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From: "Erin Craig" <>
Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] WARBRIDES Digest, Vol 2, Issue 27
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:54:52 -0800
In-Reply-To: <mailman.1031.1169704903.1513.warbrides@rootsweb.com>


Re: Nancy Harrington

Nancy Harrington is a member of the WWII War Brides Association, line 154 on
the membership list.

Erin
WWII War Brides Association


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Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 10:02 PM
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Subject: WARBRIDES Digest, Vol 2, Issue 27

Today's Topics:

1. Football and the war bride, Nancy Harrington
(Michele, host of AWBE)
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 08:11:59 -0800 (PST)
From: "Michele, host of AWBE" <>
Subject: [WARBRIDES] Football and the war bride, Nancy Harrington
To: WarBrides List <>
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Does any one know war bride, Nancy Harrington?

"The Harringtons credit their mother, Nancy, a war bride from England, for
instilling in them -- and older brother Rick, a judge -- a passion for the
Saints. Nancy Harrington moved with her husband, Billy, to Flora when the
couple returned to the States after Billy served in the Air Force during
World War II, and she soon "fell in love with American football," says Billy
Joe. When the NFL put a franchise in New Orleans, she was an immediate
devotee, and others in the family followed suit."

Michele

----
Tales from the Crossroads: Song burst
Natchitoches group's lead singer surprised at Saints song's popularity
By Bob Tompkins

(318) 487-6349


NATCHITOCHES -- Saints fans had a song in their hearts the last few weeks --
an upbeat song born not in the French Quarter but in Louisiana's "City of
Lights."
Songs for National Football League teams often reflect the personality of
the city or even the state they represent, and so it is with "They Call Him
Drew Brees," the lively anthem about this season's New Orleans Saints. The
idea for the song was conceived by Billy Joe Harrington, an assistant
district attorney in Natchitoches, and his older brother, Rodney, put the
idea to words.
ADVERTISEMENT

Rodney Harrington, 53, is a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcy and
personal injury. But he is also "Johnny Earthquake," the lead singer for
"Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs," a 13-piece Natchitoches Rock/R&B band
regarded as one of the top show bands of the South. The band's recent hit,
in the week or two leading up to the Saints' 39-14 loss to the Chicago Bears
in the snowy NFC Championship game at Soldier Field, had become the most
requested song at radio stations in the Crescent City.
The song also attracted requests from national networks HBO and ESPN for use
in programs about the NFC Championship.
"My brother came up with the idea," said Harrington of his younger brother,
Billy Joe, 46. Both brothers have been Saints fans since the franchise was
born in 1967. "It was from a great old song written by J.J. Cale, 'Call Me
the Breeze,' which was a hit by Lynard Skynard in the '70s. He thought it'd
be perfect for (Saints quarterback) Drew Brees.
"It was while I was watching that first game against Atlanta that was so
great that I started thinking, 'This Brees guy is really good," Billie Joe
said. "I happened to think of that (Skynyrd) song and how something like
that would work with Drew Brees. I called Rodney and said, 'We need to do
this.'"
Rodney agreed and "sat down and jotted out some lyrics."
Harrington then called his friend and former Moondog, Billy O'Con of
Natchitoches, to ask about the possibility of making a CD with this song.
O'Con has a backyard studio and is a big Saints fan.
"He sat down and actually arranged the music and the song about a month
ago," Harrington said. "We had the horn players and different members put
down their parts, and the 'Who Dat Nation' chorus came and sang 'Who Dat' at
the end of the song."
The 'Who Dat Nation' was an assortment of fans, including daughters of the
Brothers Harrington and KALB sportscaster Jeff Horchak.
"We could not have done it without O'Con," Harrington said. "He's a musical
genius who did a lot of the harmonies on the song. I think a lot of the
success of the song is to his credit."
The Harringtons credit their mother, Nancy, a war bride from England, for
instilling in them -- and older brother Rick, a judge -- a passion for the
Saints. Nancy Harrington moved with her husband, Billy, to Flora when the
couple returned to the States after Billy served in the Air Force during
World War II, and she soon "fell in love with American football," says Billy
Joe. When the NFL put a franchise in New Orleans, she was an immediate
devotee, and others in the family followed suit.
"My son, Curt, e-mailed me the other day," said Harrington, "to say he was
walking down a street in New Orleans when this pimped-up car was coming down
the street towards him with a thundering sound system. He said as the car
got even with him he heard our song blaring out of the car, so I guess
that's a sign we really hit it big down there."
Curiously, the Moondogs are not making money from the record.
"We're not making a penny off this," Harrington said. "We just want people
to share it, and maybe it can bring joy to folks, especially in South
Louisiana, who need some."
The Moondogs, who can play a variety of music for festivals, wedding
receptions and other events, claim Oprah Winfrey, blues legend B.B. King and
Grammy-winnng country music star Brad Paisley among their fans.
"I've got a Moondog T-shirt," Paisley said. "Even wore it on the cover of
'Vintage Guitar' magazine."
The Moondogs, who cut a Christmas CD a few years ago with the late
singer-songwriter John Fred and donated all the proceeds to Louisiana
Special Olympics, made the Brees song "just for fun," Harrington said. He
said he was surprised at how swiftly it spread in popularity across the
state and the Gulf Coast.
"I sent some copies to area media outlets and one to my friend (and former
Northwestern State and Saints quarterback) Bobby Hebert," said Harrington, a
1975 NSU graduate. "Hebert has a show on WWL in New Orleans, and they began
playing it on the show down there. My son set it up on his MySpace page.
Before we knew it, we were getting calls from all over the country. People
had heard the song and were wondering how to get it. It has received heavy
air play throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.
"Drew Brees has heard it and loved it," Harrington said, noting he received
permission from Brees through his agent before releasing it.
The song is not only about Brees, but all the Saints.
"There's been a change in the weather, been a change in the attitude,"
begins the second verse. "Defense is gettin' better, with Charles Grant and
Will Smith, too. If Katrina couldn't stop us, what are the Falcons gonna
do?"
Harrington has been singing (talent shows, church choir) since he was in
high school at Natchitoches Academy, where he competed in football,
basketball and track. He was in the group "Dick Dante and the Infernos"
several years before starting the Moondogs.
The Moondogs started in 1989, the same year of the San Francisco earthquake.
That event, along with John Lennon's having a band with the name 'Johnny and
the Moondogs' before he became part of the Beetles, inspired Harrington's
and the Natchitoches band's show name.
>From his law office perched on the banks of Cane River, Harrington, who
hosts a twice-weekly musical variety radio show in Natchitoches, talked
about the nonprofit 'Brees' CD that the Moondogs made just for fun.
Yet, charity goes only so far.
Had the Saints made it to the Super Bowl, Harrington said, the Moondogs made
it known they'd have been available to cash in on a lucrative opportunity.
"We offered," Harrington quipped, "to perform with Prince at halftime."



Mich?le, (Belgian War Baby - USS Brazil)
American War Bride Experience
http://www.geocities.com/us_warbrides/







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