Happy Birthdays, Dinah and Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kinda crazy that this continues to happen. First, I find out that two of my favorite actresses, Rosalind Russell and Angelina Jolie, share the same birthday. Now, I find out that two of my favorite singers, Dinah Washington and Michael Jackson, also share the same b-day. Two very unique, beautiful voices who had lives with many highs and lows. Two unique souls who left too soon.

To be frank, I mainly heard Dinah during those K-Tel commercials during the 80s. And then there was that drag queen on Sally Jesse Raphael who sang To Sir With Love in the voices of a dozen of fantastic female singers like Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, and of course, Dinah. Finally, when I hit college, a Tower Records moved in a block away from campus and I finally bought one of her CDs - finally, I found my favorite female voice. Sure, Ella's voice had this elegance and grace about it, but there was something about Dinah. It could be sharp, tarty, soulful and kinda bell-like. Plus, I read up on her life in the liner notes - too much drama and upheaval, largely due to the desire to 'fit the part'. At any rate, I just loved her voice and the fact that she was so scrappy in life.



And as for Michael, some of his life shadows Dinah, although I never heard of him pulling a weapon out on anyone. He had similar hang ups about his looks, but had the financial means and the upgraded technologies to do something about it. Sadly, his improvements alienated some and was used against him at every turn. Nevertheless, I love him - the everchanging looks, the dancing, the smile, and of course, that voice. A beautiful, bell-like quality. Michael was just moving, whether he was on top of the world or in the midst of a crisis and he remains that way, even though he is gone.