Break-Ups and Make-Ups

1972: Creedence Clearwater Revival calls it quits when the other band members resent the creative control exerted by leader John Fogerty.

2003: Paul Simon reunites with Art Garfunkel as they kick off Simon & Garfunkel’s “Old Friends” tour in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

The Life & Times of Howdy Doody – Part 3

We all remember that we spent our afternoons, and later, our Saturday mornings in the 50’s with Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody, but how much do you really remember about the show itself and the strange cast of characters who kept us entertained throughout a good portion of our childhoods?

C’mon backstage because once again, it’s Howdy Doody time!

Most of us remember that the show took place in the fictional town of Doodyville with the set at first resembling a circus, then a Wild West Show, and finally, just various locations within Doodyville. There was a full cast of puppets including Howdy Doody, his best friend Dilly Dally, and perennial villain, Mayor Phineas T. Bluster. Even as a kid, we all wondered how that old swindler kept getting re-elected by the otherwise genteel and benign citizens of Doodyville. (In addition, we wondered why Howdy wasn’t the mayor of a town obviously named after him.)

How many of these other “denizens of Doodyville” do you recognize?

• Don José Bluster (Phineas’ brother)
• John J. Fadoozle (America’s # 1 – BOING! - Private Eye)
• Heidi Doody (Howdy’s sister)
• Hyde & Zeke (twin bears)
• Windy Scuttlebutt
• Sandra the Witch
• Mambo the Elephant
• Paddle the Gnu

And of course, the Flub-a-Dub, who combined the parts of eight animals: a duck’s bill, spaniel’s ears, cat’s whiskers, giraffe’s neck, dachshund’s body, seal’s feet, a pig’s tail, and an elephant’s memory.

The show also provided a sturdy launch pad for two other non-human stars. Zippy the Chimp joined the cast in 1952 and eventually became a media star in his own right, complete with an abundance of authorized merchandise. For some reason, the talented chimpanzee hated the Mr. Bluster puppet and would attack him on sight. Apparently, the little simian was an excellent judge of character.

Almost forgotten now is the fact that another huge superstar got his start with Buffalo Bob and the gang. Gumby (dammit) made his network debut on The Howdy Doody Show in 1956. The little guy proved so popular that NBC was able to spin him off into his own series a year later. The rest, as they say, is show biz history.

Along with Zippy, Gumby and the stringed performers, Doodyville boasted a full cast of human actors as well. It was these human actors that caused the most trouble behind the scenes. Next time, we’ll pull back the curtain on the notorious “Christmas Eve Massacre” that almost derailed The Howdy Doody Show in 1953.

1960: While in Hamburg, Wally Eymond, a guitarist in the Liverpool band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, decides to record a version of the Gershwin brothers’ song “Summertime.”

For some reason, he wants the Beatles to be his back-up band at the recording session. The lads are fine with that, but drummer Pete Best can’t make it. So Eymond brings along the Hurricanes drummer, Ringo Starr. Today marks the first day the Beatles would play with Ringo on drums.

The boys would not ask him to formally join the group until 1962.

1969: A bored writer for a college newspaper unintentionally starts one of the biggest rock hoaxes of all time.

Fred LaBour is asked to write a review of the new Beatles album Abbey Road for the University of Michigan student newspaper. Instead he turns in a piece he clearly thinks no will take seriously, headlined “McCartney Dead: New Evidence Brought to Light.”

The “Paul Is Dead” furor grows so great, Life magazine actually runs a cover story a few weeks later featuring photos of Paul McCartney, very much alive at his farm in the UK.

When we were young, “joint” probably had a different meaning than it does for many of us today. If you are one of the 52.5 million adult Americans who have some form of arthritis, joint is where the pain can be, and the National Arthritis Foundation has multiple ways you can ease your pain by “being good to your joints.”

Keep reading to discover some of them:

Compute comfortably. Your monitor should be about 20 to 26 inches from your body, with the top of the monitor on an even line with the top of your head.

Sit and stand. That’s not a contradiction. It simply means that you should alternate between sitting and standing as you go through the day. If your job requires you to sit at a desk, take a break and stand up every 30 minutes or so

Build strong bones. Boost your calcium intake, because a diet rich in this important mineral helps to keep your bones sturdy and can lower your risk of osteoporosis (the brittle bone disease). There are plenty of sources besides milk, including yogurt, broccoli, kale, figs, and salmon. You can also check the pharmacy for additional calcium supplements.

When something or someone bothers us, we call it “a pain in the neck.” The truth is, the most common pain is a pain in the back. If you’re one of the more than 31 million Americans who experience back pain at least occasionally, here are some tips that can help you manage it better:

CHILL OUT: Doctors recommend ice to help reduce inflammations. But keep in mind to wrap the ice/ice pack in a cloth or towel to help protect your skin. Also, apply it only in 20 minute intervals to give your skin a rest. 

SOME LIKE IT HOT: Many of us also prefer warmth. While doctors say that warmth may increase inflammation, it can relax muscles, easing pain. If warmth works for you, then go for it. But as with cold, remember to give your skin a rest every 20 minutes.

KEEP MOVING: Not only can stretching help, but other types of activities such as walking, making the bed, or riding a bicycle can help keep your back loose. Just don’t overdo it. Remember this simple rule: If it hurts, stop.

EXERCISE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT “MUSCLE”: By that we mean to use your brain and design your workspace and living areas to make it easy on your back. Place your computer monitor so you don’t have to lean forward when viewing it. Use a back support pillow for chairs that do not provide lumbar support, and when sitting, try and kerep your feet firmly planted on the floor.

1955: M-I-C… All right, it doesn’t have much to do with rock & roll (unless you count Annette’s singing career or Cubby winding up as the drummer for the Carpenters), but The Mickey Mouse Club had its debut on ABC-TV on this day.

Originally a 60-minute 5-day-a-week show, the cast of Mousketeers was constantly in flux, with only a select group being included in the roll call that opened each show.

1963: The Yardbirds debut a new lead guitar player when a 17-year-old kid named Eric Clapton performs with them at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England.

1971: The long-running musical TV show Soul Train makes its debut with guests Gladys Knight and the Pips, Eddie Kendricks and the Honey Combs.

We’re still wishing you love, peace and sooooooooooul!