Hey, God. Yep, me again. Remember that thing I asked you about long ago?
Well, nevermind.
Many years ago, I used to pray that, if I could come back to earth, please let it be as a great '60s-era rhythm & blues singer who causes women to shriek and throw their soft things at him whenever he appears.
True, some women do that now, but what they throw is seldom soft, and they're usually shrieking about a restraining order.
That's all right, because there has been a change of plans. Why? Because great soul singers don't live long enough. The under-reported death last week of Ron Banks, founder of The Dramatics, is just one more example of men who make their livings touching our souls checking out way too soon. Banks, who had one of the best falsettos ever, was 58 when he suffered what doctors think was a massive heart attack.
If you don't know who Ron Banks was, all I can say is, "You poor thing."
Dr. Love's prescription is for you to listen to as much of his music as possible. You may need to dip your big toe in first by listening to the lighter pop fare - like "What You See Is What You Get" - then work your way up to "Toast to the Fool" or something stronger. You can thank me later.
Those, coincidentally, are the two songs Cy Young, WQOK-FM's program manager and deejay, said he plays by the group. "From the time I knew what a singer was, Ron Banks was that," Young said. "The voice, the style, the hair - I don't think he ever sweat. He was just a 'chill' guy. A lot of us will miss him."
Among soul music male groups, there is, of course, The Temptations and then everyone else. At the top of "everyone else" is The Dramatics. This may sound like blasphemy, but some people put The Dramatics ahead of The Temptations.
My pal Pretty Ricky does. We were both in a funk the entire weekend - not only because Banks died at an age close to ours but because it appeared his death was not receiving the attention it deserved.
As The Righteous Brothers sang so marvelously, "If there's a rock 'n' roll heaven, then you know we've got a helluva band." How could you go wrong with Banks, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Eddie Kendricks, Johnnie Taylor, Wilson Pickett, Teddy Pendergrass, David Ruffin, Luther or Isaac Hayes fronting your band? You can't.
Remember the "Sanford & Son" episode where the gang returned from Junior Cooper's funeral and was lamenting his untimely death? Aunt Esther said, "I guess the Lord just figured it was time to call him home," to which Fred replied, "The Lord could've let him stay around long enough to collect some of that Social Security."
Of the singers I named, none lived long enough to collect Social Security. Their median age when the final curtain came down was 52.
Hey, wait. I'm 52. Oy.
OK. Forget coming back as a soul singer: In the next life, I'll try a career with a longer life expectancy - like bomb-removal expert. Or Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.
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