Betty Buckley ~ Meadowlark (from "Betty Buckley" 1986)

It's not a stretch to say that there has never been quite a voice like that of Betty Buckley’s, the Broadway legend who's still releasing stellar albums all these decades after her first performance in the original Broadway cast of the classic "1776."

"Meadowlark" was a track from her very first solo album, a collection called, what else, "Betty Buckley" - released in 1986, it was a live recording that still astonishes. It went out of print by the early 1990s and I lamented not having it on CD, so I listened to my worn-out cassette for years until it was finally reissued and remastered in an expanded 15th Anniversary Bonus Track Edition in 2000. While the CD as a whole was glorious (it too is now, sadly, out of print), "Meadowlark" was the standout in a collection stuffed with standouts. Backed by only a sole piano, Buckley jettisons her towering instrument through the intricate melody, displaying her perfect phrasing and nuance. It's a masterclass in vocals and remains my ultimate version of the thousands of versions released by other artists over the decade.

I made this video tribute to Buckley by spelunking her public Instagram and Facebook photos - and with Google Image search. I hope she forgives the intrusion, as I only did this since I am - and have been - a disciple (a "dopey") of hers since I was a child.

Her voice, eternal. Her star still shines brilliantly. There is only one Betty Buckley.


PS - I realized months after the fact that I misspelled 'Meadowlark' on the on-screen chyron at the end of the video. I didn't want to remove the video for that one error, as glaring as it is when I see it.