Good morning and let me wish you a very joyous Easter holiday.  I hope you are having a great day with your family and or friends.  I am at my Florida house this weekend to check on things as the repairs continue and are about done from Hurricane Ian.

I sure do miss The Beautiful Windy today, but as she starts a new job with plenty of work travel of her own, she could not make this trip.  But we will be back here in May.  But today I am with some of my great friends, Ray and Tim whom I have been friends with pretty much my entire life.  We are playing some golf and celebrating life well lived, eating steaks, having a cigar or two and catching up as we don't see each other enough.  It's a very good weekend.  It's too bad our friend Beef (Don) couldn't make it on this trip, as the four of us love to play golf together.

On this Easter Sunday, I also remember my dad Robert who passed away 45 years ago today, much too young. If he can see me,  and us in total he would approve of this weekend with us living life well and having fun doing it.  My dads famous saying to us was "Fun is fundamental."  I've never forgotten it, and try to live by it. 

It is too bad Windy never met my dad, Ray too.  My friend Tim and I grew up near each other and he remembers my dad, as of course do I. Celebrate a nice Easter today.  I am, we are, and we will.

Happy Easter -  Thanks for reading.

My Dad  RFW  1924 - 1978

Touch A Hand, Make A Friend - Oak Ridge Boys  - 1985

There are times an artist can record a song that they were born to, and for me that was this song by these guys. Being very honest, overall I was not a huge Oak Ridge Boys fan back then. I loved Elvira, American Made and Bobbie Sue like everyone else did, but the four part harmony guys thing was not my favorite as young guy.  BUT I was a huge fan when they sang songs with a bit of spirituality to it.  I felt the same way about the Statler Brothers.  When they  -  and the Oaks sang a song of good will, or gospel, or a deeper spirit, I felt they were at their absolute best. After all, those are their roots.  You may not know, but the ORB go back to the 1940's as a gospel group and went country with the current boys in the late 1970's.  This song was a big R&B hit for the Staple Singers in 1973, and this was tailor made for the Oaks in 1985.  I love how this song makes you happy, and gives you hope -  and these days we can use some of that.  I stand by this, of all the Oaks big hits, of which there are plenty, I proudly played them all, but this is their very best song. And you made it a big #1. 

Last Week #38

Hey, sometimes you just don't have everything you need at the house to make something delish.  Here are some ways to make great things without having to run to the store!

Make It Up As You Go!

Recapping March 50 Favorites From 40+ Years

Eat Of The Week

50 Favorites From 40+ Years #38

Forgotton Jukebox E-71

Country Music Memory Lane

Wynn At The Movies

Box Office Results - Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - ($38.5 million)

John Wick  -  (28 Million)

New This Week -  The Super Mario Brothers Movie  /  Paint

Scarlett Johansson – Says she's “too fragile” to ever get on social media  (Story) 

Moana - There will be a live action version of this, and The Rock will produce it!~ (Story)

Get Ready - Warner Bros. Discovery is close to finalizing a deal for a Harry Potter television series (Story) 

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane  (link)

Also - My 50 Favorites Over 40+ Years This Week #38   (Link)

This week 90's country music favorite Hal Ketchum would have been 70 as his birthday is this weekend.  His career was relatively short on the country charts, but he had a real strong following, and a very loyal fan base.  Let's look back at the article I wrote on him three years ago, shortly after he passed away, way too soon at 67.

My Profile On Hal Ketchum

Earl Thomas Conley - Tell My Why - 1981  -  (Album - Fire And Smoke)

E-81

A hard reality of the music biz  - is history - which can be unkind at times.  Ohio native ETC was one of the most influential artists, best song writers, warm singers and country format trailblazers of the 1980's.  But like Steve Wariner, Dan Seals, Janie Fricke, Crystal Gayle and countless others who recorded terrific music over a long period of time have seemingly been left behind in history.   ETC was way ahead of his time with everything from sound, image, and style.  In the 80's we were not nearly as popular and didn't sell near the amount albums or concert tickets by a mile that we did in the 90's  -  and after -  and still.  Music videos were rare and outside exposure was even more so.  But ETC was making history that no one else had, as he scored 20 #1 songs including streaks of 9 and 7 in a row. (Read my profile on him below to see).  This song was from his first big album. It's a cutting country song that went top ten about a guy who is very flawed and is trying to come to grips with it.  This kind of song isn't recorded much anymore, and that's OK because times change, and trends do too.  This is traditional country in an era of very pop country, that really helped lead to the new traditionalists of the later 80's and 90's and today.

My Profile On Earl Thomas Conley

Gone Country  - Alan Jackson - 1994

Mega Star Alan Jackson had dozens of really big songs over a long period of time, but this one always stayed with me, as it sums him up perfectly.  Jackson of course is a prolific song writer but this gem was written by one of Nashville's most successful behind the scenes writers, named Bob McDill  (voted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame this week) who wrote a lot of really big songs for many over a number of decades, with more than 30 going #1.  This incredible song was exceedingly timely in 1994 as country was riding an incredible wave. It speaks of the new fans and artists we had attracted in the 1990's and their acceptance of us as great music -  and a legit musical genre.  AND of them joining as artists and adopting our overall attractive lifestyle. Jackson was the perfect artist for it as his popularity was huge and was firmly established as a strong, unflinching, outspoken, but still inviting ambassador of our format.  Sometimes the perfect storm collides in music and this is one of those instances. Great writer, great artist, great song, and perfect timing. #1 Hit!   One of the best overall songs of the 1990's. 

Last Week # 39

My Full Profile On Alan Jackson

As my Top 50 Favorites From 40+ Years counts down, here is a recap of the songs featured on Tuesdays for the month of March in case you missed it.    There are also links to previous months recap so you can catch up!   Grab some coffee and the earbuds, lots of great songs here!   -  #38 THIS Tuesday as we begin April!

# 39 - Martina McBride - Independence Day

# 40 – Eddie Rabbit - Step By Step

# 41 - Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again

#42 - Kenny Chesney - Beer In Mexico

Recapping February

Recapping January

You can do a lot of things to a chicken, and I think that's why we like it so much. Chicken is very versatile and this recipe is proof positive.  No offense to our pork and beef friends!

LET'S EAT!

Chicken - OMG - Chicken!