Advertisement

firehouse pizza banner

Andy Sullivan: Against the Grain

Each fact below came from AXS A Year In Review: 1988.  I was 9 years old that year, so it was cool to see this show and what went on in entertainment back then that I might’ve forgotten in the past 34 years.

Sony Bono was one half of the superstar couple of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, Sony and Cher.  When Sonny ran for mayor of Palm Springs in 1988, people thought he didn’t stand a chance.  He surprised all the detractors, winning the election and serving four years.  He then went onto win a seat in Congress.  He remains the only member of Congress to have scored a #1 hit single.  A little trivia for you: Sonny is the godfather of Anthony Keidis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Bono passed away on January 5, 1998 as result of a skiing accident.  He was 62.

1988 was also the year that the Beach Boys, the Drifters and the Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Beach Boys were one of the most critically acclaimed and They’re credited with legitimizing pop and influencing progressive rock, punk and alternative music.  They were still a force in 198.  Their hit “Kokomo”, which was included on the soundtrack to the movie Cocktail.  The song was nominated for a Golden Globe for best song.  Throughout their career, the Beach Boys had 36 songs in the Top 40.

The late James Brown hit his peak in the ‘60’s but made a comeback in 1988 with his hit “I’m Real”.  That song and “static”, featuring Full Force were his final top 10 hits.  James Brown was often called the hardest working man in show business.  His personal life was marred with sexual abuse, drug use and violet outbursts.  His musical style and artistry proved to be an influence for another superstar, Michael Jackson.  1988’s “Mani In The Mirror” was Michael’s tenth #1 single.  The song came from his album Bad, which was the most anticipated album at the time and debuted at #1.  The alum, his third and final collaboration with producer Quincy Jones, produced 5 #1 singles.

There was a first for the CMA’s in 1988.  That was the year they awarded their first Vocal Event of the Year award.  The Association created the category for contributions by two or more artist.  The inaugural winners were Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris for their album Trio.  The reviews were stunning.  The singers were praised for keeping tradition country music alive.  The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and stayed at #1 on the country charts for five weeks.  Four of the singles were in the top 10.  “To Know Him Is To Love Him” hit #1.  The song was written by Phil Spector (yes, THAT Phil Spector).  The title came from his father’s tombstone. 

Now for another first.  In ‘88, the late Whitney Houston became the only artist to have 7 consecutive #1 hits.  The ranking meant she had beaten both the Beatles and Bee Gee’s, who both had 6 in a row, 

We end with movie trivia.  The movie Dirty Dancing had everything: rebellion, romance, competition, and it won a Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Song.  However, the hit “Time Of My Life” was intended for Donna Summer and Joe Esposito.  She turned it down because she didn’t like the title of the film.  Joe was busy waiting for his baby to be born.  It worked out pretty well for the pair who would eventually sing the song: Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.  The song hit #1 on US Billboard Hot 100, US Adult Contemporary, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Netherlands and South Africa.  It peaked at #1 in the UK in 1990.  (www.wikipedia.org)

Links for my podcast, Blendertainment, can be found below

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/61yTPt9wXdz37DZTbPUs16?si=Uecgn9fvQ8-PM1anUpfQzA

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blendertainment/id1541097172 

Tags: 


Bookmark and Share

Advertisements