“Hot Rod Lincoln” The Story Behind The Song

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were a county-rock group who got together while attending U of M in 1967.  Commander Cody is the lead singer and piano player, George Frayne IV.  "Hot Rod Lincoln" was their biggest hit.  The band's name came about from 1950's film serials featuring the character Commando Cody (yes, Commando lol) and from a feature version of an earlier serial, King of the Rocket Men, released under the title Lost Planet Airmen. Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were known for their marathon live shows.

"Hot Rod Lincoln" was actually (wait for it) A COVER. Originally written by Charlie Ryan, it was first recorded and released by Charlie Ryan and The Livingston Brothers in 1955.  Here's the original song:

It tells the second half of a story started by the song "Hot Rod Race," (1951 by Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys). "Have you heard this story of the Hot Rod Race, when Fords and Lincolns was settin' the pace? That story is true, I'm here to say; I was drivin' that Model A."  This song tells of a race between a Lincoln and a Cadillac on the Grapevine grade in California. The race was real, but the actual location was on the Lewiston grade in Idaho.

Was there really a "hot-rod Lincoln?" Yes and no. It was a rebuilt car with the body of a Model "A" coupe set into the frame of a 1941 Lincoln. To boot, it had a "hopped-up" Lincoln engine block. At the time Ryan wrote "Hot Rod Lincoln," he built a second car.  This beauty was a  chop-shop melding of a 1930 Model "A" Ford coupe and a wrecked 1948 Lincoln. He took his second Model "A" on tour.  Charlie was born in 1915 and served in World War II. #badass @toldya

"Hot Rod Lincoln" was voted a Legendary Michigan Song in 2008.  Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2009. Eventually, George Fayne (AKA Commander Cody) returned to U of M to teach. Frayne was also a visual artist. He received a bachelor's in design from the University of Michigan in 1966 and a master's in Sculpture and Painting from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies of the University of Michigan in 1968. His art was exhibited at numerous shows around the country.

Read the story behind the Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones," when you CLICK HERE.  SPOILER ALERT: Casey was likely NOT high on cocaine.

The housing market is finally coming down, largely because of high interest rates, but regardless of the reason, home prices are becoming more affordable. As it turns out, Michigan has one of the best cities for finding an affordable home in 2023.

According to BusinessInsider.com, "Despite the record high sale prices and equally steep mortgage rates in 2022, there are still some cities in the United States where the average earner can afford a home."

They add, "By scraping economic and housing data to predict the growth of home prices and sales in 100 of biggest US metros, Realtor.com ranked the top places where people can still buy an affordable home in 2023. According to their methodology, this year's homebuyers can expect reasonable deals in cities like Hartford, Connecticut and El Paso, Texas, both of which avoided much of the intense buyer competition and rapid home price growth seen in other parts of the country during the pandemic. At a time where the typical home is priced near $400,000, a good indicator of a housing market's health is the balance between home sales and price growth."

So, which U.S. cities have the best bang for your housing buck? Read the full list below, including the Michigan city. Even outside of Michigan, there were some cities within driving distance with some housing deals. Find the full tally here.

November 2022 median home price: $161,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +4.2%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +6.7%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +10.9%
https://toledo.oh.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $397,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +2.9%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +8.2%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +11.1%
https://www.visitchattanooga.com/

November 2022 median home price: $300,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +7.7%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +3.6%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +11.3%
https://columbiasc.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $358,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +1.6%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +10.0%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +11.6%
https://www.wyomingmi.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $319,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +6.2%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +5.7%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +11.9%
https://www.augustaga.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $240,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +6.3%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +6.0%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +12.3%
https://www.buffalony.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $447,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +2.5%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +10.6%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +13.1%
https://www.worcesterma.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $290,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +5.2%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +8.4%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +13.6%
https://louisvilleky.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $291,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +8.9%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +5.4%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +14.3%
https://www.elpasotexas.gov/

November 2022 median home price: $372,000
Forecasted 2023 home sales change: +6.5%
Forecasted 2023 home price change: +8.5%
Forecasted 2023 combined sales and price change: +15.0%
https://www.westhartfordct.gov/

https://www.businessinsider.com/10-best-most-affordable-cities-to-live-in-usa-2023-1