Music, and more specifically, certain songs, resonated with me at a very early age. The first obesession was Tommy Roe's "Sheila". I made my parents play it over and over again, as I sang it at the top of my lungs. I couldn't have been more than two or three years old. And I had neither "Blue eyes" nor a "pony tail", but the song made me want them, dammit! In my mind, I WAS "sweet little Sheila".
Then came The Beatles. My BFs Diane and Gwen Grumman and I used to swing on our swingset in Colonia, NJ, singing "Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you" - oh yes, we knew every song on that first Beatles record. I was a George girl, but most of my friends loved Paul.
As a pre-teen, my first obsession was The Cowsills. I had a Playtape Player (the first portable, carry-around tape cartridge player), and the first cartridge that I was given for Christmas was "The Rain, The Park and Other Things". It didn't hurt that The Cowsills were all over Tiger Beat magazine...I wanted Barry as a boyfriend or I wanted to be Susie. Man, they were da bomb.
I quickly graduated to Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy & The Partridge Family, and then, The Osmonds. By seventh grade I was in full-fledged Donny Osmond love. That didn't last long, though. Elton John came along, and remained my biggest musical obsession until Fleetwood Mac in 1977. I knew how to play every Elton song on the piano, and he became my greatest writing inspiration.
The late 70s were pretty much a Fleetwood Mac and Elton whirlwind. As the 70s came to a close, I started getting into the great songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Dan Fogelberg, Todd Rundgren, and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. I think I quoted Hall & Oates in my high school yearbook!
The love affair has never ended for me. I remain as obsessed with music as that little two-year-old singing "Sheila" was. And I'm still inspired and amazed every day by all of the talent out there.
Thanks for the memories, ya'll!
xo
~lis~
