“It’s been seven hours, and two days…since you took your love away…” My alarm clock wasn’t obnoxious, nor was it like the shrieking that most people wake up to. Waking up to Janet [Jackson], more Janet, Prince, Chaka [Khan], Mariah [Carey], and Mary J. Blige should not have bothered me. I love their music! I did not like 6AM and most of the time I didn’t like seeing the face of Frasier O’Leary for my period zero AP Literature class. Being a teenager, there were so many more important things I could have been doing; like sleeping.
Waking up to Prince – Let’s Go Crazy for the better part of three years let to a unique relationship with my dads album selections, spoken loathing. Thom McCormick was a DJ in his younger years, if it weren’t for music I wouldn’t be here as he and my mother met in Massachusetts as he was spinning. Music is life, literally for me.
Dad gave me my first album, Kris Kross – Totally Krossed Out in 1992 along with my first turntable, only one other album followed, Michael Jackson – Off The Wall. I don’t remember what happened to those albums, nor the turntable.
I realized some years later, Prince was on to something. I had the opportunity to get what remained of my dad’s effects. My mother spoke of his record collection frequently, “He had colored vinyl, a lot of them were autographed…if you only got to hear him spin; he would love what you’re doing.” His storage unit went to auction, and I never went inside of it. I wasn’t interested in the memories contained within.
When I think of T. M. McCormick Jr. it’s normally while I’m listening to Janet, more Janet, Prince, Chaka, Mariah, and Mary J. Blige. Finding myself reminded to “…celebrate this thing called life…” with good company, good memories, and good music. So here’s to Prince, the soulful ladies, and my dad.
