By Ken Stringfellow, 2001
Kate Stringfellow, age 10, writes: Ken is my brother. He did not live in a nice house with brothers and sisters and a mom and a dad. My dad adopted him from an orphanage in San Francisco. He was also born in San Francisco. He sung down the streets going to school because he loved music so much.
Ken loves music so much that he started a band named The Posies. They let out a CD after they got started. Unfortunately they broke up. Still having the passion flow right through him. A year later he was picked by R.E.M. to do some backup singing and instrument playing.
He once again started another band called The Saltines. Suddenly when Ken was going down to Australia to sing, he saw his face in the papers and pictures on street walls. Then he noticed that he was coming back in the music world. If he were this famous now, maybe he would be REALLY great in the future.
Loving his world so much he still sings. Ken plans to get more well known around the world like the Backstreet Boys. He turned from a boy singing music down the street skipping to school to a star just waiting to show his stuff. I never thought that I would say this. But, I am glad to have a brother that loves music.
Ken adds: It’s true… loving my world so much, I still sing to this day. I could prattle on at length, giving myself favourable contrast to the morally truncated shelf fungus whose fruiting body both rots from the inside and comprises the whole of “popular music” today. But I did not come here today to carve you a soapbox out of sand. I came here to love you.
If you (read: society) are the brick-throwing mouse, then consider me your Krazy Kat, emanating 11 hearts for you to consider or ignore, while the brutish dog/policeman that is “good” taste looks on, too confused to interfere.
One question you will ask me after hearing this record: of which “God” was I speaking of? This question has as many answers as there are bricks in Switzerland. I think you know, and if you know, think.
I will come to you. I will show you my stuff. I will be a star for you. I will pray with you and for you. I will be your Brother that loves music.
KS
New York City, 2001.