Gladys, Jim and a Midnight Train song drawn late night
February 3, 2021, Jim Weatherly died. In Brentwood, Tenessee. He was born on March 17, 1943, in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He was 78 years old.
Not only does he have a cool-sounding name – Jim Weatherly, but he is also the writer of the song ”Midnight Train To Georgia”, originally named ”Midnight Plane to Houston”. It was a smash hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Yesterday night I finished drawing an ink drawing in my sketchbook, late-night not far from Midnight. I played around with it after I saw parts around at a tunnel construction site in my neighborhood. Today I was listening to a playlist on Youtube and 22 minutes into it the song ”Midnight Train To Georgia” started playing. I love that song. I listened to the lyrics and glanced at the ink drawing I had in my sketchbook. Without any resemblance between the two. It nonetheless affected me and made me do some research..
It got me to read up on the net about the song. Listening to it a few times today while drawing another illustration for a client of mine. The stories I read took me back to the time when I was just a toddler or very young kid reading the backside of musicians’ LPs. Those, to me back then, inspiring stories on how they worked on the songs. Like stories right from the recording studios.
It got me learning more about the making of the song and Jim Weatherly himself. To read he passed away was sad. I can’t remember seeing his name mentioned in the news I read that day. A man who wrote a song that has touched so many people around the globe. And me too. I checked the net now and of course, it’s been mentioned. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55943997
Rest in Peace, Jim Weatherly. Thank you and Gladys Knight and the Pips. You made me feel great listening to your art.
Stefan Lindblad
Artist, Illustrator
Stockholm, SWEDEN.
