My Experience of Michele Welborn

Most people reading this, I'm guessing, won't know who Michele Welborn is.

She's one of the many powerful women who have had an influence on me as I've grown up. She is also a fabulous singer/songwriter. Some of her songs are the most moving I've ever heard ("If These Walls Had Ears" from her first album is amazing - I've been listening to it again, which has prompted this post!)

When I was barely into my teens and struggling with my first attempts to sing and write songs and play my guitar, I was very shy and in the song circles I attended, I was terribly shy. Michele was the one who made sure that people noticed when I was getting myself psyched up to sing something, and I have always remembered that kindness. She seemed like a Wise Woman in the archetypal sense, and a true rebel in spirit, but mild with it. I've no idea if she describes herself as a "feminist" but she was one of those women who introduced the ideas to me that developed into my personal take on the whole gender-liberation politics thang.

I do know that a lot of her songs have strong roles for women - although she says in her sleevenotes that "My Man", with its catch line of "We've got, smart broads and smarter computers, and we don't need a man like you" is definitely tongue-in-cheek! (I'm kind of glad about that, as a man, it's quite a scary song to listen to...) She also chooses traditional songs that have women either scoring over men or complaining about their faults ("No Courage in Him" is a trad. song about a husband with erectile dysfunction...!) I like the way she writes or sings these songs, because they are always having fun with gender politics, never the boring earnest sort - but the underlying message still there, of course.

When she was bringing gangly-youth-me to the attention of others when I first knew her, obviously she was a powerful figure, and an authority figure, and someone I looked up to. As I grew from gangly teenagerhood into adulthood I acquired my own confidence, but would not have managed that without her help; but eventually I was able to engage with her feeling myself an equal in discussions instead of an eager acolyte bathing in what I felt was her glory. I have happy memories of conversations about politics, religion, music, life - all the important things, and not always agreeing but always enjoying a sparkling and cheerful exchange of views - no debate or argument as such, just sharing.

I deeply regret that I haven't seen her or spoken to her in a few years now, but it's only a matter of time before our paths cross again (it was likely to have happened a few weeks ago, but I was right at the height of my illness so I wasn't able to go to the event where I might have seen her). She's still someone I admire greatly, she just has a presence that commands attention and respect. Her talents as a singer, musician and songwriter are, of course, another (indeed, the main) source of my admiration.

I do hope you'll go to her website and listen to her samples, she deserves to be world-famous!


I'll finish with a line from a song she sings called "Bad Wine" - a line that I love because of my BDSM kinks:

"You can use me, I don't bruise easily"

(Alright, so sometimes bruises can be pretty, but the sentiment suggests pervy fun!)