By Michele Cauch
SageHealth Network
Talent can be discovered in the strangest places and in the most unlikely of people. It's a gift that is bestowed on individuals. No matter how old you are, once you are blessed with it, talent is yours forever. Neglected by some, cherished by others, but mostly envied by all.
Boyd Lee Dunlop, 85, possesses an innate talent that would be the envy of any aspiring musician.
He had his own jazz band during the heyday of Buffalos' jazz scene in the 1940s. But it was his brother, Frankie Dunlop, who achieved fame as a drummer playing with such icons as Thelonius Monk and Charlie Mingus.
That is until one day in the fall of 2011.
It was a chance encounter when photojournalist, Brendan Bannon, visited the Delaware Nursing Home in Buffalo to do a story on seniors. Dunlop simply sat down next to Bannon after coming in from a walk and asked if he was here to see someone. Exchanging pleasantries, Bannon said he was a photographer and Boyd stated he was a musician.
This was the beginning of a unique friendship between the two men. Bannon started recording Dunlop on an old out-of-tune piano and then sent it to a friend in the recording business. All he had wanted was to make an album. Dunlop said, "I waited my whole life for this day and I was gonna do it if it killed me." Dunlop's dream of making a record came true in the winter of 2011. Boyd's Blues was released in December to rave reviews.
Since that time, Dunlop has grabbed media headlines and picked up hundreds of fans along the way. He went from playing two concerts a day to an empty room in a nursing home to filling a 600-seat hall with standing room only.
The extraordinary thing about Dunlop is not that he's 85 years old, but rather he's 85 years old and he had held on to his dream of one day making an album. And that's exactly what he did.
Dunlop is a perfect example of holding on to your hopes and never giving up. You just never know what opportunities lie ahead to help you realize your goals. A little faith goes a long way.
In Dunlop's words, "people don't understand, life is what you make it. Never knock it."
Dunlop's story is about not just about nurturing talent and realizing your goals, but it's also about friendship and opening up yourself to new people. You never know who you will meet, what role they will play in your life and what road they will lead you down.
In May 2012, Dunlop and Bannon started work on Dunlop's second album.
For more information on Boyd Lee Dunlop, visit http://boydleedunlop.com/
Listen to That's Me Playing, Man on CBC Radio: www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/shows/2012/06/24/hour-2-doc-thats-me-playing-man-and-author-peter-behrens/#igImgId_43482
Originally published by Inside Toronto:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/community/life/article/1396319--age-well-boyd-lee-dunlop-proves-you-re-never-to-old-to-dream
No comments:
Post a Comment