Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr

This memorable post content inspires and has countless underlying themes for class discussions.
Updated content 7/16/2024 appears below in italics.

Originally published May 3, 2012.
I am still posting archival material from the old blog to WordPress one at a time, (so much for technology). However, I still can’t find Murphy’s post or the attached visitor comment. Both appear to have vanished!

Meanwhile, singer, songwriter, and producer Steve Tyrell appeared on PBS this week and spoke at length about Murphy. Tyrell reveals the unique way Murphy got the idea for his niche.

The talented Murphy won last year’s America’s Got Talent by using a jaw-dropping musical specialty.

He ignored cultural notions of appearance and socio-economic status. Murphy stunned audiences with his renditions of an iconic singer…

Editorial note: The mystery of the missing post remains unsolved. Frustrating, because there was a nice comment from someone familiar with Murphy. Below is an accurate summary of what I originally wrote long ago.

I believe it was a Sunday night and I was up to my eyebrows in textbook material and a stack of paperwork; the TV set was turned on. It was America’s Got Talent.

I had turned on the set to take a break as I rarely had time for TV anymore. Back then, I had watched several other talent shows with awful auditions; I hated watching people publicly humiliate themselves.

That night, the last contestant, a 36-year-old car washer from West Virginia walked in wearing blue jeans and dreadlocks (or long braided hair). No problems mon, I grew up on the islands. But he was chewing gum and was asked to remove it. When asked what he would sing, he did not have a direct answer.

But he said he did all kinds of music … but tonight he was going to follow his dream. I groaned softly and turned back to my textbook.

Honestly, I had already started to cringe. A bad Bob Marley rendition, I speculated. And I cringed in anticipation, ear cocked, but burying my attention into the textbook pages.

The music cued, the contestant opened his mouth and began to sing, and I slowly looked up from my book with my mouth open.

I, too, could not believe what I was hearing.

And when he was finished, I stood and clapped till my palms stung. Not only voice but the stage presence of a singing legend.

I felt so, so sheepish…