Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Blueberry Hill (1956)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun… 

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

1) Fats Domino sings about a hill named for blueberries. According to the Old Farmers Almanac, blueberries can grow just about anywhere in North America, as long as they have plenty of direct sunlight. Do you have a garden?

No I tried a couple of times but I ended up just feeding the wildlife.

2) Blueberries are low in calories and rich in fiber. Are they a regular part of your diet? 

Yes, on the breakfast plate this morning were blueberry pancakes. There are a lot of wild blueberrys on the Cape… the street behind me is Blueberry Hill Way. Of course there are no blueberries and no hill, but it sounded good.

3) They also have a high moisture content. Staying hydrated is important to human health. Do you drink the standard recommended 8 glasses of water every day?

No, but I keep hydrated (My favorite drink currently is 1/3 crushed ice, cover it with cranberry juice and fill the glass with club soda, it is really a cranberry soda.)

4) Fats originally had a big hit with "Blueberry Hill" in 1956, and then enjoyed the record's renewed popularity in the mid-70s, when "Blueberry Hill" was often referenced as Richie Cunningham's favorite song. Without looking it up, do you remember what show Richie Cunningham was on? (Extra non-existent Saturday 9 points if you can also name the actor who played Richie.)

Oo… Oo… I know and I’m very happy to remember, it made my day for both answers… Happy Days and was played by Ron Howard,

5) Born Antoine Domino, he took the name "Fats" not just because of his physique. Growing up, jazz pianist Fats Waller was one of his heroes. If you were to adopt the first name of someone you admire, what would we call you?

Wow, that’s a hard one because I never gave it any thought and I draw a blank.

6) Despite his warm and friendly stage persona, Fats was shy around strangers and hated giving interviews. Tell us about something you did only because it was part of your job, not because you enjoyed it.

Fire people.

Every year at the end of golf season I had to send a technician to detox because of the 19^th hole. He liked his Bourbon. Well one year he said NO! And we had to fire him. I begged for him to go but he said no.

I cried and I cried, we worked together for over 25 years. One of the other techs said he was drunk all the time. Just sits in front of the TV bad mouthing me and the company.

Me… I blame the other three people for always ending their game in the clubhouse bar. For them it was like a joke. He can’t hold his liquor. I found one of his golfing buddies had his license suspended for DWI. It was a habit… play eighteen holes and go to the watering hole.

And I believe alcoholism is a disease, that is what I never wanted to fire him but it was unsafe to work with him. He was a hazard to himself and other, we worked with high voltage.

7) In 1956, when this record was topping the charts, the Olympics were held in Melbourne. Have you ever been to the land down under?

The only “Land” that I have been to is Canada.

8)  The star of the 1956 Olympics was Austrian Toni Sailer, who won all three gold medals in Alpine skiing. Do you prefer snow skiing, water skiing, or just watching other people ski?

Now watching them ski, I used to snow ski and water ski, but at my age now... I watch them on TV.

9) Random question: Do you believe everyone has a jealous streak?

Like all thing… it is relative. Some really have a terrible jealous streak, while others it is only a dream.