"Valley of Tears" - Solomon Burke with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

This is one of the most beautiful performances of this song you will ever hear. Gospel music is a balm for the pain in life. It gives hope when all seems to be lost. The sorrow turns to hope and joy when set to music. In the world of gospel music, there is Aaron Neville, and then everyone else. The only one, in my opinion, who even comes close, is Solomon Burke. You Tube him sometime and treat yourself to an incredible wealth of music from his 6 decades of recording.

In this beautiful spiritual;  written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings; Solomon Burke teams with the writers to deliver a beautiful performance of a haunting song, while all the while holding out hope that he will overcome his troubles. There is another gospel song by the same name as this one, written by Antoine "Fats" Domino and Dave Bartholomew. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly as well as Solomon Burke. But this is the one that really hits "home" for me.

Lamenting that people “stand in line- just to hear me cry” underscores the sorrow which the singer feels deeply, yet the audiences hunger to see his suffering lifts him up spiritually. He will not go to the valley. Instead, he sings his way through the pain, all the while praying for the deliverance of those who would rather see him suffer, if only to assuage their own pain.

The intersection of Solomon Burke with Gillian Welch gives further credence to our ability to overcome our superficial differences when we concentrate on our mutual emotions and needs. And music is such a great place to begin that journey.

Note: real life partners Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been quietly influencing American independent music for several decades now. Her singing and writing, along with his deep love of playing guitar, combine together in such a way so as to communicate their love for one another to the audience without ever saying a word to one another. They are among my favorite musical artists. 

Valley of Tears” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

I've been riding high, but i don't know why

everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

It's a sunny day and i'm on my way

but everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

People stand in line just to hear me cry.

I wanna know the other side

but everyone i choose only brings bad news.

Everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

People stand in line just to hear me cry.

I wanna know what's on the other side.

I've been riding high, but i don't know why

cause everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

It's a sunny bright day and i'm on my way

but everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

Eddie Ray - A National Treasure

One of the best things about doing this blog has been the people I've gotten to know, and correspond with, from the things I post. But the oddest, and most unlikely, of friendships I have made from doing this, is with Eddie Ray. That's his story in the video above. With a 3 decades head start, you wouldn't think we'd have much in common. But then again, there's the music.

I met Eddie Ray about 2 years ago, when I was first doing this blog. I wasn't writing every day, mostly confining myself to a post, or two, a week. I had intended to just do movie and book reviews. It was my wife, Sue, who broadened my horizons.

Sue works out of our home, while I don't work at all. She works upstairs in her office, while I piddle about downstairs in another, smaller room which we call the "computer room." I don't bother her too much during the day, but this one particular day I must have been annoying her enough that she "found" something for me to do.

Handing me an article from a local paper, I think it was the Huntersville Times, she pointed out the http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/ which is about 20 minutes from our home. I love music, and North Carolina is the birthplace of so many musical artists, that I figured what can I lose? I had heard of Eddie Ray, but knew very little about him beyond some background stuff I had read in biographies of various rhythm and blues artists.

When I arrived at the Museum I was greeted by a man, a little older than myself, and as we were walking around, looking at the exhibits, it came to me that this was Eddie Ray.

I have always been amazed at people who manage to carve out a niche for themselves, and then leave a mark upon the world in which they have lived. I'm still trying to find the secret. But Ed is one those rare individuals. Five minutes in his presence is all it takes to feel as if you have known this man your entire life. And in a way, you have.

So much of the music you listen to today, although it probably would have come to the surface anyway, came through the actions of Mr. Ray. From the late 1940's, and on through the 1970's, Eddie Ray was behind the scenes, a triple threat. He doesn't play anything, but he does write lyrics, and has a terrific ear for what is good. He has traveled the road from rhythm and blues to Pink Floyd and back again, covering every genre in between. And along the way he even helped to set the standards for artists royalties in a world of ever changing technology. In 1980 Eddie Ray was selected, and appointed, by President Reagan, as a Commissioner on the US Copyright Tribunal. Eddie served on that Tribunal for eight years, chairing it for 4 of them.

Hopefully we will see a book from Eddie soon. His life, in and out of the record business, is one of the most interesting of all the stories to come out of the world of entertainment. And did I mention he doesn't play any instrument? Unless you count his ever young and agile mind.