My “sort of” first kiss was given by me to a man named Jack Lord. I remember having a crush on him as a child, as I watched the show he starred in – “Hawaii Five-O” – on TV. According to my mom, one time when he appeared during the intro to the show, I went up to the TV screen and kissed it. He was the first of a few celebrity crushes I had throughout my younger years.

My older sister had a crush on David Cassidy and hung Tiger Beat posters of him on her wall. When I reached my pre-teen and teen years, I had crushes on similar celebrities – Clark Brandon, Robby Benson, Sean Cassidy, Scott Baio and more – and just as my sister had done all were given prime real estate on my bedroom wall too. I even remember having a crush on Elvis Presley, even if he was a bit older by then. I used to stay up late on Friday nights, just to watch reruns of his old movies on TV at midnight.

As I got older, the celebrity crushes subsided as is the norm for most kids, but I have to admit to a crush I had at an older age. I think of him as one of you, even if there is absolutely no reason to do so. He is a well-known musician, who at times creates music and lyrics that speak to my soul. Something about his voice; something about his guitar playing; something about the message he delivers through his music. Sometimes they just blow me away.

In his early years as a musician, he was half of a duo group playing songs that resonated with the local community back then and does so until this day. And as much as I enjoy everything about those old local classics, it is his solo career that captured me and held me close. Many years ago, at the high point of my crush, I attended many of his performances, crushing on him while in the audience as he sang his way deeper into my soul. I laugh as I sit here and share that with you, for the recollection of those moments seem just as silly as it sounds. But at that time, during those moments of feeling whatever it was I was feeling . . . it all felt so pure and real. He was on that stage. He was singing to me. And I felt everything his music was created for . . . to make anyone feel.

But now I realize it’s not so much about the man, as it is about the music. As much as I had a crush on this talented musical soul of a man, it is the music he creates that I love. I don’t think of him as often as I used to, unless I happen upon one of his old songs. But sometimes, like today, I hear a new one that speaks to my soul . . . and then my crush returns, as his music once more blows me away.