There are some musical artists who just have a knack (for lack of a better word) for leaving me wrecked, with a sort of punch-in-the-gut sense of awe. One of them is Aimee Mann. Another is Lucinda Williams.
I saw Lucinda Williams a couple nights ago, opening for Bonnie Raitt (whose reputation in her own right needs no explanation). It was immediately apparent that Williams had suffered from some recent physical ailment since I last saw her, over ten years ago. She was escorted onto the stage by a member of her band, and she had to support herself on a music stand for most of the show, although she stood by herself part of the time. As she acknowledged on stage, on top of a lifelong condition of spinal bifida, she’d suffered a stroke in November, 2020. She cannot currently play guitar. But she can still sing, although she referenced a note sheet taped onto the stage during this particular show.