Serious illness pushes everyone into the health care tangle, but artists -- especially musicians -- are often hit hardest. Holding a job with decent health care in the U.S. often serves as an impediment to touring, recording or proper practicing.
Davis railed against the male-dominated industry, while playing the come-hither, power-wielding goddess who stirs libidos everywhere. Far ahead of the social norms, Davis presented herself unflinchingly as a complex black woman who could not be held down.
Deloatch is more than a jazz singer. Her fluid interpretation of a vocalist's role transcends being only a medium for the music. She often becomes a caretaker of the music's history, an advocate of its redemptive power.