March 8th I am walking through Target to look for some household item. I can't tell you what I was looking for, but I remember this trip vividly. When I was finished looking for the household items I decided to check out the music section (yes, I still buy cd's AND vinyl.) However, this trip was different. I was drawn into this silvery/glossy cd that looked vaguely familiar, but updated. After a quick glance I quickly realized this is a 30th anniversary release of the New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) album, Hangin' Tough. Talk about a quick down memory lane!
For those that know me, you would never guess I am a NKOTB fan or have any reason to believe it could cause me to become sentimental in any way. But growing up, NKOTB had a significant impact that would oddly foreshadow my career and passion for music. My very first memory as a kid (somewhere between 3-4 years old) was watching and imitating their concert that my older sister recorded to VHS tape. Not only did I imitate, I dressed up for the gig. Dressing up included wearing a kids white lab coat, a pink top hat, and holding a broken microphone while singing 'Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, The Right Stuff' with the couch being my stage and jumping platform facing the big picture window in our family room.
Fast forward 20-22 years. While dating my wife, we learned that we were both at the same NKOTB and Tiffany concert in the late 80's. SMALL WORLD! I was young enough to not remember being there, but my family said I was. I'm sure I made up for it wearing out the concert VHS tape we had.
Needless to say, I picked up the anniversary release of Hangin' Tough. Hangin' Tough helped start my love for music, create my first memory, and create a connection with my wife! For that, I am forever grateful. It also resulted in many white elephant gifts consisting of NKOTB cassettes and cd's over the years.
Now 30 years after the release of Hangin' Tough. I find myself reminiscing and reflecting on these fond memories, but also playing a small part in encouraging, inspiring, and teaching the next generation of musicians!
What's your first memory?
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