Marianne Faithfull was part of the swinging London scene in the 1960s. She recorded Keith Richards' and Mick Jagger's song "As Tears Go By" before the Rolling Stones did. She and Jagger had a three-year relationship before it ended after a drug raid at Richards' house in 1967. Addicted to heroin, she lost custody of her child and lived on the street for two years.

You can learn more about Faithfull and "As Tears Go By" in this episode. The photo of her in the thumbnail is from the album cover for "Come and Stay With Me: The UK 45s 1964-1969." You can see the cover in its entirety in the chapters.

Also in the chapters, there's a Cashbox advertisement from Sept. 19, 1964 touting her version of "As Tears Go By." The song reached No. 9 in England and 22 in the U.S. in 1964. To listen to it, you can go here. And 12 years ago, Taylor Swift performed the song with the Stones. You can watch it here.

The artwork framing two sides of the thumbnail photo was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day also deserves a tribute. The good thing is that the tributes live on.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Tenor Sam Moore and baritone David Prater Jr. made beautiful music together, but they fought like cats and dogs. Still, they had more success as a duo than they did when they went their separate ways as solo artists. As Sam & Dave, they had 10 consecutive Top 20 R&B hits and two Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits.

In this tribute to Moore, you can learn the story behind the Sam & Dave partnership including how they decided to form a duo, their turbulent professional relationship and their personal demons. Known as the "sultans of sweat," they were known for their over-the-top performances and recorded successfully at Stax Records in Memphis with Isaac Hayes and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In fact, Hayes co-wrote Sam & Dave's hit "Soul Man." How did Hayes and his co-writer, David Porter, get inspired to write "Soul Man"? You'll learn that in this episode too.

You can go here to listen to the official audio recording of "Soul Man." Or better yet, watch them do the song and check out their pink suits in a 1974 performance.

The black and white photo in the thumbnail is a publicity shot of Sam & Dave taken for a Stax trade ad in Billboard in 1967 to publicize their single "When Something Is Wrong With My Babe." Moore is on the left. The artwork framing two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Lenny Lipton was studying electrical engineering at Cornell University when he wrote a poem that turned into a song. That song eventually became a hit, thanks to Lipton's roommate who later became Peter in Peter, Paul and Mary. Find out how all that came about in this short story by Sheldon Zoldan.

Here, you can watch a 1965 recording of Peter, Paul and Mary performing "Puff the Magic Dragon."

The thumbnail photo of Lipton is a self-portrait that Lipton shot with a Pixel 3 phone in 2021. It's available on Wikimedia under the license CC BY-SA 4.0. The artwork framing two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day also deserves a tribute. The good thing is that the tributes live on.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Human beings are complicated and, as a result, life stories can include some not-so-shining moments. This is certainly true of this obituary for Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame.

Sheldon Zoldan's story about Yarrow covers the highs and lows of the singer's career. Yarrow was a member of 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, who were the voices of the civil rights and anti-war movements. They had 11 top 40 singles, multiple Top 10 hits, one No. 1 single and two No. 1 albums.

The trio split in 1969 to pursue solo careers and also because Yarrow was accused of assaulting a 14-year-old girl. CBS News Sunday Morning aired a segment on the trio in 1984 after they'd reunited. You can watch it here.

Yarrow's notable songs include "Puff the Magic Dragon," based on a poem by former roommate Lenny Lipton. Sheldon wrote a tribute to Lipton, who died in 2022. Recently re-released as Episode 138, the episode is titled This Engineer's Inspiration to Write a Poem Led to "Puff the Magic Dragon" Becoming a Hit Song.

Yarrow also wrote "Day Is Done," which was Peter, Paul and Mary's last single, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the chapters, you'll see a promotional photo of the trio in 1968. Pictured from left to right: Paul Stookey, Yarrow and Mary Travers. There's also a shot of the "Day Is Done" album cover.

The thumbnail photo, which appears in the chapters as well, was taken of Yarrow in 2008 in San Diego by Phil Konstantin and is available for use on Creative Commons under the license CC BY-SA 3.0.

The art that frames two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Courtesy of a friend, a few words of encouragement serve as a mantra for coping with this year of change and chaos. In this video, I share them with you along with a bit of info on the Year of the Horse designation in Chinese astrology.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Brenton Wood offered these final words to his fans: "Catch you on the rebound," referencing one of his songs.

Brenton Wood wasn't his given name. In this episode, learn the inspiration behind the stage name, and also the moment that piqued his interest in pursuing a musical career.

In 1967, after a career peak with three hits: "Gimme Little Sign," "The Oogum Boogum Song" and "Baby You Got It," he continued writing, recording and performing nearly until his death.

You can watch Wood sing "The Oogum Boogum Song" a long, long time ago on this restored version of his performance on "American Bandstand."

The thumbnail image of Wood was a promo shot for "The Oogum Boogum Song." Credited to Double Shot Records, it appeared in Billboard on April 29, 1967. The art that frames the photo on two sides was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day also deserves a tribute. The good thing is that the tributes live on.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

What began as a book about the Vietnam War evolved into a candid memoir about a self-centered life of thrill-seeking adventure transformed into one focused on service and meaning.

"Quest: Risk, Adventure and the Search for Meaning" by John Graham is available in print, on Kindle and as an audio book. To watch a brief video that promotes the book, go here.

In this episode, you'll hear about John's close brushes with death; one long-ago personal failing that still weighs on him; life-changing mystical experiences; and struggles to shift from an adrenaline-fueled life to service-oriented work that includes his involvement with the Giraffe Heroes Project for nearly 45 years.

Founded by his wife Ann Medlock, the Giraffe Heroes Project highlights individuals who "stick their necks out" for public good. You can learn more on the project's website.

The black and white photo in the thumbnail is of a young John during a death-defying climb in Alaska. The picture is one of many in his new book, "Denali Diaries," which is available to access for free on John's site.

John's short-form video series "Badass Granddad," on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, is his way to reach a younger demographic. The "Badass" episode about the war in Iran, mentioned in this conversation, was published on March 24. Here's a link. One of my favorite "Badass" episodes is the latest as of today. It's Ep. 70 about taking smart risks vs. stupid ones.

Underlying each of John's projects is this message: Pursue meaning through giving back, use your personal skills to serve, and be willing to take risks for the public good.

"Quest" is a well-told story about John's remarkable life. I recommend it highly.

Also want to mention that the artwork framing the photos in the thumbnail is by my brother-in-law, Bob Jones, a prolific creator in his own right.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Garth Hudson agreed to join the Hawks, a precursor to The Band, on two conditions: that he'd be paid a little extra to be the group's music teacher, and that he'd have a Lowery organ to play.

This tribute to Hudson includes a reference to The Band's song "Chest Fever." Hudson wasn't a singer or a songwriter, but he contributed mightily to the song's success with an intro based on J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. You can hear "Chest Fever (remastered 2000) here.

To listen to the Bach piece, head to YouTube where you'll have choices. Here's a link to one cool version and to another.

The public domain photo of The Band in this episode's thumbnail was taken by Elliott Landy in 1969 for Capitol Records. Pictured from left: Richard Manuel, Hudson, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko. The photo was used for a trade ad in Billboard for the single "Time To Kill" / "The Shape I'm In." If you want to download your own copy, you can find it on Wikimedia.

In the chapters, there's a photo of Hudson in May 1971 during a performance with The Band in Hamburg. It was taken by Heinrich Klaffs and is available for reuse under the license CC BY-SA 2.0 on Wikimedia.

The artwork framing the top and bottom of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.