Like a lot of popular Culture, if something works, make another one just like it. Here are places across the U.S.A. that are somehow tied in with either books, movies, television or music. I will be revisiting many of these places in future posts and will have a lot more details and pictures. For now, enjoy your sampler platter of pop.
Detroit, Michigan. Here I am at the former location of Motown records. (The company moved to LA back in the 70’s) But for a time, this building was the musical birthplace of people like Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, The Temptations among many others Spokane, Washington. The city honors the local boy who made good with a theater and a museum which features film memorabilia, his gold records and even his oscar from the movie “Going My Way”Cleveland, Ohio. This is the house from the popular holiday film “The Christmas Story”. Is the Leg-Lamp in the window? Come visit and find out. As the famous Country Song says “Out in Luckenbach, Texas, ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain” it’s a very small town but still get tourists who love the song. Los Angeles, California This one may just be for me. I loved the television series “Six Feet Under” This was the family-run funeral home. Actually, the American Filipino Association building. But it definitely had the look of a Funeral Home.Nashville, Tennessee. With its location adjacent to the former home of the Grand Ole Opry, Tootsies was the favorite after (and Pre) show haunt of people like Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and Hank Williams.Near Boston, Massachusetts. The sight of Thoreau’s cabin. At this cabin, Henry David Thoreau wrote one of his most famous books “Walden”. Thoreau’s ideas on passive resistance strongly influenced Mahatma Gandhi and the Reverend Martin Luther King. Riverside, Iowa has been designated the official future birthplace of Captain James T Kirk of “Star Trek”. I will have a full story on this coming up in the future. The back story is very interesting.Muscle Shoals Alabama. Many of the greats of blues and soul recorded here. Aretha Franklin among many others. Morgantown, West Virginia. Don Knotts’ family only allowed a statue to be allowed in his hometown. Also only if he wasn’t dressed as Barney Fife. but as himself. He does hold Barney’s hat in his hand though.New York City. Katz’s Deli. The place where Sally had her “Big O” in “When Harry met Sally”. The food is really good so it may have not been faking.Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania. Overlooking the newly formed Ohio River, The Mr. Rogers memorial statue honors our favorite neighbor. A museum closeby has all the puppets and sets from his show.New Orleans, Louisiana. Louis Armstrong lives on. The city’s airport is named after him and features a mural of Armstrong and many of the other musical legends of the cradle of JazzTupelo Mississippi. This is Elvis Presley’s birth home. His twin brother who died in infancy is buried nearby.Hartford, Connecticut. This was the home of Mark Twain. I just think the house looks stunning. The interior is even better.Key West, Florida. One of the polydactyl Hemingway cats. Writer Ernest Hemingway received a polydactyl cat named Snow White as a gift from a sailor. Sailors believed the extra toes made the cats better able to balance at sea and considered them good luck. All of the Hemingway cats are related to Snow WhiteMemphis, Tennessee. Sun Studios is where it all began for musicians such as Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Conway Twitty, and Charlie Rich. They would often stay at the boarding house in the upstairs and would share rooms to save money.
So that is Part II. Hope you like it. Any comments are always welcome.
