“How in the world are we supposed to get our Kicks on Route 60? It, just doesn’t work!” These very could well have been what Bobby Troupe was shouting as he listened to the studio musicians, behind Nat King Cole, cranking out a standard 12-bar blues; as he tried to get the chorus of his soon to be famous song, just right. At least, he would have been shouting that if Kentucky had not gotten their way. Kentucky was adamant about getting Highway Route 60 in their state. But so was Cyrus Avery, the man behind the creation of Route 66. Eventually he conceded, when he found out 66 was available, and he thought the two sixes sounded good together.
Route 60 vs Route 66
Had Avery not demurred and chosen the now famous digits, then the Main Street of America, a.k.a. the mother road from Chicago to California could very well have been labeled Route 60! I am positive, nobody would have written a song about it, and nobody would be getting their kicks on Route 60! No Nat King Cole hit. No covers by legends such as Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode and Manhattan Transfer, to name a few. Nada! Just another obscure lost highway in America; long since forgotten to the giant slabs of colorless highway that most people travel on every day.
Thankfully, that is not the case. But, as far as the song goes, we have one more person to thank; Bobby’s wife, Cynthia. While the two of them were on a road trip, from Philadelphia to California, Bobby was trying to write a song about the I40 as they drove along. Thankfully, his wife suggested he consider Route 66 instead. She was the first to utter, the now immortal lyric, “Get your Kicks on Route 66!” The rest, as they say, is history . . .
Quick Update
Now, for a quick update. Yesterday, was a bit of a drag. We learned that the AC was not working in the car. With Mark’s medications, and MS in general, heat is a beast. While we hope to do much of the drive with the top down, when the temperatures are already over 100 degrees we need to play it safe. For that reason, we find ourselves in Chicago having the car looked at for a second time. No less than 3 mechanics have noted the issue as, odd, strange, unusual and other words that either lead to excessive time and/or expense. For now, we hurry up and wait, while enjoying some Bagel P in Chicago’s Bagel Authority!
Bagel P!