Podcasts about Nat King Cole

En este día 25 de diciembre unos elefantes con gorros de Papá Noël: John Pizzarelli ('Wonderful Xmas time'), Paolo Fresu ('I´ll be home for Christmas'), Madeleine Peyroux ('Have yourself a merry little Christmas'), Carla Bruni ('Jolis sapins'), Ayo ('Santa Claus is coming to town'), Tony Bennett & The Count Basie Big Band ('All I want for Christmas is you', 'Christmas time is here'), Vince Guaraldi ('Skating', 'Linus and Lucy'), Ella Fitzgerald ('White Christmas', 'The Christmas song'), Nat King Cole ('The Christmas song'), Ivan Lins ('Então é natal', 'Um feliz natal' -con José Feliciano-) y Toninho Horta & Oscar Castro-Neves ('Ave Maria'). Escuchar audio

Multi-platinum recording artist Clay Aiken is back with a stunning new version of the Bing Crosby classic "Do You Hear What I Hear?," the first single from his highly anticipated Christmas album Christmas Bells are Ringing, set to be released on November 22nd. Aiken's unique interpretation infuses the classic carol with his signature vocal warmth and emotional depth making it a song for our times. Written in 1962 by Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is timeless in its message, yet even more resonant today. Aiken reflects, "The whole American political climate over the past few years hasn't really given us much in the way of hope or optimism. As much as I wanted to believe I might be able to make some positive change in that world, I've realized that music often does a better job of that." Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Ron Fair, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is the first release from Aiken's first studio album in over a decade, following a hiatus from music which found Aiken running for Congressional office in North Carolina, and raising his now teenage son. The album, Christmas Bells are Ringing, marks a return to the holiday music that solidified Aiken's place as a household name in 2004, when his debut holiday album Merry Christmas With Love broke records, selling nearly 300,000 copies in its first week. That album went platinum, becoming the best-selling holiday album of 2004 and earning Aiken three Billboard Music Awards.The new record boasts fresh takes on holiday staples like Nat King Cole's "Caroling, Caroling" and Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime", as well as a lush reinvention of "Merry Christmas, Darling" by the Carpenters (one of Clay's musical inspirations) and a show-stopping rendition of "Pure Imagination" which reimagines the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory classic as a fitting soundtrack for the holiday season. Clay Aiken's rise to stardom began in 2003 as the runner-up on season two of American Idol. His debut single, "This Is the Night" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, while his debut album Measure of a Man was certified triple platinum. Aiken has since sold millions of albums, launched national tours, starred on Broadway, and made his mark as a philanthropist and politician.Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Merry Christmas With Love, Clay Aiken's new album, Christmas Bells are Ringing' promises to bring the same joy and spirit to listeners, making it the perfect soundtrack for the 2024 holiday season.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Get ready to relax and let the soulful vibes take over! Every Sunday night at 10pm (EST), Metro Beatz brings you 'Chillmode'—the ultimate chill-out session designed to soothe your soul. This week, is a special Christmas edition the Chillmode' with Holiday tunes from H.E.R., Nat King Cole, Alexander O'Neal, Donny Hathaway x Lalah Hathaway, Mariah Carey, Brandy, New Edition, Neena Lee, Ashanti, Stevie Wonder & more! Whether you're winding down the weekend or just need a soothing escape, 'Chillmode' is your go-to soundtrack for relaxation. Let Metro Beatz guide you with a mesmerizing playlist that's pure vibes from start to finish.

Welcome to PTBN Pop's Video Jukebox Song of The Day! Every weekday will be featuring a live watch of a great and memorable music video. This week, we are celebrating the holidays with our 4th Annual Christmas Song Theme Week. On today's episode, Steve Riddle is watching, “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole from 1946.   The YouTube link for the video is below so you can watch along! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKhRnZZ0cJI

Send us a textOn this episode, Tom and Bert select, review and discuss their Honorable Mentions and their TOP 10 + 1 Greatest Holiday Song Favorites of all time!It's the "SONG" that makes the criteria for their selections then theor favorite/best renditions by their favorites singers complete their lists.Some are the traditional Classics and some are newer originals with a few surprise sleeper hits that make up their lists.Some highlights:"Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" (9:21) by Dean Martin"Merry Christmas Baby" (13:35) by the Carpenters"Happy Holidays/Holiday Season" (21:03) by Andy Williams"Feliz Navidad" (23:30) by Jose Feliciano"Every Year, Every Christmas" (25:52) by Luther Vandross"The Christmas Song" (27:24) by Nat King Cole"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (32:03) by Frank Sinatra"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (38:45) by Burl Ives"Peace on Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy" (41:30) by Bing Crosby and David Bowie"Gloria" (51:06) by Michael W. Smith"Santa Baby" (53:45) by Eartha Kitt"Baby It's Cold Outside" (1h 01m) by Dean Martin"Same Old Lang Syne" (1h 12m) by Dan Fogelberg"All I want for Christmas is You" (1h 15m) by Mariah CareyHave a Great Holiday Season and we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year.Enjoy the Show!You can email us at reeldealzmoviesandmusic@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page, Reel Dealz Podcast: Movies & Music Thru The Decades to leave comments and/or TEXT us at 843-855-1704 as well.

This Christmas, I thought it would be fun to analyze six popular Christmas songs referencing animals-other-than-humans (mostly mammals who are forced to pull people around the snow in sleds, and then some birds, mainly fowl who are killed and eaten by humans but sometimes avians humans admire for their beauty). The songs are  Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Run Run Rudolph, Sleigh Ride, Jingle Bells, The 12 Days of Christmas, and Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song.  In this 24-minute podcast (originally recorded Christmas 2024), I deconstruct these Christmas songs from a Critical Animal Studies perspective. In other words, as an animal rights activist who is sympathetic to the more-than-human-world and the perspectives and interests of other animal individuals and our shared habitats, I analyze these classic songs and what lessons they teach us about fellow animal species and how we could be more respectful, kind of like those Politically Correct Bedtime Story series that gives you a critical yet humorous perspective on classic tales in Western society. My Radio Free Georgia version of this episode has the license to broadcast these popular songs, but for my podcast friends, I don't have copyright permission to play the songs, so I linked to the youtube versions of the songs in the podcast notes here below. For the recording, I'll put a jingle bell sound in there when you can cue up the songs to play yourself if you want to. But I'll speak the key lyrics dealing with animals that I discuss. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMletImQ_cs Run Run Rudolph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqVtqbzTdVs  Sleigh Ride: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZTzai1H9DM Jingle Bells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP3RhTbq3Ds  The Twelve Days of Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QPQI5QUs74  The Christmas Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKhRnZZ0cJI    "In Tune to Nature" is a weekly hour-long radio show airing Wednesdays at 6pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by me, Carrie Freeman, or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature You can email me at my first name at wrfg.org.  Please support nonprofit indie media like our Radio Free Georgia station at https://wrfg.org/  Thank you! Take care of yourself and others, including other species, like reindeer, partridges, French hens, turtle doves, bobtailed horses, and more. Photo Credit: by Aleksei Zaitcev on Unsplash Horse Neighing audio credit: From Duke the Palomino who has his own YouTube channel

"The falling leaves drift by the window …" as Nat King Cole so brilliantly put it. It is fall after all, and this week we appear to be at maximum color. Such a short time ago the leaves were just coming out, now they are falling. What else could fall? An obvious question! On today's show, we'll discuss a very good article from the recent late summer edition of the CPWA journal called "A Bear Market Survival Kit." Just when you thought it was safe to go outside … here enters the bear, possibly. Given the reality of how high the stock market is, now is a good time to review how to "win the war before the battle is fought." On the other side, Heidi Cartwright will discuss the "Five forces that could stimulate the U.S. economy" and how U.S. economic growth has continuously surprised to the upside. And Nathan will highlight the year-end retirement account planning highlights you'll want to pay attention to and possibly employ for your own best retirement planning by year end of 2025. Can you believe it? Here we are with about nine weeks left in the year. Lastly, Beth will close us out with some great tips to retire by from Warren Buffett along with some interesting factoids to round things out. Let's get crackin! Tune in and take control!

Les contes de Noël ont bien changé depuis le 19ème siècle. Je crois que c'est dans les années 80 que tout a basculé. Que tout est devenu, disons, plus moderne. Il est vrai que jamais une décennie n'a été vécue autant dans le présent que celle-là, elle restera celle où on a arrêté de croire qu'en l'an 2000 on volerait dans notre engin spatial individuel et donc, au père Noël.Le père Noël, c'est nous ! Ca, George Michael et Andrew Ridgeley l'ont bien compris du haut de leurs 20 ans. Et alors que leur duo, Wham!, vient d'être propulsé au sommet, et qu'ils sont tous deux chez les parents de George, celui-ci imagine un conte de Noël moderne. Vous connaissez cette histoire d'amour heureux puis malheureux, entre deux Noël, on l'a assez entendue … Une chanson dans laquelle George croit fermement et qu'il enregistre seul, en plein été, comme Nat King Cole des décennies avant lui, mais dont il compte tourner un clip crédible. Avec Andrew, l'histoire est entendue, il faut reconstituer une bande de jeunes qui font la fête aux sports d'hiver, sous la neige. Coup de bol, en novembre, il a neigé en Suisse, dans le Valais. On y va ! Mais qui va jouer la fiancée et la future ex ? Un mannequin, Kathy Hill, les choristes Pepsie et Shirley et quelques potes à eux sont du voyage, ils joueront la bande. Ils sont un peu fauchés, alors, trop contents de se faire un week-end à la montagne. Mais bon, on n'a pas trop de budget, dit le manager. Ça n'empêche toute la bande de faire le siège du bar de l'hôtel en attendant l'arrivée de George et Andrew. Ça commence bien.Tu as la broche ? demande le réalisateur à Andrew. Bien sûr. Celle que George est censé offrir à sa copine et qu'il va retrouver un an plus tard avec Andrew et en avoir le cœur brisé. Le tournage est prévu dans deux chalets, un pour les extérieurs et un pour le dîner entre copains où la consigne est claire : on doit y croire !Et on y croit. Ça rit avec une telle sincérité que c'en est bluffant à l'image. Il faut dire que c'est du vrai vin qu'on sert à tout va, c'est gratos. On n'a pas mis du jus de raisin pour le réalisme, bonne idée, mais là, on finit par y être un peu trop. Heureusement, on a de belles images où George offre à Katty, la fameuse broche, de la maman d'Andrew. Mais voilà, une pause, un moment d'inattention, lorsque Kathy reprend le manteau qu'elle avait ôté, plus de broche. Catastrophe pour le réalisateur, il faut encore tourner l'autre scène qui rend George triste, et puis, c'est un bijou de maman, crie Andrew, bien dégivré sur le coup ! Tout le monde se met à chercher la broche. Où a-t-elle bien pu la perdre ? Tout l'hôtel est passé au peigne fin, lits, oreillers, bar, couloirs, salles de bain. Et là, deux versions circulent, celle du portier qui dit l'avoir retrouvée sur la rue dans la neige, probablement tombée en sortant d'une voiture ; l'autre par Kathy qui dit l'avoir retrouvée au fond de son sac, accrochée à un autre vêtement.Happy end dans les deux cas pour ce conte des eighties. Le clip a merveilleusement fonctionné et tourné sur toutes les télés, et surtout la bande s'est éclatée grave à un point qu'on ne peut en raconter les détails sur antenne à une heure de grande écoute, surtout à un moment où TOUT commence à ressembler sacrément à Noël …

What better way to celebrate 2025 than on the air with the Broadway performer who made it her favorite year: Jasmine Amy Rogers. She joins us for classic songs for the holidays by Nat "King"Cole, the Jackson 5, Eddie Cantor and of course some Boop!

Before the playoffs and point spreads take over, Marc "Moose" Malusis and Nick Kostos take a detour into the festive spirit for a high-stakes Christmas Music Draft. Nick Kostos reveals his "1.01 overall pick" for the greatest holiday song of all time—Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song"—and explains his meticulous process for building the "definitive" Apple Music holiday playlist. From the "Yacht Rock" vibes of the NFL sidelines to the timeless crooning of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Dean Martin, the duo debates which versions of the classics truly reign supreme. Moose throws a curveball with his love for "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (Band Aid), while the guys share how music from the likes of Burl Ives and Mel Tormé helps them survive the high-pressure "minimal sweats" of the betting season. It's a warm, funny, and surprisingly nerdy deep dive into the sounds of the season!

