miko2 | (no subject)

Today's Song: Frenzy by Screamin' Jay Hawkins

pencil_rain told me once that he saw Screamin' Jay Hawkins live as a kid, and that they wheeled a coffin out onto the stage and he arose from it. It was a regular part of his act and apparently quite spooky. Hawkins had an amazing voice and was also an amazing performer, especially when you consider how long about he was doing these things -- predating just about any shock rocker or ghoulish performer you could possibly name.

Undoubtably he's best know for his song I Put A Spell On You, and the video I've linked to should give you a taste of his brilliant stage performance and vocal talent. But I have a particular soft spot for the song Frenzy (here set to video from the X-Files). Apparently this song was featured in the second season of the show and appears on the "Songs in the Key of X" cd of music from and inspired by the show. That's not where I came across the song, but it does show that I'm not the only one who considers this song a classic.

Good stuff. ^_^

Hawkins died on February 12, 2000, as did singer Oliver, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schultz, and former Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry. Which I guess just shows that things don't always happen in threes.

Which brings to mind a book by Christian author Peter Kreeft, who penned Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death in which C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley, and John F. Kennedy (who all died on the same day) have a conversation after death about what lies ahead of them. One wonders what conversation Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Charles M. Schultz, and Tom Landry might have had.