Author Archives: sixstrstories

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About sixstrstories

I am the son and only child of a registered nurse & a self-employed collector of wildflowers. I went on to become: a Beatles’ fan; a record collector; a drummer; a music magazine subscriber; a guitar player; a songwriter; a high school graduate; a college student; a music major; a performing singer/guitarist; a photography student; a yearbook photographer; a student teacher; a boyfriend; a letter writer; a college graduate; an elementary school music teacher; an apartment dweller; a husband; a guitar teacher/independent contractor; a homeowner; an independent music producer; the father of a daughter; the father of a son; a bandmate; a teacher of the history of popular music in America; an instructor of music/adjunct faculty member; a grandfather (x3); a condo dweller; and a blogger.

This Historic Day… My Son-In-Law

On this day, August 27, in 1977, Andrew David Robertson was born to David and Mary (Seely) Robertson in Princeton, New Jersey. Here’s wishing a very, very Happy Birthday!!! to my guitar-playing, Rolling-Stones-loving, brilliant (he married my daughter, didn’t he?), awesome and … Continue reading

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Knowing What

When my daughter Kristin was a little girl, she frequently posed the question: “Hey, Daddy, do you know what?” Being a fan of the old musician’s joke that starts with someone asking a question like: “Do you know the way to … Continue reading

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Verse 1, Verse 2

In September 1980, John Lennon told David Sheff, an interviewer for Playboy magazine, that “In My Life” was “the first song that I wrote that was really, consciously about my life.” John elaborated: “‘In My Life’ started out as a … Continue reading

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Tonight

I started going to concerts not long after I became a teenager. The first concert I attended was in the Field House at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. The performer was Judy Collins. I don’t remember what songs she played … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: Louis Armstrong

In 1979, Woody Allen directed, co-wrote and starred in the film Manhattan, a romantic comedy-drama set in New York City. In the film, Isaac Davis, the character Allen plays, is asked the question: “Why is life worth living?” In his lengthy and now-famous answer … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: A.P., Sara, Maybelle & Ramblin’ Jack

In the evening, on this day, August 1, in 1927, Alvin Pleasant Carter, his wife Sara Dougherty Carter and Sara’s younger cousin, Maybelle Addington Carter sat around a microphone in a make-shift recording studio on the second floor of an … Continue reading

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A Trip To The Library

Eighty years ago this month, in July of 1933, musicologist John Lomax and his 18-year-old son Alan met and recorded Huddie Ledbetter, a singer and 12-string guitarist, at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, West Feliciana Paris, Louisiana. Huddie, who … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: Tommy Gallant

“Bonjour,” he’d say, adding to his greeting a little chuckle and a smile. Tommy Gallant, my colleague and friend, always brought a smile. “Bonjour,” as I remember it, was the punch line of one of his favorite jokes. More often than not, he would … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: Mississippi John Hurt

Today! was the first album of music by Mississippi John Hurt that I owned. Although I don’t recall where or when I bought it, I do know that Today! introduced me to an artist that remains among the most enjoyable and remarkable of … Continue reading

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Hot Dog! P.S.: Jim Boyd

Ok, Google. Search: Jim Boyd. About 6,970,00 results in 0.20 seconds and the first ten are for Jim Boyd, the television news anchorman; Jim Boyd, the insurance agent; Jim Boyd, the musicain (born in 1956); and Jim Boyd, the member of the Florida House … Continue reading

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