Everyone's music

I grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska, which is ranching country. Dad raised Hereford cattle, and I find it interesting that Marge's dad raised Angus. So both of us grew up around cattle and horses. I never was much on dancing and music. I remember getting some station on the radio from down in Oklahoma, but it was kind of rock and roll. I'm not even sure that is a good description. It was loud and noisy and I couldn't understand the words. Most of the time we listened to the radio station from Ogallala, Nebraska. We listened to the weather and news and Swap Shop.

When I met Marge and started to date her and since she liked to dance, I went dancing. One of her favorite places was an old dance hall in Ashby, Nebraska. So we'd go there and listen to the music and dance, or I'd give it a good try. I remember one of the bands that used to play there was Art Daley and the "Something." Not sure of the rest of his band's name. He played country western pretty much all the time. So if Marge liked it, I liked it.

Once we got married, Marge introduced me to all kinds of music. One of her favorites was Elvis Presley. She loved to listen to him. He was OK, but not one of my favorites. So we bought different records and listened to the radio and worked on what music we liked the best. It was an interesting journey. A friend of mine and a guy I worked for liked Jeanne Pruett and her song "Satin Sheets." Funny how one song and one singer just seems to speak to our heart.

It was about this time that we left Nebraska and ended up in Oklahoma, where I attended a religious college to study for the ministry. We listened to all kinds of music, but really none stood out except one song of Charles Wesley. Somehow that song touched my heart and soul and spoke to me. But we kept listening and listening and other music came along. But we never totally left our country heritage.

It was about this time that Charlie Pride came along and also Kenny Rogers. Dolly Parton was not only a singer but a looker. Probably one of my favorite groups back then was the Supremes. Man those gals could sing. But there weren't any groups that stood out enough for us to go out and buy the recording. So we kept listening to the radio.

We've gone several times to big events and listened to some really good singers. Probably my all-time favorite was going to a concert at the fairgrounds in Cape Girardeau and listening to Don Williams. He had such a soft easy way of singing that seemed just perfect. Every now and then, someone posts one of his songs on Facebook, and I have to listen.

Another concert we went to was Merle Haggard. Boy, he could play the guitar and fiddle. He and his group sang some awesome songs, and they were a class act to watch. But then we'd been listening to Merle for years and years. "Okie from Muskogee" spoke volumes to most anyone born out in the middle of nowhere. He seemed to be pure country.

Several have come along and made a place in country history. George Strait is one of them. Class act is how I'd describe him. Love the movie he made. Makes me tear up about every time I watch it. "Troubadour" is probably one of my favorites, but even as I say that others come to mind. Alan Jackson is another. So is Garth. And the list goes on and on.

Most of the new singers and songs don't appeal to me like some of the older talent. Some do, though. Chris Stapleton is one of Marge's favorites. I like to listen to Blake Shelton. One that I like that is a little different is Eric Church. I could identify with the one song about sitting watching the local football team play and remembering back to his former days. I enjoy Little Big Town, who have songs such as "Pontoon." Sometimes it's time to play some Hank Williams Jr., and let him sing away. Some like to listen to the old times like Hank Williams and Hank Snow and Sonny James. Of the old time singers one, I've always liked is Marty Robbins. Always have enjoyed his ballad type songs like "Mr. Shorty."

Hard to believe that it's been 30-plus years since "Top Gun" came out. We have watched Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer in "Top Gun" gosh knows how many times, and we still enjoy it. I enjoy the soundtrack. The movie wouldn't have been nearly as good if it hadn't been for the music. Awesome music. But that is the same with "Last of the Mohicans" or "Jeremiah Johnson." The music just added another dimension to the movie.

Music in church has changed down through the years. We enjoy some of the new chorus-type music, but we're too old for most of it. We are more the old traditional music that was written back around the 1900 time mark or even before. "In the Garden" is one of them. "Sweet Hour of Prayer" is another. Another is "This World Is Not My Home." I thought of this song the other day when I heard that some old time friends of ours in Nebraska had their place ruined by a tornado. "What A Friend" has spoken to generations down through the years. My all-time favorite is still "And Can It Be" by Charles Wesley. It has an OK tune, but it's the words that make it special. Marge practiced singing this hymn and sang it at my ordination service years ago here in Scott City.

You know it might do us all good to dig out an old hymnal and pick out a "hymn for the day." John Wesley always had two books with him, his Bible and his hymnal. All this gloom and doom virus junk has kind of stolen our joy. I'm speaking to myself here. Let's let a little music renew our joy.