Look Alive

01 February 2012

By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Almost ten years ago, a visionary acquaintance saw fit to inform me that "when a prince is born, a king is dethroned". I had no idea what he meant then because, however inverse to the phrase's dynamics, significant time would pass before my son did. That king & I have parted romantic ways. There weren't children of any gender before or, to date, since.

While running some errands this morning, I enjoyed a candid duet by Angie Stone and Prince on the radio. Old as I later learned the song is, the collaboration between these two favorite artists was brand new to me! A few moments afterwards, an announcer informed listeners that the first king of the 'urban' audiovisual showcase was found dead in his Los Angeles home. The specific meanings behind the adage and his passage are unknown, but the coincidence was remarkable enough to stir the memory.

Mr. Don Cornelius was the creator and host of the legendary Soul Train television show that (initially) featured live performances by funk, hip-hop, R&B and soul hitmakers of the '70s through this millennium. Even when the times went a-changin', Don stopped hosting and music became much more of a modeling runway with vocal tracking than a medium highlighting vocal, instrumental and writing ability, the Soul Train rolled with it and remained a place generations trusted for quality music, dance innovations and fun trivia. Actually, the famous "Soul Train Line" still connects the equal-opportunity-but-show-me-whatcha-got steps of varied celebration attendees across the globe!

Besides the Saturday fascination I held for many of the genius dance & style couples and a sister I was certain had knee-length hair, the program also served as a prototype for the extremely popular video and live artist-to-audience offerings that fuel all of today's major TV networks. [A friend said that his local radio station would host what they dub "the world's longest 'Soul Train Line'" later this evening. Wonderful footage is quite likely to be available somewhere, so I hope to amend the post with a pertinent link in due time.]

Echoing Life's occasional reality, the reported causes surrounding his physical death are not delicate nor do they deserve to be focused on, because only our Creator knows the intricacies of the Great Mystery. As with the mythical bird that lives only for a purified release of the soul, the real fate of all our bodies is finite. By God's grace, I am incarnate right now. Until my soul's natural arrival at the phoenix state of Being, however, I will continue to appreciate the p(e)ace that music can bring and remain eternally grateful, most importantly, for the Lover of my soul.

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