I’ve often wondered, what are Spokane’s cultural exports?
At the top of the list would surely be Bing Crosby, likable, easy-on-the-ears mega star of the 1940s and beyond. What effect might growing up in Spokane have on such famous personalities, if any at all? An appreciation of the simple life? Humility? A sense of colloquial humor? An air of genuine authenticity and good intentions? Who knows.
Spokane’s reputation for being something of a religious hub certainly made its mark on two other lesser known cultural stars, Julia Sweeney of “Letting Go of God” fame and now obscure Wilson McKinley – a pioneering Christian rock group that came of age in the 1970s.
While reading Open Culture the other day we stumbled across this curious holiday video.
We take you back to 1977 and what The Washington Post calls “one of the most successful duets in Christmas music history — and surely the weirdest.” … Get the backstory here.
Is it meaningful to think of Spokane’s stars as representatives of the Inland Northwest? Or does this beg the question of why they had to move away to pursue fame and fortune in the first place?
Favorite quote: “It’s a long time since I’ve been the new anything.”
Couldn’t the same thing be said of Spokane?
Tags: Identity Crisis · Local Comedy · Local Music · Videos · Weird But True4 Comments
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Looking at the Wilson McKinley link reminded me of the Jesus freaks who were so common in Spokane back then. In contrast to so many who are concerned about our souls today, the way I remember them was that they were nonjudgmental, tolerant, and accepting. They were pretty cool to hang out with.
Spokane’s biggest cultural export is definitly in professional and college sports. . .
That “It’s a long time…” quote does apply to our city. It makes me think of two famous contemporary authors originally from Spokane—Timothy Egan and Sherman Alexie— who tell tales evoking our past like we’re a modern portal into a forgotten, simpler time. Both ultimately left town. (All the way to Seattle though.) People who grow up here and become well-known leave for a classic Wolfean reason, similar to the Beatles leaving working class Liverpool: The drive to master their craft, stemmed from the monotony of their past and their art was a ticket to ride. But what a great video. I remember hearing a recording of The Thin White Duke and Mr White Christmas when I was a kid. And, like Spokane, it’s as weird and charming now as it was then.
Thanks, Spovangelist for the YouTube linkd with David Bowie singing with Bing Crosby. I thought it was beautiful and when two guys so seemingly different can get together and create such beauty it feels like there is greater hope for peace on earth. I’d show it to my students if YouTube wasn’t censored at my work.