The World According To James

Do we Americans live in a better world than existed in 1959? I mean beyond the obvious improvements in technology we enjoy. Are human beings more fulfilled and happy now? What effect has the disintegration of the family had on our psyches? Let’s take a look at three statistics and what they might mean.

It is well-known that 55 million babies have been killed in the womb since 1973. That is certainly a feature of life today that was virtually non-existent in 1959. Not only that, but I would say the Americans of 1959 would not have believed this would happen if we had told them at the time.

Children born to unmarried mothers represented only 4% of live births 50 years ago. Today that number is 34%. It doesn’t seem to me that the younger generation is the least bit surprised, disturbed or opposed to this trend. But what does it mean to the future of our country—or the human race for that matter? Is it a good thing?

Fifty years ago 14% of marriages ended in divorce and today that number is 50%. My own parents divorced when I was but an infant. However, all of my aunts and uncles have been married more than 50 years. How does this affect us as people, this seismic shift in relations between men and women? Was the stability that has been lost not worth the trouble? How does this affect the children and grandchildren of all these fractured homes?

The history of rock music is a fascinating topic for me.  I was directly involved in this history as a professional musician from 1973 until 1991—when I had to get a real job.  As a lead singer while also the drummer, I was a rarity in the history of rock music—or any music genre for that matter.

The first drum sets—a collection of percussion instruments that could be played by one person—or kits, as they are sometimes called, appeared near the end of the 19th Century after the invention of the bass drum pedal.  Tom toms and high-hats were added around 1930.

The history of rock music begins in the mid-1950s and drums have always been an integral part of its rhythm—the relationship between music and time.  Ringo Starr was the first drummer in rock music history to achieve fame.  As time progressed many great drummers have blazed trails including my favorites: Mitch Mitchell, Don Brewer, Lenny White and Neil Peart.  But only a few drummers were also lead singers, e.g., Don Henley (with whom I played in concert); Phil Collins; Peter Hoorelbeke; and occassionally Levon Helm.   When I starting publicly singing “Manic Depression” while playing the drum parts as well at 15 years old, it became evident I had found my unique calling. And my tiny place in the history of rock music.

To learn more about my band you must visit the site of White Summer.

With the indisputable leaps the human race has made in the past 50 years regarding health care, technology, our standard of living, communications, leisure time & activities (among other things); I wonder if the average person is as happy and well-adjusted as our counterparts of 1959.  Do we understand what is important in life today as well as we did then?  Are our children taught and nurtured as well in today’s society?  Is our society and culture healthier than before the tumultuous sixties?  What hath progress wrought?