Classic entertainers Arnold, Armstrong, Kingston Trio among reader Ken Kimsey’s favorites

The first live celebrity concert I remember was Eddy Arnold. It was about 1950, and my grandmother was visiting the small central Florida town where I grew up. She lived in Tallahassee. Mr. Arnold appeared on the stage of our local movie theater. My grandmother’s only comment on the way home was, “I thought you said we were going to see Nelson Eddy.”

Of course, we didn’t have television, Internet or much communication in those days, and it was about 1955, when I went off to college, before I saw any more concerts. These included Louis Armstong & Co., which still stands out in my mind as the greatest. He himself was superb, but he had a vocalist who was very large and tightly fit into a gold lame’ dress who put on a wonderful show. One wondered if the temporary stage they had would hold up.

Next outstanding, I guess, was The Kingston Trio. They did songs mostly from their first two albums, “The Kingston Trio” and “From the Hungry i.” Probably these are both on YouTube now.

But one of my favorites was Johnny Ray. It turned out he was a fraternity brother, and he came over to the house to shoot the breeze, etc. Also during that period, I was privileged to see Johnny Mathis, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, (who had the first high-powered stereo system I had ever seen), Artie Shaw (what a man — married eight times), Joni James and Stan Kenton. Stan Kenton also played for the spring prom — nobody could dance to his music; they would start, then stop and just stare at the band.

Then out of school and married, I was more or less drug to a Pete Seeger concert. This was about 1963, before protest songs became stylish, and he appeared in a small Methodist church in West Palm Beach, Fla. I was treated to some of the songs that later made him famous, including “We Shall Overcome.” But the crowd did not even fill that church.

Then later in Tallahassee, in another incarnation, I saw Kenny Rogers, who seemed bored, and Tom Jones, who was not. Tom Jones was a trip. Then, on to Atlanta to see Sarah Brightman (fabulous — such volume out of that tiny body — I was afraid she would hurt herself.)

And, lastly, we were treated to a private entertainment in Tallahassee with Mr. Ray Charles and about six of his doo-wop ladies.

All great memories, but the best, I think, was Louis Armstrong.

As Hawkeye Pierce would say, “Regards of the finest kind.”

Here’s one I just remembered that some might like to try to find on YouTube or whatever. Circa 1985, my wife and I saw Victor Borge in a performance at FSU. Hilarious.