April 8th – It’s something we ought to drum into the heads of
all those wannabes who inhabit (‘loose-definition’ warning) who inhabit the talent shows
that seem to fill every TV screen for every hour of every day…or is it just that
it seems that way?
Like trying to tell a bear about
flush toilets, convincing some no-talent, modern-life-spoiled, dyed-hair, toss-pot-outfitted…cock…that whatever
talent they possess won’t necessarily be the reason they’ll be splashed across
the red tops in order for them to make 'a difference' to the music world is a
real challenge. With that as a lead in, I was reminded that, on this day in
1997, Laura Nyro died.
Yup, I know; who she? I only caught
up with her because she was one of the artists who appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival in '67', and even then only well after the event when I heard an
Eric Burdon (The Animals) song called, ‘Monterey’. Good track, on the ‘Twain
Shall Meet’ album that was a little pretentious but nevertheless captured some
of the spirit of that festival as well as a part cast-list of who’d performed
there. Word-of-mouth was the Internet of the 60’s and that’s when Ms. Nyro’s
name, her musicality and her politics came to my notice. Linked with the likes
of Joan Baez, Buffy Saint-Marie, Melanie and Joni Mitchell, I took an interest in
her work and was not to be disappointed.
If, like me back then, you’ve not
heard of her my guess is you’ll be acquainted with a couple of her songs; ‘Up
On the Roof’ and ‘Stoned Soul Picnic’? I know…that talented, real talent who performed and
recorded with some of the very best in the business, wore her politics on her sleeve and took no prisoners when her strong beliefs were challenged; We'd do well to give each talent-contest-tosser a copy of her back-story; Laura Nyro - 'The Correct Way To make A Difference'. If you’re at all into
singer/songwriters then can I highly recommend her work to you. Anyway, what has this
to do with anything? Well, just this:
In 1975, Ms. Nyro’s mother, Gilda,
died of ovarian cancer at just 49 and Ms. Nyro recorded her album ‘Smile’ as a
distraction from that event, amongst others.
Just 20 years later, at the age of
49, Ms. Nyro also died of ovarian cancer…
So, just don’t miss those screening dates; I mean not ever.
So, just don’t miss those screening dates; I mean not ever.
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