Michigan Weather and Women: Part 2 Dancing, and other forms of sentimentality. Based on a post by CleverGenericName, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.  As we finished the prep work, I asked Wilma about her day with Mary. "She is a good kid but is carrying a lot of anger and shame. We spent most of the day getting in touch with that anger. It takes some people years before they can express their emotions through art; it took her about five minutes. But we had to take some breaks to clean up the paint splatters afterward before they stained." "Oh shit! Sorry about that. I can pay to replace anything that;" "Nothing to apologize for; I asked her to express how she felt, and she did it in the way that felt right to her." "Well, I appreciate your taking the time. I am just her big brother; I feel so lost when it comes to parenting." "Being a parent doesn't mean that you know any more than anyone else, and it certainly doesn't mean that you know any better. For what it's worth, I think you are doing a fine job with your family. I know that you don't have your parents around to say it, but this old woman is mighty proud of who you are and of how you have stepped up for your brother and sisters. They are very lucky to have you." I turned away so that Wilma wouldn't see me getting choked up. I couldn't remember the last time that someone had said they were proud of me. Soon enough, though, it was dinner time, and Erin came into the kitchen with that same look of amusement on her face. "Sorry to bother the chef, but Lane needs some help that only a big brother can provide." When I gave her a quizzical look, she blushed. "It seems like he is going through puberty, which can pose; some new challenges. When I was assessing his ankle, he; well, indicated his interest in me in a way that can be difficult to hide, particularly while wearing sweatpants. It's natural for his body to react that way at that age, and it's nothing for him to feel badly about, but he was mortified. I think he could use a bit of brotherly guidance and understanding." I went to the living room and saw that Lane was curled up on the couch and looked like he was fighting back tears. "How are you doing, Buddy?" He couldn't even look at me he was so embarrassed. "I am so sorry; I just couldn't help it. I don't know why it started to get bigger, and I wanted it to stop, and it wouldn't and then she saw me, and;" he continued as he fought back a sob. "Can we just go home?" "Erin is a doctor. She knows how the human body works and has seen that kind of thing a hundred times. She isn't mad at you or embarrassed. She just feels bad that you feel so bad. This is just part of getting older and growing up. "Did I ever tell you about what happened in Miss Iron's class when I was a freshman? Miss Iron was a bit of a legend among the male students at our local high school. She was the youngest and prettiest teacher, by far, and even though she always dressed professionally, the clothing style had yet to be invented that could fully conceal her bountiful natural endowment. "Well, I liked Miss Irons a lot. She was one of the few teachers who looked past my difficulty with reading and writing. So, I developed a little crush on her, which was fine until the inevitable; hmm, physical demonstration of my crush; happened in class one day, just before she asked me to collect everyone's quizzes. I tried to delay, I tried to ask a friend to do it instead, but eventually, I had to stand up. It took me until my junior year to live that one down." As Lane listened to my story, he turned to face me and his second-hand embarrassment for me helped to push his embarrassment to the side. "So, what happened?" "Miss Irons was lovely and kind like she always was, but I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me or to get hit by a bolt of lightning. Things would have been fine if she hadn't mentioned what happened to the principal, who called Mom. She didn't find the story funny at all." I hadn't thought of the aftermath when I started telling Lane this particular story, but as they say, might as well put it in four-wheel drive and keep going. "Mom was mad?" "By then, Mom was pretty much always angry. I did my best to keep her away from you and the girls when she got that way, but yeah; she was mad." "Are you mad at me?" "No, Bud, I'm not. In a few years, once your embarrassment has died down a little, I will tease you mercilessly about this because that's what brothers do; and maybe threaten to tell your girlfriend, if you fall behind on your chores or homework. But I will never get mad at you for something that you can't control. And I promise that Erin isn't mad at you either." Just then, Mary poked her head in to tell us that dinner was on the table. "Are you safe now, or do you need a few more minutes." "I'm good. Thanks, Dad." After I helped Lane hobble into the dining room, we got down to the business of eating and teasing each other, but not necessarily in that order. It felt good; almost like what I imagined a real family would feel like. Eventually, the conversation turned to more serious matters, though, and Erin led off the questions. "So, how do you know Gran, and why are you wearing Grampy's favorite sweater? And, for what it's worth, I don't remember him filling it out in quite the way that you do." I blushed a bit as Wilma jumped in. "If Phillip had filled out that sweater like young Davis here, it wouldn't have stayed on him for very long, I can tell you that." "Gran!" Erin exclaimed, laughing while sounding scandalized. "I didn't need that mental image. Heck, none of us needed that mental image." "Oh, don't you worry, Dear. He still filled it out well enough, and it looked equally good on our bedroom floor." We were pretty much all blushing at that point, which I think was Wilma's objective, so I quickly changed the topic. "I am just your mother's plumber. I came out to fix her boiler and then finished the job earlier this week when a couple of parts came in that I needed." Wilma jumped in at that point and added her two cents to my story. "He also brought me my groceries and we had a lovely conversation. He is a real Renaissance gentleman, a rarity these days." Erin looked grateful but concerned. "Did you have enough money to cover the bill, Gran? You know I can help if you need;" I tried to jump in before Wilma could reply. "No need to worry, the bill was paid in full;" "Hogwash," Wilma exclaimed as I tried to finish, turning to Mary before she continued. "Your brother wouldn't let me pay him a cent for the work that he did. Not even for the parts that needed to be replaced! He is a very nice boy but a terrible businessman." I turned to Erin for support. "I figured your Gran has enough going on right now with her health and all. It was the least I could do to help her out." Erin looked at me with a strange expression on her face. I didn't have much experience with women, so I figured I must have made her angry somehow. Most of my interactions with women, including my sisters, seemed to end with them being upset with me for one reason or another, but she didn't sound angry when she spoke. "Thank you, Davis, that was very sweet of you." "Yeah, well; you see, it's just; pass the fish, please." "That still doesn't explain why you're wearing Grampy's favorite sweater. When I was a little girl, I used to curl up in Grampy's lap and snuggle into that sweater as he read to me. He was wearing it when I danced my first dance with him in front of the fireplace. Do you remember that old record player, Gran? You used to bring it out and we would waltz around the living room to Moon River." "I still have that record player here somewhere, let me go see if I can find it." Erin started to protest, but it was too late. "To finish answering your question, Erin, we were here today because your Gran offered to mentor Mary. I tried to politely decline, but your Gran is pretty persistent when she wants to be." "That sounds like Gran. Most of the time when she makes a suggestion, it is really a command." "While we are asking questions, how is Lane's ankle?" "It's pretty badly sprained, and he will need to use crutches to walk for the next couple of weeks. You should bring him to the hospital to get some X-rays done as well, to make sure that he doesn't have any fractures." I could feel myself deflate as she mentioned X-rays. "I'm not trying to be cheap, but are the X-rays absolutely necessary? We don't have the best insurance; we got it through the exchange. I guess it's better than nothing, but the deductible is pretty high, and my other sister, Alison, her college tuition is due soon. But if you say it's important, I will put in some extra hours to make it work." It didn't usually bother me that we were poor. Heck, most everyone we knew, except the McDougals, was poor. But it hit home when you had to tell a beautiful doctor with bright amber eyes that you couldn't afford an X-ray for your little brother unless it was urgent. "Tell you what. I will be working at the hospital in Petoskey tomorrow, so why don't you bring Lane by, and I will take care of him? I will make sure that he gets a pair of loaner crutches for as long as he needs them." "You don't need to do that for us." Erin gave me another one of her looks, this one I was more familiar with; I was pretty sure it was annoyance. "So, just to be clear, you can look after my Gran, fix her boiler for free, and bring her groceries whenever you feel like it, but I can't look after your brother and make sure that his ankle is treated properly?" "Well, when you put it that way, I sound like a bit of a jackass. I'm sorry." "Apology accepted. Come by the hospital at 11 AM tomorrow." Before we could continue, the sound of a 45 playing on an old record player filled the house. You could hear the hisses and pops before Ella Fitzgerald's voice began to sing "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Chapter 3. We got up from the table and followed the music back to the living room. I helped Lane out of his chair while he half-hobbled and half-hopped along beside me. Wilma had set her ancient record player up in the corner beside a stack of old 45s, and she had a faraway look in her eyes as she looked out the picture window toward the lake. "I think it's time for me to ask the prettiest girl in the place to dance," I said, as my eyes swept across the room. "But unfortunately, it's a three-way tie. So, will you do me the honor?" I said as I held out my hand to Wilma. "I haven't danced since Phillip passed. You know, we used to dance together every Friday night. It didn't matter where we were or what we were doing, we would always make time to dance at least one song together, even if the music was only in our heads." "I imagine I will be a pretty poor partner compared to Phillip, but I will try not to step on your toes." Wilma and I ended up dancing a slow foxtrot to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. She smiled at me as we slowly circled the living room. "You're a very good dancer, young man." "Our mother taught me when I was very young." Before she began with the drugs and men, our mother had been a showgirl in New York and then Las Vegas. When she got pregnant with me, she moved back to Mackinaw City and started teaching ballroom dancing at a local studio. By the time I was five, I was her practice partner of choice, and she always insisted that I lead, despite being only half her size. "The man always leads, Darling, that's just the way of the world." I was hardly a man at the time, but I never disagreed with my mother when she was in a good mood, because I knew it could shift in an instant. So, I learned to dance, and I learned to lead. The memories came flooding back as I guided Wilma into a soft over-sway, and she smiled with delight. "Oh my, you do know how to dance!" I couldn't help but smile back. "I can't take all the credit. I think Phillip must have infused this sweater with his fancy footwork." As the song ended, I took a step back and did my best to give Wilma a gracious bow. "It was a pleasure dancing with you, my lady." "The pleasure was all mine, good sir." I turned toward Mary and held out my hand. She hesitated before Wilma declared, "There are no wallflowers in this house." Mary slowly stood but looked anxious as I took her hand. "Davis, I don't know how to dance. Mom was; she was too far gone to teach me by the time I was old enough to learn." "That's okay," I reassured her. "If there is anything that Mom made sure of, it's that I know how to lead. Just relax, and I will guide you through it." Wilma helped Lane, who had taken over as DJ, to choose a slower song so that Mary would feel more comfortable, and I heard the opening bars of "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. I started to lead Mary through a slow rumba, and she picked up the steps very quickly. She was a natural. I felt a sudden stab of regret as we moved together across the floor. "I'm sorry. I should have made time to teach you to dance. But the last few years, it has just taken everything I have to keep us;" "It's alright. You've had other things on your mind. And look; you are teaching me how to dance, now." As Mary grew more confident, I guided her through a simple underarm turn, and we ended with a dip, which made her giggle and earned a round of applause from the others. Finally, I turned to Erin, who was sitting on the couch beside Lane. I suddenly felt very shy and, for the first time that evening, she looked nervous as well. "Would you dance with me, Erin?" She didn't reply but stood and took my hand. We waited for a moment while Wilma and Lane chose a new 45 and then listened to the pop and hiss as it started to play. Soon, an alto saxophone introduced the Henri Mancini version of "Moon River," and we started a slow waltz. Although there was space between us, it was bridged by an electric charge that connected and drew us together. Even though I spent most of the dance looking over Erin's shoulder, every detail of her beauty was etched in my memory, and I felt a warm breeze pass between us, raising goosebumps on my skin. We barely noticed the pause as the song ended, and a new one began until Etta James began to sing. At last, my love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song The song was in 4/4 time, so I switched to a foxtrot and Erin followed as we glided across the smooth wood of the living room floor. I was so caught up in the moment, and in Erin, that I led her through a turn that transitioned into an over sway, before I stepped backward, allowing her to gently pivot into me. Our eyes met and I was lost in them again. Before we could break the spell, a heavy gust of wind shook the house, and the power flickered out. The room went dark, which sharpened my remaining senses. Suddenly, the warmth of Erin's breath on my neck felt like wildfire across my skin. We were motionless for a three-heartbeat eternity before the lights flickered and came back on. I let go of Erin and felt all of my longing and awkwardness rush back in. "Thank you, Erin. That was;" I couldn't finish; words didn't seem enough to express how I felt. "I should check the breakers and make sure that everything is alright, and then we should go. Why don't I wash these clothes and drop them back for you later." Wilma just smiled and shook her head. "If you like them, please keep them. Otherwise, they will just grow old and musty like me." A little while later, we said our goodbyes, but I promised to bring Lane to the hospital the next morning. Wilma told Mary that she would see her on Wednesday after school and again the next Sunday. I was expecting Mary to protest, but she just gave a meek, "Yes, Wilma." I was nervous when I took Lane to the hospital the next day. The deductible on our insurance was high enough that we paid for pretty much anything less serious than a severed limb out of pocket. Erin, however, was as good as her word. After the X-ray confirmed that there were no breaks or fractures in the bones around his ankle, she re-wrapped it and arranged for a pair of loaner crutches that he could use for as long as he needed them. Before we left, Erin asked me if I wanted to grab a coffee in the cafeteria, to which I readily agreed. I gave my phone to Lane so he could amuse himself while Erin and I talked. "I just wanted to say how much I appreciate what you did for Gran. I do what I can, but I spend half my time at the Children's Hospital down in Grand Rapids right now and I am often on call while I am here. I just don't have the time to give her the help that she needs." "Honestly, it's no big deal. I do a lot of work around Good Hart since the bigger plumbing companies don't like to travel that far, so I don't mind looking in on her while I am there. And she seems to have taken a real interest in Mary, so the least I can do is to bring her some groceries and help around the place a bit." Erin pursed her lips and looked like she had just bitten into a lemon. "The 'least you can do' is more than the rest of our family can be bothered to do put together, so thank you." "I meant to ask you about that. What did your Gran do to end up so isolated from the rest of your family?" "The rest of my family is; there is no nice way to put it, they're snobs. None of them have any interest in spending time 'up north' as they call it, and they can't wait for Gran to move into a retirement home and die so they can get their money and forget about this place. That's why no one comes to visit Gran anymore, even for Thanksgiving; it's part of their campaign to convince her to sell her land to the McDougals. Before you came along, I thought they were going to succeed." "Well, excuse my language, but fuck them. I don't know Wilma that well, but I will do what I can to make sure that she gets to spend her remaining days in the place that she loves." "That's easy to say, but harder to do once the McDougals and their minions start coming by your place, offering you money and making threats unless you back off." "Well, if they do, they will find out what every teacher who ever taught me learned the hard way. I am bad at taking orders and even worse at following instructions. I am not afraid of the McDougal boys." My exclamation brought a smile to Erin's pretty face. I decided that I would be willing to do quite a lot to see that smile on her face again. But there was one thing I still didn't understand. "Why aren't you on board with the rest of your family? You must be under a lot of pressure to abandon your Gran like the rest of them." "My father, Gran's youngest son, Max, died shortly after I was born, and my mother moved the family to California where she remarried into a family that had a little money but a great deal of pretension and ambition. My mother picked up that insatiable need for money and status like it was a virus. "When I was a child, my mother and stepfather spent summers and holidays traveling the world, staying in places where children weren't welcome. Although they wanted nothing to do with Gran and Grampy and their 'vermin-filled shack in the middle of nowhere', they were more than happy to leave me with them while they were away. "They would put me on a plane to Grand Rapids while they jetted off to their spas and their fine dining. Gran and Grampy were the only people who cared for me, and they became my whole world. "When I was 14, I was staying with Gran and Grampy, and I caught a fever that was so bad that I nearly died. It was a pretty grim time. My parents even thought about flying home from Monaco to be with me. They didn't, but it was the only time in my entire childhood that they considered it. But I will always remember how kind the doctors and nurses were to me when I was sick. That's why I became a pediatrician and moved home." "Isn't California home?" "Home is where the people that you love are, and so this will always be my home. Or it will be until Gran passes on, anyway." We sat in silence for a while, sipping our coffee. Before long, it was time for me to go. "This might sound crazy, but since the rest of your family aren't going to be here to celebrate Thanksgiving with your Gran, how about you and I try to give her one more Thanksgiving to remember." Erin brightened at the idea, and the smile returned to her face. "That would be amazing! Why don't I give you my number, and we can figure out how to make it happen!" Chapter 4. For the next few weeks, Mary continued to meet with Wilma on Wednesdays and Sundays. I would often take the opportunity to bring her groceries or other supplies while I dropped Mary off and, if the weather was agreeable, do some fishing. Once he could walk without crutches, Lane came along as well, in quest of another monster steelhead. Unfortunately, all he caught was some yellow perch and rock bass, but it was nice to spend the day with him down on the dock. I saw Erin a few times at Wilma's as we made plans for Thanksgiving. She seemed to particularly enjoy talking with me while I split firewood out by the shed. It was hard work, and I was often drenched with sweat by the time I was done, but she didn't seem to mind. And she worked while we talked, helping to stack the larger pieces and collecting the smaller ones for kindling. The one point of contention in our plan was how Erin would get to Wilma's on Thanksgiving Day. She was slated to work a 12-hour shift the evening before, ending at seven in the morning, and she worried that if she went home to rest, she would sleep through the entire day. Her solution was to drive out to Wilma's after her shift and catch a few hours of sleep when she got there. I thought that driving that far after working all night seemed like a terrible idea, so I offered to give her a ride instead. She did not like that one bit. "I don't want you to make an extra trip when I am perfectly capable of driving myself." It sounded like she was digging in for a fight, so I tried a different tactic to convince her. "I need to stop at the hospital anyway, to return Lane's crutches. I can kill two birds with one stone and pick you up at the same time." She didn't buy that rationale either so, reluctantly, I resorted to the truth. "I am sure you're a great driver, but if you drive yourself, I will be up that morning anyway, worrying that you are safe. I know it doesn't make sense, but I have been looking after my siblings for so long its second nature for me to worry, and I can't seem to turn it off. So please, let me pick you up. But for me, not for you. And do you know how rarely I get to be gallant these days? I will feel like your knight in shining armor." That finally got a laugh from Erin. "Alright, you win. Why don't you pick me up at 7:15 at the hospital? You can sweep me up onto your trusty steed and carry me away to Gran's house." "If by trusty steed you mean rusty old GMC truck, then it's a deal." The morning of Thanksgiving dawned chilly and gray, with a cold wind blowing in off the lake. I was up early to make sure that I made it to the hospital on time, and I was listening to the local AM country station as I drove when the DJ started his break. "A happy Thanksgiving to all our listeners. If you're on the roads today, be aware that there is a severe weather warning in effect for the area north of Cadillac and into the upper peninsula. We're expecting a combination of high winds and lake-effect snow to make driving hazardous, and you should be prepared for possible power interruptions and outages." I was relieved that Erin had agreed to let me pick her up and that I had invested in good snow tires for my pickup. The snow had already started by the time I reached the hospital, and I pulled my jacket tightly around me as I went inside. I dropped Lane's crutches with the duty nurse and waited for several minutes before Erin arrived. She looked exhausted, and the gentle smile that I loved was nowhere in evidence. "Hey, Erin. Are you okay?" "I'm fine. I just had a long shift, but I am ready to head out." She came up to me and gave me a hesitant look. "Actually, I could really use a hug if that's alright." Without a word, I wrapped my arms around her, and she buried her face in my sweater. Hidden from the world by the folds of my jacket, I felt her body start to shake. The tremors lasted for a minute before they gentled and then finally stopped. I looked out the window at the falling snow to give her a moment to compose herself. "Let's head to Gran's house. This weather isn't going to get better any time soon." With that, we got in my truck and started the drive up to Good Hart. Erin sat in silence and looked out the window. "If you want to talk, I probably can't help with doctor problems; but I am a good listener." It took Erin a minute before she opened up. "Most of the time, I love being a pediatrician. Kids come to me scared and in pain, and I help them to get better. But sometimes, it's just too much. Around midnight last night, an ambulance brought in a mother and daughter. Her boyfriend had been drinking; and he got violent. The little girl tried to protect her mother and; and; "It's one thing to treat a grown woman, you know. I mean it's still pretty bad, but; that little girl. Fuck. One thing I've learned from this job is that monsters are real." I wanted to give Erin another hug, but since I was driving, I just reached over to take her hand. "I'm sorry." My words seemed so incredibly inadequate; considering what she had just dealt with; but she squeezed my hand. "Thanks for listening." We drove on in silence, and by the time we pulled into Wilma's laneway, Erin was gently snoring with her head against the window. I stopped as close as I could to the house before lifting her out of the cab. She tucked her head into my shoulder, and I carried her inside, where Wilma was already busy in the kitchen. She came out to greet us, and I spoke to her in a low voice. "Erin had a very tough night. I think some rest will do her a world of good." Wilma helped Erin out of her boots and coat and then showed us through to the guest bedroom, where I laid Erin on the bed. The room was filled with pictures of Erin from when she was younger; standing on the dock with an older but handsome man who I guessed must be Phillip, curled up in a ball on the sofa, book in hand, and smiling in her cap and gown as she graduated. In each picture, I could see hints of the beautiful woman she would become. By the time I returned with the rest of my family, the storm had begun to pick up. Snow drifts were accumulating against the house and shed, so we brought everything with us into the house that we might need for the evening. It took some convincing, but Sharon and I took over in the kitchen while Wilma, Alison, Mary, and Lane started a game of Scrabble in the living room. Once the preparations were well underway, I laid in as much wood for the fireplace as I could. With the high winds and heavy snow, I was worried that we might lose power, and I wanted to make sure that we prepared, just in case. The radiators and boiler would provide almost no heat if there was a prolonged power outage, but the fireplace had a high-efficiency insert that would keep the house warm, as long as we built up a good bed of coals. Lane insisted on helping me with the firewood, and after a half dozen trips to the woodshed and back, we both looked like live-action versions of the abominable snowman. Wilma showed some sympathy for our plight, while our sisters had a good-natured laugh at our expense. By the early afternoon, dinner was almost ready, and Wilma sent me to wake Erin. She had barely moved since I had tucked her in and seemed so peaceful in her sleep. I leaned over and spoke softly to her until she opened her eyes. After a moment of confusion, she broke into a shy smile. "I guess we made it to Gran's." "That we did, we got here close to six hours ago." Her eyes flew open, and she tried to get up until I reassured her. "We've got things under control. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Take your time; and maybe give yourself a few minutes for that pillow line on your cheek to fade." I turned to leave, so she could have some privacy, but she reached out and took my hand. "I just wanted to say thank you again for earlier. I am not used to having someone I can talk to; someone I can trust. It's only been Gran and Grampy, and me for so long, and I didn't want to burden them. But I shouldn't have dumped my troubles on you like that, we barely know each other." "I was just glad that you felt comfortable enough to share how you felt with me. Today was probably the worst day of that little girl's life. I am sure she was terrified, confused, and in a lot of pain. But what she'll remember is the angel who comforted her and treated her with kindness and love. "I need to get back to the kitchen, or I will burn something. Fair warning, this is my first time cooking a Thanksgiving turkey, so you may want to load your plate up with fixings and sides, just in case." As it turned out, the turkey wasn't perfect, but it wasn't that bad, and the gravy was tasty as heck (probably because Wilma made it.) We had mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and peas as sides, with the obligatory cranberry sauce (from a can). The conversation at dinner was a chaotic mixture of laughter, stories, and the kind of teasing that you only get when you bring five siblings together over a hearty meal. It didn't take Erin long to choose a side in the battle of the siblings, and soon, it was the four girls against Lane and me, with Wilma as our impartial referee. I don't know how Lane felt, but for me, it was worth being ganged up on just to see Erin and my sisters smiling and laughing. Although he tried to hide it, it was clear that Lane still had a bit of a crush on Erin, so I imagined that he was just fine with making her smile as well. For dessert, Erin brought pumpkin and apple pies that she had bought at the bakery in Petoskey, which we ate with some vanilla ice cream from the local creamery. I was sure there would be some dessert left over, given the amount that we all ate for dinner, but somehow, we finished it all. Everyone pitched in with the dishes and then we moved to the living room where we played cards and some more board games. As we played, Mary asked Wilma about some of her more memorable Thanksgivings, and she got a faraway smile. For the next hour, she regaled us with stories of humble times with the kids by the lake and, in later days, fancier celebrations with some of the families that Phillip befriended while they sat for portraits. As our last game of Scrabble ended, Sharon looked at Wilma with a mischievous grin. "Mary was telling me about the dance party that you had a few weeks ago here in your living room. Rumor has it that my big brother can dance! I was hoping, if you asked him nicely, that we could all see him in action." Wilma got up from her chair and started to move toward the hall closet. "Lane, come along and help, please. I am far too old to be carting around a heavy record player." Lane hopped up and went to help Wilma, while the rest of us began to move the furniture out of the way. As Lane set up, Wilma admonished the rest of us. "Remember, there is only one rule about dancing in my house: no wallflowers." With that, Lane started the first song, and I asked Wilma to dance. Alison followed suit, asking Lane to dance, and soon she was teaching him how to lead. Finally, Erin stood as well and gave a deep bow to Mary. "It would be my honor, enchanting lady, if I could have this dance." With a laugh, Mary stood, and soon we were all moving around the room, trying not to bump into each other or step on each other's toes. For the next hour, we danced, laughed, and pretty much forgot about the world outside. Lane even got up the courage to dance with Erin, although he stayed so far away from her that you would have thought she was radioactive. I took a couple of turns with Erin and was amazed at the way she melted into my arms. When we danced, there was a wave of knowing smirks from my sisters and a pleased smile from Wilma, but I didn't care. I could have danced with her all night. Unfortunately, during my third dance with Erin, the real world decided to interrupt our festivities. Erin and I had just started a turn when the power went out. I instinctively pulled Erin into my arms to protect her, and then I leaned in through the darkness and kissed her. She returned the kiss, ran her hand through my hair, and let out a small moan. "Do you think the power will come back on?" Lane's question cut through the fog of my lust and longing. "Probably not until sometime after the storm has passed. So, we should all plan on spending the night here and then figuring things out in the morning." With Wilma's agreement, we got settled in for the evening. After some protest, Wilma agreed to sleep in the guest room since it had a direct line of sight to the thermoelectric stove fan that helped circulate the heat from the fireplace. My three sisters slept in Wilma's bed, both to share body heat and because it was the larger of the two beds in the house. Lane slept on the couch, while Erin and I slept on the floor in front of the fireplace. Erin laid out an older sleeping bag, for comfort, with some bedding and blankets on top. In deference to Lane, she waited until she was under the blankets before she shimmied off her pants, while I stoked the fireplace. I made one more pass through the house, to check on Wilma and my sisters, but it seemed they had already fallen asleep. Even Lane had passed right out, despite his proximity to the pants-less Erin. I set a quiet alarm on my phone for two-hour intervals so that I could get up and add wood to the fire, ensuring that it would last all night. Looking down at the makeshift bed where Erin was watching me, I suddenly felt incredibly shy and anxious. I took my sweater and pants off as quickly as I could and set them on a chair before crawling under the blankets next to her. I didn't want to be presumptuous, so I stayed as far over to one side as I could. I had just settled in when I heard Erin's soft voice from behind me. "You can come a little closer. I won't bite, you know." My brain froze with indecision, but my heart knew the score and it started beating at a furious rate. I heard her shifting behind me, and I felt an arm wrap itself around my chest. My senses were on fire. The faint scent of lavender from her hair washed over me like a field of wildflowers. "Was everyone safe when you made your patrol?" I slowly rolled over so that my forehead was lightly touching hers, and I could see the flickering of the fire reflected in her eyes. "I know it's silly, but I can't sleep until I know that everyone I love is safe. Even when she is away at college, Alison texts me each night to let me know she is okay. I will make another round later after I stoke the fire." "It's not silly at all; I feel safe when I'm with you too.  Why don't you tell me your story, Davis Crawford." She must have felt me stiffen, and she started to lightly brush her fingertips through the hair on the back of my neck. "You don't have to if you're not comfortable with me yet, but I would like to hear it someday when you're ready." We sat in silence for another few minutes, while the tension slowly drained from my body. It had been over 15 years; since before the drugs and alcohol got too bad with my mother; since someone had touched me with kindness and love, and I was helpless before the gentle onslaught of Erin's fingers. Eventually, I started talking. "Things weren't always bad with Mom; I remember there being more laughter than anger when I was little. She was very beautiful, and there was a procession of men in her life, even back then, but most of them treated me well. I guess they wanted to make a good impression on her. When I was four or five, though, she took up with a man from a rougher crowd. She started in with the drinking and drugs, and they never really stopped. She got pregnant with that man, and Alison was born. From there, it was like a rock sliding down the side of a hill. It starts slowly, but soon it's rolling downhill in leaps and bounds. "After Sharon was born, fewer men came around. My mom was still beautiful, but how many guys are interested in a single mother who has three kids from three different men? I had just turned ten when she left me in charge for the weekend and flew down to Vegas with some friends from the club where she waitressed and danced. A bit more than nine months later, she had Mary. "The one thing I can say for my mom is that she mostly managed to stay clean while she was pregnant. But once Mary arrived, the hill got steeper, and the rock started plummeting downwards. As fewer men showed an interest in her, Mom had to blame someone, and we kids were handy targets. That's when the hitting started. I learned pretty quickly that she didn't much care who she hit, so I made sure that I was always close at hand, to try and spare the little ones. If she was going to throw plates at someone, I figured it had better be me. "By the time I was 12, I was the only one caring for my siblings. When Mom came home drunk or stoned after her shift at the bar, I would steal enough of her tip money to buy food for my sisters' lunches. That was the worst of it, and I didn't think that we would make it through. I am not sure we would have without our landlord, Mr. Johnson. "He lived in the apartment below us and would take us in on the weekends when my mother was out with her boyfriends, feed us dinner, and let us watch a little television. I never found out why he lived such a lonely life, but he helped me keep our family together until I was old enough to handle things myself, so I will always be grateful to him." I could see tears starting to pool in the corner of Erin's eyes. "You don't need to hear the rest of this;" Erin stopped me mid-sentence by kissing my lips. "You never got to be a kid, Davis. My whole life I felt sorry for myself because my parents didn't want or care for me, but at least I had Gran and Grampy. You had no one." Even though we were lying on an old lumpy sleeping bag on a rough hardwood floor with only a fireplace for heat, I had never felt safer in my life than I did with her right then. To be continued in part 3. Based on a post by CleverGenericName, in 4 parts, for Literotica.

