Music & Me & You

I, like many other people, love music. I would like to think that my tastes are fairly diverse. But, I am quite certain that everyone has an artist or genre of music that really "moves" them or speaks to their heart or speaks to their soul. Mine happens to be old Motown artists: Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, etc. Well, ok.. so maybe Al wasn't with Motown but I still really love his old music.

I have often wondered when and where I developed the love for this genre of music. My family seems to have a diverse taste. But, I'll get to that in a minute. I just know that I didn't grow up listening to the music. I know that I fell in love from the first time I heard it.. whenever that was. It's interesting because I don't really listen to the words of a song when I first hear it. It's the instruments, rhythm, and flow that grabs my attention or touches my soul. Once the music has me, I can be transported.. to where? I don't know. But, I can listen to music for hours.

I can relate music to periods, people, sights, and, in some instances, specific feelings I had at one time. This brings me back to my family. For almost every member of my family, I can hear a certain song or artist and immediately think about that person. So, without further ado, here is my tribute in song to my family. (Note: I wanted to post links to each of the songs but thought that it might really slow down my blog.)

• My Mother - Any song by Tina Turner. My mom has loved Tina since I can remember. I think she possibly relates to some of her struggles in life. We have a long standing story about my mom dancing on the living room coffee table. (Sorry, Mom. But, it's a cute story.) I doubt it was to a Tina song but definitely in Tina fashion.
• My Stepfather - Freddie Fender: Wasted Days and Wasted Nights - He would play his 8 track (YES I said 8 track) over and over in his black and white pickup.
• My Sister, Susan - Conway Twitty: I'd Love To Lay You Down - When I was about 14 or 15 years old, my sister was stationed in North Carolina. I visited her for the summer. She would take me to a local ice house and let me hang out with her and her friends. They would drink beer and laugh it up while I would run back and forth to the jukebox. She would always ask me to play this song.
• My Sister, Leisa - Van Morrison: Into The Mystic - Hands down, this was the song that we have enjoyed together many, many times. My fondest memories were sitting at a table with her while she created her crafts. We would pop in the Van Morrison cassette (YES I said cassette.) and reminisce and sing and laugh and sometimes cry.
• My Brother, Todd - Any song by AC/DC - He loved Kiss and AC/DC. He had posters all over his walls of both bands. He would play AC/DC at the highest volume and then lip sing for me. Of course, adding the head shaking move of the guitar player.
• My Niece, Lacy - Any song by Celine Dion - I learned of Celine Dion from my son's father. He took me to one of her concerts and I instantly fell in love. Shortly after that, I learned that Lacy loved her too. A great moment was being able to attend Celine's concert in Las Vegas with Lacy. We just smiled and cried together. The show was beautiful!
• My Niece, Kayla - Matchbox 20: 3Am - I will never forget the fun time that Kayla and I had at the Matchbox 20 concert. I think it may have been her first concert. Anyway, it was held on an outdoor stage in downtown Houston. The streets were packed!!! Kayla and I started out right in the middle of the crowd in the middle of the street. LOL - By about the 3rd song, we were dead center right in front of the stage. We danced and sang our hearts out for the rest of the concert.
• My Nephew, Cody & My Niece, Kallie - Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to share magical musical moments with them yet. But, I can tell you that right now, it would have to be Boston: More Than A Feeling. We ROCKED that one on Rock Band. So, until my time comes to create more musical memories, this would be the song.
• My Son, Derrick - Lynyrd Skynyrd: Sweet Home Alabama - My son is not of a music lover like his mom. But, he does like to play guitar. When he first began learning how to play, he would play this song over and over and over and over. I miss hearing it. But, I also have a song that I have dedicated to him since he was very young and it too makes me think of him: Celine Dion - If That's What It Takes
• My Husband, Kelley - UGK: The Game Belongs To Me - I know! Strange song. It actually reminds me of him because it was just being released when we met. He heard it once on the radio and instantly had to have it. It just brings back early memories of getting to know him and spending so many nights in conversation with him.

That's my tribute! Diverse songs from a diverse family. A family that provides me with fond memories. Music that makes me smile!!!