The Polyester Ball

01/01/2026

“SAME OLD LANG SYNE” has become a New Year’s Eve classic for the late DAN FOGELBERG (he passed away on December 16, 2007.) The Peoria, Illinois, native included this now holiday favorite on his album The Innocent Age, and released the song as a single in late 1980.

"Same Old Lang Syne" tells the story of two high school sweethearts who meet up by chance in their hometown grocery store on a snowy Christmas Eve. It concludes with a haunting soprano saxophone solo of the traditional "Auld Lang Syne" melody.

Fogelberg has said the song was autobiographical, and tells the story of how he was visiting his family back home in Peoria in the mid-1970s when he ran into his old girlfriend at a convenience store.

The single peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart several months after its original release. The popular song is still played on “Classic Hits” and “Christmas Music” radio stations during the holiday season, and is even mixed into some stations’ regular playlists at other times.

After Dan Fogelberg's déath 18 years ago from prostate cancer when he was only 56-years-old, his old girlfriend he sang about in “Same Old Lang Syne" came forward with her story.

In an interview with the Peoria Journal Star, Jill Anderson-Greulich said she and Dan had dated in high school. The couple were classmates at Woodruff High School, but after their Class of 1969 graduated the two went off to different universities. After college, Jill married and moved to Chicago while Dan relocated to Colorado to pursue his love of music.

On Christmas Eve 1975, they were both back home in Peoria, Illinois, for the holidays with their families when Anderson-Greulich went out to buy some eggnog, and Fogelberg left his parent’s home to pick up some whipping cream to make Irish coffee.

The only store in town that was open was located at the top of Peoria’s Abington Hill where they had their unlikely now-famous encounter that inspired his song “Same Old Lang Syne.” Today the Short Stop Food Mart located at 1302 East Frye Avenue is still in business in Peoria, Illinois. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music / TV / Film Blogger

The official video for “Same Old Lang Syne" performed from Live: Greetings from the West by Dan Fogelberg Listen to Dan Fogelberg: https://danfogelberg.lnk....

12/31/2025

Remembering two members of the 1960s pop band and television show THE MONKEES — MICHAEL NESMITH and DAVY JONES — who were both born on December 30th (Mike in 1942 and Davy in 1945).

Nesmith and Jones — along with Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork — were in the music group formed expressly for an NBC TV series, which had a first run of episodes from 1966 to 1968 (the shows still run in syndication today even after almost 60 years.)

A new wave of "Monkeemania" with the likes that hadn’t been seen since the group's heyday in the ‘60s hit the U.S. in early 1986 after a Monkees TV marathon was broadcast on MTV Music Television. Their renewed popularity prompted Davy, Micky and Peter to reunite for the next three years. A tour was planned (Mike refused to hit the road with his three former bandmates) to celebrate The Monkees renewed success and to promote the 20th anniversary of the band.

Also a new Monkees single was released, “That Was Then, This Is Now," that featured the vocals of Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. The music video for the song received heavy rotation on MTV, and the single hit the top 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1986.

An album with new Monkees material called “Pool It!” was released on Rhino Records in 1987. After the tour wrapped up in the late ‘80s, the next Monkees concerts were put on hold until 1996 when Davy, Micky, Peter AND Michael reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band. Another new studio project, “Justus,” was released that year, which was their first album since 1967's “Headquarters” to feature the band’s members performing on all of the instruments. This would prove to be the last time all four members of The Monkees would record together.

Davy Jones was 66-years-old when he suffered heart failure at his horse ranch in Stuart, Florida, in February 2012 (reports say Davy’s heart attack was due to atherosclerosis.) In 2019, Peter Tork passed away at the age of 77 at his home in Mansfield, Connecticut, after a decade-long battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of head and neck cancer. Mike Nesmith’s déath at age 78 came in 2021 at his home in Carmel Valley, California, and was attributed to heart failure. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music / TV / Film Blogger

Pictured: The Monkees in 1966 — (l-r) Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz (credit: Rhino Records); (inset) Nesmith and Jones in 1967 (credit: NBC TV) (graphic creator: glory2glory graphiX)

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas, my friends and followers! Blessings, Chuck

12/23/2025

British pop singer CHRIS REA, who found international fame with his single “Fool (If You Think Its Over)”, has díed. He was 74. A statement from his family said he passed away today (December 22).

