Saturday 9: Walkin' After Midnight

 

Walkin' After Midnight

Saturday 9: Walkin' After Midnight (1957)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) The lyrics tell us Patsy Cline was out walking after midnight. Where were you at midnight last night? in bed sleeping.

 

2) She's sure she hears the night winds whispering to her. Is it windy, breezy, or still outdoors right now?  We just had a cold front move in, so it is breezy.

3) When she was 13, Patsy came down with a fever and throat infection so severe she ended up in the hospital. She believed the illness changed her vocal chords and enabled her to sing in a lower key. How are you doing this cold and flu season?  The kids at school have been very sick this year.  I have had covid and a cold.

4) Patsy is well remembered today not only for her voice but for her generous spirit. Loretta Lynn, Dottie West and Barbara Mandrell all considered Patsy a trusted personal friend and professional mentor. Have you ever been a mentor?  I am a mentor teacher this year for the new Pre-K teacher.

 

5) Patsy had a tough side, too. While traveling by bus and playing one-nighters, she found she and her band sometimes never got paid for their efforts. So she began demanding payment -- in cash -- before they would take the stage. She'd insist, "No dough, no show." Tell us about your tough side.  I am only tough at school.  I want my students to be respectful.  It is expected of them.  They do a really good job.  Josh (my son) was raised the same way.

 

6) Patsy became the first female country star to headline at a Las Vegas showroom. Who is your favorite country performer?  Dolly Parton.

 

7) In 1957, the year this song hit #2 on the charts, embroidered cotton handkerchiefs were a popular present for the ladies on your gift list. Do you own any handkerchiefs?  I have one of those embroidered cotton handkerchiefs.  It was my grandmother's.

 

8) 1957 was a banner year for Elvis. He released four hit records, two top box-office films, and his TV appearances topped the ratings. 65 years later, he is still recognized the world over by his first name alone. Can you think of another performer for whom one name is all that's required?  Cher

9) Random question: What's the most embarrassing story your parents (or siblings) tell about you?  When my Papa was alive, he would tell the story of how my Granie would rock me in the rocking chair when I was little.  He said I would say "Granie, I wanna rock"...she would rock me and every time she would stop, I would repeat "Granie, I wanna rock" until finally my papa took a newspaper, rolled it up and hit his hand with it to scare me and make me stop.  He ended up making me and my Granie cry.  It isn't really embarrassing, but I have no memory of it, and he would tell it as I would grow up.  The other stories my parents did not tell other's that often.  My family would never embarrass me.