My parents had a huge but unintentional impact on musical DNA. They didn’t play records or take me to concerts but I would hear the kitchen radio (AM of course) before going to school. I remember hearing The Mamas and Papas, The Association and The Carpenters. I was drawn in by the lushness and purity of the vocals.
As the years passed and I started listening to top 40 and then AOR on FM, my musical tastes changed. Peer pressure and a consciousness of cool meant I could never speak of Karen Carpenter!
I remember when I first admitted to myself that I really did like the music, I was in my 30’s. Sooo…I would be at the music shop and drift toward the ‘C’ section and glance over at the selection of discs by The Carpenters while my hand was on a Cheap Trick CD…my head was on a swivel. I would get braver each visit until I finally picked up a disc and marched to the check out. If the clerk even raised an eyebrow I had already planned to talk about my Mom’s birthday…but I digress.
My first real love was Queen and quickly followed by Ian Hunter/Mott The Hoople and Todd Rundgren. I’ve seen 43 concerts between those three artists.
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