January 16, 1993...
27 years ago today...
27 years ago today...
John Ettline died.
John spent the last nine years of his life without his wife Helen.
Imagine the strength and courage it took for John, a man in his 80s,
to go it alone, enduring the hardships of winter and keeping the Dell
in operation even as the teenage patrons became increasingly
rough, rowdy and disrespectful. How many of us
could have stood up to that challenge?
Imagine the strength and courage it took for John, a man in his 80s,
to go it alone, enduring the hardships of winter and keeping the Dell
in operation even as the teenage patrons became increasingly
rough, rowdy and disrespectful. How many of us
could have stood up to that challenge?
This year as we remember John, I selected three
songs that I believe John would have enjoyed.
songs that I believe John would have enjoyed.
GENE CHANDLER
John Ettline had style, class and swag. He reminded me
of The Duke of Earl as he walked through his dukedom,
The Shady Dell, a paradise he and his Duchess Helen
shared with thousands of grateful teenagers.
of The Duke of Earl as he walked through his dukedom,
The Shady Dell, a paradise he and his Duchess Helen
shared with thousands of grateful teenagers.
"Duke Of Earl" - Gene Chandler
(perf. on Apr. 3, 1965, ep. of Hollywood A Go-Go)
NANCY SINATRA
& FRANK SINATRA
& FRANK SINATRA
"Somethin' Stupid" was written by C. Carson Parks, brother of composer
Van Dyke Parks. The song was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and
his wife Gaile Foote, the duo known as Carson and Gaile. The following
year a cover by “Ol ' Blue Eyes," Frank Sinatra, a duet with his daughter
Nancy, shot to #1 on the chart. I think this is John's kind of song.
"Somethin' Stupid" - Nancy Sinatra And Frank Sinatra
(Apr./May 1967, highest chart pos. #1)
FRANK SINATRA
"It Was A Very Good Year" was written in 1961 by Bob Shane, the only surviving
founding member of The Kingston Trio. and introduced on the group's album
Goin' Places. The song was famously recorded by Frank Sinatra and earned
The Chairman of the Board the 1966 Grammy Award for Best Vocal
Performance, Male. 1966 was my first full year at the Dell, my
first year of knowing, loving and respecting John Ettline.
I was 16. It was a very good year.
founding member of The Kingston Trio. and introduced on the group's album
Goin' Places. The song was famously recorded by Frank Sinatra and earned
The Chairman of the Board the 1966 Grammy Award for Best Vocal
Performance, Male. 1966 was my first full year at the Dell, my
first year of knowing, loving and respecting John Ettline.
I was 16. It was a very good year.
"It Was A Very Good Year" - Frank Sinatra
(Jan./Feb. 1966, highest chart position
#28 Hot 100/#1 Adult Contemporary)
John, you were the King of all Dell Rats.
If we have anything to say about it, you
and Helen will always be remembered.
and Helen will always be remembered.
We love you and miss you, John!
Your love and admiration for John is lovely to read.
ReplyDeleteHi, Arleen!
DeleteHappy new year, dear friend, and thanks for being the early bird this time! I'm happy to see you here at Shady's Place as we get rolling through 2020.
I'm happy to know you appreciate my annual tribute to John Ettline on the anniversary of his death. I intend to keep honoring John, Helen and Margaret Schneider for many years to come.
Thank you again for coming over and helping me remember John Ettline, the King of the Dell Rats. Have a nice Thursday, Friday and weekend, dear friend Arleen!
Amazing he lived that much longer. Usually if the woman dies first, the man dies not long after. I guess women are tougher.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for coming by to pay your respects to John Ettline again this year, good buddy!
Over the years I and other Dell rats have speculated about John's demise. Yes, he lasted nine more years after Helen died, and it does seem remarkable. John's death early in 1993 took place only one week after Helen would have celebrated her birthday. That sad reminder along with the increasingly rough and disrespectful Dell clientele and the fact that it was the dead of winter, all might have contributed to John's death that year.
Thanks again for being here for John, good buddy Alex!
What a nice tribute. He must have been something special. Enjoyed the songs. Haven't heard them for a while!
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for hopping over, dear friend! This post might be your introduction to Shady Dell owner John Ettline - "King of the Dell Rats." Every year at this time I observe John and wife Helen's birth and death dates along with those of Margaret Schneider, "The Oldest Living Dell Rat." All six special dates fall within the first six months of the calendar year.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Gene Chandler and Sinatra songs I posted in John's memory.
Please give Benny a pat and a Milk-Bone for me and enjoy your evening, dear friend Janet!
Such beautiful songs to remember John. I'm so grateful that you keep his wonderful memory alive, with love.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Thank you, Jessica Marie!
DeleteI think you have been following me through half a dozen or more of these cycles. Every year I try to pick songs that are well suited to the kind of man John was. I'm glad you like the classic oldies in this year's tribute.
Happy TT to you as well, dear friend JM!
You're welcome!
