North Star Music. 2000. 1951-69, 1992. CD.

Diamond Rio. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Diamond Rio Christmas. Word Entertainment. 2007. CD.

Dylan, Bob. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas in the Heart. Columbia Records. 2009. CD.

Evancho, Jackie. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Heavenly Christmas. SYCO Music. 2011. CD.

G. Kenny. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The Greatest Holiday Classics. Arista Records. 2005. CD.

Gibson, Banu & New Orleans Hot Jazz. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. New Orleans Christmas. Putumayo World Music. 2006. CD.

Gill, Vince. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas. Time-Life Music. 2003. CD.

Gleason, Jackie & Jack Marshall. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas/ Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck/ (composers of Baby…). Christmas Cocktails. Capitol Records. 1996. 1950-67. CD.

Glee (Cast of). “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Glee, Volume 3, The Christmas Album. Columbia Records. 2012. CD.

Grant, Amy. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Home for Christmas. Capitol Records. 2007. 1992. CD.

Groban, Josh. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Noel. Reprise Records. 2007. CD.

Irish Tenors. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The Irish Tenors Christmas. Razor & Tie. 2009. CD.

Isaacs. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas. gaither music Group. 2010. CD.

Judd, Wynonna. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Classic Christmas. Curb Records. 2006. CD.

Koz, Dave. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Ultimate Christmas. Capitol Records. 2011. CD.

Krall, Diana. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas Songs. Verve Music Group. 2005. CD.

Lady Antebellum. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. On This Winter’s Night. Capitol Records Nashville. 2012. CD.

MacLean, Tara. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The First Noel. Fisher-Price. 2005. CD.

Mancini, Monica & Dave Koz. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Letters to Santa: A Holiday Musical Collection. Concord Music Group. n.d. CD.

Martin, Dean. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas with Dino. Capitol Records. 2006. CD.

McBride, Martina. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. White Christmas. BMG Entertainment. 1999. CD.

McKnight, Brian. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Razor & Tie. 2008. CD.

McLachlan, Sarah. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Wintersong. Arista Records. 2006. CD.

Merrit, Tift. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Very Special Acoustic Christmas. Lost Highway. 2003. CD.

Midler, Bette. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Cool Yule. Columbia Records. 2006. CD.

Mirage Band. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Excelsior. 1996. CD.

Nichols, Joe. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Traditional Christmas. Universal South. 2004. CD.

Paisley, Brad. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Brad Paisley Christmas. Arista Records. 2006. CD.

Peterson, Oscar. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. An Oscar Peterson Christmas. Telarc. 1995. CD.

Presley, Elvis. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Elvis’ Christmas. Special Music Company. 1995. 1985. CD. (previously pub. by BMG Music.)

Presley, Elvis. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Elvis Christmas. BMG Music. 2006. CD.

Presley, Elvis. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. If Every Day Was Like Christmas. BMG Music. 1994. 1957, 1966, 1971. CD.

Presley, Elvis. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. the Time-Life Treasury of Christmas. Time-Life Music. 1997. CD.

Presley, Elvis & Carrie Underwood. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas Duets. RCA Nashville. 2008. CD.

Rascal Flatts. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Greatest Hits, Volume 1. Lyric Street. 2008. CD.

Robertson Family. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Duck the Halls. EMI Records. 2013. CD.

Ronstadt, Linda. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Merry Little Christmas. Elektra. 2000.CD.

Seeley, Drew. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A Disney Channel Holiday. Walt Disney Records. 2007. CD.

She & Him. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. A very She & Him Christmas. Merge Records. 2011. CD.

Simpson, Jessica. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Happy Christmas. Primary Wave. 2010. CD.

Sinatra, Frank. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas with the Rat Pack. Capitol Records. 2002. 1954-70. CD.

Smith, Mindy. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. My Holiday. Vanguard Records. 2007. CD.

Spector, Jarrod. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas. Rhino, 2011. CD.

Straight No Chaser. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas Cheers. Atlantic Records. 2009. CD.

Streisand, Barbra. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Now That’s What I Call Christmas! 2. Capitol. 2003. CD.

Stylistics. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Soulful Christmas. Time-Life Music. 2001. CD.

*Three Tenors. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. The Three Tenors Christmas. Sony Classical. 2000. CD.

Travolta, John & Barbra Streisand. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. This Christmas. UMe. 2012. CD.

Vale, Jerry. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas Star Time. CBS. n.d. CD.

