J.D. “Jim” Fox, Head Coach, Next Act CoachingIsn’t it weird that we’re going back to school after two big, televised funerals?I kind of blew it.  I turned on The Warrior AFTER his no-longer-underrated daughter and the Two Presidents.   Yes, thanks, I know about YouTube.And ...

• And I turned on The Queen after Faith Hill but in time for Bill Clinton. Say what you will; he can warm a room and spin a yarn better than anyone.  Still.
• And I didn’t know Chaka Khan and Jennifer Hudson could go that high or that hard for that long in tribute to The Queen.
• And I didn’t know “Danny Boy” could burn like that; reportedly The Warrior’s favorite song.  Well, not for nuthin’, they did bring in NYC master talent — Renée Fleming — to shake the National Cathedral’s massive airspace.

My call:   I was more taken by the departure of the Queen than the Warrior.I do respect the latter; he had the rockier road.   I’ve not been a military soldier but I have worked in federal government and politics; I know how hard it is. Especially  when you’re frequently reminded of your bad calls.In that sense, being an artist is easier; and if you are born into the right family at the right time with a gargantuan talent .... well, you just roll, right?God, no.  Aretha had her first of four sons at age 12.Age 12.   For that and for everything else (including the Cash Up Front, Purse on Stage Policy), she SO deserved each and every one of those 130 Pink Cadillacs, the in-casket costume changes with Louboutin spike heels, and the full-page Pink Respect ad from Detroit’s General Motors in the New York Times.You could try what I did:  download a few of your favorite Aretha songs for a private listen.  Mine: “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Oh Me, Oh My,” and “Respect.”Bet you won’t get through them without crying like a baby.