This is a very special occasion.
Helen Trostle Ettline
was born 109 years ago
on January 9, 1911.
Every evening Helen was stationed behind the counter of the
Shady Dell snack bar preparing treats to feed the masses.
Shady Dell snack bar preparing treats to feed the masses.
As Helen worked, a steady stream of 1950s
doo-wop records played on the jukebox.
doo-wop records played on the jukebox.
Let's celebrate Helen's birthday by listening to songs by one of her favorite groups,
Little Anthony Gourdine and The Imperials. We begin with the fine ballad released
in 1958 on the B side of another great ballad, the Imperials' first and biggest hit
"Tears On My Pillow." This side played so often on the box in the snack bar
that I have come to think of it and and refer to it as "Helen's Song."
Little Anthony Gourdine and The Imperials. We begin with the fine ballad released
in 1958 on the B side of another great ballad, the Imperials' first and biggest hit
"Tears On My Pillow." This side played so often on the box in the snack bar
that I have come to think of it and and refer to it as "Helen's Song."
"Two People In The World" - Little Anthony And The Imperials
(Sept./Oct. 1958, B side of "Tears On MY Pillow")
The following year, Little Anthony And the Imperials climbed to the lower rungs
of the pop chart with another ballad that shoulda been, coulda been and
woulda been a bigger hit-- "A Prayer And A Juke Box."
"A Prayer And A Juke Box" - Little Anthony And the Imperials
(June/July 1959, highest chart pos. #81 Hot 100)
The Imperials bounced back big in the early weeks of 1960 with an uptempo number
that has a strange title and an exotic theme-- "Shimmy Shimmy, Ko-Ko Bop"
"Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko Bop" - Little Anthony And The Imperials
(Feb. 1960, highest chart pos. #24 Hot 200/#21 Cash Box/#14 R&B)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HELEN!
We love you and miss you.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Helen who's celebrates her 109th bday in heaven where age is never more just like in the hearts here below! What a lovely tribute to Helen with her favorite 50s band. 'Skimmy Skimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop' I haven't heard in like forever! It released the year before I was born but it got play time later in the decade when I was old enough to recall it. What fun! Wikipedia says the group as of 2018 with two original band members (Wright and Gourdine) still perform which is really cool!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for popping in during the pre-dawn hours and thereby becoming the early bird, dear friend!
Helen would surely appreciate your kind birthday greeting and remarks, Cathy. I'm happy to know you appreciated these three smooth doo-wop songs by Little Anthony And The Imperials, one of Helen's favorite groups. Thank you for sharing that "Little Anthony" Gourdine, originally a member of The DuPonts, and Ernest Wright, originally from The Chesters, are still performing as The Imperials along with new members of the group.
Thanks again for being here for Helen, dear friend Cathy, and have a great day!
Happy birthday, Helen! You influenced a generation. Probably several.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wild to think she was alive for WWI and the sinking of the Titanic?
Hi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for being the second early bird of the day and for offering birthday wishes to the First Lady of the Shady, Helen Ettline!
Yes, it boggles the mind to realize that Helen was born before the sinking of the Titanic and the start of WWI, as was Margaret Schneider, "The Oldest Living Dell Rat." Both were loved and both are missed.
Thanks again for checking out this year's b-day tribute to Helen, good buddy Alex!
Hello from the frozen North, friend Shady:) Here I am, fire place going, "cat phones" on, Bulletproof Coffee and Thunderbutt beside me/ on me (in that order:)Looking forward to your special show … yes, you guessed it, I almost always start backwards:) Just like I often do with books … I never said, I wasn't weird. But I like it that way:)- The mention of Margaret and Helen makes me think of the grandmother, I never met. She was born Dec 24th 1900, and her life was cut short due to WWII Jan 1945.- Will proceed and listen to your program now, then slowly but surely get ready for work.- Wishing you well, eh? Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteJust for fun :) https://youtu.be/gvTC2BHiYSc :) c.
DeleteHi, cat!
DeleteThanks for coming over for Helen Ettline's annual birthday observance, dear friend!
WHAT??? Are you saying you read books starting at the end and working backward? You are an innovator, dear friend! :)
Thanks for sharing that information about the grandmother you never met. I am sorry on both counts, that you never met her and that she died young.
I hope work goes well for you today. Be careful on the highways and byways up there in the frozen land north of the Arctic Circle. :)
Thank you again for dropping by, dear friend cat!
I just watched your video, dear cat. I notice you still have a 2016 calendar on your wall. Is that another innovation? :) It was nice to see your condo, Theo Thunderbutt and the snowy street outside your window. I hate to break it to you, but your television set is on fire!!! :)
DeleteThanks again for joining me today, dear friend cat!
Regarding the calendar. I cherish this one. Was created and gifted to me by my girlfriends the year I turned 60:) c.
DeleteThanks for explaining, dear cat. I can see why you would want to gaze at that special calendar every day. Have a good one, dear friend!
