Friends told us it was in the movie Lethal Weapon as well, but we did not see it. In the soundtrack of movies, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Mean Girls, we clapped when we heard it. In 1987 a television special, A Muppet Family Christmas, featured Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem having fun delivering the lyrics. They laughed when I said, “Remember, we will earn a nickel each time it is broadcast. I told them about our cousin Jim and recruited them to call radio stations to request Jingle Bell Rock be played. When my two children were young, they were excited when the song was played on the radio. Since its release, the song has been recorded by 114 artists (and counting). It was first recorded by Bobby Helms in 1957. Recently Jingle Bell Rock was named the most requested Christmas song by The New York Times. We were so proud of Jim when we received a 45 RPM gift which I still safeguard as a special treasure. Joe was a public-relations professional while Jim was a writer at work in the advertising business. In 1957 Jim and his co-writer friend, Joe Beal, completed Jingle Bell Rock. He sent us demo records of songs he wrote and produced. Over the years Jim lived in NYC, other relatives from his mother’s side of the family also pitched in to help him. It was a sacrificial gift from our family because our father did not have a steady job at the time. After draining them, the crispy treats were delicious with Jim’s very tasty burgers.Īfter Jim decided to move to New York City, my mother and father put money in his jacket pocket to help him get established in the big city so far from Sweetwater, his birthplace.

Next, she dunked them into flour which she shook off before dropping them into melted Crisco bubbling inside a hot iron skillet. Mother taught him how she soaked sliced onion rings in milk for a little while before draining them. Our father never cooked, so it was fun to see Jim don an apron while he mixed mustard into the ground beef before he made patties. Jim and Mother worked in our kitchen preparing hamburgers and onion rings during one visit. Jim laughed when I told him, “Cousin Jim, your car looks like a banana on wheels”. It was the first convertible we had seen except for the few we had seen in movies. My older sister and I were thrilled when he invited us to take a ride in his pretty car. Jim wore elegant clothes and drove a yellow convertible. Some of the ranchers in my dad’s family thought Jim was really different. Jim Boothe, my father’s first cousin, visited us in Sweetwater, Texas, while he stayed with his parents Ruth and Joe Boothe who also lived there.

Jingle bell rock song for children