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“Just Chillin’ A little History...& More Singing on the 4th of July!


Santa Rosa, CA. ~ Happy 239th Birthday, America! And Happy 125th to Ameri- ca’s venerable Boston “Pops” Orchestra.


Henry Lee Higginson estab- lished the Boston Symphony, fulfilling the “dream” of his life.


Brilliant example


Adding lighter “Prom- enade Concerts” in summer months made his musicians happy with year-round em- ployment.


for other orchestras. Arthur Fiedler conducted “The Pops” for 39 years. Keith Lockhart celebrates his 20th year conducting with fine suc- cess. The Star-Spangled Ban- ner is our honored formal na- tional anthem but the grand finale of 4th of July Pops Con- certs is the rousing, audience participating, smashing rendi- tion of genius Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Those unmistakable opening upbeat measures get a roar from huge audiences. When those cheeky, shrill piccolos pipe up, your scalp can get rejuvenated with tingling, witnessing the cheers of delight audiences let loose. An immense American flag cascades dramatically from the top of the stage arch almost touching


the musicians who smile while playing “con brio.”


Wise are those who learn that the bottom line doesn’t


always have to be their top priority.


William Arthur Ward Make the workmanship surpass the materials. ~Ovid


Fabulous fun, even on tv. Considering only a few of


the many gifted American mu- sicians who have touched the hearts of millions, one is re- membered as a “country boy”– John Denver. A noble, fif- teen foot statue called “Spirit,” depicts Denver wearing a gui- tar strapped on his back, arm outstretched to permit a bold eagle to perch. Removed after the sale of his Windstar prop- erty in Old Snowmass, Colora- do, it is now being installed at the great Red Rocks amphithe- atre near Morrison, Colorado. The John Denver Aspen Glow Fund has awarded more than $4 million dollars, $763,500 in grants, in 2015 alone. Some nonprofits receiving help this year were the Manaus Fund, Lucky


Day Animal Res-


cue, Huts for Vets, Children and Nature Network, Aspen TREE, and Roaring Fork Con- servancy.


Denver died in a


crash of his experimental plane in 1997. His love of Aspen and the beauty of the Rocky Moun-


By Ellie Schmidt eschmidtty@sbcglobal.net


tains was heartfelt. He said he would have liked


to perform concerts only at Red Rocks and have fans flown in from around the world.


The


Aspen Times mentioned: “John Denver’s statue will soon ‘have sunshine on its shoulder’” once again.


In


1971 his break- through song “Take Me Home Country Roads” won countless fans. In January, 1971, Bill Back-


er (who celebrated his 89th birthday in June) was the real Creative Director of McCann- Erickson Ad Agency, NYC, who was sent on assignment to London to create and record a new radio commercial for their Coca-Cola client account. Backer a multi-talented, ver- satile fellow was inspired and produced Coca-Cola’s world- famous “Hilltop” commercial. Don Draper, the character in “Mad Men,” that soapiest of soap tv series, would more ac- curately have been described as “a contact man.” Certainly not the hard working, imaginative Bill Backer.


Answering a NY Times in-


terviewer, Backer told that the packed flight he was on was grounded in Shannon, Ireland to wait until dense fog cleared. Passengers were upset about the diversion. Eventually, Bill saw clusters of passengers of “all types, ages, sexes talking and sharing bottles of warm Coca-Cola.” He witnessed they were enjoying each other’s company during that unexpect- ed, frustrating delay. Backer said he scribbled down “I’d like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company.”


He added,


“Coke seemed at that moment more than refreshing liquid. It served as a bit of commonality between all peoples, a univer- sally liked formula that would help keep them company for a few minutes.” What began with his ra-


dio ad evolved into a moving tv commercial, the first ever united-chorus-of-the-world’s people gathering and singing together in harmony on a hill- side. –Good for the NYTimes for also revealing that neither Bill Backer nor the Coca-Cola Company were informed that “Mad Men” would use the “Hilltop Commercial” in its season finale. Odd indeed.


... continued on page 30


UPBEAT TIMES • July 2015 • 5 Weird Facts & Fun Trivia - 2


Sea water weighs about a pound and a half more per cubic foot than fresh water at the same temperature.


Polar bears can smell seal from 20 miles away.


The deepest underwater penguin dive is 1,772 feet by an Emperor Penguin.


Elizabeth Taylor has ap- peared on the cover of Life magazine more than anyone else.


Judy Scheindlin (Judge Judy) has a $25,000,000


salary, while Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has a $190,100 salary.


An iceberg contains more heat than a lit match.


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www.salsnewyorker.com UPBEAT TIMES • July 2015 • 5


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