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