Everyday Creation

Bernice Johnson Reagon was multifaceted: a singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, historian, college professor, and documentarian.

Born in Georgia during the dawning of the modern Civil Rights Movement, she recognized the power of music in activism and co-founded the Freedom Singers. The ensemble performed across the South and at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival.

In 1973, she formed another a cappella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock, which started as a quartet and expanded to five members with Reagon remaining until her retirement in 2004.

She wrote "Ella's Song" in 1988 as a tribute to civil rights pioneer Ella Baker, who was active in the NAACP and other civil rights organizations.

You can go here to watch Sweet Honey in the Rock perform "Ella's Song," and please check out the comments too. Here's a good one: "This group Sweet Honey in the Rock taught me the meaning of a cappella (without instruments) their harmony was amazing...It was a JOY to see them perform live. I sing this song when feeding the birds and they always respond!"

Reagon's many accomplishments included earning a doctorate in 1975 and becoming a cultural historian at the Smithsonian Institution, focusing on music history. She also produced a 26-part series titled "Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions."

The image in this video's thumbnail is a photo in the public domain of Reagon. It's available on Wikipedia.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one individual whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Singer-songwriter Dave Loggins, a second cousin to Kenny Loggins, gained initial success when Three Dog Night recorded his song "Pieces of April." It reached 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.

Dave Loggins went on to write 14 No. 1 country hits for artists such as the Oak Ridge Boys, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire and Kenny Rogers.

His duet with Anne Murray, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do," became a number one country hit in 1984, earning them the Vocal Duo of the Year award at the Country Music Awards.

Loggins also wrote "Augusta," the longest-running sports theme, after playing Augusta National Golf Course in 1981; CBS has used it for Masters coverage since 1982. And his 1974 song "Please Come to Boston" reached number one on Billboard's easy listening chart and number five on the Hot 100.

You can go to this video to watch him perform "Please Come to Boston" in 1974. Check out the comments too. Here's one of many that express appreciation for Loggins' songwriting skills: "I've always loved this song, but it wouldn't be until decades later I'd fully appreciate the core of its lyrical content. Simply put, a skillfully constructed song."

The image in this episode's thumbnail is the cover of Loggins' digitally remastered three-album audio CD available on Amazon. There's also sheet music available on Amazon for "Please Come to Boston" and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do."

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Kinky Friedman, who formed the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, was known for outrageous song titles such as "Get Your Biscuits In The Oven and Your Buns In Bed" and "Ride 'em Jew Boy." 

He was a good writer not only of songs but also detective novels, stories for Texas Monthly and more. One of his pieces in the magazine was a beautifully written tribute to Lottie Cotton, a woman who had cared for him and his siblings.

He wasn't born in Texas but moved there at a young age. In 2006, he ran for governor. The photo in this episode's thumbnail, taken the day before the 2006 election, is attributed to Stephen C. Webster, who followed his campaign. It's available on Wikimedia Commons with this license CC BY 2.0.

Friedman's song "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore" became his signature piece, addressing themes of racism and antisemitism with a tongue-in-cheek approach. You can listen to a version of it here.

He offended people and he had adoring fans. If you search his name on the Facebook page Traces of Texas, you'll find quite a few posts about Friedman, including some of his funny and insightful quotes. Here are a couple of them: "If elected, the first thing I'll do is demand a recount" and “Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.”

To learn about his final album, "Poet of Motel 6," and for more about Friedman, go to the official Kinky Friedman site.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

After serving in the Vietnam War, Mark James moved to Memphis and soon his songwriting career took off. In just two years — 1968 and '69 — he wrote "Eyes of a New York Woman," "Hooked on a Feeling" and "It's Only Love" for B.J. Thomas. 

Next, he wrote "Suspicious Minds." He recorded his own version to little acclaim, but the song became a major hit for Elvis Presley, revitalizing Presley's career. James also co-wrote "Always on My Mind," which won two Grammys and became a number one hit for Willie Nelson in 1982. 

BMI, the music performing rights organization, recognized him as one of the songwriters of the 20th century for the hits "Hooked on a Feeling," "Suspicious Minds" and "Always on My Mind."

The picture of James in this episode's thumbnail is from his profile in the  Songwriters Hall of Fame, in which he was inducted in 2014. The photo is credited to Randy Anderson.

James and Thomas were friends since childhood. You can watch Thomas perform "Hooked on a Feeling" in 2009 in this video and listen to him sing "It's Only Love" here. Or listen to the 1974 version performed by the Swedish rock band Blue Suede.

You can go here to listen to James' version of "Suspicious Minds."

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Richard Sherman and his brother Robert wrote two hit songs — "Tall Paul" and "You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful (And You're Mine)" — before Walt Disney hired them to write exclusively for him. 

In 1965, they won an Oscar for Best Original Score for the film "Mary Poppins." The score included "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee." The latter also won Best Original Song.

The Sherman Brothers wrote "It's a Small World" for a 1964 New York World's Fair ride that later became a Disneyland attraction. It's been deemed the most played song ever. Here's a not-quite 2-minute version, appropriately starring kids.

If you'd like to hear Disney's first big star Annette Funicello singing "Tall Paul," go here. And here's Johnny Burnette singing "You're Sixteen" in 1960.

