When a Boombox Stood Up to a Mustang
Holiday Park (1982-1986)
Champaign, Illinois
My brother, Keith, has always been a renaissance man full of surprise and thrill.
For starters, many kids in the neighborhood - including me - thought there was an old man living in the tree-lined trail along the creek next to our house on William Street. Friends of mine and other kids who hiked that path encountered the wrath of that "old man" scaring the crap out of everyone who walked that trail.
It turned out to be Keith all along.
That “old man” also had a killer silver Panasonic boombox.
It took eight D batteries that lasted all of four hours. What it lacked in long playing time, it made up for in power. I mean, Keith’s boombox was so loud, it was as if he put his entire bedroom stereo system in the windowsill, pressed the speakers against the screens, and pumped the volume up to 10.
His boombox was a staple during any activity.
Half-court hoops on our rock-filled driveway.
Countless Wiffle Ball games beneath the grandfather of all weeping willow trees.
Even outdoor household chores needed a boombox soundtrack.
At the end of that same rock driveway, Keith would wash and wax his red, banged-up ‘76 Mustang.
The Manley family’s infamous 1976 Mustang of Holiday Park last owned by my brother, Keith.
Bumpin’ nearby was his boombox, of course.
One day, Keith was in a hurry to make it to the other side of town. He jumped in his hand-me-down ‘stang with one black door, sprayed driveway rocks with the rear tires, and peeled off down the road. That's when I heard...
"BBAMMMM!!!!!"
Keith forgot his boombox was parked on the roof of his car. Believe it or not, that boombox went for a short ride before it hit the pavement. Keith immediately pulled to the side of the road, scurried into the street chasing 8 D batteries rolling in 8 different directions. After that bulky box met the concrete, you would’ve thought it would never dance again.
As Keith pieced all of the parts back together, I'm thinking:
"That thing’s never gonna work again.
What are we gonna do for tunes now?!"
Wouldn’t you know, I start to hear....
“BBOOOOOMM...(TICK), BOOM (TICK)…
BBOOOOOMM...(TICK), BOOM (TICK)!!!”
And the beat goes on.
The Boombox Series (Part I) Playlist:
Playlist Highlights:
"The Message" - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
"White Lines (Don’t Do It)" - Melle Mel
"Jam On It" - Nucleus
"White Horse" - Laid Back
"King of Rock" - Run D.M.C
"The Breaks"; "Basketball" - Kurtis Blow
“Freaks Come Out At Night” - Whodini
"I Can Make You Dance"; "Heartbreaker"; "Doo Wah Ditty (Blow That Thing)" - Zapp
"No Parking on The Dance Floor" - Midnight Star
"Pass The Dutchie" - Musical Youth
"Let the Music Play" - Shannon
“Rumors” - Timex Social Club
“Roxanne, Roxanne” - U.T.F.O.
“Rockit” - Herbie Hancock
“Tour De France” - Kraftwerk
“Beat Box (Diversion One)”, “Close (To The Edit)” - The Art of Noise
“Shake You Down” - Gregory Abbott
“Double Dutch Bus” - Frankie Smith