My mother’s favorite male celebrities were Liberace and Claude Akins.
I know! That’s quite a pair (comparable: Ernest Borgnine and Paul Lynde; Charles Bronson and Charles Nelson Reilly). But she was a banquet waitress and a true small-d democrat. She cherished equally the autographs of both men, superstars from a kinder, gentler era.
Been having trucking songs running through my head lately. Found this clip from Movin’ On, which starred Akins and had a great song by Merle Haggard
Staying with truckin’ songs, and trying to match the weirdness of my mother’s pairing (God rest her), another classic, albeit one from a distinct tradition, that of the scary, exhilarating roller coaster ride that is a Fall song: