Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Take 3: I Got The Booster Yesterday

It's time to Break It Down!

 

A year ago, I penned one of my shortest posts ever; 194 words. We were days away from one of the most consequential Presidential Elections ever. What may now sound like hyperbole landed then like outrageous understatement. Four more years of Trump? Come on man!

 

Today’s post is personal. I secured my COVID-19 Booster Shot yesterday. This is not a message in a bottle. You don’t want the shot? Do you. But if your bravado results in a case, be just as bodacious in declining a hospital bed needed by someone who adhered to medical protocols. “Take 3: I Got The Booster Yesterday!” (191 words)

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

Read my blog anytime by clicking the linkhttp://thesphinxofcharlotte.comFind a new post each Wednesday.

 

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021

WHO Honors Henrietta Lacks: Better Late Than Never

It's time to Break It Down! 

 

On February 3, 2010, I posted a blog about the story of Henrietta Lacks. Mrs. Lacks is a little known (to much of the world) legend (in the fields of cervical oncology and cellular biology). If you haven’t heard of her, it’s likely due to the fact she earned her fabled status on the patient side of medical miracles, not the scientist or physician side.

 

Last Wednesday, the World Health Organization honored the late Henrietta Lacks, whose cells have been used for innovative scientific research for decades, with an award in recognition of her contributions to the advancement of medical science.

 

Lacks, a Black woman, was suffering from cervical cancer when she was being treated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951. A surgeon removed cells from her cervix without her consent during a procedure and that sample enabled a doctor at the hospital to create the first human cell line to reproduce outside the body.

The cell line, now known as HeLa cells, allowed scientists to experiment and create life-saving medicine including the polio vaccine, in-vitro fertilization and gene mapping as well as helped advance cancer and AIDS research.

 

Lacks, 31, died that same year from cancer, but her influence on the medical science field lived on, leading to the WHO Director-General's award.

 

In his statement on the matter, Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "In honouring Henrietta Lacks, WHO acknowledges the importance of reckoning with past scientific injustices, and advancing racial equity in health and science. It's also an opportunity to recognize women -- particularly women of colour -- who have made incredible but often unseen contributions to medical science."

 

Several of Lacks' family members, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, attended the award ceremony at the WHO office in Geneva. Her 87-year-old son, Lawrence Lacks, Sr., accepted the award on her behalf.

 

Lawrence said, "We are moved to receive this historic recognition of my mother, Henrietta Lacks -- honouring who she was as a remarkable woman and the lasting impact of her HeLa cells. My mother's contributions, once hidden, are now being rightfully honored for their global impact.

 

My mother was a pioneer in life, giving back to her community, helping others live a better life and caring for others. In death she continues to help the world. Her legacy lives on in us and we thank you for saying her name -- Henrietta Lacks."

 

Below, is her story, as conveyed in my initial blog on the subject:

 

This past Monday was the first day of February. As we all know, February is the shortest month of the year, having 28 days, with every fourth year, a Leap Year, having 29 days (the next one in 2012). But did you know, during one period, February had 29 days, and 30 days during Leap Years? Augustus Caesar is said to have taken a day from February to add to August, so that the month named in his honor would have 31 days. Moreover, February has had several names, and has only been known as February for a little more than a century.

You also probably know that February has the distinction of having been designated Black History Month in the United States and Canada. As such, there is usually an infusion of ethnic TV programming, media coverage, civic, and religious observances.

In framing topics for exploration, I have seldom settled on a topic, or even a theme, the day before posting. It is most often the truest expression of “just in time” delivery. However, I have decided to depart from my pattern. Over four Wednesdays in February, I plan to explore of four African Americans who made outstanding contributions to this Country; their Country…our Country; America, and frankly in some cases, the world!

  • Who? There are many African Americans, who not only have made enormous contributions to society, but who garnered a fair share of fame and notoriety for their pursuits. Today’s subject is not among that list. Yet, Henrietta Lacks is a giant in terms of the relative importance of her contributions to life as we know it today. Ms. Lacks lived only 31 years, and has been dead nearly twice as long as she lived; succumbing to cervical cancer in 1951.
  • What? Ms. Lacks, a mother of five (2 daughters and 3 sons) died from a virulent strain of cervical cancer. During the course of her treatment, doctors removed cells from her, for research purposes…without her knowledge. This was a common practice then and now.
  • When? On February 1, 1951, shortly after participating in a march in New York to support finding a cure for polio, Ms. Lacks visited Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Though treated for the disease, she would live only 6 more months. 
  • Why? In most folks’ blueprint of choice, they would acquire fame and notoriety in life, if at all. For some though, it comes, only through death. This was the case with Henrietta. She was posthumously catapulted to what measure of notoriety she has attained because of the unique characteristics of her cells. 
  • How? Researchers at Johns Hopkins discovered a scientific breakthrough related to Ms. Lacks’ cells. In a departure from anything the scientists had seen before, the cells culled from Ms. Lacks continued to grow, outside of her body, and after her death. In fact, they did not just survive, they multiplied. In a circular irony, cells from Ms. Lacks’ culture were used to help Dr. Jonas Salk develop a vaccine for polio in 1955. Of course, Ms. Lacks had marched to help find a cure for that disease just four years earlier.

The story of Henrietta Lacks is powerful in its simplicity. Viewed in the absence of the critical lens of inquiry, it has the sound of saga about a young woman who died too soon; but whose death provided the gift of life, and healthier lives for countless others. In reality it is that…and so very much more.

Henrietta was a poor black woman who was treated in some instances as incidental to the research conducted by the staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Eventually, as the story gained traction and became more widely disseminated, the precious cells Ms. Lacks “donated” given the name 
HeLa, in her honor. 

The chief researcher in this matter, Dr. George Gey, had been searching for a way to keep cells alive outside the body. The cells taken from Henrietta were so incredibly aggressive that in a few short months, the cancer had spread throughout her entire body. The very properties that led to Ms. Lacks’ demise, most likely served as the catalyst for Dr. Gey’s success in inducing cells to continue growing for more than a few weeks outside the body. Those properties also led to breakthroughs in cancer research, drug testing, the development of Dr. Salk’s polio vaccine, insight into facilitating the survival of other cells, and ultimately, a new paradigm in biology.

It was discovered eventually, that HeLa cells are so ubiquitous that they literally took over countless cell samples, resulting in contaminating samples, and invalidating research results. That is unfortunate. But I would argue the real victims in the HeLa story are the Lacks. In addition to not gaining permission to extract Henrietta’s cell tissue for research purposes, the virtual explosion of the HeLa phenomenon had been unfolding for decades before the family ever learned of it.

The growth and sale of HeLa, which continues unabated today, has generated countless millions of dollars in sales revenue, lead to saving lives all across America, and around the world, and furthered medical research initiatives for nearly 60 years. So, what have the Lacks gained from this you may ask? 

Nothing; nada; zero; zilch!

Think on that “Profile in Black History: Henrietta Lacks!” Today, you got the remix, "WHO Honors Henrietta Lacks: Better Late Than Never!" 


I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com or at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.


A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:


https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/14/us/who-honors-henrietta-lacks/index.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/afroambios.html

http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/index.jsp

http://www.history.com/content/blackhistory

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Quick+guide+Black+History+Month/2508087/story.html

http://www.entourages.com/barbs/february.htm

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/year/february.htm

http://pregnancy.about.com/od/funduedatefacts/a/february.htm

http://www.famousquotesandauthors.com/keywords/february_quotes.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Lacks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Otto_Gey