Michigan Weather and Women: Part 2 Dancing, and other forms of sentimentality. Based on a post by CleverGenericName, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.  As we finished the prep work, I asked Wilma about her day with Mary. "She is a good kid but is carrying a lot of anger and shame. We spent most of the day getting in touch with that anger. It takes some people years before they can express their emotions through art; it took her about five minutes. But we had to take some breaks to clean up the paint splatters afterward before they stained." "Oh shit! Sorry about that. I can pay to replace anything that;" "Nothing to apologize for; I asked her to express how she felt, and she did it in the way that felt right to her." "Well, I appreciate your taking the time. I am just her big brother; I feel so lost when it comes to parenting." "Being a parent doesn't mean that you know any more than anyone else, and it certainly doesn't mean that you know any better. For what it's worth, I think you are doing a fine job with your family. I know that you don't have your parents around to say it, but this old woman is mighty proud of who you are and of how you have stepped up for your brother and sisters. They are very lucky to have you." I turned away so that Wilma wouldn't see me getting choked up. I couldn't remember the last time that someone had said they were proud of me. Soon enough, though, it was dinner time, and Erin came into the kitchen with that same look of amusement on her face. "Sorry to bother the chef, but Lane needs some help that only a big brother can provide." When I gave her a quizzical look, she blushed. "It seems like he is going through puberty, which can pose; some new challenges. When I was assessing his ankle, he; well, indicated his interest in me in a way that can be difficult to hide, particularly while wearing sweatpants. It's natural for his body to react that way at that age, and it's nothing for him to feel badly about, but he was mortified. I think he could use a bit of brotherly guidance and understanding." I went to the living room and saw that Lane was curled up on the couch and looked like he was fighting back tears. "How are you doing, Buddy?" He couldn't even look at me he was so embarrassed. "I am so sorry; I just couldn't help it. I don't know why it started to get bigger, and I wanted it to stop, and it wouldn't and then she saw me, and;" he continued as he fought back a sob. "Can we just go home?" "Erin is a doctor. She knows how the human body works and has seen that kind of thing a hundred times. She isn't mad at you or embarrassed. She just feels bad that you feel so bad. This is just part of getting older and growing up. "Did I ever tell you about what happened in Miss Iron's class when I was a freshman? Miss Iron was a bit of a legend among the male students at our local high school. She was the youngest and prettiest teacher, by far, and even though she always dressed professionally, the clothing style had yet to be invented that could fully conceal her bountiful natural endowment. "Well, I liked Miss Irons a lot. She was one of the few teachers who looked past my difficulty with reading and writing. So, I developed a little crush on her, which was fine until the inevitable; hmm, physical demonstration of my crush; happened in class one day, just before she asked me to collect everyone's quizzes. I tried to delay, I tried to ask a friend to do it instead, but eventually, I had to stand up. It took me until my junior year to live that one down." As Lane listened to my story, he turned to face me and his second-hand embarrassment for me helped to push his embarrassment to the side. "So, what happened?" "Miss Irons was lovely and kind like she always was, but I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me or to get hit by a bolt of lightning. Things would have been fine if she hadn't mentioned what happened to the principal, who called Mom. She didn't find the story funny at all." I hadn't thought of the aftermath when I started telling Lane this particular story, but as they say, might as well put it in four-wheel drive and keep going. "Mom was mad?" "By then, Mom was pretty much always angry. I did my best to keep her away from you and the girls when she got that way, but yeah; she was mad." "Are you mad at me?" "No, Bud, I'm not. In a few years, once your embarrassment has died down a little, I will tease you mercilessly about this because that's what brothers do; and maybe threaten to tell your girlfriend, if you fall behind on your chores or homework. But I will never get mad at you for something that you can't control. And I promise that Erin isn't mad at you either." Just then, Mary poked her head in to tell us that dinner was on the table. "Are you safe now, or do you need a few more minutes." "I'm good. Thanks, Dad." After I helped Lane hobble into the dining room, we got down to the business of eating and teasing each other, but not necessarily in that order. It felt good; almost like what I imagined a real family would feel like. Eventually, the conversation turned to more serious matters, though, and Erin led off the questions. "So, how do you know Gran, and why are you wearing Grampy's favorite sweater? And, for what it's worth, I don't remember him filling it out in quite the way that you do." I blushed a bit as Wilma jumped in. "If Phillip had filled out that sweater like young Davis here, it wouldn't have stayed on him for very long, I can tell you that." "Gran!" Erin exclaimed, laughing while sounding scandalized. "I didn't need that mental image. Heck, none of us needed that mental image." "Oh, don't you worry, Dear. He still filled it out well enough, and it looked equally good on our bedroom floor." We were pretty much all blushing at that point, which I think was Wilma's objective, so I quickly changed the topic. "I am just your mother's plumber. I came out to fix her boiler and then finished the job earlier this week when a couple of parts came in that I needed." Wilma jumped in at that point and added her two cents to my story. "He also brought me my groceries and we had a lovely conversation. He is a real Renaissance gentleman, a rarity these days." Erin looked grateful but concerned. "Did you have enough money to cover the bill, Gran? You know I can help if you need;" I tried to jump in before Wilma could reply. "No need to worry, the bill was paid in full;" "Hogwash," Wilma exclaimed as I tried to finish, turning to Mary before she continued. "Your brother wouldn't let me pay him a cent for the work that he did. Not even for the parts that needed to be replaced! He is a very nice boy but a terrible businessman." I turned to Erin for support. "I figured your Gran has enough going on right now with her health and all. It was the least I could do to help her out." Erin looked at me with a strange expression on her face. I didn't have much experience with women, so I figured I must have made her angry somehow. Most of my interactions with women, including my sisters, seemed to end with them being upset with me for one reason or another, but she didn't sound angry when she spoke. "Thank you, Davis, that was very sweet of you." "Yeah, well; you see, it's just; pass the fish, please." "That still doesn't explain why you're wearing Grampy's favorite sweater. When I was a little girl, I used to curl up in Grampy's lap and snuggle into that sweater as he read to me. He was wearing it when I danced my first dance with him in front of the fireplace. Do you remember that old record player, Gran? You used to bring it out and we would waltz around the living room to Moon River." "I still have that record player here somewhere, let me go see if I can find it." Erin started to protest, but it was too late. "To finish answering your question, Erin, we were here today because your Gran offered to mentor Mary. I tried to politely decline, but your Gran is pretty persistent when she wants to be." "That sounds like Gran. Most of the time when she makes a suggestion, it is really a command." "While we are asking questions, how is Lane's ankle?" "It's pretty badly sprained, and he will need to use crutches to walk for the next couple of weeks. You should bring him to the hospital to get some X-rays done as well, to make sure that he doesn't have any fractures." I could feel myself deflate as she mentioned X-rays. "I'm not trying to be cheap, but are the X-rays absolutely necessary? We don't have the best insurance; we got it through the exchange. I guess it's better than nothing, but the deductible is pretty high, and my other sister, Alison, her college tuition is due soon. But if you say it's important, I will put in some extra hours to make it work." It didn't usually bother me that we were poor. Heck, most everyone we knew, except the McDougals, was poor. But it hit home when you had to tell a beautiful doctor with bright amber eyes that you couldn't afford an X-ray for your little brother unless it was urgent. "Tell you what. I will be working at the hospital in Petoskey tomorrow, so why don't you bring Lane by, and I will take care of him? I will make sure that he gets a pair of loaner crutches for as long as he needs them." "You don't need to do that for us." Erin gave me another one of her looks, this one I was more familiar with; I was pretty sure it was annoyance. "So, just to be clear, you can look after my Gran, fix her boiler for free, and bring her groceries whenever you feel like it, but I can't look after your brother and make sure that his ankle is treated properly?" "Well, when you put it that way, I sound like a bit of a jackass. I'm sorry." "Apology accepted. Come by the hospital at 11 AM tomorrow." Before we could continue, the sound of a 45 playing on an old record player filled the house. You could hear the hisses and pops before Ella Fitzgerald's voice began to sing "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Chapter 3. We got up from the table and followed the music back to the living room. I helped Lane out of his chair while he half-hobbled and half-hopped along beside me. Wilma had set her ancient record player up in the corner beside a stack of old 45s, and she had a faraway look in her eyes as she looked out the picture window toward the lake. "I think it's time for me to ask the prettiest girl in the place to dance," I said, as my eyes swept across the room. "But unfortunately, it's a three-way tie. So, will you do me the honor?" I said as I held out my hand to Wilma. "I haven't danced since Phillip passed. You know, we used to dance together every Friday night. It didn't matter where we were or what we were doing, we would always make time to dance at least one song together, even if the music was only in our heads." "I imagine I will be a pretty poor partner compared to Phillip, but I will try not to step on your toes." Wilma and I ended up dancing a slow foxtrot to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. She smiled at me as we slowly circled the living room. "You're a very good dancer, young man." "Our mother taught me when I was very young." Before she began with the drugs and men, our mother had been a showgirl in New York and then Las Vegas. When she got pregnant with me, she moved back to Mackinaw City and started teaching ballroom dancing at a local studio. By the time I was five, I was her practice partner of choice, and she always insisted that I lead, despite being only half her size. "The man always leads, Darling, that's just the way of the world." I was hardly a man at the time, but I never disagreed with my mother when she was in a good mood, because I knew it could shift in an instant. So, I learned to dance, and I learned to lead. The memories came flooding back as I guided Wilma into a soft over-sway, and she smiled with delight. "Oh my, you do know how to dance!" I couldn't help but smile back. "I can't take all the credit. I think Phillip must have infused this sweater with his fancy footwork." As the song ended, I took a step back and did my best to give Wilma a gracious bow. "It was a pleasure dancing with you, my lady." "The pleasure was all mine, good sir." I turned toward Mary and held out my hand. She hesitated before Wilma declared, "There are no wallflowers in this house." Mary slowly stood but looked anxious as I took her hand. "Davis, I don't know how to dance. Mom was; she was too far gone to teach me by the time I was old enough to learn." "That's okay," I reassured her. "If there is anything that Mom made sure of, it's that I know how to lead. Just relax, and I will guide you through it." Wilma helped Lane, who had taken over as DJ, to choose a slower song so that Mary would feel more comfortable, and I heard the opening bars of "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. I started to lead Mary through a slow rumba, and she picked up the steps very quickly. She was a natural. I felt a sudden stab of regret as we moved together across the floor. "I'm sorry. I should have made time to teach you to dance. But the last few years, it has just taken everything I have to keep us;" "It's alright. You've had other things on your mind. And look; you are teaching me how to dance, now." As Mary grew more confident, I guided her through a simple underarm turn, and we ended with a dip, which made her giggle and earned a round of applause from the others. Finally, I turned to Erin, who was sitting on the couch beside Lane. I suddenly felt very shy and, for the first time that evening, she looked nervous as well. "Would you dance with me, Erin?" She didn't reply but stood and took my hand. We waited for a moment while Wilma and Lane chose a new 45 and then listened to the pop and hiss as it started to play. Soon, an alto saxophone introduced the Henri Mancini version of "Moon River," and we started a slow waltz. Although there was space between us, it was bridged by an electric charge that connected and drew us together. Even though I spent most of the dance looking over Erin's shoulder, every detail of her beauty was etched in my memory, and I felt a warm breeze pass between us, raising goosebumps on my skin. We barely noticed the pause as the song ended, and a new one began until Etta James began to sing. At last, my love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song The song was in 4/4 time, so I switched to a foxtrot and Erin followed as we glided across the smooth wood of the living room floor. I was so caught up in the moment, and in Erin, that I led her through a turn that transitioned into an over sway, before I stepped backward, allowing her to gently pivot into me. Our eyes met and I was lost in them again. Before we could break the spell, a heavy gust of wind shook the house, and the power flickered out. The room went dark, which sharpened my remaining senses. Suddenly, the warmth of Erin's breath on my neck felt like wildfire across my skin. We were motionless for a three-heartbeat eternity before the lights flickered and came back on. I let go of Erin and felt all of my longing and awkwardness rush back in. "Thank you, Erin. That was;" I couldn't finish; words didn't seem enough to express how I felt. "I should check the breakers and make sure that everything is alright, and then we should go. Why don't I wash these clothes and drop them back for you later." Wilma just smiled and shook her head. "If you like them, please keep them. Otherwise, they will just grow old and musty like me." A little while later, we said our goodbyes, but I promised to bring Lane to the hospital the next morning. Wilma told Mary that she would see her on Wednesday after school and again the next Sunday. I was expecting Mary to protest, but she just gave a meek, "Yes, Wilma." I was nervous when I took Lane to the hospital the next day. The deductible on our insurance was high enough that we paid for pretty much anything less serious than a severed limb out of pocket. Erin, however, was as good as her word. After the X-ray confirmed that there were no breaks or fractures in the bones around his ankle, she re-wrapped it and arranged for a pair of loaner crutches that he could use for as long as he needed them. Before we left, Erin asked me if I wanted to grab a coffee in the cafeteria, to which I readily agreed. I gave my phone to Lane so he could amuse himself while Erin and I talked. "I just wanted to say how much I appreciate what you did for Gran. I do what I can, but I spend half my time at the Children's Hospital down in Grand Rapids right now and I am often on call while I am here. I just don't have the time to give her the help that she needs." "Honestly, it's no big deal. I do a lot of work around Good Hart since the bigger plumbing companies don't like to travel that far, so I don't mind looking in on her while I am there. And she seems to have taken a real interest in Mary, so the least I can do is to bring her some groceries and help around the place a bit." Erin pursed her lips and looked like she had just bitten into a lemon. "The 'least you can do' is more than the rest of our family can be bothered to do put together, so thank you." "I meant to ask you about that. What did your Gran do to end up so isolated from the rest of your family?" "The rest of my family is; there is no nice way to put it, they're snobs. None of them have any interest in spending time 'up north' as they call it, and they can't wait for Gran to move into a retirement home and die so they can get their money and forget about this place. That's why no one comes to visit Gran anymore, even for Thanksgiving; it's part of their campaign to convince her to sell her land to the McDougals. Before you came along, I thought they were going to succeed." "Well, excuse my language, but fuck them. I don't know Wilma that well, but I will do what I can to make sure that she gets to spend her remaining days in the place that she loves." "That's easy to say, but harder to do once the McDougals and their minions start coming by your place, offering you money and making threats unless you back off." "Well, if they do, they will find out what every teacher who ever taught me learned the hard way. I am bad at taking orders and even worse at following instructions. I am not afraid of the McDougal boys." My exclamation brought a smile to Erin's pretty face. I decided that I would be willing to do quite a lot to see that smile on her face again. But there was one thing I still didn't understand. "Why aren't you on board with the rest of your family? You must be under a lot of pressure to abandon your Gran like the rest of them." "My father, Gran's youngest son, Max, died shortly after I was born, and my mother moved the family to California where she remarried into a family that had a little money but a great deal of pretension and ambition. My mother picked up that insatiable need for money and status like it was a virus. "When I was a child, my mother and stepfather spent summers and holidays traveling the world, staying in places where children weren't welcome. Although they wanted nothing to do with Gran and Grampy and their 'vermin-filled shack in the middle of nowhere', they were more than happy to leave me with them while they were away. "They would put me on a plane to Grand Rapids while they jetted off to their spas and their fine dining. Gran and Grampy were the only people who cared for me, and they became my whole world. "When I was 14, I was staying with Gran and Grampy, and I caught a fever that was so bad that I nearly died. It was a pretty grim time. My parents even thought about flying home from Monaco to be with me. They didn't, but it was the only time in my entire childhood that they considered it. But I will always remember how kind the doctors and nurses were to me when I was sick. That's why I became a pediatrician and moved home." "Isn't California home?" "Home is where the people that you love are, and so this will always be my home. Or it will be until Gran passes on, anyway." We sat in silence for a while, sipping our coffee. Before long, it was time for me to go. "This might sound crazy, but since the rest of your family aren't going to be here to celebrate Thanksgiving with your Gran, how about you and I try to give her one more Thanksgiving to remember." Erin brightened at the idea, and the smile returned to her face. "That would be amazing! Why don't I give you my number, and we can figure out how to make it happen!" Chapter 4. For the next few weeks, Mary continued to meet with Wilma on Wednesdays and Sundays. I would often take the opportunity to bring her groceries or other supplies while I dropped Mary off and, if the weather was agreeable, do some fishing. Once he could walk without crutches, Lane came along as well, in quest of another monster steelhead. Unfortunately, all he caught was some yellow perch and rock bass, but it was nice to spend the day with him down on the dock. I saw Erin a few times at Wilma's as we made plans for Thanksgiving. She seemed to particularly enjoy talking with me while I split firewood out by the shed. It was hard work, and I was often drenched with sweat by the time I was done, but she didn't seem to mind. And she worked while we talked, helping to stack the larger pieces and collecting the smaller ones for kindling. The one point of contention in our plan was how Erin would get to Wilma's on Thanksgiving Day. She was slated to work a 12-hour shift the evening before, ending at seven in the morning, and she worried that if she went home to rest, she would sleep through the entire day. Her solution was to drive out to Wilma's after her shift and catch a few hours of sleep when she got there. I thought that driving that far after working all night seemed like a terrible idea, so I offered to give her a ride instead. She did not like that one bit. "I don't want you to make an extra trip when I am perfectly capable of driving myself." It sounded like she was digging in for a fight, so I tried a different tactic to convince her. "I need to stop at the hospital anyway, to return Lane's crutches. I can kill two birds with one stone and pick you up at the same time." She didn't buy that rationale either so, reluctantly, I resorted to the truth. "I am sure you're a great driver, but if you drive yourself, I will be up that morning anyway, worrying that you are safe. I know it doesn't make sense, but I have been looking after my siblings for so long its second nature for me to worry, and I can't seem to turn it off. So please, let me pick you up. But for me, not for you. And do you know how rarely I get to be gallant these days? I will feel like your knight in shining armor." That finally got a laugh from Erin. "Alright, you win. Why don't you pick me up at 7:15 at the hospital? You can sweep me up onto your trusty steed and carry me away to Gran's house." "If by trusty steed you mean rusty old GMC truck, then it's a deal." The morning of Thanksgiving dawned chilly and gray, with a cold wind blowing in off the lake. I was up early to make sure that I made it to the hospital on time, and I was listening to the local AM country station as I drove when the DJ started his break. "A happy Thanksgiving to all our listeners. If you're on the roads today, be aware that there is a severe weather warning in effect for the area north of Cadillac and into the upper peninsula. We're expecting a combination of high winds and lake-effect snow to make driving hazardous, and you should be prepared for possible power interruptions and outages." I was relieved that Erin had agreed to let me pick her up and that I had invested in good snow tires for my pickup. The snow had already started by the time I reached the hospital, and I pulled my jacket tightly around me as I went inside. I dropped Lane's crutches with the duty nurse and waited for several minutes before Erin arrived. She looked exhausted, and the gentle smile that I loved was nowhere in evidence. "Hey, Erin. Are you okay?" "I'm fine. I just had a long shift, but I am ready to head out." She came up to me and gave me a hesitant look. "Actually, I could really use a hug if that's alright." Without a word, I wrapped my arms around her, and she buried her face in my sweater. Hidden from the world by the folds of my jacket, I felt her body start to shake. The tremors lasted for a minute before they gentled and then finally stopped. I looked out the window at the falling snow to give her a moment to compose herself. "Let's head to Gran's house. This weather isn't going to get better any time soon." With that, we got in my truck and started the drive up to Good Hart. Erin sat in silence and looked out the window. "If you want to talk, I probably can't help with doctor problems; but I am a good listener." It took Erin a minute before she opened up. "Most of the time, I love being a pediatrician. Kids come to me scared and in pain, and I help them to get better. But sometimes, it's just too much. Around midnight last night, an ambulance brought in a mother and daughter. Her boyfriend had been drinking; and he got violent. The little girl tried to protect her mother and; and; "It's one thing to treat a grown woman, you know. I mean it's still pretty bad, but; that little girl. Fuck. One thing I've learned from this job is that monsters are real." I wanted to give Erin another hug, but since I was driving, I just reached over to take her hand. "I'm sorry." My words seemed so incredibly inadequate; considering what she had just dealt with; but she squeezed my hand. "Thanks for listening." We drove on in silence, and by the time we pulled into Wilma's laneway, Erin was gently snoring with her head against the window. I stopped as close as I could to the house before lifting her out of the cab. She tucked her head into my shoulder, and I carried her inside, where Wilma was already busy in the kitchen. She came out to greet us, and I spoke to her in a low voice. "Erin had a very tough night. I think some rest will do her a world of good." Wilma helped Erin out of her boots and coat and then showed us through to the guest bedroom, where I laid Erin on the bed. The room was filled with pictures of Erin from when she was younger; standing on the dock with an older but handsome man who I guessed must be Phillip, curled up in a ball on the sofa, book in hand, and smiling in her cap and gown as she graduated. In each picture, I could see hints of the beautiful woman she would become. By the time I returned with the rest of my family, the storm had begun to pick up. Snow drifts were accumulating against the house and shed, so we brought everything with us into the house that we might need for the evening. It took some convincing, but Sharon and I took over in the kitchen while Wilma, Alison, Mary, and Lane started a game of Scrabble in the living room. Once the preparations were well underway, I laid in as much wood for the fireplace as I could. With the high winds and heavy snow, I was worried that we might lose power, and I wanted to make sure that we prepared, just in case. The radiators and boiler would provide almost no heat if there was a prolonged power outage, but the fireplace had a high-efficiency insert that would keep the house warm, as long as we built up a good bed of coals. Lane insisted on helping me with the firewood, and after a half dozen trips to the woodshed and back, we both looked like live-action versions of the abominable snowman. Wilma showed some sympathy for our plight, while our sisters had a good-natured laugh at our expense. By the early afternoon, dinner was almost ready, and Wilma sent me to wake Erin. She had barely moved since I had tucked her in and seemed so peaceful in her sleep. I leaned over and spoke softly to her until she opened her eyes. After a moment of confusion, she broke into a shy smile. "I guess we made it to Gran's." "That we did, we got here close to six hours ago." Her eyes flew open, and she tried to get up until I reassured her. "We've got things under control. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Take your time; and maybe give yourself a few minutes for that pillow line on your cheek to fade." I turned to leave, so she could have some privacy, but she reached out and took my hand. "I just wanted to say thank you again for earlier. I am not used to having someone I can talk to; someone I can trust. It's only been Gran and Grampy, and me for so long, and I didn't want to burden them. But I shouldn't have dumped my troubles on you like that, we barely know each other." "I was just glad that you felt comfortable enough to share how you felt with me. Today was probably the worst day of that little girl's life. I am sure she was terrified, confused, and in a lot of pain. But what she'll remember is the angel who comforted her and treated her with kindness and love. "I need to get back to the kitchen, or I will burn something. Fair warning, this is my first time cooking a Thanksgiving turkey, so you may want to load your plate up with fixings and sides, just in case." As it turned out, the turkey wasn't perfect, but it wasn't that bad, and the gravy was tasty as heck (probably because Wilma made it.) We had mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and peas as sides, with the obligatory cranberry sauce (from a can). The conversation at dinner was a chaotic mixture of laughter, stories, and the kind of teasing that you only get when you bring five siblings together over a hearty meal. It didn't take Erin long to choose a side in the battle of the siblings, and soon, it was the four girls against Lane and me, with Wilma as our impartial referee. I don't know how Lane felt, but for me, it was worth being ganged up on just to see Erin and my sisters smiling and laughing. Although he tried to hide it, it was clear that Lane still had a bit of a crush on Erin, so I imagined that he was just fine with making her smile as well. For dessert, Erin brought pumpkin and apple pies that she had bought at the bakery in Petoskey, which we ate with some vanilla ice cream from the local creamery. I was sure there would be some dessert left over, given the amount that we all ate for dinner, but somehow, we finished it all. Everyone pitched in with the dishes and then we moved to the living room where we played cards and some more board games. As we played, Mary asked Wilma about some of her more memorable Thanksgivings, and she got a faraway smile. For the next hour, she regaled us with stories of humble times with the kids by the lake and, in later days, fancier celebrations with some of the families that Phillip befriended while they sat for portraits. As our last game of Scrabble ended, Sharon looked at Wilma with a mischievous grin. "Mary was telling me about the dance party that you had a few weeks ago here in your living room. Rumor has it that my big brother can dance! I was hoping, if you asked him nicely, that we could all see him in action." Wilma got up from her chair and started to move toward the hall closet. "Lane, come along and help, please. I am far too old to be carting around a heavy record player." Lane hopped up and went to help Wilma, while the rest of us began to move the furniture out of the way. As Lane set up, Wilma admonished the rest of us. "Remember, there is only one rule about dancing in my house: no wallflowers." With that, Lane started the first song, and I asked Wilma to dance. Alison followed suit, asking Lane to dance, and soon she was teaching him how to lead. Finally, Erin stood as well and gave a deep bow to Mary. "It would be my honor, enchanting lady, if I could have this dance." With a laugh, Mary stood, and soon we were all moving around the room, trying not to bump into each other or step on each other's toes. For the next hour, we danced, laughed, and pretty much forgot about the world outside. Lane even got up the courage to dance with Erin, although he stayed so far away from her that you would have thought she was radioactive. I took a couple of turns with Erin and was amazed at the way she melted into my arms. When we danced, there was a wave of knowing smirks from my sisters and a pleased smile from Wilma, but I didn't care. I could have danced with her all night. Unfortunately, during my third dance with Erin, the real world decided to interrupt our festivities. Erin and I had just started a turn when the power went out. I instinctively pulled Erin into my arms to protect her, and then I leaned in through the darkness and kissed her. She returned the kiss, ran her hand through my hair, and let out a small moan. "Do you think the power will come back on?" Lane's question cut through the fog of my lust and longing. "Probably not until sometime after the storm has passed. So, we should all plan on spending the night here and then figuring things out in the morning." With Wilma's agreement, we got settled in for the evening. After some protest, Wilma agreed to sleep in the guest room since it had a direct line of sight to the thermoelectric stove fan that helped circulate the heat from the fireplace. My three sisters slept in Wilma's bed, both to share body heat and because it was the larger of the two beds in the house. Lane slept on the couch, while Erin and I slept on the floor in front of the fireplace. Erin laid out an older sleeping bag, for comfort, with some bedding and blankets on top. In deference to Lane, she waited until she was under the blankets before she shimmied off her pants, while I stoked the fireplace. I made one more pass through the house, to check on Wilma and my sisters, but it seemed they had already fallen asleep. Even Lane had passed right out, despite his proximity to the pants-less Erin. I set a quiet alarm on my phone for two-hour intervals so that I could get up and add wood to the fire, ensuring that it would last all night. Looking down at the makeshift bed where Erin was watching me, I suddenly felt incredibly shy and anxious. I took my sweater and pants off as quickly as I could and set them on a chair before crawling under the blankets next to her. I didn't want to be presumptuous, so I stayed as far over to one side as I could. I had just settled in when I heard Erin's soft voice from behind me. "You can come a little closer. I won't bite, you know." My brain froze with indecision, but my heart knew the score and it started beating at a furious rate. I heard her shifting behind me, and I felt an arm wrap itself around my chest. My senses were on fire. The faint scent of lavender from her hair washed over me like a field of wildflowers. "Was everyone safe when you made your patrol?" I slowly rolled over so that my forehead was lightly touching hers, and I could see the flickering of the fire reflected in her eyes. "I know it's silly, but I can't sleep until I know that everyone I love is safe. Even when she is away at college, Alison texts me each night to let me know she is okay. I will make another round later after I stoke the fire." "It's not silly at all; I feel safe when I'm with you too.  Why don't you tell me your story, Davis Crawford." She must have felt me stiffen, and she started to lightly brush her fingertips through the hair on the back of my neck. "You don't have to if you're not comfortable with me yet, but I would like to hear it someday when you're ready." We sat in silence for another few minutes, while the tension slowly drained from my body. It had been over 15 years; since before the drugs and alcohol got too bad with my mother; since someone had touched me with kindness and love, and I was helpless before the gentle onslaught of Erin's fingers. Eventually, I started talking. "Things weren't always bad with Mom; I remember there being more laughter than anger when I was little. She was very beautiful, and there was a procession of men in her life, even back then, but most of them treated me well. I guess they wanted to make a good impression on her. When I was four or five, though, she took up with a man from a rougher crowd. She started in with the drinking and drugs, and they never really stopped. She got pregnant with that man, and Alison was born. From there, it was like a rock sliding down the side of a hill. It starts slowly, but soon it's rolling downhill in leaps and bounds. "After Sharon was born, fewer men came around. My mom was still beautiful, but how many guys are interested in a single mother who has three kids from three different men? I had just turned ten when she left me in charge for the weekend and flew down to Vegas with some friends from the club where she waitressed and danced. A bit more than nine months later, she had Mary. "The one thing I can say for my mom is that she mostly managed to stay clean while she was pregnant. But once Mary arrived, the hill got steeper, and the rock started plummeting downwards. As fewer men showed an interest in her, Mom had to blame someone, and we kids were handy targets. That's when the hitting started. I learned pretty quickly that she didn't much care who she hit, so I made sure that I was always close at hand, to try and spare the little ones. If she was going to throw plates at someone, I figured it had better be me. "By the time I was 12, I was the only one caring for my siblings. When Mom came home drunk or stoned after her shift at the bar, I would steal enough of her tip money to buy food for my sisters' lunches. That was the worst of it, and I didn't think that we would make it through. I am not sure we would have without our landlord, Mr. Johnson. "He lived in the apartment below us and would take us in on the weekends when my mother was out with her boyfriends, feed us dinner, and let us watch a little television. I never found out why he lived such a lonely life, but he helped me keep our family together until I was old enough to handle things myself, so I will always be grateful to him." I could see tears starting to pool in the corner of Erin's eyes. "You don't need to hear the rest of this;" Erin stopped me mid-sentence by kissing my lips. "You never got to be a kid, Davis. My whole life I felt sorry for myself because my parents didn't want or care for me, but at least I had Gran and Grampy. You had no one." Even though we were lying on an old lumpy sleeping bag on a rough hardwood floor with only a fireplace for heat, I had never felt safer in my life than I did with her right then. To be continued in part 3. Based on a post by CleverGenericName, in 4 parts, for Literotica.

