This is a 5,000 foot house on 4 acres, yet the boys spend their time sitting on top of each other

Roberta Martin - He Knows How Much We Can Bear (Album 1969)

Wherever I go, people talk to me. I don’t know what prompts them to talk to me, I assume I look like someone they know or perhaps I just look like I won’t harm them or judge them….anyway I consider it a magnificent blessing because I have met so many wonderful, kind and interesting people that way. Some have become close friends.

Last week I met a guy named Mike Campbell who was playing piano in a hotel lobby and noticed that I was humming along with most of the music and he came over and asked if I would like to hear anything in particular. That led to a two hour conversation rambling on music.

It turns out Mike is retired professor of music, PhD, from a local university and we are both BIG fans of Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, the Pilgrim Travelers and many other early stars of what was called the Chitlin Circuit. (Southern Baptist Gospel music) and he was delighted to learn that I have dedicated my spare time this summer to studying Mozart, turns out he is a Mozart aficionado and played his way through a Mozart summary for me

Mike told me to check out Roberta Martin. Ever hear of her? She was a huge star in day within the black community. She’s YouTube. If you listen to her, the point is not the religious aspect of the music, although I feel that’s import, but rather to the timber, depth and passion to her song.