“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris. He passed away peacefully in (the) hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”

Rea, a native of Middlesbrough, North Riding in Yorkshire, England, had suffered a number of health issues over the years. He faced serious health problems in the mid-‘90s when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, undergoing surgery to remove his pancreas, gallbladder, and part of his liver. Chris was also found at the time to have Type 1 diabetes.

The singer-songwriter and guitarist rose to fame in the late 1970s with his debut album, Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?, which featured the hit song “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” and reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart for three weeks. The song also earned Chris a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1979.

Two of Rea’s other studio albums topped the U.K. charts in the ‘80s and ‘90s — going 8x Platinum (for sales of eight million units.) He sold more than 40 million records total worldwide, and toured extensively in the U.K., Australia and Japan, but never booked a full concert tour in the United States.

Although Chris Rea once refused an offer to perform on “MTV Unplugged,” he did appear on U.S. television in 1990 on CBS-TV’s “Late Night with David Letterman” and performed his 1978 hit “Fool (If You Think It’s Over).” Several
years ago one of the top music publishers in the world, BMG, acquired all of the singer’s music interests with a deal that sold all of his future royalties to them for his 17 studio albums.

The singer, who was raised in a Roman Catholic family, also suffered two strokes in recent years — the first time he collapsed on stage during a concert — leaving him with slurred speech and reduced movement in his arms and fingers. In an article in the Birmingham (England) Post, Chris Rea said cancer had returned three times, metastasizing in his liver and kidneys. “I’ve had four operations since and I’ve been very depressed with it, but I just keep going and I’m very lucky for that.” - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film Blogger

Pictured: Chris Rea’s self-titled 1981 album (credit: Magnet Records); (inset) Rea performing on 2017’s Road Songs For Lovers Tour in Carre, Amsterdam in The Netherlands (credit: Marco van Rooijen) (graphic creator: glory2glory graphiX)

(Thanks, Neil Shaw, for your help with this story.)

12/12/2025

It was 58 years ago this weekend when popular R&B singer OTIS REDDING died in a plane crash along with most of his back-up group, THE BAR-KAYS. In early December of 1967, Redding and the Bar-Kays were booked to perform on the "Upbeat" television show produced in Cleveland, Ohio, and stayed in the city afterwards to play three concerts over two straight nights at a local club.

After their last performance in Cleveland on December 10th, the 26-year-old Redding with his teenage backing band took off in his private plane headed to Madison, Wisconsin, to play two back-to-back shows on Sunday night at The Factory despite the weather forecast calling for heavy rain and low visibility over the flight route. While flying over Squaw Bay on the plane’s final approach to Truax Field in Madison, the pilot—who was also only 26—radioed for permission to land. Shortly afterwards, Redding's plane crashed into the icy waters of Lake Monono, just three miles short of the airport’s runway.

The only survivor of the crash—Bar-Kays trumpeter Ben Cauley—had held on to a floating seat cushion. He didn't know how to swim, so Cauley was unable to save his band mates who were still inside the plane, which sank to the bottom of the lake in about 50 feet of water. Other victims of the crash who died in the accident were the 26-year-old pilot Richard Fraser; Bar-Kays lead guitarist Jimmy King, who was 18; tenor saxophonist Phalon Jones and keyboardist Ronnie Caldwell, both 19-years-old; 18-year-old drummer Carl Cunningham; and the band’s valet Matthew Kelly, who was only 17-years-old.

The legendary artist, known by many fans as the “King of Soul,” was born on September 9, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia. Otis Redding left school at 15 to support his family by performing at talent shows for prize money, and eventually working in Little Richard's backing band. In the early 1960s, an unscheduled appearance at a Stax Records recording session led to a contract with the label followed by the release two years later of Otis' debut album.