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/health/02seco.html

http://curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=12&db=12&C0=735

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immortal-Cells.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk

http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=3426

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/books/blog/2010/01/the_immortal_life_of_henrietta.html

http://www.rantrave.com/Rave/Where-is-the-soul.aspx

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=henrietta+lacks&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=jUFnS4PWHYGPtgeS-aGzBg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=8&ved=0CEEQsAQwBw

http://spittoon.23andme.com/2009/01/30/the-story-of-henrietta-lacks-a-lesson-in-biology-and-ethics/

http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/immortal-life-henrietta-lacks-excerpt/story?id=9712490

http://www.jhu.edu/jhumag/0400web/01.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=henrietta+lacks&hl=en&sa=G&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=jUFnS4PWHYGPtgeS-aGzBg&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=22&ved=0CFcQ5wIwFQ

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v22/n08/anne-enright/whats-left-of-henrietta-lacks

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/01/henrietta_lacks_unsung_contrib.html

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Excerpt-From-The-Immortal-Life-of-Henrietta-Lacks_1/print/1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johns_Hopkins_Hospital

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke,_Virginia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_County,_Maryland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_County,_Virginia

 

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2010/02/profile-in-black-history-part-1.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2021/10/who-honors-henrietta-lacks-better-late.html


 

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Ghost Guns: Next Level Weaponry

It's time to Break It Down!

I’ve written on numerous occasions about the improvidence associated with the positions of the NRA and the gun lobby regarding the ease of access in acquiring firearms. After virtually every time there is a mass shooting, a vicious cycle ensues. There is a great hue and cry against the shooter, usually followed by an assertion that the individual(s) was troubled, and or suffered from mental illness, followed by a fervent pushback by the NRA, and gun & second amendment enthusiasts.

There is a certain rinse and repeat nature to it all. Well, don’t look now, but certain interests have endeavored to elevate the vicious cycle to hyper drive. Beginning today, thanks to the Trump Administration striking a court deal, individual citizens may were on track to start producing DIY 3D-printed guns. That’s right, effective August 1st, a commercially available software blueprint could enable people to make their own guns using ABS plastic resin and a 3D printer. The process was green-lighted via a court settlement between the blueprint designer and the U.S. State department. Not surprisingly, gun rights advocates celebrated the decision.

Alan Gottlieb, Second Amendment Foundation Founder and Executive Vice-President, said:

“Not only is this a first amendment victory for free speech, it also is a to the gun prohibition lobby.” 

Defense Distributed, the company backing the blueprint crowed:

            “The age of the downloaded gun lobby formally begins.”

Conversely, gun control advocates were alarmed. Nick Suplina, managing director of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety stated:

“The settlement was incredibly dangerous.” He further implored the State Department to continue to block the publication of deadly information. This settlement would enable convicted felons and domestic abusers to download schematics online and print their own illegal and untraceable guns.”

The lawsuit was the result of a software file developed by a University of Texas law student, Cody Wilson. The blueprint was that of a single-shot 3D printed handgun, code named “The Liberator.” The State department initially ordered Wilson to cease and desist his work, arguing that making the blueprint available would be a violation of arms export statutes.

Wilson, a libertarian at heart, quickly evolved from seeing himself as a hobbyist to adopting the mind set of a full-fledged crusader. As he described it:

“All I tried to do in law school was print a pistol and put it on the Internet (he told the Guardian in 2016). Now I’m on a ride I can’t get off.”

Wilson sued on the grounds that his design was protected by the first amendment. He founded a non-profit, Defense Distributed. To celebrate the settlement, he tweeted an image of flowers laid at a plaque in memory of “American gun control.

Just when it looked as though insanity might reign, a court stepped in and blocked this irresponsible action. But before I get to the good news, there are a few points about the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) (gun that I’d like to share. 

·     Wilson principally funded his legal battle with proceeds from the sale of products which allow for DIY production of metal framed “ghost guns,” which do not have serial numbers and are not subject to traditional gun control laws.

·     Defense Distributed sells users an “80% lower” – a piece of metal the government deems is only 80% of a gun – and a milling machine that can, with a PC and the right software, bring the gun into completion.

