Ode to a dog...

Here's something from the "shit I never knew" file.  The song, "Shannon" by Henry Gross, is about a dead Irish Setter.  I found this out by listening to a recording of the late Casey Kasem going off about having to dedicate a song to some people whose dog, Snuggles, had just died.  Below is Casey's rant.

I grew up listening to Casey Kasem's Top 40 countdown every weekend.  I never knew he had such a potty mouth!

Anyway, this guy wrote to Casey Kasem about his dog who had died.  Casey was recording his show for September 14, 1985.  They had just played "Dare Me" by the Pointer Sisters.  Kasem thought it was inappropriate to do a death dedication after such an uptempo song.

"Shannon" was about Beach Boy Carl Wilson's dog, an Irish Setter, who had died.

Honestly, before today, I don't think I had ever heard this song in its entirety.  I do remember hearing snippets of it on one of those ads for compilation records.  "Shannon" was Henry Gross's big solo hit in 1976, even though he was part of the 50s parody act, Sha Na Na.  

Actually, as I watch my own dogs get older, I realize this song could end up being a comfort to me, too.  The song reminds me of something I'd hear on The Partridge Family or something.  But the melody is pretty enough.  Gross gave this song sort of a Beach Boys sound.  

There are several different stories about the song "Shannon".  This is the version that seems the most plausible to me.  I see it's also on Gross's own Web site, so I guess it's the truth.

It's a nice song... maybe a little bit corny, but anyone who has ever loved a dog understands the sentiment.  Losing them is the worst part of having them.

R.I.P. Casey Kasem...

Well, Casey Kasem has finally died.  He was 82 years old and the end of his life was plagued with challenges.  He had lewy body disease, which is the same form of dementia that my father has.  I'm not sure my dad is in the same shape Casey has been in.  I just spoke to my dad and he was somewhat coherent today.  But I do know that as time goes on, the challenges are harder for him and my mom, who has been taking care of him with help from home health services.  My dad now wears diapers and sleeps most of the time.  He has a hard time speaking and often hallucinates.

Casey Kasem's final days were hashed out in the press as his daughters and his wife fought over how he should be cared for in his final days.  I will reserve judgment as to what the fighting was ultimately about.  I don't know the parties involved or the nature of their relationships to each other.  It seems to me that no one was particularly interested in cooperation, at least not in the final days.  I think that's very sad, although given what I know about lewy body disease, I think it's probably a blessing that Mr. Kasem was finally allowed to drift away.  Death is an inevitable part of life and it sounds like it was definitely time for Casey Kasem's chance to move on from this life.

As a kid, I used to listen to Casey Kasem's radio show.  I remember cleaning stalls on the weekends and listening to the radio in the afternoon.  I'd hear Casey's long distance dedications and friendly backstories to popular songs and the artists who made them famous.  I was never a Scooby Doo fan, but Shaggy was an unforgettable and unmistakeable part of that show.  American Top 40 was a big part of my childhood.  I still remember the jingle.



My thoughts are with Mr. Kasem's family and all those who loved him, even if it was just from hearing his voice.  Given all that's happened to him over the past few months, it seems almost fitting that he died on Father's Day.