 Lest We Forget The Classmates of '64-'65-'66 Which We Lost in 2018 (Including some earlier ones just reported in 2018)  Thomas Lee Johnson LHS '65 August 28, 1947 - December 17, 2017  Betty Jo Finley LHS '66 ? - February 24, 2018  Jimmy Norman LHS '64 December 9, 1946 - July 12, 2014  John William "Billy" Byrom LHS '65 April 28, 1946 - September 7, 2018  Johnny A Beauregard ? - October 23, 2018 LHS '64?  Max Schrimsher LHS '65 ? - November 6, 2018  James Albert Farr III LHS '66 December 2, 1948 - December 7, 2018 Sharing Memories Tommy Towery LHS '64 "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (1960) the Shirelles A couple of weeks ago my cherished friend Dianne Hughey McClure, LHS ’64, wrote about whenever she thought of Carter’s Skateland she always remembered the song “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” For the last few weeks I have been writing about my memories of songs I listened to while I was walking the track at church. This week I will deviate from that format and in honor of Dianne, will add my reflections on the song she recalled. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was originally recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles, who took their single to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is also notable for being the first song by a black all-girl group to reach number one in the United States. When first presented with the song, lead singer Shirley Owens (later known as Shirley Alston-Reeves) did not want to record it, because she thought it was "too country." She relented after a string arrangement was added. However, Owens recalled some radio stations had banned the record because they had felt the lyrics were too sexually charged. First of all, if you are (or were) a roller skater just close your eyes and listen to the tune of the song. It is not hard to visualize skating to this song. It has that smooth left push-right push motion you would make when skating around the wooden floor of Carter’s. It has that gliding rhythm you could best experience on skates, unless of course you were at a dance party where you could actually hold the one of your dreams in your arms and feel the warmth of bodies actually touching. That was hard to do on roller skates. Of course neither could you close your eyes and skate, but I think you see my point. Remember the board at Carter’s which lit up with the type of skate to be performed. When it lit up “Couples Only” I personally would scramble to find the right female companion with which to hit the floor. I recall they even dimmed the lights during the couples only skate session. In the early days it was just holding hands while we skated, but as our skills were honed we would skate side by side with the boy having his right hand on the curve of the girl’s right hip and her left hand in his. Later I would skate backwards while my partner skated forward, her right hand in my left and my right hand on her left hip or both my hands on her hips and both her hands on my shoulders. I copied this video from a public site on youtube and added the soundtrack of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" to show you how it looked to skate to this song. I don't know the people skating. I’ve listed before my skate partners and I skated many nights to the Shirelles’ hit. Again, to most of us teenagers the song Dianne remembers voiced our concerns about the relationship we had with a member of the opposite sex. In the fickle world of young love, true devotion was always a concern. The song went: Tonight you're mine, completely You give your love so sweetly Tonight the light of love is in your eyes But will you love me tomorrow Is this a lasting treasure Or just a moment's pleasure Can I believe the magic in your sighs Will you still love me tomorrow Tonight with words unspoken You say that I'm the only one But will my heart be broken When the night meets the morning sun I'd like to know that your love Is a love I can be sure of So tell me now and I won't ask again Will you still love me tomorrow So tell me now and I won't ask again Will you still love me tomorrow We all feared the scenario. One night you are a couple, the next day you are broken up. Such was the world of our lives in 1960 when this song was being played. Still, it was a great song to skate to – if you had a willing partner with which to share the magical moments and you didn't want to worry about when the night meets the morning sun.  Memphis, TN - This issue launches the 18th calendar year of the internet version of Lee’s Traveller. We look back in sorrow on the classmates we lost last year, but hopefully forward to the brave new year awaiting us and the mysteries it holds. In last week's issue I wrote that I had published 921 weekly issues of Lee's Traveller without missing a week. I really had made a wild stab at the number but this week I decided to do a more accurate count and it came out to be 913 weeks, with this issue being the 914th. I'm shooting at 1,000, which should happen sometime in 2021 at my best guess. Also looking ahead, in 2020 we should be hosting our 55th Reunion for the classes of '64, '65, and '66. This past week I also went back and tried to catch up with our Hallway of Memories page, listing all our passed classmates, so in video and some with just the photos and what dates we have. If you see any corrections or additions, please email me so I can make the changes. 
From Our Mailbox
Subject: Congratulations W. Dale Meyer LHS’66 Tommy... thanks for the history of the newsletter. 921 issues...simply amazing! Although I was a civil service brat and we moved after only one year at Lee , I tell everyone about this newsletter. It draws me back to the great friendships forged and the Traveller is something I never miss reading. Thank you for your tireless dedication and know that it is very much appreciated.
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