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The funniest detail in Loretta Lynn’s “The Pill” might be the maternity dress. The woman in the song is finally ready to throw it away, and she already knows what she’d rather wear. Loretta gives that little moment the pleasure it deserves. After years of pregnancies and promises about seeing the world, here’s a woman making plans of her own. When the record came out in 1975, many country stations refused to play it. It still became a hit. Listen again and notice how much of the song’s nerve comes from its humor. Loretta could let a woman sound fed up and delighted in the same verse, and you could believe every word of it. What other Loretta song made you laugh before you realized how much truth she’d packed into it?

Oldies Music

Paul Anka Could Keep a Room Full of Strangers Awake. At His Daughters’ Recitals, Anne Sometimes Had to Nudge Him. In his 2013 memoir, Paul Anka remembered trying to make it to his daughters’ school recitals between stretches on the road. Sometimes he fell asleep in the middle of a performance, and Anne would nudge him awake. Of all the stages Anka could have written about, there’s something especially tender about this one. His place was in the audience, and he wanted to be there when his daughters looked out. Paul met model Anne de Zogheb in Puerto Rico in 1962. They married in Paris the following year and raised five daughters, eventually settling in Carmel, California, in the 1970s. His memoir returns to the strain of moving between touring and family life. Anyone who’s rushed home from work for a school concert might recognize something of themselves in that little nudge.

Oldies Music

When Robin Stepped Away, His Sister Lesley Sang with the Bee Gees on British Television. In April 1969, a press photographer caught Lesley Gibb outside London’s Revolution Club, where she had been rehearsing with her brothers. The rehearsal was for a television special recorded at Talk of the Town. Robin had stepped away from the group, and Lesley joined Barry and Maurice for the show. Contemporary coverage treated her appearance as news in its own right. A reviewer for Disc and Music Echo praised her performance and drew attention to the difficulty of singing before an audience and television cameras. For years, the Bee Gees’ public story had revolved around the voices of three brothers. For this broadcast, a fourth sibling entered that story from a position few viewers would have expected. The rehearsal photograph catches the moment before the performance became public: Lesley had already done the work of learning where her voice belonged.

Oldies Music

“WHEN CLIFF RICHARD FACED ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PERIODS OF HIS LIFE, IRISH SINGER DANIEL O’DONNELL AND HIS WIFE MAJELLA OFFERED SOMETHING FAME COULD NEVER PROVIDE — THE COMFORT OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP…” Cliff Richard and Daniel O’Donnell had known each other for many years. Their friendship extended beyond concerts and recording studios, with visits to each other’s homes. But its true importance became clear during Cliff’s difficult legal ordeal. In a 2018 radio interview, Cliff remembered how Daniel, Majella, and broadcaster Gloria Hunniford offered their support. Some friends initially wondered whether he needed time alone. Cliff told them he didn’t want to be by himself. They came to stay, offering companionship when he needed it most. He later described their presence as a tremendous comfort. It was a revealing moment in the life of a man accustomed to entertaining millions.