Rest Easy, Brother Wilson

I often forget that my early musical education was not of the norm. Mom and Dad both had diverse tastes in music, and it spread to my eldest sister and myself. We're musical gypsies, she and I.

watching a show on ants on the Discovery Channel, and amazed at the African siafu ants and thinking how flippin' nasty those little bastards are...

Anyway, on my way through the valley tonight on my way home from the sister campus, I heard the news that Wilson Pickett died today of a heart attack. "Oh, man," I thought, "that sucks." When I got back to my campus, I stopped in to M.'s office and asked if she heard about the death of Brother Wilson.

"Who?"

"Wilson Pickett. Ya know, the singer?"

"I have no idea who that is."

"Yeah, you do. Wilson Picket. Ya know, Land of a 1000 Dances? Funky Broadway? In the Midnight Hour?"

"Oh, yeah! I know that one! What else did he sing?"

"Mustang Sally was one of his other big hits."

"My brother sings that at karioke."

"Yeah. I have, too."

"Well, my brother is better."

M. likes to tease me, so, I took that in good stride. Anyway, I went over to another friend's office and asked if he had heard about Brother Wilson.

Six of my coworkers had never heard of Wilson Pickett.

When I got home tonight, I called my sister. She hadn't heard yet, and when I told her, her first reaction was "Guess it's time to watch The Commitments." I chuckled 'cuz I watched that movie just a few weeks ago, but, I'll be watching it again over the weekend, and singing along with all of the Wilson Pickett songs.

Peace to you, Brother Wilson.