The SRO Show — Janet Jackson
Janet’s Still in Control
Produced by Lawrence Standifer Stevens
Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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Mega-million Material Girl
The SRO Show – Madonna
Mega-million Material Girl
Produced by Lawrence Standifer Stevens
Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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Beginning with “Burning Up” and “Holiday” in 1983, mega-star Madonna has become the biggest selling female artist with an estimated 300-million albums sold worldwide.
Read MoreHello, Adele!
Musical Notes – Adele
Hello, Adele!
Produced by Lawrence Standifer Stevens
Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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British songbird, Adele, topped both the US album and single charts with her long-awaited third studio effort entitled 25 and its lead track, Hello.
Read MoreBritish Soul
Musical Notes – Sam Smith
British Soul
Produced by Lawrence Standifer Stevens
Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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With the release of “Writing’s on the Wall,” Sam Smith becomes the first British male solo singer selected to record a James Bond movie theme since Tom Jones’s “Thunderball” in 1965.
Read MoreSounds of Simon & Garfunkel
Musical Notes – Simon & Garfunkel
Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel
Produced by Lawrence Standifer Stevens
Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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Originally named “The Sounds of Silence,” the song was eventually retitled and remixed giving American duo Simon and Garfunkel one of the biggest-selling singles of their career.
Read MoreHenley's Hometown
Musical Notes — Don Henley
Voiceover by Lawrence Standifer Stevens / Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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After rocking with the Eagles for nearly five decades, superstar Don Henley crosses musical genres with his first country album entitled Cass County, a tribute to his Texas hometown.
Read MoreQueen of Latin Music
Musical Notes — Celia Cruz
Produced by Lawrence Standifer Stevens
Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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Legendary Cuban songstress Celia Cruz made the entire world want to dance and yell “¡Azucar!” (Sugar) with salsa classics, Oye Como Va and La Vida Es un Carnaval (Life Is a Carnival).
Read MoreWhen Green Day Comes Around
Musical Notes – Green Day
Voiceover by Lawrence Standifer Stevens / Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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Punk rockers Green Day exploded onto the scene in 1994 with the major label debut Dookie and the alternative radio staples When I Come Around and Basket Case.
Read MoreDjango and Jimmie
The SRO Show — Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
Voiceover by Lawrence Standifer Stevens / Written by Joseph E. Casanova
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Starting with the historic “Pancho and Lefty” in 1983, country legends Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard recently released their sixth album of duets called Django & Jimmie.
Nelson and Haggard are on the road again for a two-month tour this fall with the only Texas stop at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.
The title track pays their respects to two musicians who greatly inspired their careers – jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and famed yodeler Jimmie Rodgers.
They also honor an old friend and fellow icon in Missing Ol Johnny Cash as well as reflect on their own longevity in Live This Long.
They even cover Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice and the gospel standard Family Bible. I hope many of these songs garner airplay on today’s cookie-cutter format as they definitely deserve more than just a listen.
My mom’s a huge Willie Nelson fan. Two of her favorites are the romantic Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain and Crazy, the ballad he penned for the late great Patsy Cline.
She told me about how he worked as a disc jockey at KBOP in Pleasanton, Texas — down near Corpus Christi — in the 50’s.
“We used to listen to his music when your father was stationed in Olympia, Washington, before you were born,” she said.
Then she’d remind me of how when I was in high school, area promoters tried to bring the country singer to town for a concert at the local park.
Both he and Haggard, along with the late Waylon Jennings, pioneered the notorious “Outlaw Movement” of the 70’s and early 80’s.
The locals feared possible problems with motorcycle gangs. I guess they expected riots and mass chaos to occur.
However, the show went off without a hitch, despite low ticket sales and attendance. Even my parents regretted not going considering they fell for the unwarranted paranoia.
Willie’s heroes may have always been cowboys, but it looks like those outlaws had more fun and definitely sold more records.
Halloween Family Reunion
Musical Notes — Halloween
Voiceover by Lawrence Standifer Stevens / Written by Joseph E. Casanova
Special Halloween Show
