Soul Man

Hey Barry White Fans . . .
It's now autumn, and we are all faced with the daily grind of life again . . . no more vacations and long, sun-filled days lolling about at the beach. It's reality, most of us are not independantly wealthy, capable of doing nothing each day. Now's the time we must harken back to our youth, our carefree days . . remembering what it felt like to spend many hours doing whatever we darn well felt like doing. I can remember endless hours with the record player turning, spinning out the songs of my youth . . . any number of artists voices carrying out from those magic discs . . . unfortunately for me, I hadn't discovered Barry White then. I had heard of him, but I hadn't listened effectively to his wonderful voice, his melodies and compositions so intricate and soulful. Sometimes I really regret that I missed his heydey, the period of life when he was alive and giving us those songs, one after the other. How quickly the lights of life can dim if we aren't paying attention. It reminds me that life's most precious moments are those we get to spend doing just as we please in youthful pursuit . . when time is standing still and we eagerly accept the nothingness for we don't know what lies ahead. In remembrance of Barry White and my youth, I encourage all of you to take a moment to enjoy something carefree . . . do nothing but whatever it is you enjoy doing! That's what Barry got to do all of his life, what he loved! Celebrate the eternal youth of this masterful musician.

Take care,
Cheryl

At the Home . . .

of the #1 fan of Barry White right now . . . around me are the many albums, cds, dvds, and assorted photos and other items in this man's memorabilia. I could say that possibly he has everything, but I know this is not the case! There are so many more things out there in the world which pertain to Barry, left from concerts, or perhaps gathered by adoring fans just like him. But he likes to say, he is the #1 fan, because he has spent his lifetime in adoration of Barry! I hear him sing along to songs I am not even so familiar with, knowing every lyric, every note, every place where Barry worked his magic with composing . . . . each song is his favorite, each melody starts a flood of memories and emotions flowing. Can you compare your personal history to his? I think there are many such fans worldwide who adored Barry White, not to mention those who were actually conceived during one of his marathon recordings. Hmmm, to say BW touched the world is an understatement for sure. Lots of love to all those of you who are right now lost in dreams of another time, a time filled with the delectable sounds of the maestro as he delighted you with endless love and beautiful music!

Another Reference

again today, in an episode of a tv show from the 90's I think . . . I didn't watch the show back when it first aired, but in seeing it's reincarnation on cable today, I was reminded of Barry White's influence yet again. There I was, only "sort of" watching as the comedic cast did their best to entertain . . . I'm not sure of the title even of the show, just remembering the tragic circumstance of the actual cast member who was shot to death unexpectedly by his wife of all people while the show was still in production. His name was Phil Hartman, and he was one of the big stars of this ensemble cast. Anyway, today as he performed his lines, he was doing a deep voice at one moment, and actually pretended to be Barry White. It was charming. I'm wondering how many times Barry was mentioned or imitated by someone in movies or in television programs, or in song lyrics, or how many times he participated in broadcasts which aired during his lifetime. His career was so prolific, how could anyone have kept track of all his appearances much less the times he was given a nod, or a mention within a show??

Ah, Barry, you had so much influence and you were so iconic, everyone seems to have known you. It's sometimes strange how you live on so, beyond the physical limitation of your abbreviated life, just like the actor who pretended to be you in this show. It was sort of ironic . . . time has a way of equalizing us all that way, doesn't it?? We all become memories, but those icons amongst us get to live on through film and video, iconic immortality, thankfully!

A Big Memorial

for Michael Jackson reminds us of the many icons we have loved and lost in recent years . . . even those from not so recent years, like Elvis. If the artist is the one who influenced your musical preferences the most over your lifetime, it is a shock to your system to lose them prematurely. Many people are able to mark specific life events to music from these great performers. Things like when they conceived their child, to what song they played at their wedding, all the way to which is their all-time favorite song ever! These are remarkable feats from our musical icons, things which touch us so deeply. Now multiply that out by thousands perhaps millions of people all over the world and imagine how these geniuses touched and impacted their lives and continue to do so for the future. It's astonishing! Their brilliance is truly great, as their influence upon humanity as a whole is incredible. Let's celebrate all these icons of love, as Barry would have surely called them.