·     The company describes the milling on its website as a way to “legally manufacture unserialized rifles and pistols in the comfort and privacy of home.

·     With The Liberator and other 3D printed guns, including AR-15 style rifles, users will not need a prefabricated “80% lower.” They will be able instead to construct virtually an entire gun with any 3D printer and enough ABS plastic resin.

·     The gun does require a metal firing pin to operate. An additional piece of metal is included in the blueprint, to ensure compliance with the 1988 Undetectable Firearms Act.

The Obama Administration, out of an abundance of concern about making it easier to produce plastic guns, had used export laws to ban the foreign distribution of firearms to prevent publication of the blueprints. However, in true Trump fashion, the current administration’s State Department, in its reflexive drive to undo all things Obama, cleared the way for Wilson to usher in what his website calls “the age of the downloadable gun.”

That age was scheduled to begin today, when he would start uploading instructions. Enter a Seattle federal judge, who yesterday granted a temporary nationwide injunction blocking Mr. Wilson from executing his plan. Judge Robert S. Lasnik, a United States District Court Judge, faced with dire warnings about an imminent risk to public safety from alarmed public officials across the country, acted to block Wilson.

Attorneys general from eight states and the District of Columbia filed a joint lawsuit to stop the ghost guns. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Lasnik said the lawyers bringing the suit had established “a likelihood of irreparable harm” and of success on the merits. He set a follow-up hearing for August 10 in his Seattle courtroom. 

Clearly, this is not the end of the conversation. DIY ghost guns may still make their way onto the scene in just a matter of days. In addition to the injunction, there was an unexpected opinion on the matter that could be a factor in the ultimate decision. Donald Trump tweeted yesterday morning saying he’s looking into the matter, he’s spoken to the NRA, and that it doesn’t seem to make much sense. It will be interesting to see if that is his final world, and if so, how the NRA, the gun lobby, and the Trumpire will respond to this very un-Trump-like position.



“I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!”

Remember that vicious cycle? The one where the NRA, the gun lobby, and the ardent second amendment defenders harp on and insist that the real problem is not preventing people with mental illnesses from securing weapons…yeah, that one. Well what will they say when someone downloads an AR-15 and goes and kills children at a school, or shoppers at a mall, or anybody anywhere? At what point should they have been stopped? Before the download? While reading the instructions? At the computer store? Of course, keep in mind, that virtually anyone with access to a computer and a printer will be able to obtain a gun. I would say, let that sink in, but I’m pretty sure, all the folks who favor this have already done so, and still think it’s a good idea. You should all find that scary. Ghost Guns: Next Level Weaponry!”

I’m done; holla back!  

Read my bloganytime by clickingthe linkhttp://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.Finda new post each Wednesday.

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Twelve Days of Christmas: The e-Concert - 2019 Edition

It's time to Break It Down!

Twelve Days of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2019 Edition


It’s time to Break It Down!

(Revised from Break It Down – 12/24/08, 12/22/10, 12/21/11, 12/26/12, 12/25/13, 12/23/15, 12/21/16, 12/26/17, and 12/26/18)

According to tradition, mine if no one else’s, my Christmas post includes a complement of Songs of the Season. Today’s issue will constitute the next edition in that tradition. It’s Tuesday night, or in my personal time dimension, Blog Night. In keeping with what I do, let’s make it so; Wednesday’s coming! And for the record, it’s still Christmas Time in the City. As incorporated in the title above, many purists celebrate Twelve Days of Christmas. This has been documented in song, book form, at least one movie, and in countless tales.

Here, as scheduled, is the blog. I hope you enjoy the blog/e-concert.

Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus you substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. But that really shouldn’t be a problem since the man we call President has brought Christmas back (wink-wink). But seriously though, in case you don’t know, Christmas never went anywhere.  In fact, a quick check back over the Obama years reveals…Christmas was a staple in his repertoire. (http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/-merry-christmas-never-left-the-white-house-824078915806).  Of course, those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day.

