The Life of and Mysterious Death of Sam Cooke

“It’s been a hard time living, but I’m afraid to die” .....Sam Cooke, song ... "A Change Gonna Come"

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The Legendary Sam Cooke died December 11, 1964, but his legacy and his music …. and his very presence … is as much alive today, some 47 years later, as it was so very long ago. Also still very much alive, are the unanswered questions surrounding the untimely and mysterious death of this beloved singer and composer.
Those who were close to Sam, as well as those who grew up with his music, will claim that he was the inventor of soul music, and … that would certainly be hard to dispute. He was one the first black entertainers to found both a record label and a publishing company. He was an outgoing, charming and handsome man with a voice as smooth as spun silk. He grew up in the church, and had already made a name for himself with a gospel group, the Soul Stirrers, before transitioning to soul, blues and pop music. His gospel music is still played to this day. It is hard to hear “You Send Me”, and “For Sentimental Reasons”, without “going to a special moment in time.” It is hard to listen to the hauntingly beautiful “A Change is Gonna Come” and not feel the anguish of the times, but …. at the same time … the conviction in which he sang one of the most powerful songs to come of the civil rights era. He not only sang this song, but he wrote this song, his inspiration coming from his very own experiences, and belief in a “better day” to come.

And, it is hard not question the “official report” given to the public concerning the mysterious fatal shooting of this legendary icon, son, sibling, husband, father, and friend … in December 1964.

Join co-hosts Debbie Barth and Linda Alexander, with special guest Vincent Graves ... Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 2:00 pm EST, as we celebrate his life, and speculate together as to what really happened that cold December night Sam Cooke was fatally shot by Bertha Lee Franklin. You can listen to us live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/threewisegirls. We welcome you to participate with us in the chat room, or call in at 347-994-3835. We want to hear your insight on Sam Cooke …. favorite songs, or stories … and what you really think happened that night at the Hacienda Hotel. Was justice really served in court, or was a very special dish of conspiracy served up instead. Was Sam set up by an alleged hooker Elisa Boyer and hotel manager Bertha Lee Franklin … or were they recruited by someone or something bigger … that would put a different “spin” on the entire record industry, should the real truth be known.

Unless this case is re-opened, we may never really know the truth. And to be clear, the scenarios discussed on this show concerning that night are mere speculation and hypothesis. But one thing that is very clear is that the investigation was botched the moment that police entered the room and found him on the floor. Reading the “official report” clearly left more questions than answers. And, the two “witnesses” giving testimony were Elisa Boyer … an alleged hooker whose “source of income” was not allowed in testimony and who, in 1979, was found guilty of second degree murder in the shooting death of her boyfriend … and Bertha Lee Franklin ….the shooter.

We welcome you to visit the links and resources we used as the basis for this show, and again, invite you to join us in conversation.




Sources:http://performingsongwriter.com/mysterious-death-sam-cooke
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/sam_cooke/11.html
http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/motownNsoul4Ever/SamCooke

Websites:http://www.ourunclesam.com/
http://www.samcooke.com/

The Devaluation of Recommendation

Online social networks and communities have become a very real way for many to build relationships, and to do business in much the same way as it is done offline. We browse the communities for people and groups of like minds, we introduce ourselves, and we connect with other people. As relationships grow and members feel comfortable with each other, the chances of being asked by a member to write some sort of recommendation is more likely than not. This is an opportunity to feel honored that the person thinks enough of you that your recommendation of him/her would be respected, and it gives the member requesting the recommendation the credibility he/she is seeking. Or .... it can devaluate the value of recommending fellow members, altogether.

One definition of recommend is "to praise or commend another as being worthy or desirable". If there has been no communication, or interaction, or experience with the person requesting the recommendation, just how valid or valuable is the recommendation being made? The other concern is for those giving the recommendation.

We base what we buy, who we hire, what movie to watch, which organization to join .... and so on ... very often, on the recommendations of others. We do that because we believe and respect their opinions ... and their "word" that they have enough experience to give a valid opinion or recommendation. When people simply "dole" out recommendations for whoever makes the requests, the value of that person's "word" simply becomes less valuable.

There is an "art form" of requesting a recommendation and giving a recommendation.