Have a great new day, listen to someone you love, Cheryl

Filled With Memories

and playing his songs . . . we all spent a moment basking in the glow of Barry White this 4th of July, didn't we? It is an honor to remember someone so talented, but the very act of this reverence to a master is still not easy to facilitate. It's as if we still find it hard to believe he is gone. I am certain his #1 fan, a man I know quite well, was moved to spend parts of the day longing for another chance to experience Barry White's greatness . . . but not in album or cd form, but rather through a concert. Ah, if only there could be another chance to see him perform, as those who did see him live cannot seem to let the memory of that experience diminish. He must have surely been a tremendous force of nature out on the stage. I ponder the "what ifs" of my life, among the many volumes of things . . .wondering if I had just gotten the chance to see him, just once . . . but unfortunately, some of life's offerings to us have time deadlines, most of which we never consider until they are upon us. Then we lament the lost cause, the missed chance . . the restlessness building as we consider the opportunity that will never be. I probably could have had the opportunity once upon a time, but I was a different person inside then, favoring other performers during those years of Barry White's predominance. I missed the chance to pull the "golden ring" from the merry-go-round . . . just a few years too late with my admiration for this masterful musician to see him perform live.

Believing

in miracles . . . wanting to find the rainbow's end . . . looking towards the stars . . . these are the phrases which occur to us when we are searching for our dreams. I believe that Barry White was a dreamer, a really big dreamer . . he never tired of finding a way, making the dreams become realities. I know this because I read his history, his story . . in his own words. He shared his soulful journey out of Watts in Los Angeles, CA. to the big time! He made it, just by walking out. Nothing but bravery and heroics allows for a man in such a troubled place, with so many opportunities to fail and fall around him, to elevate his status in life, to lift his dreams to a new reality. That's exactly what he did, he overcame the worst things life can throw at a young person of color. He even lost his brother to the life he purposefully overcame through struggle and his bravado. He gave back in every way possible to the people who helped him through those years of hardship, including his beloved Mother. She was his inspiration, keeping him from falling into the traps a youth in the tough neighborhood of Watts can fall into. She showed Barry the pathway, through hard work and perseverance, through spirituality and benevolence. He learned to help many people along his journey, even offering counseling to young couples as they learned to adapt to marriage and life as a couple. He never failed at reinventing himself to suit himself first, then if his corporate partners failed to support him, he made himself stronger with new partners and new methods. Barry White was iconic and incredibly talented, but his greatest legacy is what actually is the greatest enigma for his fans . . . how could someone so "large" in life just leave so quickly without much made of his passing, in other words, his fans are left to wonder, how could he have left so early when he had so much power in his soul? Surely he fought through many other travails and easily became the victor, so why was he taken so prematurely from us? He surely had many more intended victories and many more memorable achievements to reach . . . like all the greats who leave us quite young, we are left to ponder their immortality in our hearts, wishing they could be the one who someone made it through the greatest challenge they ever faced, death. Oh why Barry, why??

It Ain't Lovin' . . .

until you live it . . it ain't lovin' until you give it . . ahh, those words, that melody, the tempo which gets me through those minutes on the treadmill or the elliptical machine. I love his energy . . . Barry White exuded raw and unfettered energy, in every way, even his ballads. Why I do believe most of his arrangements lengthened a song which might have only been 2 minutes in duration to about 20 minutes! He wasn't shy about filling his listeners up with emotion and then taking his sweet old time to wring it back out of them . . . exhausting their emotions until they are spent. It's his process . . . he gave all, but in that process, he takes all too . . . you sway, you rock, you move, you sing, you hum, you slap your hands to the tempo . . . you are carried away with the rhythms, until you are spent.

What a tremendous gift Barry White gave us all . . . the endless array of arrangements and songs, each grasped by some recording artist, or producer or television production company to be used as a signature piece. Listen to all the places BW's music pops up, in the least likely places . . . I even found his songs as recordings inside chocolate candy heart boxes this last Valentine's Day. His reach is enormous, his expanse unrivaled. There are snippets and blips on the "radar
screen" of life everywhere from BW's influence in the musical world.