Weiland, Scott. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Softdrive Records. 2011. CD.

Wheeler, Cyndi & Del McCoury Band. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Christmas on the Mountain. Universal. 2002. CD.

Whitmire, Stan. “Merry Christmas, Darling/ I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Pooler, F. & Carpenter, R./ Kent, W. & Gannon, K., Ram, B. A Piano Christmas. Green Hill Productions. 1994. CD.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Kent, Walter, Gannon, J. Kimball, Ram, Buck. Party Tyme Karaoke Christmas 2. Sybersound Records. 2004. CD.

 Rascal Flatts* (video above) have the honor this year (though it came out in 2008) of my favorite version. They re-arranged the song & put the opening bit in the middle. Their harmonies are as good as ever. Great job. Click HERE if video does not load.

30% of all royalties from "I'll Be Home for Christmas" go to St. Lawrence University, Kim Gannon's Alma Mater. 

* I do not own any rights to this. Shared from Rascal Flatts official You Tube account.

Washington County History Fair 2013

October 26, 2013 marked the third history fair put on by the Washington County Historical Society. I participated in all 3 history fairs.

The 1st was in 2009 at the Historic Salem Courthouse in Salem, NY. I had an idea for a display that was kind of quirky & it didn't really work. I decided to play off the movie Office Space & create a version of local history "fair." I don't think a single person understood the reference, but they liked the buttons. Lesson #1: Know your audience.

The 2nd was held at Greenwich High School in the village of Greenwich, NY in 2011. This time I basically grabbed anything I thought was cool in my office & brought it along. I was able to have a conversation with some local history buffs relating to the glass plate negatives that a random resident donated. Lesson #2: Bring cool stuff.

For the 3rd year, the history fair was at the Granville Elementary School in Granville, NY. I decided on a poster presentation to talk up the ways in which public historians can use social media to reach out to their communities both near & far. Some of you may know that I use Facebook & twitter (@greenwichhist) to keep everyone abreast of what I am up to, as well as interesting things about history in general. Plus, this blog has allowed me to write about local history in an informal way.

Working on my poster presentation

One of the Gill Room displays

Another display about John Brown, his wife Mary Ann & Lucretia Mott

Many of the exhibitors, public historians, re-enactors, & other local history groups had poster presentations. I did chat with quite a few people, including the newly appointed historian for Jackson, NY. It seemed like many of the visitors were families with school age children, or retirees.

Part of my display- poster presentation, brochures, mugs

The rest of my display- artifacts from the Bicentennial of the USA in 1976

I guess I am hoping that someone out there, reading this will have a suggestion or 2 for how we can make this event better & attract more visitors. There are so many events to compete with, how do we stand out? & the larger question, how do we, as historians, get people interested in history?

I tried this year, by using my grandmother's Bicentennial collection. I chose items that related locally, like calendars from local businesses (Muzicar's in Schuylerville, Agway in Greenwich), & programs from local events. The quirky things like the Campbell Soup Kid dolls, the Uncle Sam bank, & the Bicentennial box of tissues were draws, but most people looked at the book of 1st day covers. After all these years, people still love stamps.

Let me know in the comments below, on my Facebook page, or tweet me if you have any suggestions (& if you attended the history fair). Thanks for reading.

Teaching US History in Unusual Ways

Long before companies like Honest Tea started putting quotes on their bottle caps, milk bottles came with history lessons.

I found these milk bottle tops in my grandmother's collection of stamps, first day covers, post cards & bicentennial memorabilia. I think they are neat & thought I would share for those people like my mom who actually remember these. But also for people like me & my daughter who have never seen them.

Milk bottle tabs- 1700s

Milk bottle tabs- 1800s

Of course, my favorite one is the 1920 Women's Suffrage Amendment tab below.  I have no idea what local dairies might have issued these. Any one out there remember?

Milk bottle tabs- 1900s

More on the history of milk in glass bottles.

Get out the VOTE!

& now it is time for my annual plea for everyone to VOTE!

I'd like to think that I don't need to remind everyone the importance of voting, but in today's political climate anger & apathy seem to be the main motivators, or deterrents regarding voter turnout. All I ask is that you exercise your right to vote. I know it is an "off" year, but in many ways, our local politicians are our most important. They are the ones that live here with us.

Click here for a sample of the 2013 ballot for the Town of Greenwich. Note there are 4 proposals to vote on in addition to the candidates.

For additional sample 2013 ballots- click here.

