My father passed away today in Oregon, after a long spell with Alzheimer's.  Just 3 weeks shy of his 89th birthday. We were not that close/a little close.  My parents split when I was 2, he had gone off to Israel to live on a kibbutz, and she had decided to keep the kids in New York.  he was a bit of a dreamer, well, a lot of a dreamer, maybe that ( Read more... )

Passed away too young.*   Here is a performer who deserves the term "artist".  Great singer, great songwriter.  Songs.  Back when that mattered.

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1982 Montreux performance

I saw him perform in 1978 at Boston's Orpheum Theater, a thrilling performance.  (I think biggaloot  has said he was also there, the show included Nick Lowe and Rockpile and Elvis  ( Read more... )

I am shocked that she died in a skiing accident. She seemed so vital ( Read more... )

What a beautiful name. Why aren't there many girls named "Odetta"?

Beautiful woman who kept her beauty and her voice well into old age.

According to NPR, she started singing a few years before I was born, 1950. I do remember her as a presence. More, some of the spirituals my mother sang me were Odetta standards. I guess she was a few years ( Read more... )