Hi John.....not sure if anyone mentioned he also won the Eurovision Song Contest singing the song: :Congratulations."

Which gives me a platform for my opinion on "the lack of musical taste of Americans"

I lived in your neck of the woods for many years (Great Britain) and, personally speaking, I just loved the wholesomeness (and the happiness) of British pop songs. Every so often I would check out the charts in America and found very few of the Top 10's in England listed on the American charts.

My opinion has always been just what you said..."no musical taste" over here. American songs are great works of art compared to the simplicity of European music, and, don't get me wrong, I like songs written here the "American way".....always have, always will. But the "plain Jane" European songs with the simple melody lines that you can hear and sing along to are what hits you in the gut and makes you keep coming back for more.

I always viewed Cliff Richard as a "plain Jane" vanilla-flavored, no frills vocalist. That was the greatest compliment I could give him. He, and many other British vocalists, just made you feel, shall I say, wholesome.....and happy inside.

Americans will never understand that if they haven't lived there and experienced it first hand.

I mean....look at the British pubs where they have sing-a-long every night and attended by every age group. That's the first thing I missed when I came back here.....the levity and fun and good times enjoyed by everyone in those places. That doesn't happen here. Folks here really don't know how to enjoy themselves with music.

Anyway, I'm going way off course and really not saying clearly what I wanted to say "clearly!" Just trying to say Cliff Richard would never hit it off in America.....his music is too "happy!"

And......thanks for mentioning him. His name brought back so many great memories of the great British songs I'll never get to play again!

Mark