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!

Previous FUN-filled question (weeks of February 1, 8, 15, & 22...sorry, the Dean got busy and missed a couple of weeks!):         

In the early 1980’s, country music superstar Eddie Rabbitt crossed over to the pop chart on a regular basis. All of the following hits reached #1 on the country chart, but only one hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100, too. Name it. 

A. You and I

B. Step by Step

C. Drivin’ My Life Away

D. I Love a Rainy Night

Answer: (D) In 1981, there was a royal race to the top of the pop chart between Rabbitt’s “I Love a Rainy Night” and Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” with both songs moving simultaneously up the charts; Parton hit number one first, Rabbitt’s “Rainy Night” replaced it for two weeks, then Parton returned to the top for another week. What a battle! “Drivin’ My Life Away” and “Step by Step” both hit #5 in 1980 and 1981, respectively, while “You and I,” the duet with Crystal Gayle, hit #7 in early 1983 (and was his last hit in the top 40). 

New fun-filled question (weeks of March 1 & 8):         

Instrumentals (i.e., songs with no vocals) have been a staple of the Billboard Top 40 Pop Chart since the inception of the chart in 1955, with a total of 25 hitting #1 in the rock era. While extremely popular during the first three decades of the chart, only two instrumentals hit the top of the chart in the 1980s; name them. An extra point if you can tell which one was the bigger hit!

A. “Axel F,” Harold Faltermeyer

B. “Hooked on Classics,” the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

C. “Chariots of Fire,” Vangelis

D. “Theme from Hill Street Blues,” Mike Post

E. “Songbird,” Kenny G

F. “Theme from Miami Vice,” Jan Hammer

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!