Randy Sparks Formed the New Christy Minstrels and Had a Knack for Finding Talent

Randy Sparks, who died in February 2024, began his career during the folk music craze of the late 1950s and early '60s. In 1961, the singer-songwriter merged his group with two others to form the New Christy Minstrels. Sparks wrote "Today" long before the Minstrels made it a hit in 1964. The song reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can watch the group singing "Today" here. You'll also see a lot of comments by viewers who have fond memories of the song. And here's a fun little detail about Sparks himself: "In the 1970s, Randy Sparks had a small bar, nightclub in the small town of Linden, CA. It was so much fun to go there. It was called the Buffalo Bar and actually had a stuffed buffalo on the bar." Sparks also had a keen eye for discovering and nurturing new talent. Sheldon Zoldan, who wrote and recorded this tribute, offers an impressive list of famous performers who Sparks discovered and mentored. The photo accompanying this episode is of Sparks in 1964. It's credited to Columbia Records and was used as a trade ad in Billboard for Sparks' single "Julie Knows." The photo is available on Wikipedia. And in the chapters, you'll find a shot of the Minstrels' debut album.  This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon, a longtime journalist, has written about the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. Sheldon also created Song of the Day, which was a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. He ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.Send us Fan MailThis is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.