Woman Suffrage commemorative stamp from 1970

Election day is November 5, 2013. Please vote.

1976: Celebrating the Bicentennial (Part 1)

My grandmother, Jaqueline Martin (nee Drew) was a avid collector of stuff. She also, had a love of history & participated in the Bicentennial celebrations in Schuylerville, NY in 1976-77. With the death of my grandfather last year, my mother & I found a bunch of Bicentennial memorabilia which I will share with you over the next few moths. I will be featuring some things at the Washington County History Fair in Granville, NY this Saturday, October 26, 2013 also. (For more information on this- see my Facebook page.)

I hope that through my grandmother's collection & a binder full of clippings I have in the office, I can piece together a localized, personal view of the Bicentennial...

My grandmother loved to color. She would sit & color with us, or by herself, while she listened to "her programs" (game shows, soap operas) on the television. So, I thought I would start this series off with the Bicentennial coloring books in her collection.

Over sized coloring book put out by Colgate Toothpaste

My personal favorite by the Samuel Lowe Co of WI

 This coloring book by the Samuel Lowe Company in Kenosha, WI is thick & well drawn. It covers more events than the others in this collection. I love the suffrage page below. There is also a page on Chester Arthur, as the presidents are represented. Some omissions are the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, & specific suffragists, like Susan B. Anthony. Oh, well.

Radio and 19th Amendment pages in the Lowe coloring book

Slim coloring book covering 200 years of US history

Coloring book specifically on the Revolution

Skidmore's GIS Project Is Coming to Washington County

Sandy McReynolds, Gill Room Historian & I went to a very interesting meeting on  Tuesday. Skidmore Professor Robert Jones & Greenfield Town Historian Ron Feulner gave a presentation on a project they have been working on in Saratoga County. It is a Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping project.

From Skidmore's website:

GIS is a combination of information, techniques, software, and creativity to present, analyze, manipulate, and interact with data that is geographically referenced. The data can be shown in relation to topics such as politics, environmental studies, geography, geology, biology, economics, business, and history.

Basically, a bunch of maps are scanned into the program and a series of layers are added. (In Washington County's case the maps include 1829, 1853, 1866, c. 1900, c. 1950, c. 1970, 2013.) Those layers can be roads, to see how they have changed, and moved over time. The layers can be the location of cemeteries, churches, or schools. Parcel maps can be included to show where people lived & who owned the adjoining property.

The best part about this project is that it is FREE. A student in Professor Jones' class will be assigned a town within Washington County, & using the information on the maps, will create the layers. Then I can have a copy for free. The Greenwich Free Library can have a copy for free.

 The historians, & other interested parties, were invited to the meeting to see the uses of the mapping project, which were illustrated by Mr. Feulner. Plus, we can provide input regarding additional layers that can be included or added at a later time. I'm thinking a layer of historic markers & monuments throughout the Town of Greenwich would be great. Additional information can be linked to the maps, like images, videos, & blog posts.

Washington County has a similar set of interactive maps on their website, including polling districts, types of soil throughout the county, watershed areas, et al. Check that site out here.

The ArcReader program that we will use to utilize these maps is available for free here.

5 Things I Didn't Learn as a History Major

A friend from high school & I were chatting on Facebook the other night about our respective careers & our blogs. He mentioned a "fluff" piece he should be writing instead of chatting with me & suggesting articles to read. His idea of fluff is different from mine. I think of something like celebrity gossip, he thinks of something you already know quite a bit about so no additional research is required. So, I guess what I am getting at is... Here is my fluff piece.


5 Things I Didn't Learn as a History Major

5.) Basic Office Skills

I didn't realize how much office work was involved in being an Historian. Call me naive, but I think this is one of the biggest issues with choosing a career. You have an idea that you like a certain field, but you have no idea the day-in-the-life-of that profession. Luckily, this is where all of those other jobs came in handy. I learned how to answer a phone, take messages, file, reply to letters & e-mail.

Subject files in historian's office

4.) Creating a Filing System

This is daunting. I had no subject files. You might think that growing up in the area meant I might have a clue about Greenwich History. I did not (& there are still many people who know more than me), but I do know how to look things up. The problem was I couldn't find the information. I had to create a filing system. I had a vague idea, but I went to a conference with APHNYS & one of the historians passed out her filing guidelines. I was so excited that I didn't have to start from scratch!

Family Name files in historian's office

3.) Dealing with someone else's  Filing System or Two!

