Song of the Year Story

What happened was, thinking over favorites for the profile, I realized that my habit of choosing a "Song of the Year" for every year went back to elementary school . . . a lot of songs . . . eclectically too many. It might be fun to do a bio using your favs of the years and the story behind each choice. At 13, mine was Sergei Rachmaninov's "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor," at 16, the 8th century Irish "Be Thou My Vision," at 18, "Three Gymnopedies," by Erik Satie, and so on. After hearing "The Blind Boys of Alabama" singing Prince's "The Cross," with its passionate lyrics and sound, well, that just had to be the one for the year 2004. "My Evergreen" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers topped 2005. Feeling all this great music made me want to share it. (See sidebar-->)

"The Cross" is in my "Top Ten of all Time." The Blind Boys introduced me to it, though. I saw them at Calvin College, the wiry lead singer in his 80s, holding notes way past breathing with his head thrown sideways and back, dancing, hugging, up and down the auditorium aisles--a bonefide rocker. He hugged me, too.