"Sock It to Me"

Benjamin Zimmer bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU
Sun Jun 5 07:53:43 UTC 2005


On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 03:03:49 -0400, Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM> wrote:

>> In 1968. there was a television show on one of the Big Three devoted
>> to the careers of two uknown female song stylists, one white and one
>> black. Unfortunately, the unknown white singer's career came from
>> nowhere and went nowhere. I'd never heard of her at the time and have
>> not heard of her since. Hence, her name escapes me.
>
>Her name was Gloria Loring.  The show, titled "The Singers," was aired on
>ABC on May 11, 1968.   But your characterization of the show as "devoted
>to the careers of two unknown female song stylists" is incorrect.  Every
>major newspaper I can read on Proquest make it clear that Aretha was big
>time("Respect" had won her a Grammy earlier that year) and Loring was a
>newbie.

Thanks for pinning that down, Sam.  Never heard of Gloria Loring-- looks
like her major claim to fame was writing the theme songs for the '80s TV
shows "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life" (she also appeared on
the soap "Days of Our Lives").  So, basically, not quite worthy of holding
Aretha's coat.


--Ben Zimmer



More information about the Ads-l mailing list