Helen Ettline - Every Dell Rat's Mom

 Shady Dell owner 

 Helen Ettline 

 didn't have any children of her own. 

 In a way, we were all her kids 

 and she was our mom. 

 Clearly Helen and John 

 loved kids. Why else 

 would they have 

 put up with the 

 aggravation all 

 those years? 

 The Ettlines believed 

 in kids. They enjoyed 

 counseling and 

 helping kids. 

The pictures above and below remind me ever so much of Helen's snack bar

and the jukebox in the adjoining room where rows of diner booths were located.

 To remember and honor  

 Helen on Mother's Day, 

 I picked three songs 

 I think she would enjoy. 

 Helen, these are for you. 

 FRANK SINATRA 

 with THE NUGGETS 

 & BIG DAVE'S MUSIC 

This record might be the closest Ol' Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, ever came to R&B.

The song "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)" was first recorded by the

doo-wop group Otis Williams and the Charms, a top 10 hit on the R&B chart

in the spring of 1955. Clean cut crooner Pat Boone covered the song and

brushed the top 15. Here's The Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra,

with his version of "Two Hearts" released in late March, 1955,

backed by The Nuggets, a black doo-wop group signed to

Capitol Records, And Big Dave's Music. Their record

swings but somehow failed to reach the chart.

 "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)"  

 - Frank Sinatra With The Nuggets And Big Dave's Music 

 (March 1955, uncharted) 

 JIMMY JONES 

To entertain Helen this year, I now present the Birmingham, 'Bama-born

singer Jimmy Jones whose smooth, soulful falsetto drew comparisons to

R&B greats Clyde McPhatter and Sam Cooke. In 1960, Jimmy scored

two major hits in a row with "Handy Man" and "Good Timin'"... but

subsequent releases stalled near the bottom of the chart. Here now

is Jimmy doing his first and biggest hit, a record that went top 3

on the pop chart and on the R&B chart-- "Handy Man!"

 "Handy Man" - Jimmy Jones 

 (Feb./Mar. 1960, highest chart pos. 
  #2 Hot 100 & Cash Box/#3 R&B) 

  perf. on The Dick Clark {Beechnut} Show) 

 SAM COOKE 

Finally here's soul/R&B great Sam Cooke who went from singing hymns
in the church choir to recording a string of secular crossover hits.
In the summer of 1961 Sam gained a top 20 hit with "Cupid."
Released in May, the love song might have been a bigger
hit had it been released in January and climbed the
chart in the weeks before Valentine's Day.

 "Cupid" - Sam Cooke 

 (June/July 1961, highest chart pos. 
 #16 Cash Box/#17 Hot 100/#20 R&B) 

 Happy Mother's Day, Helen! 

 We love you and miss you!