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James "Jay" McKnight and his wife, Andrea, met as teenagers in Brooklyn, New York. Jay and his friends used to sing on the street corner, and Andrea was an admirer.
Here, Jay and Andrea talk about how their early romance turned into a marriage that has lasted for more than 50 years.
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Piece Description
James "Jay" McKnight and his wife, Andrea, met as teenagers in Brooklyn, New York. Jay and his friends used to sing on the street corner, and Andrea was an admirer.
Here, Jay and Andrea talk about how their early romance turned into a marriage that has lasted for more than 50 years.
Broadcast History
NPR Morning Edition 8/5/11
Transcript
Andrea McKnight (AM): We heard these voices. The guys singing on the corner. And this tall, dark fellow was singing. He had these shades on. I was like, 'Look at this guy.' Voice was fabulous. And young as I was at the time, I think I was, what 14. I said, "Nah." He's not even going to take notice of me.
James McKnight (JM): I was 18 going on 19 years of age. I looked at a friend of mine, who I was singing with and I said, "I'm going to marry her." You know what he told me - You're going to jail.
JM and AM: (laugh)
JM: She's too young. No, I'm really going to marry her. So, one day she was by herself. I said I'm going to talk to her now. As a young guy, you drop your voice.
AM: He was trying to impress.
JM: I said, "Hi, how you doing?"
AM: (laughs)
JM: Like that.
AM: (laughs) Which made me nervous.
JM: It was to impress.
AM: You remember the thing that impressed me about yo...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Friday is when we hear from StoryCorps… this project records conversations between friends and family…
Today, a love story that started with a song.
It was Brooklyn in the late 1950s…
Jay McKnight and his friends spent summer evenings outside, singing a cappella.
And one night, Jay caught the ear of a girl named Andrea…
"We heard these voices…no matter what"
OUTRO:Jay and Andrea McKnight in New York.
This conversation will be archived at the Library of Congress…
And the music you're listening to is Jay's group from the 50s… Little Nate & the Chryslers.
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Someone Up There | Little Nate and the Chryslers | 30 Rare Black Doo-wop Sounds Vol. 5. | Rare Red Records | 2005 | 00:18 |
Additional Credits
NPR, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Principal Financial Group
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