Geezers rock. Take that, Lady Biebs.

Yes, Lady Biebs is my new word for those annoying whiny noises that seem to follow you around like a buzzing mosquito, relentlessly refusing to go away even when you try as hard as you can to ignore them.

Have you heard of Candi Staton ? I hadn’t until very recently, when I heard her song “Hallelujah anyway” on the radio. (full disclosure: I was just checking out what my dear friend Wikipedia had to say about her, and apparently I did know her, from the song “You got the love”. I just didn’t know her name or her story).

Since it’s been playing somewhat frequently on Belgian radio, I imagine that this song is also well aired in the States and elsewhere. On the off chance that it isn’t and you have no idea what I’m talking about, here it is (thank you, Mr. Tube) :

I like this song. It’s uplifting, it’s catchy, it’s just nice. Oh, and the singer ? She’s 72 years old.

Yes, I did do a major double-take when I first heard that. I’m not sure what I’m more impressed by : her voice being what it is at that age, or the fact that she’s combining age-old gospel with modern beats. Granted, she’s getting some help there, but I find it amazing that these two diametrically opposed musical styles – gospel and club music – somehow manage to find common ground with the help of this voice. Of course, maybe that’s not so unexpected, really, seeing as how God is a DJ…

So I like this song. Kudos to Candi the 72-year old singer. And thank you for reminding me that there are a few things that Lady Biebs could still learn about making music. And if Candi Staton isn’t convincing enough, perhaps these old geezers could add something about longevity in the music industry.

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