Tag Archives: songwriter

The Most Famous Songwriter of the 19th Century

Posted on January 13, 2022 by cdsmiller17

Stephen Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864) Even as a child, I knew that the beautiful songs that Stephen Foster wrote were bordering on non-PC, before I understood the phrase. As they were part of the minstrel shows … Continue reading →

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The Inspiration for John Lennon’s “Imagine”

Posted on September 21, 2021 by cdsmiller17

John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018) Call it Serendipity, call it Kismet, call it in time for dinner: we wouldn’t have watched this Channel 4 film on Netflix last night if there had not been an interruption to … Continue reading →

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This “Quiet” Beatle was Actually Profoundly “Deep”

Posted on August 20, 2021 by cdsmiller17

George Harrison (February 25, 1943 – November 29, 2001) This photo probably says it all: up to his neck in water. George Harrison was an enigma to most people, including some astrologers who decided to rectify his chart backward in … Continue reading →

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The True Story of “Me & Bobby McGee”

Posted on June 25, 2021 by cdsmiller17

Kris Kristofferson (June 22, 1936) and Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943) I was thinking about Kris Kristofferson yesterday, wondering if I remembered how to spell his name. Then I thought about Janis Joplin’s version of his song. This post is … Continue reading →

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More Inspiration or Plagiarism?

Posted on December 5, 2020 by cdsmiller17

Girl From the North Country Scarborough Fair / Canticle “Remember me to one who lives there: she once was a true love of mine.” Which do you prefer? Martin Carthy: the missing link between Dylan and Simon

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Well, Hello, Dolly!

Posted on October 10, 2020 by cdsmiller17

Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019) To celebrate Dolly’s 50th anniversary of her association with the Grand Ole Opry, the BBC produced this documentary. (And for those who wondered why Kylie Minogue was featured, she is very popular in the … Continue reading →

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will.i.am: Positively Brilliant

Posted on June 6, 2019 by cdsmiller17

Songland – Series One, Episode Two Ok. Now I get it. All it took was watching will.i.am perform his magic to show me how brilliant he is, and how phenomenal this program could become. There were four songs to choose … Continue reading →

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The Reverse “Launch”

Posted on May 29, 2019 by cdsmiller17

Songland There’s a ‘new’ reality TV show in town. It promises to match songwriters with recording stars, with an instant ‘launch’ on iTunes after the show airs. Now where have I heard that one before? Last night’s premiere had John … Continue reading →

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Song as Autobiography II

Posted on November 2, 2018 by cdsmiller17

Piece by Piece (2016) Kelly Clarkson has been a prolific songwriter since her American Idol win in 2001. As we saw before, Because of You was written about her mother. But she also had a real issue with her father: … Continue reading →

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Song as Autobiography

Posted on November 1, 2018 by cdsmiller17

Because of You Kelly Clarkson wrote and recorded this song in 2005. It’s been on the airwaves ever since. I always presumed it was about a romance that had gone wrong. Wrong. It was about a relationship that had gone … Continue reading →

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