As the person requesting the recommendation:

• Have something concrete upon which to base your request. This could be in the form of blogs, articles, verbal communication, and other materials related to what it is you actually do.
• Ask for recommendations from those who have actually experienced your work, service, or products. At the very least, those who have had some kind of interaction with you at some point. The more the interaction, verbal or written, the better.
• Don't concentrate on the "request." Concentrate on building relationships first. If they have no interaction with you, and there has not been some kind of relationship built between the two of you, don't put them in an uncomfortable position of writing something that is not based on actual fact, or having to say "no" to your request.
• Don't minimize the value of someone else's "word" or opinion/recommendation by thinking that "It's just a short paragraph, so what's the big deal?"
• Be prepared for people to decline your request. Especially, if you have had very little or no interaction previously. If the request is declined, you owe it to them to at least thank them for their time to respond. The smart thing to do would be to ask them their reason, and ask what you would need to do to help them reconsider at a later time.
• Give them a reason to want to recommend you.

If you are the person receiving a request for a recommendation:

• Think first about the value you place on what you say, your opinion, and who you feel should be recommended for what they do. Have valid reasons, easily backed-up, for making the recommendation.
• Hopefully, you have some kind of relationship with those making the request, (even if it is that you have read their book, or subscribed to their blog, or you are in the same groups, etc.), and you can find valid reasons why you would personally recommend this person. Look for the good, but do keep it honest.
• Refrain from doling out recommendations in hopes of building a list of your own recommendations. This does become transparent at some point, and doesn't do much for your own credibility.
• Should you decline writing a recommendation for someone, do it in a way that is respectful of the other person's feelings. Never attempt to humiliate that person. You can send a positive message back to that person, stating that you would, at a later time, be interested in reconsidering the request, but you don't have enough information at this point to give an honest recommendation. Let them know what it would take to make them feel more comfortable.
• Do not compromise your own values at the sake of losing a follow/friend/connection, or making someone mad. This is the very person you probably should not be recommending in the first place.

Having recommendations, testimonials, and referrals is more important than ever .... especially as the internet becomes an integral part of our lives. We most certainly should ask for recommendations and testimonials, in which to build our credibility. And most of those whom we ask will more than likely want to contribute to our success. There is, however, a right way to go about it, and a wrong way to go about it.

Here's a concept to consider, as well. Rather than wait for someone to ask for your recommendation, why not send someone you know a well-deserved recommendation or testimonial, and make their day a little brighter. Who says we have to wait to be asked for a recommendation, in the first place?

There are several online communities that offer special tabs specifically for recommendations or testimonials. It's a perfect opportunity to make someone's day, and to also be able to share what others think of you, your products, and your services, as well as to recommend you for employment. The value of what's being "said", however, is still in the sincerity of the person offering the recommendation. And that's saying a lot ... or nothing at all.

In Dreams...

"A candy-colored clown they call the sandman
Tiptoes to my room every night
Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper -
Go to sleep. Everything is all right."
Roy Orbison "In Dreams"

I guess most people dream at night (or day, depending on when they sleep, i.e. vampires), at least every so often. I feel sorry for those that never dream, as dreams can be quite entertaining, as well as enlightening. I'm not a dream expert, specialist, or doctor (is there such a thing?), but I can tell you how often I dream (often), that I dream in color (technicolor), and that I dream in "symbolism". I also dream about events that have actually occurred. Not so often, only a handful of times in my life.

I will always remember the first time this happened, of course. Actually, I should say the first time I knew it happened. This dream involved an event that happened to my brother's best friend (loved as a part of our family), living in Georgia. My brother and I were both living in Florida at the time. When I told my brother about the dream, he looked at me strangely (not necessarily an uncommon look from him), and called our friend immediately from my apartment. Long story short, I had dreamt about an event that had actually taken place a couple of days earlier. The time of day, location, etc. was right on the money. As this was something that was not meant to be of common knowledge, they knew that I really had no way of knowing this. This was in the 70's and it would be a long while before I had another dream like this. At least, of that I'm aware.

There have been a few more, but the other one that I will most likely not forget was the one in which John died.

I dreamt that I was walking down the isle leading to my office at work early one morning, when I noticed people had gathered around outside John's office. As I approached, I asked someone what had happened. Someone replied, "John died." I don't remember much of the dream other than that. I went to work that morning (awake this time), and the day was really no different than any other day. In conversation with a co-worker, I mentioned the dream I had about John. I also told him that I dreamed in "symbolisms" and that the dream might not have anything to do with this particular person, and jokingly suggested that he be careful going out to lunch. Much to my relief, the day passed with no one, especially not John, dying.

