Extra! Extra! Read all about the Oldies at Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2!
- A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee wants to be inducted by a guy who can't get in his own Hall of Fame
- Our generation's artists still pack 'em in on the road!
- How about some handwritten Paul McCartney lyrics for the Beatles fan on your Christmas list?
- With the direction Tom Jones is currently taking with his music, he could make a tent out of all the undergarments thrown at him and hold a revival!
- Henry Mancini writes the songs that make Rod Stewart's wife cry
- The Who gig that was SUPPOSED to be a live album finally sees the light of day
- A 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee gets a one woman off-Broadway show
Where In The World Is...........Alan O' Day?
Being born in Hollywood, Alan O' Day seemed predestined for stardom of some kind. Like many other artists, he may be remembered as a one hit wonder, but in reality, he has enjoyed a prolific career in music both before and after his run on the charts.
O'Day's first memory of doing anything musical was creating melodies on the xylophone at the age of 6. By the age of 25, he was a veteran of a half dozen bands and had also spend time as a sound mixer and recorder for a few low budget feature film projects. In 1965, he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show as part of a group called Alan & Bob & Denny.
Although he had experienced some level of success, O' Day wasn't satisfied with where his career had taken him to that point. He decided to concentrate on songwriting. It proved to be a good move, as he penned several huge 70's hits including The Righteous Brothers' "Rock And Roll Heaven" and Helen Reddy's somewhat controversial "Angie Baby". His publishing company, Warner Brothers Music, would coax him back in front of the mic......and this time lightning was caught in a bottle!!
Warner Brothers set up a boutique label for their stable of songwriters who also performed, and Alan O' Day was the first artist signed. The label didn't put much of a promotional push behind his first single, "Undercover Angel", but it became a smash hit nonetheless. A few months and 2 million copies later, it hit #1 in 1977 and did well internationally.
Alan O' Day never really came close to having another hit as a singer, but he continued to write successful international hits for other artists. In 1982, he left Warner Brothers Music to self-publish his songs. In 1983, he had a fortuitous encounter with Janis Liebhart. The two formed a partnership to write songs for the Saturday morning children's animated TV series Jim Henson's Muppet Babies. Their efforts won them an Emmy Award. They continued their kid-focused songwriting for National Geographic's Really Wild Animals as well as some children's projects for Alaska Video. O' Day has also collaborated with songwriter Dave Kinnoin for several children's songs for an organization called Songs of Love.
Today, Alan O' Day is still quite active in the music business. He has begun to dabble in writing country songs with Nashville-based partner Denny Martin. He still records occasionally as a solo artist, with his most recent album release entitled "I Hear Voices". He also serves as a mentor to aspiring songwriters and a musical and creative consultant on various projects. You can find out plenty more on his official website.
Here's a rather clever fan created audio/visual "mashup" combining Alan O' Day's smash hit with classic 70's TV.........
Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2's Burning Question of the Day
This one's a simple "yes" or "no" question......Are Kenny Loggins and singer/songwriter Dave Loggins, who had a hit as a solo artist with "Please Come To Boston" in 1974, related?
Check back tomorrow @ Everything Oldies for the answer, and leave a Comment here with your best guess!
Yesterday's Burning Question (and Answer) of the Day
Which 80's artist was asked to screen test for the role of Marty McFly in Back To The Future that eventually went to Michael J. Fox?
Answer: Corey Hart
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