Background music to Gazette columnist Bill Poteat's life

Yes, I’m a Boomer, with a capital “B,” to the bone. 1955. Just turned 67 on the 26th.

You got a problem with that?

Yes, my musical tastes atrophied about two decades ago. Not much modern on my playlist.

But hey, at least I have a playlist.

And yes, I’m a proud product of my small-town Southern culture who’s never claimed to know what rap or hip-hop are all about.

Doesn’t matter. They sho ‘nuff are not about me.

Given those parameters and my own set of prejudices, as my reverse birthday gift to Gaston County readers, I’d like to present my list of Top 10 favorite songs from my Top 10 list of favorite artists.

Disagree all you like. You ain’t changin’ this Boomer’s mind.

Neil Diamond – “I Am I Said.” This song was released in the spring of 1971 and I fell in love with it at age 15. That love has never faded.

John Denver – “Seasons of the Heart.” Once thought I’d never go through a divorce. I did. This song captures it all.

Bob Seger – “The Fire Inside.” Yes, I’m growing older. But I’m not dead yet, and the fire still burns.

Rod Stewart – “Forever Young.” Back when I was teaching high school English, at the end of the semester, I played this song as a farewell blessing for my departing seniors. Few eyes were dry.

Bruce Springsteen – “Tougher Than the Rest.” For my bride Dinah and I, this is “Our Song.”

James Taylor – “Carolina in My Mind.” Always loved this homage to the Old North State, never more so than during my years of exile in Georgia.

Carly Simon – “Better Not Tell Her.” Carly sings like an angel, and this song was just for me.

Mary Chapin Carpenter – “Stones in the Road.” A song all about growing up in the 1960s, including a young girl’s view of Robert Kennedy’s passing funeral train. Never fails to ignite my own memories of those years.

Gordon Lightfoot – “I’m Not Supposed to Care.” A tender young woman very gently broke my heart during my senior year at Chapel Hill a very long time ago. This is her song.

Journey – “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Did you really think an old white guy was not going to include this song in his Top 10? No way!

Honorable Mentions

Some good artists and good tunes that didn’t quite make the cut:

Jackson Brown – “The Pretender.”

Elton John – “Sacrifice.”

Phil Collins – “Do You Remember.”

Carole King – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”

Paul Simon – “Graceland.”

Of course, this list would look very different if it included country artists and country tunes.

Real country artists, like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson.

And real country songs like “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “If We Make It Through December,” “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain,” and “When the Man Comes Around.”

But, that’s a list for another column on another day.

Bill Poteat, who infected his daughters with a love for Neil Diamond at an early age, may be reached at wlpoteat@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Neil Diamond, Bob Seger, background music to the life of Bill Poteat