The next morning, I came in earlier than usual to work. The secretary came into my office, knelt down and whispered, "did you hear what happened to John?" When I answered that I had not, she said, "He committed suicide last night!" I just sat and stared at her. As much as I was naturally shocked, of course, she had no idea about the dream I had the night before. As I said earlier, I dream in "symbolisms". The John who had died was not the one across from me, but the one downstairs, with which I had recently worked on some reports. I heard Butch when he came into his office. I went over to him and could tell he had already heard the news. I started to speak and he said, "I don't even want to talk about it." "You scare me ...", meaning the conversation we'd had earlier.

Now, I am sharing this with you, not because I think "I'm special" (I do think my husband and Jake the beagle think this however), or because I want to change or challenge your skeptical minds. I just believe that this happens more often than people think. I think there are people that realize they have just dreamt about a very real event they had no earlier knowledge of, but choose not to comment, simply because they are afraid of being scoffed and laughed at. And of course there is the "it's just a coincidence" response as well.

I am actually rather cynical about people's intentions (comes with age I guess) and truly don't believe in all of the self-professed psychics, mediums, and intuitives. However, I know that it happens with me and therefore, I have to believe it happens with others as well.

If you have a story about a dream or recurrent dream that proves itself to be an actual event, be bold, be real, and share it with us. Maybe you know someone who has experienced this. Maybe you believe that this really happens, or maybe you think it's a "crock". That's fine if you think it's a crock. I doubt if you would find yourself on my Christmas card list, anyway.

My First Love-What Was I Thinking?

It's probably safe to say that we all remember our "first love". That first little fluttering of the heart, that first glorious kiss ... that first ... well ...whatever. However, how we all define that first love, oh so many years ago, is quite another story. I guess most define it as innocent and wonderful, others as unrequited love, others as simply the one that got away. And then some-and this is the category that I fall into-will define it as simply ... "What the heck was I thinking?!" Of course we all know that our brains are not fully developed during our teen years, so this is my defense.

I met my "first love" when I was 14. His family and my family became close and our friendship developed into something more, much to the horror of our parents. (Let's just leave it at that). He was 3 years older than I and really should have been dating girls more his age. That was probably the charm of the relationship. It was driving our parents crazy. Long story short, he broke my heart (at least I thought so at the time) by marrying someone else. I heard that the first 2 years were very rough on his wife. He started drinking and doing pills (not sure what kind), running around, and abused her physically. We ran into each other at a party one night (he was still married) and he pulled me aside to let me know how much he "missed me" and how sorry he was that we had "drifted apart." I simply told him not to be sorry, and let him know that he had actually done me a tremendous favor. I wonder how long he stared at me as I walked away. I think, often times, "first loves" can become "What the heck was I thinking?!"

How do you define your "first love" experience? Bet it's a good story, so why not share it with us? Besides, seeing it in print simply validates it happened in the first place.

Ok..So this is the thing

Me...don't like people who DM me for the first time in twitter with their ads. I mean...take me out to dinner first, at least! What ever happened to courting?

I'm on the fence with health care reform . I'm more offended by everyone who has not even glanced at the 1000-page care package, but seem to know everything about it, and only their opinion is right.

I think that Michael Vick should be contained in a kennel..love Diane Sawyer and Lisa Ling, and I don't think watching CSI at night will numb valuable brain cells..so there.

Still here? Ok ... I'm an avid football fan. I actually watch as many of the pre-season games as Time Warner will allow. I'm loyal to my Carolina Panthers ... although I really love the Manning boys! Fickle in Football ... yes-no-maybe-I don't know-ask Farve.

I love murder mysteries, good red wine, and slow dancing under the moonlight.

Oh, and back to twitter ... I bet the person behind the sexy girl icons (the ones with the big boobs hanging out) and talks about sports or maybe just uses a robot to send out yet more quotes by other people (ever hear of original thought?), is a sexually frustrated man with too much time on his hands (ugh, even that sounded dirty)

You can find me hanging out with the Three Wise Girls, Twitter, FaceBook, Perfect Networker and Fast Pitch. I'm also co-hosting our Three Wise Girls talk radio show with Linda Alexander and Dori DeCarlo, going live in October.

I believe if your serious about your heath, your going to customize your nutrition.

I also believe that if you are serious about using video in promoting your business, then your are going to upgrade from free ... just because you're worth it.

And I believe that you'll find that my post will differ in themes from one post to the next, so I invite you to come back and figure out what I'm talking about ... yet again.

Oh, and I hope that you'll leave a comment. I mean you've already invested this much time, so why not? Besides, your family and friends aren't interested in your opinions, why not give me a try. (No guarantees here, either)