Vous les entendez partout à nouveau, hein, les crooners. Et ça fait du bien en décembre d'entendre Bing Crosby ou Nat King Cole chanter Noël, ces voix suaves venues d'une Amérique d'une autre époque qui nous souhaitent de joyeuses fêtes et déjà, une bonne année. Qui aurait cru ça dans les années 70 et 80 où ce genre de chanson était totalement dépassé. C'était un truc que les vieux écoutaient pour se bercer d'émotions d'un temps qui n'avait rien de moderne. C'est de ça dont parle le tube de Guy Marchand en 1977, en pleine époque disco et new wave : Hey CroonerTu t'sens pas ridicule la main sur le cœur Tu fais marrer tous les rock'n rollers Quand tu roules tes épaules de mait'nageur Qu'est-ce qu'on a entendu cette chanson à la radio et à la télé. Il faut dire que ce n'était pas un hasard, non, au milieu des années 70, une grande mode rétro années 40 et 50 avait touché l'Amérique puis s'était exportée chez nous via le monde de la variété. Dalida avait repris une vieille rengaine en mode disco (énorme tube), Dave y était allé de sa chansonnette avec le même succès. Oui, vous allez me dire, comme Bruel 25 ans plus tard, avec Entre-deux, mais avec cette différence que dans les années 70, un chanteur âgé de 40 ans était bon pour la retraite. Est-ce le succès d'Elvis qui n'en finissait pas à Vegas, allez savoir, en tout cas, les crooners avaient connu un bref retour en grâce, comme le montre d'ailleurs l'excellent et explosif film de Woody Allen, Broadway Danny Rose.Et donc oui, ça peut paraître fou aujourd'hui mais il y a une cinquantaine d'années, cela faisait des années qui nous semblaient être une éternité que Sinatra n'avait plus fait de tubes, Hollywood avait remisé les comédies musicales au placard avec les crooners. On n'en a plus vu fonctionner une seule jusqu'à Grease, en 1978, et encore, c'est une exception et il fallait bien se garder d'utiliser le terme de Comédie Musicale. Cette année-là, David Bowie enregistrait un improbable duo avec Bing Crosby, le pionnier du genre, dans une émission de Noël qui serait sa dernière apparition publique. Bowie jouait alors le rôle de l'improbable fan, présent uniquement sur le plateau parce que Bing était le chanteur favori de sa mère. Oui, c'était sa madeleine à lui, le rocker avant-gardiste.Alors, un demi-siècle plus tard, on se demande ce qui s'est passé. Pourquoi les enfants et petits-enfants de ces jeunes des années 60, 70, 80 trouvent ce répertoire de velours jazzy hyper cool, classe. Durant ce premier quart de siècle, on n'a d'ailleurs jamais vu autant de nouvelles stars se faire accompagner par un grand orchestre en tenue de soirée, de Lady Gaga à Robbie Williams, en passant par Jamie Cullum, la réincarnation d'un Frank Sinatra qui aurait fusionné avec Billy Joël. C'est vrai, quand il reprend un vieux titre des années 30, on dirait une chanson d'aujourd'hui.

