THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE (FOR)
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of watching two legends reminisce about old times and sing a few of their greatest hits. It was the Gladys Knight – Patti LaBelle Verzuz battle. One of the few positive things to come out of months of quarantine lockdown is the creative genius that is Verzuz, brought to us by producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. Verzuz juxtapose two musical giants in a friendly ‘competition’ in which the true winners are the fans. We get to relieve portions of our life, some of which can only be truly expressed through song lyrics. This one, similar to others, did not disappoint. Most of us were still fresh off of the Brandy Verzuz Monica ‘battle’ that took place just a week or so prior.
But unlike that one, which had its fair share of side-eyeing, point takers who either posted up #teamBrandy or #teamMonica, this one left no room for comparison only love and genuine respect. Make no mistake about it Brandy and Monica did not disappoint. There were bouts of love, hugs, inside jokes and back and forth banter to quell (at least somewhat) the decades old beef that the two icons can’t seem to shake.
But what I, along with half a million others witnessed on Sunday was ‘chuch’ – good for the soul; sweet to the ears and a blessing straight from God. It reminded us of what we can accomplish when we step into our own space and completely fill it with all of the gifts that God has given us. It was inspirational, uplifting, comforting and familiar. It was our best friend coming for a visit, our mother tucking us in at night and an overdue hug from a loved one. Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight taught us not only with what they did but with how they did it. They showed us many things, including what it means to be a friend.
Being a friend happens best when two people know and are at peace with themselves. When you know who you are, you inevitably know who you aren’t. That eliminates pretenses, lies and fakery. Patti’s signature sound is highlighted by her high notes that hit way up in the rafters. Gladys has the sultry lower register of a contralto. During Patti’s song, ‘When You’ve Been Blessed’, Gladys was quick to highlight her friend’s high notes. “Go girl, get on up there!" Gladys said gassing up her friend as she sang.
Being a friend happens best when two people have each other’s back. It’s comforting to know that you don’t have to fight every battle on your own. Friendship is about getting in the ring and fighting alongside the other person; figuratively (and perhaps literally). We all know Ms. Patti has numerous hits and while we all may know some of them by heart we’d be hard pressed to remember every line of every one. So say, she. The comments section went ablaze in every instance where the music was cued and playing before the teleprompter provided the words. “Where are my lyrics?” she resounded more than once. Gladys too jumped to her defense mentioning that she forgets her words too. “Give us our songs, with the right lyrics!” the ladies chided the poor sound guy offstage.
Being a friend happens best when two people lift each other up. Now, while I love the aforementioned 90s queens they can learn a lesson from their elders. The love fest on display was beautiful. Turn for turn, the ladies complimented each other on their singing, their child-rearing, their style and their longevity in the industry. Not only did they praise each other but they intentionally wove in references to younger artists like Chante Moore, Jennifer Hudson and of course Brandy and Monica. There is something that happens when people genuinely have self-love and know their worth. They can recognize the worth of others and show love to them. This was also punctuated by the appearance of Ms. Dionne Warwick. Queens recognize queens.
Being a friend happens best when two people don’t compete with each other. Sunday night we got a glimpse of two careers each spanning 60+ years. In that much time, I’m sure both ladies have had their fair share of ups and downs in the music industry. Of bad deals, bad people and sketchy situations. But in all of that what they removed from their discussion was any rivalry between the two of them. At no time was there a hint of one-upping or the feeling that one placed themselves in higher regard than the other. It’s no wonder that the Empress of Soul and the Godmother of Soul can share the same stage, they realized long ago that music was big enough for both of them.
Friendship, love, laughter, fun, and immeasurable talent – it was all on display. And I ate it up. Now, if we could only get the Empress and the Godmother to get together in the kitchen we could fill our bellies as well as our souls.