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2019 AUCTION ITEMS
“Love Shack”
Lyric sheet signed by the band’s four founding members (and song co-writers)
The B-52's
Item 101: The B-52's
"Love Shack" (1989)
Hometown: Athens, GA
Year Started: 1976
The Artist: It is well known that the B-52's are The World’s Greatest Party Band. And nearly forty years and over twenty million albums into their career, there can be no doubt as to why they remain one of rock music’s most beloved and enduring bands. Any mystery concerning the band’s longevity and ongoing appeal is immediately solved when exposed to a B-52's concert experience. From groundbreaking songs like “Rock Lobster,” “Dance This Mess Around” and “Private Idaho“ to chart-topping hits like “Love Shack” and “Roam” and “Deadbeat Club” to their thrilling reemergence on the pop scene with their 2008 CD Funplex the B-52s’ unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time their music begins.
The Album - Cosmic Thing: Their fifth studio album proved to be the greatest commercial achievement for the group, and its success propelled the band to international superstars. Cosmic Thing soared to the top of the Billboard Album chart, sold five million copies and yielded their first-ever Hot 10 hits — "Love Shack" and "Roam" and a Top 40 hit with "Deadbeat Club." The B-52s played to sold-out audiences worldwide on a tour that would last more than 18 months, including an Earth Day gig before nearly 750,000 people in New York City's Central Park.
The Song - Love Shack: The 1989 hit is considered the band's signature song. It was the band's first song to reach the Billboard Top 40 charts, peaking at No. 3, and was later ranked #246 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song's inspiration was "a cabin around Athens, Georgia," complete with tin roof, where the band conceived "Rock Lobster," a single from their first album. B-52's singer Kate Pierson lived in the cabin in the 1970s, and the cabin existed until it burned down in December 2004.
“The Right Thing to Do”
Signed handwritten lyrics on an original photo taken by Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Item 102: Carly Simon
"The Right Thing to Do" (1972)
Hometown: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Year Started: 2001
The Artist: Over the course of her career, Carly Simon has amassed 24 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles, 28 Billboard Adult Contemporary charting singles, and won 2 Grammy Awards from 14 nominations. She was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1994. She was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “You’re So Vain” in 2004 and awarded the ASCAP Founders Award in 2012.
The Album - No Secrets: Simon’s third studio album, No Secrets, released in 1972. It was her commercial breakthrough, spending five weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard200 chart and quickly went gold, as did its lead single, “You’re So Vain.” The album was certified platinum in 1997. It is ranked in the All-Time Top 1000 Albums.
The Song - The Right Thing to Do: “The Right Thing to Do” is a love song directed to Simon’s then husband, James Taylor. Simon has stated that "it was actually one of my absolutely undisputed songs about James, written three months into our relationship."She took the line “loving you is the right thing to do” from the movie The Last Picture Show.
“You hold me in your hands like a bunch of flowers / Set me moving to your sweetest songs / And I know what I think I’ve known all along / Loving you’s the right thing to do”
“Long Haired Country Boy”
Signed handwritten lyrics by Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels Band
Item 103: Charlie Daniels
"Long Haired Country Boy" (1972)
Hometown: Wilmington, NC
Year Started: 1958
The Artist: From his Dove Award winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists and still a road warrior at age 82, Charlie has parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children and others in need.
The Album - Fire on the Mountain: The CDB’s fifth studio album, released in 1974, is considered one of the best, including fan favorites “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “Trudy,” and “Long Haired Country Boy.”
The Song - Long Haired Country Boy: Daniels says his hit song’s message is tolerance:
"If you don't like me, we don't need to have any trouble, we don't need to be going upside each other's head or anything. Just leave me alone. Just walk around me. Maybe you don't like the way my hair looks, maybe you don't like the way I eat my soup, or whatever it is that you don't like about me, it doesn't make any difference to me. I don't care. If you don't like me it's okay. Maybe I don't like you either, but I'm not going to bother with you. Just walk around me, go to the other side of the street, or I go to the other side of the street, and let's just co-exist here. There's no need to have problems. You may mentally and intellectually disagree with people, but you don't have to be nasty about it. You certainly don't have to be physical about it. So if you don't like me, it's okay, just leave me alone. And that's what the song's about."
“Almost Home”
Signed handwritten lyrics by Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan
Item 104: Craig Morgan
"Almost Home" (2002)
Hometown: Dickson, TN
Year Started: 2000
The Artist: Craig Morgan has released nine albums and charted 17 times on the Billboard country charts. Seven of his singles have reached that chart’s top 10. He served on active duty for nine and a half years in the US Army as a member of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and remained in the reserves for another six and a half years.
The Album - I Love It: Morgan released his second album, I Love It, in 2003. By 2004, the album had sold more than 300,000 copies, and its success was cited by Billboard as the beginning of a new wave of commercial success among independently signed country music artists.
The Song - Almost Home: The second single from I Love It, “Almost Home” was Morgan's first Top 10 hit on the U.S. country music charts. The song also earned him a "Song of the Year" award from BMI, and a Songwriter's Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters' Association International. The song was written by Morgan and Kerry Kurt Phillips.
