Hallelujah

Wow...thank GOODNESS for artistic evolution. Years ago, when Justin Timberlake was dancing around on puppet strings for Nsync, very few of us music snobs would have thought to consider him a "real musician". But the kid is undeniably talented. I went through a personal rough time a few years back when I had to admit to myself that I REALLY liked much of his solo work (admitting you have a problem is the 1st step to recovery right?).

So.....if you still had any doubts, the Haiti telethon should have erased them. His version (along with Matt Morris) of Leonard Cohen's oft-covered "Hallelujah" was sublimely beautiful. Understated, powerful, and harmonious...I thought it was the evenings highlight. If you did not see it, please check this out:

Future Laundry Love Sounds

So yesterday, as I was folding clothes, I was switching through channels and of course.....200 channels and nothing on, when I stumbled across Justin Timberlake live at Madison Square Garden. SO I left that on......DUDE, call me what you want, but I am man enough to admit it...that boy is talented. The weird thing is this: My little sister used to sing in competitions in Memphis as a kid. There was a kid by the name of Justin Randall that always won or placed high. He was a DORK.....really goofy looking and very sweetly dancing around. I remember him singing "Two of a Kind" by Garth Brooks at the Hickory Ridge Mall center stage. (He beat out my sister's rendition of "Wind Beneath My WIngs" that day..it was bull). But he was doing this horribly cheesy dance holding a HUGE belt buckle with a Stetson resting gently over his "buddy the elf" afro. It was BAD! Anyway.............long story short.....that kid is Justin Timberlake.
So....I plan on searching through my parents old videos and finding those tapes.....and then I am thinking Ebay, VH1 Before They Were Stars, or good ol' fashioned extortion.

But I must say..."What Goes Around" is a bomb song, and he jammed it live......you've coem a LOOOONG way young Justin Randle......a long way.