Redding began to reach a broader pop music audience when he and his backing band, the Bar-Kays, played some small gigs in the south. They also debuted their act at larger venues in the western U.S., and later booked a European tour with shows in Paris, London, and several other cities located around the EU. Back in the States, Otis and the band made an acclaimed appearance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Soon Redding wrote and recorded his classic “(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay”—with guitar work by Steve Cropper of Stax Records' house band Booker T. & the M.G.’s—but the record was not released until after the singer’s untimely death. The single sold over 8 million copies, and became the first posthumously released recording to reach the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.

According to an article in Jet magazine, the Macon, Georgia, native had been very successful during his career and earned more $1 million from performances, music publishing, and royalties from record sales in the year 1967 alone. By mid-year, the band started traveling to all of their shows aboard Redding's own Beechcraft twin-engined tailwheel airplane.

Otis Redding was awarded two Grammy awards posthumously for "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay.“ He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Class of 1989, and the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative 29¢ postage stamp in his honor in 1993. Redding was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994, and five years later was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music / TV / Film Blogger

Pictured: Otis Redding performing with The Bar-Kays at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (credit: Norton Simon Museum); (inset) Redding onstage ca. 1965 (credit: Zelma Redding) (Graphics creator: glory2glory graphiX)

12/10/2025

RAUL MALO of the Grammy-winning band THE MAVERICKS has díed. He was 60. The tenor and frontman of the alt country group passed away after a long battle with colon cancer, his wife Betty announced on his page. The band earned a top 20 hit in 1994 with “O What a Thrill” from their double Platinum album What a Crying Shame.

“He was called to do another gig—this time in the sky—and he’s flying high like an eagle,” Betty Malo posted. “No one embodied life and love, joy and passion, family, friends, music, and adventure the way our beloved Raul did. Now he will look down on us with all that heaven will allow, lighting the way and reminding us to savor every moment.”

Raul Malo had been documenting his health journey on social media since he disclosed last year he was receiving chemo treatments. In September 2025, Malo posted on Instagram that he was then battling leptomeningeal disease (LMD), which is a rare complication when cancer metastasizes to membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Malo and The Mavericks were forced to cancel dates with country legend Dwight Yoakam in the middle of their co-headlining tour. The Malos had relocated from Nashville to receive treatment at a cancer center in Houston, and kept his followers updated online.

Born Raul Martínez-Malo Jr in Miami, Florida, to Cuban parents, he co-founded The Mavericks in the late ‘80s with drummer Paul Deakin and bass guitarist Robert Reynolds. Their self-titled debut project was released in 1990 on an independent Miami label Y&T Music. Their style was described by many as alt-country flavored with an Americana, Latin, Tejano or a swing beat, adding in rock, traditional country and even surf music.

In their early days in south Florida, The Mavericks played punk and rock clubs just to get a start. The band also released a Spanish language album, En Español, which featured original Tejano songs along with classic Latin standards. In 2002, Malo released an all-Spanish children’s album, El Cancionero de la Familia Vol. 1, featuring vocals by his wife, sister Carol, and his mother Norma, along with some other guests.

During their 35 year career, Raul and The Mavericks released 13 studio, nine compilation and six live albums, and an EP. The band has earned a Grammy, two Country Music Association awards, three Academy of Country Music awards and an Americana Music Award.

On his own, Malo was presented a BMI award for writing “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” and was nominated for a Grammy Award for his solo album Lucky One and won another Grammy as a member of the Border music Mexican American supergroup Los Super Seven.

Raul Malo is survived by his wife of over 30 years, Betty, sons Dino, Victor and Max, mother Norma, sister Carol, and his Mavericks bandmates Paul Deakin, Eddie Perez and Jerry Dale McFadden. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film Blogger

Pictured: The Mavericks in 1995 (from left - Nick Kane, Paul Deakin, Raul Malo and Robert Reynolds (credit: Margaret Norton / NBC); Malo in 2022 (credit: Facebook) (Graphics creator: glory2glory graphiX)

12/04/2025

The island nation of Jamaica is still completing details for an official state funeral for the late reggae icon JIMMY CLIFF. A state memorial service proves the impact Cliff had on Jamaican culture and the world music scene.

