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Saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker, along with Dizzy Gillespie, developed a music sound known as Be-Bop. His nickname came from his love of chickens. No doubt a musical genius, he died before his time at the age of thirty-four. Many of his albums can be very collectible like his three albums from 1948 as shown here. Released on Dial Records, each can sell for $700.00 today.

Mad magazine with its mascot Alfred E Newman has been around since 1952 with its unique satire on popular culture and politics. In 1962 Big Top Records released “Mad Twists Rock N Roll” with the voices of Mike Russo and Jeanne Hayes recording classics like “She Got a Nose Job” and “Please, Betty Jane, When You Gonna Shave Your Legs?” To a record collector the album is worth up to $150.00 today.

Many recording artists in the 1960’s and 70’s made special promotional records for brand name advertisers. Connie Francis released an album in 1961 for Brylcreem with its slogan, “A Little Dab’ll Do ya.” Not a big collectible it’s worth up to $20.00. But in 1964 the Yardbirds issued a 45 on Epic Records as a promotion for Esquire socks. If title on the record label reads “I Wish You Would,” its worth up to $500.00 with picture sleeve. If it reads  “I Wish You Could,” then record with picture sleeve, is worth up to $800.00 today.

Johnny Winter was a white Blues guitarist who had local fame in Texas in the early 1960’s. In 1968, after Rolling Stone magazine described him as a “cross-eyed albino with long fleecy hair, playing some of the gutsiest blues guitar you’ve ever heard,” his fame went national. His albums were well received but he wasn’t a hit-maker for top-40 radio. Early singles from the 60’s on Frolic Records like “Gangster of Love” and “Voodoo Twist” are each worth up to $125.00 today.

Ella Fitzgerald is known as the “First lady of Jazz,” working with such Jazz giants as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Before her rise to fame she was a lookout for a brothel and ran numbers. But winning an amateur singing contest at the Apollo Theater was her turning point. Of her many records, a dozen of them are each worth up to $100.00 or more like her 1950 “Souvenir Album” on Decca Records and the 1951 “Ella Sings Gershwin” album on Decca.

The Who’s “Live at Leeds” album, released in 1970, featured some of the band’s biggest hits like “Substitute”, “My Generation,” and “Magic Bus.” The New York Times said, “It’s the best live rock album ever made.” Also on the album was “Young Man Blues.” Released as a single on Decca Records, it’s worth up to $150.00. The picture sleeve, as shown here, is worth up to $500.00 today.

In the spring of 1962 one-hit-wonder, Bruce Channel, rode the top of the charts with “Hey Baby” ( I wanna know if you’ll be my girl). The harmonica riff at the beginning of the song inspired John Lennon’s playing on “Love Me Do.” The value of Bruce Channel’s hit all depends on what label it’s on. Most copies are on Smash Records and worth no more than $20.00, but on the Le Cam label the value can go up to $125.00.

The Paris Sisters were discovered by 1940’s and 50’s stars, the Andrew Sisters. Soon, the Paris Sisters were performing in Las Vegas. With wigs, padded bras, and lots of make-up the nine, ten, and fifteen-year olds sang at the Dunes with Sinatra and at the Frontier with a young Elvis Presley. Their biggest hit came in 1961 with “I Love How You Love Me.” The 45, on Gregmark Records, can fetch $50.00. “The Golden Hits of the Paris Sisters,” was released on Sidewalk Records. It contains their 1961 hit and is worth up to $200.00 today.

In 1968 the Okaysions’ giant beach-music hit, “Girl Watcher,” was in the top-10 for nine weeks and in the top-100 for twenty-six weeks. Most copies can be found on ABC Records and worth no more than $10.00. However, it was first issued on North State records where the value jumps to $100.00. Add another $250.00 for the picture sleeve as shown here.

Following World War II, Detroit was a mecca for Blues artists like Eddie “Guitar” Burns. Influenced heavily by artists like Sonny Boy Williamson and Big Bill Bronzy, Burns soon found himself cutting sessions with Blues legend, John Lee Hooker. In 1952 Deluxe Records released the Eddie Burns single “Hello Miss Jessie Lee.” It’s worth up to $500.00. In 1957 he hit with “Treat Me Like I Treat You.” That 78 on J-V-B Records can sell for $600.00 today.