Beautifully said, Russ, but oh so sad. I can't think of any other art form so steeped in personal tragedy. That part of 'the music' needs to change. I think you are so correct in that so many of these sad, sad stories could be traced back, directly or indirectly, to the general public's lack of acceptance and/or appreciation of this beautiful and original art form. Like Racism and other forms of social injustice, our responsibility, as purveyors of the music, is to try to reshape public attitudes and perceptions about this music through education, personal promotion, and performance excellence.

Good post, Tony. The number of hits is irrelevant. The exposure is not.

chas