Alan Cross

When Barry Manilow wanted to tour in 1982, he was faced with the immense cost of taking an orchestra on the road. So he didn’t. Instead, a larger group of musicians playing traditional instruments was jettisoned and replaced by a…

On June 21, 1948, Edward Wallerstein of Columbia Records, walked into a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York with what looked like a collection of ordinary records under his arm. They looked a little bigger than…

What’s the oldest song you know? I’m not talking about something from oldies radio but something really old. Some people will cite a hymn or other piece of devotional music (Think Joy to the World, composed by Isaac Watts in 1719).…

Chances are you’ve never heard the name Vasili Arkhipov, but he could be the reason you’re alive. Back during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he stopped his commander from accidentally firing nukes on the US when things heated up.…