I am still dealing with this. Since the filing system (family names) is functional, if a bit redundant, I have yet to change it, though I did weed out some duplicate files while moving my office.

2.) Assembling office furniture

I have assembled 2 bookcases, one swivel chair with casters, & more than a few of... I don't know what they are called. Those metal things that go inside a filing cabinet drawer to hold the hanging files. (see image below) These things I learned from my parents & sisters after trips to the Joy Store &, more recently, IKEA & Target. (Tip, never throw out the Allen wrench. Put it in a plastic, re-sealable bag with the instructions & any leftover hardware. Tape it to the underside or back of the furniture or keep them all together in one drawer.)

The most difficult bit of office furniture to assemble

 & finally...

1.) Customer Service

I have worked in a number of retail & service oriented jobs. Customer Service is the most important skill you can learn. There are a myriad of books, training videos, seminars, etc on this topic. But, the only way to learn is to practice. I think everyone should have to work retail or in a restaurant before they are allowed out into the "real world," but my main philosophy on customer service is this: if you can help, help; if you can't help, find someone who can.

Fluff piece out. We will return to our regularly scheduled blog posts next week. Same bat-time, same bat-channel.

Small Town Saturday Night: Hal Ketchum of Greenwich

Before I went in to the office this afternoon to pack up more of my office, my mom & I were chatting in the kitchen. We were talking about the price on concert tickets, & my sister wanting to go see Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds in New Orleans, but tix are pretty expensive. Not to mention my daughter wants to see Little Mix when they tour with Demi Lovato next year & One Direction should be announcing US Dates for 2014 (cha-ching)! Anyway, we got talking about the Michael Bolton concert she & I & the afore mentioned sister saw at SPAC. To this day it is the only time we have seen Celine Dion in concert (& she was Michael's opening act!).

At the office, I was boxing up the files from my 2 filing cabinets & noticed one on Hal Ketchum. I put it aside thinking "Blog post!" Back at home I flipped through the slim folder of clippings & a photocopied newsletter & noticed an ad for the Hal Ketchum & Emmylou Harris concert at SPAC- August 1, 1994. Another clipping was of the SPAC calender for that same season & Michael Bolton's picture was staring back at me. That concert mom & I were talking about a few hours before was on August 27, 1994.

Reading though the folder & a handful of websites, it is intriguing to me that Hal "made it" at such a mature age. He was playing drums locally by 14 or 15 years old, left for Austin, TX in his late 20s & played that scene a bit while honing his songwriting skills while working as a carpenter. An independent release paved the way for Past the Point of Rescue to be released when he was almost 40!

Hal Ketchum's sophomore and debut releases on cassette

Hal became the 71st member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 22, 1994, a few months short of his 41st birthday, joining the ranks of Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton & Marty Robbins. I was kind of surprised that Alabama & Glen Campbell are not members. To quote the Opry

There's no magic formula, no secret code that grants access to one of the most coveted invitations in all of music... But the Opry doesn’t simply pass out invitations to the biggest stars with the most hits. Opry management looks for a musical and a generational balance. Opry membership requires a passion for country music's fans, a connection to the music’s history. And it requires commitment – even a willingness to make significant sacrifices to uphold that commitment.

 I don't know what the Opry saw, or heard, but for me it is Hal's clear, rich vocals & thoughtful, intelligent lyrics .

What Hal says about those early years, playing the local scene in Washington County (from the bio on his website)

It was a great lesson in sociology because the bars would move the pool table over in the corner and put a three-quarter-inch piece of plywood on top, and that would be my drum riser. At 15 years old I'd get to sit up in the corner of these joints and just watch the evening progress. Friday night everybody would get paid from one of the local pulp mills, and they would wander in and be very generous during the first set. Then by halfway through the second set they're dancing with one of the girls. And by the third set they're fighting. I learned never to stop playing during a fight. That was an important part of my education.

Ketchum stated the 1994 show with Harris at SPAC was

an important show for me. I saw so many shows at SPAC when I lived in Washington County: Santana; Crosby, Stills and Nash; Creedence Clearwater Revival. I saw Sarah Vaughan bring down the house at the Newport Jazz Festival. But never, never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be performing here.*

Washington County residents were even offered discount tickets the day of the show, according to the Post-Star article. Guess that is what the Opry meant about caring about the fans!

I leave you with a live version of "I Know Where Love Lives" from 2007 I found on youtube.




*"A Dream Come True for Hal Ketchum." The Post-Star. Glens Fall, NY. (July 31, 1994) C2.