I'm happy that you've landed on my site and happier still to tell you about the very special stories I have written about life as I knew it growing up during the golden age of vinyl records.
Hi, and welcome. My name is Danny Sandrik and this is my wife Susie. I decided to add this About Me page because people often ask who I am and how I came to build a website featuring stories about my vinyl record collection.
Some people just want to know who that person is hiding behind the web pages. I'll share with you why I built this website and just who that guy is writing these pages. First, a little about me.
I'm a simple person and have enjoyed a good life for the past 58 years with my kind and caring wife, Susie.
We
have three daughters I am very proud of, eight grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. I enjoy the holidays, especially Thanksgiving
when many of us are all together.
Family always comes first but old friends remain my most cherished and trusted link to all those wonderful old memories from the past.
And I still believe that if you treat people fair everything else will take care of itself.
So if you are still curious
to know why I collect vinyl records, love classic oldies, good country
music, rockabilly, cool classic cars and had a memorable teenage life,
please read on...
Let me tell you who I had in mind when I built this site.
In 2010, I was sitting at my computer making music CD's from old vinyl records to send to some dear old friends.
My wife came into the room, looked at all the vinyl record albums I had displayed on the walls and said, "Danny, have you ever considered selling your albums on eBay and let others enjoy them just as you have over the years. We sure could use the extra money."
I thought about it for a while....a short while. I knew as I got older my priorities had changed...I became more realistic, maybe about what is really important.
For me, the caring and sharing is most important so I decided to see if I could find a way to put my vinyl record collection online for others to enjoy. I didn't want to sell my collection just yet, but I may in the future.
I decided I would tell the stories behind the albums and explain why I believe vinyl albums are such a great piece of history to own.
I
would start when I was a teenager (I was 15 here in 1959) and make the
connection between my vinyl records, old friends and my take on growing
up in the fifties. I would place oldies music on my site and
if folks did not care to read about my past and my vinyl records they
could at least enjoy the music and videos. One thing was for
sure.
I didn't want a "sales pitch" site.
All the vinyl record sites I viewed online really didn't do much but sell albums and items related to vinyl records.
Nothing wrong with that...I may do that in the future, but there was very little information
about the albums, the singers, or the musicians on these sites. Just
sales pitches.
When I say I am a vinyl record collector I should
point out that I have always collected vinyl records for personal
interest and not their value. I know which albums and records may be of
value, but record appraisal is not what I do.
I would be delighted
if you would step into my vinyl record world and share with me the same
excitement I have as I tell my stories about those early teen idols and musicians I grew up with.
And to experience what it was like
to hold a vinyl record album in your hands and arms, read the material
on the front and back of the album then make a decision, as I would do
at times, to buy the album without first listening to what was inside.
That's the excitement and enjoyment I experienced from all those beautiful LP album covers over 50 years ago.
Imagine growing up in the fifties when Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, The Platters, Little Richard, and all the cool Doo-wop groups were just getting started.
This is what I write about, this is my passion and for me it never grows old. It was a remarkable time growing up as a teenager in the fifties and early sixties.
A time when you could hear all the new artists number one songs being played on the radio. This was a time when #1 songs were not oldies but Top 10 hits each week.
It's easy for me to write content about my vinyl record collection because I have that built in "Been there, done that" experience level that I believe many other vinyl record sites do not have.
I grew up during the golden age of vinyl records.
I'm not some blogger who blew thru the internet on a 20 minute Wikipedia trip, took notes and then made a site. I know more!
I've become my own best friend and can now dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50s, 60s & 70s and share them with anyone in the world who visits my site.
I've seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging and the missed opportunity to look back on those wonderful old memories.
I write these pages and stories for everyone, but especially for those dear old friends I have never met, in hopes they too can visit the fond memories of their childhood through the pages of my website.....before they leave us.
Many have already written to me and expressed their views on this by asking me to "Please keep those oldies alive for us"!
So I write these pages for You....all of you.
Without her suggestion the light would not have come on and my vinyl
record collection would have remained in a box in the corner.
Thank
you so much, Susie, for all your support and for allowing me to keep my
collection so others can enjoy these magical songs with the classical
sounds and share my vinyl record memories from the past.
And all I have to do to make all this happen is do what I love. Write about my passion.
Here's a link to our classic oldies pages.
Check out the Doo-Wop pages here
Ever thought of having your own website? I built Vinyl Record Memories "from scratch" with SoloBuildIt! Click below to find out more....
"Thank you so much for all the work you have done on these pages. I found my way here, and spent the next two hours in absolute bliss. Memories, memories...thank you for rekindling them."
Bob Douglass,
VA
Thanks for an excellent musical experience. I found your website by accident and just kept enjoying one classic after another. Great job! Like yourself, I'm still enjoying my vinyl collection. We share many of the same favorite artists.
Regards, Jim Miles
MD
"I don't usually contact doo wop article authors as I rarely find much value in the articles, but your article struck me as sincere, genuine and respectful."
Tom Sokira,
Producer, Audio Engineer
"In The Still Of The Night" (1956)
Read the story here.
Danny, I think you did a great job and my family enjoyed it as well. I have had some more time to go through your site and find it to be fantastic, and your personal story is great as well.
You truly
are a blessing to all of Us. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. I
look forward to seeing and hearing more from you.
Paul Giacalone
The song "You Were Mine" was written by Paul Giacalone. Read the story here.
Danny, I could not believe the content of your website. It is just amazing to recall so much we lived through just by checking out so many old posters & album covers.
Your site floods me with memories & reinforces my belief that it truly was a great time to be a teenager. Good work, Danny, please stick with it.
Sincerely Dale
dalekleeart.com
Danny, Great job !!!! I can't express enough how much my mother
would have been so happy with your work on her song. As for myself and
the rest of my family, we really appreciate your time & effort to
let everyone who is interested in her song know the true story behind
it. Read more...
Thanx so much, Bob
I just read your article on Duke of Earl/Vee Jay Records. My father was Randy Wood, President of Vee Jay at the time.
I'm doing some research on the company and am learning how influential Vee Jay was in shaping the future of music. Nice to see your web page.
Michele Marotta
February 15, 2015