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I sopped inside a Sarbucks in my local neighborhood for coffee.Everyone was busy, chang away and blenders were whirling

abou making Frappuccino’s. Lile kids were screaming ouside

chasing pigeons. People dressed in heir Sunday bes were eiher

going o or jus coming back from church. Finess fanacs were

wearing spandex and geng heir morning reward or caffeine fix.

The world was spinning. Life was happening. All he while, off in

a corner, sa a very graceful, handsome genleman wih a cane.

He had on a sylish ha and wore glasses. His beard was grey. He

looked like a eddy bear.

He was sing here, elling a sory and also lisening inenly o

a young ‘cyber’ junkie yammering on who may or may no have

known who he was.

He had a syle abou him, a presence. His friendly demeanor

was infecous and conagious. He was unassuming. Jus sa here

wihou a care in he world, jus being himself.

Being a jazz/blues lover, I ried wih all of my being o reain my

composure because I recognized him. The impactul aura of being

in his presence wih abou 60 or so Sarbucksers roaming abou

and no one even bohered o noce him in he room or know

whose presence hey were in he company of.

A legend. No acknowledged? Forgoen? I was none oher

han one of he greaes jazz singers in hisory, Bill Henderson.

Bill Henderson is wha is known as one of he world’s “Las

Grea Jazz Singers” on he plane. To undersand he accomplish-

mens of his Chicago nave, you have o go o his websie

www.billhendersonmusic.com. Making his mark as he lead

vocalis for The Coun Basie Band is where his impressive career

pah dazzles. Playing a he Apollo wih Dizzy Gillespie, perform-

ing and ouring wih Frank Sinara, Tony Benne, Quincy Jones

and many ohers, he lis is endless for his mulalened man

ha I happened o be in he same room wih.

I had he honor o see his man in he flesh. No in a concer se-ng. No singing wih Coun Basie or he Oscar Peerson Trio or

he vas array of hisorical musical momens…bu sing here,

exchanging and soryelling.

Bill was celebrang he momen. He was aking in life, in he

here and now. I wasn’ imporan he rale off who he was or

wha he’s done or wha he was abou o do. He was sing here

living life as Ella Fizgerald was singing in he background and I

was apping my oe. Ou of he corner of his eye, he saw me ap-

ping. He mainained he conversaon he was having – bu I knew

he winkle. The winkle in his eye was hankful ha someone even

gave a damn abou his era of music and ha I was moved by i.While he was no performing on his parcular Ella rack ha

was playing i didn’ maer. Wha maered o him was ha he

music was embraced and ha’s all he needed o know. People

can sll appreciae his music oday. I lives on.

Wha was happening here? As an ars sis, an ars knows ha

deep wihin his soul, his spiri soars when he does wha he loves.

The res of he me, he can enjoy life and soak up he elemens

as inspiraon o connue o have he life experience in his soul o

do wha he does. The simple liberaon abou he ars is being able

o express yourself in ways he daily grind of life does no enable you

o.

No one and nohing can ake away he alens you were born

wih. No even a boring day job, can ake away he connued

culvaon of ha alen you have ha burns from wihin for you.

Wheher or no your name is in lighs, wha maers is ha you do

wha you love and wha inspires you.

Wheher you are Blind Lemon Jefferson or Bill Henderson or

someone who plays a harmonica in a garage or performs on a

sree corner, he common denominaor is found in your soul,

you are a musician.

If you pain walls in your house or spray pain your bicycle or

pain on a canvas or maybe you’re Michelangelo and pain on ceil-

ings, he common denominaor is in your soul, you are a painer.

If you are five years old playing wih Play-Doh or you mold clay

and showcase your work in a gallery, your soul knows you are a

sculpor.

One hing sands firm and rue: Passion in he hear becomes

your ar. Wha your job le is, does no define you. Wha your

paycheck is or wheher or no you are on he cover of some mag-

azine, does no define your level of success. Success is doing wha

you love, when you can, as you can.

The maser of his or her own ar is one ha akes grea pleasurein being human firs and an ars second. The ars will emerge

regardless and ha in iself is ar which gives us life in reurn. Bill

Henderson demonsraed his brillianly.

The unique colors we shine and conribue in life hrough a

smile, a nod, a winkle of an eye creae a beauful image and

pain a gorgeous picure of life. We creae ar from wihin jus by

being.

And yes, Bill we'd beer love you when you're gone. You’ve

given us more han ar, you’ve shined your ars wihin, jus by

being you.

By Stacey Kumagai

 The unique colors we shine and contribute in life, through a smile, a nod, a twinkle of an eye, createa beautiful image and paint a gorgeous picture of life. We create art from within just by being.

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