By Herb Ryan

Correspondent

NORWICH – The 60s were a time of social discord. Change was in the air. It was a time of racial, musical and sexual revolution. From the ashes of turmoil and social unrest there arose a spirit of love and peace that swept across America on the wings of song. It was a special time in the annals of American history, and for those lucky enough to call themselves children of the 60s, it is with a sense of poignancy and nostalgia that we recall the halcyon days of our youth.

For many children of the 60s, music was the magic carpet upon which fame and fortune was to be found, and the drudgery of life was to be tossed aside, if only in three minute increments. Everybody had a record player, or a guitar, or knew somebody who did … and some people could actually play. One of those people was Denny McCormick.

Denny McCormick is both a child of the 60s and a child of Norwich. In his youth he responded to the clarion call of musical opportunity in New York City. He headed down Rt. 17 with his six string and a pocketful of dreams. He made his mark on the music scene in New York and then, like it does for so many of us, life intervened.

In his first years in the city, he played music wherever and whenever he could. According to McCormick, “It was a great life but it wasn’t much of a living.” He paid his rent and his dues with a series of jobs that allowed him the freedom of doing what he loved … and then he fell in love, and a different type of dream was born; a dream of progeny and a place in the world where he could nurture the seeds of life and family.

In 1990 he found himself employed by CBS. He immersed himself in the world of television and finance. He discovered in himself another talent as the years unfolded, a talent for numbers that would vault him into the upper echelon of television executives. He is currently Vice President of Production Finance for CBS.

Denny McCormick stopped playing guitar for ten years as he laid the foundation for another dream that wasn’t built on shifting sand. Now … as the tides of time slip away into the seas of eternity there is an island where dreams can coexist, and perhaps, for one night; we can revel in the dreams of our youth while reflecting on the happy sacrifices we made that allows our children to pursue their dreams.

Denny McCormick will be performing a one-time show from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday at the American Legion, 29 Sheldon St. Admission is $10.