Ellen Johnson

Guttenberg, IA

What takes me back is listening to Diana Ross and the Supremes while cleaning the house. Stop in the Name of Love with all the arm motions. Flo, Mary and Diana were all together then.

I also loved Broadway show tunes. Mom loved to sing and she took me to musical productions, mostly at Upper Iowa in Fayette where I grew up. One was Mary Poppins, also loved the Sound of Music.

My girlfriends were into rock, but I loved Motown more. Mom saved her Gold Bond Stamps and purchased a console record player. We had an insert to pay 45s.

We also went to sing-a-longs at the Methodist Church.

One of my friends had a stereo in her family room. We had sleepovers and would play The Letterman all through the night. We would play Barbies with pretend Beatles boyfriends, Paul and John. KOEL in Oelwein played the pop tunes.

I definitely went through an Aretha phase, and loved Barbra Streisand.

Now I love John Prine, Harry Chapin, and Cat Stevens. Even Jerry Lee Lewis and old standards by Sinatra and Tony Bennett. I play music on You Tube while answering emails and doing computer work.

Listen! and Stop in the Name of Love

Bec Knudtson

Guttenberg, IA

I can still remember when the Beatles came over and went on the Ed Sullivan show. Judy and I were in junior high. We were nuts about them, just so in love. Sister Mardelle at St. Mary’s warned us it would be a flash in the pan, only a fad, just get over it.

I am lucky enough that I got to see both Paul and Ringo in person. But John was my favorite.

I still listen to them on vinyl and cds.

Music was a big part of my growing up. My older brother Paul served in Viet Nam. He bought cheap electronics and sent them home including a record player and reel to reel tape recorder. We listened to Mary Ann Faithful, As Tears Go By on that tiny record player. She passed away recently. Hearing that song still takes me back home.

In college at UNI, I listened to Cat Stevens, Gordon Lighfoot and James Taylor. One time my roommate had our tiny stereo cranked to the max. She was sitting on the edge of a straight chair when I walked in the room. She was just blasting out Cat’s Can’t Keep It In. I can see her and hear her to this day, her name was Mary Glock and we are still close. She was a reading major and had a hard-driving professor so was maybe letting off steam or celebrating the end of a long week.

Listen in Mary Ann Faithful in As Tears Go By here:

Cat Stevens’ Can’t Keep It In

John Lennon’s classic Imagine

Dawn Medberry

Elkader IA

It was during junior high, one of those snowy winter nights. I was at a slumber party with Patti, Beth and Missy. We played games like Double Dog Dare.

We were filled with silliness, munching on a frozen pizza and singing along to Hot Child in the City. I can go right back there.

Hot Child in the City

Marla Kuehl Reimer

Elkader, IA

The song is Black Water by The Doobie Brothers from 1974. My memory is from dances at Lakeside. I would go with Darla, Mary and DeAnn.

I met my husband there It was a fun song to dance to and Del and I sang along with it and still do.  

There are lots of songs that have great memories for me.  While many people need to have the TV on for company when they are home alone, I need music. 

I played clarinet in the concert and pep bands in high school.  We had a great trumpet section and played many of the Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass songs.  We played at half time between both games as well as between the basketball games.  

I loved music by the Carpenters.  I sang alto in the church choir and the school chorus.  Karen was an alto so her songs were easy for me to sing along with the radio.  

Jim Croce, I received a late night phone call with “I’ll have to say I love you in a song” playing.  Pretty romantic, right?

Harry Chapin, telling the stories of Mr. Tanner who was a cleaner.  The 30,000 Pounds of Bananas is based on an actual truck accident in 1964. When our son was working storm damage he thinks he drove down the hill into Scranton, Pennsylvania.  His workers riding along were intrigued by the song and agreed it probably was the highway.  

And Jackson Browne’s The Load Out/Stay.  When you are a part of the Opera House Players you help performers load in and load out their equipment so “the roadies take the stage, pack it up and tear it down.  The first to come and the last to leave….”

Listen to Black Water

Mary Streich

Guttenberg IA

I remember listening to The Beatles. Yellow Submarine. Sargeant Pepper. We had the album. My sister still has it.

And Davey Jones! I had a poster of him in my room.

I loved Daydream Believer from the Monkees.

Oh! And George Thorogood’s Bad to the Bone , every Friday!

Daydream Believer

Lori Kann

Guttenberg, IA

It was 1973 and I was driving four of us in our VW bug from Dubuque to Chicago for a concert. It was a big deal to take the car into the city.

I loved The Beach Boys and Jesse Collin Young too.

Our House