You can take the girl out of Cleveland, but you can't take Cleveland out of the girl

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Last week was a pretty rough week if you have your heart in Cleveland with the deaths of Cleveland icons Michael Stanley and Joe Tait. It was a one-two punch to the gut. Michael Stanley was the soundtrack to Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, certainly for people of my generation. I wasn't the concert goer I am now, and never went to any of the Michael Stanley Band concerts and I had moved by the time Stanley evolved his sound and band lineup, but every time I drive home, I play "My Town" loud as drive through downtown Cleveland. It gives me chills every single time. There have been so many tributes to Michael Stanley, I couldn't possibly do justice, I just wanted to say to all of them: ditto, me too.


Joe Tait was the voice for Cleveland Indians baseball for many years as I was growing up, and the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers for more years than that. Of course those were the years when the teams and the city were the butts of jokes, but my dad listened regardless. I remember the Miracle at Richfield (vaguely) and those feisty Cavs teams that came later (pre-Lebron years). 


 I think what made these losses so hurtful to me is more than pure nostalgia, it's the connection to my dad (admittedly, I don't know if he listened to Michael Stanley, he was more of an easy listening type of guy). Just like Joe and Michael, my dad was Cleveland, through and through, east side, west side, it didn't matter. I've lived in Minnesota close to 30 years now, but my heart is still very much in Cleveland. 





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