By H Ralph Samuels, Jr.,
Her voice now rises softly
beyond this earthly realm;
fusing a smooth jazzy melody
with a bluesy African hymn.
She conquered the music world
with a special gift of song.
She stirred our hearts and souls
and invited us all to sing along.
She represented us well
No matter the stage or the scene;
She made the “City with Soul” proud.
She was one of Jackson’s musical queens.
A product of the Shady Oaks neighborhood
where she played and was raised.
Millsaps College and Jackson State University
was where she spent her college days.
Make no mistake about it
her music will live with us forever;
Take time and listen to her closely.
Enjoy her sound in any weather.
“Wouldn’t it be Loverly”
“Strange Fruit”, like Billie, she sang;
“Time after Time” is so “Fragile”
She swoons on “I Can’t Stand the Rain”.
Her unique lyrical interprétations
coupled with her sultry voice;
Made her a two-time Grammy winner
The Jazz Masters also made the right choice.
And now like others before her
this pink and green ivy is beyond the wall.
Her voice silenced by “A Little Warm Death”
she’s made her final curtain call.
We will remember the joy she brought to the world and to us.
Her legacy is etched in musical lore.
Time Magazine hailed her as America’s best singer.
This “New Moon Daughter” was all that and more.
(c) 2026 H Ralph Samuels, Jr.
“The Name Inspires the Pen”
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