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New York -
De
mortuis nil nisi bonum dicendum est
Of the
dead let nothing be said but what is good. The phrase, which
originated circa 5th century AD reminds us that it is
rude to speak ill of the dead.
 Charlie
Parker used heroin; Ray Charles was a self-absorbed misogynist
with a drug habit; Dr. King had affairs; Gandhi was a racist
given to molestation of women; John F. Kennedy – a notorious
womanizer; FDR died in the bed of a woman not his wife; Abraham
Lincoln led a life of depression which may have been caused by
his sexuality. Comes the time, I’m sure a treatise will be
published that indicates that Mother Teresa was cruel to small
animals.
It is
taken for granted these days that all the faults of everyone are
held under a microscope for everyone to examine. And so it was
that while on the plane returning from the burial of Clive
Bradley, the sadness still fresh in my heart like a new coat of
paint, I learned there were some who chose to write about the
alleged circumstances of Mr. Bradley’s death. It can hardly
have been unexpected, but I confess to having been a little
shocked that without the benefit of an autopsy report, and with
a most irrelevant photograph of the man’s grieving children such
things could be printed under the guise of “news”.
Let me
be clear, I seek not to defend Mr. Bradley. He lived his life
he wished, without, I may add, apologies to anyone. By all
accounts, the man was a genius in his music and a caring
father.
No, I
wish for a moment to examine the motivation of those who seek to
only write about the bad. Mediocrity condemns genius in the
name of “truth”. I also wish us to look inward and question the
value of this “information”. Why is it that we live in a time
which allows anyone who is admired to be scrutinized mainly for
his faults. Do we not realize that in doing this, we cheat
ourselves and our children out of heroes.
We
diminish greatness for the sake of humanizing everyone, but this
behavior doesn’t follow the laws of physics. The diminishment
of another man does not act as a counterweight and make us
bigger; if anything, we become smaller by it. If every detail of
a man’s life is to be held to some myth of perfection, what
individual could bear this level of examination?
Unequivocally, Clive Bradley was one of the best
arranger/musicians that Trinidad has ever seen. Period. People
should hold mirrors up to their own souls; let God sort out the
rest.
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Angel Howard has
performed with for D'Radoes, NY Nutones and Pan Rebels
steel orchestra . In addition Angela is regular
contributor to When Steel Talks. |
Click
here for more great Bradley moments with When Steel Talks
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