To a very special and beautiful person, with gratitude.
We should feel lucky. Think about it, he might not have entered our lives.
His was a musical family. The mother was a church pianist. The father, the minister of that church, was also in the choir. His siblings; all of them born with talent, great voices and the serious ability to learn by the ear.
He studied psychology and received his diploma in 1962. He completed his graduate studies in 1964. His heart of gold told him to be of use to humankind. He worked with disabled people. He stood by their side during their rehabilitations. He was a man, a human as all ought to be.
Luckily you entered our world on the 12th of March 1940,
luckily you sang with your siblings at the age of 4,
luckily you got into the church choir,
luckily you hung out and sang with people on street corners while warming your hands by the fire,
luckily you joined small neighborhood groups,
luckily you went to college,
luckily you chose music afterwards,
luckily you started your career at night clubs,
luckily you came to New York,
luckily you recorded “We Got By” in 1975.
You gave us many great things since those days. Always high level, always high quality. Both “in the category” and also “out of it.” All of this while speaking to the depths of our souls. You even seeped into the soul of the man who understood R&B as “rakı&balık” (meaning “rakı&fish” in Turkish). There was already countless soundtracks in the backgrounds of our lives; you gave us the most beautiful ones.
luckily you glorified “O cantador” even more with “Like a lover”,
luckily you were by Joe’s side for “Somehow Our Love Survives”
luckily you contributed your genius vocals to “Spain”,
luckily “Mornin”, luckily.
luckily “I will be here for you”,
luckily “Moonlighting”,
luckily “Boogie Down”,
and, luckily “We’re in this love together”. We always have been. Luckily there was you my old friend.
Alwin Lopez Jarreau
1940 -2017
