In previous parts, I spoke of places---NYC, Palisades Amusement Park, LA & the Hollywood Bowl--that featured in my musical interest & development.
This continued as I "aged"--especially in the years from 1964 to 1973.
In June 1959, my Mom & I followed my sister to Sunnyvale CA, where I attended Sunnyvale HS in the 10th grade, then moved to North Hollywood, where I graduated in June 1962.
Being already immersed in the soul of rock (Not a conflicting term!), the jukebox in the SHS cafeteria became my "study hall" of sorts, as the "45's" we spun were history in the making---rock history!
It was there I first heard Ernie Fields's In the Mood!
But maybe more important to my development as a person---as a heterosexual man--was hearing (and dancing to!) the Fleetwoods Mr Blue! (The Fleetwoods--NOT Fleetwood Mac!!)
Not yet an athlete, I was totally a sports fan!
Baseball, football, basketball--even, on the periphery, track and field!
So obviously, the SHS cheerleaders became a center of interest too!
Especially Peggy Nettles, golden-haired Susan Stanich, and---Miriam Price!
Aah, sweet seductive smiley BIG busted Miriam!
It was her breasts--never seen, but ever-revealed beneath her thick white or cream turtlenecks--that I dreamt or thought or fantasized about!
So Mr Blue (What a perfect title for who I really was!)--also the Highwaymen's Michael, Santo & Johnny's Sleepwalk, or Johnny Mathis's Misty---became the conduits that led me to "touch" Miriam's beautiful boobs!
To touch meant to "slow dance" in those days!
We couldn't actually touch, but we could gently pull her a bit closer, so that just the tips (Not then knowing enough to refer to her nipples!) of those breasts would "touch" our sex-deprived chests!
So the Sunnyvale HS cafeteria at lunchtime became my 2nd home--if not for Miriam & the other cheerleaders, then surely for the fantastic selection of its juke box!!
It was there that my knowledge of, and love for--rock continued and evolved!
With the move to NH--just over Laurel Canyon from Hollywood--a hamburger & malt shop joint right across the street (Can't remember its actual name, but it was our chief "hangout" after school!) became my 2nd home!
There too--just as with SHS's juke--its juke was filled with that era's hits we'd hear every hour on KRLA's Top 40 shows!
Tossin & Turnin, Do You Love Me?, The Wanderer (An "oldie" in 1962!), and then Chubby Checker's The Twist!
And yes--not to brag!--I became quite the Twister!
I could twist my legs, go low, come back up, swing those arms, jazz my hips, dip & doodle with the best!
And the music!
Chubby's song--and his other hits!---actually had a damn fine beat!!
"You could dance to it", as the saying went!
And so---besides on NHHS's track in my Senior year--that burger joint & its juke box became my favorite place to be!
Then I--and future star actress Teri Garr (then known as Terry), a class mate & casual friend--graduated!
Although I briefly attended LA Valley JC that fall--my classroom schooling was essentially done (until its resurrection in 1975 at Humboldt State University) by 1962's end!
But my "adult" life was in its infancy--in fact, still in utero!!
For over a year, I worked at shit jobs, drove shit cars, lived a shit life---except for my running!
The music too was dying--the music I'd loved & lived for since 1956!
Elvis was then becoming an "actor".
Pat Boone & Frankie Avalon (though the latter had SOME real talent!), Shelly Fabares & Annette Funicello were "defining" Rock & Roll!!
But there wasn't much rock in the roll--or roll in the rock!
In fact--the "roll" was pretty stale, metaphorically speaking!
Until 1963.
My--and the music's--story continues--soon!
