Life is what we make of it. Nothing could be more emblematic of that maxim than the special people who have made the best of things despite being dealt a poor hand.
I really love seeing Danny DeVito in movies, on TV shows and even on commercial ads. Like Robert Reich (Secretary of Labor under Clinton), DeVito suffers from Fairbanks Disease, a rare genetic disorder that disrupts bone growth. I am in awe that a guy barely five feet tall could overcome that and rise to the top tier of the acting profession. Robert Reich did pretty well too.
Danny DeVito not only became a media superstar, he found romance and married a charming comedian, Rhea Perlman. Although their marriage ended in divorce they are still the best of friends.
Music is one endeavor that allows people challenged by physical disability to thrive. Django Reinhardt played groundbreaking jazz with barely half a fretting hand. Ronnie Milsap, Jose Feliciano, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder overcame blindness to become major stars.
Bluegrass and old time music are also areas where challenged musicians have been able to make their marks. For example, speaking of blind musicians, we have Doc Watson. After I first heard Doc and his Frosty Morning Band (with his son Merle), it was hard for me to believe that sighted musicians could play as well. Soon after hearing Norman Blake and Tony Rice I wondered if they might be blind. It makes me wonder sometimes if blind musicians might have somewhat of an advantage because they are forced to concentrate their remaining senses into sound.
Michael Cleveland is as good a fiddle player as you could ever hope to hear. Anybody who has ever heard him play can attest to that. But he’s blind and partially deaf as well!
I heard Bradley Walker perform at Grass Valley a number of years ago and was mesmerized by his singing. Bradley suffers from muscular dystrophy and sings from a wheelchair but did that let it stop him?
I really admire people who overcome their disabilities to adjust to their situation and forge ahead to make the world a better place through music or whatever they’re good at. Our own California grown Molly Tuttle makes no secret of her alopecia affliction but she let that condition stay in her skin rather than get under her skin. Obviously she had the best of music instruction at her disposal with her dad Jack but I admire the pluck of this beautiful woman. Now she’s a superstar despite what must have been a very difficult psychological journey.
So here’s the question: who’s the disabled here? People like you and me who struggle to play bluegrass at a passable level or people like Michael Cleveland who nail every solo? I guess in the final analysis we are all disabled, just in different ways.
