Editor’s Note: Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise,Nanette Laster’s column will return next week. This is a repeat ofa column first published in 1997.

I stood it as long as I could before finally picking up thephone and calling the radio station.

“The song that’s playing now, is that the Chipmunks?” Iasked.

“No,” replied the disc jockey. “It’s Hanson.”

“Handsome?”

“No, Han-SON. They’re three young brothers, the teenidols of the moment.”

During a weekend trip home to Duck Hill, I found out plenty moreabout Hanson. I have three nieces age 7, 9 and 11. They’re Hansonexperts.

I guess they know as much about Hanson as I knew about theMonkees or Bobby Sherman. Those were the first posters that went upon my bedroom walls.

Pictures of Jim Morrison, who died young but left a good-lookingcorpse, and James Taylor, who survived the 1970s but lost his hairalong the way, came later.

Of course, Elvis and the Beatles were early favorites, butnobody could hold a candle to Diana, Mary and Florence — theSupremes. My best childhood friend, Sonja, and I used to talk aboutbeing “Supremes” when we grew up. What could be better thandressing up in pretty gowns, fixing your hair in a fancy ‘do’ andsinging on the Ed Sullivan Show?

“…hurry, come see about me… stop, in the name of love,before you break my heart … ooohhh, baby love… I hear asymphony, a tender melody … you can’t hurry love, you’ll justhave to wait…”

We couldn’t sing a note, but it doesn’t much matter whenyou’re 10 years old, standing in front of the dresser mirror andusing a hairbrush for a microphone.

At the office the other day, the conversation somehow turnedto teen idols and other favorites of years gone by. See if thesebring back any memories:

Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, BobbyDarren and Sandra Dee, Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody, Roy Rogers andDale Evans, Gene Autry, Pinky Lee.

I recognized everybody on that list except Pinky Lee. Iguess he (or she) is “before my time.”

Everybody seems to have a favorite song, group or musicianfrom their generation, and the list is as varied as the hairstylesthe particular artists wore.

Mentioned were Herman’s Hermits, Paul Revere and theRaiders, The Mamas and the Papas, Peter, Paul and Mary, The BeachBoys, the Four Seasons, the Jackson Five, Gary Puckett and TheUnion Gap, the Dave Clark Five, The Temptations and theEagles.

Also getting note were Lesley Gore and Brenda Lee; car wrecksongs — Teen Angel, Last Kiss, and The Leader of the Pack –Purple Haze, Purple People Eater, Me and Bobby Magee, Me and Youand a Dog Named Boo, YMCA, Harper Valley PTA.

Pinups, with some discussion among the former teenaged girlsas to who had the bluest and who had the brownest eyes, includedSteve McQueen, Robert Redford, Joe Namath, Donny Osmond, DavidCassidy, Shaun Cassidy and Erik Estrada.

Some soap operas — long-passed like grains of sand throughthe hourglass of time — remembered were Dark Shadows, Search ForTomorrow, The Secret Storm and The Edge of Night.

Many of the favorite television shows and characters arebeing recycled to a new generation through cable television. Stillbeing watched today are The Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy, StarTrek, Dobie Gillis, Family Affair and Leave It To Beaver.

Reruns are also keeping some favorite folks around: Fonzie;Sonny and Cher; Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty; Jethro and EllieMae; Andy and Barney; Vinnie Barbarino and Mr. Kotter; Josie andthe Pussycats; “Eunice and Mama” on the Carol Burnett Show; Maryand Rhoda; Billie Joe, Bobbie Joe and Betty Joe.

Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Arnold Ziffle, Flipper, Trigger,Silver, Buttermilk, Mr. Ed, Benji and Flicka also still pop up onthe tube.

Just about everybody remembered love beads, peace symbols,bell bottoms, Nehru collars, and leather vests with fringe, butonly a few would admit to ever having worn such attire.

On everybody’s list was American Bandstand, hosted by theforever young Dick Clark. Saturday mornings haven’t been the samesince the dance show was overrun by the Ninja Turtles or whateverdid it in.

Hanson will probably go the way of most other teen idols,becoming fond memories for grown-ups.

Just like Alvin, Simon and Theodore.

Write to Nanette Laster at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS39602; or send email to news@dailyleader.com.˜