Said to be inspired by a tragic incident in the Chicago
South-Side a few weeks before the Mother’s Day back in 1985, is Mr. T’s mid-1980s
“hit-single” Mother the unlikeliest Mother’s Day hit single to receive
continuous mainstream FM station airplay ever?
By: Ringo Bones
He might only be still remembered by those who grew up
during the Reagan era 1980s who fell in love with him after taken under
Sylvester Stallone’s wings after winning in an NBC TV special called World’s
Toughest Bouncer back in 1980. Mr. T – born Laurence Tureaud back in May 21,
1952 in Chicago, Illinois – is probably more well-known by his fans for
starring in the hit movie Rocky III as Stallone’s boxing nemesis named Clubber
Lang back in 1982 (Mr. T’s fellow wrestling team-mate, Hulk Hogan, was also
Stallone’s protégé). And then even becoming more famous for starring in various
primetime TV shows like The A-Team and his very own TV series T-n’-T back in
1989. But if you happen to be an “unabashed” Mr.T fan, do you still remember
his unlikely hit that became a Mother’s Day anthem back in the mid-1980s?
When Mr. T’s hit single Mother became a runaway hit back
around May 1985, legend has it that Mr. T was inspired to write a song after
hearing of a drug related tragedy in his hometown of Chicago just a few weeks
before Mother’s Day back in 1985. A 15-year old kid living in the notorious
crime and narcotic infested Chicago South Side was trying out crack (back then it
is a still brand new cocaine based street drug where baking soda is used as the
free-basing agent). After the kid’s mother accidentally walked in into the
kitchen and saw his son trying out crack cocaine and was then suddenly stabbed 17 times by his
own son after panicking while caught using crack.
After Mr. T’s unlikely Mother’s Day hit became largely
forgotten a few years later, the legend on the origin of that mid 1980s era hit
single also faded into obscurity. Hopefully, maybe some of Mr. T’s fans will still
remember “Mother” this 2014’s Mother’s
Day.Know of any newer Mother's Day themed hit singles?