Finally, for a fun and sweet diversion, check out this MsMojo video of "Top 10 Best Mary Poppins Moments." If you lean toward nostalgia, you might get a little teary during some of those moments. 

The image in the thumbnail and closing remarks for this episode is of Richard Sherman in 2014. In the chapters, there's a public domain photo of the Sherman Brothers receiving the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in November 2008. It's credited to the Presidential Press Corps and is available on Wikimedia Commons. 

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Vocalist and keyboardist Doug Ingle is known for writing Iron Butterfly's iconic rock song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," originally over 17 minutes long. The song, which had only 30 words, turned out to be a happy accident for the band. It reached 30 on Billboard's Hot 100 and the album reached number four on the 200 chart.

You can go to this video to hear the full 1968 version of the song with "CD sound and 3D" visuals. Below the video, there are a lot of fond remembrances, including this one: "My dad showed me this song when I was a wee gal, I still remember a time he played this, my mum was gone & had it on high volume, he was dancing & vibing & I just remember being so grateful for life & him. He passed away today, 5 years ago. He was my bestest friend, & this song always warms my heart."

For a much shorter version of the song, you can listen here.

The photo in the thumbnail is of Iron Butterfly with Ingle at the far left and drummer Ron Bushy, who's mentioned in the tribute, second from left. It was used in a 1969 trade ad for the band's single "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and is credited to Atco Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

David Sanborn learned to play the alto sax at age 11; by his early teens, he was  playing in blues clubs. As a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he performed at Woodstock; in the '70s and '80s, he collaborated with such major artists as Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen. 

Sanborn also released his own albums, 17 of which made Billboard's 200 chart, and four reached number two on the jazz chart. His single "Bang Bang" peaked at number 53 on Billboard's Hot 100.

You can go here to watch him perform "Bang Bang" with Paul Shaffer's band on one of Sanborn's many guest appearances with David Letterman. I love how Shaffer really gets into banging on the piano keys and singing along. The comments below the video are good too. Here's one of them: "Caught his show at the Music Mill of Indianapolis in the spring of 2008. He hung out with fans during intermission. One of my best memories. Incredible music legacy, for sure."

The image in the thumbnail is from the cover of "David Sanborn Saxophone Play-Along Volume 8," published by Hal Leonard and available on Amazon and on the publisher's website.

In the chapters, you'll also see a Down Beat magazine from 1983 with Sanborn on the cover, as well as a picture of Sanborn performing at the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 2008. 

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Guitarist Duane Eddy, whose signature sound was known as twang, began playing guitar at age five and later became an early rock music influencer. 

John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival referred to him as "the first rock and roll guitar god." 

Eddy recorded "Rebel Rouser" in 1958. The song, which really shows off that signature twang, reached number six on Billboard's Hot 100. His highest charting song was "Because They're Young," which peaked at number four.

This episode's thumbnail photo is of Eddy performing in 2018. It's attributed to Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0. In the chapters, you'll see a Duane Eddy trading card from 1960. It was one of a series of recording artist cards issued by the gum manufacturer Frank C. Fleer Corporation. Both images are available on Wikimedia Commons.

To hear "Rebel Rouser," you can go to this video of Eddy performing with Paul Shaffer's band on "Late Night with David Letterman" in 1985. The comments are great. Here's one of them: "As soon as you hear that guitar you know who it is. An American legend. May he rest in peace."

To hear "These Boots Are Made For Walking," which Eddy recorded with his producer-songwriter Lee Hazlewood, you can go to this video.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Singer, songwriter and musician Mike Pinder co-founded the Moody Blues in 1964. The British band initially played R&B and covers before shifting direction toward original songs. 

Pinder wrote 27 songs for the band, including "Melancholy Man," which appeared on the 1970 album "A Question of Balance." The song reached number one in France but was never released as a single in the U.S.

The photo in this episode's thumbnail was extracted from a photo of the entire band taken when they arrived at the Amsterdam Airport in The Netherlands in 1970. You can see the full picture in one of the chapters including my closing remarks. Both versions of the photo are available on Wikipedia.

You can watch the Moody Blues perform "Melancholy Man" in this video. The comments are worth checking out too. Here's one of them: "I heard this song on the Question album back in 1972 ... when I was 15 and it is one of my favorite Moody Blues songs. The Moody Blues was one of my favorite bands in college in the 1980's and today when I'm 65 the Moody Blues is still my favorite band. Anyone that values knowledge over the mundane are Melancholy men."

In Sheldon Zoldan's tribute, learn how the Mellotron®, a new instrument at the time, came to be featured on the Moody Blues' 1967 album "Days of Future Passed." (Fun side note from Wikipedia: Pinder introduced the Mellotron to his friend John Lennon, and the Beatles subsequently used one on "Strawberry Fields Forever.")

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Dickey Betts, who played lead guitar for the Allman Brothers Band along with Duane Allman, was crucial in the development of Southern rock. After Duane's death in 1971, Betts became the band's leader. Betts also wrote the lyrics to their biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man," which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

To hear "Ramblin' Man" and see some nice images, check out this lyric video. Or you can watch the Allman Brothers sing the song in concert at the University of Florida in 1982. Here's the link.

The public domain photo in the thumbnail is of Betts at the Pistoia Blues Festival in Italy in 2008. Attribution: Simone berna, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. In the chapters, there's a 1978 photo of Betts, also available on Wikipedia. 

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. 

Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.