DeleteThese posts are such a great idea. Next Saturday will be 7 years since Nan died and I'm planning a special post. I think I may incorporate songs that are suited for the kind of woman Nan was. It may be seven years, but it still feels like yesterday. I miss her so much.
Have a great weekend, dear friend.
That's a great idea, Jessica Marie! You of all people are in a position to select songs that were suited to Nan's personality and tastes. I look forward to reading your special post in her honor.
DeleteEnjoy the rest of your weekend, dear friend JM!
Shady, you'd be happy to know that Nan loved Lady Gaga. Her thought, "she sure does have a weird fashion sense, but I love her voice and music." Nan and I often listened to music together in the car; just like dad, she was cool like that. I can't wait to tell some of the stories too.
DeleteHave a great Sunday, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThat's fantastic! It doesn't surprise me to know that Nan was one of the coolest people in your life. No wonder you loved spending time with her and miss her so much.
Thanks for coming back over to expand the thread. Have a wonderful week, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteAnd she always had my back when it came to my introverted qualities. I remember in 2004 we went to the beach with her friend and I HAVE to listen to music on car trips. I put in my headphones and scenery watch. Julie, Nan's friend, said something about it and Nan defended me: "that's just the way Jessica is. She isn't mad at you, she just likes to listen to music and have time to herself." Ah, yes. I am beginning to learn her unconditional love.
You too, dear friend!
Another great tribute to John Ettline. Love your choices, and I learned something new, as I did not know "It Was a Very Good Year" was originally by the Kingston Trio. That song is such a good fit for Sinatra I can't even imagine another crooner like Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole singing it much less a folk group. On a related note, I think it was appropriate that you should have both Gene Chandler and Sinatra, as it occurs to me that most do-wop singers would have made good crooners, and vice-versa.
ReplyDeleteYour friend John is lucky to have had you as one of his customers.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteWelcome back to Shady's Place, good buddy! Thanks for being on hand to help me salute John Ettline on the 27th anniversary of his death. I also thank you for offering your usual keen observations. It's a shame only one member of the Kingston Trio is still with us. I enjoyed their appearances on numerous music variety television shows of the late 50s and early 60s. I agree that "Very Good Year" seems tailor made for Ole Blue Eyes. It is hard to imagine a better version than his iconic hit. Gene Chandler is one of my favorite soul men. "Duke Of Earl" is his signature song, but he cranked out many more excellent records in the years that followed.
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment, good buddy Kirk!
It must have hurt John to deal with the passing of his wife and also deal with the disrespect from kids. Kids that in earlier years were rule followers (while at the Dell anyway!) and went to the Dell to have fun and be with friends. I'm sure after Helen passed he only wanted to keep doing what they dedicated their lives to doing...providing a place where kids could come, enjoy music and dancing and food and friends. I know how much of an influence he and Helen had on you. Thanks for sharing some of my favorite Sinatra tunes along with a tribute to John. I hope he is dancing with his sweetie for the eternities! Take care Tom!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThank you for coming by and expressing a few kind words for John again this year, dear friend!
Dell rats of the 50s, 60s and 70s loathe the thought of teenage Dell patrons of the 80s disrespecting John in his final years. During the years I attended, I can't remember a single instance of a young person confronting, mocking, taunting or talking back to John. It was simply unheard of. In the 80s the music changed, the drug culture reportedly started making inroads at the Dell and that was all she wrote. It was wonderful while it lasted but, as the song goes, we'll "never have that recipe again."
Thanks for planting in our minds the image of John and Helen dancing to Gene Chandler and dad and daughter Sinatra. That's sweet of you!
Thank you again for joining us for this annual tribute to John, dear friend YaYa. Enjoy your Friday and weekend!
Lovely music selections, friend Shady. And lovely tribute to Mr Ettline. I'm lucky enough as well to have known "pivotal people" like that in my early life. Love, cat. PS: Thunderbutt sends his regards to Hipcat:)
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteHow are you today, dear friend? Thank you for being here again this year as I remember Shady Dell owner John Ettline on the anniversary of his passing. I'm happy to know you liked the selection of songs to fit the occasion. I am also glad that you had pivotal people in your youth to help guide you on your way.
Hepcat Black says howdy to Theo Thunderbutt, and Shady says thank you again for coming down today. Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend cat!
How fitting that you use "The Duke of Earl" to remember John. I can see how John would do a periodic walkthrough during the busy Dell nights to keep check on the activities of the partying teens. It was John's domain, and he made sure it was run smoothly, and respectfully. My sister had a boyfriend during our young teen years, that I think of when I hear "Duke of Earl"! He was tall and always wore black-framed glasses and a black trench coat. He was a cool dancer, and was admired by a lot of our peers, and myself! "Big Ed" as he was known, and my sister remained good friends from high school until his death about 2 years ago. I'll always think of him when I hear this song. It's amazing how a song can bring back certain thoughts and memories, isn't it, Shady!
ReplyDeleteNot only did John stay busy with the Dell in his later years, but he kept Helen's memory alive, and I believe he stayed happy for most of it. It makes me sad to imagine him moving around in the Dell without her, but I'm sure he always felt her presence.