By now, many of you have already done whatever you do to observe and/or celebrate Christmas, and returned to the rigors of you daily routine, if not grind. But you know what, herein lies an opportunity to take one more moment, a time out if you will, before returning full tilt to your normal schedule.

As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort through the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. Not the election, or the economy, no wars, and absolutely no (further) references to our big-league President, who frequently focuses on tweeting and golfing (despite insisting that if elected, he wouldn’t have time for the links). Perhaps, just his way to Making America Great Again, I suppose. No, this is your time to take a break and leave all that behind. Notice, I did not say forget it, and I certainly would never ask that you pretend it doesn’t exist. Just give yourself a break.

In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am reprising an amalgam of previous posts. In fact, not just any posts…posts from several Christmas’ past, with a notable caveatIn my preceding Christmas Season posts, I have now presented e-Christmas Concerts on eight occasions. Last year I pressed the reset button on the Concert.  Instead of simply providing 12 standards, I upped the ante and provided 24, 12 by female artists, and 12 by male artists. In that last night, when I was working on this post was still Christmas, I’m going to roll those out again.

The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled The Mourning Bride,” asserted, “Music has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.”  I think Congreve was on to something.  If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, and then indeed, we should take more opportunities to render ourselves captivated by its magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast…not beast; caught you thinking, didn’t I?)

So, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards by several of my favorite artists. This year’s version includes a variation of the artistic olio I pulled together for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasure a number of years ago. Below, you will find hot links to YouTube video interpretations and two songs for each of the 12 Days of Christmas listed and included in today’s Yuletide e-concert.

Female Artists

1.    Eartha Kitt is known for having had many talents skills, and abilities, among them acting and singing.  Last year I substituted her most popular Christmas song for “Nothing for Christmas.”  After a 1-year hiatus, I’m bringing back Santa Baby.  As I’ve noted before, the song was born in 1953, and as I will this Sunday, it turned 65 this year.  She slays (or if you’re really in the Christmas spirit — sleighs) it. https://youtu.be/Mk_GmhD053E
2.    Dianne Reeves is a Grammy-winning jazz artist who sings in the vein of Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae; a skilled lyricist and scat singer.  She presents “Christmas Time is Here” as if it’s her own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE
3.    Vanessa Williams was the first black Miss America.  She had a short and tumultuous reign.  But cream rises to the top, and her talent ensured that losing her title was but a mere speed bump in a star-studded road.  Her rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear” provides a glimpse of her musical flexibility and skill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmvk0NJnzE
4.    Lena Horne was a jazz musician whose career spanned over 70 years.  She was also an actress, dancer, and civil rights activist.  She demonstrates her vocal caliber in this version of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh8JZp_gnU4
5.    Cassandra Wilson was born December 4, 1955.  Her birthdate alone ensured that I included her on this list; ’06!  But that’s not the only reason she made the cut.  Her range includes blues, country, and folk music, as well as jazz.  Moreover, she stuck the proverbial landing in her rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmAQzS5Zk7o
6.    Toni Braxton is a lot of things: a talented songwriter, singer, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. She is known to be sexy, sultry, and an unpredictable reality show star.  She’s still best known for her music though, and her version of “Santa Please” will do absolutely nothing to change that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFWiF_E_VQ
7.    The Emotions are one of those classic Old School Girl Groups born in the 70’s.  Influenced greatly by Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire Fame, they continue to perform today.  One of my favorite tunes by them is their version of “What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?” https://youtu.be/coO2E2v5RwE
8.    Anita Baker released her first solo album in 1983.  In 1986, she released “Rapture” and it was the dawn of her stardom.  She is known for her trademark “husky” voice, and she is at her Christmas best in this version of “The Christmas Song.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHze40h13mc
9.    Diana Ross and the Supremes were the “It” Group of Motown when Motown was the “It’ place of Soul Music.  The Supremes are America’s most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Here they are with their 1965 rendition of “Silver Bells.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIJROwP4BnM
10. Ella Fitzgerald is jazz royalty.  Frequently referred to as the First Lady of Song, the Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella, she was widely acclaimed for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, and intonation, as well as a horn-like improvisational ability.  Virtually all scat singing is measured against her. Check out her version of “Sleigh Ride.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnEbRaFaqfg
11. Whitney Houston had a voice known worldwide.  Her recordings accounted for nearly 200 million records sold.  Her’s was a clarion voice of our times.  This version of “Joy To The World,” taken from the movie, “The Preacher’s Wife,” is special, as was she. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYPpyTyPf6I
12. Ledisi (Anibade Young) is an R&B and jazz recording artist.  Her first name means “to bring forth” or “to come here” in Yoruba.  She was aptly named.  Enjoy her rendering of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMz5oGc8s1Q

