Peace On Earth

So were you there??

Did you see it??

43 years ago

November 1977

Did you see

The 43rd greatest rock and roll moment on TV?

See the video HERE

Mr. Redoux and I had only been married for about 18 months. And we lived in this little 500 square foot house in Northern California.

And we only got one channel on our TV (can you imagine??? ONE channel!!)

So whatever was on that channel was what we watched.

And on this particular Wednesday night

It was the Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas Special.

Now this was definitely not a show we would normally choose to watch.

I mean in 1977 we were 23 years old.

Not exactly Bing Crosby’s demographic!

But remember — only ONE channel!

So there we were

Watching this boring Christmas Special.

And then something magical happened —

Bing Crosby and David Bowie sang a song

And there was just something about those two together

The Straight-laced Icon and Ziggy Stardust

The Traditional and The Unconventional

The Old and The New

That was so incongruous

Yet so harmonious.

When it was over, I remember looking at Mr. Redoux and saying

‘Wow! That was amazing! I think that’s the best Christmas song ever!

And then we never heard it again…

Until several years later when it was released as a single

And we heard it on the radio while we were driving from Nor Cal to So Cal

To visit our family for Christmas.

Isn’t it amazing how a song can take you right back to a time and place you can remember so vividly??

Interestingly enough, the 1941 song Little Drummer Boy was chosen for both Crosby and Bowie to sing together.

But Bowie hated the song and refused to sing it.

So the lyrics to his part, Peace on Earth were written specifically for him to sing with Crosby’s traditional version.

And history was made.

In 2000, VH1 placed the duet 43rd on their list of the 100 Greatest Rock & Roll Moments on TV..

So it just goes to show you

When you come across someone

Totally different from you

Who looks different…

Who likes different things…

And is in a totally different place…

Don’t disregard them

Don’t discount someone because they’re different

Because who knows??

You might just end up

Making beautiful music together

PEACE ON EARTH