Do You Remember Sing Along with Mitch?

I saw some sad news this evening. Mitch Miller died at age 99. I remember watching and singing along with the, Sing Along With Mitch program on television. Mitch Miller died Saturday July 31, 2010.

My Grandmother used to love watching his show, and since she lived with us we would all watch it together. The thing I remember most about Mitch Miller was his goatee and his mustache. He had kind of a pointy face to begin with and the goatee seemed to kind of emphasize this.

It was fun to see the bouncing ball run across the lyrics on the screen so that you could sing along. I guess that might have been my first introduction to karaoke.

I didn't really know how important Mitch Miller was to the music of his time. He had been a Columbia Records executive during the time that singers like Tony Bennet, Johnny Mathis, and Rosemary Clooney were popular. I know the younger crowd is going....what?

Mitch Miller began in the recording business in the 1940s. Thankfully that was before my time. Do you remember the Yellow Rose of Texas? Mitch Miller had put together a chorus, and he and his chorus made this song a hit back in 1955. This is what eventually led to his sing along television program.

I wish they would play some of those old sing-a-longs again. They probably wouldn't be as much fun to watch today, but they sure would bring back some fond memories. Why can't television be like that anymore? Parents weren't afraid to let their children watch TV by themselves back then. Nowadays who knows what will pop up on the screen.

I was sad to hear that Mitch Miller had died. He led a very long and interesting life. We should all be so lucky as Mr. Miller. Whenever I hear of the passing of an old celebrity, I think of the way it used to be and all the wholesome memories that they provided. Goodbye, Mitch, we're going to miss you, but we won't forget you.

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100802/ap_on_en_mu/us_obit_miller