The featured image is of Linda Ronstadt on The Muppet Show singing this week’s tune. It’s one of the most memorable moments from a memorable TV series. One could even say it was memorably frogtastic, which is clearly not a word.

Roy Orbison and Joe Melson wrote Blue Bayou in 1961 but it sat on the shelf until 1963. It’s unclear if the record label wanted the song croaked. That’s the last frog joke. I promise.

We begin with Roy Orbison:

It’s a Linda Ronstadt doubleheader with the studio OG and her aforementioned visit to Muppet land or is that Muppet world?

Country singer Lynn Anderson recorded the Orbison-Melson classic in 1983.

Harry Dean Stanton was one of my favorite oddball movie character actors. As a singer, he’s no Roy or Linda, but who is?

Let’s get quirky with the Memphis Ukulele Band:

Finally, Roy Orbison live with a backing band full of big machers:

What would the Friday Cocktail Hour be without instrumental versions of the week’s tune? This time, Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass followed by the Midnite String Quartet:

That’s it for this week. Let’s drink to the blue tsunami. It’s what Linda and Jerry would want. Never argue with them.