I was born in 1966. Seriously. 19freakin66. I know I'm old, you know I'm old, so let's just agree to not discuss it. After today that is.1966 was the year The Monkees debuted on TV and John Lennon met Yoko Ono. OK, so did anything GOOD happen that year? Well, I was born (shaddup!). Cream and Buffalo Springfield formed. Simon & Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence hit #1 on the Billboard charts and The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds, one of the more influential albums of all-time. The Beatles released Revolver (which contained classics like Taxman, Elenor Rigby, Yellow Submarine and Got To Get You Into My Life). The #1 song the very day I was born was Percy Sledge's When A Man Loves A Woman. Eh, I could have done worse I guess (or my folks could have, I had little choice). If you turned on the radio that Summer, you probably heard The Troggs' Wild Thing, The Lovin' Spoonful's Summer In The City, The Beach Boys' Wouldn't It Be Nice, The Mamas and The Papa's Monday Monday or Neil Diamond's Cherry Cherry.
In the movie world it was the year that Walt Disney died and a movie called Hawaii led the box office with a whopping $15.5 mil total for the year (I think Twlight movies make that in a day now). I've never even seen it to tell the truth, but I have seen the classic Adam West version of Batman, which came out in 1966. As did Frankie and Johnny (Elvis), Godzilla vs The Sea Monster, One Million Years B.C. (Raquel Welch), Spinout (Elvis), Paradise Hawaiian Style (Elvis), Gambit (Michael Caine) and the excellent Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (starring Liz Taylor). I of course was too busy pooping myself and puking on everything probably, but years later (many in some cases) I grew to like all of those films. Yes, even all 3 of those bad Elvis films.
I don't really hate getting older, but I sort of hate getting old. Make any sense? Sure it does. I don't like to bring too much attention to the years flying by but it's my birthday today and after a nice night out last night with a load of friends, we're heading up to northwest Arkansas to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Hog Haus Brewing, then to a pool party for some fun in the sun today before coming back to spend Sunday on the lake. I'm not one of those who claim I'm celebrating my birthday for the whole week because in all honestly, I celebrate it 365 days a year pretty much. Well, maybe just 364.In the mean time, I'll at least point out that I share a birthday with some really cool people, which by association should make me sort of cool. And be sure to go post a message on all their Facebook pages (also I'd like to point out that I've met 3 of these folks in person, you guess which ones).
* Lou Brock (St. Louis Cardinals baseball great, Hall of Fame, 3,023 hits, 938 Stolen Bases, born in El Dorado Arkansas)
* Sir James Paul McCartney (The Beatles/Wings, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, listed in The Guinness Book Of Records as the most successful musician and composer in popular music history with sales of 100 million singles and 60 gold discs)
* Blake Shelton (CMA 2010 Male Vocalist of the Year, 8 #1 country hits, 11 top 10 songs)
* Martin St. Louis (NHL player, 6-time All-Star, won Stanley Cup, won Hart Trophy, won Art Ross Trophy, won Lady Bing Award, 778 points scored in NHL)
* Bruce Smith (legendary NFL defensive end, 11-time Pro Bowler, 200 career sacks, made 2 all-decade teams for 80s and 90s)
* Roger Ebert (film reviewer)
* Andrés Galarraga (aka The Big Cat, MLB player with 399 HR, 5-time All-Star, 2 Gold Gloves)
* Bruiser Brody (professional wrestler... R.I.P.)
* Dizzy Reed (keyboardist for Guns N' Roses)
* Ray LaMontagne (Grammy winning American singer-songwriter)
* Antonio Gates (NFL tight end, 6,763 yards, 67 TDs, 7-time Pro Bowler, 2000s All-Decade Team)
* Sandy Alomar, Jr (MLB catcher, 6-time All-Star, AL Rookie of the Year, All-Star Game MVP)
So here's to another year older, wiser and balder. Cheers!
