~Who is your Musical Icon?

Music appears to be my current theme: When I was a teenager "a long long time ago". My brother gave me a cassette tape. Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits. He said, give it some time. You might not like all the songs right away but keep listening. You're gonna love it. And I did. Almost instantly from the first rip of Summertime...all smokey and gritty to Try to Cry Baby all this pain...suffering. She became my ICON...

To this day I remember vividly the most amazing dream that I've ever had. I was walking in the hallway upstairs at my parents house and Janis Joplin was sitting on my bed. I felt terrified because there was something so real about her sitting there. She told me to come and sit next to her and I said you're Janis Joplin. She agreed with me and took my hand. She thanked me for listening to her music. She said: I just wanted you to know how happy I am that you love my music so much. And I just sat there staring at her. That was it...My hand still felt as if someone were holding it. I was a little weirded out by it but I felt so amazing. And I don't really care what anyone thinks about that dream. Because it was mine and I'm convinced it was real.

When I was a little older I experienced a really bad breakup. It was the right thing for me to do but his reaction was very very bad and left me mentally messed up for a long time. I got really ----- really drunk one night by myself, in my apartment that literally had no furniture. [another story] I was feeling quite sorry for myself. I felt alone, scared, confused but most of all I was angry and felt wronged for doing what was best for me. As I was laying there on the floor Little Girl Blue started playing through my stereo. And I knew....she was still watching over me. Telling me to get over my sorry self and move on. I listened to that song in it's entirety with my cheek pressed to the hard wood floor, sobbing. And that is when I lifted my hand up and started counting my fingers. Because I had to do something more productive than what I was currently doing.If you have some time give it a listen...it truly is one of the best songs she has ever performed. [and isn't Tom Jones a hunky hunk in this clip???] 

Every year I give a little silent toast to Janis Joplin on January 19th. As I mentioned we have the same birthday. And when I'm playing my guitar and singing poorly I hear her laughing at me. I'm OK with that. I'm really not that good!!