Article Archives: Bumps in the Night

The Genesis of Bob Dylan, Part 1

February 20, 2025 | by Al Hunter

Another sad anniversary passed recently. On February 3, 1959, rock and roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson were all killed (along with pilot Roger Peterson) in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The event became known as “The Day the Music Died” … Read More

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, Part 2

February 13, 2025 | by Al Hunter

On the night of February 8, 1963, 51-year-old African-American hotel service worker Hattie Carroll was at work behind the bar as an extra employee for special functions and “ballroom events” at the Emerson Hotel in Baltimore, Md. Hattie was active in local social work as a longtime member of the … Read More

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, Part 1

February 6, 2025 | by Al Hunter

On August 28, 1963, Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to over 250,000 civil rights supporters during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In that speech, King called for civil and … Read More

“PeeWee the Piccolo” born in Indianapolis

January 30, 2025 | by Al Hunter

Okay all you Irvington audiophiles, quick, name the first song ever released on a 45 record. If you said it was the “Texarkana Baby” by Eddy Arnold, pat yourself on the back for remembering that lost gem. But you’re wrong. The first commercial 45rpm was “PeeWee the Piccolo” by Russ … Read More

The Lyric Theatre

January 23, 2025 | by Al Hunter

Frank Sinatra’s career began at the Lyric Theatre in Indianapolis on February 2, 1940 with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Sinatra stuck with Dorsey for a couple years before he went solo. Allegedly, Dorsey only let go of Frankie at the gentle urging of Ole Blue eyes’ Mafia Godfather, who was … Read More