James
The first time I met James Taylor, I was four years old. My grandfather, James, had just passed away from a long and courageous battle against brain cancer. The kids were in the back room, dressed in black but playing with legos. Four years old is old enough to remember certain moments but young enough to forget full days. I walked out to the lawn and saw everyone who was old enough to drink a beer, swaying in a circle, some holding tissues and others holding hands. They started to sing Sweet Baby James. I remember hearing my father’s voice, the voice of an angel but the other voices blended in as if they had all been practicing for weeks. I stood with my face in between the sliding glass doors unaware of the emotional impact and importance this day held.
12 years later, my parents took my brother and me to a James Taylor concert and described the adventure as something non-negotiable and to think of it as a homework assignment. I’m not religious, although sometimes I wish I was, this experience was the closest thing I’ve ever felt to believing in something greater.
I don’t listen to James Taylor every day or even every week. Often it’s too emotional and carries an immense amount of weight and reminds me of certain moments in the past which are sometimes easier to keep in a locked box or really dive into with my therapist. I don’t think having a favorite artist means you listen to them all day, although it can for some. Sometimes your favorite artist is someone who feels like an old friend you can always call. My love and respect for James Taylor goes beyond his singing voice and has a lot to do with his solid heart. If you do some googling and some reading of his lyrics you’ll learn that he’s been through the hard stuff in life. I said at the beginning of this that I “met” James Taylor when I four because I think the best artists in life are ones where it feels like you know them, even if physically meeting them is something you scribble in a dream journal. He’s just simply the best. Thank you James (yes, we’re on a first name basis).
