Posts with the label music
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
May 04, 2015
The Pink Cherry Blossoms are in Full Bloom!
The pink cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey are now in full bloom! We had a weekend of gorgeous weather and they have responded beautifully in an explosion of pink!
March 16, 2015
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital
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| The Kirkbride Building, Greystone Park (March 2015) |
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital was originally built in 1876 as the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum at Morristown. Obviously there was no “political correctness” at the time.
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| State Insane Asylum, Morris Plains, NJ (Public domain photo from Wikipedia) |
If you grew up in Morris County, the original Greystone Park was legendary. It was so big looming up at the end of Central Avenue.
It was actually the building with the largest footprint in America until The Pentagon was opened in 1943. There were also rumors about horrible events that actually went on in the building. It was also incredibly overcrowded.
Probably the most famous resident was the great singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie. He spent 5 years at Greystone Park.
Woody was suffering from Huntington's Disease, and little was understood about the illness. Sadly, he was sent to live in psychiatric hospitals for most of the last years of his life.
Here he is singing probably his most famous song, the beautiful "This Land Is Your Land."
The young Bob Dylan idolized Guthrie and visited him at Greystone! He sang his song "Song to Woody" for him when he visited.
So touching, and how courageous of Bob to visit him there.
The original building at Greystone is still located in Morris Plains/Parsippany, New Jersey (GPS and other places give either of the towns).
A new hospital was built several years ago, and the patients transferred to the new facility.
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| The new Greystone Park Hospital sign (March 2015) |
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| The new Greystone Park Hospital building (March 2015) |
Some of the old structures have been torn down, but the original main building – the Kirkbride Building -- is still standing.There is now fencing around the building to get it ready for demolition (and probably to discourage intruders from breaking into the building).
The building was supposed to be demolished last year, but a group called Preserve Greystone is fighting to save the building. The building is architecturally significant. It was built in the Second Empire Victorian style.
Now I can understand why the state wants to tear down the building. It was used for rather sad reasons. I also understand that you can't save every historic building.
You can read the Final Feasibility Assessment report here.
However, I do believe that we don't save nearly enough architecturally significant buildings, in New Jersey or the entire USA. The building was quite beautiful inside, and has not deteriorated so badly that it can't be restored. They certainly don't make hospitals this beautiful anymore!
Apparently, Woody Guthrie's daughter wants to save the building.
Preserve Greystone makes some very good points about the historic value of the building. Some of those reasons are truly haunting. In this magnificent video, there are some stunning aerial shots of the hospital, including some by a drone!
There are some truly haunting photos of the inside of the building here and here.
The building was supposed to be demolished last year, but a group called Preserve Greystone is fighting to save the building. The building is architecturally significant. It was built in the Second Empire Victorian style.
Now I can understand why the state wants to tear down the building. It was used for rather sad reasons. I also understand that you can't save every historic building.
You can read the Final Feasibility Assessment report here.
However, I do believe that we don't save nearly enough architecturally significant buildings, in New Jersey or the entire USA. The building was quite beautiful inside, and has not deteriorated so badly that it can't be restored. They certainly don't make hospitals this beautiful anymore!
Apparently, Woody Guthrie's daughter wants to save the building.
Preserve Greystone makes some very good points about the historic value of the building. Some of those reasons are truly haunting. In this magnificent video, there are some stunning aerial shots of the hospital, including some by a drone!
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| Kirkbride Building, Greystone (March 2015) |
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| Kirkbride Building, Greystone (March 2015) |
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| Kirkbride Building, Greystone (March 2015) |
There are some truly haunting photos of the inside of the building here and here.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 27, 2014
New Jersey's Got Talent!
New Jersey has so many different kinds of music because it is a very diverse state. You can listen to all kinds of music here, particularly with the influence of the New Jersey shore!
There is The Boss (from Freehold), Bruce Springsteen!
There is The Chairman of the Board (from Hoboken), Frank Sinatra!
There is the band Bon Jovi, formed in Sayreville!
There are the “Jersey Boys” originating in Newark - The Four Seasons!
Don't forget Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, the Pride of the Jersey Shore!
You have probably heard of all those talented performers.
But ladies and gentlemen, I now introduce to you: The Whiptones!
The Whiptones are a teenage Doo Wop acappella quartet from Whippany, New Jersey!
Whippany is a section of Hanover Township, New Jersey. I grew up in the next town.
This type of singing demands that the singers possess good voices, as there is no musical accompaniment.
The Whiptones are starting to get a lot of attention from the New Jersey/New York media.
Here they are at the recent Whippany Park High School graduation - three of them graduated, one is still a high school student.
Here they are on local television discussing singing the National Anthem at the Mets 2014 season home opener:
They auditioned several times against stiff competition for the honor of singing at the Mets home opener, and they won! They were thrilled!
Here they are:
Here are a couple more videos for you to enjoy!
To read more about The Whiptones, check out their website!
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Also linking up with Monday's Music Moves Me!
July 20, 2014
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Back in the 1980s, there was a fresh new face on the music scene! Cyndi Lauper debuted her solo career with this instant classic!
It was so fun, fresh, and now that the day after I first saw that video I danced down to the record store in the mall and bought the album! Yes, a vinyl record!
July 13, 2014
School's Out for Summer!
I still remember the last day of sixth grade. We struggled through the half-day, getting our report cards, and waiting with anxiety for the summer to start! Finally, our teacher smilingly said “You can go now!” and a bunch of boys went screaming out of the classroom, while the teachers laughed.
July 06, 2014
Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush
The first time I remember seeing and hearing the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush was on Saturday Night Live in 1978. She was a bit older than me but still a teenager and she sang very well and I thought she was talented in a quirky way.
June 29, 2014
Swedish House Mafia (Save the World)
Being of half-Swedish ancestry I couldn't help but be intrigued by a group called Swedish House Mafia. : )
This is such a striking video. The song is catchy but the story and visuals are what really make the video interesting. I love the heroes that save the day!
June 03, 2011
Adam Lambert and The Black Eyed Peas
Adam Lambert's so cute. Yes, I know he doesn't play on my team, but he's still cute. And what a voice! The song was co-written by Pink, who I wrote about here.
May 07, 2011
Phoebe Snow 1950-2011
Sadly, the great singer Phoebe Snow died recently. Phoebe grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and graduated from Teaneck High School.
Phoebe was a marvelous singer with a very distinctive voice and great range.
She had a big hit with "Poetry Man" in 1975:
But that year also saw the birth of her daughter, who was born with severe brain damage. Phoebe elected to stay home with her daughter, thus slowing the progress of her career. She did, however, sing on commercials, and sometimes make public appearances and sing with her friends.
There is a charming story by a friend of Phoebe's on The Huffington Post. You can read it here.
You will really be missed, Phoebe . . .
April 11, 2011
Rolling in the Deep by Adele
"Rolling In The Deep" by Adele.
We could have had it all . . .
March 29, 2011
I love the singer P!nk
There's always some song stuck in my head and "Raise Your Glass" by Pink is the current one. When I first heard this song I thought that it was just a party anthem, but when I saw the video I realized that it was for everyone who feels like an outsider. That's how I felt as a child, too! I love her "Rosie the Riveter", the iconic image from World War II (above)!
September 20, 2010
Jody Joseph Interview!
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Jody Joseph's concert, One Diva...One Legend...One Woman is this Saturday night, September 25th at Brookdale Community College Theater in Lincroft, New Jersey. In this show Jody concentrates on singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks, in addition to singing some of her own songs. If you read my August 17th post about Jody, you will know that she is a very talented singer!
Jody has graciously answered some questions I had about the show!
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