Thursday, January 6, 2011

No More Nancy at Comiskey Park-- Part 2

What about that song "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye?" The song you hear at ballparks all over.

"It was in 1977, the 'South Side Hit Men,' and we were vying for first place with Kansas City, so the fans were really charged, and they were responding to everything. But when I played 'Na na Hey Hey Goodbye, they all sang. I'd never heard anything like that, and neither had the writers, evidently, and it just made such an impact that it was written about." She didn't even know the name, thinking it was called "Sha Na Na."

The song was actually by a studio group called Steam, their one and only hit which went all the way to #1. Actually, the official name is "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye."

Nancy was born in 1947 and only missed five scheduled games during her tenure, once because of the birth of her son. In the 1970s, she was part of a group of extremely popular people out at Comiskey which included announcers Harry Caray, Jimmy Piersall and my favorite, Andy the Clown.

Mercury Records credited a spike in sales of the song to Nancy.

The song essentially is a taunt to visiting clubs and played after a Sox home run, an opposing pitcher being relieved or a victory.

Well, we are sure going to miss Nancy, she was such a part of the whole Sox experience.

Gone But Not Forgotten. --Cooter

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