love in the end…you can’t take it with.

don’t tell me how to live my life
don’t tell me how to pray
don’t tell me how to sing my song
don’t tell me what to say

i have never considered myself a fan of this woman, but i am somewhat mesmerized by her mind and the daring artistry that comes pouring out of it. this song has been stuck in my head for days now simply because the video is so captivating. if it does not get your body moving, i’m not sure what will.

as the most soul-stirring voice that has yet to find its way into my ears, toni childs can take a few words and transform them into an electrifying event that evokes pure emotion on every level.

through her music, she will take you to those obscure places hidden beneath the surface without letting you know she is heading in that direction, while holding your hand just long enough to give you the courage to stay long after you have seen the darkness and felt the intensity of the unavoidable heartache sheltered inside your tiny house of hope, only to emerge with clarity and an overwhelming sense of love that fills up every inch of your being.

a few years ago, while teaching an expressive dance class, i choreographed a piece to her album, union, which turned out to be one of the most soulful, heart-opening experiences of my life that still holds the power to create little (and not so little) spiritual and emotional shifts every time i listen to the songs.

i’ve got to go now (the first song of hers i ever heard and one of the most powerful that she has performed) is about a woman, in love with an abusive alcoholic, who is yearning for the strength to leave and struggling with the process of letting go. hush opens pandora’s box, unleashing my deepest secrets every time i dance to it. let the rain come down, one of my favorites, is absolutely beautiful, asking for truth and the solace that follows. toni sings of love, pain, struggles and lessons that we all meet (sometimes with open arms) in this life.

if i had to pick an all-time favorite song, always on my mind by willie nelson would be my choice. overflowing with emotion, truth and heartache, it has the power to move me from the inside out each and every time i hear it. always has. always will.

there is something so incredibly special about this man. his voice has a way of calming my fears, while simultaneously bringing me deeper into my own pain. his soul has been one with whom i have felt connected since the first time i heard his music as a child.

to see my previous blog on this unique being, go here.

i grew up listening to chicago, one of the first bands that opened my young mind to the world of music. they gave me chicago 17, an album that kindly accompanied me during the more significant experiences of my youth including my first crush, my first boyfriend, my first break-up and everything in between, with a song for each occasion.

i finally got to see the music-making men last week during a two-hour, high-energy, mind-blowing, nostalgic performance that is still being replayed in my head.

just when i thought it was impossible to like him more…

he creates cradlesong. 

i liked him with matchbox twenty. his first solo album, something to be, captured my undivided attention, twisting me into an absolute admirer. and then, after her diamonds finds its way into my ears, i have become completely fascinated with this man, flipping through stations on the radio looking for his music like a schoolgirl with a new crush.

he has a way.

his sultry voice, almost whispering the emotion pouring out of him, gives as much meaning and depth to the space between the words as the word itself, while playing the piano, without the need to display a glorified rockstar image. as if all that isn’t enough, he is just about as sexy as they come.

her voice + her words + her passion = magic

beth hart

i remember, as a little girl, feeling the emotion behind songs that talked of love and life, as if i were an 80-year old woman with a past full of wild adventure and heart-wrenching pain. here are a few artists (along with some of my favorite albums by them) that gave me my first taste of music.

kathy mattea

 the definitive collection (2006)

earl thomas conley

 the essential earl thomas conley

kt oslin

 this woman & 80s ladies

trisha yearwood

 inside out & greatest hits

chicago

def leppard

after hearing his newly released single, today, i pulled out some of gary allan’s old albums and remembered exactly why i love spending hours with nothing but the music and me. the greatest hits and living hard are my favorite albums by him. he’s a little rockin’ & a whole lot country and i dig his music, his captivating voice and the words he chooses to express himself…not to mention his easy-on-the-eyes demeanor.

kings of leon

the voice.

it is always the voice that does it for me when it comes to music. i like ‘em earthy. raw. passionate. primitive. archaic. unspoiled. unrefined. pure. untamed.

caleb followill has what i am talking about.  

i highly recommend kings of leon’s most recent album, only by the night…especially if your ears prefer something a little rough-around-the-edges. i can’t get enough of it.

true art lies in the eyes (and ears) of the beholder. what looks, sounds and feels good to me may not be the least bit appealing to another human being on earth. music has always had the ability to completely transform me to another world. earthy, raw, passionate voices speak right to my heart. i have included a few of my favorite artists that have touched, and continue to touch, my soul.

willie nelson

this creature deserves a blog all to himself. 76 years old and still lives his life exactly the way he wants. this picture, full of beauty, captures the qualities i love about him most…humility, quiet confidence, wisdom, gentleness, a little bit rebel, experience, a life lived. i have always been intrigued by his beautiful soul.

tracy chapman

her music exudes passion and truth. i always feel that her music, every song, is a way for her to say something she can no longer keep locked inside of her, something she must share. and she does it effortlessly without wasting words.

ray lamontagne

musically, he is my favorite artist. i have never experienced anything like it. there are not many artists who can move me with every single one of their songs, but he has a way of doing just that…his voice, his words, his soul, his ability to express every possible emotion. i put him in a category of his own.

annie lennox

i love this picture. it is the cover of her bare album. as an individual and as an artist, she embraces so many of the qualities i admire in a human being: strength, vulnerability, truthfulness, emotion, grace, compassion, authenticity. 

keith urban

i think i have just as much fun watching this sweet thing as i do listening to him. he seems to get sexier by the second. he just came out with a new album, defying gravity, and it is, in my opinion, his best yet. if you click on his photo, you can go straight to his website and hear his sweet new singles, kiss a girl and sweet thing.

tina turner

at 69 years of age, she is still dancing (in heels) as if it is the only thing she has to do. this woman can move like no other. her energy is boundless and her power as a person is beyond measure. she has been pure inspiration for me throughout the years.