Capital Radio, 10-14: Cissy & Native People

After noting her 91st birthday on this show just two weeks ago, we bid farewell to Cissy Houston, who died last week, with a survey of her work, solo, and in the Drinkard Singers and the Sweet Inspirations, and especially the background singing that found its way to singles from Paul Simon and John Price to Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie, not to mention Aretha Franlin, Dusty Springfield, and hits of her niece Dionne Warwick and daughter Whitney Houston. 

We marked Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a set of music about and by native people who have contributed to music.

Famous for her country duets with George Jones, Melba Montgomery turns 85 today; Thomas Dolby, 66; Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, 77; and the UK hitmaker Cliff Richard, 84. We also noted the birthdays of Robert Parker, born this day in 1930, Norman Harris of MFSB (1947).

Closed with music to celebrate the end of another Hispanic Heritage Month swinging from Santana and Los Lobos to Ritchie Valens, Chan Romero and Sam the Sham. 

Here’s the setlist: 

Capital Radio October 14, 2024 1 – 4:28 p.m. www. cygnusradio.com 

“Washington, D.C.,” The Magnetic Fields. 

“This Man Jesus,” The Drinkard Singers 

“Sweet Inspiration,” Sweet Inspirations

“Think It Over,” Cissy Houston 

“Midnight Train to Georgia,” Cissy Houston

“Walk on By,” Dionne Warwick

“Son of a Preacher Man,” Dusty Springfield

“Ain’t No Way,” Aretha Franklin 

“Mother and Child Reunion,” Paul Simon 

“Sweet Revenge,” John Prine

“How Will I Know,” Whitney Houston 

“Suspicious Minds [live],” Elvis Presley 

“Burning of the Midnight Lamp,” Jimi Hendrix Experience

“Underground,” David Bowie 

“Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” Fyūtch with Radmilla Cody

“Rant and Roll,” John Trudell 

“Ghost Dance,” Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble

“The Circle Game,” Buffy Sainte-Marie

“Washita Love Child,” Jesse Ed Davis with Eric Clapton

“I Pity the Country,” Willie Dunn

“Rumble,” Link Wray & The Wraymen 

“Come and Get Your Love,” Redbone

“Cherokee,” Cat Power 

“Cherokee,” Stephen Stills

“We Might Have Been Out of Our Minds,” George Jones & Melba Montgomery

“Let’s Invite Them Over,” George Jones & Melba Montgomery

“Barefootin,’” Robert Parker

“TSOP,” MFSB 

“She Blinded Me with Science,” Thomas Dolby 

“Question,” The Moody Blues

“Devil Woman,” Cliff Richard

“Oye Como Va,” Tito Puente 

“Samba Para Ti,” Santana 

“Come On, Let’s Go,” Los Lobos 

“La Bamba,” Ritchie Valens 

“Hippy Hippy Shake,” Chan Romero

Wooly Bully,” Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs. 

“96,” Question Mark & the Mysterians 

“Babalu,” Desi Arnaz

“God’s Child,” Selena with David Byrne 

“Bacalao Con Pan,” Ikakere 

“El Cacahuatero,” Toña La Negre 

“Cupid,” Rhythms Del Mundo with Amy Winehouse 

“Because the Night,” Rhythms Del Mundo with KT Tunstall 

“Lipstick Vogue,” Morat 

“Radio, Radio,” Fito Páez

“Adios,” Pérez Prado & Su Orquesta 

Capital Radio returns Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. EDT on www.cygnusradio.com. The show can also be heard via the cygnusradio.com app, available free at iTunes or GooglePlay. Older shows are available at Substack.com/@rogercatlin.