Born in 1944 as James Chambers, the unofficial Jamaican musical ambassador passed away last week at 81 from pneumonia. The official funeral announcement was issued by Jamaica’s Minister of Entertainment after approval in the Caribbean island nation’s House of Representatives. Minister Grange disclosed that Cliff left detailed wishes for his funeral, which will soon be shared with the public.

Official state funerals in Jamaica are very rare and typically reserved for government leaders and national heroes. For a reggae music artist to receive this coveted honor, Minister Grange said the distinction makes Cliff one of Jamaica’s most respected citizens in their history.

Jimmy Cliff portrayed the character Ivan in Perry Henzell’s 1972 theatrical film The Harder They Come. Cliff’s studio work included the Grammy Award-winning albums “Cliff Hanger” (1985) and Rebirth (2012). During the 1980s, the musician also collaborated with The Rolling Stones on their “Dirty Work” album. Cliff returned to the charts in the early ‘90s with a cover of “I Can See Clearly Now” that was featured on the Cool Runnings soundtrack, a film following the adventures of Jamaica's bobsled team.

Named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, the reggae star was inducted by The Fugees’ Wyclef Jean who told the audience that he had been inspired by Jimmy as a young boy when growing up in Haiti. "When we saw Jimmy Cliff, we saw ourselves," Jean said.

Jimmy Cliff continued to tour well into his 60s, and played Glastonbury in 2003 and performed in front of a new generation of reggae fans at 2010’s Coachella. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film Blogger

Pictured: Jimmy Cliff (left) with Mick Jagger at the Ritz in New York City in 1981 (credit: Bob Gruen); Cliff performing at the Love Supreme jazz fest in Glynde, East Sussex, in 2019 (credit: Shutterstock) (Graphics created by glory2glory graphiX)

09/16/2025

THE MONKEES songwriter BOBBY HART has díed at his Los Angeles home after breaking his hip almost a year ago and going through a time of “poor health.” He was 86. Hart co-wrote several songs with his writing partner Tommy Boyce for Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith of the 1960s pop band The Monkees.

The band members also starred in an NBC television series from 1966 to 1968 about the antics of four friends in a rock and roll band. Born Robert Luke Harshman in Phoenix, Arizona, he helped write the ”(Theme from) The Monkees,” the opening credits song for the TV show, as well as was a co-writer on the group’s No. 1 hits “Last Train to Clarksville” and “Valleri,” the top 10 single “Words” and the top 20 song ”(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone.”

Hart and Tommy Boyce also co-produced the chart-topping and 10x Platinum albums “The Monkees” (1966) and ”More of The Monkees” (1967).

At the same time they were writing and producing for The Monkees, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart enjoyed a successful recording career. Boyce & Hart released three albums on A&M Records, and scored a No. 8 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968 with “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite?,” which sold over one million copies, and was issued a Gold record award.

Hart and his musical partner also wrote the theme song for the daytime NBC TV drama “Days of Our Lives.” The soap opera began airing in 1965, and after 60 years still runs on the NBC streaming service Peacock.

During their professional partnership, Boyce & Hart wrote more than 300 songs, and placed nine singles on the charts with sales of over 42 million records. Also Bobby and Tommy appeared together on the television shows “I Dream of Jeannie” and “The Flying Nun,” and wrote songs for several Columbia Pictures films including “Winter a-Go-Go” (1965), “Murderers' Row” (1966), “The Ambushers” (1967), “Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows” (1968) and “Three's a Crowd” (1969).

Tommy Boyce díed by suícíde in 1994 when he was 55-years-old after suffering a brain aneurysm and clinical depression that followed. Bobby Hart published an autobiography in 2015 called “Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, The Monkees, and Turning Mayhem into Miracles” (SelectBooks). - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film Blogger

Pictured: Bobby Hart with his songwriting partner and two members of The Monkees in 1975 (l-r) Micky Dolenz, Tommy Boyce, Hart and Davy Jones (credit: Andre Csillag/Shutterstock); (inset) Hart at an autobiography book signing in Brooklyn, New York, in 2015 (credit: Glenn Ballantyne via AP)

09/06/2025

MARK VOLMAN, a founding member of ‘60s pop band THE TURTLES, has died. He was 78. Volman sang harmonies with musical partner Howard Kaylan on their No. 1 hit song “Happy Together” and the top 10 singles “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “She’d Rather Be with Me” and “Elenore.”

