Saturday 9: Sh-Boom

Saturday 9: Sh-Boom (1954)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Seventy years ago this month, the Crew Cuts were singing that life could be a dream. When you awaken, can you recall your dreams?

A. Sometimes. I used to have a reoccurring night terror that I remembered in great detail; it involved a bathtub full of blood, crows, and a mangled garden. But I haven't had that dream in some time. Now my dreams are more about being lost or unable to find something.

2) The lead singer refers to his girl as "darling," "sweetheart" and "baby." Have you used an affectionate endearment lately? If yes, who were you speaking to?

A. I generally only use terms of endearment with my husband. I occasionally call my nephew, "son," but not often. I may sometimes call a friend a "sweetheart" if she has done something especially nice. Speaking of terms of endearment, I was taken aback by the use of such terms from children to a parent when I was reading Kate Mulgrew's book, How to Forget, recently. She called her mother "darling" and "sweetheart" as did her brothers and sisters. And they used them a lot. I would not dream of using those terms with my parents.

3) Two members of this Canadian quartet are brothers, born 15 months apart. Do you have siblings? If yes, how close in age are you?

A. I have a brother who is three years younger than I am, almost to the day. Our birthdays are three days apart.

4) A hit in Toronto, the Crew Cuts traveled by car to appear on TV in New York. How are your wheels? Would you give your vehicle a tune up before embarking on a 1,000-mile (500 miles each way) road trip?

A. My husband generally checks the fluids and tires before we venture out.

5) In '54 and '55, they had five Top 10 hits. Then the Crew Cuts fell off the charts. Founding member Rudi Maugeri suspects it's because they were a "teen act" and teenage music tastes can change fast. Who did you listen to when you were in high school? 

A. I listened to Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, Bread, The Captain and Tenille, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton John, and anybody else who was on America's Top 40.

6) A well-maintained crew cut should be trimmed every 2-4 weeks. Is there an appointment with a hairstylist on your calendar?

A. Not at the moment, no. I just had it cut Monday.

Let's look at the summer of 1954.

7) Seventy years ago, Chicago Bears great Walter Payton was born. Today more than 1200 students are enrolled in Chicago's Walter Payton College Preparatory High School. Was your high school named after anyone?

A. My high school was named after Lord Botetourt, Norborne Berkley, who was governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770, when this land was a colony and not a state. The county I live in is also named after him. He was a popular governor at the time.

8) J.R.R. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Rings was published. It's the first of three volumes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Have you read the books and/or seen the movies?

A. I think The Gal lobbed me a softball here. I have read the books and seen all the movies, and I have puzzles, cards, pictures, etc. I reread The Lord of the Rings perpetually, as it stays on my phone and is the book I read while I am waiting somewhere. I am somewhere amongst The Two Towers portion (the second book in the trilogy) at the moment. I would know better where I am in a real book, on the Kindle I have a hard time keeping up with the page numbers. 

9) Sports Illustrated was first published. As a special promotion, the premier issue included baseball cards. With the introduction of online communities and trading apps, collecting baseball cards continues to grow in popularity. Are there any card collectors in your life?

A. No one collects baseball cards. My husband has a collection of NASCAR racing cards, and I have a few Lord of the Rings cards (they are actually playing cards, not trading cards). I also have a full set of Xena: Warrior Princess trading cards. As best I can tell, none of them are worth much.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.