On this episode of Songs of Our Lives, it's Peter Taylor! I've known Peter for nearly 20 years now - he's a true Foxy Digitalis lifer, having first written for the site around 2006. He also makes music as MAbH, and is the person behind Foxy Digitalis's Inside No. 9 podcast series. He's a real one. So I'm thrilled to have him on for the 2025 Christmas Special talking childhood memories, favorite songs, emotional connections, and all of that. Classics by The Waitresses, Wham!, and The Pogues plus Nat King Cole's golden voice, Cliff Richard's full-on holidayfest, and plenty more!Listen to all of Peter's picks HERE!Inside No. 9 on Foxy DigitalisMAbH BandcampFirst MAbH albumPeter on InstagramOmni Gardens “Christmas”Songs of Our Lives is a podcast series hosted by Brad Rose of Foxy Digitalis that explores the music that's made us and left a certain mark. Whether it's a song we associate with our most important moments, something that makes us cry, the things we love that nobody else does, or our favorite lyrics, we all have our own personal soundtrack. Join Foxy Digitalis on Patreon for extra questions and conversation in each episode (+ a whole lot more!)Follow Foxy Digitalis:WebsitePatreonInstagramTwitterBlueskyThe Jewel GardenSong ListBing Crosby “Christmas Is A'Comin”Nat King Cole “Silent Night”The Waitresses “Christmas Wrapping”The Pretenders “2000 Miles”Mike Oldfield “In Dulci Jubilio”Wizard “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”Cliff Richards “Mistletoe & Wine”Low “Little Drummer Boy”Wham! “Last Christmas”The Pogues & Kirsty McCall “Fairytale of New York”

