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- In November 1963, classical music was called on to help the nation deal with the emotional fallout in a more elemental way. It often is when tragedy leaves us without the words we need. And in JFK’s case, this was particularly apt, given his unprecedented opening of the White House to classical musicians and other artists.
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- The Byrds, “He Was a Friend of Mine” (1966): Bob Dylan cut a version of this traditional ballad for his first album (and didn’t end up including it). For their Turn!
- Phil Ochs, “Crucifixion” (1967): Coincidently, the first epic ballad about Kennedy came from Dylan’s friend and rival from the Greenwich Village folk days.
- Misfits, “Bullet” (1978): On one of their first recordings, Glenn Danzig and his early-punk bros didn’t mince words right from the start: “President’s bullet-ridden body in the street/Ride, Johnny ride/Kennedy’s shattered head hits concrete/Ride, Johnny ride.”
- Lou Reed, “The Day John Kennedy Died” (1982): Rarely did Reed let his guard down as much as he did on this thoughtful track from The Blue Mask. With his band playing and strumming respectfully behind him, Reed dreams of all the things he would do if he were the leader of the free world, which includes being able to forget that day in 1963.
- The Byrds, “He Was a Friend of Mine” (1965) From: Turn! Turn! (No. 17 in March 1966) Key lines: “He was in Dallas town/ He was in Dallas town/ From a sixth-floor window, a gunner shot him down/ He died in Dallas town/ … Leader of a nation for such a precious time/ He was a friend of mine.”
- Dion, “Abraham, Martin and John” (1968) Hot 100 peak: No. 4 in December 1968. From: Dion (No. 128 in February 1969) Key lines: “Anybody here seen my old friend John?/
- The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil” (1968) From: Beggars Banquet (No. 5 in January 1969) Key lines: “I shouted out/ ‘Who killed the Kennedys?’/ When after all/ It was you and me.”
- John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, ‘God’ (1970) From: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (No. 6 in January 1971) Key lines: “I don’t believe in Kennedy…I don’t believe in Elvis/ I don’t believe in Zimmerman.
In November 1963, classical music was called on to help the nation deal with the emotional fallout in a more elemental way. It often is when tragedy leaves us without the words we need.
1. "Blue Skies" as sung by Frank Sinatra. "Blue Skies" became one JFK's best-loved songs when he was a young man, and remained so throughout his life. Composed in the 1920's by Irving Berlin, "Blue Skies" was popularized by several of JFK's favorite performers: Benny Goodman and Bing Crosby in the 1930s and Frank Sinatra in 1946.
Nov 21, 2013 · MUSIC: Bill Spivery Mr. John. The song crested at number three on the local pop music charts in early 1964. As a specialist in American popular music at Case Western Reserve University, Daniel Goldmark says musical tributes to fallen presidents date all the way back to our first assassinated leader, Abraham Lincoln.
Nov 22, 2013 · As we mark the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination, many classical music listeners are revisiting the haunting audio of Erich Leinsdorf announcing the news of the president's death to an audience at Symphony Hall in Boston. In the years since that terrible day, number of classical composers have written musical tributes to Kennedy.
The state funeral of U.S. President John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, D.C., during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. [1] Kennedy's body was brought back to Washington after his assassination. Early on November 23, six military pallbearers carried the flag-draped coffin into ...
