Soundtrack of my life

When I was a teenager, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and Alice Cooper were all popular, at least with the crowd that I hung out with. Although I badly wanted to be a ‘hippy’, music and culture had moved on to hard rock. I listened to the head-banger music with my friends, but when I was at home alone, “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor and “Tumbleweed Connection” by Elton John were my albums of choice.

James Taylor came to Ottawa in the late 90's and I desperately wanted to get tickets, but I didn’t know anyone who was really into him. My son Adam offered to go with me. Not that he was a fan, but he grew up listening to my music and knew most of the songs -- whether he wanted to or not. (Hey, I listened to Rafee and watched Polkaroo, so he owed me).

When James Taylor came out on stage, balding and no longer looking like “Sweet Baby James” (but he did play the song), tears came to my eyes. I had wanted to see him live since I was about 14, and here I was, about 30 years later, in the same room as SBJ (along with a few thousand others).

When Adam first moved to Calgary he worked part-time at a music store. Staff took turns choosing the albums they played in the store. Adam told me that he occasionally would put on James Taylor and someone would ask “Who put that on”? Adam said he played it because it reminded him of his mom and of home.

The other person I always wanted to see live was Elton John. I got a call from Jennifer this morning saying that she had 2 tickets and did I want to go. They aren’t cheap, and I’m watching my pennies since going on LTD, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. So I’m going to see Sir Elton on June 1. Yahoo!!

As for Canadian artists, Colin James is ‘the man’. And by the way, whatever happened to ‘my boy’ Remy Shand? He made one great album and then seems to have disappeared.

(The fabulous picture of Sweet Baby James was done by my talented niece Erin, on the front of a postcard she sent me.)