My Musical Odyssey

My introduction to music began by listening to records with my brother who was 14 years older than me and suffered from muscular dystrophy. He had a large and eclectic collection, but his favorite artist was Elvis Presley.

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The first concert I attended was the Beach Boys and Chicago at Anaheim Stadium in 1975.

https://www.google.com/search?q=beach+boys+all+summer+long&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&sxsrf=APwXEdezSRI_hfmAt04rPyVEBAb-zciw1g%3A1685589655961&ei=lw54ZPquOuXakPIP0tyY6Ao&gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TcwzCgpLMsyYPSSSkpNTM5QSMqvLFZIzMlRKC7NzU0tUsjJz0sHAAmcDbU&oq=beach+boys+all+&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQARgCMgsILhCKBRDUAhCRAjIICAAQigUQkQIyCwguEIoFENQCEJECMhkILhCKBRDUAhCRAhCXBRDcBBDeBBDgBBgCOgoIABBHENYEELADOgoIABCKBRCwAxBDOhIILhCKBRDUAhDIAxCwAxBDGAE6BwgjEIoFECc6BwguEIoFEEM6CAgAEIoFEIYDOhUILhCKBRBDEJcFENwEEN4EEOAEGAI6DQguEIAEEBQQhwIQsQM6DQgAEIAEEBQQhwIQsQM6CAgAEIAEELEDOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToFCAAQgAQ6CAguEIAEENQCOggILhCABBCxAzoFCC4QgAQ6CwgAEIoFELEDEJECOggILhCKBRCRAkoECEEYAFDiBlivLmDzPWgFcAF4AIABiQGIAeUOkgEEOC4xMZgBAKABAcABAcgBB9oBBAgBGAjaAQYIAhABGBQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:8ca8465b,vid:MA8eiwy91Fc

Back in the day, Led Zeppelin was number one. Their movie "The Song Remains The Same" was huge for the stadium rock crowd.

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One of the best concerts I attended was Jethro Tull at the L.A. Coliseum. There were a bunch of bands preforming at the event. My best friend and I wandered the Coliseum most of the day. When everyone was standing for Robin Trower's final song, we wove our way through the crowd to get to the front for Jethro Tull. Four blankets from the stage, a couple of guys asked if we wanted join them and get high. We gladly accepted. When Ian Anderson came on stage, he implored the crowd to chill out and stay seated. Four blankets from the stage, kicking back and getting high, we had the best seats of all.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TCrPqyyrLDI3YPTiKc5OLMnMS1dILE-sBACOVAnh&q=skating+away&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&oq=skating+away&aqs=chrome.1.0i355i512j46i512j0i512l8.6379j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:2e77f578,vid:WfEnWvVJEzc

Psychedelic times call for for progressive rock. "Close to the Edge" by YES will forever be my favorite song ever.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNM0yLS8uNDdg9BJMzskvTlUoyVcoyUhVSE1JTwUArTYKnw&q=close+to+the+edge&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&oq=close+to+the+edge&aqs=chrome.1.0i355i512j46i340i512l2j0i512j0i20i263i512j0i512l5.6605j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:22d8f06d,vid:UBmUX74aME0

Progressive rock will always be my thing, and Pink Floyd will go down in history as one of the best bands ever. "Wish You Were Here" reminds me of my high school best friend, who I lost contact with for 20 years.

Growing up in Southern California, the Eagles' music truly defined the lifestyle, and "Hotel California" was practically our anthem.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNjAtyjNPMTRg9BLIyC9JzVFITszJTMsvystMBACdywpw&q=hotel+california&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&oq=hotel+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46i340i433i512l2j0i433i512j46i10i131i199i433i465i512j46i131i175i199i433i512i664i666i670j0i512j46i433i512j46i131i199i433i465i650j0i271.3942j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:d12fd7be,vid:09839DpTctU

Another important rock movie was "The Last Waltz" by The Band. Every performance is amazing, but "Coyote" by Joni Mitchell was my favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7MbmXklj3Q

I always liked Jackson Browne, but when I finally heard the album "Late For The Sky," (years after its initial release), it defined an era of my life, and the title song described the end of my first marriage.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNM2qKskozjNg9JLPSSxJVUjLL1IoyUhVKM6uVMhKTM4uzs9TSCrKL89LBQB6_xCJ&q=late+for+the+sky+jackson+browne&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&oq=late+for+the+sky&aqs=chrome.3.0i355i512j46i340i512j0i512j46i340i512j0i20i263i512l2j0i512l4.7569j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:5658db84,vid:n3SJz9jujEA

As a decade, the 1980s did not overwhelm me musically. However, a few artists and songs do stand out, such as "One" by U2.

https://www.google.com/search?q=one+u2&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&oq=one+u2&aqs=chrome.0.0i355i433i512j46i340i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i20i263i512j0i512l2j46i340i512j46i512j0i512.3377j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:169ab36d,vid:G2mBRUJDGgM

Later in life, I came to appreciate musical theater, as did my family. For my daughter's "Make A Wish" trip, we went New York to see RENT. The experience will always be close to my heart.

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The music of the 1990s was more to my liking: Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Bush, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. Grunge was something of a throwback to the music of the 1970s. "Heart-Shaped Box" pretty much describes the genre.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&sxsrf=APwXEdfEPSuzo705XpQlfp6PtWPw-EnUgg:1685590771778&q=nirvana+heart-shaped+box&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLQz9U3SDKsqlLi0U_XNyw2MM1OzjOq1BL0LS3OTHYsKsksLgnJD87PS1_EKpGXWVSWmJeokJGaWFSiW5yRWJCaopCUXwEAHVz6vkgAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj20sD5kqH_AhXzN0QIHUgLDPYQri56BAgYEA4&biw=1280&bih=569&dpr=1.5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:cf2d40aa,vid:8eGY-4OALgM

Red Hot Chili Peppers is another group that really articulated the California vibe. While I love all their music, "Can't Stop" has one of the best lines ever: "Life is more than just a read through."

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Some songs and groups age better than others. Like everyone, I loved "Frampton Comes Alive." As the years passed, I came to truly appreciate Peter Frampton as an exceptional blues guitarist. After his diagnosis with a neurological disease, I made a big effort to catch his shows - even traveling from Las Vegas to Montreal to see him perform. "Lines On My Face" will always remind me of my husband.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNjAtzq0oMjZg9BLIycxLLVbIz1PIrVRIS0xOBQCiGAo6&q=lines+on+my+face&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS823US823&oq=lines+on+my+face&aqs=chrome.1.0i355i512j46i512j0i512l7j46i512.6456j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:d9f08b6c,vid:7Kw2UmaQUrw

Over the years, I have shared my love for music with my children and grandchildren. I was blessed to have grown up during the peak of rock and roll. Born in 1961 and graduated from high school in 1978, it was a time when rock concerts surpassed sporting events, when camping out overnight to score concert tickets was a right of passage, and when rock stars were gods.