A View from the Front Porch

"A View from the Front Porch" is a memoir of my life growing up in rural South Carolina in the groovy 1970's. Or at least the way my 2020's brain remembers it! From the old, green, creaky wooden swing on my Grandaddy's front porch to the barnyard of un-rideable pigs, unfriendly wasps, and perilous cow-poop, this is the hilarious tale of a pre-teen farm boy with way too much time on his hands and too little common sense to know any better. All at once heartwarming, hysterical, and embarrassingly true, "A View from the Front Porch" will remind you of a simpler time, when sittin', swingin' and growin' up were just a part of everyday life!

A true labor of love to write, "A View from the Front Porch" is available now.

While "A View from the Front Porch" is all about the 1970s, I am a humongous fan of the 1980s! And there's nothing I like more than 80s music and pretty much everything about it. So let's have some fun. Every two weeks, we will add some fun fact or trivia question centered around the best era of music EVER. If it's a question, we'll post the answer on Sunday. If it's just a fun fact, you'll have a chance to respond with your thoughts. So, have at it, get excited, and, by order of the Dean, HAVE FUN!

Fun-filled question for the weeks of December 1 & 8:

Women not only ruled in the 80s, they smashed the competition! However, it was still a rarity to find an all-female band, where the women both sang and played all the instruments. Which of the following bands was NOT an all-female band pioneering through the 80s?

A. The Bangles

B. The Go-Go’s

C. Klymaxx

D. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts        

ANSWER: (D): While they love rock n’ roll, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts peppered in some men behind the hard-playing Jett, who spent 7 weeks at #1 with their seminal hit. Of the three all-female bands, the Bangles had the most chart success, scoring two #1 songs, “Walk Like and Egyptian” and “Eternal Flame,” while the Go-Go’s biggest record was the #2 smash, “We Got the Beat,” and Klymaxx hit #5 with “I Miss You.” 

New fun-filled question for the weeks of December 15, 22, & 29 (the Dean is taking the holiday off!):         

  Darryl Hall and John Oates are the #1 charting duo of the rock era, passing the Everly Brothers somewhere late in the decade. These incredible musicians gave us some of the most sing-able and memorable songs of our lifetime. Name their biggest hit.

A. Maneater

B. Kiss on my List 

C. Private Eyes

D. Out of Touch

Without searching the internet, see if your 80s music knowledge is as good as you think it Is, and we will celebrate those who got it right next time! And like I said...have fun!