Everyday Creation

At age 23, American classical pianist Van Cliburn achieved worldwide recognition during the Cold War after winning a gold medal in the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958. The Russians absolutely loved his playing. Astrologer Christine Rakela, the author of "My Private Relationship with Van Cliburn," says that he was not only one of the greatest pianists in hist...

Troubled by all the tension and divisiveness? Here’s a humble offering in the form of a visualization/meditation that may help ease our stress. It begins with holding ourselves and our surroundings in the highest light, and ends with love and gratitude. In between, it's short yet expansive, and kind of sweet. Hope it helps. Send us Fan Mail This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Every...

I like products that are elevated by a higher mission and better-than-usual ingredients. That is definitely true of a line of canned cocktails made with fresh juice and no artificial sugar or preservatives. They've got a great taste and a kick too, with 12% alcohol by volume. Created by siblings Alison and Steven Cravens, North Shore Crafted Cocktails launched in summer 2023 with the able ass...

Seasonal musings on bluebirds, connection and happiness.  Send us Fan Mail This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Denny Laine helped form the Moody Blues and was the lead singer on their first hit, "Go Now," in 1964. Then, in 1971, he helped put together Wings, Paul McCartney’s first band after the Beatles broke up, and was with the group until it disbanded 10 years later.  This tribute to Laine is one of 44 short biographies of significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.   La...

Laura Lynch was one of the four founders of the Dixie Chicks, now the Chicks. She sang and played the upright bass with the band for six years and then left the music business.  Lynch co-wrote and sang "Pink Toenails," which was released in 1992 on the group’s second studio album, "Little Ol' Cowgirl."   According to oldtimemusic.com , “Pink Toenails” was inspired by the p...

Tommy Smothers and his brother, Dick, started out as a serious musical act that morphed into one of 20th century’s most successful comedy teams.  In the '60s, they were the eponymous stars of the Sunday night TV variety show “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." In this clip from the show, Tommy performs yo-yo tricks following his brother's commands. And here's a video from 1988...

Shane MacGowan, the  frontman and main songwriter for the Pogues, led a life of addiction. He co-founded the band in 1982, mixing punk rock with traditional Irish music. Nine years later, he was kicked out of the group because of his drug use and drinking but returned in 2001 and remained with the Pogues until they disbanded.  This tribute is one of 44 stories about significant figures in the musi...

Rudolph Isley, one of the original Isley Brothers and the flamboyant dresser of the three, was an integral member of the band although he wasn't the lead singer or songwriter. This episode is one of 44 tributes to significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. Rudolph received a co-writing credit for "It's Your Thing," the first hit the Isley Brothers wrote...

New Orleans singer Jean Knight is best known for “Mr. Big Stuff,” which she sang with sass and attitude. It reached number one on Billboard’s R&B chart and number two on the Hot 100 chart in 1971. This is one of 44 tributes to significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. Knight eventually went on to get a nursing degree, but she continued to reap the benefits of "Mr....

The Beatles had a big influence on the music of Dwight Twilley, who was known as one of the fathers of power pop. His tribute is one of 44 episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. He and Phil Seymour formed the Dwight Twilley Band, and their first single "I'm on Fire," was a surprise hit. However, they were unable to capitalize on the single&...

The Association had plenty of hits in the late 1960s, but "Cherish" is the one apparently most cherished by fans. Terry Kirkman, a founding member of the band, wrote the song, which was the group's first number one hit.  This tribute to Kirkman is one of 44 episodes dedicated to significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.  To listen to "Cherish," you...

Charlie Robison got his musical start in Austin in the '90s and later became one of the leaders of Texas country music. "New Year's Day," from Robison's 2004 album "Good Times," is the featured song in this episode. You can watch him perform it here . Under the video, the venue wishes a fond farewell to the artist: "To Charlie Robison, thank you for all the...

Katherine Anderson Schaffner was one of the original members of the Marvelettes, whose hit song, “Please Mr. Postman," was Motown’s first million-selling single and first Motown song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.  The Marvelettes had other hits during the 1960s, including “Don’t Mess With Bill,” "Beechwood 4-5789," “Playboy” and “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game....

In the late 1950s, Bob Feldman started writing songs with a neighbor, Jerry Goldstein. Richard Gottehrer joined them in 1962. The three are known for writing the 1963 hit song “My Boyfriend’s Back" and for their group the Strangeloves, which had a number 11 hit with "I Want Candy." The trio also produced the McCoys’ number one hit “Hang on Sloopy.” In this video , you can watch the...

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett released 56 albums and, along the way, built a billion-dollar business. This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who died in 2023.  Buffett's 1977 single, “Margaritaville,” reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song became the foundation of his business empire. Here are a couple of vi...

Steve Harwell, frontman and co-founder of Smash Mouth, retired in 2021 from the group because of ongoing health issues. He was only 56 when he died. The group is best known for “All Star,” written by guitarist Greg Camp who said it was for fans who sent in letters telling the band how they were being bullied. In this official video , you can watch Harwell and his fellow Smash Mouth members perform...

"Dream Weaver," by singer-songwriter Gary Wright, was the first single from Wright's third studio album, "The Dream Weaver," in 1975. He said the song was inspired by a copy of  "Autobiography of a Yogi" given to him by George Harrison. Harrison also took Wright to India, and both the book and the trip made Wright a fan of Eastern philosophy and changed his life....

David LaFlamme was a concert violinist for the Utah Symphony Orchestra before moving to San Francisco, where he formed It's a Beautiful Day with his first wife. LaFlamme played electric violin with the group. His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper...

DJ Casper's "Cha Cha Slide" sounds like a song you would hear mainly at the gym, but it became a worldwide hit. This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.  To hear "Cha Cha Slide," and watch people doing the line dance, you can go to this official video for the UK release of the song. Y...

Singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez was the subject of the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.” His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.  To hear "Sugar Man," you can go to this video , and you may want to check out the comments too. They're quite heartfelt. The picture in the...

Robbie Robertson was with the influential group The Band when he wrote “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” in 1969. The song still touches a nerve, according to this tribute by Sheldon Zoldan, who also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers.  In this video , you can hear "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" in a scene from Martin Scors...

Ray Hildebrand walked away from pop music success and became one of the early artists playing contemporary Christian music. His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.  Hildebrand was half of the pop singing duo Paul & Paula, and Jill Jackson was the other half. The two remained friends after Hildebrand moved...

Sinead O’Connor, who had a number 1 hit with "Nothing Compares 2 U," was not shy about speaking her mind, even when it got her in trouble. Her tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.  To hear "Nothing Compares 2 U," you can go to this video , and you may want to check out the comments too. The...

Randy Meisner, bass player for the Eagles, co-founded one of the most successful rock bands ever, yet he hated the spotlight. His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.  To hear "Take It To the Limit," the song referenced in this episode, you can go to this version that was remastered in 2018. From the...