J. D. Loudermilk.

Just to finish off my recent series on singer/songwriters: Tell me who or what you think the following names all have in common:

Bruce Sprinsteen, Norah Jones, Peter Gallagher, Glen Campbell, Petula Clark, Nancy Sinatra, Linda Ronstadt, Richard Clayderman, Nina Simone, Sue Thompson, Lou Rawls, Marianne Faithfull, Jewel, Brenda Lee, The Ventures, The Casinos, Nashville Teens, Eddie Cochran, Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson, Paul Revere & Raiders, Shocking Blue, Eric Burdon & War or The Animals, Box Tops, Frankie Valli, Dobie Gray, Perry Como.

What about? Marilyn Manson David Lee Roth, Jefferson Airplane, Bill Wyman& the Rythem Kings, Tommy Emanuel, Boney M, Status Quo,

Or even: George Hamilton IV, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, Carl Perkins, Kitty Wells, Chet Atkins, Stonewall Jackson, Bobby Bare, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Waylon Jennings, Flying Burrito Brothers (Gram Parsons), Barbara Mandrell, Eddy Arnold, Jerry Lee Lewis, Don Fardon, John D. Loudermilk, Johnny Tillotson, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Box Car Willie, Garth Brooks, Tony Joe White, Hank Snow, Pat Boone, Duanne Eddy, Roy Orberson Anne Murray, the Byrds, Oak Ridge boys, Crystal Gayle, Lynne Anderson, Lonnie Doniegen, Jimmy Buffet, Hank Williams Jr, Freddie Fender, 5^th Dimension, Andy Williams Connie Francis, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Jimmy Dean, Guy Mitchell, Bobby Darin, Rod McKuan, Lee Hazelwood & Ann Margret, Tracy Ullman, Sammi Davis Jr., Doug Kershaw, Roger Whitaker, Jim Nabors, David Hassellhofff

Just so the Aussies don’t feel left out there is also: Johnny Chester, Bobbie & Laurie, Jade Hurley, Wild Cherries, Slim Dusty & Joy McLean, Bee Gees, Frank Ifield,

And finishing off with: James Brown, Solomon Burke, Jim Croce, Don McLean, even Michael Jackson’s Jackson five, and for those South Africans, Leon Schuster.

Before I answer that question, how many of the following songs have you heard and what do they all have in Common?

Turn Me On, Abilene, Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, Tobacco Road, Windy and Warm, I Wanna Live, A Rose and a Baby Ruth, Indian Reservation, Break My Mind, Sad Movies, Torture (Coeur Blessé), God Will, The Little Bird, Angela Jones, You Call It Joggin', Bad News, Norman, Amigo's Guitar, Road Hog, Waterloo, This Little Bird, Calling Ben Casey, Language of Love, Paper Tiger, Sittin' In The Balcony, Ebony Eyes, Talk Back Tremblin' Lips, Weep No More, It's My Time, Out Of Gas. -----------------

Well the answer to both questions and the common connection is the Title of this Blog. John David Loudermilk singer and songwriter for the past half-century and still going strong.

Although he has always recorded his own stuff, he hasn’t really had a hit of his own but many of his songs have been either hits or recorded and performed by many, many artists. The ones above are only a few but at least names that I know of. I have left all the more obscure artists off this list.

My focus today is on the fact that although most people today have no idea who J D Loudermilk is, (Or even care), most have heard of either his songs or the people who have recorded them. So although John himself is not famous outside of a select few, his music or talent/gift is. Although he is still with us, he has also left a large and varied body of work to the music world for all to enjoy. From pure comedy songs to sensitive and moving love ballads.

What about you? Your name might be as little known outside of your own circle, as John’s is, but you too can leave something positive behind to your community or group. So when you leave, what will you be leaving behind? A body of work to be enjoyed by later generations, or just a body to be removed and buried AQAP? What say you?