Friday, September 23, 2011

Sitting Down With Latimore


He was like a magnet standing there in a sleeveless black tee, sporting his gray hair and wearing that down home friendly smile with a little bling to it..   Just as fashionably late as he could be.  The Tech Conference was over and  after the barrage of hand shakers  he made his way over to Millie Jackson and greeted her.  I sat there watching them with this goofy grin on my face just drawn into his magnetism.   He came over to me and stood over me bigger than life, just a talking to me as if I had a giraffe’s neck. So I said: hey Latimore, sit yourself down and talk to me and tell me what’s on your mind.  He sort of chuckled as if he did recognize his lyrics or one of the corniest lines he had ever heard.

He had that teddy bear  feel about him that would make anyone comfortable.  He asked me who I was and I had to think about it in comparison.   I told him that I was an emerging artist and lyricist and my song was nominated for the best... It wasn’t about who I was or maybe he thought that I was some sort of industry entity or reporter.  His body language went from being on the fence of careful to relaxed with our conversation.    I valued his professional opinion as I was all hyped up from the contents of the tech conference, and so I started to talk about the useful information that I had just received  and how I had planned to implement it.  He seemed interested as I discussed the highlights. He apologized for being late and went on to  explain why, while holding his mercedes key like a rabbits foot.   I then told him how I  admired his works and he actually blushed.  He told me how he comes up with the ideals for his songs and what brand of keyboard he prefers to use in his studio.  His passion for composing just came pouring out as he was explaining his song writing process.  I sat there praying; Lord please let all of this inspiration spewing out cover me.  

That night when I saw him again what a transformation.  GQ’d in a white tux jacket over his, black shirt.  He performed  and won in his category.  You know that one of the most annoying things is to have someone talk to you while you are trying to listened at a concert.  Seated at the table with me was a gentleman named Strap Iron who used to perform with him started reminiscing  and shared his experience while Latimore was performing.  It was the brother’s credibility that made it alright to talk during  the performance.   I could detect in his voice that he was proud of Latimore.  He said that back in the day Latimore would come out  on the stage without his shirt on, revealing his ripped body and the ladies would pass out. He was not performing that way.  He was classy and real laid back consistent with the man I had met earlier that day.   He had that magnetism, that star power.  He commanded it and knew when  to turn it on and off.   Just as Strap Iron  had told his story  Latimore stretched out his arm’s in the most humbled way as if to take a bow.    It was breath taking to see how the stage lighting in the hues of purple and red against his white jacket sort painted a florescent halo around him.  I tried to capture it on camera, but  latter I got this moment  instead.



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