Solomon Burke "Up To The Mountain"

Why is it that we mark deaths, with greater sentiment than achievements?

I mean, its good to have an alarm clock of sorts that rings to remind you of a person.  But stopping down to think about them at the moment of their death doesn't seem like the proper honor.

Same thing with their birth.  Don't get me wrong, I love birthdays.  But really, why are you celebrating my birthday?  I didn't do anything.  If anyone deserves a cake on March 10th, its my Mom.

So, tomorrow, people are going to talk about the passing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was shot to death on April 4th, 1968.

Wouldn't it be better to have your moment of reflection on the man and his message, to coincide with something like his "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech, delivered on April 3, 1968?

It's uplifting message, it's hopeful nature, it's faith in the divine and the earthly---that is what is worth marking and remembering.


Hear the song Patty Griffin wrote and Solomon Burke recorded, inspired by the MLK speech, on Youtube.


Hear the last minute of the speech on Youtube.


Hear the full speech on Youtube.

And the full text of the speech can be found here.

Patty Griffin "Up To The Mountain"

Well, you've can relax now, and stop pretending for 7 more months. American Idol is over and you don't have to act like you don't watch and don't care.

Yeah, people with refined taste in music will turn their nose up at the Idol machine as it grinds out disposable stars like sausages. But, even if you are a music snob, there are reasons to love Idol.

Patty Griffin's longevity, for one.

Okay, I'll pretend that you don't know anything about American Idol (even though I know you do), and fill you in on the fact that one of the final competitors, Crystal Bowersox, sang Patty Griffin's song "Up To The Mountain" during the finale. And this song will be Bowersox's first single.

Millions of folks who have no idea who Patty Griffin is, will rush to iTunes and buy this song. And no, it probably won't turn them into music connoisseurs.

But because Patty is the songwriter, she gets a cut of every song that is sold. And she gets a cut based on how many times the Idol version gets played on the radio.

Tremedous artists like Patty Griffin may never get the same level of attention as a paint salesman from Chicago who wins Idol. But having her song recorded by an Idol, gets her a big paycheck, and that insures that Patty Griffin can afford to be the creative, non-mainstream artist that those with refined tastes can enjoy.

So hate on Idol if you want, but, for Patty Griffin, love it, too. I won't tell.







Solomon Burke, who recorded it for "Nashville" sings with Patty


And OMG! Susan Boyle did it too. So I guess Patty didn't need Idol, necessarily, because this is one of the best selling albums of the decade!