Tomorrow is the 57th anniversary of the death of James Dean. When the young Dean crashed his low slung silver Porsche Spyder on a lonely California highway on September 30, 1955, he catapulted a couple of unknowns into the national spotlight. One of them was Ernie Tripke, one of two California Highway Patrol officers who arrived at the scene. He died in 2010 at the age of 88. But what ever happened to Donald Turnupseed, the driver who turned in front of the speeding Dean, having failed to see him coming? His story is here. In exfoliation of the theme that "speed kills" I present the following for your listening pleasure:
Jan and Dean, Deadman's Curve (1964). But it is not just boys who are drawn to speed, little old ladies have been known to put the pedal to the metal. Case in point: The Little Old Lady From Pasadena.
Johnny Bond, Hot Rod Lincoln (1960)
James Dean, Public Service Announcement
James Dean, The 'Chicken' Scene
Beach Boys, Don't Worry Baby
Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston, Rocket 88 (1951). The first R & R song? With footage of Bettie Page.
Billy Joel, Only the Good Die Young
