FCEtier

Anytime you’re feeling lonely

Anytime you’re feeling blue

Anytime you feel down hearted…

That’s the time to dial up Leon Redbone on YouTube.

A few minutes in the time warp of this anachronistic nostalgia and you’ll be smiling for hours.

From my pictorial salute to Mr. Redbone.

When it comes to Leon Redbone himself,

There’s a great big mystery

It sure has worried me

And, it’s not diddy wah diddy (which was a popular cover of Redbone’s.)

Urban legends took on a life of their own with claims that he was Frank Zappa or Andy Kaufman–until he outlived them both.

I first saw Leon Redbone asking about diddy wah diddy on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson back in the Eighties. The “great big mystery” for most of us is who is this guy, where did he come from, and how does an artist with few (if any) charted recordings become so popular?

The voice, attire, style, demeanor, and repertoire combined to get my attention. The more I heard and saw, the more interested I became in this unique entertainer, whom I hear has now retired due to health reasons.

From my pictorial salute to Mr. Redbone.

Since posting my pictorial tribute on Facebook, several friends have reported new interest among their friends as they shared the photos on their pages. Regardless of the source of interest, or whose mouth spreads the word, it seems like Mr. Leon Redbone will continue to acquire new fans even in his retirement.