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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Last Hokey Pokey Inventor Dies

If you’ve lived in south-central Idaho for any length of time and don’t know that Wendell’s Larry LaPrise wrote the ubiquitous children’s song Hokey Pokey, I’m revoking your citizenship. LaPrise held a copyright on the song — and received royalty checks until he died on his 84th birthday in 1996. But his claims have always been controversial, and now the other songwriter who penned a version of Hokey Pokey is also gone. Robert Degen, a musician from Scranton, Pa., who copyrighted a song called The Hokey Pokey Dance in 1944, died recently at age 104/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.

Question: I consider the Macarena to be the worst dance ever invented. The Hokey Pokey would land in my Top 5 of my all-time worst -- mebbe the Top 2. Which dance do you consider the all-time worst invented?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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