Of Life & Death

Today's post is in honor of two of my favorite recording artists. One is celebrating 70 years of life; the other, I'm remembering a life that ended seven years ago.

March 9, 1942, Mark Allen Lindsay was born in Idaho.

For those not familiar with the name, Mark was the original singer for Paul Revere & the Raiders. He was one of the biggest teen heartthrobs of the sixties.

I first saw Mark on TV one summer when I was nine years old. It was the show, "It's Happening", starring the Raiders. Even at nine, I was like many girls from that era, instantly taken with Mark's good looks and voice. I was further intrigued by the fact that the Raiders were from my home territory, the Pacific Northwest.

Over the years, because of the music, Mark and the local connection, I've been a loyal fan of the man and the band.

Happy 70th birthday Mark!

On a sadder note, it was seven years ago today that rodeo champion, and country singer Chris LeDoux passed away.

Known mostly for rodeo and singing, there were other facets to Chris' life that most didn't know. For instance, he was also an artist, working in metal sculpturing. His work was beautiful, and reflected his passions in life.

LeDoux was one country artist that both my son and I just had to see whenever he was playing nearby. Chris put on a show that was always excellent and worth seeing.

I remember when he first became ill, needing a liver transplant. Many automatically assumed Chris was a heavy drinker, and that's why the transplant was needed. In reality, he had a rare liver disease that had nothing to do with alcohol. Fortunately, a donor was found for LeDoux, and he was afforded a few more years on this earth.

The remission ended though, and on March 9, 2005, so did Chris LeDoux's fight for life.

I remember where I was, and how I found out Chris had died. Some friends and I were at the Ponderosa Lounge in Portland, Oregon, waiting to see David Lee Murphy. During the concert, David Lee mentioned that Chris had passed away that day, and told about Chris recording a song he'd written. He then sang the song, "Scatter the Ashes", in tribute to Chris.

I don't have a version of the song by David Lee Murphy, so I'll add Chris' version here, in tribute once again to a life ended too soon.

Paul Revere & the Raiders

As a little girl, the music I remember hearing the most at my house was country; Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, and many others.  My parents did listen to other types as well however.

The first music I remember asking to have was Paul Revere & the Raiders.  It was the summer of 1968, and a friend and I happened to see this show on TV one afternoon called “It’s Happening”.  The Raiders were the stars of the show and had different guests daily.  I loved the show, loved the music, and was instantly hooked, and have been ever since.

I never saw the Raiders when Mark Lindsay was the lead singer, though I’ve seen both Mark and the Raiders separately, several times.

It was Raider member, Freddy Weller, who kept my interest in country music, as he had a solo career in country, aside from being with the band.

When my friend and fellow Raider fan, Denise, her sister, Shauri, and I heard the Raiders were playing at Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, Oregon we HAD to go; especially since the band had recently gotten a new lead singer.

The 3+ hour trip was well worth it.  Not only did the Raiders do their hits, they did cover songs of other artists as well.  Of course, the show was filled with Paul’s comedy also, which is always fun.  You’d never know he turned 73 years old this past January.

Bass player, Ron Foos, guitar player, Doug Heath, and keyboardist, Danny Krause have all been a part of the Raiders for 30+ years.  All three are as great now, as they were all those years ago.

Drummer, Tommy Scheckel was with the Buckinghams for 27 years before joining the Raiders. To say the guy can play drums is an understatement; Tommy really gets into what he’s doing onstage.

Then there’s the newest member of the current Raiders, lead singer, Darren Dowler.  Darren is an entertainment renaissance man for sure.  He’s sung with the Lettermen, the Righteous Brothers, and the Fifth Dimension, to name a few acts. He was also the original guitar player for the Backstreet Boys.  Musically, Darren also does impressions of other artists, like Sammy Davis Jr. 

Besides his extensive musical background, Darren has appeared on Broadway, in television and movies, and has written two novels.

Though the Raiders have had several good lead singers since Mark Lindsay’s departure in 1975, I have to say, Darren is definitely one of the best from the last 36 years.

Even with the 40 to 50+ changes in band members over the years, (Paul is the only original member of the band left),  the sold out concert in Canyonville is proof Paul Revere & the Raiders are still definitely a fun band to see and hear.