If you search "Kalamazoo" on Spotify, dozens of songs will pop up. Some of them are covers of Glenn Miller's 1940s smash hit "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo". But many of them are original tunes featuring a mention of the southwest Michigan city. And virtually none of those artists are from Michigan.
Here's a quick list of songs mentioning Kalamazoo:
So how did we get here?
Some of it is probably just because the name is fun to say.
"It's fun to say, and also it rhymes with a lot of things," said Paul Russell, an L.A.-based musician who wrote and recorded a song called "Kalamazoo" several years ago.
His lyrics are:
"I'ma get a half of the town in the booth
We be throwing afters in Kalamazoo"
But he's never actually been to the city.
"I think I know literally nothing about Kalamazoo except the fact that it exists," said Russell. "In the song, the way that I used it is the same way that you'd use 'Timbuktu.' It's just like a far away place."
But there's more to the story about how Kalamazoo found its way into recorded music. There's a connection with Kalamazoo's own musical history as the birthplace of Gibson Guitars—a brand that helped craft the sound of American music.
In the late 1800s, a young inventor and musician, Orville Gibson forever changed American music by redesigning mandolins and guitars to be more like violins and cellos—carved, arched wood bodies with f-holes. He founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar company after moving to Michigan and settling in, you guessed it, Kalamazoo.
"In certain musical contexts, Orville's vision rules today. In terms of jazz guitars and in terms of the bluegrass mandolin, he's the guy," said John Thomas, law professor at Quinnipiac University, music historian, and author.
Gibson's sphere of influence on American music only accelerated in the years after its founder left the company in the early 1900s.
Thomas's book "Kalamazoo Gals" looks at the history of Gibson in Kalamazoo. It also focuses on the period during World War II when women were manufacturing Gibson's acoustic guitars. Thomas said those guitars would be among the most beautiful in a long line of Gibson models, including the game-changing Les Paul electric guitar, all manufactured in Kalamazoo.
For about 80 years, famous musicians would come to Kalamazoo to pick up their instruments. The company and sound then influenced the music.
The song "Down on the Corner" by Creedence Clearwater Revival includes the lyrics:
"Rooster hits the washboard, and people just got to smile
Blinky thumps the gut bass and solos for a while
Poor boy twangs the rhythm out on his Kalamazoo
Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo"
In this case, the band is referring to a specific kind of Gibson guitar—the budget-friendly Gibson Kalamazoo.
Gibson left Kalamazoo for Nashville in 1984, and Thomas said the company lost something special when it moved away from its founding city.
"I think Orville Gibson, in 1876... landing in a town with a funny name, I think led to the lore and helped Gibson [the company] be what it is today," he said.
Here's a brief list of some of the most iconic recordings that feature Gibsons made here in Michigan:
So when we hear artists sing about Kalamazoo, it's likely for a couple reasons:
1) "Kalamazoo" is a fun word that's easy to write into lyrics.
2) Gibson Guitars forever made Kalamazoo an important city in the story of American music.
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