I remember the song "It was a Very Good Year". Sinatra does it so well, with meaning and feeling. I can imagine how it all felt to you Shady, entering a new dimension in your early teens, walking through that door, and how it changed your life!
This is a great tribute to John, Shady. Thank you for the walkthrough with the "Duke of Dell"! Have a wonderful weekend. We've got cold, drizzly rain! ♫
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteI'm excited to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming by! You have been following me many years, and by now you are familiar with my tributes to John, Helen and Margaret. In my reply to Janet, I mentioned how all six V.I.P. dates, birthdays and death dates, fall within the first half of the year. I forgot to add Mother's Day and Father's Day, bringing the total to EIGHT special tribute posts in the first six months of every year. I am thinking of combining two of those observances into one post as you will see possibly as early as next year.
You painted the picture accurately, Suzanne. On a typical busy night at the Dell John would make the rounds of the property to add logs to the fireplace in winter and to make sure nobody was getting out of line in the snack bar, in the "barn" dance hall or outside on the concrete slab used for dancing. Thanks for telling me about your sister's boyfriend Big Ed and how he reminded you of the Duke of Earl. I'm sorry to learn that he passed away. Yessum, as they say in the seminars, you are "anchored" to that song. All these years later, every time you hear it, you instantly recall your sister's friend Big Ed. I remember a Dell regular who wore a cool trench coat as he danced. Combine that with the fact he was a great dancer, and it's no mystery why he never left the Dell w/o a girl on his arm. Gene Chandler's "Duke Of Earl" single also reminds me of my first year of high school. Grades 7 through 12 were all in the same building. There was a jukebox in the large lobby and the girls danced around it. "Duke Of Earl" played on the box very often that year.
You make me misty with your musings about the Dell, Suzanne. I wish you had been a Dellette of the 60s. You would have loved John and Helen and they you. Surely I would have asked you to dance, although there's a good chance you would have turned me down and elected to hit the floor with the Don Juan in the trench coat. :)
I wish you'd send us some of that cold, drizzly rain to drive away the muggy, warm air we're stuck with here in Florida. We also could use some added moisture on the lawns and crops.
Thank you again for your visit and wonderful comments, dear friend Suzanne. I hope you and Scootie are in good health and spirits and that you have a safe and happy weekend!
Wonderful Music picks. Lovey remembrance.
ReplyDeleteparsnip
Hi, Gayle!
DeleteThank you very much for dropping in to pay your respects to John, dear friend. I'm glad you like the selection of songs for this year's tribute.
Thank you again and have a wonderful weekend, dear friend Gayle!
I think I still owe John a jar full of quarters. I guess he is still throwing another log on the fire in heaven. He was what he always wanted us guys to be, quite a gentleman.
ReplyDeleteJerre
Hi, Jerre!
DeleteIt's good to see you, my old friend! Thanks for sharing memories and kind words about John Ettline as we observe the anniversary of his death. I know what you mean in that first sentence. If you were a trusted Dell regular, John often waved you past the ticket booth w/o collecting your quarter. We all owe him a jar full plus a debt of gratitude for being such a gentleman and great role model. I will always remember John hauling 50-60 pound logs down to the barn and tossing them on the fire. Rats by the dozen huddled around as the blaze grew in intensity and threw off heat and filled that TV room with a magical glow. The Dell was extra special in winter, and that fireplace in the dance hall along with the one outside by the concrete slab were a big part of it.
Thanks again for being here for John again this year, good buddy Jerre. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
They had birthdays within a week of each other and that just seems fitting. I love your tribute to him and I know that he loved his place even though the kids, later on, were not very nice. He remembers you and the other dell rats who decided to make this place their second home.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI found all four or five of your comments, dear friend, but don't have time to reply to them all individually. Thanks for checking out the posts you missed. The beautiful, kittenish singer April Stevens looked a lot like Ava Gardner, explaining the confusion. John's birthday is coming up in March. This post observed the anniversary of his death.
You caught me while I am on the road and on the eve of my three week blog hiatus. I hope to return to blogging in time for Valentine's Day. Until then, stay well and thanks again for your visit and comments, dear friend BB.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely a wonderful tribute to John. I'm sure he's smiling down on you and the other Dell Rats who fondly immortalize his life through memories and mewsic. What an amazing legacy that he's left behind for so many to honor the anniversary of his passing! Thanks for sharing some excellent vintage tunes from the mid-60s that even I'm familiar. Have a good time away from blogging, my friend! :)
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThank you very much for stopping by to see me off as I begin my blog break, dear friend, and for paying respects to John Ettline, King of the Dell Rats, on the 27th anniversary of his death. I'm glad you enjoyed the tribute and the selection of 60s songs that remind me of John.
Thank you again for being on hand for this year's anniversary, dear friend Cathy. Please take good care of yourself in the days and weeks ahead. Hopefully I'll return to the blogosphere and be over to visit you at CAAC before V-Day. God bless!