Sinead O’Connor, who had a number 1 hit with "Nothing Compares 2 U," was not shy about speaking her mind, even when it got her in trouble. Her tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.

To hear "Nothing Compares 2 U," you can go to this video, and you may want to check out the comments too. There are some great ones, including this one: "Beautiful voice, beautiful woman."

The picture in the chapters was a publicity photo circa 1987, photographer unknown. It was distributed by Chrysalis Records and is available on wikimedia.org.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer and musician Mike Villegas and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

Bassist Randy Meisner co-founded one of the most successful rock bands ever, yet he hated the spotlight. His tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

To hear "Take It To the Limit," the song referenced in this episode, you can go to this version that was remastered in 2018. From the comments below the video, you can tell that Meisner lives on in the hearts of his fans.

The picture in the chapters is the cover of his CD, "Randy Meisner." To learn more about him, check out the Randy Meisner Hearts On Fire website.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

Banjo player Roger Sprung was known as the godfather of progressive bluegrass and helped usher in New York’s mid-century folk scene. His style became known as “newgrass.”

This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.

To hear Sprung perform "One Morning in May," an old English folk song, you can go to this video of him at the Clifftop Music Festival in 2014.

The picture in the chapters is the cover of his CD, "Progressive Bluegrass and Other Instrumentals."

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

Tony Bennett overcame a lot to become the national treasure he was at the time of his death last July. This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.

The image in the chapters is the cover of the CD "Tony Bennett All Time Greatest Hits." I like how the picture captures Bennett's classic performing style.

To hear him sing his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” you can go to this video from MTV Unplugged. Or, if you want to go way back in time, here's a link to him singing the song on "The Judy Garland Show." You also can hear Sheldon tell Bennett's story on WGCU.org, where he posts once a week.

Sheldon is the creator of Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

The first record that Astrud Gilberto ever made, “The Girl From Ipanema,” became a worldwide hit and won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965.

This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. My guest Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime writer and newspaper editor, wrote these tributes and recorded them.

To hear “The Girl From Ipanema,” go to this video of Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz performing the song. In 1964, Gilberto herself was young and lovely, just like the famous girl from Ipanema. And please scroll down to the comments to read some of the tender words of appreciation for this singer.

The picture in the chapters is of Gilberto performing in Amsterdam in 1966. It's from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, and was taken by Ron Kroon.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

This episode is about a daily routine or exercise that we can do to lift our focus from whatever is stressing us. It involves only our breath and a few seconds of our time.

A friend told me about this focusing exercise and gave me her blessing to share it. Ever since, I've made it a regular part of my day. I think it's important because it helps us call upon our inner wisdom or the higher force within us to guide us every day toward creating our best possible lives.

When we do that, as you will hear, we help others too. How cool is that?

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

Tina Turner definitely earned her title as the "Queen of Rock and Roll." Longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute to Turner, who died on May 24 last year. This is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can listen to "Nutbush City Limits" on YouTube. It's worth scrolling through the comments below the video. Whether they're in English or another language, the commentators express their love and appreciation for Turner. Very sweet.

The first photo in the Chapters is by an uncredited photographer who took the shot of Turner performing at Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, in October 1970. The other two photos show covers of her books.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.

Ed Ames, a member of the singing Ames Brothers quartet, later became an actor who was best known for his role on the TV show "Daniel Boone." This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

The tributes were written and recorded by longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan, who also is the creator behind Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can listen to the Ames Brothers singing "Rag Mop" in 1950 on an early iteration of "The Ed Sullivan Show."

The photo of the Ames Brothers in the Chapters was taken in 1955 a couple of years after they signed with the record label RCA Victor. Ed Ames is pictured at the top.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

Audio engineer Mike Villegas (who’s also a musician) and I are publishing all 44 tributes in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy them.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible, and on YouTube.