“Almost Home” tells the story of an encounter with an older homeless man. The narrator finds him covered in blankets behind a dumpster on a cold, winter’s day, thinking he might be dead. As he nudges the homeless man, who is, in fact, alive, the man tells him about all of the activities he had been doing in his dream. The narrator offers to drive him to a shelter, but the man declines, saying, “Man I wish you’d just left me alone, ‘cause I was almost home”. Morgan leaves the song open-ended on purpose. He wants his audience to interpret it whatever way they want. The homeless man may be almost to Heaven, or “almost home” in his dreams.
Item 105: Eagles
Signed Guitar from 2019 World Tour
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Year Started: 1971
The Artist: The Eagles—Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey—signed this acoustic guitar from their World Tour 2019. (Following band co-founder Glenn Frey’s death in January 2016, the Eagles continue to perform with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey sharing lead vocals for Frey’s songs.)
The Eagles are one of the world's best-selling bands in history, having sold more than 200 million records—100 million in the U.S. alone—including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and 32 million copies of Hotel California. Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) was the best-selling album of the 20th century in the U.S. They are the fifth highest-selling music act and the highest-selling American band in U.S. history.
“Help Me”
Signed handwritten lyrics by Larry Gatlin
of the 1974 single by Elvis Presley
Larry Gatlin
Item 106: Elvis Presley
"Help Me" (1974)
Written by Larry Gatlin (1972)
The Artist - Elvis Presley: Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, Elvis Presley is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King". Presley is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis Presley records have been sold worldwide.
The Artist - Larry Gatlin: On the strength of his songwriting talents, Larry Gatlin became known throughout the Nashville music industry and was already touring as a solo act while his two younger brothers finished college. The Gatlin Brothers toured extensively from 1976 to 1992 with hit singles that showcased the brothers' three-part harmonies and Larry's poetic lyrics. Larry penned every Gatlin Brothers hit you’ve ever heard, and he has written songs that were later recorded by Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rich, Johnny Mathis, Dottie West and many more. Larry has performed on 33 top-40 singles.
The Song - Help Me: The song became most famous in the 1974 single by Elvis Presley, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The lyrics tell the story of a world-weary and tired man pleading for guidance and reassurance from God. When Johnny Cash asked the Gatlin Brothers to perform the song at June Carter Cash’s funeral in 2003, at her request, they did. When Johnny Cash passed away just five months later, the brothers vowed to perform the song at every show they ever do the rest of their lives. They have.
“Everything”
Signed handwritten lyrics by Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Item 107: Michael Bublé
"Everything" (2007)
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada
Year Started: 1996
The Artist: Michael Bublé thought he knew what love was. After all, he’s sold more than 75 million records worldwide (and won four Grammy Awards) singing about the subject. But it turns out he had a lot to learn, he says.Shortly after the release of his last album,Nobody but Me(2016), Bublé announced that his eldest son, three-year-old Noah, had been diagnosed with liver cancer. He subsequently took ahiatus from music ashis son underwent treatment. In 2018 Bublé returned withLove, his 10th studio album.
The Album - Call Me Irresponsible: Bublé's third studio album, Call Me Irresponsible, was released in 2007. His third effort included songs from different eras like "Always on My Mind", "Dream", "I've Got the World on a String", and "Comin' Home Baby" (a duet with Boyz II Men). In the US, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard200 and rose to number one in its second week. Only a few artists have been able to accomplish this, like Michael Jackson and Sugarland.
The Song - Everything: The album's first single, "Everything", peaked at #46 on the U.S. Hot 100, Bublé's highest peaking song until "Haven't Met You Yet" became his first Top 40 hit in 2009. The song also debuted at number 3 on the Canadian charts and now holds the record for the highest debut ever there.
Bublé wrote the lyrics of "Everything" for his then girlfriend, Emily Blunt. He later explained: "I wrote the song about the great happiness of real love, but at the same time I was making a statement about the world. We’re living in really crazy times, and I wanted to say that no matter what’s happening, this person in my life is what really makes it worthwhile."
“Hey There Delilah”
Signed handwritten lyrics by lead singer, Tom Higgenson
Plain White T's
Item 108: Plain White T's
"Hey There Delilah" (2006)
Hometown: Lombard, IL
Year Started: 1997
The Artist: Formed in 1997 by three high school friends, the band is most prominently known for the number-one hit song “Hey There Delilah,” which achieved platinum status in 2007 and earned two Grammy nominations, as well as “1234” and “Rhythm of Love,” which were certified platinum in 2009 and 2011.
The Album - All That We Needed: The band’s third studio album was released in 2005. In July 2007, after the release of the album Every Second Counts, the song “Hey There Delilah” was re-issued as a single and sold unexpectedly well, hitting number one on the US BillboardHot 100.
The Song - Hey There Delilah: Besides reaching number one on the charts, the song was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. It has been covered by many artists worldwide in one form or another. It has sold over 4,000,000 digital copies in the US alone.
