abraham lincoln

Moms Mabley: ‘Abraham, Martin and John’ (video)

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Fifty years ago today, Pres. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX. JFK’s killing, and then MLK’s, inspired Dion DiMucci, mostly known for his doo-wop work with Dion and the Belmonts, to record a ballad about the lost heroes of a generation, and the song became an unlikely hit for Dion and others (including Marvin Gaye.)

In this clip from the old Merv Griffin show, comic Moms Mabley, known mostly for her “blue” stage act, sings an emotional version of Dion’s classic, Abraham, Martin and John. Moms had a Top 40 hit with the song in 1969. Her version includes Bobby Kennedy.

The Gettysburg Address by the Presidents of the United States (videos)

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Director Ken Burns got all the living Presidents — and some celebrity friends — to recite Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the speech first delivered at a Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania 150 years ago today.

But when Civil War-reinacting Confederate soldier wannabes run into reality, rebellion doesn’t seem like so much fun any more:

Mas…The Gettysburg Address by the Presidents of the United States (videos)