Take some time to feel your groove . . Cheryl

For the love of Barry . . .

Yesterday evening, I got an idea about paying tribute to Barry White on July 4th this year. It is of course the anniversary of his death . . . he was only a man in his 50's, not so much older than Michael Jackson was. As you know, unless you have been on a deserted island perhaps, both are now a part of God's heavenly choir. It is tragic to think of life ending for these talented men so soon . . . surely they had many performances and a host of notes swirling throughout their creative minds. Both gave us gifts through their talents that stand far and above the average . . . think of the numbers of lives these men touched singlularly, much less as combined influential entertainers. It is almost overwhelming to think of the extent of albums and songs both were a part of. Both these talented men were far and away unrivaled for the impact they made upon contemporary music not just in one country, nor on one continent, but worldwide.

Their genius was in affecting people, transcending human form, by lifting the hearts of fellow human beings in a generous manner . . . giving light and love through music. Neither was a "choir boy", they were afterall flawed human beings. To say they are undeserving of some accolade because you didn't believe their hearts were pure is to deny them their rightful places in the history of music and live performances. They were both men, but both were musical icons as well. Let's remember this week to thank those icons amongst us, who are capable of changing our hearts, renewing our spirits and altering our conceptions of reality in their time, they were and continue to be great impacts upon society and mankind as a whole.

Memorial

Today is dedicated to another musician of great influence and worldwide fame . . . Michael Jackson. We hope you are at peace now Michael . . . thanks for giving us incredible talent and music which changed our world. And to Barry, we will remember you especially in these next few days, as we reach the anniversary of your death on July 4th. To all the fans of these two great musicians and artists, take time now to listen and enjoy . . . that's the best tribute of all!

Good day, Cheryl

Lifting Spirits Everywhere

Who doesn't believe that Barry White was a master of levitation?? Afterall, he lifted spirits all around the world didn't he?? :) He was a creative man surely, he composed and arranged numerous masterful works of music without reading or writing any notes. That's a gift, but his greatest gift, the one most evident is his gift of spreading joy and happiness through music. Just his joy of life, of love, of human connections is prevalent in every work of art he had his hands in. Let's take a moment to celebrate the legacy of his love this July 4th, the anniversary of his death several years ago. It's not a day to be sad, nor feel the loss so much as it is the day to celebrate the longevity and scope of his greatest gift . . . himself!

Have a wonderful new day, Cheryl

Warmin' up

to the soulful stylings of BW, letting the sugary sounds sweetly roll over my mind, my body, my spirit. He is capable of opening up the most closed heart, releasing all energy and pent-up frustrations from the deepest regions of our souls. He is purely and simply, Il Maestro. There are plenty of adoring websites, blogs and pages dedicated to him on Facebook. But is there anything more telling of his grandeur and greatness than a fan who knows almost more about his life than his own. He lives with every lyric and all those telltale notes inside not only his brain, but within the memory regions of his heart. That is the most exclusive resting place for this affection, this love, this passion. Within the heart of BW's truest fan lies the wealth of memories, the unfulfilled hopes and desires for more, the sweet taste of all the notes as they bounce off the compostions BW labored so lovingly to produce and create. Barry White's #1 fan is loyal . . . true-blue loyal, ultimately dedicated and unswervingly passionate in his intense devotion to this masterful artiste. His fan appreciates the quality and quantity which are BW's legacy. He never let his fans down, certainly not his #1 fan. Not for a moment, in any way, other than to leave this world much too soon.

Dedicated to the man I know as BW's #1 Fan. Cheryl

Listen With Your Heart

and you'll hear, the sweet yet sultry tones of Barry White . . . he is everywhere, on your phone as you wait on hold, on the satellite music feeds playing through the building elevators where you work, it's in a musical card you received from your true love. He is everywhere, singing his heart out just as if he were still performing those magical songs for you live! Listen with your heart as you listen to his . . .

He was wonderous in his masterful ways of composing music . . . there was a unique style and sound which defined his works. So, when you start to hear that old favorite of yours, maybe it's "Love's Theme" or "First, Last, My Everything" . . .all the songs are resonant reminders of what touched your heart from Barrys. Imagine, we have all been given the ultimate and constant gift from him . . . his voice, his music, his compositions, his transcendant sound . . . it all lives with us each and every day. Feel the surge of energy as you listen to his songs, it will touch your heart, can't help it!

