Singing the Blues and Other Hues

Judith, my aunt, and mother to my cousins Kevin and Melodie, sings.

She also plays the piano, a talent I envy. Oh yes, it’s a brilliant emerald green, this envy. She is also the first reader and editor of my stories. (Not this blog however, or it would be grammatically correct, all the time.)

Judy has the ‘ear’, which in musical terms means perfect pitch. Like a perfumer, who has a perfect ‘nose’ for sniffing out fragrance, Judy can hear a song and know with certainty what key it’s in, what cords are used and best of all, can tune my guitar without picking up a tuner.

This is talent. To me, one of the finest talents in the world.

She came to visit my humble abode (and when I say humble, I mean the straw house from the three little pigs) in September after a whirlwind trip through Germany, visiting her brother who was turning 70 years old. Many members of my family were on that trip to Germany. I, however, didn’t go. I’m poor, a writer, enough said.

I was thrilled when she came to visit; I would have kept her here permanently, if the gods allowed it. We sat and talked about her life and music. The stories are so much better when you’re old enough to understand them. I showed her the first ‘inklings’ of the story, Ms. Abigail Spotty’s Rainbow Spots, I was writing for my daughter. Kelsey hates that I named her Abigail; she is just Ms. Spotty to her.

Judy talked about Vegas, one of the first places she worked, and Gene Autry, for whom she worked. She met many wonderful people during her stay in Vegas, Liberace (that man sparkled), The Rat Pack’s Dean Martin and many other singers, songwriters and big band leaders, of the day. To be honest, I was star struck. WOW.

I got around to asking her about a song she wrote many years ago. The song is called, “Just a Bend in The Road.” Eddy Arnold performed this song on one of his albums. (I don’t know if there are right infringements to this song, so I can’t incorporate it into the blog.)

Judy came to the VFW here in Millvale and played for everyone in the club. Oh happy day. She took requests, sitting in that smoke filled bar and put a smile on everyone’s face. That is a blessing. That, my friends, is talent with a capital T. My husband, Kevin still talks about that day with a glimmer in his eyes. He wishes she would come to stay, too.

She never did play the song, “Just a Bend in The Road.” She told me the story behind the song, which is a private part of her life. Someday she'll let me tell the story.

And Maybe she will come sing the blues for us again.

You come along and sing in your hue.