We're all about the history of rock & roll at BoomtownAmerica.com!

Every week, we present “ROCK REMEMBERED,” a deep dive into the hidden history of rock & roll, the stories behind the artists and songs that changed the world. Join host “Boomtown Bill” Cross each Wednesday at 7 pm (Eastern) with an encore broadcast on Saturday at noon (Eastern).

Jjoin us today as we honor the life & music of one of Rock's most underrated pioneers, "The Ricky Nelson Story!"

We all remember To Tell the Truth. It ran once a week on CBS’s prime-time schedule from 1956 to 1967. A 5-day-a-week daytime version was added in 1962 and ran until 1968.

Each episode started with the camera panning across three figures who were shrouded in darkness. The announcer would ask each “What is your name, please.” The lights would come up on each one in turn as they all gave the exact same name.

Then host Bud Collyer would read “a signed affidavit” that explained the unusual story of that round’s central character.

Following that, a celebrity panel of four (usually Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean and Kitty Carlisle) would ask questions, trying to figure out who really gave their true name and which two were imposters.

Finally, Bud would intone, “Would the real [person’s name], please stand up!”
There was some faking out with the contestants until finally, the real person in question would rise to their feet.

But “to tell the truth,” there are some things most of us have forgotten or simply never knew about this beloved game show classic.

1. The Show Was Almost Named Nothing But the Truth

The key phrase comes from the oath witnesses take in court “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” When Goodson & Todman produced the pilot, they called it Nothing But the Truth. When CBS bought the pilot, the title was changed to To Tell the Truth.

2. Bud Collyer Was Not the Original Host

Mike Wallace hosted the pilot, but the network decided to go with Collyer, who was already hosting Beat the Clock when the show debuted in December of 1956.

3. Mark Goodson and Bill Todman Did Not Create the Show

It was created by one of their employees, a guy named Bob Stewart. While with Goodson-Todman, Stewart also created The Price Is Right and Password. Eventually, Stewart formed his own production company that created many network game shows, the most successful being The $10,000 Pyramid.

4. The Show Offered Very Little Cash to Contestants

On the daytime version, stumping the panelists paid $100 for every incorrect vote for a possible maximum of just $400, which had to be divided 3 ways (who got the extra penny, we don’t know). Should they not stump the panel at all, they got to split a measly $75.

On the prime-time version, the maximum payout was a little better: $1,000 with a $150 consolation prize if no one was fooled.

5. The Show Spawned 12 International Versions

Local versions of To Tell the Truth were also produced in the UK, Australia, Thailand, the Ukraine and 8 other countries.

6. The Show Is One of Only 2 Game Shows to Be Broadcast for 7 Consecutive Decades

After To Tell the Truth ended its initial run on CBS, it has been revived in syndication and on NBC and ABC. It has aired at least one new episode in every decade from the 1950s to the present. The other 7-decade run is Bob Stewart’s The Price Is Right.

And that’s the truth, we swear it!

If your last experience with marijuana was in a dorm room with a towel stuffed under the door back in the 1970s. You’re probably aware that a lot has changed!

Currently, one of the elements in marijuana, CBD (short for cannabidiol) is being touted as a treatment for arthritis, stress, PTSD and more!

Here’s what you need to know:

1.) You won’t get high from CBD. The element in weed (or grass, as Boomers used to call it) that gets you high is THC. The CDB products being sold over the counter (and over the internet) contain less than 0.03% THC. That’s so the products can remain legal in states that have not yet legalized marijuana (for medicinal or recreational purposes).

2.) Yes, there is SOME evidence that CBD is effective as an anti-inflammatory. This would mean that it does offer some relief to people with arthritis or other chronic muscle pain (bursitis, etc.). It also appears to have a positive effect on skin conditions such as  eczema and psoriasis. Researchers caution that testing is still in the early stages and it is still too soon to draw any sweeping conclusions.

3.) The world of CBD products is still “the Wild West.” There is no regulatory body that has established clear guidelines for the manufacture of such products, so it’s still “buyer beware.” Do your research before making any purchases.

4.) As always with anything related to your health, consult your doctor before you start using any CBD-infused products.

How about that? Maybe Cheech & Chong knew something we didn’t!

“Shout” by the Isley Brothers was already a classic when the movie Animal House launched it into a kind of musical immortality few songs ever achieve. It might surprise you to know that “Shout” was never really intended to be a song at all.

Like a lot of R&B acts at that time, the Isleys were hugely influenced by Jackie Wilson, who was pioneering an energetic style of performing that was electrifying audiences. In 1959, the Isleys were closing their shows with their version of Wilson’s “Lonely Teardrops,” a song that had been a hit just a year before. The Isley Brothers were booked into the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia as part of a soul revue, with 15 other acts. The group’s lively rendition of “Lonely Teardrops” landed them the coveted spot closing the bill.

One night during the run of this engagement, the audience got particularly excited, leaving their seats and dancing in the aisle. Lead singer, Ronald Isley began improvising lyrics to keep the song going. One of those ad-libs was “You make me wanna shout!” The band responded with “Shout!,” so he repeated the line. Now, the crowd joined in with “Shout!”

The brothers continued to perform the song this way for the rest of their engagement. When they next entered the recording studio, they discussed recording the song with their producers, Hugo & Luigi. It was the producers who suggested they drop “Lonely Teardrops” and just concentrate on the “Shout” portion.

When they were finished, the Isley Brothers had a song that was too long for just one side of single. So, they cut it in two and released “Shout Part 1” and “Shout Part 2” as a single. And from that time until today, they still close every live show with “Shout.”