Volman died today (Fri., Sept. 5, 2025) in Nashville after revealing a couple of years ago that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Volman and Kaylan founded the annual “Happy Together” pop oldies concert tour in 1984, and Mark continued to perform each year up to the last show for the summer of 2025 on August 31st. in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Volman was a founding member, vocalist, and songwriter of The Turtles alongside his stage partner Howard Kaylan. After the band folded, Mark and Howard joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, changing their names to the pseudonyms of "Flo" (Volman) and “Eddie” (Kaylan).

Mark and Howard started The Turtles in 1965 with the band selling over 60 million records worldwide, and earning six top 10 hit singles with “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “Elenore,” “You Baby,” “She’s My Girl,” “You Showed Me,” and the chart-topping single “Happy Together.” At the height of their popularity, co-frontman Volman reportedly insured his distinctive frizzy hair for $100,000 “against fire, theft or loss due to illness.”

As the decade of the 1970s began and The Turtles’ success faded, Volman and Kaylan discovered in the terms of their record label contract they were forbidden to use the band’s name—or even their own names—if they wanted to perform outside of the group.

Mark and Howard were forced to use the stage names Flo & Eddie after they were recruited for the satirical rock band Mothers of Invention (they joined in time to appear on the soundtrack of Frank Zappa's humorous pseudo-documentary film “200 Motels”.)

After leaving Zappa’s band, Flo & Eddie wrote songs and provided voices for several animated films including “The Care Bears Movie” and “Strawberry Shortcake,” and also worked in radio broadcasting.

At the age of 45, Volman went back to school at Loyola Marymount University to study for his Bachelor's degree. In 1997, he graduated Magna cm Laude with a B.A. in Communication and Fine Arts, and was the class Valedictorian speaker. During his speech, he led his fellow graduates in a chorus of his band’s biggest hit, "Happy Together."

The kinky-haired tambourine player and backing vocalist of The Turtles eventually earned a Master's degree in Fine Arts from Loyola Marymount. Volman was hired to teach Music Business and Industry courses in the Communications department at the university, and also taught courses in the Commercial Music program at Los Angeles Valley College.

A few years later, Mark Volman became an associate professor and coordinator of Entertainment Industry Studies at Christian college Belmont University in Nashville. He also conducted music industry seminars around the country at various academic institutions and schools.

Volman and Kaylan were the founders of the annual “Happy Together” concert series that featured various ‘60s and ‘70s Oldies acts, and criss-crossed the US every summer (except during the pandemic years.) The summer of 2025 leg of the tour kicked off on May 29th in Melbourne, Florida, with the lineup of Mark Volman and Ron Dante (substituting for the retired Howard Kaylan) performing the hits of The Turtles, Jay & The Americans, Little Anthony (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), Gary Puckett (of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap), The Vogues and The Cowsills.

Volman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, but was given a clean bill of health after undergoing treatment. For many years, the Los Angeles native conducted seminars as an Artist in Residence at the Church of God college Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. In addition, he offered Music Business and Entertainment consulting through his website “Ask Professor Flo.”

Mark Volman and his wife, Emily, were both active members of Harpeth Presbyterian Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, where they served as Youth Ministers. - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film Blogger

Pictured: Mark Volman (second from left) and The Turtles - Howard Kaylan, Jim Pons, John Barbata and Al Nichol (ca. 1967) (credit: Alamy/Minnesota Public Radio); (inset) blogger Chuck Halley (sitting) with (l-r) Mark Volman (The Turtles), Gary Puckett (Gary Puckett & the Union Gap), Howard Kaylan (The Turtles) and Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & the Raiders) at the "Happy Together” tour at the Hard Rock Cafe in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 2013.