Over the years I’ve put together this checklist based on experience, mostly learned the hard way, and am posting it here today – on this 50th anniversary of Woodstock and 58th launch of the Philadelphia Folk Festival – in the event that someone else might find it useful. As I approach 60 and celebrate the […]
I heard there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord But you don’t really care for music, do you? Well, it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor fall and the major lift The baffled King composing Hallelujah Hallelujah Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof […]
Margot Fonteyn was a great dancer (the wikipedia page) who is credited with saying “The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.” She died in 1991. The tribute song by Eddie from Ohio moved me […]
Please take a few minutes today to consider Odetta who would have been 80 years old today but passed away in late 2008. She is among the most powerful, most inspirational and most-respected role models in American culture over more than six decades. It seems that every artist and leader of our generation was influenced […]
“Hope sleeps And when it sleeps it dreams The most amazing dreams” “Hope sleeps But not forever.” John Flynn, “Hope Sleeps”, 2003
May God bless and keep you always,May your wishes all come true,May you always do for othersAnd let others do for you.May you build a ladder to the starsAnd climb on every rung,May you stay forever young,Forever young, forever young,May you stay forever young. May you grow up to be righteous,May you grow up […]
Today I took time to reflect on the influence of Odetta who died at age 77 last week. Odetta had a major spiritual influence on my life. Each time I’ve heard her – either live or recorded – the experience shook the foundation of my values and challenged me to new heights. I plead with anyone who reads this passage […]
Today is Little Richard’s 76th birthday. He is perhaps the person who had the greatest influence on rock and roll music; most of the top performers of my generation cited him as a significant influence in their music. Songs like "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly Miss Molly" have been universally used by everyone from bar room […]