Geez you guys make me feel old...

but in all fairness to myself - - - - my first exposure to music, and I loved it, it led to me instantly join band when I could, was music from an earlier era... before I was born. LONG before I was born for much of it. I can thank my Grandfather on my Dad's side and my Mom for that.

My grandfather had hundreds of the old, thick, 78's... classical mostly, Italian stars, but also some Big Band Era tunes that he loved listening too on one of those 6 foot high phonograph players with the big horn. I still have the phonograph and the records, BTW.

The first song I remember well, however... was a 45 my Mom bought for our first record player. It was called "Four Walls" and it was by Jim Reeves... 1957 or so. I hated it and still do. I knew and heard songs before that of course that's the one I remember best because my Mom played it from dawn til dusk. ARGGGGGHHHHH.... maybe that's why I always played outside?

I remember my first transitor radio... can't remember the year I got it. But I lived with that thing glued to my ear when I could... which really wasn't that often because my Mom wasn't having it. According to her it would make me deaf, give me cancer, drive me into a life of debauchery and I'd wind up dead at the age of 12.