The Lydster, Part 66: Dead Rock Stars

(I didn't have a blog in Lydia's first year; so here are photos from the summer of 2004. Today Lydia is five and a HALF, so here she is a little more than five years ago.)





I try really hard not to indoctrinate my daughter with my music. I want her to find her own way, and then pick and chose which of mine she's comfortable with.

But when Michael Jackson died, he was on TV ALL OF THE TIME. She inevitably heard some of his songs. ABC by the Jackson Five is immediately infectious for a child. We went on a car trip during July and I played the first disc from the J5 box set in the car. It's quite danceable, and now she knows who Michael Jackson is - well, usually; sometimes his morphed appearance confused her. She loves to dance in the house and the solo hits such as Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock With You and Beat It will make her want to move her feet.

A fact that will shock you: I'm a big Beatles fan. I was watching lots of Beatles-related items such as some old videos around 09/09/09. Lydia wanted to know all about them. I said, "That's a group that was very popular when Daddy was growing up." Her next question: "Are they still alive?" Well, the drummer is still alive; his name is Ringo. And the guy...THERE...his name is Paul." Since both John (d. 1980) and George (d. 2001) passed away before she was born (2004), it's all ancient history to her. She asked over and over about their state of mortality - "Is that one dead?"

Subsequently, EVERY group she heard me play was the Beatles. Sometimes, it WAS the Beatles, but more often it was not. I was slow on the uptake as to why she was so honed in on the Fab Four. It was because of the animated program The Wonder Pets.

From the Amazon description: "The Wonder Pets! get groovy in the newest release, 'Save the Beetles!' Yes, the Wonder Pets are called up on the ol' telly with a request for help from four members of a famous rock band, the Beetles, whose yellow submarine has gotten tangled up in kelp. As they journey to rescue them, they'll dive straight into Beatlemania pop-culture (and reference numerous Beatles song titles and lyrics along the way!)" She saw this episode at least twice on TV - and I watched it myself at least once. THIS was the real jumping off point.

Mary Travers just died, and on ABC World News, what does the daughter here but "Puff, the Magic Dragon"? I'm singing along, and Lydia asks, "How do YOU know that song? I learned it in day care." Well, dear, long before you heard it at school, I heard it on the radio.

ROG