In Memory of Davy Jones and those whose music became a major part of our lives in the 1960s.
Okay, I admit it. I miss the '60s. Anybody who paid attention or grew up in that decade of mind-blowing changes has to miss at least something about it. Me? I miss it all, even though admitting it makes me old.
Music, politics, the entire culture of the country was changed by those under 30. Fathers complained about long-haired musicians in bands, and mothers feared what their daughters were doing when not under their watchful eyes.
I was ripe for the influence of those who were changing history. From mid-grade school to high school graduation, I was a child of the '60s and experienced those changes, firsthand. In fifth grade and barely into the decade, I remember spending time on the playground at school, listening to music on a transistor radio that broadcast AM radio stations. Everyone was amazed that a radio could fit in a shirt pocket. Now, our phones do. As for music, we can download it to those phones, computers (which used to fill several rooms), and players made especially for listening.
My parents bought our first color TV in 1964. Even my grown kids still have trouble imagining a world of B&W TV. In '64, TV shows were just beginning to switch to color. Bonanza was one of the first, and oh, the color of the green, green grass against the bright blue sky were amazing to see in our living rooms. It was almost like being at the movies.
It wasn't only technology that had begun to change, but our way of life was changing in huge ways.
- The Berlin Wall was built to keep East Berliners from traveling West
- Martin Luther King began his work to bring segregation to an end
- The Space Race took off like a rocket (pardon the pun) and gave us not only the first humans in space, but the first man on the moon.
- We watched in horror as our President was gunned down before our eyes on TV.
- James Bond aka 007 brought us into the world of spies via movies and a hunk of a hero. ;)
- The Beatles took over music and brought about the British Invasion.
- Woodstock created a gathering place for half a million people to enjoy life and music.
- The Kansas City Chiefs and the Greenbay Packers played what was to become the first SuperBowl.
- Sesame Street was born to entertain and teach our children via TV.
Music changed in big ways. Rock & Roll, which has roots in the late 1940s and early 1950s, exploded in the 1960s. From Chuck Berry to the Beach Boys to the Beatles, Rolling Stones and thousands of others, music was our voice. We identified ourselves by the music we listened to. If not for the early pioneers of rock & roll and those who followed, music would not be the voice of youth and conscience that it is today.
As the decade of the '60s began to come to a close, PEACE was on the lips and minds of every American. From sit-ins and protests against war and segregation to the music that said it all, the end of the '60s ushered in a new beginning for many.
Those of us who lived during those years have memories that will never be forgotten, whether it was the music, the movies, the TV shows, technology, sports or how we spent our after-school time. If, like me, you have special things that will live forever in your hearts, feel free to share them. I'm sure they'll spark memories for others.
While doing a little research on my favorite decade, I discovered The 60s Official Site, a (new for me) website that has it all. But before taking a stroll through memories of the decade, watch Vibration of a Nation, a terrific video on the same site that's more than worth the 25 minutes to watch.
Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die. ~ Paul Simon
