My Dad: The father of rock 'n' roll

For the past 6 years, ever since I visited the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, I swore I’d return with the absolute best tour guide: my dad.

This past weekend, I finally made that promise come true. Off to Cleveland we went!

The Hall of Fame was incredible. For 7 hours we wandered through exhibits, marveled at Mick Jagger’s super-skinny jumpsuit and Diana Ross’s sequined dress, listened to songs together on oversized headphones, and watched videos of exclusive interviews and performances. The main exhibit was on Bruce Springsteen, an artist I never particularly loved and am now totally obsessed with. (My dad actually scored a last-minute ticket to see Bruce tonight – on the phone just now he said it was “the perfect end to a perfect weekend”).

Music has always been a wonderful bond between my dad and I. Whether singing along to Erasure as he drove me to a playdate as a kid, or blasting Blink-182 as we drove home from visiting my mom in the hospital (Dad loves the entire “Enema of the State” album!), music has always been our secret language.

But music isn’t our only language. Throughout the weekend, we talked about lots of other stuff: life, work, relationships. All the things you want to talk about with your dad… to get his advice, to learn from his wisdom, to prove to him that you’re growing up and making good decisions (even when you’re pretty sure he already knows that).

So, tonight’s a tribute to “the father of rock 'n’ roll” – my pops! He just called me back to tell me they’re playing all Bruce Springsteen on 104.3 FM. So as he drives home from the concert and plays Bruce on the radio, I’m getting ready for bed and letting Bruce croon me to sleep. Miles apart, music is our great connector.

Have you ever been on a trip with your parent(s) that meant a lot to you? Share it here!