Hallo zusammen und herzlich willkommen zu einer ganz besonderen Ausgabe des BB RADIO Mitternachtstalk Podcasts. Ich bin Jens Herrmann, und für alle, die das vielleicht gar nicht wissen: Die Sendung „Sträter: Musik – der Soundtrack eines Lebens“ existiert ehrlich gesagt nur aus einem einzigen Grund. Torsten Sträter war damals mein Gast im Mitternachtstalk.Während unseres Talks wurde die Idee geboren, seine musikalische Welt in einer eigenen Serie zu erzählen. Genau deshalb erscheinen diese Folgen auch regelmäßig als Mitternachtstalk Spezial. Mittlerweile sind wir schon bei Folge 11 angekommen. Willkommen also zu einer neuen Ausgabe von Sträter: Musik – Der Soundtrack eines Lebens, diesmal mit dem Titel Von Vinyl bis viral. In dieser Show treffe ich auf zwei Menschen, die Musik wirklich leben. Torsten Sträter, einer der erfolgreichsten Comedians Deutschlands, Comedypreis-Gewinner, Bestseller-Autor und jemand, der Radio liebt wie kaum ein anderer. Nur bei BB RADIO hat er seit Jahren seine eigene Show voller Humor, Geschichten und herrlich schräger Gedanken. Und Marti Fischer, YouTuber, Multiinstrumentalist, Musikexperte, ein Typ mit einem Wissen, das einfach unfassbar ist. Wer seine Analysen kennt, weiß: Der Mann hört Dinge in Songs, die andere ihr Leben lang überhören. Über eine Million Menschen folgen ihm, völlig zurecht. Und dann bin da noch ich, seit knapp drei Jahrzehnten Radiomann, früher Diskjockey, mittlerweile mit über 6.000 Sendungen auf dem Buckel. Musik war immer mein Ding, und so sitzen wir zu dritt zusammen und reden über Songs, die uns geprägt haben, die uns berührt haben oder die wir einfach wieder mal laut hören mussten. Die Playlist dieser Folge zeigt wieder alles, was Musik kann und wo sie herkommt. Von Klassikern der 50er und 60er wie Autumn Leaves von Nat King Cole, über die großen Hymnen der 80er und 90er, Chain Reaction von Diana Ross oder Domino Dancing von den Pet Shop Boys, bis hin zu aktuellen Tracks wie Marti Fischer und Benvinls Furious oder Till The Credits Roll von Ben Dunnill, den wahrscheinlich viele von euch über TikTok entdeckt haben. Ein Mix, der Generationen zusammenbringt, Erinnerungen weckt und zeigt, wie sehr Musik verbindet.Sträter: Musik – Der Soundtrack eines Lebens ist witzig, ehrlich, persönlich und gibt es nur bei BB RADIO, dem einzigen Radiosender der Welt, bei dem Torsten eine eigene Sendung hat. Und jetzt viel Spaß mit der neuen Folge vom BB RADIO Mitternachtstalk Spezial und Sträter: Musik – Von Vinyl bis viral. https://torsten-straeter.de/ https://www.facebook.com/TorstenStraeterWDR https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717827775096005 https://www.instagram.com/martifischer/?hl=de https://www.youtube.com/@martifischer https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/5kcg3AWB22uwFWJWhpVfBV https://www.tiktok.com/@marti.fischer?lang=de-DE https://www.universal-music.de/martifischer https://www.instagram.com/jensherrmannofficial/?hl=de https://www.youtube.com/@JensHerrmann https://www.facebook.com/jens.herrmann.792 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-herrmann-9a6198136/ https://www.bbradio.de/p/Strater-Musik-Der-Soundtrack-eines-Lebens-7jZQevY6KIfzAOOBYeyPwA https://www.bbradio.de/ https://www.bbradio.de/shows/51d91f74-b052-42f5-978f-988dd1807ed9 https://www.instagram.com/bbradioofficial/ https://www.facebook.com/bbradioofficial https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=bb%20radio%20offiziell&t=1754913599724 https://www.instagram.com/semmelconcerts?igsh=ZnUyYjJ6YTdrbzVu https://www.bbradio.de/p/Strater-Musik-Der-Soundtrack-eines-Lebens-7jZQevY6KIfzAOOBYeyPwA

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song.

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠Analytic Dreamz delivers the complete data-rich story behind Nat King Cole's timeless masterpiece “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). From its 1945 heat-wave origins by Mel Tormé & Robert Wells to Nat's four official recordings (1946–1961), Analytic Dreamz traces how the 1961 stereo version became the definitive holiday standard.Explore the historic chart journey: 62-year climb to Hot 100 Top 10 (#9 in 2023), Grammy Hall of Fame induction, 6× Platinum certification, 500M+ annual streams, and current 2024 dominance (27.4M weekly streams, #1 R&B Digital Sales). Analytic Dreamz breaks down Nat's barrier-breaking career, posthumous sales records, sync impact (Home Alone, Elf), and why it remains BMI's most-performed Christmas song ever. Essential holiday listening.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Chip and Jeff are back on the mics and are super excited to chat about their favorite and least favorite Christmas songs. They also discuss Brady Bunch, Hawaii, R.E.M. tribute band, Mama's Family, Nat King Cole, Bruce, David Bowie, The Kinks, The Pretenders, Chip does improv, Sequels to Popular Christmas Carols, Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special, Chip's “Deck the Hall & Oates” video, and lots more festive chat.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode, Matt shares a personal Thanksgiving story that turned into a real medical emergency. A long-time family friend suddenly becomes unresponsive at the dinner table, and Matt walks through the moment he had to decide whether to act, despite not being “formally” current on CPR.He talks candidly about what it felt like to drag her to the floor, check for breathing, make the call to start chest compressions, hear ribs crack—and then watch her come back. From there, he connects the experience to life in an automotive shop: CPR and first-aid readiness, AEDs, fire extinguishers, panic, freezing, and why “somebody will know what to do” is not a plan.It's a conversation about preparedness, stress, and how our greatest weapon really is the thought we choose when everything suddenly goes sideways.Episode HighlightsOpening with the quote: “Our greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”Matt fighting a cold and joking about his “Nat King Cole” voice.Thanksgiving at his parents' house: Family and close friends gathered, including a 75-year-old family friend (“Jane”) who's been part of the family's holidays for years.Jane says she's really dizzy; Matt gets up to escort her to the living room.Her chin suddenly drops to her chest, she becomes unresponsive, cold, and clammy.The decision point:Matt checks for airway, tries to feel for a pulse, listens for breathing—only hears gurgling.Admits he doesn't fully trust his own ability to feel a pulse with his heart pounding.The mental calculus: If you can't be sure, what else is there to do but chest compressions?Starting chest compressions:Dragging her to the floor and focusing completely on her while the rest of the room “disappears.”Locking his elbows, using the beat of “Stayin' Alive” as a guide.First compression: feeling and hearing the sternum/ribs crack—and taking that as feedback that he's at the right depth.Before the second compression, her eyes fly open and she lets out a sound.The immediate emotional whiplash:First feeling isn't relief, but anger and self-doubt: “Did I just overreact?” “Did I crack her ribs for nothing?” “Was this some dramatic hero move I didn't need to make?”Reorienting to the reality that she was unresponsive and now is awake, talking, and oriented.EMS arrives:Very low blood pressure at the house (around 70/40).Hooked up to a 4-lead, showing atrial fibrillation with PVCs.Matt nerds out on the waveforms and explains AFib and PVCs in plain terms.EMTs jokingly ask if he's a doctor because of how well he reads the traces.Later imaging reveals:A cracked or stress-fractured sternum from compressions.Multiple blood clots in her lungs.The doctor tells her that sternum fractures are common with CPR and adds:Don't be mad at him — he saved your life.For Matt, the key relief is not the “hero” label, but confirmation that he did the right thing by acting.Connecting it back to shops and real life:Afterward, Matt starts calling around trying to set up CPR and first-aid training.Hard question: if he drops at the shop, who's going to act?Extending the concern beyond employees: what about customers?Preparedness checklist for shops:Is there an AED on-site, and does anyone actually know how to use it?Has anyone at the shop had recent CPR and first-aid training?Do...

