The one and only Al Green’s records or shall I say, soundtracks will be forever etched in my mind. One would have to have the time with no agenda to truly enjoy his many soulful tunes from the 70’s such as Love and Happiness. And perhaps, a tad of maturity to boot would not hurt.
Those with a few tracks on the romance railway would truly get it and identify with Al Green’s message. When he was at the height of his career, like many of those in the spotlight, he had an unfortunate incident in his hometown of Memphis. Someone threw hot grits (an African American thing) and some woman lost her life during the wildness of a party night. For a while, he was jokingly called Al Grits.
But to him, it was no laughing matter. When interviewed, he kept asking, “Did it happen? What happened?” It was surreal to him and those who have been at alcohol-fueled parties know how quickly things can go from joy to everlasting pain. Yet, overtime, he overcame it and moved on to become a minister with his own church there in Memphis.
I was out at a club once with a friend who was working as the deejay in Gary. He was spinning records and playing the music to keep the crowd happy. It takes a level of skill to be able to read the room and decide what type of music and which musical artists will bring the most joy to the people. He could see if they were swaying to the beats, dancing or if they were sitting stiffly as if waiting for time to pass.
He chose to put on Al Green’s Love and Happiness and oh my! The place came alive as if setting off a wildfire. The club had rocking couples and singles and when he thought he had brought pleasure to many, a tall gentleman came over to me and said, “Ask him to play it again.” He handed me a couple of dollars, so I passed it over to my deejay-friend and whispered, “Play it again.” He did. This happened at least three times and the man continued to come up with his cash because he obviously needed to relive some affair from his past. I will never forget that event!
Love and Happiness? There is nothing like it. So, when you have time, push play and take a walk back down memory lane with Mr. Al Green!
Lynn M.
October 22, 2022
Lynn M's Reflections 