Feels Like a Dusty Kind of Day

I'd like to share with you a little secret of mine, I am a big fan of Dusty Springfield. For me, she is the ultimate female singer. Her vocal range in outstanding. She helped me get over my operation by always being there at the flick of the CD player.

Anyway, to my surprise, I found out that the musical, "Dusty, the Original Pop Diva" is playing to smash reviews and critical acclaim in Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne is my absolute favorite best city I have ever visited. Too bad, I'm not well enough to travel that 15 hour flight from LA to Sydney and then connecting to Melbourne. If it was another time in my life, I'd find a way to do so. But for now, I got to hope that this smash musical finds its way to North America.

Check out the review at http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17810201^2862,00.html

The lady went through a life of ups and downs, struggling to accept being gay. But she finally controlled all her demons, was living a great life, accepted unconditionally by her adoring fans until she lost her battle with breast cancer in 1999. She is an inductee of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. So little wonder, there is now a musical portraying and celebrating her life.

Yesterday, after coming in from reving up and using the snow thrower, I laid back on the sofa and had a Dusty moment. Of course I own a CD box set of her greatest recordings spanning the eras from the early 60's through the mid 90s. Her voice only got better with time. She could sing someone else's ballad and make it her own. She was the Diva of Divas and the Queen of White Soul, all wrapped up in one unique package. Both Aretha and Dionne Warwick were jealous of her. Even Cher learned a lot from Dusty, adopting some of her movements and making them her own. But Cher nor the rest of them could never attain the greatness of Dusty Springfield. She was a favorite of Burt Bacharach. She made "The Look of Love" her own. Her album, "Dusty in Memphis" is constantly listed on almost everyone's top 50 list. Her "Son of a Preacher Man" still gives me chills even though I have listened to it hundreds of times.

I could go on and on about Dusty. Judge her for yourself. And if you feel a little bluesy, download any of her recordings, and you'll discover or rediscover what her fans everywhere acknowledge as the best female pop singer ever.