En un mundo tan complejo como el nuestro, el hombre no renuncia a buscar la clave oculta que le permita resolver sus problemas y encontrar la seguridad que necesita. No importa cuánto avance la ciencia o la tecnología, el ser humano tiene una sed insaciable de conocer las fuerzas que determinan su vida. No podemos separar la búsqueda de lo oculto de esa ansía irreprimible por descubrir el sentido trascendental de nuestra existencia. De ahí nace la tentación de lo mágico, que encarna Simón en el octavo capítulo del libro de los Hechos. Tras la sintonía de nuestro programa (Ruta 66 por Nat King Cole), escuchamos la canción del grupo América, "Puedes hacer magia" (You Can Do Magic 1982). Esta banda nace cuando tres hijos de militares estadounidenses, residentes en Londres, se juntan para hacer música en 1970. Sus armonías vocales unidas a melodías folk crean un rock basado en guitarras acústicas de gran éxito. A esa primera época le sigue un periodo de 1974 hasta el 79 bajo la dirección del productor de los Beatles, George Martin, que Dan Peek (1950-2011) deja el grupo en 1977 al convertirse a la fe cristiana, tras abusar del alcohol y la droga. Se convierte así en uno de los pioneros de la llamada "música cristiana contemporánea" en el sello que comienza el cantante y actor Pat Boone, para grabar artistas pop que fueran más allá de los cánticos de alabanza. El "enfant terrible" de esa escena en los 80 fue el hijo de un pastor bautista llamado Steve Taylor. Desde su primer disco fue alguien controvertido por sus criticas al cristianismo norteamericano. El año 87 publica su tercer álbum de larga duración con un título, "Yo predigo" (I Predict), que hace sátira de un libro y un programa de televisión de un predicador llamado Lester Sumrall. Hasta la portada del disco es polémica, al ser acusado de usar motivos ocultistas en ella. La canción "Svengali" lleva el nombre de una persona que uno descubre como siniestramente manipuladora. El hechizo que produce tal fascinación está bien descrito en la canción de Siouxsie & The Banshees (Spellbound). El tema que apareció en el disco "Ju Ju" (1980) dio a conocer la estética más oscura de la onda siniestra del post-punk, que encarnaba esta cantante londinense que inspiró la imagen de Alaska en España. Ella comienza con el guitarrista y productor Marco Pirroni, junto al batería de trágico final de los Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious, en 1976. Hacían una improvisación de veinte minutos sobre la oración modelo de Jesús, el llamado Padre Nuestro. Hablamos con estas canciones sobre Simón el Mago en la historia y el texto bíblico. La reciente película "La secta" (2024) se llama originalmente "Un sacrificio". Es la primera película que escribe y dirige la hija de Ridley Scott, el autor de "Alien" o "Blade Runner". Presenta a Eric Bana como un profesor americano en Berlín, que enseña psicología social allí, un tiempo que está separado de su esposa. Viene su hija a verla, que hace la pelirroja de la serie Stranger Things, Entra en un contacto con un chico que sigue a una maestra espiritual que une la ecología con la meditación. José de Segovia comenta la historia a la luz del libro de Hechos con el fondo instrumental de la banda sonora original de Volker Bertelmann. Acabamos el programa con dos canciones que advierten sobre el engaño de esta espiritualidad esotérica, que confunde la fe con la magia. La primera es el clásico de Larry Norman, "¡Olvida tu hexagrama!", que graba el cantante "hippy" cristiano para la Capitol en 1969, cuando conoce a alguien que vivía dominado por la astrología y el Tarot. La escuchamos en la versión en vivo de las llamadas Cintas de Israel, que graban un concierto benéfico que dio en la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles (UCLA) en 1974. "La chispa en la oscuridad" (Spark In The Dark) es el tema que da título al segundo álbum que graban en 1977 los tres músicos de Bob Dylan que se convierten al cristianismo en la gira que dio por todo el país hace medio siglo, la Rolling Thunder Revue, justo antes de su profesión de fe. El cantante del grupo, T-Bone Burnett, es hoy probablemente la figura más destacada de Nashville, músico, productor y creador de muchas bandas sonoras, como David Mansfield. el otro miembro del trío junto a Steven Soles, que renueva la llamada "música cristiana contemporánea" con el sonido de la "nueva ola" de los 80. Su canción nos habla de la Luz que disipa toda oscuridad.

durée : 00:59:36 - Prélude en bleu - par : Nathalie Piolé -

Un mapa afectivo musical donde conviven nostalgia, ternura y el pulso perdurable del amor en sus distintas formas.A Sunday Kind Of Love, Etta James, At Last!Somethin’ Stupid, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The World We KnewDream a Little Dream of Me, Doris Day, Paul Weston And His Orchestra, Day By Night (with Paul Weston & His Music From Hollywood)L-O-V-E, Nat King Cole, L-O-V-EEverybody Loves Somebody, Dean Martin, Everybody Loves SomebodyLovefool, The Cardigans, First Band On The Moon Put Your Records On, Corinne Bailey Rae, Corinne Bailey RaeAin’t No Sunshine, Bill Withers, Just As I AmLovely Day, Bill Withers, MenagerieKiss Me, Sixpence None The Richer, Sixpence None The RicherBoth Sides Now, Joni Mitchell, CloudsBig Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell, Ladies of the CanyonIn My Life, The Beatles, Rubber Soul Overjoyed, Stevie Wonder, In Square CircleFeeling Good, Nina Simone, I Put A Spell On YouHow Deep Is Your Love, Bee Gees, GreatestEscuchar audio

Pianist Keelan Carew and saxophonist Emma Rawicz join Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe as they add five more tracks, taking us from an unforgettable Nat King Cole classic to a sunken cathedral, a famous submarine, and the Austrian Alps. Producer: Jerome Weatherald Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna PhoebeThe five tracks in this week's playlist:Unforgettable by Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole Señor Mouse by Gary Burton and Chick Corea La Cathédrale Engloutie by Debussy Stingray by Barry Gray The Lonely Goatherd by Julie AndrewsOther music in this episodeParticles of Change by Emma Rawicz Ya Taali'een el-Jabal by Kronos Quartet ft Rim Banna Unforgettable by Nat King Cole Memories of You by Louis Armstrong Under the Sea (from The Little Mermaid) by Samuel E Wright Theme from Thunderbirds by Barry Gray

Episode 109 - Linda Magistris OBE (Grief Awareness Week Special)Listen to this special edition of The Swan Song Podcast for Grief Awareness Week 2025 with Linda Magistris OBE.Linda is the founder of The Good Grief Trust. A UK charity that aims to raise awareness of the support available to those suffering with bereavement. In this episode Linda shares her story of how she came to start The Good Grief Trust and some of the amazing work they have done over the years including starting National Grief Awareness Week. We also ask Linda to share with us a song that is meaningful to her relating to bereavement. Her choice in "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole.You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFyuOEovTOEIf you enjoy the podcast, please like, share and subscribe. We will have lots more great episodes coming soon.The Swan Song Project is a UK charity that helps terminally ill and bereaved people to write and record original songs. You can find out more about the charity on our website - www.swansongproject.co.uk.Please follow us on Social Media:Facebook: TheSwanSongProject | Instagram: @Swansongproject | LinkedIn: The Swan Song ProjectHope you enjoy it.www.swansongproject.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Second épisode de Rewind consacré au film noir. Retrouvez les grands classiques du cinéma noir américain des années quarante et cinquante. Des dialogues, des poursuites, de grands classiques,  Short Cut To Hell réalisé par James Cagney, RoadHouse réalisé et interprété par Ida Lupino , 711 Ocean Drive un bijou méconnu de Joseph M. Newman avec Edmond O’Brien et Kiss Me Deadly le classique de Robert Aldrich adapté d’ En Quatrième vitesse  le grand roman de Mickey Spillane. Sans oublier Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Percy Mayfield pour vous accompagner tout au long de ce programme unique . Playlist : Everybody Loves Somebody > Peggy Lee / Leary Blues > Percy Mayfield / I'd Rather Have The Blues > Nat King Cole /

Hoy en Km0, tras repasar la actualidad informativa y deportiva, profundizamos en los siguientes asuntos: El valor de la intuición y Ansiedanz. Hoy en Km0, tras repasar la actualidad informativa y deportiva, profundizamos en los siguientes asuntos: "El valor de la intuición" La intuición es una cualidad humana - no sólo de las mujeres - que podemos llegar a controlar. Así lo expone este libro "El valor de la intuición (Cómo comprenderla, entrenarla y usarla con acierto)" (Ed. Ariel de Planeta de los Libros). Entrevistamos a su autor, Mikel Alonso, investigador, profesor universitario, conferenciante, doctor especializado en neurociencia aplicada al comportamiento y al alto rendimiento y CEO de la plataforma Brain Data Company, donde combina experiencia científica y empresarial para potenciar los resultados en entornos deportivos, corporativos y personales. Un detallado análisis donde nos brinda la posibilidad de aprender a potenciar la inteligencia intuitiva, con fundamentos científicos, para mejorar las elecciones que tomamos en todos los ámbitos de la vida. Para ello parte de considerar y trabajar la intuición como una capacidad mental real y cultivable, no como un don mágico. El libro, con un enfoque científico sobre el funcionamiento de la intuición, expone, entre muchas otras claves, cómo se forja en nuestro cerebro, cómo entrelaza las emociones, la memoria y los pensamientos y cómo entrenarla para que así tomemos las mejores decisiones. Ansiedanz Entrevistamos a nuestra compañera Carlota Izquierdo Gil (Instagram: @cigservicioslinguisticos) que habitualmente nos habla sobre lenguaje y etimología en su sección lingüística "Dicho Queda". En esta ocasión ahondamos en su faceta artística como bailarina y coreógrafa, con motivo de su espectáculo Ansiedanz, que podemos ver este sábado 29 de noviembre a las 20:30 en el Teatro Teseo (Ronda de Segovia, 61). Todos, alguna vez, nos hemos encontrado en uno de esos bucles de pensamiento que nos han quitado el sueño y acelerado el corazón. Cada cual con sus motivos, pero la ansiedad es algo que a todos nos visita en algún momento. Tema que aborda - con un enfoque cómico, dinámico y profundo - esta pieza de danza-teatro con coreografía de Carlota Izquierdo Gil y con la bailarina Paula Menéndez Abad como protagonista. Todo ello con música de Nat King Cole, Beethoven, Barber entre otros.

This week, I'm deconstructing the Netflix film 'Sunday Best,' which explores the legacy of Ed Sullivan—a legendary TV host and cultural trailblazer who used his massive platform to advance racial equality during one of America's most challenging eras.    Discover how Sullivan used his platform during one of America's most challenging eras to champion racial equality, featuring groundbreaking performances by artists like Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte, Diana Ross & The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder.   In this episode, we'll explore: The responsibility that comes with having a platform or a voice How Ed Sullivan's decisions advanced social justice and broke barriers The importance of embracing discomfort to create real change Why your authentic, courageous voice matters more than ever   Plus, hear a personal story from the community about stepping up to lead, and get inspired to share your own message—even if it feels uncomfortable. More from Tricia  Go from idea to stage-ready inside The Big Talk Academy Join me LIVE for my Free Monthly Workshop Explore my content and follow me on YouTube Follow me on Instagram  Connect with me on Facebook  Connect with me on LinkedIn  Visit my website at TriciaBrouk.com

Capitol Records, fondé en 1942 par Johnny Mercer, a révolutionné l'industrie musicale américaine en s'installant à Los Angeles, loin du centre névralgique de New York. Le label a rapidement marqué les esprits avec des artistes emblématiques comme Nat King Cole et Frank Sinatra, avant de miser sur des talents visionnaires tels que les Beach Boys, les Beatles, Kraftwerk, Radiohead ou encore Coldplay. Entre audace artistique et flair commercial, Capitol Records a su traverser les époques et rester une référence incontournable de la musique mondiale.À retenir :Naissance à Los Angeles : une décision stratégique qui transforme la ville en capitale du divertissement.Des artistes légendaires : Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Coldplay…Des paris risqués mais gagnants : de la pop des Beatles à l'électro de Kraftwerk.Notre équipe a utilisé un outil d'Intelligence artificielle via les technologies d'Audiomeans© pour accompagner la création de ce contenu écrit.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Pat and Lisa talk about leaf piles, short men, nose whistles, humming, and smoking. Songs in this episode: “Jessica” The Allman Brothers Band (1973) “Autumn Leaves” Nat King Cole (1955) “Secret Agent Man” Johnny Rivers (1966) Dick Cheney obit (NBC News) “Secret Garden” Bruce Springsteen (1995) Clip from the motion …

October — Dante's New South: Dario Plevnik - was born in 1969 in Osijek, Croatia. A guitarist and composer since age 10, he creates the music, lyrics, arrangements, and production for his songs, performing all instruments except winds, with classical guitar as his first passion. He recorded four albums for Croatia Records: “Duše” (1994), “Iskre strasti” (1998), the instrumental “Snovi” (2000), and “English Songs” (2000). An instrumental from “Snovi” appeared on the UK release Chrisanne Collection IV alongside Henry Mancini, Nat King Cole, Bill Elliott, and Pedro Garcia. In 1999 he combined the tamburica and electric guitar in “Slavonian Horses,” representing Croatia at major European ethno festivals in Austria and Hungary. His piece “Mogu” supported therapeutic horseback riding and represented the Croatian team at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Active on TikTok with 167k+ followers, fans call his sound “Croatian Heart & Soul.”Links: https://linktr.ee/darioplevnik • https://www.tiktok.com/@dario.plevnikBen Smith has served as Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church in Waycross, Georgia, since 2012, with prior ministry in Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. He holds a B.S. in Christian Ministry from Shorter University and an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His ministry centers on clear, verse-by-verse expository preaching that helps believers live out Scripture.Website: https://www.BenSmithSr.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenSmithSr.orgX: https://www.x.com/BenSmithSrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/BensmithsrAmanda Dennis is the author of Her Here and Beckett and Embodiment. Her work appears in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement, and Guernica. She has held fellowships at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Columbia and Cambridge Universities, and UC Berkeley's humanities center in Madrid. She co-directs the MFA in Creative Writing at The American University of Paris.Website: https://www.amandadennis.netInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amargaretdennisKeith “Hip” Hughes is a longtime educator known for his HipHughes History YouTube channel, with 55M+ views and more than 250k subscribers. He has also served as an adjunct professor of multimodal literacy at the University at Buffalo.YouTube: https://youtube.com/@hiphughesInstagram: http://instagram.com/hiphughesAdditional Music: Dario Plavnik — https://www.tiktok.com/@dario.plevnikAdvertisers:The Crown: https://www.thecrownbrasstown.comLinden Row Inn: https://www.lindenrowinn.comRed Phone Booth: https://www.redphonebooth.comWe Appreciate:UCLA Extension Writing Program: https://www.uclaextension.eduMercer University Press: https://www.mupress.orgAlain Johannes: https://www.alainjohannes.comHost: Clifford Brooks — The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, Athena Departs, Old Gods.Order books: https://www.cliffbrooks.com/how-to-order

A Vintage Christmas is a collection of classic/oldies Christmas favorites. Please check out this great collection of holiday music. Some of this music is from Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and many others. Please enjoy the Christmas holiday with some of your old favorites. Merry Christmas from Ken Steele Music.