DeleteHappy Birthday Helen! I'm sure she enjoys all the well wishes from here to heaven but especially being remembered by us who never knew her. You have shared her life and how it's kept in a special place in your heart, with all of us. She experienced so many changes in the years she lived. I'm sure a place like the Dell would not survive in this day and age, unfortunately. I don't know if it's the kids who have changed, or maybe it's the music? Anyway, you were blessed to have known such a place as the Dell and to keep it's memory alive through your blog is wonderful and fun to read and learn about. Makes me think I was almost there! I hope Helen and John are dancing to a sweet tune today for her birthday and perhaps you and Mrs. Shady could take a spin around to one of her favorite tunes today too! I have a nice day off today and it makes it possible to catch up with good blog friends like you! Smiles and hugs from a sunny Ohio today!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteIt's great to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming over to experience my annual birthday salute to Helen featuring three in a row by Little Anthony. This feature is very familiar to you by now as is the Dell saga and the principal players, John & Helen Ettline and Margaret Schneider. All three Dell V.I.P.s saw tremendous change in their lifetimes, especially Margaret who lived to see the miracle of the "inner net." I agree that a place like The Shady Dell could not exist today. The music has certainly changed drastically and slow dancing seems to have become a thing of the past. I also believe kids have changed because of the influence of the hi-tech modern age.
I hope you are over your cold by now, dear friend YaYa, and that your year is on an upswing. Those sunny skies overhead must certainly put you in a cheery mood. Thank you again for being here for Helen and for me. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear Kathleen!
This was a nice tribute to Helen. I'm sure she would've enjoyed your choices of music for the day!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Hi, Sherry!
DeleteIt's good to see you back here at Shady's Place, dear friend! Thanks for coming again this year as I pay tribute to Helen on her birthday.
I personally witnessed the smile on Helen's face every time "Helen's Song" aka "Two People in the World" played on her jukebox. I think she would also have enjoyed the other two Imperials songs I posted.
Thanks again for coming by and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Sherry!
Helen would have been about the same age I am now when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. What's so amazing about that (though she may have thought nothing of it) is she would have been in high school when Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. Obviously, there were big changes in aerospace technology that occurred during Helen's life. I can't say there was such a change so far in my own lifetime. I was in the second grade, or about to go into the second grade, when Armstrong made that small step for man but giant leap for mankind, and it STILL hasn't been topped! Is it any wonder some members of my generation think the moon landing was faked? (I'm not one of them, by the way. I believe it really happened.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the point I'm trying to make is Helen lived through a rather remarkable time in history. So here's a toast in her memory on her birthday. Enjoyed the Imperials songs.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming by to help celebrate Helen Ettline's birthday, good buddy! As usual I appreciate your thought provoking musings as they relate to the topic.
I will always remember that night in 1969 when we all held our breaths and waited for the first man to set foot on the lunar surface. My future father-in-law held his breath, too. However, in his case, it was due to sleep apnea. That's right! While the rest of us sat spellbound waiting for Walter Cronkite to exclaim "Man on the moon!" my gf's dad snoozed in his easy chair in front of the TV!
Helen Ettline saw huge changes in her lifetime, and yet she and John stayed the same. They were genuine, down to earth folks who were able to gain the trust and respect of generations of teenagers. I'm glad you enjoyed these three singles released by Little Anthony And The Imperials including the ballad that I have dubbed "Helen's Song."
Thanks again for coming to the party, good buddy Kirk, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Happy birthday, Helen! I know Nan baked you a strawberry shortcake and you're all celebrating up in heaven.
ReplyDeleteYou warmed the hearts and souls of everyone on Earth, and you continuing to do so. Thank you for all that you did for York youth.
Shady, I absolutely love your tribute. I look forward to Helen's birthday bashes each year.
Happy Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for being on hand again this year as we celebrate Helen's birthday! It's a touching thought that your Nan might have baked Helen a strawberry shortcake for this special occasion. You're right. Helen had an immeasurably positive effect on countless York area youth over a span of nearly nearly four decades. It's sad that she didn't enjoy a longer life.
Thanks again for attending Helen's birthday party, dear friend JM!
Happy Birthday, Helen! I always enjoy seeing the counter where Helen worked at having fun by greeting and feeding the teens coming in to the Dell. And I know she had many favorites on the jukebox. It seems as though our past favorites stay our favorites always! I enjoyed your Little Anthony music in Helen's honor, and "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" is one of their best!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this fine tribute in Helen's memory, Shady! Have a great weekend! ♫
Hi, again, Suzanne!
DeleteI replied to your comment on the previous post if you'd like to check it out. Thank you for taking time to experience the great tunes in that post. I'm glad you didn't miss it.
I also thank you for paying your respects to Helen as we celebrate her 109th birthday this week. 109 is a number I cannot fathom. To me Helen will be "forever young." She was a woman in her mid to late 50s when I knew her at the Dell.
I was delighted to come across that pristine clip of Little Anthony And The Imperials performing "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" on The Dick Clark Show aka The Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show, broadcast on January 2, 1960.
Thank you again for being here to honor Dell owner Helen Ettline on her special day, Suzanne. Please feel better soon. I wish you and Scootie a safe and happy weekend!
Oh wow..I didn’t realize how far back I am. This is her birthday month and she is doing the shimmy up in heaven.
ReplyDelete