In 1959, the luxury liner SS Mariposa steamed from the harbor in Sydney, Australia, bound for San Francisco. Onboard with his family was six-year-old Anthony J. Leonard. After visiting ports in New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii, the ship arrived in California. Next came a transcontinental plane trip to the East Coast. A.J.’s father was about to begin his new job at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C. After four years of working at the embassy, the Leonard family returned to their home in Melbourne. A.J. did not wholly lose his Aussie accent during his years in the States but did acquire the nickname “Yank” upon returning to school Down Under. A more significant acquisition while living in the U.S. was his love of music. This love would eventually lead to the life of a full-time working musician.
How A Battle Creek Dad Became a Music Legend
Charles Westover was just a young dad working in a carpet store in Battle Creek in 1961. The job put food on the table for his wife, Shirley, and their three young kids. “Chuck” had finished his service in the Air Force, which had brought the family to Fort Custer in Battle Creek. Shirley even worked as a ticket agent for North Central Airlines at Kellogg Airport for a time. The family lived at Brown’s Trailer Park on Avenue A, just west of town.
After work, Chuck moonlighted, playing guitar and singing at the Hi-Lo Club four nights a week with his group, “The Charlie Johnson Band.” One day, a new song came to him, with help from his keyboard player Max Crook and the band, and his life would soon change.
Various Artists
Roller Coaster - Busch, Lou
The Pink Panther Theme - Mancini, Henry
Like Young - Previn, Andre
Call Me - Hatch, Tony
Honorable Hong Kong Rock - May, Billy
Odd Job Man/I Wanna Be a James Bond Girl - Holmes, Leroy
Heap Big Chief - Strahl, Bob
Blue Danube Rock - Harding, Buster
Pussy Cat - Coleman, Cy
Lolita Ya-Ya - Harris, B.
Release Date: 7/9/1996 (5 out of 5 stars) Everyone has their favorites in the Ultra-Lounge series; this is one of mine. Unlike most of the volumes, this one doesn t stick to any one type of lounge music (Bossa Nova, Exotica, TV Themes, etc.). Instead, it is kind of an overview of ALL the styles this great series covers. So, if you d rather start with a series entry and not the famous Fuzzy Sampler , this might be a good place to begin.Highlights of Vol. 8 include: The eerie exotica of Jungalero by Les Baxter, the fantastic movie theme Charade (very James Bond), great spy music cuts Underwater Chase and I Want To Be A James Bo