The Wainwrights

It started in the 1970s when I was watching M.A.S.H. Not the movie, but the television show. There was a character named Captain Calvin Spalding aka the "singing surgeon" who appeared on three episodes in its third season in 1974. I didn't know that he was a professional singer, hell I was only 12 years old. I didn't know much of anything, but I liked him. Fast forward many years and I get into Loudon Wainwright III and discover that he was Captain Spalding. I loved his songs One Man Guy and Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder. Fast forward a bit more and I discover Rufus Wainwright. I think it was his cover of Leonard Cohen's Halleluia but I'm not sure. I went on to listen to a lot of Rufus-sometimes with his sister Martha. I especially like Going to a Town. It got me through the Bush years and it may come in handy in getting me through the Trump years though I don't know if any song can do that. This will seem like a non sequitur but I discovered Linda Ronstadt's cover of the beautiful song Heart Like a Wheel. The writer is listed as Anna McGarrigle. Anna is the sister to Kate McGarrigle. So, we have Loudon and Kate who are married (later to divorce) and they have two children, Rufus and Martha. This whole thing came together on a live concert called the McGarrigle Hour that features all four plus many friends including Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. There is an amazing and moving performance of Irving Berlin's song What'll I Do that has one of the finest performances by Rufus that I have ever heard. It's not easy to find, but it's out there. The album itself without the video is worth the price as well. It took me 33 years, but it was worth making all of the connections.