Two words, not often associated with their true meaning.

A “talent”, IS, however, often associated with “a legacy” left by parents to their children, in my own case, my dear Mum, 

God rest her soul, was a prize-winning “vocalist” during her School years, in Ceylon (of course). Through my “writings” for H.M.S.eLanka (Her Majesty’s Ship),our Captain, Neil Jayasekera, & lowly Vice Captain,(myself), have decided to,

firstly, delete the word “Vice”(I am too old for any of that), & substitute the prefix “Co”, making me therefore a bloody “Co-Captain”. Where was I going with this ?, what the ! ?.

Oh, yes, it was “talent” we were talking about. “okay, Sir”!

      Secondly, whenever & wherever possible, my “stories” for eLanka will feature “You-Tube” clips, as an added “entertainment”, if you like, for “on-line” members of our good Ship eLanka. If you are not a member, “tough titties”.

Newspapers are fine, especially for those who are not “I.T.”

Specialists like me. I am so good, I can even switch on my little Samsung tablet now. Anyway, I am still the Editor of the Melbourne Newspaper “Lanka Times” also, but the readers of this “Paper” will not be able to “see” the video clips, firstly, because it is not “on-line”, secondly, because their old hands, like mine, will be shaking so much, and, thirdly, because the bloody font has been sooo tiny, recently

we will need some magnified magnifying glasses to make head or tail of it. I AM the Editor, folks, I am not angry with them, but the buggers won”t listen to me.

      Stop digressing Des, & get back to your story.

As I said, there are “talents” passed down, the family way.

Many “Country Music” Stars, among others, have passed on their superb talents to either a son or a daughter, for example, Hank Williams Snr.-Jnr., Marty Robbins to his son, 

Slim Dusty (in Oz.), to his daughter, &, in a different style of Music, Nat King Cole, to daughter Natalie. There are many such examples, but what about THIS ?, 

      Merle Haggard, who passed on just recently, married FIVE TIMES. Among his off-spring, he produced FOUR Sons.

All of them play guitar & sing. This story features three of them who, in my opinion, are top-class, the fourth, unfortunately, not so. To say I was amazed watching Marty, Noel, & Ben doing their thing “live”, would have to be the understatement of the year. These three guys not only look and sing like “the Hag”, (they were all paying tribute to their dad), even the little “mannerisms” of Merle, like the sideways look of Noel, the guitar “runs” of Ben, & the almost identical “look of the oid man” on the face of Marty, would be impossible, not to notice. Add to all of that, the classy Musicians backing them, the “Steel-guitar” players, the “other” older lead-guitarist, who backed Merle also,from day one, the “girls”doing their harmony singing in the background, all go to make America still the very best place in which to “record” Country Music. With that, I simply say, 

“Please watch “Country-Music”, THE TRIPLE TALENT WAY.

Desmond Kelly

Star of eLanka

(Editor-in-Chief).