Personally, I always felt comedy and music were the two most important distractions a human being can have. Since we live in a society that is so competitive, stress is a bi-product of our daily existence. Our jobs give us stress, politics and elections give us heartburn and earaches. Even personal relationships send us reeling to our therapist. However, music, art and comedy seem to soothe the savage beast that is part of our soul.
Six years ago, we lost two musical giants in the month of December, Grover Washington Jr. (12/17/99) and Curtis Mayfield (12/26/99). The true genius of all artists who use their talents to perpetuate and promote our culture, is that they do not use overt coersion to persuade us, they use their open soul to teach us not all is evil in our world. I am a very private person. Although I can play an instrument and tell a joke in small company, I do not have it in me to bare my soul, my life to the public. I would be petrified to walk out on stage and face total strangers while divulging to others what is so special only to me. My child may say I have given my all to being a good father and provider, however, I can not even go on a stage and communicate to a mass audience how much of love or feeling I have about anything.
The genius is not how good the joke is, how it was delivered, or even how well you can play the notes, it is the fact you can share your soul, your life with a mass audience. I remember the night Curtis Mayfield died, I played every LP, every 45, every CD I had of the Impressions, Curtis alone or songs he wrote for other people until 3am in the morning. The ability for anyone to write and perform those songs is a trait 99% of the population lacks.
Journalists, politcians, lawyers and other professionals are taught not to be personal with their constituents and clients. When a journalist or columnist writes about events of the day, they are not telling us anything about themselves, they shield their life from us through the security of writing or commenting about others. We knew everything about Richard Pryor because he told us. It may have started with Lenny Bruce, maybe earlier, but it was the first time I remember a stand up comic telling more about his personal side. Besides his Noah routine, I recall Bill Cosby's funnier moments were his gems about his family and being raised in Philly. Even through his political and social critiques, George Carlin is able to let us know about his insecurities and peccadilos. They not only let us know who they are, they are able to touch into our own lives and laugh at ourselves in much the same way we hear a song like "Minstrel and Queen" and remember that woman who tore a hole in our heart.
We remember the passing of another great artist this past week, John Lennon. A man who was not only capable of asking us to imagine what a peaceful world would be like, but a man who tapped into our capabilities of being loved and to love. If I recall from reading an interview with one of the Beatles, their first single "Love Me Do" was inspired by a song by someone who is considered by many America's greatest living poet, Smokey. The song was called "You Can Depend On Me". If you listen to Carol King's "You've Got a Friend" you can tell that song had a strong influence to her as well.
To Richard Pryor, we depended on your humor to cheer us up just like a friend who is always there when times are tough. Your jokes about yourself distracted us from our own miserable conditions. Although I never shook your hand or spoke to you face to face, I knew you as well as I knew an old friend. I could always rely on you to make me forget about my own troubles and laugh. When I read of your death, I reached back to that influencial song "I'll be by your side when you need me....When the whole world is unfair and no one seems to care.... you can depend on me.." Rest in Peace!