On the November 5 edition of the Music History Today Podcast, Robin Gibb becomes a hero, Nat King Cole debuts, & Elvis leaves the building. Also, happy birthday to two Adams with no relation. For more music history, subscribe to my Spotify Channel or subscribe to the audio version of my music history podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts from ALL MUSIC HISTORY TODAY PODCAST NETWORK LINKS - https://allmylinks.com/musichistorytoday  

A Classic Christmas is a collection of music mostly from the 1950s. It's that wonderful time of year again — Christmas is near! What better way to celebrate than with the most beloved classic Christmas songs from the 1950s? This playlist brings together iconic crooners, jazz voices, and vintage orchestras that defined the spirit of Christmas — from Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole to Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. Relive the days of sitting around the Christmas tree with family and friends, sipping hot cocoa, and staring at the beautiful Christmas tree lights. Have a joyful holiday. Remember the reason for the season. Merry Christmas from Ken Steele Music.

This Big Conversations, Little Bar episode spotlights a life steeped in swing, storytelling, and the American Songbook. Patrick Evans and Randy Florence welcome guest Billy Stritch who shares how a Houston kid with a portable cassette recorder became a New York mainstay—shaping shows, accompanying legends, and commanding intimate rooms like the Purple Room and Birdland. He recalls opening for Mel Tormé at Carnegie Hall, meeting Princess Diana after a Royal Albert Hall performance, and the serendipitous piano-bar moment that led to decades of collaboration with Liza Minnelli. We hear about London's Crazy Coqs, the curated Cast Party at the McCallum Theatre, and the electric connection only a small cabaret can deliver. His pandemic livestreams—65 consecutive weeks—kept creativity alive and a community together, proving music's power to sustain and unite. From early influences (Gershwin, Ella, Nat King Cole) to arranging, Brazilian flavors, and unforgettable stages, this conversation celebrates craft, friendship, and the joy of bringing a room to hush with a single chord.Takeaways:The magic of small rooms: intimacy, faces, and instant connectionSerendipity at a piano bar sparked a 25-year creative partnershipPandemic livestreams built community and kept the music—and rent—goingCast Party thrives in New York and a curated McCallum Theatre seriesCareer highlights include Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Hollywood BowlInfluences span Gershwin, Ella, Nat King Cole, bossa nova, and moreStories of working with icons like Liza Minnelli and Tony BennettMusic as a unifier in divisive times—and a lifelong calling#BigConversationsLittleBarPodcast #PatrickEvans #RandyFlorence #SkipsLittleBar #MutualBroadcastingSystem #CoachellaValleyResidents #SkipPaige #McCallumTheatre #BillyStritch #LizaMinnelli #PurpleRoom #Birdland #CastParty #TonyBennett #LindaLavin #CrazyCoqs #RoyalAlbertHall #AmericanSongbook #PalmSprings #JazzPiano

Send us a textKen Kessler from the Sounds of Christmas continues the ten-day countdown of the most-listened-to and most-downloaded episodes of the Sounds of Christmas podcast with this one from March of 2021! In this episode, Ken talks about the Christmas music legacy of Nat King Cole! Show links:Listen to the Sounds of Christmas stationFind the Sounds of Christmas podcastConnect with the Sounds of Christmas on social mediaCheck out all the artists that are making the 2025 season of the Sounds of Christmas station possibleSupport the show

Primer disco del joven compositor, arreglista y productor brasileño Valentim Frateschi 'Estreito' con canciones como la que le da título, 'Pássaro cinza', 'Corpo colado', 'Colado' o 'Lokotario'. También de la ciudad de São Paulo, Sessa, apodo de Sergio Sayed, con dos canciones, 'Vale a pena' y 'Nome de Deus', anticipo de su disco 'Pequena vertigem de amor'. El pianista cubano Gonzalo Rubalcaba con los saxofonistas Yainer Horta y Joey Calveiro tocando 'Te quedarás', 'Unforgettable' y 'Quizás, quizás, quizás' en el disco 'A tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole'. Y Omara Portuondo, que cumple los 95 en unos días, con su reciente 'Eternamente Omara' y canciones como 'Soy tan feliz' de Benny Moré, 'Eso no lo he dicho yo' de Juan Pablo Torres o 'Tú mi delirio' de César Portillo de la Luz. Despide Arturo O´Farrill y su Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra con 'Blue Palestine' de Carla Bley. Escuchar audio

This week's toady crony is a big fan of the Nat King Cole cover of Autumn Leaves.---Follow us on Tumblr! - https://weeklyfrogpod.tumblr.com/Follow us on Bluesky! - https://bsky.app/profile/weeklyfrogpod.bsky.socialCheck out our website! - https://frogpod.online/Check out The Worst Garbage! - https://theworstgarbage.online/---Thank you Boqeh for the music! Check him out! - https://boqeh.bandcamp.com/

We would LOVE to hear what you think. Please drop a line.Join hosts Infinite and Brick for a powerhouse conversation with Reggie Braxton, as he steps into the spotlight to play new tones into our hearts. Hailing from Detroit—the original Motown sound hub—Reggie brings a lineage of rhythm and soul that runs through his blood, from a family deeply rooted in music to a production pedigree that reads like a who's-who of the industry.In this episode, Braxton shares:A deep dive into his debut EP, “The Brax-Tone Experience,” a six-track kaleidoscope of jazz-infused, soul-soaked, sensual R&B.How his Detroit lineage and a family connection to The Temptations shaped his voice and his craft.Collaborations and production magic with heavy hitters like J. Poww (UNV), Grammy winner Christopher Bivins (BuddaWolf), and engineering by Jezreel Santos, whose work spans Kem, Gregory Porter, and Mali Music.The journey from the local Detroit jazz scene to stages at Dummy George's, Intermezzos, Birmingham Jazz, Toronto Caribbean Festivals, and casinos across Detroit.The influences that color his sound—from Luther Vandross to Nat King Cole, and from Dionne Warwick to The Whispers' Scotty and Walter.Key tracks and moments:The single “I Pray It's You” lighting up the Billboard Jazz chart.“Love Guarantee” peaking at 39 on MediaBase charts.A candid discussion about his grandmother Gladys English, his Temptations cousin, and the village of piano greats and horn men who shaped his path.Episode highlights:A heartfelt explanation of Braxton's signature Brax-Tone sound and how it marries classic influences with contemporary mood.Stories from the road and studio—collaborations, challenges, and the discipline behind crafting intimate, seductive, soul-forward performances.A look at Detroit's enduring influence on modern R&B and jazz and how Reggie aims to carry that legacy forward.Quote from Reggie Braxton:“Here in Detroit, we are music critics by nature. Our history laid the foundation for R&B, with innumerable classics that still stand the test of time, so we take a special pride in bringing our A-game to the table. The Brax-Tone is my debut expression of musical inheritance, and I hope it will establish my own stylistic sound that music lovers will appreciate for years to come.”Whether you're a longtime Detroit soul fan, a jazz purist, or a lover of contemporary R&B, this interview with Reggie Braxton promises depth, warmth, and a slow-burn sensuality you won't want to miss. Tune in to hear brazen honesty, studio magic, and a path forward carved from a legendary lineage and a bright, new tone.Support the show

Songs include: Faith Can Move Mountains by Nat King Cole, When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain by Kate Smith, Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Flatt and Scruggs, Blueberry Hill by Louis Armstrong, I'd Climb the Highest Mountain by the Ink Spots and The Old Man of the Mountain by Cab Calloway. 

durée : 00:59:59 - Hey Little Girl - par : Nathalie Piolé -

Gonzalo Rubalcaba is a Grammy-winning Cuban pianist and composer celebrated as one of the most innovative voices in modern jazz. He'll be performing at Indy Jazz Fest on September 19. Born in Havana in 1963 to a musical family, Rubalcaba was classically trained before emerging as a prodigy of the city's vibrant jazz scene. His virtuosic technique quickly drew international attention, leading to collaborations with legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Haden, and Herbie Hancock. In his conversation with WFYI's Kyle Long, Rubalcaba discusses his connection to Dizzy Gillespie and his latest album, “A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole.”

Join us for another great episode as we discuss the Top 10 Male Singers in the World, Brazilian Roast coffee from Alla Prima coffee shop in Pensacola, Chemex pour overs, college footbal fantasy, the Makeshift Project, Josh's list, Kyle Kaye's singing, vocal quality, vocal ability, Robert Merrill, vocal training benefits, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, popular female singers, the importance of criteria, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Rock and Roll Male singers, Robert Plant, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow, Steve Perry, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gay, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Sam Cook, Fantasy Football, The Cleveland Browns, Tanking a season, Andrew Berry and Haslam on the sidelines of the Texas game, Nick Chubb, Joe Burrow, Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Picket, and no more chain gang.

Welcome to the official Talking Pictures TV podcast - dedicated to the nation's favourite archive movie and TV channel. This week, runaway buses, ticking timebombs, drugged disco dancers, Frankie Howerd, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra plus much more.

In this episode, James Cox sits down with artist Sophia Warren to discuss the healing power of music and her personal journey with mental health. Sophia shares her experiences growing up with Hashimoto's disease, the role music played in her life, and the evolution of her music from her EP "Bloodstone" to her latest project "Adesso." They also delve into the nuances of musical genres, the impact of living in different cities like Austin, Texas, and Asheville, North Carolina, and the creative process behind their songs. The conversation touches on the challenges of navigating the music industry and the importance of authenticity.Key Themes Discussed:Mental Health and Music: How music serves as a coping mechanism and a source of comfort during difficult times.Hashimoto's Disease: Sophia's experience with the autoimmune disorder from a young age, including the challenges of diagnosis and living with an invisible illness.Musical Evolution: The growth and development of Sophia's sound between her EP "Bloodstone" and her project "Adesso."City Influence: How growing up in Austin, Texas, and Asheville, North Carolina, shaped her musical style and storytelling.The Creative Process: Sophia's journey in finding her musical voice and working with producers.Artist Identity: Exploring themes of self-discovery, insecurity, and maturing as an artist.The Power of Connection: How music helps listeners feel less alone and understood."Static" by Sophia Warren: A song that was cathartic to write and perform, dealing with anxiety and intrusive thoughts.Dream Collaborations: Sophia's ideal collaborations with artists like Nat King Cole.Superpowers: Discussing what superpower music would have and its impact on the world.Fictional Dinner Party Guests: Steven Universe, Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, and Johnny Test.Mount Rushmore of Artists: Twelve Rods, The Cranberries, Kate Bush, and Radiohead.Musical Influences: The impact of movie posters and specific artists on her room decor and music taste.Unexplainable Feelings: The song "Illusion" by Henry Mancini as a piece of music that evokes feelings she can't articulate.Guest Information:Sophia Warren: Artist, songwriter, producer.Find Sophia Online:YouTube: Sophia Warren Music (link may be under construction)Instagram: @SophiaWarrenMusic (or similar)TikTok: @SophiaWarrenMusic (or similar)Website: Sophia Warren Music (if available)Sponsor Information:BetterHelp: Offering listeners 10% off their first month of therapy. Visit betterhelp.com/music speaks to get started.Connect with When Words Fail Music Speaks:Follow them on their journey as they discuss the healing power of music, interview artists and bands, break down genres and music news, review artist biographies, and much more.Podcast Tagline: "When words fail, music speaks."

Songs include: Ole Buttermilk Sky by Kay kyser, Cabin In the Sky by Ella Fitzgerald, Blue Skies by Count Basie, Riders In the Sky by Bing Crosby and Orange Colored Sky by Nat King Cole. 

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Today, on Karl and Crew, we discussed brokenness without God, the importance of love and respect in marriage, and the value of grace in parenting. Young Thunder started off the show as he serenaded us with the song "Love" by Nat King Cole. We also heard from our listeners via text as they shared the brokenness they are experiencing now and how only God can fix it. We then had Dr. Emerson Eggerichs join us to discuss love and respect in marriage. Dr. Eggrichs is an internationally recognized author and speaker on topics including marriage, parenting, communication, and more. Dr. Eggrichs and his wife founded Love and Respect Ministries, which is based on five decades of counseling, as well as scientific and biblical research. He has also authored several books, including the New York Times bestseller, “Love and Respect.” Then Cody Kimmel joined us to discuss the need for grace in parenthood. Cody is the Executive Director of Grace-Based Families, a ministry dedicated to encouraging, educating, and equipping families at every age and stage of life. He has also served as a pastor, professor, and entrepreneur, and he hosts multiple podcasts, including Blueprints. You can hear the highlights of today's program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to hear a particular segment from the show, look at the following time stamps: Young Thunder singing "Love" by Nat King Cole [00:08- 04:07] Listener Texts Read aloud and Prayer(Brokenness) [ 04:17- 15:26] Dr. Emerson Eggerich (Love and Respect ) [22:58-35:46] Cody Kimmel Interview (Grace-based Parenting) [ 40:14- 50:25]Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Songs include: So In Love by Patti Page, Taking a Chance On Love by Benny Goodman, Dream by the Pied Pipers, For Sentimental Reasons by Nat King Cole and I Wish That I Were Twins by Fats Waller. 

With U.S. Marines and National Guard deployed due to anti-ICE demonstrators in L.os Angeles. as more protests pop up across the country, the co-hosts weigh in. Then, they discuss college students using legal "no contact orders" to avoid classmates. Colman Domingo discusses chairing this year's Met Gala, exploring his comedic side in the "The Four Seasons" TV adaptation and co-writing "Lights Out," an off-Broadway show on the life of Nat King Cole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices