Musical Genres: Music Of The 1970's

Being the huge music lover that I am, I have always embraced a wide variety of styles from every time period.  I was born in 1970, and although I was just a kid making his way through the single-digit ages, I really enjoyed many artists that were popular during that first decade of my life.

I was exposed to many of these artists by several of my cousins, who were teenagers at that time.  I had two different sets of cousins on my mother's side of the family who often served as my babysitters, and they always had their FM radios blaring.  Between one set of cousins or the other, I was privileged to receive a full education in Seventies rock!  I developed a great love for the music of groups like ELO, Fleetwood Mac, Styx, Foreigner, Foghat, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Led Zeppelin, and a nearly endless list of others.

Now, whenever I hear any one of these artists, I remember fondly those days of being watched by my older cousins.  They were truly great babysitters.  When they sat with me, they always made me feel like they enjoyed looking after me, and really wanted me around.  They took me with them whenever they visited friends, and even their friends would let me join in whatever they were doing.  Since I had trouble walking sometimes due to my disability, they used to pull me around in my little red wagon.

They would take me to the park and push me on the swing, or let me play Frisbee with them.  Then, their were other times when everyone would just hang out in their basement, shooting pool on their pool table.  Every once in a while, if I was lucky they would give me rides on the back of their motorcycles.  That was so much fun for me, and has given me a love of motorcycles that has stayed with me to this day.  I remember as a small skinny six-year-old feeling so important and grown-up on the back of those bikes!  And throughout all of this activity, the music of the aforementioned artists was always present.

I have so many memories from that time, but there is one in particular that stands out in my mind.  Once when my cousin Kevin was babysitting me, he was entertaining me by doing "air guitar" to his Led Zeppelin records using a pool cue as his "guitar."  He kept posing and making funny faces while I clapped and laughed gleefully.  Then later, when lunch time came, he put me up on his shoulders, and carried me a few blocks down the street to buy me a burger and fries.

Sadly, this was one of the last times that I spent with him. Unfortunately, he and his younger sister Lori were killed in a car crash in March of 1977; he was eighteen and she was seventeen.  I was seven at the time.  I can still remember spending that day with Kevin vividly, however.  And every time I hear a Led Zeppelin song, I can see Kevin and his pool cue!

Thanks for the wonderful memories, cousin!  Rest In Peace!