Male Artists
1.    James Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” is not so up-tempo, but still a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than just flash and dash. https://youtu.be/4VFZGRoZwB0
2.    Donny Hathaway was a multifaceted soulful crooner and a product of Howard University who excelled in jazz, blues, soul and gospel music; an Alpha Man.  He suffered from depression and died of suicide January 13, 1979 at 33 years old.  He rendered this marvelous recording of “This Christmas. https://youtu.be/pj1mVUEHeUE
3.    The O’Jays were formed in 1965 and have been a staple in Soul and R&B music ever since.  They knock it out of the park with this version of “Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas Anymore.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc4g1wsIA9g
4.    The Temptations were a significant part of what made Motown, Motown, in the 60’s and 70’s.  Their rendition of Silent Night lives on as a classic among classics as far as Christmas music goes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFc7STuQF0U
5.    Al Green, soul singer, turned minister, soul singer-minister was at his most popular during the 70’s.  He puts his considerable talents to good use in this version of “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyRwlR5YXk
6.    El DeBarge was the central figure in the group known as DeBarge, which reached its zenith in the 80’s.  El was one of several members of the group who went on to fashion solo careers.  He nails this version of “Christmas Without You.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_xB6VD7fS8
7.    Will Downing has been recording albums since 1988.  I’ve seen him in concerts twice, including a couple of weeks ago, and I own most of his recorded music.  He simply does not disappoint.  This recording of The First Noel is no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQWKBIuk-I
8.    Joe (Lewis Thomas) released his debut album in 1993.  He has maintained a presence on the music scene ever since. His nuanced presentation of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is just another fine example of his limitless talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vbpsVILCvU
9.    Jerry Butler, popularly known as the Ice Man, fitting for an Alpha, is a singer, songwriter, and musician (guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums) who was the lead singer for the Impressions before going on to a solo career. He recorded this classic version of O Holy Night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0dR1Dk7Bu0
10. Luther Vandross was a musical icon. Period. End of story.  He is one of my favorite musicians, and his treatment of “My Favorite Things” is certainly among my favorite Christmas songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TRlV6MOOU
11. The Whispers hail from LA, and have been around since the 60’s.  They became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003…for good reason.  They got it like that.  And they prove it with this version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJ95aWUc_A
12. Kem (Owens) is an R&B/Soul singer who has made his uniquely fashioned mark on the music scene since 1999.  He enlists Ledisi (Anibade Young), another single named musical star to create a fabulous rendition of “Be Mine For Christmas.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_8rVJ_ENaY

That’s it, 24 artists and videos and/or songs. Add it all up and you get “Twelve Days Of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2019 Edition!” Enjoy it throughout the Season, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!

BonusIt occurred to me that a concert thematically incorporating the Twelve Days of Christmas, without including a version of “Twelve Days of Christmas” is woefully incomplete. To wit, I doubled down by adding a 25thselection, “Twelve Days of Christmas,” two versions, one by Natalie Cole, and an instrumental by Kenny Burrell.



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