About George Thompson
Location: Missouri
Occupation: Writer
Bio: Bio I was born in the small town of Ironton, Missouri in the mid-40s. My father was a minister and my mother was the devoted pastor’s wife. We moved when I was three to Kansas City where Dad pastored several churches, then moved to Fulton in 1960 where I graduated from Fulton High School in 1962. Dad was pastor at the Southside Baptist Church from 1960 through 1967. It was during those teenage years that I started writing poetry, articles, short stories and novels. Many poems were of a “grim” nature because I was usually either frustrated or felt depressed when I wrote them. Further in-depth study of myself helped me to see matters in a different, more enlightened way and gave me a much greater peace Bio of mind. That feeling came about when I realized that a Higher Power held control over my life and although I felt free here on earth to explore many things because God gave me the mind to make my own decisions based on the “terms” I had set for myself it was I who set the terms and levels of frustration and worry. Once I turned everything over to God, my writings became more positive and that feeling of emptiness I once had was lifted. My faith in God and the good intentions of mankind grows daily. I believe in the power of words, whether they are written, spoken or through the motions and spelling in sign language. They can be used to empower or defeat, accept or deny. My poetry is just one of many means of communicating. Retired now, I make my home in Ironton once again after being gone for sixty years. I write a poem every day, an article or two a week and have a continuing column at wickedwordsmith.com on the Web. My pleasures are writing, feeding birds and taking care of my new cat, Mandi.
Posts: 146
More from this author
This Christmas - Songs from the Motion Picture
Music: Soundtrack: 0 comments: 12/18/2007
If you like Christmas favorites and you like a little hip-hop as well as blues flavor, then this CD is just the thing for you this season. It’s chock full of wonderful music of the old standards like “The Christmas Song,” performed by Toni Braxton, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” by Jordin Sparks and others. Aretha Franklin shines on “I Never Loved A Man” and Luther Vandross tenderly sings “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” There’s also Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up,” and Aaron Neville’s “Please Come Home For Christmas.”
I grew nostalgic as I listened to these songs although there was a lot of organ playing in the background. I’m not particularly fond of organ music when it comes to some seasonal music and this got in my way of some of the enjoyment I truly wanted to experience with the songs. Some songs were solos while others were a complete ensemble with orchestra. I’m sure each piece was chosen more to go with the soundtrack of the movie, “This Christmas,” than as a separate CD. In addition, I tried to keep that in mind as I listened to the music.
When I went on the Internet to see the release date of the movie was November 27, 2007, and Luther Vandross passed away in 2005, I could not figure just how his song was used in the movie or was transitioned to the CD. I’d have to see the movie to be better informed before telling you anything more about it. The teasers on the official website for the movie do not give details about any of the singers who lend their voices to the songs that end up on the CD. How unfortunate. Now, I could see Aretha Franklin or Toni Braxton dropping by the family’s house to say hello, but Vandross (we all miss you, Luther) is another story.
There are fourteen songs on the CD with the last one being “O Holy Night” sung by DeNetria Champ. When I heard her voice, I thought I was listening to a version of Mariah Carey. Her voice is much the same as Carey’s and has that breathy quality that we’ve all come to like in Carey’s singing. She did a marvelous rendition of the song, which is a hard one for anyone to sing.
Overall, I liked this CD and would recommend it to others. You can always jump tracks to your favorites or program your CD to play your favorites so you don’t have to run back and forth from the sofa once you start playing this tuneful CD. Great recording that makes you mellow out.
