Today is my dad’s birthday, and I would be remiss if I didn’t take a second to mention the occasion. That’s because my near-obsession with all things music can be traced directly to his influence.
A child of the Fifties, my dad began buying 45s during those early days of rock ‘n’ roll and never really stopped. For years, friends have called him up when they stumble upon stacks of wax in their attic, or know someone with a few boxes of dusty discs for my dad to sift through. (My mom is a very understanding woman, since they’ve had to find ways to organize and store his still-growing collection.)
I grew up among these piles of 45s, with a pretty cool jukebox (pictured on this page) that became another member of the family. I can recall days where I did little else but stand in front of this music machine, mesmerized by the needle moving along the grooves, getting ever closer to the colorful label in the middle. While I didn’t completely comprehend the lyrics filling my small ears, this environment was my early musical education.
Soon I was joining my dad on countless excursions to garage sales, thrift stores, and distant record shops, searching for elusive songs that had landed on his “Want List.” Soon, I too, had my own list started. Returning home, we’d clean up our finds, give ’em a spin, and see if they were indeed jukebox-worthy or simply to be catalogued and shelved.
A few years ago, I burned a 6-CD set of his favorite 200 songs so he could enjoy them in the car or at work; my way of returning the musical favor. Many father-and-son bonds are forged over a love for sports teams like the Chicago Cubs, watching games and discussing favorite players and stats. But substitute The Coasters or Chuck Berry and chats about the Billboard charts, and what my dad and I share isn’t all that different, really.
One distinction can be drawn, however: In baseball, a one-hit wonder finds his career over before he ever had fans. But in pop music, that single hit will likely play on forever.
Happy birthday, Dad. May the music never end.