The song is about a girl and a boy in a long-distance relationship who talk about their future plans of her finishing school and him becoming a famous guitar player. Delilah is Delilah DiCrescenzo, a steeplechase runner who lead singer Tom Higgenson met through a friend. In an interview with USA Today, Higgenson said: "I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I told her, 'I have a song about you already.' Obviously, there was no song. But I thought it was smooth."
“Time for Me to Fly”
Signed handwritten lyrics by lead singer, Kevin Cronin, and photo signed by entire band
REO Speedwagon
Item 109: REO Speedwagon
"Time for Me to Fly" (1978)
Hometown: Champaign, IL
Year Started: 1967
The Artist: "Three bands were the undisputed arena rock kings of the early 80s — Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon," one biographer wrote. REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million records and has charted 13 Top 40 hits.
The Album - You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish: The band’s seventh studio album, released in 1978, was their first to make the Top 40. It sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., which led to it being certified 2x Platinum.
The Song - Time for Me to Fly: The hit song has since become one of the band's best-known songs. Lead singer Kevin Cronin wrote the song and told the story behind it: "I had been in love with my first love - a girl that I met in high school. But there was a point where I knew that I had to move on, but didn't want to, because I was attached to her. I knew that it wasn't working, so I went to Colorado to put some distance between me and her, even though that wasn't what I consciously did."
As one reviewer wrote: "Although this is a breakup song, you can’t help but singing along to the smooth melody and meaningful lyrics. Let out those tears and crack a smile because you deserve better and you know it. You will be okay. In fact, you will be so great that you will feel like you can fly."
“Lullaby”
Signed handwritten lyrics on original art created by Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins
Item 110: Shawn Mullins
"Lullaby" (1998)
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Year Started: 1990
The Artist: After a series of indie record releases, Shawn Mullins’ critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby.” His song “Shimmer” was used in promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. He co-wrote “All in My Head” which was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom “Scrubs.” Mullins also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Peter Droge.
The Album - Soul's Core: Mullins’ fourth studio album was released in 1998. For its 20thanniversary, Mullins is revisiting the music of Soul’s Core by recording two new versions of the album. He is calling this Soul’s Core Revival.
The Song - Lullaby: The song has become Mullins’ most successful song to date, reaching number one on the US BillboardAdult Top 40, number seven on the BillboardHot 100, and number nine on the BillboardModern Rocks Tracks chart.
The song is said to be about a girl who is feeling depressed as she comes to grip with her own mortality, recalling her young life as a Hollywood socialite, glamorous days, drug-fueled nights, ultimately winding up a washout on the edge of town where only the drugs keep alive the memory of what was.
“All For You”
Handwritten lyrics by Ken Block
Signed by Sister Hazel
Sister Hazel
Item 111: Sister Hazel
"All For You" (1997)
Hometown: Gainesville, FL
Year Started: 1993
The Artist: Sister Hazel released its self-titled debut album in 1994 through its independent record label, Croakin’ Poets. The band’s second album, Somewhere More Familiar, was released in 1997 and sold approximately 30,000 copies through its initial pressing, prompting Universal Records to sign the band. The band released its ninth studio album in 2016.
The Album - Somewhere More Familiar: The band’s second album, released in 1997, went Platinum and contains a re-recorded and more well-known version of “All For You,” originally appearing on the band’s eponymous debut album, released in 1994.
The Song - All For You: The band’s biggest hit to date, reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is considered their signature song.
As Songfacts writes: “Before the band had been formed, founding Sister Hazel member/front-man Ken Block wrote and recorded this song for a contest. The entire session took only about 90 minutes, and based on its success, it would prove to be one of the most serendipitous 90-minute sessions of his career.”
“We're Not Gonna Take It”
Signed handwritten lyrics and signed photo by lead singer, Dee Snider
Twisted Sister
Item 112: Twisted Sister
"We're Not Gonna Take It" (1984)
Hometown: Long Island, NY
Year Started: 1972
The Artist: Twisted Sister’s best-known hits include “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” which had music videos noted for their sense of slapstick humor. Many of the band’s songs explore themes of parent vs. child conflicts and criticisms of the educational system. Although the band is often considered glam metal for its image, frontman Dee Snider considers the term to be inappropriate. Twisted Sister are also ranked No. 73 in VH1’s 100 greatest artists of hard rock.
The Album - Stay Hungry: The band’s third studio album, Stay Hungry, released in 1984, features their two biggest hits. The album gained multi-platinum status with U.S. sales of more than 3,000,000 copies. In 2017, Rolling Stone listed the album at No. 76 on its list of the 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.
The Song - We're Not Gonna Take It: The single reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. It ranked No. 47 on 100 Greatest 80’s Songs and No. 20 on VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
This is the mighty anthem for anyone lashing out at an authority figure and ready to put up a fight. The song is short on specifics, so it can apply to just about any situation where "we" are battling "the powers that be." This all-purpose approach was intentional and gave the song a timeless quality.