Love your day away . . .Cheryl

Barry White the inventor

Have you heard of Edison, Bell, and Ford? Of course! Well they were the founders and inventors responsible for some of the major innovations of our time . . . we wouldn't be using this internet capability right now were it not for the electricity and subsequent discoveries we now take for granted. Just like those men changed our society with their persistent effort to innovate, Barry White, the innovative entertainer, changed the world we know with his complex compositions and mood-evoking music.

Barry White had his influence in all sorts of mediums of entertainment, including, music, television, movies, magazines, books, live performances and helped in beginning many careers of fellow musicians. He was a man from the streets of LA, the roughest beginnings most of us could never imagine, but he transformed his life and his future by focusing on the amazing gifts God gave to him . . . talent, sheer and raw, refineable and changeable . . . his gifts were fully used, although his light was dimmed far too soon for this world.

To say Barry changed his own destiny is to make a glaring understatement. In the face of all adversity, he challenged himself to overcome the obstacles which might have prevented the tremendous body of his work from ever seeing the light of day. He worked and persevered to be the master of his own destiny, using his spirit to reach out to people, while he worked towards his own goals. He gave to people, in a way that touched all of us . . . truly, he left a lifelong impact, which when you consider the magnitude of projects he was involved with, will surely reach almost the entirety of the world. I'm not sure there is even a tiny corner of the world where his voice, his music, his influences, his joy for living is not known. Look at some of what is available around the world . . . albums, cds, dvds and photos from almost every continent on this globe. Barry White was a citizen of the world, and isn't that the ultimate tribute to a human?? Shouldn't we all strive to make a global impact of goodness? That is the true essence of his legacy . . . not only are there infinite fans still dancing and singing along to his numerous hits, but there are people who are alive today because his music was quite influential in their conception. Apparently he was instrumental in more than just the creation of music!! I make light here, but it is a fact that more people make and made love to his music than any other recording artist. His gifts touched people deeply to their souls, their hearts and their spirits . . . entertaining and delighting billions around the world.

Keep the beat, Cheryl

Over Time

a wealth of music, of lyrics and melodies sublime . . . that is the legacy of Barry White. Think of the sheer numbers of his own songs, combine that with the vast number of productions and compositions he was a part of and you will realize why his talent was without a doubt greatest of all! He was the master of so many endeavors, he learned to do all of this without reading musical notes . . . that's a phenomonal gift alone. The most astonishing fact we must note here in this portal of appreciation is . . . his style, his recognizable rhythms and melodies, his language . . filled with artistry and love! He said that his first love was music . . . I believe his passion for it is evident throughout his career. Chances are you can detect his influences in every song, every recording, every note which he had his big gentle hands upon . . . there is a "visible" signature to a Barry White creation.

We hope you will find a place here to share your comments, to share your earnest love and affection through your memories and thoughts. This is the place for all the worldwide fans of Barry White to celebrate his life! Enjoy!

Have a great new day! Cheryl

Welcome to all the Maestro's Fans!!

What do we all have in common? We are the loyal and truest fans of Barry White
. . . the master of music, the producer behind many wonderful works of art, the guru of rhythm and blues . . . the extraordinary musician and artist who graced our world-filling it with heavenly sounds to lift our spirits, delight our senses, and elevate our human condition. He most assuredly was Il Maestro for us!

Our desire with this blog is to enable all of his fans worldwide to access fellow fans . . . to help one another remember, celebrate and inspire with his tremendous talent and divine musical gifts. We all have memories of hearing a special song for the first time, being caught up in a tempo only BW could have composed, to be swept away in a wave of sound and lyrics so uniquely his. He lit this world for such a relatively brief time, but he was most prolific and left a legacy of joy for all of us to reflect upon and enjoy.

Share your memories, your photos, your songs, your memorabilia . . . tell us what you remember, where you were when . . . ., what you loved most. We want to let this be the ultimate celebration for all-things-BW!! Enjoy!

Cheryl