As I was walking through my neighborhood this afternoon, some one had written "This too shall pass" is vibrant chalk on their retaining wall. As I read it, the opening strains of Bob Dylan's "Times They are A Changin'" streamed through my earphones. It was an uplifting moment.
Which got me thinking on what song I would post today. I love music so there are a lot of options but the one I decided upon has special significance to me.
My parents loved Same Cooke. I mean LOVED Sam Cooke. "Their" song was "You Send Me." I grew up thinking all people loved Sam Cooke as much as my parents. Shockingly, some people don't know who he is.
He was more than a suave crooner who served as background music for my parents courtship. He was a groundbreaking force in the music industry. Cooke wanted all black artists, including himself, to reap the benefits of their work and artistry. He created his own record label, a daring move for a black man in Jim Crow America, and soon followed up with a publishing company and management arm. He set a precedent that helped others successfully navigate a complicated and often exploitative business.
He used his celebrity and acceptance in white circles as a platform to advance the civil rights movement. He funneled money to causes; he mentored other artists, encouraging them to do the same. He embraced all voices including Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali.
What Cooke would have accomplished, where he would have led, had he lived we'll never know. But in this time of crisis, his swan song is more poignant and piercing than ever. A Change Is Gonna Come.
Which got me thinking on what song I would post today. I love music so there are a lot of options but the one I decided upon has special significance to me.
My parents loved Same Cooke. I mean LOVED Sam Cooke. "Their" song was "You Send Me." I grew up thinking all people loved Sam Cooke as much as my parents. Shockingly, some people don't know who he is.
He was more than a suave crooner who served as background music for my parents courtship. He was a groundbreaking force in the music industry. Cooke wanted all black artists, including himself, to reap the benefits of their work and artistry. He created his own record label, a daring move for a black man in Jim Crow America, and soon followed up with a publishing company and management arm. He set a precedent that helped others successfully navigate a complicated and often exploitative business.
He used his celebrity and acceptance in white circles as a platform to advance the civil rights movement. He funneled money to causes; he mentored other artists, encouraging them to do the same. He embraced all voices including Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali.
What Cooke would have accomplished, where he would have led, had he lived we'll never know. But in this time of crisis, his swan song is more poignant and piercing than ever. A Change Is Gonna Come.
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