sing in public

Talked to my friend Jane today. We’ve been singing together since 1970. We were both in utero at the time. (heh – right!)

Anyhow, Jane wants us to record some songs together so that her kids will have something to hold onto, something of our singing together.

She’s all gung ho on this. I’m supposed to find an arrangement of a song she wants us to do. So, I’m off now to find it! I’m thinking that maybe a karaoke website would have it. Hmmmmmmmm.

I LOVE TO SING!!!!! :-))

I’ve been sitting on the front steps of my house in suburban Chicago, bringing out my guitar and just singing the way I want to – at the top of my lungs. My voice is really big and singing in the house at full throttle sounds really bad. Outside, I can belt it out.

Yesterday, when I was out there singing, I remembered a song I used to sing years ago. I completely forgot that it had been a favorite. It was a Blind Lemon Jefferson tune called “See That My Grave is Kept Clean.” Happy little ditty, eh? Great old song and I got the lyrics online today. Once I saw them again, they clicked in fully.

I love singing. I have to do this. I am so not what a singer looks like, but I don’t care. I have to do this.

Now, I’ve sung in public a lot and have for over 35 years, so it may seem odd that I have this as a goal.

Here’s what I want to do – I want to have people pay for the privilege of hearing me sing. I don’t aspire to be the next great American voice. I would be happy as a saloon singer in a cheesy hotel. I just want to have a career doing the one thing I love most and I haven’t done that yet.

If you’re interested, I sing standards with a small combo backup. I also sing a lot of folk music. For that, I play my guitar and sing. I seem to get more exposure singing folk music than standards, but then there is more opportunity for folk music. Really! There is!!!

I love to sing and for many years I was told it was impossible for me. I was born with a cleft palate that was surgically repaired when I was nine months old. I wear a metal and plastic prosthetic that attached to my teeth so that my speech is understandable. My speech is so damned good now that even speech pathologists can’t tell I have a speech disability.

Maybe this was too much. I’m new here. I’ll pick it up.