He was still alive???

[susandennis]

Every once in a while when I learn that someone has died, my first reaction is shock that he or she had been still alive. I just had that kind of deja morte feeling when I read that Mitch Miller had died.

My family was a very singing family. Daddy had a great voice and Mom could harmonize with the toaster if necessary. I knew all the words to everything and my brother and sister filled in as required. We always sang. Baptist hymns, showtunes and standards. We even taught Daddy such great hits as Liptstick on My Collar and Look Look, My Heart Is An Open Book.

So when Sing Along With Mitch came on the TV in the early 60's, it was appointment TV in our house. He had a small ensemble of singers and the words were run across the bottom of the screen with a little ball popping on top of the current one as you sang along. Very early group karoke. And we sang along with gusto.

I can hear his voice now "Follow the bouncing ball!!"

I actually thought he was pretty darned old in the 60's. Turns out he was a whipper snapper then. Wow.